DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 215 



seacoaat. Is grown in Madeira, and found in a wild state on the coasts of England 

 and Ireland. Naturalized around Melbourne. 



Eiber. — "The inner bark yields a strong liber, somewhat coarse, but capable of 

 manufacture into cords, ropes, and mats" (Spon). " Has lately been recommended 

 for culture as a fiber plant, but the quality of the fiber is not good." (A. Smith.) Dr. . 

 Guilfoyle states that the fiber is highly recommended for paper stock. The tree 

 attains a height of 8 to 10 feet in cultivation. 



L. maritima, the sea mallow, another south European species similar to the above, 

 has been introduced into Australia. Of its value Thomas Christy says : " Worthy of 

 cultivation on a large scale for the very beautiful and excellent quality of its fiber." 

 "A fine fiber 3 to 4 feet long." (Dr. Guilfoyle.) Savorgnan states that it is sponta- 

 neous in the environs of " Nice, in western Liguria, in Sardinia," etc. Cortical fiber, 

 tenacious, used for cordage. Abundant, and the fiber does not deteriorate in salt 

 water. Adapted to coarse hemp cables and marine uses. 



L. cretica according to the same authority, is found on the Tuscan seacoast, where 

 it is known as Malva di Candia. Its coarse, strong fiber has also been used for mak- 

 ing cordage. L. flava is found in Sicily and northern Africa, and the fiber is fully 

 equal to the preceding. L. punctata is another European species from which Cazz- 

 nola extracted excellent fiber in 1875. 



Lavatera plebeia. Australian Mallow. 



South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. "Successfully tried for rope 

 and paper making." S. L. Swaab states that the species was brought into notice by 

 Mr. Alex. Talmer of south Australia, who sent a quantity of the fiber to England, 

 where it was made into a good paper. Appears in Spon as L. plebeja. ' ' Is employed 

 by the natives (of Australia) for baskets and fishing lines." 



Another Australian species, a perennial evergreen, also found in south Europe, is 

 L. trimestris, known as the velvet mallow. "It supplies from its bark a substance 

 not unlike white horsehair and quite as useful for many purposes." (Guilfoyle.) 

 Christy says the fiber can not be distinguished from that of L. arborea. 



Layu (Peru) = Ficus. 



Leaf fiber. 



The structural fibers extracted from fleshy-leaved plants such as the Agaves, etc. 

 The same as "structural" fiber, in the classification. See page 25. 



Leather plant (New Zea.). Celmisia coriacea. 



Leatherwood (IT. S.). Direct palustris. 



Lechuguilla (Mex.). See Agave lieteracantha. 



Lecythis ollaria. Monkey Pot. 



Endogen. Myrtacece. Large tree. 



This genus is chiefly confined to Venezuela, British Guiana, and Brazil, and 

 embraces 30 or 40 species. Many of them are large trees growing to a height of 80 

 feet or more. They bear a hard, woody fruit, some of the seeds or nuts being edible, 

 such as the Sapucaia nuts, from Para. The inner bark of the species is composed of 

 paper-like layers, which can be removed in strips. 



Fiber. — Specimens of the bast of L. ollaria were received from the exhibit of 

 British Guiana (W. C. E., 1893), known as Kalcarally. As many as 100 layers of this 

 bast have been taken from a piece of the bark of this species, the operation being 

 hastened by beating. The ribbons of bast are used by the Indians of Brazil for 

 cigarette wrappers, and in British Guiana, for cordage and basket work. An 

 unnamed species, from the British Guiana exhibit, labeled "IFtna," is used for the 

 same purposes. Another specimen of this fiber, named Wadaduri, and used for 

 paper making was submitted to Dr. Ernst, who states in his manuscript notes that 



