187 



leaves of tlie plants from "wliicli tliey were obtainedj so that it is 

 quite impossible to identify the fibre; and as the market value 

 varies several pounds per ton in acordance with the quality, 

 which differs with the species, this want of accurate knowledge 

 of the species yielding any particular quality of fibre is to be 

 regretted. Correct identification could only be made where the 

 fibre is accompanied by an entire adult plant (with dried flowers 

 if possible) of the particular species from which it is derived; 

 juvenile plants are useless for jDurposes of identification. 



As there is no existing account of the genus from which the 

 very numerous species now known can be identified, this mono- 

 graph has been specially prepared from living plants as far as 



possible, and, as it is primarily intended to be useful to those 

 interested in Sansevierias from their commercial aspect and who 

 have little or no knowledge of botany, the use of botanical terms 

 has been avoided as far as possible, and the few that have been 

 retained are in such general use that they can scarcely be mis- 

 understood; their meanings, however, are as follows: 



Attenuate, gradually tapering. 



Bract, a scale at the base of the stalk (pedicel) of each flower. 



Coriaceous, leather-like in substance. 



Filiform, thread-like, or very slender, and of equal thickness 



throughout. 

 Glaucous, covered with a whitish or greenish-white 



*' bloom," like that on a grape. 



Lanceolate, broadest a? or near the middle and narrowed 



towards the apex and base. 

 Linear, very narrow, with nearly or quite parallel sides. 

 Linear-lanceolate, narrow, but with the middle part rather 



broader than above or below. 

 Panicle, a flower stem that is branched. 

 Pedicel, the stalk of each individual flower. 

 Petiole, the stalk of the leaf. 

 Petiolate, when the leaves have stalks. 

 Eaceme, the flowering part of an unbranched flower-stem. 



Sessile, without any stalk. 



Subulate, awl-shaped or tapering like a spine. 



Terete, circular in transverse section. 



For many of the plants from which the descriptions have been 

 made, Kew is indebted to Mr. M. T, Dawe, when Director of Agri- 

 culture, Beira, Portuguese East Africa; Prof. W. B. Dunstan, 

 Director of the Imperial Institute; Major A. T. Gage, Superin- 

 tendent of the Botanic Garden, Calcutta; Monsieur L. Gentil, 

 Curator of the State Botanic Garden, Bru^els; Mr. A. P. Gren- 

 fell, Farringdon AVorks, Shoe Lane, London; Monsieur E. 

 Perrier, Director of the Jardin des Plantes, Paris; Mr. H. 

 Powell, Chief of the Economic Plnnt Division, Nairobi, British 

 East Africa; and Dr. J. Medley "Wood, Director of the Xatal 

 Herbarium, Durban. 



The illustrations have been prepared bv' Miss M. Smith from 

 life-size draAvings preserved in the Kew Herbarium. 



A 2 



