Table FC-1. List of fiber crops which are sources of textile, netting, and cordage fibers grouped by type of fiber.
COMMON NAMES | FAMILY | SCIENTIFIC NAME |
a. Surface Fibers | ||
Cotton | Malvaceae | Gossypium spp. |
- Sea-Island cotton, Egyptian cotton | Gossypium barbadense | |
- Upland cotton, bulak, gapas, algodon | Gossypium hirsutum | |
- Tree cotton | Gossypium arboreum | |
- Levant cotton | Gossypium herbaceum | |
b. Soft or Bast Fibers | ||
1. Flax | Linaceae | Linum usitatissimum |
2. Hemp, marijuana | Cannabis sativa | |
3. Jute | Malvaceae | Corchorus capsularis |
- Jute, saluyot, tagabang | Corchorus olitorius | |
4. Ramie | Urticaceae | Boehmeria nivea |
5. Sunn hemp | Leguminosae/Fabaceae | Crotalaria juncea |
6. Kenaf | Malvaceae | Hibiscus cannabinus |
7. China Jute, Indian Mallow | Malvaceae | Abutilon theophrasti |
8. Roselle, Rama | Malvaceae | Hibiscus sabdariffa |
9. Aramina, Cadillo, Calut-calutan | Malvaceae | Urena lobata |
c. Hard or Structural Fibers | ||
1. Abaca, Manila Hemp | Musaceae | Musa textilis |
2. Agaves | Agavaceae/Asparagaceae* | Agave spp. |
- Henequen or Mexican Sisal | Agave fourcroydes | |
- Sisal, Century plant | Agave sisalana | |
- Maguey, Manila maguey, Cantala | Agave cantala | |
3. Mauritius Hemp, False agave, green aloe, giant cabuya | Agavaceae/ Asparagaceae* | Furcraea gigantea, F. foetida; Others: Furcraea macrophylla, F. cabuya, F. hexapetales |
4. New Zealand Flax, New Zealand Hemp | Hemerocallidaceae/ Xanthorrhoeaceae* | Phormeum tenax |
5. Bowstring Hemp | Ruscaceae/ Asparagaceae* | Sansevieria spp., e.g. S. thyrsiflora, S. roxburghiana, S. zelanica, S. longifolia (Florida bowstring hemp) |
6. Coconut | Palmae/Arecaceae | Cocos nucifera |
7. Pineapple | Bromeliaceae | Ananas comosus |
8. Floja | Bromeliaceae | Aechmea magdalenae |
9. Caroá | Bromeliaceae | Neoglaziovia variegata |
* Changes have occured in which several families have been expanded to include previously distinct families. The 2009 classification system of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG III) places the family Agavaceae, Ruscaceae, and others in an expanded Asparagaceae (Simpson 2010).
Primary source of list of fiber crops according to type of fiber: Hill (1972).
Addendum: Black fibers from the hair-like margins of the leafsheaths of sugar palm or kaong have been used in making ropes that are resistant to sea water.
REFERENCES
(Ben G. Bareja December 2011)
I Back to Fibers and Fiber Crops I List of Fiber Crops I Cereal Crops I Grain Legumes / Pulses I Root and Tuber Crops I Sugar Crops I Palms for Sugar I