DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES 87 



The branches are in distinct whorls and spread out horizontally. 

 The leaves are compound with five to eight leaflets which are 

 borne at the end of the petiole. The leaflets are 6 to 15 centi- 

 meters long and pointed at both ends. The flowers are numerous, 

 whitish, and about 3 centimeters long. The capsule is pendant, 

 about 15 centimeters long, 5 centimeters thick, and contains very 

 abundant fiber surrounding the seeds. 



This species is distributed at low altitudes throughout the 

 settled areas of the Philippines. It is probably a native of 

 tropical America. 



Family STERCULIACEAE 



Genus A B ROM A 



ABROMA FASTUOSA Jacq. (A. augusia L.) Anabo. 



Common names: Ahroma, devil's cotton (English); ahrome (French); 

 kakaomalve, ahrome (German). 



Local names: An-nabo, anabo (Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Benguet, 

 Abra, Union, Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Tayabas, 

 Negros) ; anabu (Pampanga) ; anafu (Nueva Vizcaya) ; anabong (Rizal, 

 Oriental Negros, Bohol) ; labo7i (Oriental Negros, Bohol) ; sayapo (Cota- 

 bato) ; ambong (Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Bataan, Laguna, Rizal, Ta- 

 yabas) ; bdgo (Sorsogon) ; bodobodo (Ilocos Norte) ; nabo (Cagayan, Ne- 

 gros, Bohol) ; negegan (Batanes Islands) ; pakalkdl (Pampanga) ; sayapu 

 (Moro). 



The bast fiber of Abroma fastuosa is silky and very strong. 

 It is used in the Philippines for making rope, twine, fish lines, 

 pouches, etc. The rope is valued on account of its strength, and 

 is used for clotheslines because it does not stain. 



King tested rope made from crude strips of bast and also 

 from fibers that had been retted in water for about 10 days. 

 In the first case the tensile strength was 545 kilos per square 

 centimeter and in the second, 643 kilos. Wetting lowered the 

 strength of the rope made from crude strips nearly 50 per cent. 



A number of writers have believed that this plant offers con- 

 siderable possibilities in agricultural and industrial enter- 

 prises."^ It grows vigorously under adverse conditions. Men- 

 diola found that a plant one year old yielded 67 grams of fiber. 

 He believed that Abroma should be planted as close as 2 meters 

 and that on this basis one hectare should produce 115 kilos of 

 fiber. The fiber is sold in considerable quantities in Cotabato, 

 Mindanao, at from three to ten pesos a picul. In Cebu it is 

 quoted at from 6.50 to 10.00 pesos a picul. However, extensive 



* See Watt, G., The commercial products of India. John Murray, Lon- 

 don, 1908. 



