Product Code Database
Rattan, also spelled ratan (from Malay language: rotan), is the name for roughly 600 species of Old World belonging to subfamily Calamoideae. The greatest diversity of rattan palm species and genera are in the closed-canopy old-growth of Southeast Asia, though they can also be found in other parts of tropical Asia and Africa. (2025). 9789251046913, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). . ISBN 9789251046913 Most rattan palms are ecologically considered due to their climbing habits, unlike other palm species. A few species also have tree-like or shrub-like habits.
Around 20% of rattan palm species are economically important and are traditionally used in Southeast Asia in producing furniture, baskets, Walking stick, woven mats, Rope, and other . Rattan canes are one of the world's most valuable non-timber forest products. Some species of rattan also have edible scaly fruit and heart of palm. Despite increasing attempts in the last 30 years at commercial cultivation, almost all rattan products still come from wild-harvested plants. Rattan supplies are now rapidly threatened due to deforestation and overexploitation. Rattan were also historically known as Manila cane or Malacca cane, based on their trade origins, as well as numerous other trade names for individual species.Johnson, Dennis V. (2004): Rattan Glossary: And Compendium Glossary with Emphasis on Africa. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, p. 22.
A few species of rattans are non-climbing. These range from free-standing tree-like species (like Calamus dumetosa) to acaulescent shrub-like species with short subterranean stems (like Calamus pygmaeus).
Rattans can also be solitary (single-stemmed), clustering (clump-forming), or both. Solitary rattan species grow into a single stem. Clustering rattan, on the other hand, develop clumps of up to 50 stems via suckers, similar to bamboo and . These clusters can produce new stems continually as individual stems die. The impact of harvesting is much greater in solitary species, since the whole plant dies when harvested. An example of a commercially important single-stemmed species is Calamus manan. Clustering species, on the other hand, have more potential to become sustainable if the rate of harvesting does not exceed the rate of stem replacement via vegetative reproduction.
Rattans display two types of flowering: hapaxanthy and pleonanthy. All the species of the genera Korthalsia, Laccosperma, Plectocomia, Plectocomiopsis, and Myrialepis are hapaxanthic; as well as a few species of Calamus. This means they only flower and fruit once then die. All other rattan species are pleonanthic, being able to flower and fruit continually. Most commercially harvested species are pleonanthic, because hapaxanthic rattans tend to have soft making them unsuitable for bending.
There are 13 different genera of rattans that include around 600 species. Some of the species in these "rattan genera" have a different habit and do not climb, they are shrubby palms of the forest undergrowth; nevertheless they are close relatives to species that are climbers and they are hence included in the same genera. The largest rattan genus is Calamus, distributed in Asia except for one species represented in Africa. From the remaining rattan genera, Korthalsia, Plectocomia, Plectocomiopsis, and Myrialepis are centered in Southeast Asia with outliers eastwards and northwards;Terry C.H. Sunderland and John Dransfield. Species Profiles. Ratans. http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/y2783e/y2783e05.htm and three are endemic to Africa: Laccosperma (syn. Ancistrophyllum), Eremospatha and Oncocalamus.
The rattan genera and their distribution (Uhl & Dransfield 1987 Genera Palmarum, Dransfield 1992):
| Tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka, China, south and east to Fiji, Vanuatu and eastern Australia (synonyms including Daemonorops) |
| Synonym of Calamus |
| Synonym of Calamus |
| Humid tropical Africa |
| Indo-China and Burma to New Guinea |
| Humid tropical Africa |
| Indo-China, Thailand, Burma, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra |
| Humid tropical Africa |
| Himalayas and south China to western Malaysia |
| Laos, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra |
| Synonym of Calamus |
In Uhl & Dransfield (1987 Genera Palmarum,Uhl, N.W. & Dransfield, J., 1987. Genera palmarum: a classification of palms based on the work of H.E.Moore Jr. pp 610. The International Palm Society & the Bailey Hortorium, Kansas. 2ºed. 2008), and also Dransfield & Manokaran (1993Dransfield, J. & Manokaran, N. (eds), 1993. Rattans. PROSEA volume 6. Pudoc, Wageningen. pp 137.), a great deal of basic introductory information is available.
