LOOPH A MANILA HEMP. 



35 



The plant is a native of India ; it has a shrubby habit and cordate 

 leaves, which are downy on the underside. 



The plant is remarkable for the pedicels, which are elongated and 

 longer than the leaf stalks, and bear yellow flowers. This species was 

 introduced into England as an ornamental plant, about 200 years ago. 

 The distribution of the plant extends to West Africa and the Nile 

 Valley. It has been described 

 in the Agricultural Record of 

 Trinidad by Mr. J. H. Hart, 

 F.L.S. 



The plant belongs to the 

 Natural Order Malvaceae, and 

 is related to the cotton plant, 

 but commercially it is specified 

 as a jute. 



Malachra Fibre (Malachra 

 capitata, Malvaceae). A 

 native of the West Indies, 

 introduced into England in 

 1759 ; it is a malvaceous plant 

 and yields a fibre resembling 

 jute. 



The retting process needs 

 to be carried out soon after 

 cutting the stems. It yields 

 line and silky fibres, which 

 sometimes compete with jute. 

 The length of the staple reaches 

 6 feet. 



It was thought that Mal- 

 achra fibre would be a very 



J Fig. 22. Loopha, cut through longitudinally, 

 keen competitor with jute, 



particularly in Bombay ; but so far it has not proved successful. Chemi- 

 cally and microscopically it has a high reputation, but commercially it has 

 not made great headway. 



Manila Hemp (Musa textilis, Nees, Musaceai). There are several 

 species of Musa used for textile purposes, but the one known as M. 

 textilis affords the Manila hemp of commerce ; it resembles M. 

 paradisiaca, but the leaves in the former are more acute, glaucous, and 

 the stem is of a darker red colour. The plant of Musa textilis may be 

 seen growing in the Palm House, Eoyal Gardens, Kew; the plant is 

 indigenous to the Philippine Islands and North Borneo. 



