|
Rattan
(from the Malay rotan), is the name for the roughly 600
species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical
regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. Most rattans differ
from other palms in having slender stems, 2–5 cm diameter,
with long internodes between the leaves; also, they are not
trees but are vine-like, scrambling through and over other
vegetation. Rattans are also superficially similar to
bamboo. Unlike bamboo, rattan stems ("malacca") are solid,
and most species need structural support and cannot stand on
their own. However, some genera (e.g. Metroxylon, Pigafetta,
Raphia) are more like typical palms, with stouter, erect
trunks. Many rattans have spines which act as hooks to aid
climbing over other plants, and to deter herbivores. Rattans
have been known to grow up to hundreds of metres long. Most
(70%) of the world's rattan population exist in Indonesia,
distributed among Borneo, Sulawesi, Sumbawa islands. The
rest of the world's supply comes from the Philippines, Sri
Lanka, Malaysia and Bangladesh. In forests where rattan
grows, its economic value can help protect forest land, by
providing an alternative to loggers who forgo timber logging
and harvest rattan canes instead. Rattan is much easier to
harvest, requires simpler tools and is much easier to
transport. It also grows much faster than most tropical
wood. This makes it a potential tool in forest maintenance,
since it provides a profitable crop that depends on rather
than replaces trees. It remains to be seen whether rattan
can be as profitable or useful as the alternatives. |
