PLANTS YIELDING OILS, DYES, TANNINS, ETC. I457 



brilliant yellow colouring matter which however possesses the serious draw- 

 back of being changed into red by soap or by alkalis. 



The colouring principle is called curcumin ; it is sparingly soluble in 

 cold water, more freely in hot water, and completely in alcohol. 



The best shade is obtained on wool prexdously mordanted with bichrome 

 and oxalic acid. The fastness of the d>eings on wool is fair. 



(5) Arusa [Adhatoda vasica). — The leaves of this plant yield a > el- 

 low colour. Arusa is an ever-green plant and is found in the United Pro- 

 vinces. The colouring matter is soluble in water and also in alcohol. On 

 wool the best shade is obtained on the same mordant as above. The fast- 

 ness of the dyeings on wool is fair. 



(6) Naspal or Pomegranate Rind {Punica granahan). — The 

 rind of the fruit contains a tanning substance and also a yellow colouring 

 matter. 



Pomegranate rind dyes very good shades varying from yellow to full 

 brown on wool. All these possess very good fastness to milling. 



(7) Jangli Nill or Wild Indigo [Tephrosia purpurea). — This is 

 a small woody annual occurring in abundance in the United Piovinces. 



Clarke and Banerjee have discovered in the leaves of this plant a co- 

 louring principle allied to quercetin or quercitrin (vide Trans. Chem. Soc. 1910, 

 V, 97) . Owing to the difficulty of separating the yellow principle from the 

 chlorophyll, efforts to obtain a pure yellow from Tephrosia have only been 

 partly successful. The colouring matter is, however, of great value, as it 

 yields dyeings which are compratively fast to light, washing and milling. 

 On account of the abundance of the plant it may be worth while devising 

 a suitable process for extracting the yellow colouring principle. A decoction 

 of the leaves of Tephrosia dyes wool mostly dull brown shades in conjunc- 

 tion with the various mordants, the most brilliant shade being that on tin 

 mordant. The dyeings, however, possess very good fastness to milling. 



(8) Safelower or Kusum {Carthamus tinctorius). — The dried 

 flowers of safflower plant contain a colouring matter which before the introduc- 

 tion of coal-tar colours was higly prized all over the world. It produces 

 on cotton beautiful shades of red varying from a full crimson to the most 

 delicate pink. 



Although the yellow colouring matter in safflower is generally regarded 

 as useless, Hubner has shown that certain mummy cloths which he examin- 

 ed had been dyed with safflower yellow. The Egyptians were therefore 

 acquainted with the right way of using safflower yellow. 



Safflower yellow does not dye cotton in conjunction with aluminium 

 and tin mordants. Wool, however, possesses affinity for the yellow colour 

 and may be dyed direct. 



(9) Majith {Riibia cordijolia).. — The root and twigs, of this plant 

 contain a dye-stuif identical with madder. Majith was largely used in In- 

 dia before the advent of synthetic alizarine. It is undoubtedly one of the 

 most valuable indigenous dye-stuffs., Wilth its help red, maroon, and bor- 

 deaux shades of excellent fastness to light can be dyed on all fibres. It is 

 the basis of a great many colours required by the calico-printers. Majith, 



