XIV, 6 
King: Philippine Bast-fiber Ropes 
627 
FICUS PACHYPHYLLA Merr. Balete. 
Local names: Baliti (Lag-una) ; lunug (Occidental Neg-ros) ; pojsakht 
(Abra, Itneg). 
A strangling ng with very coriaceous, glabrous, somewhat el- 
liptic, rather densely nerved leaves and nearly globose axillary 
fruits; of local distribution at low altitudes and widely distri- 
buted in the Philippines. 
Like Ficus forstenii bast, that from Ficus pacliyphylla also is 
characterized by finely frayed filaments that cover the surface. 
The strips of bast are uniformly pecan brown; they average 2 
millimeters wide, 0.28 millimeter thick, and 838 millimeters 
long. Each strand averages eight strips thick. 
Rope made of Ficus pacliyphylla has good strength, particularly 
when wetted. When dry it has a medium tensile strength and 
breaking length, but after immersion in water for twenty-four 
hours its tensile strength is increased 17 per cent. However, the 
results are discordant, the maximum variation from the mean 
of the five specimens being 25 per cent. The dry tensile- 
strength values showed better agreement, the maximum varia- 
tion from the mean being 16 per cent. Four of the five dry, 
and three of the five wet, test specimens ruptured in eye-splices. 
Filipinos say that rope made of this bast is very durable. 
A summary of the tests of this species made in the Bureau of 
Science is given in Table XXXII. 
Table XXXII. — Phys^xal tests of rope made from the bast of Ficus 
pachyphylla. 
[Rope made at Dolores, Abra Province. 
Mean diameter: 
Millimeters 
Inches 
7.0 
0.28 
Mean perimeter, or girth : 
Millimeters 
Inches 
22 
0.87 
True mean sectional area: 
Square millimeters 
Square inches 
32.3 
0.050 
Ultimate tensile strength (dry) : 
Mean in kilograms 
Maximum in kilograms 
Minimum in kilograms 
Mean in pounds 
Maximum in pounds 
Minimum in pounds 
150 
161 
126 
330 
355 
277 
