156 



The following list of those met with in the Peninsula includes alt 

 the plants which I can find recorded to have been anywhere used or 

 experimented with as fibre plants, to which I have added a few 

 which are locally used for tying or binding in any way. 

 Abutilon indicum, L. {Malvaceae). Triumfetta rhomboidea, {Tilia- 

 Hebiscus sabdarijfa, L. ceoe). 



H abelmoschus » Abrus precatorius, {Legummosoe). 



H esculentus Pcederia foetida, L. (Rubiaceoe). 



H surattensis. Pachyrhizus angulatus {Legum- 



Urenalobata. . 

 Abroma < ugusta Sterculiaceoe. Gleichenia linearis {tern). 



Nepenthes, spp. 



Of woody climbers of which the bark has to be stripped off be- 

 fore treatment we have wild or cultivated 



Anodeudron paniculata. 

 Cryptostegia grandiflora. 

 Artabotrys spp. 

 Gnetum spp. 



Of trees or shrubs of which the bark requires to be stripped. 

 Ficus chartacea. Cordia myxa. 



Alchornea villosa. Hibiscus tiliaceus. 



Anona muricata. H . elatus, Cuba bast. 



Artocarpus kunstleri, Terap. H. macrophylla \ Tutok. 

 A. incisa, Bread fruit. H. rosa sinensis. 



Bixa arnoto, L. Melochia arbor ca. 



Commersonia echinaia. TJiespesia populnea. 



M acaranga j avanica . Wikstroemia indica. 



Abutilon Indicum, L. {Malvaceae). 



A small shrubby plant about 6 feet tall or less, with orange yellow 

 flowers usually to be found in waste ground; native names, Kambong 

 Lobo, Bunga Kisar and Mai bar. 



The fibre is said to be good and suitable for cordage. The allied 

 species, A. Avicenna?, is said to have a fibre superior to Indian jute 

 and finer than Manilla hemp, and attempts were made to cultivate 

 it in America ; but though it was found to give so valuable a fibre it 

 seems to have been abandoned for lack of a suitable fibre machine. 

 The fibre is known as Indian mallow or American or Chinese jute 

 as it is largely made in China also. The fibre seems to be prepared 

 usually by simple retting and washing in water. Abutilon indicum, 

 could be treated in this way also. It is a rapid grower and of 

 short life. The plant, however, is not very abundant here and 

 does not seem to establish itself very well. 



Hibiscus sabdarijfa {Malvaceae).- 

 The Rosella is not rarely cultivated in villages and especially by 

 Tamils, but much more seldom to be met with than it should be, or 

 indeed is in India and Australia for its fleshy acid calyces which are 

 used for pies, jellies, etc. It is raised from seed and grows here 



