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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 w'ould seem too great for 
it to be remunerative in that way. 
Calotropis gigantea (Aselepiadece) — Mudar fibre. A shrub 
with much latex and rather fleshy leaves, with pale violet flowers. 
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 liax 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, how’ever it might be 
successfully grown in the dry 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 tenax f UrticMece ), was introduced from South Africa 
to the Botanic Gardens some years ago as a fibre plant. Its 
grow th has been remarkably slow r , 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 known and which 
are not in sufficient quantity or sufficiently easily grown to be 
valuable are 
Bixa Orellana. — The Aruotto, 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. 
A-nma murici'ta. — 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 it's 
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 arborea ( Sterculiacece ). — Not common here, A small 
tree of which the bast is used in the Andaman islands for making 
nets. 
Wihtroemia Indica (Thymeleacecej . — This little shrub has a 
very strong tough bark. It is common in some places, especially 
the sandy coasts of Pahang. The whole plant is twiggy, about 
4 feet tall, wdth yellow Ixora like flowers and red drupes. It is 
readily grown from seed, and is closely allied to, if not identical with, 
a Paciflc island plant which is used in Hawaii for nets, cordage, etc. 
