304 USEFUL FIBER PLANTS OF THE WORLD. 



■writing paper could be made from it. As before stated, the liber is too short, how- 

 ever, to he spun into cordage or yarns-, though when rubbed out in the hand it is fine, 

 hut brittle and harsh to the touch. 



"Where the old growth is thiek on the ground the fiher is so tough and strong 

 that it can not he cut with a common mowing machine." (J. W. Cooper.) The leaves 

 ol* the infiorescence. which are the fibrous part of the plant, are Too short, however, 

 for employment as a liber. 



Sporobolus indicus. Sweet Grass. 



COMMON names. — Carpet grass; drop-seed grass; Parramatta, or tussock grass 

 in Australia). The Brazilian mime is Capim maurdo. 



A tufted, wiry, erect perennial, 1 to 3 feet high, with narrow, densely flowered, 

 spike-like panicles 4 to 12 inches long. This grass is widely distributed throughout 

 the warmer temperate regions of the world, and has become quite common in many 

 parts of the Southern States, growing in scattered tufts or patches about dwellings 

 and in dry, open fields. Occurs in Brazil. 



Structural Fiber. — While the jdant is not used industrially in this country, it 

 is employed in southern Brazil as a straw plait material. "The stalks from the 

 flower to the last knot serve for the manufacture of straw plait used for hats and 

 other articles made of straw, which are softened by means of sulphnr. It grows 

 easily hut prospers best in humid places. Blooms late in winter and in spring. 



Spruce (see Picea spp). 



Spurge laurel. Daphne cannabina. 



Stenosiphon virgatum. 



An uncultivated plant, belonging to the Onagracexv, found in Texas, where it grows 

 to a height of 6 feet. A correspondent sent stalks to the Department, several years 

 ago, as a possible fiber plant, as the fiher, being fine and silky, was thought to he of 

 value. Like many fibers of this class the species is more interesting than useful. 



Sterculia. 



Xearly all the species of this genus are trees, many of them of large size, and 

 most abundant in Asia and the Asiatic islands. They are also found sparingly 

 in America, Africa, and Australia, and for the most part inhabit tropical countries. 

 The inner bark of the Sterculias is composed of tough fiber which is not affected by 

 wet. Some of the species are as follows: 



Sterculia acerifolia. The Flame Tree. 



Exogen. Sterculiacea. A very large tree. 



This species is a native of New South Wales, and is a lofty tree. Dr. Guilfoyle 

 states that the bark is fully 2 inches thick when the tree is full grown, and furnishes 

 bast for a most beautiful lace-like texture. The fiber is very simply prepared by 

 steeping, and is suitable for cordage and nets, ropes, mats, baskets, etc., and is use- 

 ful as a paper material. The tow is of a Aery elastic nature, and is suitable for 

 upholstering purposes, such as stuffing mattresses or pillow s. The specimens were 

 received from Victoria (Phil. Int. Exh., 1876), and were prepared by Dr. Guilfoyle. 

 The species is found in many portions of the globe. < >ther Australian species follow. 



Sterculia dirersifolia, the Victorian bottle tree, also known as Currijong, is a native 

 of Victoria, and is a stout, glabrous tree, having a peculiar bottle-shaped trunk. 

 The bast is similar to that of S. acerifolia, but coarser in texture. The liber is suit- 

 able for coarse ropes and cordage. It would also make line matting, and could be 

 used as a paper material, specimens from Dr. Guilfoyle'a Victorian collection. 



Sterculia rupesiris, the Queensland bottle tree, is a native of Queensland, where 

 the tree attains a considerable height, and has an enormous bottle-shaped trunk, 



