DYE FROM LYCOPODIUM. 229 



The lycopodium selaginoides is less common, and, like the Lycopodium 

 li/copodium selago, yields no blue, but a fine gray, the shades ^^^j^"^j°1.q^*- 

 of which may be varied, and which inclines to blue or violet, grays. 



Analogy led to the supposition, that the lycopodium alpinum, Lycopodium 



which covers the high mountains of Lapland like a carpet, and y,^^, 



greatly resembles the complanatum, might likewise be used for 



dveins blue. This Dr. Westring found to be the fact ; and it less injured by 



. acids 



appears, that the colour it affords is less injured by acids. 



Thus all the species of this genus will be of use in dyeing. All the species 

 Dr. Westring presumes, that they may be employed not only "^^ " ^^ ^^*' 

 with brasil-wood, but with several other dyes, as substitutes for 

 galls, and tlie salts used as mordants. He imagines too, that or as mordants 

 the barks of some of the trees indigenous to Sweden, might-be 

 found to answer as well as brasil with the lycopodium. The Ash bark with 

 fresh bark of the branches of the ash yields with the li/copodi- ^fo^i^p^anatum. 

 14m complanatum a changeable colour, which inclines to brown 

 and blue, as Dr. Lindenstolpe announced as early as 1720, in 

 a treatise on dyeing ; but when this bark is green, it gives only 

 a fine yellow, of no use as a dye. 



I^I. Lasteyrie has received from Dr. Westring a pattern of Patterns, 

 wool dyed blue by means of the lycopodium complanatum ; 

 and this pattern has been shown to the Philomathic Society, 

 Among these, the Dr. sent w'lih his original memoir to the Pa- 

 triotic Society of Sweden, there was some silk, which, treated Silk, ceil de rol, 

 in the manner above described, had taken a fine blue colour 

 inclining to red, which the dyers have called ml de roi. If the 

 quantity of brasil used be greater, the silk acquires a puce and puce, 

 colour. 



■ Subjoined are some more facts taken from Dr. Wcstring's 

 memoir, and his letter to M. Lasteyrie. 



The lichen parellus is the only one of the lichens in which Lichen parel- 

 Dr. W. has perceived the property of affording a blue dye. "*§*^'^^^ "-* 

 To obtain it, all that is necessary, is to infuse this lichen in 

 river water, without any mixture, at a temperature of 40° or 

 50° (104-° or ll^Tarht.). In three days, half an ounce of 

 this lichen will have imparted a- sufficient colour to a quart of 

 water, and is capable of colouring three or four quarts in suc- 

 cession. But Dr. Westring could not fix this dye by means but not pcnn»- 

 of any of the known mordants, or of the lycopodium. It even 

 disappears as soon as the water is made to boil. 



The 



