XIV, 6 King: Philippine Bast-fiber Ropes 603 
' Table XIX . — Physical tests of ro-pe made from the bast of Malaehra 
fasciata — -Continued. 
Ultimate tensile strength (wet) : 
Mean in kilograms 115 
Maximum in kilograms 122 
Minimum in kilograms 109 
Mean in pounds 253 
Maximum in pounds 268 
Minimum in pounds 240 
Mean ultimate tensile strength per unit area (dry) : 
Kilograms per square centimeter 637 
Pounds per square inch 9,030 
Mean ultimate tensile strength per unit area (wet) : 
Kilograms per square centimeter 543 
Pounds per square inch 7,700 
Mean elongation at instant of rupture: 
Dry (per cent) 8 
Wet (per cent) 10 
Mean weight per unit length: 
Grams per meter 17.9 
Pounds per foot 0.0120 
Average breaking length: 
Meters 7,580 
Feet 24,800 
Moisture (per cent) 848 
SI DA ACUTA Burm. 
Local names: Attdi-na-baka (Ibanak) ; basbasot (Bontoc) ; eskobilla (Vi- 
sayan) ; eskuba Davao) ; eskubilla (Lagaina) ; herbaka (Ilocos Sur) ; kastule 
(Tagalog, Bulacan) ; maratakkimbaka (Ilocano in Tarlac) ; salike (Visa- 
yan, Basilan) ; takkimbaka (Abra, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Pangasinan, 
Union) ; takkinbaka, ualis-ualisan (Tarlac) ; uaualisin (Bulacan) ; ualis- 
ualisan (Nueva Vizcaya) ; ualis-ualisan (Manila). 
A slender, sparingly branched, shrubby or sufFrutescent plant, 
a meter high or less, with elongated slender branches and lan- 
ceolate, glabrous, acuminate leaves ; flowers yellow, axillary, 
short-pedicelled ; in waste places in and about towns throughout 
the Philippines; abundant. 
Species of Sida have been reported as common jungle plants 
in India,'^® but long-staple flber is produced only by plants grown 
on well-drained land with plenty of moisture. In India (and 
this applies to the Philippines with greater force) there are 
difficulties still to be solved before any of the species of Sida 
can be cultivated profitably. Watt states: 
^ Agr. Journ. India 4 (1909) 351. 
^‘Watt, Geo., A Dictionary of the Economic Products of India. Govern- 
ment of India Central Printing Office, Calcutta 6 - (1893) 683. 
