Rattan 
I. — GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 
R ATTAN is the name applied to a number of 
the climbing palms which are mainly the 
product of the eastern tropics, and to their 
strong and flexible stems, which are used for a wide 
rane-e of domestic and industrial purposes. The 
rattans which are commercially most important 
belong to the genera Calamus and Daemonorops, but 
others belong to the genera Korthalsia , Ceratolobus, 
Plectocomia, Plecioeomiopsis, and Myrialepis. The 
Malay Archipelago produces the largest part of the 
world's supply, and much of it is exported from 
Singapore. 
Rattans are at first erect plants and remain small 
1 for a number of years, when they begin to climb 
by the aid of long and slender; whip-like flagella, 
which are armed with recurved thorns that hold 
on to the surrounding vegetation and so support 
the plant. Oftentimes rattans trail along on the 
ground for some distance and then climb, frequently 
reaching the tops of high trees. The stems are 
very long, sometimes exceeding two hundred yards, 
and so being among the longest of known plants. 
There may be only one stem from a root cluster or 
there may be several or many, sometimes 100 or 
more. 
There is considerable variation in size and thick- 
ness of stem, strength of fibre, size of leaves, and 
in soil requirements among the different species. 