Available rattan floras and monographs by region (2002):
Uses by taxon.
The major commercial species of rattan canes as identified for Asia by Dransfield and Manokaran (1993) and for Africa, by Tuley (1995) and Sunderland (1999) ( Desmoncus not treated here):
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Not threatened |
| Not threatened |
| Threatened |
| Threatened |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Threatened |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Not threatened |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Unknown |
| Not threatened |
| - |
| - |
| Not threatened |
Utilized Calamus species canes:Rattan Glossary. Appendix III. http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/Y5232E/y5232e07.htm#P5059_100907 In: RATTAN glossary and Compendium glossary with emphasis on Africa. NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS 16. FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
| Canes for bridge cables, basketry |
| Excellent large-diameter canes harvested for furniture industry; leaves for thatching |
| Excellent quality medium- to large-diameter canes for furniture |
| Entire canes for handicrafts, furniture, basketry, etc., local and export markets |
| Small-diameter canes for basketry, fish traps and tying |
| Canes for walking-sticks |
| Ornamental use of young plants |
| Canes of good quality but quantities insufficient for commercial use; canes for baskets and mats |
| Probably sold together with other small-diameter canes |
| Canes for broom handles |
| Canes for commercial and traditional uses |
| Leaves for thatch; immature fruits in traditional medicine |
| Slender canes for weaving and binding; seedlings used as ornamentals |
| Canes of poor quality, rarely used; fruit eaten |
| Canes |
| Entire canes made into handicrafts, furniture and baskets |
| Canes for construction and weaving |
| Canes for making furniture and baskets |
| Canes inferior but used for local furniture-making |
| Canes for tying, cordage, basketry, fish traps and noose traps |
| Canes used for baskets, bags, tying, etc. for home industries |
| Young plants as ornamentals; canes for binding or tying |
| Excellent small- to medium-diameter canes for binding and weaving in furniture; new shoots edible |
| Canes for furniture, handicrafts and home industries |
| Canes of good quality |
| Canes for binding, weaving, basketry, handicrafts |
| Canes for tying, binding and weaving |
| Canes for furniture |
| Canes for tying and weaving |
| Edible fruit |
| Canes for handicrafts |
| Canes for furniture |
| Canes for basketry, chair seats |
| Canes for chair frames, cables for ferry boats, hauling logs and as rigging on small sailboats; split canes for mats, basketry, fish traps, chair seats |
| Canes for cordage |
| Canes for weaving |
| Canes for furniture, basketry |
| Canes for basketry, chair frames, etc. |
| Canes for police sticks, chair frames |
| Actual use of small- to medium-diameter canes not known |
| Split canes for basketry, cordage; spiny leaf-sheaths as food graters |
| Canes for cordage, basketry, noose traps, musical instruments; edible raw cabbage as medicine; spiny leaf-sheaths formerly used to make food graters |
| Canes locally for basket frames |
| Extensively collected as small-diameter cane, end-uses not documented |
| Canes for basketry, walking-sticks, furniture frames; split canes for chair seats |
| Small-diameter canes extensively used to make furniture for local and export markets |
| Canes for basketry and chair seats |
| Excellent small-diameter canes for furniture and handicrafts for local and export markets |
| Coarse cane for furniture; leaves for thatch; edible fruit |
| Young leaves occasionally as cigarette paper; fruits as medicine |
| Canes split for tying and binding |
| Most desirable large-diameter canes for furniture |
| Edible fruit; canes of inferior quality for tying |
| Poor quality but durable canes for basket frames and walking-sticks |
| Canes occasionally used to make coarse baskets |
