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Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber.
Average fibre lenght	5mm
Average fibre width	21μm
Fibre ends	Very variable, tapering rounded.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint crossmarkings.
Associated cells	Often present. Pitted vessel elements and parenchyma cells. Presence of cratered vessels larger than those of flax, but similar to hemp.
Special features	Short fibers. Irregularly shaped fiber ends and walls lumen. Looks like woodpulp (vessels) and straw pulp. Transverse shape: square or rectangular.
Herzberg staining	Blue.
Graff 'C' staining	Fiber in yellow with blue or green lumen.

Botanical classification

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Malvaceae

Synonyms:

Abelmoschus verrucosus (Guill. & Perr.) Walp.

Furcaria cavanillesii Kostel.

Hibiscus unidens Lindl.

Hibiscus verrucosus Guill. & Perr.

Ketmia glandulosa Moench

Plant growing area

Native to Africa and India.

Cultivated in China (Guangdong, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India, East-Asia, East Africa.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, India, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Hibiscus cannabinus is an annual herb which can reach more than 3 m high. The flowers are pale yellow or red with crimson centres. Blooming occurs from summer to autumn. Its growth is rapid; the plant can reach over four feet in four months.

Kenaf was grown in Egypt a millennium BC for making ropes and cloth (bags, sails).

The plant is grown all over Asia, mainly as fiber crop and for its oil which is used industrially. The fibers are used in the manufacture of coarse fabrics such as carpets.

Kenaf is used in India for the manufacture of cigarette paper. The rapid growth of the plant encourages papermakers to use it instead of wood in the production of paper pulp. Thus, the bast fibers or the whole stem itself are used.

Japan:

Kenaf is a modern paper fiber in Japan.

Preparation process for making paper

The harvest takes place in November-December when the stem has lost its leaves.

Paper names

In Asia and particularly in China, Korea and Japan, the papers are intended for a wide range of use: Papers for calligraphy and art, Papers for ceremonies, Paper as a medium of exchange, money paper, Papers for making clothes, wall hangings and bedding, Papers for architecture, interior design, Papers for crafts of various kinds, for domestic purposes and leisure. The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

English

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber.
Average fibre lenght	5mm
Average fibre width	21μm
Fibre ends	Very variable, tapering rounded.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint crossmarkings.
Associated cells	Often present. Pitted vessel elements and parenchyma cells. Presence of cratered vessels larger than those of flax, but similar to hemp.
Special features	Short fibers. Irregularly shaped fiber ends and walls lumen. Looks like woodpulp (vessels) and straw pulp. Transverse shape: square or rectangular.
Herzberg staining	Blue.
Graff 'C' staining	Fiber in yellow with blue or green lumen.

Botanical classification

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Malvaceae

Synonyms:

Abelmoschus verrucosus (Guill. & Perr.) Walp.

Furcaria cavanillesii Kostel.

Hibiscus unidens Lindl.

Hibiscus verrucosus Guill. & Perr.

Ketmia glandulosa Moench

Plant growing area

Native to Africa and India.

Cultivated in China (Guangdong, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India, East-Asia, East Africa.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, India, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Kenaf was grown in Egypt a millennium BC for making ropes and cloth (bags, sails).

The plant is grown all over Asia, mainly as fiber crop and for its oil which is used industrially. The fibers are used in the manufacture of coarse fabrics such as carpets.

Japan:

Kenaf is a modern paper fiber in Japan.

Preparation process for making paper

The harvest takes place in November-December when the stem has lost its leaves.

Paper names

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

French

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber.
Average fibre lenght	5mm
Average fibre width	21μm
Fibre ends	Very variable, tapering rounded.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint crossmarkings.
Associated cells	Often present. Pitted vessel elements and parenchyma cells. Presence of cratered vessels larger than those of flax, but similar to hemp.
Special features	Short fibers. Irregularly shaped fiber ends and walls lumen. Looks like woodpulp (vessels) and straw pulp. Transverse shape: square or rectangular.
Herzberg staining	Blue.
Graff 'C' staining	Fiber in yellow with blue or green lumen.

Botanical classification

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Malvaceae

Synonyms:

Abelmoschus verrucosus (Guill. & Perr.) Walp.

Furcaria cavanillesii Kostel.

Hibiscus unidens Lindl.

Hibiscus verrucosus Guill. & Perr.

Ketmia glandulosa Moench

Plant growing area

Native to Africa and India.

Cultivated in China (Guangdong, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India, East-Asia, East Africa.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, India, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Kenaf was grown in Egypt a millennium BC for making ropes and cloth (bags, sails).

The plant is grown all over Asia, mainly as fiber crop and for its oil which is used industrially. The fibers are used in the manufacture of coarse fabrics such as carpets.

Japan:

Kenaf is a modern paper fiber in Japan.

Preparation process for making paper

The harvest takes place in November-December when the stem has lost its leaves.

