151 



On a lower shelf observe edible fruits and rubber from CASE 

 Kybtpaung {Urceola esculenta, Benth.), a large climbing .78 

 evergreen shrub of Burma, where it is common in the 

 Teak forests. Note also samples of fibre from Apocynum 

 cannabinum, L., and articles prepared from the fibre by 

 North American Indians. Also fibre from the bark of 

 Anodenclron paniculatuniy DC, a climber of India and 

 Ceylon. The fibre is strong and is used for fishing 

 nets, &c. 



No. 368. Fruits, portion of stem incised for the 

 ■collection of rubber, and various samples of rubber, from 

 the Ire or Silk Rubber Tree of Lagos (Funtumia 

 elastica, Stapf), a large tree and one of the most 

 important sources of West African Rubber. This species 

 has been recently found in Uganda. A native drum made 

 from the wood of this tree from the Gold Coast is also 

 shown. 



Asclepias Order (Asclepiadeae), represented in hot- 

 houses by the fleshy-leaved Hoyas and other beautiful 

 species. The Asclepiads are mainly tropical, many of 

 them African and Indian twining shrubs, frequently with 

 a milky juice. The structure of the flowers is very 

 anomalous. 



No. 369. Indian Sarsaparilla, the root of Hemi- 

 desmus indicus, Br., a twining shrub, used medicinally in 

 India. 



No. 370. Yercum or Madar Fibre, obtained from 

 Calotropis gigantea, Br., common in waste places in India. 

 The fibre obtained from the inner bark is very durable 

 and is used for bow-strings, fishing lines and nets. 

 Attempts have been made to weave the hair or floss from 

 the seeds, without, however, any satisfactory results. 

 The plant abounds in acrid milk, which has powerful 

 medicinal properties. Stems of the plant with the fibre 

 partially removed are exhibited, also twine made from 

 the fibre, and a specimen of woven fabric made from the 

 floss. 



On the upper shelves of the first compartment observe CASE 

 specimens of fibre from the bark, floss from the seeds, 79. 



