DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 257 



fiber plants I find no reference to the uses of these plants for fiber, though M. Ber- 

 nardin gives P. spiralis as a Jamaican species. Screw pines, however, are common in 

 conservatories. 



Structural Fiber. — P. utilis, known in Mauritius as the Vacona, or Bacona, is 

 cultivated for the sake of its leaves, which are made into sacks for coffee, sugar, 

 and grain. The leaves are "not cut till the third year, and are regularly cropped 

 every second year afterwards. A plant will yield leaves enough for two large bags. 

 The leaves are prepared as soon as taken from the tree; the operation consisting 

 merely in splitting the leaves into fillets, which are three-fourths to 1 inch broad at 

 the base, but taper to a point. They are 3 to 4 feet in length. "One of them will 

 support the weight of a bag of sugar, or 140 pounds, without breaking.'' A plant 

 yields material for two sacks. In the South Sea Islands "the leaves are also made 

 into matting, baskets, hats, and thatch, and are used for cordage and other purposes. 

 The root fibers are much stronger than those from the leaves, and are occasionally 

 used for making cordage, and for admixture with jute in gunny bags." (Spon.) 



P. odoratissimus : This sx^ecies is found in India, the Straits Settlements, China, 

 Australia, and the South Sea Islands, known as the Caldera bush. Some of its 

 native names are Cadhi, Arab.; Kadi, Pers. ; Kenda, Bomb.; Pandang, Malay; Key a 

 and Kethi-keyd, Beng. ; Waeta Tceyiva, Ceyl., etc. Regarding the fiber, Dr. Watt 

 states that the leaves are composed of tough longitudinal, white, glossy fibers which 

 are employed for covering huts, making mattings, cordage, and in South India the 

 larger kinds of hunting nets, and the drag ropes of fishing nets. The roots also 

 are fibrous and are used by basket makers for binding. When cut into lengths 

 and beaten out they are very commonly used as brushes for painting and white- 

 washing. "It is possible that this root fiber might be found suitable for brush 

 making as a substitute for bristles, a form of fiber which is now in great demand." 

 Both roots and leaves may be used as paper stock. (See fig. 2, PL IX.) 



The Kew Mus. contains specimens from several species of Pandanus found in 

 Eastern countries and the isles of the Pacific. P. caricosus, Fiji, is represented by 

 baskets, fans, mats, etc., made from the leaves. The fibrous portions of the drupes 

 of P. leram, an India species, are combed out into a kind of brush which is used 

 for removing dust from the feet. P. amaryllifolius, Java, supplies, in its leaves, 

 material for sleeping mats ; in Ceylon chair mats are made from P. humilis, and the 

 leaves of P. houlletii, Siam, are made into other forms of mats. Other species fur- 

 nish material for scrubbing brushes in Burmah, and a native dress is shown from 

 Polynesia made from the leaves of an unnamed species. The most notable species 

 are named above 



Pangane hemp. See Sansevieria JcirTcii. 



Pangara (Ind.). See JErythrina indica. 



Pani grass, or Panni (Panj.) (see Andropogon squarrostis). 



Panicled acacia (see Acacia leucophkm). 



Panicum myurus. Camelote. 



Endogen. Graminece. A grass. 



The genus Panicum, which includes many of the fodder grasses and millets, num- 

 bers over 800 species, some of which are well known in the United States. Some of 

 them are coarse forms. Their common names are legion. They are not fibrous in the 

 sense of yielding a textile, but many of the species have been employed by natives 

 in the manufacture of objects of domestic economy. 



Panicum myurus is found in Venezuela, known as Gamelote, or, more properly, Came- 



lote, growing in extraordinary abundance on all the plains of the country. The fiber 



is considered a useful grass for paper stock. In the Venezuelan Exhibition of 1883, 



according to Dr. Ernst, specimens of the grass and pulp made from it were exhibited, 



12247— No. 9 17 



