Rattan is the name for the roughly six hundred species of the genera Calamus and Daemonorops used for furniture and baskets. While very similar to bamboo, rattan is distinct in that it is solid rather than hollow, and also in their need for some sort of support--while bamboo can grow on its own, rattan cannot. This makes it a potential tool in forest maintainence, 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.
Cut into sections, rattan can be used as wood to make furniture. Rattan accepts paints and stains like wood, so it is available in many colors; and it can be worked into many styles. Sections of rattan can be used as staves or canes for martial arts or caning people, a form of punishment still popular in many countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. Moreover, the inner core can be separated and worked into wicker.
Rattan exudes a resin called dragon's blood for its red color. This resin was thought to have medicinal properties in antiquity and was also used as a dye for violins, among other things (encyclopedia.com).
See also