18 Select Plants for Industrial Culture 



birds and bees are very fond of the flowers of this prodigious plant. 

 The leaves of this and some other Agaves, such as A. Mexicana, 

 furnish the strong Pita-fibre, which is adapted for ropes, and even for 

 beautiful textile frabrics. The strength of ropes of this fibre is 

 considerably greater than that of hemp-ropes, as well in as out of 

 water. The leaves contain saponin. The sap can be converted into 

 alcohol, and thus the " Pulque " beverage is prepared from the young 

 flower-stem. Where space and circumstances admit of it, impene- 

 trable hedges may be raised in the course of some years from Agaves. 

 One kind rose in Fiji also to 38 feet (Thurston). 



Agave inaequidens, K. Koch. 



A species closely allied to A. Americana; it seems to include A. 

 Hookeri and A. Fenzliana, Jacobi, according to Baker (in Bot. Mag., 

 6589 and Gardener's Chron., 1871, p. 718). 



Agave rigida. Miller. (A Ixtli, Karwinski.) 



Yucatan. The Chelem, Henequen and Sacci of the Mexicans, 

 furnishing the Sisal-hemp. Drs. Perrine, Scott and Engelmann 

 indicate several varieties of this stately plant, the fibre being therefore 

 also variable, both in quantity and quality. The leaves of the Sacci 

 or Sacqui giving the largest return. The yield of fibre begins in 

 four or five years, and lasts for half a century or more, the plant 

 being prevented from flowering by cutting away its flower-stalk when 

 . very young. The leaves are from 2 to 6 feet long and 2 to 6 inches 

 wide; the flower-stem attains a height of 25 feet; the panicle of 

 flowers is about eight feet long, bearing in abundance bulb-like buds. 

 Other large species of Agave, all fibre- yielding, are A. antillaruni 

 (Descourtil) from Hayti; A. Parryi (Engelmann) from New Mexico; 

 A. Palmeri (Engelmann) from South- Arizona, up to a cool elevation 

 of 6,000 feet. Concerning the uses of Agaves refer also to Dr. Fr. 

 P. Porcher's" Southern Fields and Forests," p. 596-599 (1869). 



Agonis flexuosa, De Candolle. 



The Willow-Myrtle of South-Western Australia. A tree, attaining 

 finally a height of 60 feet, with pendent branches. One of the best of 

 evergreen trees for cemeteries in a climate free from frost. The 

 foliage is rich in antiseptic oil. 



Agriophyllum Gobicum, Bunge. 



Eastern Asia. The " Soulchir " of the Mongols. Prevalsky says, 

 that the seeds of this plant, wild as well as cultivated, afford a great 

 part of the vegetable food of the Ala-Shan nomads. Several other 

 annual salsolaceous herbs belong to the genus Agriophyllum, among 

 them A. arenarium (Bieberstein) being closely cognate to A. Gobicura. 



Agrostis alba, Linne. 



The Fiorin or White Bent- Grass. Europe, Northern and Middle 

 Asia, North- Africa, North- America. Perennial, showing a predilection 

 for moisture ; can be grown on peat-soil. It is the herd-grass of the 



