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Rattan
Rattan (from the Malay language|Malay ''rotan''), is the name for the roughly six hundred species of Arecaceae|palms in the tribe '''Calameae''', native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. Most rattans are distinct from other palms in having slender stems 2–5 cm diameter with long plant stem|internodes between the leaf|leaves; their consequent growth habit also differs, not being trees but vine-like, scrambling through and over other vegetation. They are also superficially similar to bamboo, but distinct in that the stems ("malacca") are solid, rather than hollow, and also in their need for some sort of support; while bamboo can grow on its own, rattan cannot. Some genera (e.g. ''Metroxylon'', ''Pigafetta'', ''Raphia'') are however more like typical palms, with stouter, erect trunks. Many rattans are also spine (biology)|spiny, the spines acting as hooks to aid climbing over other plants, and also 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 the 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, requiring simpler tools and also much easier to transport. Furthermore, compared to most tropical wood, rattan is much faster growing. This makes it a potential tool in forest maintenance, since it provides a profitable crop that depends on rather than replaces trees. Whether it can be as profitable or useful as the alternatives, however, remains to be seen.
Uses
Generally, raw rattan is processed into several products to be used as materials in furniture making. The various species of rattan ranges from several millimetres up to 5–7 cm in diameter. 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.
Rattans are extensively used for making furniture and baskets. Cut into sections, rattan can be used as wood to make furniture. Rattan accepts paints and stains like many other kinds of wood, so it is available in many colours; and it can be worked into many styles. Moreover, the inner core can be separated and worked into wicker.
Due to its durability and resistance to splintering, sections of rattan can be used as Staff (stick)|staves or canes for martial arts – 70-cm. long rattan sticks, called ''baston'', are used in Filipino martial arts, especially Modern Arnis and Eskrima. Rattan is generally the only material accepted for the construction of weapons in Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) martial combat.["rattan" at Encyclopedia.com.] The resin normally results in a wood with a light peach hue.
Caning
Rattan canes are also a common choice for inflicting pain, in disciplinary, legal Corporal punishment|punishment, such as caning people, a form of punishment still used in many countries such as Caning in Malaysia|Malaysia, Vietnam, Caning in Singapore|Singapore, and Brunei. It can also be used for torture or for pleasure, as in BDSM contexts. It was a rattan cane that was used for the caning of Michael P. Fay in 1994.
References
Category:Calamoideae
Category:Wood
Category:Fiber plants
Category:Corporal punishments
Category:Malay words and phrases
Related Images- A rattan chair.
Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL
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