110 



Lupis trays and baskets. — Trays and baskets are made 

 out of lupis. These are either of a uniform light-brown or 

 very dark-brown color or a combination of the two. 



Lupis matting. — Lupis woven into matting has been 

 pronounced by experts to be stronger than any other 

 matting known. 



BANANA. 



(Musa paradisiaca.) 



Several varieties of species of banana are utilized in the 

 manufacture of sinamay. The fiber is prepared in the same 

 way as abaca. Greater care is, however, necessary in its 

 extraction from the petioles, as the fiber breaks more readily 

 than does abaca. 



Banana sinamay is in great demand by Filipino women 

 for dress material. It is coarse or fine, depending on the 

 quality of the fiber used. The material has a beautiful 

 sheen; and if not entirely plain, stripes or plaids are the 

 usual designs adopted. Bohol, Cebu, and Panay are the 

 principal islands in which banana sinamay is woven. In 

 the schools banana fiber has been used for coiled baskets 

 in combination with buri raffia. 



BOWSTRING HEMP. 



(Sansevieria zeylanica.) 



Bowstring hemp (E.) ; aspeaspe (Pampanga); banyat (Isinay in 

 Nueva Vizcaya) ; bontot palos (Tayabas) ; cakarohay, pacarohay 

 (Iban.) ; callot (II, in Nueva Vizcaya) ; culebra (Sp.) ; lengua 

 de tigre (Sorsogon) ; rabo de leon (Ilocos Norte, Union); rabo 

 de tigre (Antique) ; sabila (Iloilo) ; sigre (Gad. in Nueva Viz- 

 caya) ; sinawa (Nueva Ecija) ; tigre (F.) (Bohol, Laguna) ; 

 tigui (II. in Isabela). 



The plant is an herb that grows up from a fleshy root 

 stalk and bears the peculiarly mottled leaves that are on 

 the average from 30 to 60 cm. long. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Bowstring hemp is common throughout the Philippines, 

 being grown mostly for ornamental purposes. 