Paper names

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

French

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber.
Average fibre lenght	5mm
Average fibre width	21μm
Fibre ends	Very variable, tapering rounded.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint crossmarkings.
Associated cells	Often present. Pitted vessel elements and parenchyma cells. Presence of cratered vessels larger than those of flax, but similar to hemp.
Special features	Short fibers. Irregularly shaped fiber ends and walls lumen. Looks like woodpulp (vessels) and straw pulp. Transverse shape: square or rectangular.
Herzberg staining	Blue.
Graff 'C' staining	Fiber in yellow with blue or green lumen.

Botanical classification

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Malvaceae

Synonyms:

Abelmoschus verrucosus (Guill. & Perr.) Walp.

Furcaria cavanillesii Kostel.

Hibiscus unidens Lindl.

Hibiscus verrucosus Guill. & Perr.

Ketmia glandulosa Moench

Plant growing area

Native to Africa and India.

Cultivated in China (Guangdong, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India, East-Asia, East Africa.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, India, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Kenaf was grown in Egypt a millennium BC for making ropes and cloth (bags, sails).

The plant is grown all over Asia, mainly as fiber crop and for its oil which is used industrially. The fibers are used in the manufacture of coarse fabrics such as carpets.

Japan:

Kenaf is a modern paper fiber in Japan.

Preparation process for making paper

The harvest takes place in November-December when the stem has lost its leaves.

Paper names

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

English

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber.
Average fibre lenght	5mm
Average fibre width	21μm
Fibre ends	Very variable, tapering rounded.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint crossmarkings.
Associated cells	Often present. Pitted vessel elements and parenchyma cells. Presence of cratered vessels larger than those of flax, but similar to hemp.
Special features	Short fibers. Irregularly shaped fiber ends and walls lumen. Looks like woodpulp (vessels) and straw pulp. Transverse shape: square or rectangular.
Herzberg staining	Blue.
Graff 'C' staining	Fiber in yellow with blue or green lumen.

Botanical classification

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Malvaceae

Synonyms:

Abelmoschus verrucosus (Guill. & Perr.) Walp.

Furcaria cavanillesii Kostel.

Hibiscus unidens Lindl.

Hibiscus verrucosus Guill. & Perr.

Ketmia glandulosa Moench

Plant growing area

Native to Africa and India.

Cultivated in China (Guangdong, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India, East-Asia, East Africa.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, India, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Kenaf was grown in Egypt a millennium BC for making ropes and cloth (bags, sails).

The plant is grown all over Asia, mainly as fiber crop and for its oil which is used industrially. The fibers are used in the manufacture of coarse fabrics such as carpets.

Japan:

Kenaf is a modern paper fiber in Japan.

Preparation process for making paper

The harvest takes place in November-December when the stem has lost its leaves.

Paper names

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Wikstroemia trichotoma (Thunb.) Makino © Flora of China

Wikstroemia trichotoma (Thunb.) Makino © Asian Flowers

Wikstroemia trichotoma (Thunb.) Makino © T.H. Choi

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	4 mm
Average fibre width	19,8 μ
Fibre ends	Variable.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Cross-markings.
Associated cells
Special features	Faint wall.
Herzberg staining	Purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Reddish purple.

Botanical classification

Wikstroemia trichotoma (Thunb.) Makino

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Thymelaeaceae

Synonyms:

Diplomorpha ellipsocarpa (Maxim.) Nakai

Diplomorpha trichotoma (Thunb.) Nakai

Passerina japonica Siebold & Zucc.

Queria trichotoma Thunb.

Wikstroemai ellipsocarpa Maxim.

Wikstroemia japonica (Siebold & Zucc.) Miq.

Plant growing area

China (Anhui, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang), Japan (wild. Kiushu, West Japan), South Korea.

Grows in open forests, among shrubs on limestone hills, shaded places, roadsides, ca. 600 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, Japan.

Plant cultivation and use

Wikstroemia trichotoma is a shrub of the Thymelaceae family, which includes nearly 500 species in 44 genera. There is a great confusion among the various Wikstroemias, Stelleras, Edgeworthias and especially Daphnes, because their morphologies are very similar.

Thymelaceaes are base plants for paper making in the Himalaya areas. The plants are valued for the large amount of hemicelluloses contained in the bark. They are also very much used in Chinese medicine.

Wikstroemia sikokiana is an evergreen shrub, from 0,5m to 3,5m tall. Blooming takes place in summer. Its fruits are not edible and it has no known medicinal use.

China:

There are 14 wikstroemia species in Yunnan among which 6 are located in the northwest (delavayi, leptophylla, canescens, lichiangensis, scytophylla, lamatsoensis).

Preparation process for making paper

Japan:

Harvesting takes place every three years from mid-March to late April when the sap is rising and makes the fibers bright and makes debarking easier.
The bark is peeled off immediately without steaming and hung to dry. At this stage the bark is called "black bark".

