list of figures - Terry Sunderland

The extensive nature and wide range of uses for African rattans has led to the
proliferation of a common misconception, particularly amongst the conservation and
development community active in many areas in Africa, that all rattans are useful, and
therefore all rattan species have potential commercial applications. However, this is
not the case. Whilst there is a substantial use for many African rattan species, and a
wider, somewhat more spontaneous 1 use for many others, our recent taxonomic and
ethnobotanical studies indicate that a number of species are not utilised in any way, or
are only used in the absence of other more desirable species. This lack of utilisation is
due to inflexibility or a tendency to break when being worked or a tendency of the
species to produce aerial branches and hence provides cane of limited length.
1 Spontaneous use indicates immediate short-term usage, regardless of species, such as tying a bundle
of harvested leaves in the forest, repairing a cutlass handle on the farm. In this case, use is based on
immediate, or “emergency”, requirements and is not predetermined.
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