DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 315 



Touchardia latifolia. The Olona of Hawaii. 



Exogen. Urticacece. A shrub, 4 to 8 feet. 



This species, allied to the Boehmerias, is found in deep ravines on all the islands 

 of the Sandwich Island group, hut is not common. 



Fiber. — "This is the olona of the natives, which yields a hast fiber highly prized 

 for its tenacity and durability, and is chiefly employed for making fishing nets." 

 (Hillebrand.) 



The nets (of the Hawaiians) made of twine spun from the strong and durable fiber 

 of the olona (T. latifolia) were of many different patternsand sizes, which may be 

 divided into two classes — long nets, sometimes over one hundred fathoms in length, 

 and bag nets. The long nets were often drawn into large circles, so as to inclose 

 shoals of fish, and sometimes ropes hundreds of fathoms in length, having dry hi 

 leaves braided to them by the stems and hanging down in the water, were used to 

 sweep around and drive the fish into the net, thus inclosing thousands at one haul. 

 ( W. D. Alexander. ) 



Samples of the unprepared bast forwarded to the Department show a fiber of great 

 strength and fineness. Specimens subsequently further prepared show a fiber#resem- 

 bling China grass and capable of being spun into fine yarns. 



Toung-chi. Rice paper. See Aralia. 



Toung-ong and Taung-ong (Burin.). Arenga saccharifera. 



Trachycarpus excelsus. Chinese Coir. 



Endogen. Palmw. A small fan palm. 



Said to be a native of Japan, but found in China and other parts of Asia. Culti- 

 vated in the province of Chekiang. Introduced into other countries as an orna- 

 mental plant. 



Fiber. — In China "the fibers of the leaves are locally used in the manufacture of 



sandals, brushes, hats, matting, and cordage, and occasionally for textile fabrics." 



\ (Spon.) The Kew Mus. exhibits a rain coat and hat made from the fiber of this palm 



as worn by the Chinese; also brushes, cordage, and other articles made from the fiber 



obtained from the bases of the leaf stalks. 



^Specimens of fine chocolate-colored cordage, small ropes, etc., Bot. Mus. Harv. 

 Univ. 



Trachycarpus fortune! Chusan Palm. 



Similar to the preceding, credited to China, but according to the Indian Agricul- 

 turist introduced on the Nilghiris, India. Can be grown to any extent on the Nilghiris 

 at elevations ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 feet. Height, 10 to 15 feet. (See fig. 2, 

 PI. VI.) 



Fiber. — The whole of the trunk from the ground upward is clothed with a thick 

 moss of structural fiber which can be easily removed by hand, and only needs to be 

 combed out and bundled in lengths to be a most valuable article. Introduced for 

 brush making. (Indian Agriculturist, Feb., 1893.) 



Traveler's grass (Austr.). See Gymnostachys anceps. 



Treccia (It.) (straw plait). See Triticum. 



Tree mallow. Lavatera arborea. 



Trema orientalis. Indian Nettle Tree. 



Syn. Sponia orientalis. 



Exogen. Urticacece. A small evergreen tree. 



Common and native names.— Charcoal tree; ChiJcun (Beng.); Sap-sha-pen 

 (Burm.). 

 South India, Bengal, southward to Travancore and Singapore ; common in Ceylon, 

 Coromandel coast. "The inner bark consists of numerous reticulated fibers used 



