Liliaceæ tab. 290, and in the Botanical Register, tab..160, in the year 
1816. 
In Ceylon this species is known under the Singhalese name of 
s indi r 
fibre yielded i it is used in numerous ways, such as olii ropes, 
mats, and of coarse kind of cloth. In India the plant nown as 
“ plant the ancient Hindoos obtained a very tough elastic thread called 
“ Maurvi, of which they made bowstrings; and which, for that reason, 
“ was ordained by Menu to form the sacrificial zone of the military 
* class.” Dr. Roxburgh describes the plant as common on the jungly 
salt soils along the coasts, growing under the bushes, and easily propa- 
gated on almost every soil, from the slips which issue in great abun- 
dance from the e roots, requiring little or no care, and not requiring to 
be renewed often, if at all, as the a nt is ége ennial, The leaves, when 
thus = rank are geen 3 to 4 
“ readily nor so cheaply established on land as the aloés vert. But they 
“ yield a good fibre, which is used for cordage, &c. It has the reputa- 
“ tion of being one of the strongest of fibres. It is known by the name 
“ of Bowstring hem : 
Generally in Ceylon and India the natives prepare fibre from this 
plant by retting or by apm rae ae ing and scraping. Full grown leaves 
yield at the rate of 7:87 per cent. by wei ght of the green arg 
to the smallness of the in ndividual leaves they are difficult to clean by 
machinery, but if it were tom ible to tapatai the em k a heinien 
process, this plant would become of g poe commercial v 
Of samples of S. ey Tasasea fibre t ew Museums contain one 
specimen from Ceylon, sent by Dr. G. H. K. Thwaites, under the name 
of Neyanda fibre; one labelled “Moorga or Bowstring jhemp, from 
Jamaica, from Mr. D. Morris, 1884, with the following ‘note attached : 
— Longest leaves 34 to to 4 feet long, narrow, mottled, unarmed, very 
15e 
strings for harnessed bullocks from Kandy, sent by Mr. J. A. Ferdinandus ; 
a sample of paper half stuff from the India Museum ; and some fibre, 
dyed in two colours (red and blue), from Madras, by Dr. Hunter. 
_ Samples of fibre of S. zeylanica prepared at Jamaica by machinery, 
n 1884, were described as follows by London brokers :—(a.) “ Beautiful 
“ fibre, rather ws tae a hard, might be whiter, value very uncertain, 
“ 901. to 35/1. pei j: b. “ Rather dull in colour and short in 
“ growth, fairly well ‘gee. Value about 30/. per ton;” (c.) “ Might 
“ be whiter. It is almost too good for roping aw spon Worth about 
* 301, per ton.” 
6. Of Sansevieria cylindrica, Bojer, an excellent figure and a full 
oun by Sir “a Hooker will be found at tab. 5,093 of the 
Bathala al Magazine. ost distinct and curious looking plant. 
The leaves are oiia pirr in horizontal section, faintly sulcate all 
U 51023. B 

