King: Philippine Bast-fiber Ropes 563 
made to order. Thirty-eight coils of rope were secured from 
material authentically identified in the Bureau of Science.* The 
ropes arrived at the Bureau of Science in March, 1917. By Oc- 
tober of the same year, before there had been any insect infesta- 
tion, the laboratory work in connection with this investigation had 
been completed. The length of the rope constituting a coil varied 
from about 25 to 60 meters. Thirty-two of the fibers used in 
fabricating the ropes tested were obtained from bast-plant 
species, and seven proved to be from species which gave nonbast 
fibers. In addition ropes from two standard cordage fibers, 
namely abaca and maguey, were used for the purpose of com- 
XIV, 6 
parison. 
were obtained are as follows: 
SPECIES GIVING BASTS 
STERCULIACEAE 
Abroma fastuosa Jack. 
Commiersonia bartramia(Linn.) Merr. 
Helicteres hirsuta Lour. 
Kleinhovia hospita Linn. 
Pterocymbium tinctorium (Blanco) 
Merr. 
Pterospermum diversifolium Blume. 
Sterculia crassiramea Merr. 
Sterculia foetida Linn. 
Sterculia oblongata R. Br. 
Sterculia stipularis R. Br. 
MALVACEAE 
Bombycidendron vidalianum Merr. & 
Rolfe. 
Malachra fasciata Jack. 
Sida acuta Burm. 
Thespesia lampas (Cav.) Dalz. & Gib. 
Urena lebata Linn. 
TILIACEAE 
Columbia blancoi Rolfe. 
Corchorus olitorius Linn. 
Grewia bilamellata Gagnep. 
Grewia eriocarpa Juss. 
Grewia multiflora Juss. 
The species from which the fibers of the ropes tested 
® 
MORACEAE 
Aliaeanthus glaber Warb. 
Artocarpus communis Forst. 
Ficus benjamina Linn. 
Ficus forstenii Miq. 
Ficus pachyphylla Merr. 
Ficus palawanensis Merr. 
BORAGINACEAE 
Cordia cumingiana Vidal. 
Cordia myxa Linn. 
GNETACEAE 
Gnetum sp. 
BOMBACACEAE 
Bombax ceiba Linn. 
ULMACEAE 
Trema orientalis Blume. 
ANNONACEAE 
amuyon 
Goniothalamus { Blanco) 
Merr. 
* All botanical work in connection with this investigation, such as naming 
and identifying species, was done by E. D. Merrill, chief of the botanical 
section of the Bureau of Science, who also furnished the information 
regarding the habitat, ete., of the plants. 
