Forest Utilisation Chapter 14: Minor Forest Products, Fibres, Flosses, Grasses, Bamboos and Canes
Forest Utilisation Notes · Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Minor Forest Products I
Definition and eight classes of minor forest products, stem and leaf fibres, retting, flosses and coir, useful grasses, bamboos of India with the male bamboo, and canes with their processing.
1. Minor forest products
Since they are of great economic importance, 'minor' is a misnomer; it has been recommended that they be called 'Economic Forest Produce other than Wood'. Collection is mostly through petty contractors on lease, though departments now collect important ones themselves.
| Class | Group |
|---|---|
| I | Fibres and flosses |
| II | Grasses, bamboos and canes |
| III | Distillation and extraction products, including grass oils |
| IV | Oil seeds |
| V | Tans and dyes |
| VI | Gums, resins and oleo-resins |
| VII | Animal, mineral and miscellaneous products |
| VIII | Drugs, spices, edible products and poisons |
2. Fibres
Fibres are soft (bast or stem), hard (leaf or structural) or surface fibres. They are sclerenchyma cells: long, thick-walled, small cavities. Separating fibres by soaking in water to soften tissues, then beating and scraping, is called retting.
| Plant | Fibre and use |
|---|---|
| Sterculia villosa (udal) | Coarse strong fibre for elephant harness, drag ropes and tying rafts |
| Helicteres isora | Soft silky fibre for sacking and cattle harness |
| Grewia species | Coarse yellow rope fibre |
| Hardwickia binata (anjan) | Red fibre from young shoots for cordage |
| Bauhinia vahlii | Giant climber; strong fibre for tying |
| Calotropis gigantea | Fine silky fibre, durable in water; cannot be retted |
| Marsdenia tenacissima | Exceptionally strong fibre for bow strings |
| Boehmeria nivea | Rhea or ramie, fine white fibre |
| Girardinia heterophylla | Himalayan nettle; silky fibre, hard to collect because of stinging hairs |
| Caryota urens (kittul) | Leaf fibre for fishing lines, brushes |
| Musa textilis | Manila hemp (leaf fibre) |
| Agave sisalana | Sisal fibre; drought-hardy, used as live hedges |
| Pandanus | Leaf fibre for cordage and nets |
3. Flosses and coir
| Plant | Floss |
|---|---|
| Ceiba pentandra | True kapok (silk cotton); world supply mainly from Java; for stuffing, too short to spin |
| Bombax ceiba (semal) | Indian kapok; collect capsules green |
| Cochlospermum religiosum | Yellow silk cotton tree; for mattresses and life belts |
| Calotropis gigantea | Silky buoyant floss for mattresses and pillows |
Coir is neither a true bast fibre nor a floss: it comes from the husk of the coconut (Cocos nucifera) and is strengthened by sea water, so it is ideal for ship's ropes.
4. Grasses
| Grass | Use |
|---|---|
| Eulaliopsis binata (sabai, bhabar, baib) | Paper; also rough ropes and mats |
| Saccharum munja (munj) | Leaf-sheath fibre for ropes; stems for chairs and stools |
| Saccharum spontaneum (ekra, kans) | Ekra mud walls in Bengal and Assam; thatching |
| Vetiveria zizanioides (khus) | Aromatic roots for khus tatties; khus oil |
| Imperata cylindrica | Commonest thatching grass |
| Typha elephantina | Elephant grass for ropes and mats |
| Fodder grasses | Cenchrus ciliaris, Dichanthium annulatum, Heteropogon contortus; exotics Panicum maximum, Pennisetum clandestinum |
5. Bamboos
Bamboos are tall perennial arborescent grasses of the tribe Bambusae (Gramineae), with about 140 species in India. Stems are called culms and arise from rhizomes. Bamboo is a major raw material for paper and rayon.
| Species | Notes |
|---|---|
| Dendrocalamus strictus | 'Male bamboo' of commerce; culms solid, 6 to 15 m tall, 2.5 to 7.5 cm across; most common and most universally used |
| Bambusa arundinacea | Thorny bamboo, 24 to 30 m; next in importance; for paper |
| Dendrocalamus giganteus | Biggest Indian bamboo, 24 to 30 m tall and 20 to 25 cm across |
| Dendrocalamus hamiltonii | Sub-Himalayan, up to 25 m, thin-walled |
| Melocanna bambusoides | Gregarious; Garo, Khasi and Lushai hills |
| Ochlandra travancorica | Reed-like gregarious bamboo of the Western Ghats |
| Arundinaria falcata | Undergrowth in oak and deodar forests; baskets, fishing rods |
6. Canes
Canes ('rattans' of commerce) are stems of climbing palms, mainly Calamus (about 30 species in India). Stems reach 100 m, are solid, tough and elastic, and mature in about 5 years.
| Species | Note |
|---|---|
| Calamus tenuis | Common cane of north India |
| Calamus rotang | Central and southern India; easily split, for furniture and baskets |
| Calamus viminalis | Thin strong cane |
| Calamus acanthospathus | Strong cane of the eastern Himalaya |
7. Quick revision
- MFP = all forest products except timber, small wood and fuel wood; suggested name: economic forest produce other than wood.
- Eight classes, from fibres and flosses to drugs, spices, edibles and poisons.
- Retting = soaking to separate fibres. Calotropis fibre cannot be retted.
- Udal fibre: elephant harness. Rhea = Boehmeria nivea. Sisal = Agave sisalana.
- True kapok = Ceiba (Java); Indian kapok = Bombax.
- Sabai grass for paper; khus roots for tatties.
- About 140 bamboo species; D. strictus male bamboo; D. giganteus biggest.
- Calamus about 30 species; matures in about 5 years; desilicate, bleach with sulphur, polish.
8. Interactive MCQ Quiz
16 questions. Tap an option to see the answer and explanation, then go to the next question.
Comments
Post a Comment