Calamus Rotang

This is one of the palms that furnish the canes or

rattans used for chair bottoms, sides of pony-carriages, and

similar purposes. It is a climbing palm and grows to an immense

length; specimens 300 feet long have been exhibited, climbing over

and amongst the branches of trees, supporting themselves by means

of the hooked spines attached to the leaf stalks. _C. rudentum_

and _C. viminalis_ furnish flexible canes. In their native

countries they are used for a variety of manufacturing purposes,

also for ropes and cables used by junks and other coasting

vessels. In the Himalayas they are used in the formation of

suspension bridges across rivers and deep ravines. _C. scipionum_

furnishes the well-known Malacca canes used for walking sticks.

They are naturally of a rich brown color. The clouded and mottled

appearance which some of these present is said to be imparted to

them by smoking and steaming.