March i, 1892.] 
Supplement to the “ Tropical AgriculturiU." 
a. OhtonuK oiilled Jaws' mallow (owing to the 
Jews, like the Indians, eating the tender leaves 
and stem as a vegetable) also yields a tibre used 
tor making sack (doth, cordage and even papi*r. 
The fibre is said to bo long and line, and such 
as might well be siibstitnteil for llax. 
PmnlanuK Odm-atiemrnnK produces a tibre of 
poor (|UHlity, wliich is used in Fiji for making 
mats. This plant occurs in (,'nylon, anil is very 
abundant near tlie sea. It is known among the 
Sinhalese as Dladu-keyiya, and commonly spoken 
of ns the screw-pine. There are three indige- 
nous varieties of I’andaims in CVylon 7’ Odurri- 
tir’nmuf ( P. Fdsncularie) already mentioned, 7’. 
Jfuinulin ( P. PoefidiixJ the Sinhalese Dimn-keyiya, 
and J’. I''iirrrtftin, thi‘ Sinhalese, Okeyiya, all of 
which art“ more or le.ss n,s(>d for mat-making by 
the natives. The two latter are ((ommon hedge 
])lants for paiddy-fields in the warmer jiarts of 
the Island. 
Huehwfia A//w is the rhea tibre or (Jhina 
gra.ss out of which most of the so-called gras.s 
cloth is made. In Ceylon we have />. Mata- 
harica (Sin. Jlahadiya dool) which is verv common 
throughout the island. The bark of this jdant 
i.s used by the Sinhalese for tlshing lines. 
li. Platyphylln, with its varieties MnormtnQhyd, 
Zeylnniro, and Itugosixsimn are common in the 
Central Province up to an elevation of H,(M)0 ft. 
Ste)vul!n platanifulla jiroduces a fibre from the 
bark of young in'es which is used for making 
cordage. In Ceylon we have <S'. Ilnlnni/ha.t mm- 
nion inthe hotter parts of the island ])roduc.ing 
the Nava hemp, iS'. Pcetida, the Sinhalese Telamboo 
also very common in the warmer jiarts of the 
island, <V. Uri-ti.t, the Tamil Kavali, >S'. Giitinta 
found in the Ambagamuwa district, /S’, dtdnrnhu, 
and /S'. Thwaitexm. /S'. Acuminata affords the 
Kola of the Africans. 
TWO CIIYLON (illASSKS. 
Oynodon Dacfyhn, a common gra8.s in Ceylon, 
especially in the warmer parts of the laland. 
is known among the Tamils ns Ariigainpillu, in 
Southern India ns lluryalee, and in .Vorth 
India as Doob. It is considered to be a splendid 
fodder, and is generally sought for by sellers of 
natural grasses. Isa Tweed, the author' of a work 
on Dairying lately published in Calcutta, says 
it is by far the best grass for cattle in India. 
C. Dactijlim is also found in Mugland and 
other parts of Kurope, as well as in China, 
Thibet, Australia, /South and Central America, 
and Cape Colony. Sir William Jones mentions 
that it is .said to be the Agrostis of the Creeks, 
and that its iisefulnes.s, (being the sweetest and 
moat nutritious jiasture for cattle) added to its 
beauty when in flower, induced the llindooB to 
look upon it as a sacred plant. In the New 
/South Wales Ayricutlurnl (ia^ette for May last, 
it is figured and described as Couch grass or 
llermuda grass. It is there, mentioned as a 
moat valuable pasture gras.s which stock of all 
land eat gr(‘edily and fatten on. Its under- 
ground stems ari‘ said to possess some of the medi- 
cma properties of Sarsajiarilla, the juice being 
a so used as an astingent and diuretic. The 
69r) 
following is the chemical analysis of the young 
grass : Albumen 1 -60, (lluten fi'45. Starch 4'00, 
(ium d'lO, Sugar .'I'bO per cent. 
Some months ago we applied to the (Jovern- 
ment Agent of the .Northern Province for some 
seed of what is known as Delft grass, that is the 
grass common to the Island of Delft, and which we 
have lu'ard sjioken of as an excellent fodder. In 
answer to our recpiest we r/'Ceived a few plants 
of the gra.ss, with the promise that we .shall 
have the seed when it was available. The 
plants sent us as Delft grass have come up 
well and are now in dower, and Dr. Trimen, to 
whom we referred specimens for identification, 
thinks the grass is Androput/un Pernicolor (a 
variety of A. fichoenanthus), a kind of small mana 
grass, with a peculiar scent in the leaves. 
Thwaites mentions that the grass is found in 
the more elevated parts of the Central Province, 
that the inflor(‘scence when ermshed has a ra- 
ther aromatic odour, and that the essential oil 
appears to lie situated principally at the bnae 
of the apikelets. Mr. William Kergu.son mentions 
t he grass ns one very common at Wilson's Bun- 
galow, and says that specimens grown in Colombo 
had a light green colour, and when brui.sed in 
a fresh state liad a strong small of anise. These 
qualities are just what characterise our own 
specimens at the School of Agricnlture. The grass, 
says Ferguson, may he called the Anise-scented 
grass. It is curious that none of the authorities 
((noted above make mention of Delft in connec- 
tion with Andinjmyon I’micidor. Thegrass seems 
rather coarse, and altogether strikes ono as not 
being a grass that cattle would care to oat 
much of. In order to make sure that Aitdro- 
pngnn Vemcolor i.s the true Delft gra.ss, speci- 
mens of those growing at the Bchool of Agri- 
culture ari' being sent to .Faffna for comparison 
with the grass a.s found growing in the Island 
of Did ft. 
INDKiENOL’S POOD PRODCCTS : 
CULTIVATED AND WIUD. 
liv Vi. A. Du Sii.vA. 
Lahiatae. 
1)4. Intern ZeylMnca, lir. Bin. Getatumba, 
is a low shruby plant growing in unculti- 
vated (daces and waste lands. The loaves are 
small, lanceolate, and of a bright gvem colour 
with a hairy surface. Bmall flowers, with a 
eup-shaiied calyx, and a white corolla, are 
borne in a raceme with cumjiressed peduncles. 
Ihe leaves when bruised have a peculiar 
smell. The,s(> leaves are often eaten 
along with rice, oitla/r boiled or made into 
curries. They* jiossess rather a bitter taste 
which some however like. The plant is 
much valued as a medicinal one, for the 
boiled leaves are an excellent remedy in 
bowel disorders. It is also used in mild 
feyer ^aused to indigestion, ami to relievo 
(lain due to intestinal worms, lixtorually 
the bruised leaves are applied in dog bite 
Nyctai/ineaf, 
115. Itonhaavia Diffitm. L, gj,,. I'itasudiiiiala. 
This is a herb growing in waste lands, and es- 
pecially m fertile spots, such as the sides of 
