116 MISSOURL BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
Indian Ocean. In view of the mystery of their origin large 
sums were frequently paid to sailors bringing them back as 
curios. The leaves, which are semi-fan-shaped, are used by 
the natives for hat-making and are exported to Europe in 
large quantities for the same purpose. 
The palmyra palm (Borassus flabelliformis) is a native of 
tropical Africa and widely cultivated in India. The young 
leaves are used as a vegetable in Africa and India, and in the 
latter country the young leaves, or the cuticle, are collected 
for making hats. 
The raffia palm (Raphia Ruffia) is a valuable palm native 
of Madagascar and cultivated in various parts of the tropics 
for the fiber obtained from its leaves. This is obtained by 
removing the cuticle or the superficial layer. The fiber is 
exported in large quantities and used for various purposes, 
such as mats, baskets, tying garden plants, ete. The natives 
use the fibers from both the trunk and leaves for making hats. 
*Silver thatch palm (Thrinax argentea) is a dwarf palm, 
native of the West Indies where it grows to a height of 20 feet. 
The leaves are fan-shaped, pure white on the under side. The 
plants are grown in Cuba for the fiber stripped from the 
leaves, this fiber being imported into the United States and 
England in large quantities for making hats. Young plants 
are grown by the florists as decorative house plants. 
Unlike most palms, the malacea cane (Calamus Scipionum) 
is a climber, often having stems 400 feet long encircling 
trunks of trees. The stems, or so-called canes, are exported 
in large quantities from Siak. They are used for making 
walking sticks, umbrella staves and handles, and, to a great 
extent in Europe, for handles of chimney sweepers’ brushes, 
ete. In Manila the split canes are made into the well-known 
Manila hats. 
*The panama-hat palm (Carludovica palmata) is a stem- 
less pseudo-palm indigenous to the shady deep forests of 
Ecuador, Peru, ete. It is the most important species eco- 
nomically of the Cyclanthaceae, as it furnishes the fiber for 
the well-known panama hats. For this important industry 
the leaves are gathered in the young state just before they 
assume a green color. They are cut into narrow strips and 
the stiff veins removed while still attached to the petiole or 
leaf-stalk. They are then bleached by immersion successively 
in boiling water, in water acidulated with lemon juice, and 
finally in pure cold water. After this preparation the straw 
is ready for being made into the well-known panama hats. 
Hats of superior quality are said to be plaited from a single 
leaf without a break. 
