inclusive list of the fibres of Mexico (Altamirano, F. 
‘*Datos acerca de las plantas fibrosas de Mexico’’in Anal. 
Inst. Med. Nac. 11 (1910) 9-54), nor is it included in 
the most recent treatment of Mexican economic plants 
(Martinez, M. ‘‘Las plantas mas utiles que existen en la 
Reptiblica Mexicana’’ 1928). Furthermore, it is not one 
of the many plants considered in Dodge’s catalogue 
(Dodge, C. R. “‘A descriptive catalogue of useful fiber 
plants of the world’’ U.S. Dept. Agr. Fiber Invest. Rept. 
9(1897)). Neither is it enumerated in ‘‘ Vegetable Fibres”’ 
(Kew Bull. Additional Series Il (1912) 2-270). 
In 1901, Belmar (Belmar, F. ‘‘ Breve resefia historica y 
geografica del Estado de Oaxaca’’ (1901) 119) mentioned 
the pita industry under the Industrias indigenas, stating 
that in Villa Alta beautiful hammocks as well as the 
type of slipper called cacle or huarache were manufactured 
from pita and ixtle. 
In 1923, C.H. Wright (I.c.) obtained flowers of Aech- 
mea magdalenae and published a brief note on the plant 
identifying it as the source of a Colombian fibre which 
had long been known simply as ‘‘pita’’. At about the 
same time, Aechmea magdalenae was introduced into 
southeastern Asia for experimentation (Chevalier, A. in 
Rev. Bot. App. & Agric. Colon. 8 (1928) 652-60). 
Although the fibres of most of the Bromeliaceae have 
not, on the whole, been commercially promising, that 
of Aechmea magdalenae is of superior quality. It has been 
shown to possess great powers of resistance to the effects 
of salt water. Cross and Bevan (quoted in Burkill, I. H. 
‘*A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay 
Peninsula’ 1 (1985) 367-8) report that ‘‘of the fibres of 
potential industrial importance it stands pre-eminent. 
The breaking-strain gives a number for weight / length 
unit superior to those of the staple textile fibres of all 
classes. The tenacity figures are quite remarkable. ‘The 
resistance to alkaline hydrolysis (caustic soda) is good”’ 
[ 122 | 
