FIBRES. 



N. O. 74. LEGUMINOS^E. LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. 

 Crotalaria juncea. Linn. Striated-stalked Crotalaria. 



Linn. Syst. Diadelphia Decandria. 



The fibre of the bark, Sunn Hemp, Brown Hemp, Madras Hemp, 

 Taag, Conkanee Hemp, Salsette or Bombay Hemp, Travancore 

 Flax. 



Vernacular. Sana, Sans. Ghore-sun, Meesta-pat, Beng. Sunn, 

 Hind. Taag (Ambaree ? Graham), By. Shanamoo, Tel. Kenna, 

 Cey. 



Habitat. East Indies. 



Remarks. Probably referred to in the following passage of Manu 

 (Book ii. page 44), " The sacrifical thread of a Brahmin must be of cotton, 

 so as to be put on over his head in three strings ; that of a Cshatriya 

 of Sana thread only ; that of a Vaisya of wolleu thread." Sana here, 

 however, may mean Ambaree. The plant is first described by Van 

 Rheede, of Western authorities. It is the Wuckoo-nar of Travancore. 

 Jubbulpore Hemp is obtained from C. tenuifolia> Rox. The Dunchee fibre 

 of Bengal is from the JEschynomene cannabina of Roxburgh. The Pativa, 

 or Mawal fibre sent to the Great Exhibition, from Bhagulpore, was pre- 

 pared from the bark of Bauhinia racemosa. 



N. O. 140. ASCLEPIADACE/E. ASCLEPIADS. 

 Caiotropis gigaiitea. It. Brown. Curled-flowered Calotropis. 



Linn. Syst. Pentandria Digynia. 



The fibre of the Bark, Yercum. 

 Vernacular. See " Drugs." 

 Habitat. India. 



Remarks. See " Drugs." This fibre is also now known in Europe 

 under the names of Ak and Mudar, Hindoostani names of the plant. 

 Yercum is one of its names amongst the Tamils. 



Dsemia extensa. Don. 



Linn. Syst. Pentandria Digynia. 



The fibre of the stem. 



Vernacular. Ootrum, Nizam's Dominions. 



Habitat. East Indies. 



Remarks. The commcnest weed in the Deccan. It was first brought 

 to my notice by Captain Meadows Taylor, who gained a medal for fibre pre- 

 pared from it at the Madras Exhibition of 1855. Marsdenia tenacessima, 

 \V. et A. is the source of the Bowstring Hemp of Rajmahl, or Jetee fibre. 

 The bark of Cordia anyustifoUa, Don, N. O. 153. Cordiacese, is made 

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