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properly experimented with, however. Attempts have several 

 times been made to utilize the plant as a rubber producer, but 

 the product is inferior and the expense would seem too great for 

 it to be remunerative in that way. 



Calotropis gigantea {Asclepiadea). — Mudar fibre. A shrub 

 with much latex and rather fleshy leaves, with pale violet Mowers. 

 The common wild plant here appears to be the form known as 

 C. procera. It occurs on sandhills and other such places near the 

 sea, but in no great quantity. The bast fibre is said to be as strong 

 as Max and much used in India. Attempts to cultivate it com- 

 mercially in India seem to have failed owing to the shortness 

 of the fibre and its very small proportion to the weight of the 

 plant. The seeds are covered with a silky flax which has been 

 utilized also for spinning. The plant, however it might be 

 successfully grown in the drv parts of India, does certainly not 

 thrive in the Malay Peninsula, nor become sufficiently vigorous 

 to be at all recommended as a plant to cultivate for its fibre. 



Urera tcnax {Urticacece) , was introduced from South Africa 

 to the Botanic Gardens some years ago as a fibre plant. Its 

 growth has been remarkably slow, and it is not at all suited for 

 this climate. 



Among other plants which have been utilised as bast 

 producers but of the value of which little is know n and which 

 are not in sufficient quantity or sufficiently easily grown to be 

 valuable are : — 



Bixa Orellana. — The Arnotto, cultivated for the red dye 

 from its seeds. This is said to produce a fairly good fibre. 

 It is a native of South America, but has established itself in many 

 parts of the Peninsula. 



Artabotrys spp. — Jungle climbers of moderate size of the 

 fibre of which little seems to be known. 



An ma muricata. — The Soursop. This fruit tree is stated to 

 give a good bast fibre, but it is hardly likely ever to be made 

 use of. as it is quite a small tree and the removal of the bark 

 would kill or injure it, while the plant is more valuable for its 

 fruit than for its fibre. 



Cordia myxa. — A sea-shore tree, the bark of which is used in 

 India for cordage, etc. It does not appear, however, to be very 

 strong, and the tree is not common in the Peninsula. 



Melochia arbovea (Stevculiaccce). — Not common here. A small 

 tree of which the bast is used in the Andaman islands for making 

 nets. 



Wikstroemia Indica {Thymclcacece). — This little shrub has a 

 verv strong tough bark. It is common in some places, especially 

 the sandy coasts of Pahang. The whole plant is twiggy, about 

 4 feet tall, with yellow Ixora like flowers and red drupes. It is 

 readily grown from seed, and is closely allied to, if not identical with, 

 a Pacific island plant which is used in Hawaii for nets, cordage, etc. 



