304 SYRIAN DOGBANE—JLTEE FIBRE. 
in dry and barren parts of a country, that it would be desi- 
rable to attend to these, instead of to the numerous other 
fibrous plants which may either be more easily cultivated, or 
the fibre separated with greater facility. 
Syrran Docsant, Asclepias syriaca (Asclepiadee). 
Of the plants of this family, useful both for its down and for 
its fibrous stem, we may first mention that called Syrian 
Dogbane, which, although a native of the burning plains of 
Syria, will grow in colder climes, and is indeed cultivated as 
far north as Upper Silesia. It is easily propagated either by 
seed, or by parting the roots. The plants thrive luxuriantly 
in light soil, but will flourish on any poor land. 
The silk-like down which surmounts the seed of this plant, 
is not more than an inch or two in length; but it has, never- 
theless, been usefully applied for articles of dress manufactured 
of it both in France and in Russia. The fibres of the stem, 
prepared in the same manner as those of Hemp and Flax, 
furnish a very long fine thread of a glossy whiteness. 
Jetes Fipre, Rasmaut Bowstrine Creeper, Asclepias, now 
Marsdenia tenacissima (Asclepiadee). 
This comparatively small climbing plant, with greenish- 
yellow flowers, was found by Dr. Roxburgh’s son growing in 
dry and barren places in the Rajmahl Hills; since then also 
near Chittagong. Of the fibres of the bark of this plant, the 
Rajmahl mountaineers make their bowstrings. These are 
said to last for five years, though in constant use and exposed 
to all sorts of weather. A drawing and full description of this 
plant is given by Dr. Roxburgh in his ‘Coromandel Plants,’ 
iti, t. 240. 
In preparing the fibres of this plant, the Hill people do not 
put the stems in water, but let them stand in the sun for a day 
till drier; from the ends, when cut, there exudes a milky juice, 
which thickens into an elastic substance, like, indeed forming 
one kind of caoutchouc, acting in the same way in removing 
black lead marks. 
According to Dr. Roxburgh, the fibres of this plant are 
