was doubtless known before the time of Pliny. It is generally sup- 

 posed that the blue and purple of the Old Testament (Ezekiel, 

 XXVII. 7) refers to the dye made from this lichen. It is certain 

 that it had formed for a long period an important article of com- 

 merce. 



After the fall of the Roman Empire the knowledge of the use of 

 this dye seems to have been lost. In the year 1300, Federigo, a 

 Florentine of German parentage, accidentally rediscovered the meth- 

 od of preparing and using it ; he is said to have achieved such suc- 

 cess in his commercial transactions with this substance that in time 

 he became the head of a distinguished family, the Oricellarii, who 

 were later known as Rucellarii and Rucellai. From these names 

 are derived orseille, the name of the coloring substance, and Rocella, 

 the genus of lichens from which orseille is prepared. For more 

 than a century Italy supplied the market with orseille derived mainly 

 from lichens collected on the islands of the Mediterranean. After 

 the discovery of the Canary islands in 1402 much of the orseille 

 was derived from those islands, and later from the Cape Verde 

 islands. Later orseille was collected from other islands and coun_ 

 tries. It was also found that other genera besides Rocella furnished 

 excellent dyes ; for example, Lecanora, Pcrtitsaria, Umbilicaria. 



Like other practically inert plants, lichens were supposed to have 

 medicinal properties. Sticta -pnlinonaria was strongly recommended 

 in diseases of the lungs. Dorstenius was the first to give a more 

 exact description and illustration of this lichen. He also described 

 the medicinal preparations made therefrom, and their special thera- 

 peutic properties. Because lichens were supposed to have a strong 

 retaining power for various odors and scents they were much used in 

 the preparation of certain perfumes. Some of the fruticose lichens 

 were especially recommended for this purpose. They formed the 

 basis of the renowned Cyprian hair powder (Puh'is Cypt'tus), which 

 was supposed to remove dandruff and to promote the growth of hair. 

 Because of the astringent and bitter principles in some species of 

 lichens they were used in tanning and brewing. The beer of a cer- 

 tain Siberian monastery which was noted for its peculiar bitterness 

 owed this to Sticta pnlmonaria. Lichens also found a temporary use 

 in the manufacture of paper, pasteboard and parchment. 



The "miraculously' 1 ' supplied manna of the Israelites in the 

 wilderness is supposed to have been a species of Lecanora {Lecanora 



