Fiber Plants

plants that furnish fibrous or stringy material suitable for the manufacture of fabrics, strings, and paper. Fibers are obtained chiefly from the inner bark of plants, like the basswood, the elm, hemp, and flax; from the outer bark of grass-like plants; from the stems and leaves of such plants as the palm, the agave, the sisal; and from the wool-like covering of seeds. Cotton belongs to the last mentioned division. Over 1,000 varieties of fiber plants are known to exist. The chief six vegetable fibers of the world are cotton, flax, hemp, jute, manila, and sisal. Separate articles will be found under these headings. The reader is also referred to articles on RAMIE; RAFFIA; AGAVE; YUCCA; RATTAN; BAMBOO; PALMETTO; ESPARTO; COIR; CORDAGE.