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height of 6-7 fts. The soft young stems and leaves are eaten by
boiling.
326. UlmUS montana, Sm., Jap. Atsusht, Atsuni, Ohiyodamo
; a deciduous tree of the order Urticaceae growing wild in
mountains of northern provinces. The stem is about 10 fts.
high.
Early in summer, it bears bunches of small green flowers, which
are succeeded with small flat scale-like fruits. The stiff bark of
the stem is peeled off and used for fastening instead of a rope.
In Yezo the fibre is used for weaving
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327. Gossypium indicum, Lam., Cotton, Jap. Kiivata,
Wata ; an animal cultivated plant of the order Malvaceae. It is
sown in spring, and attains to a height of 2-3 fts. in summer. A
yellow flower is produced in, each eaf-axil, and it is succeeded
with a fruit in the form of a peach. When the fruit ripen thecapsule
bursts and cotton is exposed. The quality of the fibre is
different according to the varieties, but it is all used for spinning.
The oil pressed out from the cottonseeds is used for cookery
and lighting.
328. Abutilon avicennae, 6^r/;* M Jap. Ickibi, Kiriasa
; an annual cultivated plant of the order Malvaceae. It is
sown in spring and attains to a height of 4-5 fts. In summer, it
bears 5 petaled small yellow flowers in each axils of leaves, being
succeeded with fruits. The fibre got from the bark of the stem is
white and silky. The peeled stem is burnt to charcoal and used
as a tinder.
329. Hibiscus syriacus, L., Jap. Mukuge, Hachisu ; a
deciduous shrub of the order Malvaceae cultivated in fields, growing
6-7 Its.
1
high and in"
group. It is a good plant for hedges, and
thrives well in wet places. Late in summer, its flowers open in
the morning and fade in the evening. They are of different
colours and of single or double petals.
The bark gives fibre,
which is also used to make Mino (farmers' rain coat), which is a
famous production in the provinces of Hki and Inaba.