As well as food and medicines, plants provide other useful
products. Many plant cells form NATURAL FIBRES that strengthen
and support the plant. The same properties make them perfect for
textiles and paper. Timber from trees is used to build boats,
houses, and furniture. Palm leaves are woven into baskets, hats,
and mats. People also extract perfumed oils and natural dyes
from the flowers and leaves of certain plants. Most paper comes
from softwood trees, such as pines. First, machines or chemicals
break down the wood chips into fibres. This is called pulping.
The fibres are soaked in chemicals, then pressed by heavy
rollers into thin, flat sheets. Before pressing, the fibres may
be bleached white or dyed different colours. Smoother paper is
made by adding starch or clay. The rubber tree grows naturally
in South America, but there are also plantations in Asia. If its
bark is cut, the tree produces a milky fluid called latex.
People harvest the latex so that it can be turned into rubber, a
useful, elastic mate