148 USEFUL PLANTS OF GUAM. 



source of the ben oil of commerce, which is much prized as a lubricant 

 by watch makers and is sometimes used in the West Indies as a salad 

 oil. Dilo oil is derived from the fruit of Calophyllum iiwpKyUnm^ 

 and peanuts and sesame are well known oil-yielding plants. An 

 acrid, oily liquid called "cardol" has been derived from the shells of 

 cashew nuts {Anacardium occldentale). It is used to varnish furni- 

 ture and books as a protection against white ants and other pests. 

 These oils are not prepared by the natives of Guam. 



TEXTILE AND THATCH PLANTS. 



Fiber plants. — Among the monocotyledons yielding fiber are the 

 coconut {Cocos nuciferd), from the husks of which is derived the coir 

 which is twisted and braided into cords and sennit; the pineapple 

 {Ananas ananas), the leaves of which yield a beautiful, fine, silky 

 fiber, which the natives of Guam twist into thread for making the 

 finer fish nets; the abakd, or manila hemp {Musa texiilis), introduced 

 from the Philippines, and growing without care on the part of the 

 natives, but not utilized by them on account of the labor and skill 

 necessary to extract its fiber; and a species of Agave, called " lirio de 

 palo," evidently introduced from Mexico, the leaves of which yield an 

 excellent fiber, which in Guam is utilized only for wrapping cigars. 

 In addition to these, a palm called "cabo negro" has been introduced 

 from the Philippines. This species, which is known to commerce as 

 the " gomuto," is Saguenis ptnnatus. Its stem when young is entirely 

 covered with sheaths of fallen leaves and black, horsehair-like fibers, 

 which issue in great abundance from their margins. As the tree 

 increases in age these drop off, leaving a columnar stem or trunk. In 

 the Malay Archipelago the thickest fibers are used by the natives as 

 st^'les for writing on leaves of other palms. The finest fibers are 

 known in Eastern commerce as gomuto or ejoo fiber, and are much 

 used for making strong cordage, particularly for cables and standing 

 rigging of vessels, whence the name " cabo negro," or "black rope" is 

 given it in the Philippines. The ropes made of this fiber are not pliable 

 enough for running rigging or for fine cordage. The fibers need no 

 preparation but spinning or twisting. Cabo negro ropes are said to 

 be more durable than any other kind when subjected to repeated wet- 

 ting. At the base of the leaves there is a woolly material suitable for 

 calking the seams of vessels. The species grows well in Guam, but 

 on account of the abundance of other fibers it is not utilized by the 

 natives. 



Among the dicotyledons the principal fiber plants belong to the 

 Malvaceae, Tiliaceae, Urticaceae, and Moraceae. The chief of all is 

 Paritt tiUaceian, a tree widely spread over the tropical regions of the 

 world, from the inner bark of which ropes and twine are twisted. Its 

 use for this pui-pose is so extensive in Guam that there is scarcely a 



