Plant Fibers Photos 2

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Plant Fibers & Fruits

More Photos Of Plants With Bast Fibers

[Polynesian Beach Hibiscus-Sorrel-Roselle-Kenaf-Hoop Vine]
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Mallow Family (Malvaceae): Beach Hibiscus

Flowers of beach hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus), a common shrub along tropical Pacific beaches. The beautiful yellow blossoms turn pinkish-red with age. Bast fibers in the bark are used for cordage, mats and "grass" skirts (see next photo).

The bark of beach hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus), a common shrub along tropical Pacific beaches, contains strong bast fibers. Strips of bark are woven into cordage and mats, and make excellent "grass" skirts.

Mallow Family (Malvaceae): Sorrel

Sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa), a common roadside plant on the island of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles. In Southeast Asia, bast fibers from the bark are used for roselle, a fiber similar to kenaf from the closely related Hibiscus cannabinus. On Dominica (and other Caribbean islands) the enlarged, fleshy red sepals that envelop the seed capsule are used to make a popular drink at Christmas time (see next photo).

Red sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) at the marketplace in Roseau, Dominica. The enlarged, fleshy red sepals that envelop the seed capsule are used to make a popular drink at Christmas time.

Mallow Family (Malvaceae): Kenaf

Kenaf paper made from the stem fibers of Hibiscus cannabinus, a species very similar to sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa). The use of fast-growing fiber plants such as kenaf for paper could reduce the world's dependence on wood pulp from forest trees. This fine quality paper is acid free using the sulfate pulping process.

Mallow Family (Malvaceae): Okra

Okra (Hibiscus esculentus syn. Abelmoschus esculentus). This delicious vegetable has a typical hibiscus flower. The cooked ripened ovary is eaten as a vegetable, but is technically a botanical fruit.

Mallow Family (Malvaceae): Malva sylvestris

Above image tentatively identified as high mallow (Malva sylvestris), a widespread herbaceous annual or biennial throughout Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It is taller and has much larger flowers than cheeseweed (M. parviflora), a common naturized weed throughout southern California. In addition, the prominent, heart-shaped cotyledons are larger than M. parviflora. The tender young leaves are eaten in salads and cooked like spinach. The purple flowers yield a natural coloring for drinks and herbal teas. Like cheeseweed, the fruit is composed of many indehiscent, seed-bearing sections resembling a miniature wheel of cheese.

Sprouting seedling of Malva sylvestris after a soaking rain. Note the tiny heart-shaped cotyledons.

Close-up view of the schizocarp fruit of cheeseweed (Malva parviflora). The wheel-shaped fruit splits into ten wedge-shaped, indehiscent, one-seeded sections (carpels). The red arrow points to an individual section (carpel). Since all the carpels came from a single compartmented gynoecium (compound pistil), the gynoecium is refered to as syncarpous. In this case the carpels are attached in a ring to a conical central axis, and separate from each other at maturity when they dry out.

Pokeweed Family (Phytolaccaceae): Hoop Vine

Hoop vine (Trichostigma octandrum) in the tropical forest on the island of St. John (U.S. Virgin Islands). This interesting vine belongs to the Phytolacca Family (Phytolaccaceae) along with pokeweed (P. americana) and the ombu tree (P. dioica) of the Argentine pampas. Bast fibers in the bark are used for basketry (see next photo).

The art of basket-making on the island of St. John (U.S. Virgin Islands). Strips of bark from the hoop vine (Trichostigma octandrum) contain strong, pliable bast fibers that are woven into attractive baskets. [Photo by Harriett Feeney]

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