DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 287 



into cloth, which he declared was as fine a piece of cloth as he had ever seen." 

 Sansevieria fiber was formerly considered a valuable paper stock at Trichinopoly, 

 where the tow was used, while the fiber served as packing for steam engines. 



Sansevieria cylindrica. Ife Hemp. 



Endogen. LUiacea\ Steinless, lance-leaved plant. 



South Africa from Zanzibar to Angola. Differs from other species of the genus in 

 that the leaves are cylindrical, or round in horizontal section; when fully developed 

 3 to 4 feet long, and about an inch thick. 



Structural Fiber. — Specimens of fiber prepared from plants growing at Kew 

 and submitted to Ide & Christie, London, were estimated to be worth £28 per ton. 

 "Except that it does not appear quite as strong, it is almost equal to <S\ longiflora." 

 Samples are exhibited in the Kew Mus. from Mauritius and from Sierra Leone. "The 

 cordage and rope made of this plant appear to the eye of excellent quality, whatever 

 experience may prove them to be." Experiments recently made with this cordage 

 have shown it to be the strongest and best fitted for deep-sea sounding* of any fiber 

 known: indeed this is the less surprising, seeing that other species of Sansevieria 

 (the well-known S. zeylanica and guineensis, for example) are cultivated in almost all 

 tropical countries on account of the strength and durability of the fiber, under the 

 name of bowstring hemp. 



Sansevieria guineensis. African Bowstring Hemp. 



Native name. — Konji, Zambesi; the fiber, Konje hemp. 



Native of Guinea; found in Central America, Abyssinia, and Mauritius, distrib- 

 uted to tropical America, particularly the AVest Indies. Cultivated in greenhouses 

 with S. zeylanica and other species. 



This is the best known form of plant producing bowstring hemp, and is one of the 

 oldest species. It has hoary, erect lanceolate leaves, 3 to 4 feet long, 3 inches broad 

 at the middle, narrowed gradually to an acute apex, not distinctly bordered with 

 red, copiously mottled on both sides with broad, irregular bands of white. 



Structural Fiber. — The fiber of this species has been said to resemble nianila 

 hemp, and it is applicable for cordage manufacture. Specimens of the fiber from 

 Trinidad submitted to Ide & Christie, London, were reported upon as follows: 

 "In point of cleanness and softness of fiber it seems well prepared; but to compete 

 successfully with manila hemp it would require to be of a better color and of equal 

 if not superior strength. TVe value it for rope-making purposes at £20 per ton in 

 London. Another example of machine prepared was valued at £23 per ton. In our 

 experimental trial carried on at Jamaica, 1,185 pounds of green leaves of S. guineen- 

 sis yielded 29 pounds 10 ounces of dry fiber. 



Culture and preparation. — The following statements regarding the growth of 

 this and allied species of Sansevieria, in Jamaica, are reproduced from the Kew Bul- 

 letin for May, 1887. 



In the first instance plants may be set out at 3 feet by 3 feet, which, allowing for 

 roads and paths, would give about 3,000 to the acre. If the soil is kept well broken 

 aud moist, the plants by the extension of root suckers will spread iu all directions, 

 so that ultimately the whole ground, with the exception of certain paths, which 

 should be kept permanently open, will be covered with plants. As regards the time 

 which must elapse between planting out and the first yield of leaves suitable for 

 fiber there would appear to be a great difference of opinion. Plants which I saw at 

 St. Thomas at 3 years old were only just ready to be cut : and Baron Eggers, who 

 had planted them and kept them under close observation during the whole of that 

 time, was of opinion that Sansevieria could not be depended upon to yield a crop 

 before three or three and a half years. 



Refer to the account of S. longiflora, the species common in Florida. 



