Common Gromwell

Language:

English

Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold & Zucc. © Flora of China

Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold & Zucc. © CFH Nature Museum

Botanical classification

Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold & Zucc.

Order:

Lamiales

Family:

Boraginaceae

Synonyms:

Lithospermum officinale L. var. erythrorhizon (Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim.

Plant growing area

China (South East Gansu, North Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan), Japan, Korea, Eastern Russia.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Rhizomatous perennial bushy herb, that can reach 60cm to 1m of height. The plant grows in sun or semi-shade, in uncultivated meadows, sparse forests, hill slopes.. It prefers moist soils.

Flowering occurs from June to September. The flowers are white and grouped in small bouquets.The seeds are bright and hard as stone, hence the name of the plant.

The main dye, shikonin, is a naphthoquinones. It is found in the bark of the roots.

The plant is used in ancient Egypt and Greco-Roman world as a dye and as a cosmetic. Its use continues until the 19th century when it disappeared with the advent of aniline dyes.

Dried root of Listhospermum erythrorhizon are used in Chinese medicine for its antiviral and biological properties and in the preparation of creams for skin care.

China:

This is one of the oldest dyeing plant of China. Its use is mentioned in the "Qimin Yaoshu" or " “Important skills of the Common People” by Jia Sixie,agriculture treatise in ten volumes dating from the 6th century.

Japan:

It is used for dyeing fabrics and papers and also in printing prints.

The plant has become very rare. It is grown in Iwate and Kyoto areas.

The plant has been cultivated since the Nara period (710-794) for its dyeing and also medicinal properties. The use of the dye during this period is reserved to members of the royal family and court officials. These restrictions persist during the Heian period (794-1185), with a sumptuary law that restricts its use for dyeing clothes of the Empress and her attendants.

It is so famous in the 19th century in the West that it is called Tokyo violet.

Korea:

Its use seems very old in Korea, probably from the Goguryeo period (37 BC - 668 AD). This is a particularly popular dye by the nobility during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

It is used for dyeing fabrics and papers.

Preparation process for making paper

The roots are harvested in spring and in the autumn. They are dried for later use.

As shikonin is slightly soluble in water, the roots must be crushed and it is necessary to make several infusions. Extraction can be done also in vinegar.

Japan:

The dye requires a laborious process of repeatedly kneading the roots in warm water to release the dye color. The roots are crushed put in hot water and mixed with rice vinegar. Temperature should not exceed 60° C.

The color varies according to the mordant used from deep purple (ash lye) to purple grey (alum).

Dyeing of papers is performed in two ways: pulp dyeing (sukizome) or sheet dyeing (hitashizome by dipping or hikizome by brushing). To dye paper by soaking, the sheets are plucked one by one between two wooden sticks by the small side. This will keep the sheet flat during soaking.

In the present case, the pulp is generally dyed in the tank before making the sheet. The pulp which is ready for use is squeezed to remove water and then is placed in the dye bath and brewed. Then it is removed from the bath, rinsed and squeezed before being placed in the mordant bath, rinsed before being placed in the dye bath again. These successive baths allow for a deeper color.

Korea:

Root cut into small pieces is heated in hot water several times. To release the dye color the roots require a laborious process of repeatedly kneading them in warm water. The color will vary depending on the mordant used.

The papers are dyed in three ways: dyeing of the pulp (Seonyeombeop), dyeing of the sheet by dipping, brushing and spraying (Huyeombeop ), combination of the both methods (Honyeombeop). Then the paper can be hammered.

Vernacular names

Chinese

Zi cao	紫草

Japanese

Murasaki	紫草	むらさき

Korean

Jichi	지치

French

Grémil

English

Common Gromwell

English

European Stoneseed
Red-root gromwell

Paper names

In Asia and particularly in China, Korea and Japan, the papers are intended for a wide range of use: Papers for calligraphy and art, Papers for ceremonies, Paper as a medium of exchange, money paper, Papers for making clothes, wall hangings and bedding, Papers for architecture, interior design, Papers for crafts of various kinds, for domestic purposes and leisure. The names assigned to the paper refers to different notions: The material used, The place of production, The method of production, Appearance, Dimensions, Use, The name of an artist or a studio etc.

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = paper.
In Japan kozo papers are the most numerous.

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.
In Korea papers made with paper mulberry bark are the most numerous.

Papers

Japan

Murasakishi
Tobigumo
Uchigumo

Korea

Dahongsangpumdoryeonji
Hongdangji
Hongjeojuji
Hongpaeji
Maehongji

Used part of the plant:

Root

Use for paper making:

Dye

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Common Gromwell

Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold & Zucc.

Papers