Natural Plant Dyeing

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Two different
reindeer-moss
kinds of
(Clodonia)
h which are true lichens
I 1 ‘I rather than mosses.
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guish thc~rli fro111 v~lvh other ~nnd i clo’ilec+t
them separately.
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Clonsider their ~rc~\\-th fornts, choler :lnd
peel or tightly attached7 @cre they ntt:lcht!tf
by ninny (*onncctors or a fe~y Y All
are structural differences that may’ hdp
size, and these characateristics will distin- seprate lichens.’ ApotherBt: the’ fruiting
CTuish various ‘genera and spe&s. Separattl
-~- structures” formed by-- the-’ fnquq-are
---YGTErtpbY or ] 7ossiEe ide?ZfiGXoX~ cup-shaped projections iin’the upper SWlater
date. I)y :Irld save them until ennu~:h face containing the fungal :spores. Some
ltrr c*c>llrc*tcd for‘ dyeing. A small 11:1gf11l IiAclns 111tly hilve surcdi:l for pr~pagais
3dccllmte for :t good snmple dycx ttlst. tion. These are aggregations of fungus
Kinds .
;Ln(l algal cells appearing as a powder on
the surface or along the borders of the
Three grorvtb forms +rr nlost apparent Ii&en plant body.
among the lichens. Crrlstose ones -appear
:I$ II fine crust or powder mainly on rocks
Extraction
or bark. Al’though they have dye possi’bil- Once the lichens are collected and i
ities, they are imprnctiral to c~ollcct and dbied, the next concern will be to extract
will be excluded from our concern. The their acids. Some acids are ensily extract-
[olio.qe types nppe$g,lraf-like. In contrast
to tllcse are the .fruticose f6rnls whjcll
may have 1111 upright, stemlike growth
habit. , :
Kit11 thtlse distinctions-*in mind, concd
by boiling as csplnined belo>v. Sincetblase
acids arc afr&dy present i;l the
lichen, they are often visible by the color
of the lichdn. Many lichens with a yellow I
or yellow-green tint often contain usnic
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centrnte on the ~different fivticose and ;w.& -aad th-rough the boiling. m&hod a
foliose forms. Noticenhle 3ize variations rust-yellow color range may be derived.
may indicate different types. Turn the The genus Us9zea itself, a fruticose type,
licahrn ~VPI’ and e%anline thr underside is rich in usnic acid. Most fruticose li-
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that was attached to, the growing surface.
Foliosf undersi,;l& are quite ,different
chens sve good results when boiled. Oth-
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er colii‘red lichens-mxy- impart similar
frorll their upper sides, while less differ- dyes. It is of interest that some
ence is present, in the fruticose types. mushrooms and other color4 fungi can ia.
Consider how the li,chens were attached to ’ nlso yield dyes by this saqe method of
the groming surface, Were they easy to
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extraction. ’
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