Note: Do not rely on this information. It is very old.
Coir
Coir, the short fibre from the husk (mesocarp) of the cocoa-nut (q.v.), which Britain imports mainly from Ceylon, for the manufacture of matting, ships' cables, cordage, brooms, clothes-brushes, etc., and as a substitute for horsehair in stuffing mattresses. In 1889 Ceylon exported 6,700 tons.