Botanical Name: Urena lobata L.
Family: Malvaceae.
Vernacular: English- Aramina, Caesar weed; Spanish-Carillo.
Congo Jute is a superior jute substitute producing a fine, pale fibre. It is normally used as an admixture in spinning jute. Congo jute is widely grown in the tropics but chiefly in Zaire; also in Brazil and Madagascar.
The fibres are obtained from the bark of the stem.
Botany of Plant
Shrub, with a short taproot, 4-5m, tall and with many widespread branches. The leaves are alternate, and may be simple, notched or lobed. The red flowers arise from the leaf bases. The fruit is round with stiff hooked hairs containing five seeds.
Cultivation Practices
Propagated through seeds. The seeds are treated with conc. Sulfuric acid for 3 hours and soaked in water for 1-2 days for good germination. Seeds are then sown with 5 cm, spacing in rows 60-80 cm, apart. High rates of NPK manures are needed.
Harvesting
Harvesting is done when flowers appear, at 4-6 months and height 2-3 m. the stems are soaked in water and retted for 5-14 days to remove non-fibrous material. Yields of 700-2250 kg./ha of fibre may be obtained.
Rotation with other crops often proves beneficial.
Uses
Urena lobata is grown as a fibre crop in Brazil, where it is known as Aramina fibre and in Congo under the name of Congo Jute. The fibre resembles jute more closely than other jute substitutes; it is as fine as jute and can be spun on the same machinery; and is often mixed with jute. The fibre is soft, pale yellow and is used for making ropes, carpets, lessain etc.
Other Fiber yielding Plants
Corchorus olitorius
TABLE 2. Other Vegetable Fibres of Minor Importance
Botanical Name Family Uses
Phomrium tenax Forst.(NewZealand flax) Liliaceae The fibre from the stem is used for making ropes, twine, yarn, lines, sailcloth etc.
Juncus effuses L. (Rushes) Juncaceae The fibre from the stem is used for making mats, baskets, and bottoms of chairs
Maranta dichotoma Marantaceae The fibre from the stem is used in making mats.
Musa paradisiacea L(Plantain fibre) Musaceae The fibre from the stem and leaves is used for textile or cordage purposes, while tow, which is separated in preparing the fibres, forms an excellent material for the finest and toughest kinds of paper.
Phoenix sylvestris (L.) for Ro Arecaceae The leaves are used for thatching the cottages of the poor or making umbrellas
Calamus rotang Linn. Arecaceae Their smooth and shining stems are employed for caning the bottoms of chairs and other articles. They are used as sticks, and for mat making and canning work for furniture’s. The cane is extremely strong.
Borassus flabellifer L.
(Palmyra tree)
Arecaceae The wood near the circumference of old trees is very hard, heavy and durable. Employed in thatching houses, making baskets, mats and the leaves are made into fans. The fibres of leaves are employed in making twine and rope.
Crotalaria tenuifolia Fabaceae Fibre used in cordage
Sesbania aculeata Pers. Fabaceae Fibre is fine, long silky. Used in cordage, cables, ropes
Bauhinia racemosa Lam. Caesalpiniaceae
Fibre used as ropes and strings.
Butea frondosa Koen boat ex Roxb. Fabaceae The fibre from bark and roots is used as cordage and also in construction.
Melliotus arborea Fabaceae Strong fibre used as ropes.
Calotropis gigantea (L.) R. Br ex. Ait.
(Mudar fibre or Yurcum fibre)
Asclepiadaceae Used in the paper industry and also in textile, used for stuffing pillows etc.
Cordia rothii Roem. & Schult. (Narvali fibre) Boraginaceae Yields fibre from the bark, used in r
Botanical Name Family Uses
making.
Trema orientalis Blume Ulmaceae Used in textile industry.
Artocarpus communis (Bread fruit tree) Moraceae Fibre used in clothing and paper industry.Forest.
Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) L’ Heritier in Vent
(Paper mulberry)
Moraceae Fibre from the bark is used in clothi and paper industry.
Eringa saccharifera Arecaceae used in shipping
Saccharum munja Roxb. Poaceae Used for tying up of cattle and also making tow ropes by boats men in Banaras.
Saccharum sara Poaceae Used by boats men as towline for its strength and durability even the exposure of water.
Poa cynosuroidis Retz (Kooshagrass or Dab) Poaceae Sacred grass of the Hindus, is also u in rope making
Vetiveria zizanioldes (Linn,) Poaceae Fibers are remarkable for their agre odour and also for their Nash(Khus khus) their tenacity.
Bambusa arundinacea Wild Poaceae Used for making mats, other implements in agriculture, house-hold articles, also in the paper industry.
Cyperus tegetum Roxb. . Cyperaceae Used in Bengal for making elegant shining mats
Eriophorum cannabinum (Cotton-grass)
Cyperaceae Seed fibre is used for stuffing pillows and used as wicks of candles and in paper industry.
Bromelia penguin Bromeliaceae . Leaf fibre is twisted into rope, also in the manufacture of coarse cloth Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.(Pine-apple) Bromeliaceae The fibres are used in the
manufacture of linens.
Aloe barbadensis Mill. Liliaceae The fibre from the leaves is used for papermaking and in textile industry.
Sanseviera zeylanica Wild. T Liliaceae he leaf fibre is used in the manufacture of bowstrings, (Bowstring-hemp) twins and ropes.