Appendix III – Some Plants and Animals used in Dyeing

Common Name	Genus and Species	Colour of Pigment or dye
Plants:
Dyer’s Greenwood	Genista tinctoria	yellow
Wild Mignonette, Weld	Reseda luteola	yellow
Gamboge	Garcinia hanburyi	yellow, also purgative
Saffron	Crocus sativa	brilliant orange
Madder, Dyer’s Madder	Rubia tinctorum	alizarin, orange-red
Tomato	Lycopersicon esculentum	lycopene, red caro-tenoid
Rose	Rosa canina	lycopene, red carotenoid (in hips)
Loosestrife family	Lawsonia sp.	henna, reddish-orange
Safflower, Bastard Saffron	Carthamus tinctorius	pinky-red
Dyer’s Mulberry	Morinda tinctoria	pink and red
Dyer’s Bugloss	Alkanna tinctoria	pink and red
Litmus, Dyer’s Weed	Rocella tinctoria	red in acid, blue in alkali
Annatto	Bixa orellana	bixin, red/violet
Delphiniums, larkspur	Delphinium consolida	delphinin, ancanthocyanin
Woad	Isatis tinctoria	indigotin, blue
Oak	Quercus robur	gallic acid from the galls – black
Insects:
Kermes (female)	Kermes ilicis	crimson, a rich red
Scale insect (female)	Dactylopius coccus	red dye – cochineal
Marine Creatures:
Mediterranean shellfish	Murex branderis	vat dye – Tyrian purple
Cuttlefish	Sepiidae sp.	dark brown – sepia