| Canes for basketry and tying |
| Canes for basketry and handicrafts |
| Entire canes for chair frames, ferry boat cables, hauling logs, sailboat rigging; split canes for basketry, chairs, fish traps, etc. |
| Canes for basketry |
| Entire canes for basketry |
| Canes as cordage |
| Popular large-diameter canes for furniture; split canes for basketry, cordage |
| Canes for basketry and tying |
| Canes for furniture |
| Canes for furniture |
| Cabbage eaten |
| Canes for walking-sticks, cages, basket frames |
| Canes for basketry |
| Canes for handicrafts |
| Canes used to make mats, for weaving, to bind furniture and cordage |
| Major use of canes for furniture; also for walking-sticks, handles for implements and flooring; leaves, cabbage and roots as medicine; fruits occasionally eaten |
| Split canes for basketry; entire canes for furniture frames; split cane cores for crude woven products |
| Canes for walking-sticks |
| Canes excellent for furniture frames |
| Canes |
| Seedlings as potential ornamental; ripe fruit pickled and young shoot eaten |
| Canes apparently of good quality for furniture |
| Canes occasionally used for walking-sticks |
| Robust canes of good quality for furniture |
| Canes of good appearance but probably only for local use |
| Canes of good quality for tying, binding and making coarse mats |
| Canes for handicrafts |
| Coarse canes used for broom handles |
| Canes for furniture |
| Canes for basketry |
| Canes for basketry, etc. |
| Canes for furniture |
| Canes of small diameter use for furniture and basketry, local and international |
| Canes possibly used to make baskets and mats |
| Canes used locally for binding |
| Canes for basketry, chair seats |
| Canes for handicrafts; edible fruit |
| Canes used for basketry and tying |
| Canes split for tying, thatching and cordage |
| Canes for making moderate-quality furniture; walking-sticks, umbrella handles, etc. |
| Canes sometimes used to make walking-sticks |
| Excellent quality cane; under cultivation in gardens |
| Canes for basketry |
| Good medium-diameter cane for furniture, binding, weaving, basketry, etc.; new shoots edible |
| Canes for basketry and tying |
| Canes for handicrafts |
| Canes for basketry and tying |
| Canes for furniture frames; cabbage cooked as a vegetable; fruit sometimes eaten |
| Canes for furniture |
| Canes for basketry; fruits and young shoots eaten |
| Small-diameter canes for handicrafts, basketry and furniture |
| Canes for furniture |
| Canes for tying and binding |
| Canes used as skin peels for weaving chair seats and back; unsplit for furniture; basketry, mats, fish traps, cordage |
| Canes for handicrafts and furniture |
| Canes for furniture |
| Canes for furniture |
| Split canes for cordage |
| Canes locally for furniture |
| Canes for basketry, furniture and handicrafts |
| Canes for furniture |
| Canes locally for basketry and matting |
| Canes for weaving and furniture |
| Canes locally for basket frames |
| Canes for furniture frames |
Other traditional uses of rattans by species:
| Calamus conirostris; Calamus longisetus; Calamus manillensis; Calamus merrillii; Calamus ornatus; Calamus paspalanthus; Calamus subinermis; Calamus viminalis; Calamus calospathus (syn. Calospatha scortechinii); Calamus ingens |
| Calamus deerratus; Calamus egregius; Calamus javensis; Calamus muricatus; Calamus paspalanthus; Calamus siamensis; Calamus simplicifolius; Calamus subinermis; Calamus tenuis; Calamus viminalis; Calamus melanochaetes (syns. Daemonorops melanochaetes, Daemonorops fissa, Daemonorops margaritae, Daemonorops schmidtiana); Calamus longibracteatus (syn. Daemonorops longispatha); Calamus periacanthus (syn. Daemonorops periacantha); Calamus scapigerus (syn. Daemonorops scapigera); Calamus sparsiflorus (syn. Daemonorops sparsiflora); Laccosperma secundiflorum; Plectocompiopsis geminiflora (and Calamus jenkinsianus.) |
| Calamus castaneus; Calamus longispathus; Calamus gracilipes (syn. Daemonorops didymophylla) |
