Rattan

Rattan (from the Indonesia/Malay rotan) is the name for about 600 species of old world climbing palms. They belong to the subfamily Calamoideae.^[1]

Making furniture in Cameroon.

A mushroom basket made of rattan.

A growing rattan

Base of a clustering rattan palm in Sulawesi, Indonesia

Worker harvesting rattan from an old-growth forest in the Philippines

Rattan is also known as manila, or malacca, after the ports of Manila and Malacca City, and as manau (from the Indonesia/Malay rotan manau, the trade name for Calamus manan canes in Southeast Asia).^[2]

The climbing habit comes with a flexible woody stem, got from a secondary growth. This makes rattan a liana rather than a normal or true wood. It grows much faster than most tropical wood. Rattan canes are one of the world's most valuable non-timber forest products.

'Dragon's blood' is a red resin used in dyes, varnishes and incense. It can come from the fruit of a rattan. Furniture is probably the most widespread use. Many types of weapons and cane for caning have been made from rattan.

References

1. J Dransfield 2002. General Introduction to Rattan - the biological background to exploitation and the history of rattan research.
2. Johnson, Dennis V. (2004): Rattan glossary: and compendium glossary with emphasis on Africa. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, p. 22.