272 USEFUL FIBER PLANTS OF THE WORLD. 



Bast Fiber. — Its bark is of a beautiful lace-like texture, tearing into shreds with 

 greatest ease, l>ut flexible and strong. According to the Treasury of Botany, the tree 

 is called Akaroa by the Xew Zealanders, who extract a fibrous material from the 

 young branches, known as New Zealand cotton, which is not only fine, but exceed- 

 ingly strong, though resembling flax or hemp rather than cotton. The fiber of the 

 ribbon tree is utilized in the manufacture of fishing lines and nets, and to some 

 extent of cordage and paper. 



Plagianthus pulchellm, the Victorian hemp bush, is an allied species. It is a quick 

 grower and reaches a height of 6 to 12 feet, resembling a birch in appearance. It 

 is invariably found growing on the banks of rivers and creeks, and is said to be plen- 

 tiful on the Yarra River, near to Melbourne. It is surprising that as a fiber plant of 

 great value this should be so long overlooked. It is fully equal to the Queensland 

 hemp (Sida retusa), which has already become an article of commercial importance 

 in that colony. The Plagianthus possesses the advantage of being much longer in 

 staple. The fiber is very soft and glossy, and should form a good warp yarn, either 

 by itself or as admixture with some other material. This and the preceding species 

 were secured with the Australasian collection at the Phil. Int. Exb., 1876, prepared 

 by Dr. Guilfoyle. 



Plagianthus sidoides. 



Native ol* Australia. Another plant of this region to which has been given the 

 name currijong. It grows to a height of 10 to 12 feet, and according to Spoil is found 

 on the Strzelecki Range, on the Gippsland gold fields, and on the Dandenong Range, 

 and occurs in Tasmania. 



The fiber is prized by the miners for cordage purposes, and might be applied to 

 the manufacture of hats, textiles, and paper. The bark is readily removed from the 

 trunk and branches. 



Plantain (see Musa spp.). 

 Platanillo (Tenez.). Asclepias curassavica. 

 Platano (Venez.). See Musa sa/pienium. 

 Poa abyssinica. Teff. 



This is another extensive genus of grasses which includes many cultivated Ameri- 

 can species of fodder grasses. 



P. abyssinica is particularly interesting, as it was cultivated by the ancient Egyp- 

 tians, and was used by them for '-'straw"' in brickmaking. It has been found in 

 ancient clay bricks. At the present time it is largely cultivated in Abyssinia as a 

 cereal. 



P. cwspifosa, Wire grass or Australian Meadow grass, is a native grass of Victoria, 

 from which the natives make mats. "Our Victorian Wire grass, which grows to a 

 height of 1 feet, might, with proper appliances, even rival the celebrated Esparto of 

 south Europe" (Guilfoyle). P. cynosuroides is found in northern Africa and southern 

 Asia. In northwest India it is said to be used for cordage and for mats. Would 

 prove a serviceable paper Stock. 



Poa pratensis. Blue Grass. 



Common names. — Kentucky blue grass; blue grass (in Kentucky and Tennes 

 green grass; June grass (in New England); smooth meadow grass : common 

 spear grass; spear grass; English grass : smooth -stalked meadow glass i tig. ill). 

 This is apparently native throughout the temperate regions of the Northern Hemi- 

 sphere. It ranges from Labrador to South Carolina, westward to the Pacific ( oast, 

 and northward to Alaska. In the limes ?ions of Kentucky and Tennessee it 



attains irs greatest perfection, and is there regarded as the king of pasture grasses. 

 It requires a good soil containing some lime in order to yield profitable crops. It is 



