DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 



75 



exhibition of 1876, and Astrocaryum is called the Tucuman. In Bernardin's list 

 Bactris is called Tecun. The Kew Mus. Guide names A. aculeatum as the Gri Gri. 

 * Specimens. — Mus. U. S. Dept. Ag. 



Astrocaryum vulgare. The Tucum Palm. 



This species grows on the dry forest land of the Amazon and Rio Negro. Culti- 

 vated by the Indians when not met with in a wild state. (See fig. 28). 



Structural Fiber. — " Tucum thread," derived from the unopened leaves, "is 

 used chiefly for bowstrings and fishing nets ; employed also for hammocks, which 

 fetch a high figure in Rio Janeiro." By the native method of extraction only about 

 2 ounces of fiber can be extracted in a day, even by an expert manipulator. Savorg- 

 nan states that the leaves yield a fiber of 

 great strength, which is made into cord- 

 age, and also furnish material for hats 

 known commonly as Accora. 



The only part used is the young unex- 

 panded leaves, the cuticle of which, when 

 twisted, furnishes cordage of extreme 

 fineness, combined with great strength 

 and durability. Some of the tribes on the 

 upper Amazon are said to make all their 

 hammocks of this fiber. Wallace, in his 

 Palm Trees of the Amazon, says : The Bra- 

 zilians of the Rio Negro and upper Ama- 

 zon make very beautiful hammocks of fine 

 'tucum' thread, knitted by hand into a 

 compact web of so fine a texture as to 

 occupy two persons three or fonr months 

 in their completion. They then sell at 

 about £3 each, and when ornamented 

 with the feather-work borders, at double 

 that sum. Most of them are sent as pres- 

 ents to Rio de Janeiro. 



The fiber is fine, resistant, and durable, 

 and the natives employ it in making ropes, 

 coarse linen, nets, horse blankets, and es- 

 pecially hammocks and strong fish nets, 

 for which it is much esteemed. The fiber 

 is yellowish white and very elastic. A 

 small cord of scarcely 2 millimeters in 

 thickness will sustain a weight of 3 kilos. 

 And at the end of six hours it will have 

 extended in length from 800 millimeters to 

 809 millimeters, which is equal to 1.125 

 per cent. It is capable of absorbing a 

 great quantity of water ; a rope weighing 72 grams after having been submerged 

 in water something more than one hour showing an increase of 27.7 per cent. 



* Specimens are preserved in the Bot. Mus. Harv. Univ. 



Atabula (Ind.). Sida rlwmbifolia. 

 Atiraukawa (New Zea.). Phormium tenax. 

 Attalea funifera. Bahia Piassaba, or Piassava. 



Endogen. Palmw. A palm tree, 30 to 40 feet. (See fig. 29.) 

 Widely distributed in the lowlands of Brazil ; common throughout the Province of 

 Bahia parallel to the coast from latitude 13° to 18°. A very full account of the fiber 



Fig. 28. — The Tucum palm Astrocaryum vul- 

 gare. 



