5g PHILIPPINE FIBER PLANTS 



cient; Fray Marcos de Lisboa, author of ''Vocabulario de la 

 Lengua Bicol" written about 1590-1620, says: '*YRAO. A 

 plant that grows on trees and sends out a sort of cord, which 

 is yellow and is used for tying and for making straw hats." 

 The stalks are cut when they are very old and partially yellow. 



The stalk of Dendrobium crumenatum is 60 centimeters or 

 more in length and, for a distance of about 20 centimeters from 

 the base, is bulbous and fluted. The flowers are white with 

 yellow markings and are very fragrant. 



This orchid is common and widely distributed in the Philip- 

 pines, and is frequently cultivated for ornamental purposes. 



Genus VANILLA 

 VANILLA OVALIS Blanco. 



Vanilla ovalis is a vine reaching a great height, and is locally 

 abundant in some parts of central Luzon. The stems give some 

 promise of yielding fibrous products of value in making baskets 

 and similar articles. 



Family ULMACEAE 



Genus TREMA 



TREMA ORIENTALIS Blume. Anabiong. 



Local names: Agandung (Cagayan) ; alijidagon (More); anabiong (Ta- 

 galog and Bisaya) ; anagdung , hanagdiing, tatagtdg (Guimaras Island) ; 

 anagum (Bikol); anariong (Batanes Islands); anarong (Zambales) ; 

 arandon, lainai (Abra) ; balibdgo, lagod, dalmiot, hanadiong (Tagalog) ; 

 dalunit, malasikongdoron, hinlaldong (Pampanga) ; hagod (Laguna, Ta- 

 yabas) ; hmiadgong (Samar, Camarines) ; hanagdong (Tayabas) ; hinagdung 

 (Bisaya) ; hnbulos (Bontoc) ; inangdon (Mindoro) ; indai luging (Lanao) ; 

 malarurnng (Igorot and Tagalog) ; nagdon (Occidental Negros) ; mala- 

 nirang (Bataan) ; paiigarandongen (Benguet, Pangasinan). 



The dry rope made from the bast of Trema orientalis was 

 the weakest of all the ropes tested by King. However, when 

 wet its resistance was nearly doubled. The tensile strength 

 of dry rope was only 134 kilos per square centimeter. Owing 

 to its poor qualities it is seldom used. This species furnishes 

 a soft, light-colored wood, in great demand for the manufacture 

 of wooden shoes (zuecos). 



Trema orientalis is a small tree, b to 8 meters in height, with 

 a very open crown. The leaves are 5 to 8 centimeters long, 

 alternate, hairy, the base heart-shaped, the apex rounded, the 

 margins toothed. The flowers are numerous in the axils of 

 the leaves, white, and about .3 millimeters long. The fruits 

 are ovoid drupes about 3. .5 millimeters long. 



This tree is a very frequent invader of open ground and in 

 some places, where the virgin forest has been removed, forms 



