197 



]West Indies are exhibited. Specimens of the wood, 

 which is valuable for furniture, are also shown. 



In the next compartment are fruits and woods of other 

 species of Artocarpus, and on the upper shelves of the 

 next division of the case observe Tambaram bark 

 (Artocarpus clastica, Reinw.,) and specimens of native 

 cloths from Borneo, prepared by beating out the bark. 



Tribe VI. Conocephaleae. — Observe wood, bark, and 

 cordage of TRUMPET WOOD {Cecropia peltata, L.), a soft- 

 wooded tree of Jamaica. Note also Ambaubas, or drum, 

 from Brazil, and a Jamaica rat trap made of the wood. 

 The rough leaves are used in place of sandpaper by the 

 Forest Indians of British Guiana in polishing their 

 weapons. 



Tribe VII. Urticeae. — Represented by herbs, or some- 

 times trees, bearing leaves often formidably armed with 

 stinging hairs. Their economic value depends chiefly on 

 the tenacious fibre of the bark. A few species are used 

 in rustic medicine and cookery. The sting of some East 

 Indian species is dangerous, occasioning great and long- 

 continued suffering. 



CASE 1 

 115. 



No. 474. Parasol-cover made of the fibre of the 

 Common Nettle (Urtica dioica^ L.). The young tops of 

 this plant are used as a pot herb. 



Note sections of the extremely light and open-grained 

 wood of a gigantic nettle of Australia {Laportea gigas^ 

 Wedd.), sometimes exceeding 80 feet in height. From 

 the bark the Aborigines extract fibre, which they employ 

 for their fishing nets and lines. 



Note specimens of the silky fibre of the Neilgherry 

 Nettle (Girardinia palmata, Gaud.) used in Sikkim for 

 ropes, twine and coarse cloth. 



The last compartment of this Case and the first division 

 of the next contain a large series of specimens of China 

 Grass, Ramie or Rhea (Boehmeria nivea, Gaud.). 

 There are two forms of this plant, one (B. nivea) a 

 temperate plant with leaves white felted beneath, and the 

 other (J5. nivea, var. tenacissima) a tropical plant with 

 larger leaves, which are green on both sides. [See Kew 

 Bulletin, Additional Series II, Vegetable Fibres, pp. 

 52-95.] 



CASE 

 11^ 



