|
|
 |
CVT Easy Chair
68x90x89 CmH |
 |
Rattan (from the Malay rotan),
is the name for the rougly six hundred species of palms in thetribe
Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australia.
Most rattans are distinct from other palms in having slender stems 2-5
cm diameter with long internodes between the 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 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 spiny, the spines acting as hooks to aid climbing
over other plants, and also to deter herbivores. |
