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Abacá

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Plants

            How to read a taxoboxAbaca

                             Conservation status

   Secure
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom:  Plantae
   Division: Magnoliophyta
   Class:    Liliopsida
   Order:    Zingiberales
   Family:   Musaceae
   Genus:    Musa
   Species:  M. textilis

                                Binomial name

   Musa textilis
   Née

   Abacá, from Spanish "abacá", pronounced [ɑ.bə.ˈkɑ] ("ah buh KAH"),
   (Musa textilis) is a species of banana native to the Philippines, grown
   widely as well in Borneo and Sumatra. The plant is of great economic
   importance, being harvested for its fibre, called Manila hemp,
   extracted from the large, oblong leaves and stems. On average, the
   plant grows about 20 feet (6 meters) tall. The fibre is used for making
   twines and ropes. The plant's name is sometimes spelt Abaká. It was
   first cultivated on a large scale in Sumatra in 1925 under the Dutch,
   who had observed its cultivation in the Philippines for cordage since
   the 1800s, followed up by plantings in Central America sponsored by the
   U.S. Department of Agriculture. Before World War II, a commercial was
   begun in 1930 in British North Borneo; with the commencement of WWII,
   the supply from the Philippines was eliminated by the Japanese.

   Other common names for Manila hemp include "Cebu hemp" and "Davao
   hemp".

Composition

   The leaves grow from the trunk of the plant, and the bases of the
   leaves form a sheath (covering) around the trunk; there are
   approximately 25 of these, with 5 cm in diameter and from 12 to 25
   leaves with overlapping petioles, covering the stalk to form a shrub or
   "false trunk" about 30 to 40 cm in diameter. They grow in succession,
   with the oldest growing from the bottom of the trunk and successively
   younger ones from the top. The sheaths contain the valuable fibre. The
   coarse fibres range from 5 to 11½ feet (1.5 to 3.5 metres) in length.
   They are composed primarily of the plant materials such as cellulose,
   lignin, and pectin. After the fibre has been separated, it is sold
   under the name Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

Harvesting

   Bananera, Guatemalan worker trims leaves from abacá plant.
   Bananera, Guatemalan worker trims leaves from abacá plant.

   The plant is normally grown in well-drained loamy soil, using pieces of
   mature root planted at the start of the rainy season. Growers harvest
   abacá fields every three to eight months after an initial growth period
   of 18-25 months and a total lifespan of about 10 years. Harvest
   generally includes having several operations concerning the leaf
   sheaths:
     * tuxying (separation of primary and secondary sheath)
     * stripping (getting the fibers)
     * drying (usually following tradition of sun-drying).

   The fibers can then be spun into twines or cordage.

Applications

   Abacá rope is very durable, flexible and resistant to salt water damage
   (for this reason it is often used in ropes, hawsers, lines on ships and
   for things like fishing nets . It can also be used to make handcrafted
   products like bags, carpets, clothing, and furniture. The fibers can
   also be pulped and then processed into specialty paper such as tea
   bags, vacuum bags, currency paper, special paper, and more.

Scientific classification

   The abacá plant belongs to the banana family, Musaceae; it resembles
   its closely related cousin plant, the Musa sapientum. Its scientific
   name is Musa textilis.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abac%C3%A1"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