| Calamus exilis; Calamus javensis; Calamus ornatus; Calamus melanochaetes (syn. Daemonorops grandis); Korthalsia rigida |
| Calamus gracilipes (syn. Daemonorops didymophylla); Calamus draco (syn. Daemonorops draco); Calamus maculatus (syn. Daemonorops maculata); Calamus micracanthus (syn. Daemonorops micracantha); Calamus propinquus (syn. Daemonorops propinqua); Calamus ruber (syn. Daemonorops rubra) |
| Calamus andamanicus; Calamus castaneus; Calamus longisetus; Calamus calicarpus (syn. Daemonorops calicarpa); Calamus oblongus (syn. Daemonorops elongata); Calamus melanochaetes (syns. Daemonorops grandis, Daemonorops manii); Calamus ingens |
| Calamus longispathus; Calamus leptopus (syn. Daemonorops leptopus) |
| Laccosperma secundiflorum |
| Eremospatha macrocarpa |
| Eremospatha wendlandiana; Oncocalamus sp. |
| Calamus sp. (undescribed sp. from Bali); |
| Calamus melanochaetes (syn. Daemonorops grandis); Laccosperma secundiflorum |
Rattans also exhibit rapid population growths in disturbed forest edges due to higher light availability than in the closed-canopy old-growth . Although this can mean increased rattan abundance for economic exploitation, it can also be problematic in long-term conservation efforts.
Rattan harvesting from the wild in most rattan-producing countries requires permits. These include the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Laos, Ghana, and Cameroon. In addition, the Philippines also imposes an annual allowable cut in an effort to conserve rattan resources. Rattan cultivation (both monoculture and intercropping) is also being researched and pioneered in some countries, though it is still a young industry and only constitutes a minority of the rattan resources harvested annually.
Cleaned rattan stems with the leaf sheaths removed are superficially similar to bamboo. Unlike bamboo, rattan stems are not hollow. Most (70%) of the world's rattan population exists in Indonesia, distributed among the islands Borneo, Sulawesi, and Sumbawa. The rest of the world's supply comes from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Assam, India.
The stem tips are rich in starch, and can be eaten raw or roasted. Long stems can be cut to obtain potable water. The palm heart can also be eaten raw or cooked. (2025). 9781602396920, Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 9781602396920
Generally, raw rattan is processed into several products to be used as materials in furniture making. From a strand of rattan, the skin is usually peeled off, to be used as rattan weaving material. The remaining "core" of the rattan can be used for various purposes in furniture making. Rattan is a very good material, mainly because it is lightweight, durable, and, to a certain extent, flexible and suitable for outdoor use.
Due to its durability and resistance to splintering, sections of rattan can be used as Walking stick, crooks for high-end , or Stick-fighting for martial arts. Rattan sticks long, called baston, are used in Filipino martial arts, especially Arnis and for the striking weapons in the Society for Creative Anachronism's full-contact "armoured combat".
Along with birch and bamboo, rattan is a common material used for the handles in percussion mallets, especially mallets for keyboard percussion, e.g., marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, etc.
Round shields known as taming from various ethnic groups in the Philippines and parts of Borneo can also be made from tightly-woven rattan.
Rattan shields were historically used in ancient, medieval and early modern China and Korea. According to some contemporary sources, they were reasonably effective against both arrows and early firearms.Lo-shu Fu (1966). 9780816501519, Published for the Association for Asian Studies by the University of Arizona Press. . ISBN 9780816501519
It sees also prominent use in battle re-enactments as stand-ins to potentially lethal weapons.
Rattan can also be used to build a functional sword that delivers a non-lethal but similar impact compared to steel counterparts.
|
|
