rattans-an important non wood forest product

1. Rattans- Distribution and utility

2.  Rattans are climbing palms belonging to the Calamoideae, a
large subfamily of the palm family (Palmae or Arecaceae).
 There are around 600 different species of rattan belonging to 13
genera.
 These are concentrated solely in the Old World tropics; there are
no true rattans in the New World,
 All of the species within the Calamoideae are characterized by
overlapping reflexed scales on the fruit, and all are spiny, a
necessary pre-adaptation to the climbing habit.
 Also, they are not trees but are vine-like lianas, scrambling
through and over other vegetation.
 Rattans are also superficially similar to bamboo.
 Unlike bamboo, rattan stems are solid and most species need
structural support and cannot stand on their own.

4.  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 meters long.
 They are mainly distributed in tropical, subtropical
and lower temperate belts.
 Rattans can be seen in evergreen, semi-
evergreen, moist deciduous and subtropical
evergreen type forests.
 They are rare in dry deciduous forests, and are
absent in mangrove forests…. .

5.  Most (70%) of the world's rattan population exist
in Indonesia.
 The rest of the world's supply comes from the
o Philippines,
o Sri Lanka,
o Malaysia, and
o Bangladesh
 The range of rattans extends from sea level to
more than 3 000 m elevation,
 from equatorial rain forests to monsoon
savannahs and the foothills of the Himalayas.
 Thus the large number of rattan species is
matched by great ecological adaptation and
diversity.

6.  In India 60 species representing 5 genera while
from North-eastern region of India a total of 20
rattan species and 3 varieties under 4 genera
have been reported.
 Among these, Calamus accounts for 14,
Plectocomia for 4 and Daemonorops and Salaca
for 1 species each.
 The species are distributed in the evergreen,
semi-evergreen to deciduous forests of the
region.
 Out of these 20 species, 14 species are being
threatened including eleven endemic species

8. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
OF RATTANS

10. Rattan chair
 Rattans are extensively used for making
baskets and furniture. When 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.

11. Clothing
 Traditionally, the women of
the Wemale ethnic group of Seram
Island, Indonesia wore
rattan girdles around their waist
Corporal punishment
 Thin rattan canes were the standard
implement for school corporal
punishment in England and Wales, and
 Still used for this purpose in schools in
Malaysia, Singapore, and several African
countries.

12. Food source
 Some rattan fruits are edible, with a sour taste
akin to citrus.
 The fruit of some rattans exudes a
red resin called dragon's blood; this resin was
thought to have medicinal properties in antiquity
and was used as a dye for violins, among other
things.
 The resin normally results in a wood with a light
peach hue.
 In the Indian state of Assam, the shoot is also
used as vegetable.

13. Medicinal potential
 In early 2010, scientists in Italy announced that
rattan wood would be used in a new "wood to
bone" process for the production of artificial
bone.
 The process takes small pieces of rattan and
places it in a furnace.
 Calcium and carbon are added.
 The wood is then further heated under intense
pressure in another oven-like machine, and a
phosphate solution is introduced.

14. Handicraft and arts
 Many of the properties of rattan that
make it suitable for furniture also make
it a popular choice for handicraft and
art pieces.
 Uses include rattan baskets, plant
containers, and other decorative works.
 Due to its durability and resistance to
splintering, sections of rattan can be
used as
o canes,
o crooks for high-end umbrellas,
o or staves for martial arts.

15. Shelter material
 Most natives or locals from the rattan rich
countries employ the aid of this sturdy plant in
their home building projects.
 It is heavily used as a housing material in rural
areas.
 The skin of the plant or wood is primarily used
for weaving.
Sports equipment
 Rattan cane is also used traditionally to make
polo mallets, though only a small portion of cane
harvested (roughly 3%) is strong, flexible, and
durable enough to be made into sticks for polo
mallets, and
 popularity of rattan mallets is waning next the
more modern variant, fibrecanes.
polo
mallets
fibrecane
s