CHAPTER III 



LICHENS IN HISTORY 



Somewhat authentic reference to lichens is found in the 

 writings of the Greek philosopher Theophrastus (382-287 B. C), 

 a pupil of Aristotle. He gives us imperfect descriptions of Old 

 Man's Beard (Usnea barbata) and Roccella tinctoria. Dioscorides, 

 a Greek physician, and the founder of botany, who flourished in 

 the first and second centuries, and also Gaius Plinius, a Roman 

 naturalist (23-79), wno perished in the eruption which destroyed 

 Pompeii, both wrote of lichens which may have been those 

 described by Theophrnstus. It is not improbable, however, that 

 they were speaking of Marchantia or some other liverwort. 

 The fact that lichens had few qualities which rendered them 

 particularly conspicuous, caused them to be largely neglected by 

 the early botanists. They are not as a rule striking in colour, 

 size, or form and they have no marked useful or harmful properties. 

 The incentive which led to the early study of plants was a desire 

 to find properties which would be of use in medicine or in the 

 household, therefore the early herbalists gave their attention to 

 plants with real or imaginary medicinal properties. 



The lichens which could yield a dye were among the first to 

 receive attention. Roccella tinctoria is supposed to have yielded 

 the blue and purple dye of the Old Testament (Ex. XXV 14). 

 The dye called oricello, was certainly in use before the first 

 century of our era. The knowledge of the dye was lost after the 

 fall of the Roman Empire, but in 1300, Federigo, a Florentine of 

 German parentage, accidentally rediscovered the method of 

 preparing and using it. He is said to have achieved great success, 

 and to have become the head of a distinguished family, the 

 Oricellari, Roccellari, and Rucellai. From which we have orseille, 

 the name of the dye material, and Roccella, the name of the genus 

 of which Roccella tinctoria is a member. A blue litmus solution 

 is produced by fermenting this lichen. It may be turned red by 

 adding an acid and then turned blue again by adding an alkali as 



19 



