A banana relative (Musa textilis) native to the Philippines, cultivated for the strong fiber stripped from its leaf sheaths, historically the primary source of Manila hemp rope prized by sailing ships worldwide for its strength and resistance to saltwater damage. The Philippines remains by far the world's largest producer, supplying the great majority of global abaca fiber, with Ecuador as a distant secondary producer. While demand for rope declined with the rise of synthetic fibers, abaca fiber remains commercially important for specialty paper, including currency and tea bag paper, and for textiles and cordage.
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1. Abaca (Wikipedia)
- lead: harvested for its fiber extracted from the leaf-stems
- lead: harvested for its fiber, lustrous fiber hand-loomed into textiles
- lead: used in specialized paper products including tea bags, filter paper and banknotes
View the SourceWikipedia: Abaca
Wikipedialead description or Wikipedia lead (crop-class)Quote, lead description or Wikipedia lead (crop-class)
The plant grows to 13-22 feet (4.0-6.7 m) and has great economic importance, being harvested for its fiber extracted from the leaf-stems.
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