Why Rattan Is Different From Other Palmae

Rattan Overview

• With some 600 species spread over 13 genera, the rattan tribe, Calameae, is a diverse one. They have a wide distribution in the tropics of the Old World, from Africa to Australia, but Southeast Asia comprises their epicenter. In "Tropical Rain Forests: An Ecological and Biogeographical Comparison," the authors note that 30 different kinds of rattan may share the same rain forest habitat in this region. The World Wildlife Fund reports at least two species of rattans thrive in the peat-swamp rain forests of Sulawesi, for example. In the wet tropics of Queensland, a heavily spined rattan (Calamus australis) going by several colorful common names -- including wait-a-while, Hairy Mary and lawyer cane -- is common, particularly in disturbed areas.

Growth Forms

• The growth forms of most rattan palms make them fairly distinctive within the family. They are certainly the most varied of the climbing palms; where many typical palms have one or more tall, tough trunks (technically solitary and clustering growth forms), most rattans have thin and soft stems to enable twisting and creeping upon other vegetation. Two genera of rattans -- the Korthalsia and Laccosperma -- exhibit an aerial-branching growth form, which is rare among palms, found otherwise only in the Hyphaene and Dypsis genera, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Climbing Palms

• Climbing rattans have pinnate (long, slender and tapered) leaves studded all along their stems, in marked contrast to the "classic" species -- like the coconut palm -- with their naked trunks and bunched canopies. Sharply curved, hook-like spines bristle from the stem and leaf stalks and pinnate blades latch onto branches, trunks, foliage and other nearby supports to ascend from the forest floor into the heights. Some rattans have additional structures that enhance their gymnastics: Certain kinds of Calamus rattan grow hook-covered, sterile inflorescences, for example, to this end.

Economic Importance

• Rattans are among the most economically significant palms in the world. Their pliable stems are used in the production of wicker furniture, handicrafts and other products. In addition to this industry -- hugely lucrative in Indonesia, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries -- new uses of rattan continue to demonstrate its versatility. Medical researchers in Europe, for example, are exploring the fashioning of artificial human bone from specially treated rattan fibers.