DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 281 



India, and has spread to many parts of the world. Cultivated largely for its oil 

 derived from the seeds. Grown in the United States as an ornamental plant. 



Woody Fiber.— I can not learn that this plant has ever been used for fiber save 

 in India. "While Ricinus communis does not itself yield fiber, it is largely cultivated 

 in Assam to feed the eri silkworm. An excellent paper pulp is, however, said to be 

 made from the stems with their bark, the latter containing a fiber though not of suf- 

 ficient value to justify its separation. As some 500 maunds of stems are obtained 

 from an acre of land, it seems probable that where grown in the vicinity of paper 

 mills it would be more profitable to dispose of the stems to the paper maker than to 

 use them as fuel or thatching as is the present custom." (Die. Ec. Prod. Ind.) 



Robinia pseudacacia. 



Exogen. Leguminosce. A tree. 

 An ornamental tree with hard wood, known as the false acacia, or North American 

 locust. Native of the Southern United States. Savorgnan mentions that fiber has 

 been produced from it, though it can hardly be enumerated as a useful fiber species. 

 Bernardin, however, gives the species place in the list of 550 useful fibers, for manu- 

 facturing stuffs and paper. 



Rocou (see Bixa orellana). 



Rooee Ru and Rui (Ind.). Gossypium herbaceum. 



Rourea santaloides. The Kirindi-wel of Ceylon. 



A creeper, belonging to the family Connaracece. Allied to the bean family. The 

 genus comprises 40 or more species, distributed over tropical Asia, though represent, 

 atives are found in Africa and America. They are trees and shrubs, a few of them- 

 as B. santaloides, being scandent. 



Woody Fiber. — The twining stems of this species are used in Ceylon for a pow- 

 erful cordage, which is produced by twisting them together. These ropes are 

 employed in constructing strong fences or stockades; and in agriculture iC where 

 fascines have to be erected for the support of temporary earthwork, etc." The 

 cordage is also used for tethering cattle. 



* Specimens were exhibited in the Ceylon court, W. C. E., 1893. 



Rozelle hemp. Hibiscus sabdariffa. 

 Rusa grass (see Andropogon schoenanthus). 

 Rush. 



The different species of rushes are used in the manufacture of mats, mattings, 

 rough cordage, and for paper stock. Some of the rushes described in this work will 

 be found under Cyperus. See also Juncus. 



Rye straw (see Secale). 



Sabal palmetto. The Cabbage Palmetto of Florida. 



Endogen. Palmce. A tall palm, 25 to 50 feet. 



One of the most northerly palms. Found in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, 

 in the latter State often appearing in large groves. The species of Sabal are all 

 natives of tropical America, chiefly the West Indies, and the southern United States. 

 The trunks of old examples of S. palmetto are smooth, but the young trees are cov- 

 ered with a lattice of the dead leafstalks, arranged with geometrical regularity. 

 They are used for piles, and are said to be more enduring than the ordinary timber 

 species for this purpose. Seminole Indian name, Tah-lali-Tcul-kee. Fig. 1, PI. X, is 

 a group of cabbage palmetto at Jupiter Inlet, Florida. 



Structural Fiber. — The manufacture of brush fiber from the cabbage palmetto 



