404 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



FAWN COLOURS. 

 SUMACH WALNUT-PEELS HENNA. 



IT is observed by Berthollet that almost all vegeta- 

 bles contain more or less colouring matter capable of 

 affording fawn (fauve) hues inclining to yellow, 

 brown, red, or green. The colouring matters vary 

 with reference to their quantity and quality, accord- 

 ing to climate and the age of the vegetable. Great 

 diversity of shades may therefore be procured, by 

 modifying the peculiar brown colour natural to vege- 

 tables, by means of different mordants. 



Sumach, orRfius coriaria, abounds in this colour- 

 ing matter. 



This tree is a native of Syria, and is diligently 

 cultivated in Spain and Portugal, and in some parts 

 of Italy and Sicily. The stems are ligneous, dividing 

 at bottom into many irregular branches, attaining to 

 the height of eight or ten feet. The bark is hairy, 

 and of an herbaceous brown colour. The leaves are 

 winged, having seven or eight pair of jagged lobes, 

 and terminated by an odd one. They are hairy on 

 their under side, of a yellowish green colour, and 

 placed alternately on the branches. These are sur- 

 mounted by loose panicles of flowers, which are of 

 a greenish white colour, each panicle being com- 

 posed of several spikes of flowers, sitting close to 

 the foot-stalks. 



The shoots of this tree or shrub are cut down 

 every year close to the root, and after being dried are 



