82 



Bark. — Grey. 



Locality. — Found growing on the 



rock-strewn 



banks of fast torrents at an altitude of 2,500 to 

 4,000 feet on the Owen Stanley Range, Common 

 above Kokoda on the Port Moresby trail. Later 

 found tbis along the Purgri and Other com- 

 paratively slow streams of tbe Delta division, 



Remarks. — The aerial roots have in one case made 

 a forest in the water so that you may paddle 

 your canoe in and out among them. 



M 

 Ficus sp., No. 290. 



Leaves and fruit. 



and found it on 



the slopes 



of the mountains 



A large tree. 11 feet in girth with an 85 foot bole 

 and 120 feet over all. Buttresses up to 10 feet 



above Ogeramuagu at 5,000 feet. 



Date. — Fruits in August. 



Remarks. — A very striking tree with, its large 



leaves. 



Material collected. — Leaves and section of fruit. 



Broussonetia papyrifera Vent., No. 207. 



A tree, the bark of which is the most common 

 raw material for the manufacture of native 

 cloth known generally as a Tapa " cloth. This 

 species is cultivated in the native gardens; slips 



being planted here and there among the food 

 crops. They are cut down when they are 



between 5 inches and 6 inches girth, and the bark 

 is stripped off and carried to the village. Here 

 it is beaten with a wooden club-shaped mallet, 

 one surface of which .is flattened and 

 roughened with criss-cross scores, on a hard- 

 wood log. The beating process goes on for a 

 considerable time, and toward the end, when the 

 bark — originally 6 inches wide — is in the neigh- 

 bourhood of 18 inches, a stone mallet of the 

 same shape as the wooden one is used. The 

 cloth when finished may be 20 inches wide, and 



radius. W 



Leav 



;e; petiole \ inch; blade 

 up to 8 inches x 4£ inches; ovate, acute, regu- 

 larly and prominently veined; glaucous below; 

 shiny green above; glabrous, coriaceous; exudes 



latex wherever broken. 



Fruit. 



A curiously shaped fig, viz., 



obovoid, covered with a silky down. 



a flattened 



Bark. — | inch thick; grey; longitudinally lined 



with oblong shallow horizontal depressions here 



and there in the first 20 feet. More or less hori- 

 zontally wrinkled throughout. Very pustular, 

 Inner bark yellow. Exudes latex sparingly. 



Wood. — Characteristic fig wood. Growth rings 



well defined by the presence of white soft tissue 

 in concentric rings. Pores distinct. Ivays fine. 

 Locality. — Bari. 



E-ere 



Date. — October. 



Native names. — Koredapu (Vailala), 



(Evara). 

 Kemarks. — A possible case timber if it doesn't blue 

 too badly. It splits readily on the back along 



the soft tissue. 



Mat 



- — Leaves, fruit, bark, wood. 



is now hung up on lines to dry. Afterwards, Ficus sp., No. 42. 



designs in yellow, red, and black native dyes 

 are painted on. 

 In the Northern Division these native cloths are 

 worn by both sexes. The males use it as a 

 perineal band and an apron, while the woman 

 wears it around her waist. Throughout the 

 Territory the same cloth is made in the same 

 manner, but not by any means from the same 

 tree. A number of figs yield good " Tapa n 

 cloth, and the long cloaks which stretch from 



head to calf, and which are the particular dress 

 of the women (and blankets of the men) of the 

 tribes of the Upper Purari (Namainas), usually 

 called Ku-ku-ku-kii3 by the coastal folk, are 

 made from the bark of a large fig. The moun- 

 tain people (males) affect a cap to keep their 

 mops of hair dry in the ceaseless mist-rains, and 

 this is made of fig " Tapa " cloth (see No. 97). 



s sp., No. 97. 



A large tree, 8 feet girth and a bole of 50 feet. 

 Narrow buttresses up to 10 feet. 



Leaves. — Simple, alternate; petiole £; blade 5^ x 

 3^ ; ovate, acuminate, pubescent on both sur- 

 faces, asymmetrical, slightly serrate, thin. 



Bark. — J inch thick. Grey. Smooth, except for 

 pustules. Inner bark white, but turns yellow on 

 exposure. 



Wood. — Sap undefined. Pale yellow to white. 



Locality. — Vanapa. 



Date.— May, 1922. 



Native names. — Aosi (Dour a), Iowa (Suku). 

 Remarks. 



make 



A medium tree, 7 feet in girth with a bole of 30 

 feet. Without buttresses. 



Leaves. 

 7f9- 



x 



Simple, alternate; petiole f, hispid; blade 

 3^-5 ; obovate ; acuminate ; somewhat 



serrate ; hispid. 

 Rays. — 150. Yellow; turn grey in old wood. 1/60 

 inch deep, show up on quarter as dark oblongs ; 

 sinuous around and broken here and there by 

 pores. Pores. — Conspicuous. 900 to 1,500 

 single and radially septate (2 to 4). Soft tissue, 

 — Very conspicuous, in wavy zig-zag broken 

 lines joining up pores. General. — A grey wood. 

 Solution wood; colourless; no precipitate. Cuts 



soft and woolly. 36 lb. per cub. foot. 

 Bark. — Greeny-yellow; scaly; smooth except for 



fine edges of turned up scales. Inner bark 



yellow-green. Exudes latex. Solution faint 



yellow. No precipitate. 

 Wood. — Sap undefined. "White. 

 Locality. — Foothills ; Veimauri. 



Data— May, 1922. 



Native name. — Mohu (Suku). 



Kemarks. — A soft, straight grained timber. 

 Material collected.- — Leaves, wood, bark. 



Ficus sp., No. 341. 



Large tree. 9 feet in girth, 85 feet bole, and 110 



feet overall. No buttresses. 

 Leaves. — Simple, alternate; petiole f inch to 1 



inch; blade 5 inches to 12 inches 



x 





oblanceolate, acuminate, glaucous below, glab- 



The bark of this species is used to 



rous, 

 lenticels. 



thin. 



Twig 



green, dotted with brown 



Leaves. 



tapa cloth. 

 Material collected. — 



Ficus sp., No. 252. 



Large tree, 60 feet high, sending down aerial roots 

 into the water. 



Bark. — § thick. Grey. Scaly — scales shedding 



Inner bark, pale yellow, 

 no precipitate. 

 Wood. — Sap 3 inches, pale yellow. Heart a dark 



like plane tree bark. 

 Solution colourless : 



brow 



7 n. 



Locality. — Embi Lake. 

 Date. — August. 



Rays. — 100-120. Fine, indistinct specks on quar- 

 ter 1/50 inch deep. Pores.— Clear. 3,000-4,000 

 radially septate (2) ; evenly distributed. Soft 



