Fibre Producing Plants:
- Plant fibres are used for the fulfilment of human requirements.
- From an economic point of view fibre producing plants are important just next to food crops.
- Out of the three basic requirements of human, clothes are the second basic requirement.
- From ancient time, plant fibres were used by men to cover their body. In comparison to plant fibres, animal fibres such as wool, silk and fur have limited use.
Types of Fibres:
Plant fibres are obtained from various parts of the plant body. On the basis of their origin and structure, plant fibres are of three types.
- Surface Fibres: These are produced as outgrowths from plant parts such as seed or surface of the fruit.
- Soft, Stem or Bast Fibres: These originate from phloem fibres of the stem of dicotyledonous plants. These are a special type of narrow, elongated and lignified cells. Example: Jute, Hemp and Patan.
- Hard or Leaf Fibres: These are derived from leaves of monocotyledonous plants such as – Moon, air, patera.
Classification of Plant Fibres:
Economic botanist A.F. Hill (1952) classified plant fibres, in six groups on the basis of their utility.
- Textile Fibres: These fibres are used to make clothes, ropes, fibre strings (suite), cloth bag (Sack) etc.
- Brush Fibres: These fibres are used in making brooms, brush etc. Example: Leaves of a palm tree (Khajur tree).
- Plaiting and Rough Weaving Fibres: These fibres are used for making basket, mats, caps, seats of chairs etc. Example: Bamboo.
- Filling Fibres: Used to fill mattresses, in making blankets and pillows etc. Example: Cotton, Madar, Semal, Coir (Coconut) etc.
- Natural Fibres: Used directly for covering the body. Example: Broussonetia papyrifera. Its bark is used to prepare tapa cloth.
- Papermaking fibres: Used to make paper, cardboard etc. Such as Bamboo, Eucalyptus, Certain grasses, Populus alba.
