BOTANV. 197 



BEAD PLANTS. 



The Karens in the southern provinces cultivate one cr 

 two species of Job's tears for the seed. The Pvvos plant 

 a species with round seeds which are used to ornament 

 the borders of their tunics, but they are never seen on a 

 woman's gown. The Sgaus on the contrary, cultivate a 

 species bearing an oval seed, and use them merely for 

 embroidering female dresses. In Amherst Province, the 

 Pwos seldom appear in their native costume, and many 

 deny that their tribe ever had any other than that which 

 they now wear, which is Burmese. 

 Coix. 

 cocSo (30. COlSa 



THATCH LEAF. 



In some sections of the country the Karens thatch their 

 houses with large palmated leaves of a tall wild palm, pro- 

 bably a species of livistona ; sometimes the leaves of a 

 species of ratan are used ; but the Burmese and Europeans 

 almost universally thatch their houses with the leaves of 

 the nipa. 



THATCH GRASS- 



The Karens in Amherst Province cover their houses 

 with the tall grasses which are so abundant on the Coast, 

 and a few Europeans prefer this thatch to that made from 

 the nipa. Two different species of grass are used for 

 this purpose, both of which were formerly referred to 

 the genus which produces sugar cane. 



The sugar grass seen in Mauimain, which flowers 

 two or three feet high, has been removed since Roxburgh 

 wrote, into the genus imperata. This is one of the grasses 

 used for thatch, and is often mistaken for Saccharum 

 spontantum, which is the other. 

 Imperata cylindrica. 

 Saccharum cylinAricum. 



Saccharum spontaneum. 



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