Rhea Fibre - Specimen details
| Catalogue Number: 43621 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Image | Plant Name | 153.01 URTICACEAE Boehmeria sp | Entry Book Number | 93.1908 | |
| Artefact Name | Rhea Fibre | Vernacular Name | |||
| Iso Country | Not defined | TDWG Region | Not defined | ||
| Parts Held | Rhea Fibre | Geography Description | |||
| Uses | Rhea FibreUse: MATERIALS - Fibres User: Not defined | TDWG use | MATERIALS - Fibres | ||
| Storage | Bottles, boxes etc | Related Items | |||
| Donor | Gibbs Miss E | Donor No | |||
| Donor Date | Donor Notes | ||||
| Collector | Andrews G | Collector No | |||
| Collection Notes | Collection Date | ||||
| Exhibition | Expedition | ||||
| Number Components | Publication | ||||
| Notes: | Label source: Collected and prepared by Mr G Andrews Opuscular source: 26th July 1873 - letter - Dear Sir, Referring to the subject of my letter per Mr F Moon of the 24th instant intimating the dispatch to your address of a packet of the Rhea stems and, stating the reasons which have combined to make the present supply so much smaller than anticipated, I take this opportunity of mentioning that the plants already purchased were grown near Mirames in the South of France and that independently of their hav, ing been cut too soon in order to make way for the next crop they must not be regarded as good example of the Rhea when properly grown - in as much as they display a great tendency to branching - a defect which would interfere with the production of fibre, of any length. The plants sent show the character of the stem in its fresh state and will help to indicate the nature of the operations required to separate this fibre from the stem and bark in that condition. With regard to the question of the extractio, n of the fibre from the Rhea I would mention that recent experiments would seem to lead to the conclusion that a serviceable fibre can be prepared from the dried stems of the plant. The fibre prepared as in China from the green stems would be likely to fe, tch a better price than that from the dried stems, and a machine to operate upon the fresh plant would supply a disideratum even supposing the fibre should be successful prepared from the dried plant. I enclose a small sample of the fibre as prepared inCh, ina by hand, and which shows the state in which as an article of import it is acceptable to the manufacture here, and I would mention the fact that - probably already known to you - it is for most purposes at present considered in expedient to carry the m, anipulation of the fibre, in the first instance, beyond the point which ensures its separation from the stem and its outer bark and leaves it in a state similar to that shown by the enclosed sample - believe me - yours faithfully Mr Forbes Watson | ||||