378 PHILIPPINE FIBER PLANTS 
fruits are very rough and 1.5 to 2 centimeters long; the seeds 
about 1 centimeter long. 
This species is fairly common in the forests, and is distributed 
from northern Luzon to Basilan. 
Genus ROUREA 
ROUREA VOLUBILIS (Blanco) Merr. KAMAKSA, 
Local names: Baralang (Cagayan); bitog (Benguet); kamaksa (Rizal, 
Laguna); pdlosdnto (Pangasinan). 
This vine is used for tying fish corrals. The fruits are also 
used for poisoning dogs. 
Rourea volubilis is a vine common and widely distributed 
in the Philippine forests. The leaves are alternate, smooth, 
somewhat oval in shape, rounded at the base, and have prom- 
inent projections at the tips. The flowers are small, white, 
fragrant, and occur in large numbers on compound inflorescences. 
Family LEGUMINOSAE 
Genus. ABRUS 
ABRUS PRECATORIUS L. KANSASAGA or PRAYER-BEAN. 
Local names: Agunandng, agunyanyang (Zamboanga); bdhai (Ticao) ; 
bugayong or bugaying (Camiguin Is., Cagayan, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Tarlac, 
Pangasinan, Zambales); bugbugayong (Union); kansasdga (Pampanga, 
Tarlac, Camarines); kasasdga (Pampanga, Bataan); lago (Culion Is.) ; 
lasa (Batanes Islands); matang-ulang (Pampanga); sdga (Laguna, Ba- 
tangas, Tayabas); sagambdging (Polillo Is.); sagasdga (Bulacan, Bataan, 
Rizal, Manila, Batangas, Tayabas) ; ulavgiad (Cuyo Islands). 
According to Watt,* this plant yields beautiful bast fibers. 
These fibers are said to be suitable for cordage. 
Abrus precatorius is a slender, branched, annual vine which 
reaches a length of 9 meters or less. The leaves are alternate, 
5 to 10 centimeters in length, and compound with twenty to 
forty leaflets, which are 1 to 3 centimeters long. The flowers 
are borne in axillary racemes which are usually shorter than 
the leaves. The flowers are numerous, often crowded, pink 
to pale purple or salmon, and about 1 centimeter long. The 
pod is oblong, 2.5 to 5 centimeters long, about 1.5 centimeters 
broad, and contains three to five seeds which are shiny, 6 
millimeters long, and partly black and partly scarlet. 
This species is common and widely distributed in Philippine 
thickets. 


* Watt, Commercial products of India. 
