24 STrniKs in Indian kihkk plants 



V I'fjctat i re rigour (Uitl (hiralion of i/ioirtli. In the vijiour and 

 growth period of the eight types there are wiile ditfeienees whieli 

 are of importance from the economic point of view. 



Type 4 is exceedingly delicate, very sensitive to waterlog" 

 ging and sets very few seeds even when grown under the most 

 favourable conditions. The growth period is very long and flowers 

 onlv appear after the other tvpes have ripened some .seed. 

 Germination is slow and the seedlings are small, delicate and very 

 slender. In spite of its tall uiihraiu lied st(>ms these defects render 

 this form useless as a fibre [)lant in the plains. Type .5 shows 

 similar defects but to a lesser degree. 



Type 6 is the earliest of all the types and ripens its seeds and 

 begins to dry up while the others are flowering. This fact com- 

 l)ined with its general vigour and tall unbranched habit render it 

 of use as a rapidly ripening fi])re plant for growth in the l-harif. 



Type 3 is the most promising form from the point of view of 

 general vigour and its capacity to grow and to set seed under com- 

 paratively unfavourable conditions. It is a mid crop form and 

 corresponds in growth period to type 7 the common form of the 

 |)lains. 



Leaves. The types can be divided into two classes, one (types 

 1 and 2) with entire leaves and the other with palmately divided 

 foliage in which the mnnber of lobes is generally five. Sometimes 

 in types 1 and 2 a few leaves are met with which show a tendency to 

 form lobes, but this is rare and the leaves <as a rule are uniform. In 

 the class with divided leaves the foliage is not uniform. The eaily 

 formed leaves on the main stem and on the side shoots are often 

 entire while the inflorescence leaves are first trilobed and finally 

 lanceolate. The tendency to produce entire leaves is not ecpially 

 great in all the types. In lypc '.\ many cnlire leaves aic found and 

 a large number of the inflorescence leaves are lanceolate. On 

 the other hand, type 4 does not usually show either sim|)le or lan- 

 ceolate leavers. 



The width of the lobes also differs, those in type 4 ar(> verv 

 narrow and those in type 7 are the broadest. Tiie dilTerencc in 