Alkaline cooking is done at this stage and lasts 2 to 3 hours. The alkaline agent is wood ashes lye or lime or caustic soda. Bleaching is sometimes made with chlorine.

After cooking barks are placed in water for several days to remove cooking residues. It also allows achieving bleaching.

Beating is done manually or with a small hollander beater. Sorting hard impurities is done manually or, more recently, with diaphragm flat screen because the fibers are relatively short. In this case the sorting is done after pulp beating.

Paper names

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Bark

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Japanese

Local scripture:

あおぎり

アオギリ

Firmiana simplex (L.) W. Wight © Flora of China

Firmiana simplex (L.) W. Wight © C. Laroque

Botanical classification

Firmiana simplex (L.) W. Wight

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Sterculiaceae

Synonyms:

Firmiana platanifolia R. Br.

Hibiscus simplex L.

Sterculia platanifolia L. f.

Sterculia urens Roxb.

Plant growing area

China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Japan,Taiwan.

Widely cultivated in China.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan.

Japan:

Shikoku (Kochi and Ehime prefectures).

Plant cultivation and use

Fimiana simplex is a deciduous tree up to 16m high.

The wood is used in the manufacture of musical instruments in China. Its leaves are used as a substitute to tobacco.

A mucilage is extracted from the bark which is used as formation aid in paper making. This viscous material is added to the pulp to increase its viscosity and thus delay the settling of fibers in the tank. In addition, the mucilage allows a better dispersion of the long fibers.

Used part of the plant:

Bark

Use for paper making:

Formation aid

Language:

Korean

Local scripture:

벽오동

Botanical classification

Firmiana simplex (L.) W. Wight

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Sterculiaceae

Synonyms:

Firmiana platanifolia R. Br.

Hibiscus simplex L.

Sterculia platanifolia L. f.

Sterculia urens Roxb.

Plant growing area

China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Japan,Taiwan.

Widely cultivated in China.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan.

Japan:

Shikoku (Kochi and Ehime prefectures).

Plant cultivation and use

Fimiana simplex is a deciduous tree up to 16m high.

The wood is used in the manufacture of musical instruments in China. Its leaves are used as a substitute to tobacco.

Used part of the plant:

Bark

Use for paper making:

Formation aid

Language:

English

Botanical classification

Firmiana simplex (L.) W. Wight

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Sterculiaceae

Synonyms:

Firmiana platanifolia R. Br.

Hibiscus simplex L.

Sterculia platanifolia L. f.

Sterculia urens Roxb.

Plant growing area

China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Japan,Taiwan.

Widely cultivated in China.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan.

Japan:

Shikoku (Kochi and Ehime prefectures).

Plant cultivation and use

Fimiana simplex is a deciduous tree up to 16m high.

The wood is used in the manufacture of musical instruments in China. Its leaves are used as a substitute to tobacco.

Used part of the plant:

Bark

Use for paper making:

Formation aid

Sophora flavescens Aiton © Flora of China

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre length
Average fibre width
Fibre ends
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated Cells
Special features	Looks like Broussonetia papyrifera but shorter fibers. Transparent membrane around the fibers.
Herzberg staining
Graff 'C' staining	Red-brown.

Botanical classification

Sophora flavescens Aiton

Order:

Fabales

Family:

Fabaceae

Synonyms:

Sophora angustifolia Siebold & Zucc.

Sophora flavescens angustifolia f. angustifolia (Siebold & Zucc.) Yakovlev

Sophora macrosperma DC.

Plant growing area

China (All provinces), India, Japan, Korea, Russia.

Grows on hill slopes, in farm fields; below 1500 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan.

Japan:

Chubu (Shizuoka prefecture), Shikoku (Tokushima prefecture).

Plant cultivation and use

Evergreen shrub 1 to 2m high. Slow growing. Flowering from June to August and fruiting from July to October.

The plant adapts to light sandy soils as well as to heavy clay soils, or to acidic or basic soils but requires well-drained soils. Does not grow in the shade.

The root and stem are used as medicinal plants in China and Japan. The kushenin (a flavonoid compound) is commonly used in various treatments of the digestive system and skin diseases.

The bark is resistant to insects.

Japan:

Used during the Nara period (710-794). Use stops during the Heian period (794-1185). The use is mentioned in the Engishiki which is a compendium of laws dated 927.
It is no longer used in Japan.

Paper names

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = paper.

In Japan kozo papers are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Bark

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Primary tabs

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Wikstroemia trichotoma (Thunb.) Makino

Firmiana simplex (L.) W. Wight

Firmiana simplex (L.) W. Wight

Firmiana simplex (L.) W. Wight

Sophora flavescens Aiton

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Primary tabs

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Hibiscus cannabinus L.

Wikstroemia trichotoma (Thunb.) Makino

Firmiana simplex (L.) W. Wight

Firmiana simplex (L.) W. Wight

Firmiana simplex (L.) W. Wight

Sophora flavescens Aiton

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