HOLE : SOME INDIAN GRASSES AND THEIR CECOLOGY. 101 



eradicate, as might be expected, on account of its deep-going' much branched stolons. 

 Hackel (p. 95) notes that in the East India Islands it occupies vast areas of fallow lands, 

 to the exclusion of almost all other plants. It is there called alang-alang. 



In India the succulent white stolons are eaten by pigs and areas which have been well- 

 worked by pigs in their search for the stolons are not infrequently seen in the forest. It 

 is possible that in some cases the eradication of the species might be cheaply accomplished 

 by the aid of pigs. 



Schimper, 1 quoting Junghuhn, speaks of this grass as follows in the Malayan Archi- 

 pelago : — 



' When the soil remains uncultivated after clearing the forest, as a rule the social 

 and dense-growing alang-grass first replaces the vanished forests, then areas 

 extending for miles, even indeed for whole days' journeys, are transformed 

 into a uniform wilderness of dense grass three to five feet high, while on 

 mountain-slopes the same grass extends far beyond its original zone, and 

 spreading over everything it ranges up to altitudes of 6,000 — 7,000 feet, being 

 almost insensible to differences of temperature. Its silken haired seeds, light 

 as the tenderest down, are wafted away in millions by the slightest breath of 

 wind and greatly facilitate its general distribution, while its creeping and 

 deeply penetrating roots increase the difficulty of eradication when once this 

 grass, so tenacious of life, has established itself. I have reasons for believing 

 that while the land was in its original condition the alang-grass was restrict- 

 ed to sundry sterile, arid, waterless tracts of the hot zone, and was chiefly con- 

 fined to heavy, hard, easily dried clay soil, with an iron-pan, but that at the 

 present time, wherever we meet this grass on a fertile light soil and on 

 mountain-slopes at above 2,000 feet, this state of affairs is first brought about 

 by the hand of man . . .In Northern Sumatra, especially in the Batta 

 country that has been devastated by war, grassy wastes have consequently 

 come into existence which cover everything far and wide with a hideous 

 uniformity and overrun plain, mountain, and valley with their whitish-green 

 mantle." 



D.— Economic Uses. 



81. In addition to its value for fodder this 

 -grass under the name of " lalang " has recently been favourably reported on as a paper- 

 making material : 



" The ultimate fibre obtained from this grass is very similar in most respects to 

 Esparto; the yield of bleached fibre being about the same. This is a favourable indication 

 inasmuch as ' Esparto ' is one of the best known and most useful sources of supply to the 



1 Plant -Geography, 1903, p. 162. 



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