CANE, a name applied to many plants which have long, slender, reed-like stalks or stems, e.g., the sugar-cane, the bamboo cane. From the use as walking-sticks the name "cane" is given to sticks, irrespective of the source from which they are derived. Properly it should be restricted to a peculiar class of palms, known as rattans, included under the genera Korthalsia, Plecto comia, Calamus and Daemonorops. The plants are found through out the islands of the Indian Archipelago, the Malay Peninsula, China, India and Ceylon; and also in Australia and Africa. The slender stems rarely exceed an inch in diameter and are generally much smaller. They creep or trail to an enormous length, often reaching Soo or 600ft., and support themselves on trees or bushes by recurved spines borne on the stalk or back of the midrib of the leaf, or by stiff hooks replacing the upper leaflets. In some cases the midrib is elongated beyond the leaflets to form a long whip-like structure, bearing recurved hooks at intervals. The na tives in preparing the canes for the market, strip off the leaves by pulling the cut plant through a notch made in a tree. The canes always present distinct rings at the junction of the sheathing leaves with the stem. They assume a yellow colour as they dry.
Canes, on account of their lightness, length, strength and flex ibility, are used for a great variety of pu.poses by the inhabi tants of the countries in which they grow. Split into thin strips they are twisted to form ropes and ships' cables. A more im portant application, however, is for basket-work, and for making chairs, couches, pillows, etc., as the great strength and durability of thin and easily prepared strips admit of such articles being made at once airy, strong and flexible. Much of the beautiful and elab orate basket-work of the Chinese and Japanese is made from thin strips of cane which are also used by the Chinese for larger works, such as houses and sheds.
A large trade is carried on in canes and rattans, the principal centres being Batavia, Sarawak, Singapore, Penang and Calcutta. In addition to the varieties used for walking-sticks, whip and um brella handles, etc., the common rattans are in extensive demand for basket-making, the seats and backs of chairs, etc., and for purposes where their strength and flexibility make them efficient substitutes for whalebone. The walking-stick "canes" of com merce include many varieties, some of which, however, are not the produce of trailing palms. The well-known Malacca canes are obtained from Calamus Scipionurn, the stems of which are much stouter than is the case with the average species of Calamus.