Ig PHILIPPINE FIBER PLANTS 



in length. They are gathered, dried, tied into bundles, and in 

 this form are brought to Manila in considerable quantities. 

 From a commercial standpoint Stenochlaena palustris is un- 

 doubtedly the most important of the ferns in the Philippines, 

 as the stems supply by far the best local material for the 

 special purpose mentioned above. As fishing with traps is a 

 very important local industry, Stenochlaena enters into the 

 economic life of the Filipinos to a considerable extent. During 

 the year 1918, forest charges were paid on 156,456 kilos of dili- 

 man. This fern is also used for making ropes and occasionally 

 baskets, but it is inferior for the latter purpose. 



The young shoots are eaten either raw as a salad or cooked. 



Stenochlaena palustris is a coarse, climbing fern of indefinite 

 length. The stems are brown, smooth, somewhat less than 1 

 centimeter in diameter and sparingly branched. The sterile 

 fronds are up to 80 centimeters in length and pinnate, with 

 pinnae 10 to 12 centimeters long and about 8.5 centimeters wide. 

 The fertile fronds are somewhat shorter than the sterile ones and 

 about 3 millimeters wide. This fern is widely distributed in 

 thickets, usually in swampy places near the sea. 



Family GLEICHENIACEAE 



Genus GLEICHENIA 



GLEICHENIA LINEARIS (Burm.) Clarke. (Plates II, III). KiLOB. 



Local names: Gapingoi (Benguet) ; kilog, kilob and tilub (Tagalog). 



Splints are prepared by cracking the outer covering of the 

 very long leaf-stalks and pulling out the ribbon-like vascular 

 bundles. The splints are excellent weavers for coiled baskets 

 and are also used in making belts. 



Gleichenia linearis is characterized by very large leaves which 

 fork repeatedly and have a bud-like structure in the forks. 

 This fern is common and widely distributed in the Philippines 

 and frequently forms dense tangles in open places on mountains. 



Family SCHIZAEACEAE 



Genus LYGODIUM 

 LYGODIUM spp. (Plate IV). NiTO. 



Local names : The name nito, for the different species of Lygo- 

 dium, is reported from the following provinces: — Ilocos Norte 

 and Sur, Cagayan, Isabela, Union, Zambales, Pangasinan, Ca- 

 vite, Rizal, Laguna, Tayabas, Camarines, Sorsogon, Samar, 

 Occidental and Oriental Negros, Cebu, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, 



