One of the Institute's research goals in line
with the judicious utilization of natural
resources is to conduct and continuously explore
the utilization of various indigenous fibers for
textile application. Hence, database on
indigenous fibers was created to document the
information gathered in the study conducted for
easy access and reference of researchers and
other interested individuals. The database
provides information such as plant information,
geographic description, fiber description, fiber
extraction, variety/fiber grade used in
textiles, fiber properties, etc.
The
Institute has also developed technologies for
fiber pre-treatment, yarn production and fabric
finishing which are now applied on a commercial
scale for the development of Philippine Tropical
Fabrics made from blends of abaca, banana or
pineapple fibers.
Abaca
is a perennial growing from short rootstocks.
A mature abaca plant or “mat” consists of a group of stalks
ranging from 6 to 15 ft (1.8 to 4.6 m) high. These stalks (pseudo stems)
are made up of a central core which is encircled by overlapping leaf sheaths,
each bearing a frond 3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m) long and about 12 inches (30 cm)
wide. It is also known as “Manila Hemp”. Abaca looks like
banana except that its leaves are shinier, narrower and more tapering
Anabo
is a shrub or small tree, 2 to 3 meters in height belonging to the sterculiaceae
family. The branches and branchlets are downy. The leaves are alternate,
ovate, 10 to 15 cm in width, with pointed tip, heart-shaped base and toothed
margins. The flowers are bisexual, about 5 cm across and yellowish with
purple bases.
Banana
plant is a large perennial herb with leaf
sheaths that form trunk-like pseudostems. When fully grown the stem attains
a height of 10 to 40 feet (3 to 12 m) and surmounted with large oval leaves.
The plant has 8-12 leaves that are up to 9 feet long and 2 feet wide,
with a strong fleshy footstalk and midrib. The flowers spring in great
spikes from the center of crown of leaves. At first it forms a large,
long-oval, tapering, purple-clad bud. As it opens, the slim, nectar, tubular,
toothed, white flowers appear. They are arranged in whorl-like cluster
along the floral spike; the fruits vary in length from 4 to 12 inches
(10 to 30 cm).
Kenafis an annual herbaceous plant,
cultivated for the soft bast fiber in the stem. The stem is erect, cylindrical
and branched or unbranched with height ranging from 1 to 4 m. The color
varies from purple to green depending on the variety, strain and condition
of the soil fertility. The leaves, which occur near upper part of the
stalk, are shallow-lobed with serrated margins. They are either entirely
or partially colored light green depending on the variety with printed
filaments at the base of the leaf. Flowers are borne singly on short stalks,
in the axis of the leaves, and are pale yellow with purple stalks. Seeds
are triangular, acute ash gray, with pointed yellowish whitey spots.
Maguey
plant grows into a rosette of leaves which droops to a horizontal position
when it matures. A rosette usually consists of twenty to fifty leaves.
The long and fleshy rigid leaves of the maguey plant are edged with spines
and grow up to 5 to 6 feet long while its width ranges from 2.5 to 4 inches.
It also brings itchiness to the skin. The central flower stalk may grow
up to 2 to 3 times higher than the height of the plant. The plant flowers
only from 4th to 20th year after which the plant may die.
Pineapple
is herbaceous plant consists of a rosette
of stiff succulent leaves on massive upright stem. The leaves are sword-shaped
arising from a stem about 3 to 5 ft long and 1 to 2 inches wide tapering
to a point, generally thin in comparison to those of other hard fibers
and with or without marginal prickles depending on the variety. The fruit
which is an enlarge aggregate of fruitlets is conical and produce a crown
at the top with eyes or fruitlets arranged all over in rectangular fashion.
It is edible, juicy, fleshy and yellowish when ripe.
Ramie
is a hardy perennial shrub, erect, usually non-branching and grown from
4 to 7 feet at maturity. It has a heart-shaped lustrous green leaves which
are silvery white underneath, 7.5 to 15 cm long, with clusters of small
greenish flowers. Stems are green and slender, ranging from 8 to 16 mm
in diameter. It has a demographic root system with long reproductive rhizome
and bulbous root. The inflorescence is unisexual-monoecious panicle, small
and greenish white.
