182 TROPICAL AGRICULTURE 



folium, a species native to tropical America, attains a height of 

 12 feet. Under cultivation this species yields nearly a ton of 

 yellowish bast per acre. The bark is retted for 5 to 8 days and 

 the fiber thus obtained is used for ropes. 



PIASSAVA FIBER 



From a number of palms a fiber known as piassava fiber 

 is obtained from the margins of the leaves or leaf petioles. 

 Leopoldinia piassaba of the Orinoco and Amazon regions pro- 

 duces on the margins of the leaf petioles long strips which 

 split into fibers 4 to 6 feet long. This fiber is used for brooms 

 and brushes and by the natives for ropes, baskets, hats, and 

 other utensils. Attalia funifera of Brazil, known as the Bahia 

 piassava, yields stiff, wiry, brown fiber from the fringe of the 

 leaf petioles. This fiber is used for brushes and coarse cables. 

 The trees begin to bear at 6 to 9 years of age. In practice it is 

 found that one man can harvest about 100 pounds per day. The 

 annual export from Brazil is approximately 7,000 tons. 



The Palmyra palm (Bor&ssus flabellifer) of India, Africa, 

 and other tropical countries produces a fiber from the leaf 

 sheaths resembling piassava. This fiber is used for machine 

 brushes, ropes, twine, and fish traps. The export of Palmyra 

 palm from Ceylon and Madras is gradually increasing. The 

 wine palm (Caryota urens), common in India, Pacific Islands, 

 and various other parts of the Tropics, yields a fiber from the 

 leaf petiole which is quite widely used for brushes. 



SUNN HEMP 



The sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) is a leguminous plant 

 native of Asia, and widely cultivated in India, Ceylon, Java, 

 and Borneo for its fiber. The fiber is used for coarse canvas, 

 cordage, and fish nets. Sunn hemp seed are sown broadcast 

 and the yield of fiber per acre is 650 pounds. The stems are 



