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Abroma augusta (Sterculiacece). 



A shrub about 6 feet tall with lobed or entire leaves, dull purple 

 hanging flowers, and large spreading capsules covered inside with 

 irritating hairs. It is not uncommon about the limestone rocks in 

 Selangor, Pahang, Perak, and sometimes occurring in waste ground. 

 It is not, however, a plant which establishes itself very readily, though 

 it is easy to yrow it from seed. It is said to be cultivated in India. 

 The fibre is obtained from the bark of the twigs, and the plant gives 

 in India three crops a year. The fibre is very good and strong and 

 it is suggested that it might be used for silk. It is much stronger 

 than sunnhemp. 



The fibre, however, seems to have been quite neglected even in 

 India, where it is abundant, and I do not think the plant is known 

 to the Malays. I do not know any native name for it, nor have I 

 ever heard of its having been put to any use. 



Triumfetta rhomboidea (Tiliaceoe.) 



A very common slender shrubby weed with small yellow flowers, 

 common in dry places in villages, coco-nut estates, etc. The Malays 

 call it Champadang. The fibre is said to be used in Madras and is 

 soft and glossy. It is allied to the jute plant, and if it could be 

 cultivated readily it might be worked in the same way. It does not 

 seem to be utilised here. 



Abrus precatorius L. (Leguminosce). 



The well known climbing vetch with scarlet and black seeds, 

 known as crab's eyes, common on our shores, and Vigua Katjang^ 

 the Kachang Perut Ayam, commonly cultivated for the beans, have 

 both been utilized for fibre. The latter, in America, where it is 

 largely grown for food, gave a good binding twine, and it was 

 suggested by Dr. MASON that the limes should be utilized as well. 

 It was doubtful, however, as to whether it could be extracted so as 

 to pay commercially as it would be more troublesome to extract 

 and work as it is not a straight fibre like hemp. 



Poederia foetida (Rubiacea?) . 

 A climbing plant with lavender-colored flowers, very common in 

 India but less so here. The cut stems are barked, twisted and the 

 fibre pulled away. The plant is a perennial and the stems can be 

 cut down when it will shoot up again. The fibre is strong, flexible, 

 and silky. It does not seem, however, to have ever been much 

 used, and some machinery would have to be invented for it. 



Pachyrizas anvulatus 

 The yam-bean, "Bengkuang" of the Malays, cften cultivated in 

 the Straits also produces a fibre from its turning stems. It is tough 

 and used for fishing nets in Fiji. 



Gleichenia linearis. 

 The common Resam fern produces also a fibre extracted by the 

 Malays with a considerable amount of labour for ornamental binding 



