72 TEXTILE FIBRES. 



projected everywhere to the utter ruin of the elephants' feet, and then 

 over undulating hills of limestone. On the latter I found trees of 

 Cochlospermum, whose curious thick branches spread out somewhat 

 awkwardly, each tipped with a cluster of golden-yellow flowers as large 

 as the palm of the hand, and very beautiful. It is a tropical Gum Cistus 

 in the appearance and texture of the petals and their frail nature. The* 

 bark abounds in a transparent gum, of which the white ants seem fond, 

 for they had killed many trees. Of the leaves, curious, rude leaf bellows 

 are made, with which the natives of these hills smelt iron. Scorpions 

 appeared very common here, of a small kind 1J inches long. Several 



Fig. 44. Silky fibres of Mudar (Calotropis gigantca). 



were captured, and one of our party was stung on the finger ; the smart 

 was burning for an hour or two, and then ceased." 



Mudar or Yercum Fibre (Calotropis gigantea, Asclepiadacese). Of 

 this plant Dr. Forbes Royle says : " In the southern as in the northern 

 parts of India, there is met with, in considerable quantities, in all un- 

 cultivated grounds, a plant with broad, rather fleshy, glaucous-coloured 

 leaves, and which, on being wounded, gives out a milky juice from every 

 part. This is called Ak, and Mudar in Northern, and Yercum in 

 Southern India. Its juice and the powdered bark of its roots have long 

 been employed as an alterative by the natives of India." 



Fig. 44: is the silky stapled fibres of the seeds of Mudar. 



Paper has been made of the downy substance of the follicles when 



