Roccella tinctoria
| Roccella tinctoria | |
|---|---|
| |
| Roccella tinctoria. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Arthoniomycetes |
| Order: | Arthoniales |
| Family: | Roccellaceae |
| Genus: | Roccella |
| Species: | R. tinctoria
|
| Binomial name | |
| Roccella tinctoria | |
Roccella tinctoria is a lichenised
- R. t. var. portentosa
- R. t. var. subpodicellata
- R. t. var. tinctoria
and formae:
- R. t. f. complanata
- R. t. f. tinctoria
Uses
It is used to make litmus, a mixture of several organic compounds.
Lichen has been used for centuries to make dyes.[1] This includes royal purple colors derived from roccella tinctoria, also known as orseille.[2] The process of making this dye was a secret and lead to the wealth of the weavers of Grainville-la-Teinturière and the Rucellai family of Florence, whose family name is related with the Latin name of the plant, oricellum.[3] There has been speculation that the abundance of roccella tinctoria on the Canary Islands offered a profit motive for Jean de Béthencourt during his conquest of the islands.
Orcinol, a natural phenolic organic compound, occurs in many species of lichens[4] including R. tinctoria.[1]
References
- ^ OCLC 936144129.
- ^ Randi W. (December 12, 2006). "Dyeing with Lichens & Mushrooms". blog.mycology.cornell.edu. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- S2CID 84702559.
- ^ Robiquet: „Essai analytique des lichens de l’orseille“, Annales de chimie et de physique, 1829, 42, p. 236–257.
External links
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