[ lot ] 



-</veae(also certain other fibre plants) or to their products. 



Bulletin' 

 page 



62 



10, 7J 



REMARKS 



The reference is to 'Bombay Aloe Fibre' (which see), but the name 

 has been given in India to several distinct species, including our (E). 



A* vivipara of Wight, = our (J) or Agave Wightii, is sometimes 

 called ' the IJombay Aloe/ but yields comparatively little perhaps 

 of the 'Bombay Aloe fibre.' 



When the export of 'Aloe fibre ' from India recently attracted notice 

 in England, the chief port of export was Bombay, and the staple 

 seems to have been known commercially as 'Bombay Aloe fibre.' 

 Specimens of a plant supposed to yield the commercial product 

 sent for determination wore referred to A vivipara, Linn., a name 

 which, for reasons given under Part II, we recommend should be 

 dropped altogether. 'Aloe fibre* was originally shipped (from Madras 

 ports chiefly) about 1854 60, when the fiax and hemp trades were 

 depressed it is believed in Europe, but the export died away again. 

 Some fifteen years ago the Indian trade revived, through Bombay 

 this time, but the fibre was got mainly from Madras and Central 

 India, and derived from various species. That now exported and 

 largely grown near Bombay city is mainly from our Agave (E.), i.e., 

 A. Cantata, Roxb. (naturalized) and A. sisalana, Perrine (planted). 



See the preceding. 

 Hibiscus fibre. 



Usually applied, however, to Crotalaria and 



(D) of this Bulletin. Of. Kithanara, etc., also Kalabuntha. 



See Boivstring Hemp (1) and (2). 



Roxburgh's experiments on Indian fibres led him to give the 

 " Moorva" or " Moorgalie " plant a high place economically; but 

 he considered that the strongest of all was that yielded by a twiner 

 of the same order as the Yercum (Calotropis), his ' Asclepias 

 tenacissima' (now referred to Marsdenia), called in the Rajmehal 

 hills of Bengal 'Jetee' or ' Jiti.* Sansevieria fibre he called 

 'Bowstring Hemp,' and the name has been extended to other species 

 used in Africa, America, etc. In India Sansevietia is understood to 

 be mixed with Agave fibre occasionally; its local names are apt to 

 be confounded with those of Agaveae ; see next item, also Morva, 

 Murga, Maurvi, Muruvu-dtil, Sagenara ; etc. Cf . also Anana de 

 pile, Pitta Ahetz and Laffa. 'African Hemp' is properly 

 'African Bowstring Hemp' and from an East African Sansevieria. 



The vernacular equivalent ' Saganara ' (which see, also Saganara 

 MatTta) is applied in the South to an Agave fibre; on the other hand 

 Saganara, Saugu, etc., may be given to the Marsdenia aa well, if it 

 occurs in Coromaudel, or the fibre may have been from Sansevieria. 



The scientific name is Sprengel's (Syst. Ed. XVI, Vol 2, p. 93) His 

 plant seemg to have been a Cor dy line f or at all events not a Same- 

 vieria and was from Madagascar; Mnrtius, however, evidently meant 

 to refer to Roxburgh's Sanssviera. Cf . Pitta Ahetz, etc. 



