3850 IDENTITY OF RAMI, RHEEA, AND CHINA-GRASS. 
« The Rheea fibre, though a new import from Assam, is well 
known under another name, being identical with the highly 
valued article of commerce, known by the name of China-grass, 
the Chu-Ma4 of the Chinese, and from which the famed Grass 
cloth of China is manufactured. The proof is very complete of 
the identity of the plants from which these two differently 
named fibres are obtained. One of the educated Chinese 
introduced into Upper Assam on the establishment of the Tea 
Manufactory in that valley, recognised the Rheea as identical 
with the Chi Md of his own country." The Rheea of Assam 
had been ascertained by botanists to be the same plant as the 
Urtica tenacissima of Dr. Roxburgh, who half a century ago 
was informed by a friend at Canton that the plant which he 
had obtained as the Caloee of Sumatra, and to which he had 
given the above botanical name, was that from which the 
Chinese grass cloth was made. Lately, Dr. Macgowan, settled 
at Ningpo, sent specimens of the Cha Ma to Calcutta. These 
Dr. Falconer found to be the same plant as the Boehmeria 
nivea of botanists, described under the name of Urtica tena- 
cissima by Roxburgh. He says: ‘The specimens from China 
correspond exactly with those grown in the Botanic Garden, 
with which I have compared them. (May 5, 1849.) Sir 
W. Hooker has also identified these two plants as being identi- 
cal, and has described the former as yielding what is called 
China-grass. Further, manufacturers in this country have 
found the two fibres to be the same for all practical purposes.” 
Mr. Sangster, who has paid much attention to this fibre, 
writes, that ‘ our engineer, who prepared all our China-grass, 
is satisfied that your samples are equal to the hest sorts from 
China.” So Mr. Marshall, of Leeds, who is the largest con- 
sumer of China grass in this country, is satisfied that the 
Assam is the same for all practical purposes, as will afterwards 
clearly appear. 
“The identity of the Rheea fibre with China-grass, or the 
' “JT went this morning to the old Chinese Doctor of Medicine here, with a good 
grass cloth handkerchief in my hand; and on seeing which he immediately said it 
was the Hengchung Hapo of China, and identical with the Rheea of the Doms of 
Upper Assam, the stuff being whitened by bleaching. I can trust to what this old 
man says, as he is an intelligent man and a great reader; his acount was corroborated 
by another intelligent Chinese, formerly one of the Government head tea-makers.” 
(Major Hannay.) 
