Plate XLIV. Karagumoy.
Throughout the Province of Albay mats are made from karagumoy, and in some towns the industry is of considerable importance. For instance, in the barrio of San Lorenzo in Tabaco, mats may be found in the making in nearly every house. In Sorsogon, too, the industry is widespread though not so important commercially. In Balusa the production is large enough to supply the local demand and leave a surplus for export to neighboring towns. In the Bicol provinces karagumoy is considered the best of all straws for the production of mats. In price the mats vary from thirty to ninety centavos, according to fineness.
In preparing the material, the spines and midrib are first removed and the leaves are divided into four strips of about equal width. The straw is prepared from these with the knife and gauge; it is dried in the shade for a few hours and drawn several times over a piece of bamboo as explained for sabutan in order to make it more supple and smooth. The mats are woven in the early morning and at night, the straw being more pliable then. Attempts have been made in the schools to dye karagumoy but no success has yet been attained. The mats are plain.
Bariu.
The stem of this plant, P. copelandii, grows from 4 to 9 meters high. The leaves have an average length of 2.1 meter and a width of 8 cm.[18] Spines occur along the entire margin. Near the base they are comparatively coarse and from 3 to 4 mm. long. Towards the apex of the margins and midveins, the spines are short and close together like the teeth of a fine saw. From 3 to 5 heads generally form on the fruit stalk, each of them from 7 to 12 cm. long and 5 to 7 cm. across, at first pale yellowish in appearance but soon turning red. Their drupes are 14 mm. long and 3 to 4 mm. in diameter. This pandan is found in Cagayan, Benguet, Nueva Ecija, Samar, Bohol, Occidental Negros, Capiz, Surigao, Davao, and other provinces.[19]
This pandan is not of economic importance in central and southern Luzon. In the Bicol provinces it is used to some extent but it is considered inferior to other materials. In parts of the Visayas, such as Bohol, Capiz and Samar, it is utilized to a considerable extent, but cannot be considered of commercial importance. It is the economic pandan of Surigao, but even there its commercial importance is local only.
Table showing comparative measurements of certain Philippine pandans.
| P. tectorius. | Sabutan. | P. utilissimus. | P. simplex. | P. copelandii. | |
| Height of trunk | 3 to 6 m | 2 to 4 m | 4 to 8 m | 6 m | 4 m. |
| Leaves: | |||||
| Length | 1.35 m | 2 m | 5 m | 2 to 3.5 m | 2.1 m. |
| Width | 6 cm | 6 cm | 20 cm | 6 to 10 cm | 8 cm. |
| Thickness | Medium | Fine | Thick | Thick | Medium. |
| Fruit: | |||||
| Length | 20 cm | 60 cm | 9 cm | 7 to 12 cm. | |
| Thickness | 18 cm | 20 cm | 9 cm | 5 to 7 cm. | |
| Drupes— | |||||
| Length | 5.5 cm | 7 to 8 cm | 3 cm | 14 mm. | |
| Thickness | 2.5 to 3 cm | 2 cm | 1 cm | 3 to 4 mm. | |
| Number in head | 50 to 80 | Many | Many | Many. |