Editing Setting:4chan Archipelago (section)

===Green Ramie(textile)===
Green Ramie is a herbaceous perennial growing to 1–2.5 m tall; the leaves are heart-shaped, 7–15 cm long and 6–12 cm broad, and green on the underside with dense small hairs—this gives it a silvery appearance; unlike nettles, the hairs do not sting. The part used is the bark of the vegetative stalks; stems are decorticated while the plants are fresh. If this is not done while the plants are still fresh, the plants will dry out and the bark will be hard to remove. The bark ribbon is dried as quickly as possible; this prevents bacteria and fungi from attacking it. The extraction of the fiber occurs in three stages. First the cortex or bark is removed; this can be done by hand. Second, the cortex is scraped to remove most of the outer bark, the parenchyma in the bast layer and some of the gums and pectins. Finally the residual cortex material is washed, dried, and de-gummed to extract the spinnable fiber.
Ramie is one of the strongest natural fibers, and exhibits even greater strength when wet. Ramie fiber is known especially for its ability to hold shape, reduce wrinkling, and introduce a silky lustre to the fabric appearance. It is not as durable as other fibers, and so is usually used as a blend with other fibers such as cotton or wool, however, it will not dye as well as cotton. It is similar to flax in absorbency, density and microscopic appearance. Because of its high molecular crystallinity, ramie is stiff and brittle and will break if folded repeatedly in the same place; it lacks resiliency and is low in elasticity and elongation potential.