What is a Plant Fiber Part 2

Seed & fruit fibers: surface fibers such as seed hairs Bast or soft fibers: bunches of phloem found in stems Leaf or hard fibers: composed of xylem and phloem from leaf • Flax • Hemp • Jute • Ramie Flax (Linum usitatissimum; Linaceae) • Native to Europe and E. Asia • Oldest textile fibers used by people; also extract linseed oil • Words “line” and “lingerie” are from the latin for linen • Flax fibers are smooth, 1-3 ft long, straight and 2-3 times stronger than cotton • Stem fibers of annual plant woven to make linen for at least 10,000 years • Egyptians cultivated it and used linen to wrap mummies Jute (Corchorus sp.; Malvaceae) • Annual plant native to tropical Asia • Fiber extracted from stems; not as strong as other bast fibers, brittle and inelastic; 5-20 feet long Jute (Corchorus sp.; Malvaceae) • Annual plant native to tropical Asia • Fiber extracted from stems; not as strong as other bast fibers, brittle and inelastic; 5-20 feet long • Fiber used for burlap, rope, carpet backing, upholstery lining • Sackcloth made in medieval Europe for penitents made from jute • Jute mainly produced by India and Bangladesh; second only to cotton in terms of production due to ease of processing and rapid growth Hemp (Cannabis sativa; Cannabaceae) • Cultivated since prehistoric times in China, where it originated • Spread around the world for fiber use • Fibers similar to flax but stiffer, 5-15 feet long • Well processed hemp is white, soft and silky • Most processed cheaply, resulting in rough fiber used for canvas (from Cannabis) or rope • Cultivation of hemp illegal in US Ramie (Boehmeria nivea; Urticaceae) • Native to tropical Asia, used as fiber for >7000 years • Uncommon due to difficult harvesting, and pectins and gums must be removed from fibers • Strong and durable fibers that are some of the longest and silkiest • Some Egyptian mummies wrapped in ramie cloth • Now mechanically harvested, decorticated, and de-gummed • Used for products requiring exceptional strength Seed & fruit fibers: surface fibers such as seed hairs Bast or soft fibers: bunches of phloem found in stems Leaf or hard fibers: composed of xylem and phloem from leaf Sisal Pineapple cloth Manila hemp Sisal (Agave sisalana) Henequen (Agave fourcroydes); Agavaceae • Native to arid areas of central America; rough garments made by Aztecs and Mayans • Leaves used for fiber (3 ft long); spines on sisal leaves used as needles • Once soft leaf material is removed, fibers are washed and dried and then can be used directly • Fibers used for floor mats, rope, tea bags Pineapple cloth (Ananas comosus; Bromeliaceae) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhJh7h-pECY&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecool%2Dorganic %2Dclothing%2Ecom%2Fpina%2Dfiber%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded Manila Hemp or Abaca (Musa textilis; Musaceae) • Fibers extracted from leaf petioles (stalks); fibers can be 15 feet long • Used for clothing, cigarette filters, teabags; mainly used for marine rope Old World: Plant Dyes Henna (Lawsonia inermis; Lythraceae): hair dye, red-brown dye from leaves Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria; Fabaceae): royal blue (historically an important trade item from India) from leaves Redcoats: madder: red dye from roots of Rubia tinctorum (Rubiaceae) Woad blue: Isatis tinctoria (Brassicaceae), dye from leaves (foul stench) Yellow weld: Reseda luteola (Resedaceae), dye from seed Civil war gray: Juglans cinerea (Juglandaceae), bark and nut shells New World: Red-orange annatto (Bixa orellana; Bixaceae): seeds still used for coloring cheese, margarine, cosmetics Red bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis; Papaveraceae) Purple or black logwood (Haematoxylum campechianum; Fabaceae); first source of true black; dye from wood Most dyes used today are synthetic, aniline dyes from coal tar Palms… Thatching Fans coir “Restios” Restionaceae Common roof thatch in cape region of South Africa