344 PHILIPPINE FIBER PLANTS 
very young panicles, gathered before the flowering glumes have 
developed. Better grades are made from Thysanolaena panicles. 
In some of the islands the stems are used in manufacturing 
coarse hats. 
Phragmites vulgaris is a coarse, erect grass attaining a height 
of at least 3 meters. The stems are cylindrical and hollow. 
It is locally very abundant in shallow swamps and along muddy 
streams; and is often gregarious, occupying considerable areas 
to the exclusion of other vegetation. It is widely distributed 
in the Philippines at low and medium altitudes. 
Genus SACCHARUM 
SACCHARUM OFFICINARUM L. SUGAR CANE. 
The flowering stalks of the sugar cane are sometimes used for 
making picture frames. 
SACCHARUM SPONTANEUM L. TALAHIB. 
Local names: Bugdng, tigbdo (Bisaya); sikdl (Isabela); sidda (Iloko) ; 
talahib (Tagalog, Bikol). 
From an economic standpoint this plant ranks very low. The 
very young shoots are grazed by domestic animals, but the 
mature plant is too hard and harsh for forage. In some regions 
the culms are used for shafts of arrows, while they are very 
frequently utilized for making temporary fences, and for wings 
or runs to fish weirs. In some provinces they are used as 
wattles for making house walls. The stalks, entire or split, 
have been utilized by some schools in industrial work for making 
brooms, hats, screens, picture frames, and wall pockets. The 
panicles are occasionally utilized for stuffing pillows. As su- 
perior material for all the above purposes is usually to be had 
in the Philippines, most of the uses for this coarse grass here 
indicated are apparently very limited and very local. 
A description of this plant is given in the section on paper 
pulp. 
Genus SPOROBOLUS 
SPOROBOLUS ELONGATUS R. Br. BAKUiT. 
Local names: Bakuit, bangkuit (lloilo); sangsangitan (Bontoc). 
A fairly fine straw of medium length is obtained from the 
flower stalks and utilized at times in Iloilo as a hat material. 
Sporobolus elongatus is a grass with slender stems, numer- 
ous, rather long and narrow leaves, and long narrow panicles. 
It reaches a height of 1 meter, but is usually shorter. This 
species is distributed from northern Luzon to southern Minda- 
nao, but is most abundant in the Mountain Province. 
