57 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The plant is common in open grasslands throughout the 

 Philippines. It also occurs in all warm regions of the 

 world. 



PREPARATION. 



Tayoc-tayoc is prepared in the same way as tikug, except 

 that after the sedge is gathered from the field it is mixed 

 with ashes. This is said to soften the fiber. Prepared 

 tayoc-tayoc straw, while finer than tikug, is considerably 

 stiffer and shorter than the latter and therefore is not 

 considered as good an industrial fiber. 



WORTHLESS TIKUG. 



{Fimbristylis miliacea.) 

 Worthless tikug (Samar). 



This sedge is often found growing among good tikug 

 (F. utilis) in open wet lands and old rice fields. In Samar 

 the plant is considered worthless as it does not produce 

 a serviceable straw. The stalks are from 40 to 60 cm. long, 

 angular, and of a greenish-yellow color. Around the base 

 are leaves often two-thirds as long as the stalks themselves. 

 The spikelets are smaller than those of tikug, being from 

 2 to 2.5 mm. long and brownish in color. 



TIKUG. 



{Fimbristylis utilis.) 



Tikug (Vis.) (Bohol, Cebu, Leyte) ; anahiwan (Agusan, Moro, Su- 

 rigao) ; tayoc-tayoc (Iloilo) ; muta (Pampanga) ; sud-sud (Bu- 

 kidnon). Collected by B. of S. in Laguna and Tayabas. Also 

 Fimbristylis globulosa. 



The sedge tikug sometimes attains a height of 3 m., but 

 the average is 1^ m. The tufted stems are shiny, smooth 

 in appearance, and about 4 mm. in diameter. They may 

 have long leaves at the base or may be entirely leafless 

 and are usually four to five sided immediately under the 

 inflorescence. A cross section of the stem shows the latter 

 to be oval in form. 



The many flowers of tikug borne on small branching stalks 

 are clustered into spikelets, fuzzy and dusky brown in color. 



