32 PHILIPPINE FIBER PLANTS 



Genus ELEUSINE 



ELEUSINE INDICA Gaertn. Palagtiki or Yard grass. 



Local names: Balili (Bontoc) ; bardngan (Camarines) ; bilabila (La- 

 guna) ; damo (Cagayan) ; gagabutan (Tagalog) ; kabit-kabit (Bataan) ; 

 palagtiki (Bisaya) ; parangis-sabilngan (Pampanga) ; sabung-sabungan 

 (Pampanga). 



This grass is apparently introduced in the Philippines, but is 

 widely distributed, and especially abundant in and about towns 

 and along roads and trails throughout the settled areas. The 

 culms are sometimes used in making hats, but this industry 

 is very local and irregular. 



Eleusine indica is a rather stout, tufted, erect, smooth, an- 

 nual grass 10 centimeters to 1 meter in height. The leaves 

 are 10 to 30 centimeters long and 3 to 7 millimeters wide. The 

 flowering stalk has three to six spikes, 2.5 to 10 centimeters 

 long, 3 to 5 millimeters thick, and all occurring in a terminal 

 whorl, or one or two somewhat lower down on the stem. 



This species is distributed throughout the Philippines and is 

 very common in waste places, along roads, etc. 



Genus I M PER ATA 

 IMPERATA EXALTATA Brongn. KOGON. 



A description of this species is given in the bulletin on 

 paper pulp. 



The leaves of this grass are extensively used for thatching 

 in all of the interior parts of the Archipelago, where it is dif- 

 ficult to transport nipa shingles. 



The tender shoots of kogon are used for grazing, and kogon 

 areas are frequently burned over so that the young shoots may 

 be utilized for this purpose. 



Kogon stems are used locally to a limited extent in the ma- 

 nufacture of hats, while some of the industrial schools have 

 utilized the plant for making round, braided mats suitable for 

 bathroom use. 



Genus ISCHAEMUM 



ISCHAEMUM ANGUSTI FOLIUM Hack. (Plate IX). Kobboot. 



Local names: Danu, pueng, puenig (Bontoc) ; kobboot (Hoko). 



In the parts of Luzon where this grass grows it is utilized for 

 making rope, on account of its tensile strength. Owing to its 

 durable qualities it is also used for making both the soles and 

 uppers of grass slippers. The straw is prepared by simply 

 drying it in the sun. 



This grass varies in height from 0.6 to 1 meter. It is tufted 

 and the swollen bases of the stems are densely woolly. Ischae- 



