DESCRIPTIVE NOTES ON FIBRES, PREPARED FOR 
THE GREATER BRITAIN AND PARIS EXHIBI- 
TIONS, FROM PLANTS (INDIGENOUS AND 
EXOTIC) CULTIVATED IN THE MELBOURNE 
BOTANIC GARDENS, 
By William Robert Guilfoyle^ Director. 
March, 1899. 
I. — Abutilon Bedforbianum (St. Hilaire). Duke of 
Bedford’s Lantern Flower.” Order Malvaceae. Brazil. 
This splendid shrub grows very freely in Victoria, New 
South Wales, and Queensland, and may be profitably cultivated, 
especially with irrigation. The fibre is of good quality, and very 
simply prepared by macerating the shoots in the same way as 
“jute” (Corchorus capsularis), &c. For young branches, 
thirteen days^ soakage are sufficient ; older bark requires several 
days longer. Fibre suitable for whipcord, fine matting, paper,, 
and perhaps textile fabrics. 
II. — Abutilon cocciNEuar (Hort). “ The Red Lantern Flower.” 
Order Malvaceae. Garden origin. 
Prepared by maceration for seventeen days, but stems from 
which present sample was prepared were old. If cultivated as a 
fibre plant would no doubt equal A. striatum. 
III. — Abutilon molle (Sweet) syn. Sida mollis (Ortega). 
“ Soft-leaved Lanteni Flower.^^ Order Malvaceae. Peru. 
Like most of the other species of the genus, this plant, which 
is an ornamental yellow-flowered shrub, is of quick growth, and 
yields both a valuable bast and fibre. These are of a strong, soft,, 
and beautiful quality, and are easily prepared by the simple 
process of maceration for twelve days. Suitable for matting, 
paper, &c, 
IV. — Abutilon striatum (Dickson). “ Streaked Lantern 
Flower.” Order Malvacece. Brazil. 
A handsome quick-growing shrub of slender habit, readily 
available for cultivation in the colonies, and, like the foregoing 
species, yields a valuable fibre by marceration for seventeen days. 
