Archive image from page 82 of A descriptive catalogue of useful. A descriptive catalogue of useful fiber plants of the world, including the structural and economic classifications of fibers descriptivecatal09dodg Year: 1897 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 75 exhibition of 1876, and Astrocaryum is called the Tucuman. In Bernardin's list Bactris is called Tecun. The Kew Mus. Guide names A. aculeatum as the Gri Gri. Specimens.—Mus. U. S. Dept. Ag. Astrocaryum vulgare. The Tucum Palm. This species grows on the dry forest land of the Amazon and Rio Negro. Culti- vated by the Indians when not met with in a
Archive image from page 82 of A descriptive catalogue of useful. A descriptive catalogue of useful fiber plants of the world, including the structural and economic classifications of fibers descriptivecatal09dodg Year: 1897 DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 75 exhibition of 1876, and Astrocaryum is called the Tucuman. In Bernardin's list Bactris is called Tecun. The Kew Mus. Guide names A. aculeatum as the Gri Gri. Specimens.—Mus. U. S. Dept. Ag. Astrocaryum vulgare. The Tucum Palm. This species grows on the dry forest land of the Amazon and Rio Negro. Culti- vated by the Indians when not met with in a wild state. (See fig. 28). Structural Fiber.—'Tucum thread,' derived from the unopened leaves, 'is used chiefly for bowstrings and fishing nets; employed also for hammocks, which fetch a high figure in Rio Janeiro.' By the native method of extraction only about 2 ounces of fiber can be extracted in a day, even by an expert manipulator. Savorg- nan states that the leaves yield a fiber of great strength, which is made into cord- age, and also furnish material for hats known commonly as Accora. The only part used is the young unex- panded leaves, the cuticle of which, when twisted, furnishes cordage of extreme fineness, combined with great strength and durability. Some of the tribes on the upper Amazon are said to make all their hammocks of this fiber. Wallace, in his Palm Trees of the Amazon, says: The Bra- zilians of the Rio Negro and upper Ama- zon make very beautiful hammocks of fine 'tucum' thread, knitted by hand into a compact web of so fine a texture as to occupy two persons three or fonr months in their completion. They then sell at about £3 each, and when ornamented with the feather-work borders, at double that sum. Most of them are sent as pres- ents to Rio de Janeiro. The fiber is fine, resistant, and durable, and the natives employ it in making ropes, coarse linen, nets, horse blankets, and es- pecially hammocks and strong fish nets, for which it is much esteeme
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