PREFACE 



This bulletin is intended to give a catalogue and a short 

 account of the fiber plants, other than bamboos and palms, 

 which are found in the Philippine forests. The bamboos and 

 palms have been treated in previous bulletins. As no sharp 

 line can be drav^n betv^een plants of the forest and other wild 

 plants, it has seemed desirable to include in this discussion all 

 wild fiber plants. This is particularly so since a large part 

 of the waste land in the Philippines is under the administration 

 of the Bureau of Forestry. The number of cultivated fiber 

 plants is very small as compared with the number of wild ones. 

 In view of this fact the more important cultivated ones are 

 briefly discussed for the sake of completeness. 



The list of fiber plants is probably far from complete, but 

 is much more nearly so than any list that has previously 

 appeared. 



Local names and descriptions are given for the various 

 species. The local names may be of great assistance, but are 

 far from being infallible guides to the identification of the 

 species, as the local names vary in different localities, and even 

 in single localities may be applied to different species or groups 

 of species. The descriptions are intended to give an idea of 

 the kind of plant and to enable one to check a determination 

 made from local names. With the help of the local names and 

 the descriptions it is believed that in most cases it will be fairly 

 easy to identify the species correctly. 



The spelling of the local names has been corrected by 

 Mr. E. E. Schneider, Wood Expert of the Bureau of Forestry, 

 who is very familiar with a number of the local languages and 

 who has taken interest in the proper spelling of Philippine words. 

 Plates II to XXIII and Plate XXV were borrowed from the 

 Bureau of Education and are from bulletins dealing with fiber 

 plants used in industrial work in schools. The writer is greatly 

 indebted to Mr. E. D. Merrill of the Bureau of Science for 

 valuable assistance in the preparation of this bulletin. For all 

 of the above assistance the writer desires here to express his 

 grateful appreciation. 



William H. Brown. 



