BRITISH DYE-PLANTS. 



453 



by fixing the xanthophyl upon the wool. Such diverse plants as 

 Thalictrum flavum, Anthyllis Vulneraria, Myrica Gale, Stachys sylvatica, 

 S. palustris, Polygomim Persicaria, P. Hydropiper, Humulus Lupulus, as 

 well as the leaves of Pear, Plum, Birch, Willow, &c., all gave this colour. 

 These yellows are all pale, and are darkened by alkalies, either potash or 

 tomonia. The yellow from Senecio Jacohma is largely used in the High- 

 lands, where this plant is known by the name of ' Stinking Willey,' a 

 designation given it in detestation of the general who commanded the 

 English forces at the battle of Culloden. Certain yellows, however, had 

 obtained so great a reputation as dyes in the time of the older botanists 

 that they then received the word tinctoria for their specific names, viz. 

 Genista tinctoria, Anthemis tinctoria, and Serratula tinctoria. 



The best yellow is produced from Reseda Luteola (Weld), a plant used 

 by the professional dyer until quite recently. It owes its tinctorial pro- 

 perties to an alkaloid, — luteolin. Genista tinctoria was used well into the 

 middle of the nineteenth century : it gives a good permanent yellow, but 

 not so pure a colour as Weld. Formerly, however, it was preferred by the 

 dyers to all others for wool that was to be dyed green. This constituted 

 the green colour of the cloth for which the town of Kendal was celebrated 

 in bygone times, reference to which occurs in Shakespeare, in 1 Henry IV. 

 ii. 4 : 



How couldst thou know these men in Kendal green ? 

 and also in Sir Walter Scott's " Lay of the Last Minstrel," iv. 14 ; 



The Kendal archers all in green. 



Three of the Composite give yellow^s approaching orange, namely, 

 Anthemis tinctoria, of which the tint is the lightest, but admittedly fast. 

 Chrysanthemum segetum, and Bidens tripartita, the last named being the 

 most beautiful. It is developed only on the addition of alum. 



Of browns there are many, a round dozen, from Alder bark {Alnus 

 glutinosa) alone, variously modified by potash, which gives tints of red, or 

 " saddened by copperas," which gives shades of black. These colours are 

 all tannin derivatives. Somewhat similar colours are obtained from 

 Birch bark [Betula alba), and Oak {Quercus Bobur). Yellow browns are 

 obtained from 'Ling' heather {Calluna vulgaris), and the barks of the two 

 Bhamni (B. Frangula and cathartica). The fine russet brown obtained 

 from the lichen known as "oaklungs " {Sticta piilmonacea) is one of the 

 best in the series. The well-known crottle browns, from Parmelia 

 saxatilis, omphaloides, caperata, and physodes, do not dift'er greatly from 

 one another. 



Probably the richest and best brown is that from fresh walnut husks — 

 a dye used by the professional dyers up to quite a recent date. No mordant 

 being required the wool dyed by means of this substance is soft and 

 free from all harshness. Not far behind it is the colour obtained from 

 the rhizome of the white Water-lily {Nymphcea alba), a dyestuft' used in 

 the Hebrides in the time of Pennant's visit (1782). 



Of simple greens there are not many representatives, the best and 

 most durable being obtained from a ground dye of woad " topped " with 

 weld {Beseda Luteola). This probably constituted the Lincoln green of 



