gth of the leaf, occur on the lower surface of the
midrib only. The surface of the leaf is smooth and shiny. The leaf
of baring is 72 cm. long, 2.8 cm. wide, apparently spineless, smooth
and fine in texture. Both of these pandans would probably yield good
industrial materials.

In Iloilo, the town of Banate has a pandan mat industry of
interprovincial importance, whose product is an article of commerce
as far as Negros. The mats sell at about 50 centavos each.

There is a large export of pandan mats from Dao, Antique, to the
province of Iloilo.

Pandan mats are exported from Cuyo Island in Palawan. Some are sent
to the mainland of Palawan and others to Antique.

The Moro pandan mats are the most richly colored of all those
produced in the Philippines. At this writing, information is not at
hand to determine the method of preparing the straw or the species
of pandan from which they are made. Mats which have been exhibited
at successive Philippine expositions have undoubtedly been dyed with
imported coloring matter. The designs are of the general effect of
the mat reproduced on page 84. The colors are often well combined
and the effect is very striking. The Cottabato mats are double;
the under portion is woven of thick, heavy, uncolored straw, and the
upper portion is of finer material; the two parts are spliced together.

Sedge Straws.

Kinds of Sedges.

Botanical.

The sedges which form the family of Cyperaceae are grass-like or
rush-like herbs, with solid, jointless, usually triangular stems,
while the grasses (Gramineae) are mostly herbs, usually with hollow
stems closed and enlarged at the nodes. The former play an important
part in the manufacture of mats because of their length and freedom
from nodes. The family includes several genera of importance; viz.,
Scirpus, Cyperus, and Fimbristylis.

Of these the Fimbristylis is the most important, for two species of
Fimbristylis have a fairly large commercial use; they are therefore
taken up separately.

Of the genus Scirpus, the species S. grossus, known as "balangot" in
Ambos Camarines and Capiz, "bagaas" in Occidental Negros, "tiquio"
in Rizal, and "bagui-bagui" in Capiz, and S. erectus, are used for
mats. S. grossus is not a very suitable material for industrial
purposes, its distinctly three-cornered stalk being too coarse
in texture and too large to permit of weaving even a fair grade
article. S. erectus is much better. The stalk is about as fi