Search

Language:

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich. © Flora of China

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich. © C.Laroque

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich. © L.B. Vilmont

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	60 – 250 mm
Average fibre width	17 – 80 μm
Fibre ends	Round ends (rarely present).
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Longitudinal stratifications of the wall, many crosses.
Associated cells	Crystals of calcium oxalate.
Special features	Fibers are flat, ribbon-shaped and tend to twist and tangle; they have a large lumen and a membrane. Cross-section: flatter than tubular, lumen and walls of varying thickness.
Herzberg staining	Orange red.
Graff 'C' staining	Red.

Botanical classification

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Order:

Rosales

Family:

Urticaceae

Synonyms:

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Hook. f. & Arn.

Urtica nivea L. (pour Boehmeria nivea var. nivea)

Ramium niveum (L.) Kuntze

Plant growing area

Originated in tropical areas of Asia.

Bhutan, Cambodia, China (South Anhui, Fujian, South Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, South Henan, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, South Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Nepal, Sikkim, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

Forest margins, thickets, moist places along streams, roadsides, often cultivated; 200-1700 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, Japan.

Plant cultivation and use

Boehmerias form one of the genera of the Urticaceae family; the genus includes one hundred species. There are about 65 tropical or subtropical species of which 6 are endemic in China. These are flowering plants, but unlike other members of the same family, genus bears no stinging hairs.

Boehmeria nivea or white ramie or is a large perennial herb. It spreads by fragmentation of rhizomes. The stems reach 2 to 3m high. The plant likes sandy and well drained soils.

The plant is cultivated for its resistant bast fibers. It is possible to obtain 2-4 harvests per year depending on the climate of the region.

Its fibers are shorter than those of hemp, but they are very strong in the manufacture of ropes and nets. The longest fibers are reserved for the textile industry while the shortest are for paper manufacturing.

This is one of the oldest textile plants because its use would have started more than 6000 years ago (it was used in the manufacture of strips for the preparation of mummies in Egypt).

However, the fibers are difficult to extract from the plant. Indeed, it is difficult to peel them in tow because they are very embedded with gums.

The fibers are difficult to dye due to high molecular crystallinity. They have a shiny appearance that made them qualify as silk plant.

The other species appreciated for textiles, is the green ramie (Boehmeria utilis, Boehmeria tenacissima), which is also cultivated in China.

Ramie has medical uses in particular it is febrifuge. Leaves and roots are also eaten.
Boehmeria nivea can also be grown as forage plant.

China:

The cultivation of ramie is reflected in China over 3000 years. The documents refer mainly to its culture as a textile plant. It grew around in the wild in China, especially in north and west areas, such as flax, hemp, jute. All these plants are called “ma” in old Chinese documents.

According to Ying-Hsing in « Tiangong kaiwu » or « Creations of nature and work of man » (circa 1600-1660) there are two varieties, green and yellow. Stems can be harvested two or three times a year. The fiber is different from flax, hemp and jute as it is covered with pectin, which is not easy to remove by bacterial action.

The process of elimination of pectin to get the fiber, is described by Lu Chi in the "Shih Ching" from the 3rd century: Remove the bark with a bamboo or iron knife; boil the internal fibers. This textile is used as furnishing textile throughout southern China.

The process of elimination of pectin was not well known in northern China that is why the clothes made with ramie were produced and worn especially in the south. They are known to be light for summer and are worn by the common people. It also used to make curtains, mosquito nets.
The Mongolian government in the13th century tried to introduce its culture in northern China but without success because the ramie does not grow well in the north, too dry. It survived in the south to the development of cotton cultivation. In the 19th century there is a flourishing trade in Canton for export to Europe.

Ramie is one of the oldest fibers used in China in the manufacture of paper. From the Tang Dynasty (618-907), there is a strong demand for hemp textiles; hemp reserved for textiles use, will be progressively replaced by ramie in the manufacture of paper. Its use will disappear at the end of the dynasty.

Japan:

It was mainly used as a textile plant in particular in the production of a very fine fabric called Miyako-Jōfu from the Miyako-jima Islands (Okinawa Prefecture). The fabric allows making clothes well adapted to local climatic conditions.

Korea:

It has rarely been used in Korea as a paper plant but mainly as a textile plant.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvesting is made when stems turn to brown. The leaves are removed from the stems, the stems are steamed and the fibres stripped off. This inside bark is dried to avoid rotting.

The fibres are cooked for 2 hours with lye (fresh material might require longer cooking). They are then beaten in a Hollander beater.

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.

China:

Suffixes zhi or chih = paper.

In China, unlike Korea and Japan, papers made with paper mulberry fibers are not prominent, the production of paper from bamboo fiber being the most important.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

English

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	60 – 250 mm
Average fibre width	17 – 80 μm
Fibre ends	Round ends (rarely present).
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Longitudinal stratifications of the wall, many crosses.
Associated cells	Crystals of calcium oxalate.
Special features	Fibers are flat, ribbon-shaped and tend to twist and tangle; they have a large lumen and a membrane. Cross-section: flatter than tubular, lumen and walls of varying thickness.
Herzberg staining	Orange red.
Graff 'C' staining	Red.

Botanical classification

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Order:

Rosales

Family:

Urticaceae

Synonyms:

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Hook. f. & Arn.

Urtica nivea L. (pour Boehmeria nivea var. nivea)

Ramium niveum (L.) Kuntze

Plant growing area

Originated in tropical areas of Asia.

Forest margins, thickets, moist places along streams, roadsides, often cultivated; 200-1700 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, Japan.

Plant cultivation and use

Boehmeria nivea or white ramie or is a large perennial herb. It spreads by fragmentation of rhizomes. The stems reach 2 to 3m high. The plant likes sandy and well drained soils.

The plant is cultivated for its resistant bast fibers. It is possible to obtain 2-4 harvests per year depending on the climate of the region.

This is one of the oldest textile plants because its use would have started more than 6000 years ago (it was used in the manufacture of strips for the preparation of mummies in Egypt).

However, the fibers are difficult to extract from the plant. Indeed, it is difficult to peel them in tow because they are very embedded with gums.

The fibers are difficult to dye due to high molecular crystallinity. They have a shiny appearance that made them qualify as silk plant.

The other species appreciated for textiles, is the green ramie (Boehmeria utilis, Boehmeria tenacissima), which is also cultivated in China.

Ramie has medical uses in particular it is febrifuge. Leaves and roots are also eaten.
Boehmeria nivea can also be grown as forage plant.

China:

Japan:

Korea:

It has rarely been used in Korea as a paper plant but mainly as a textile plant.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvesting is made when stems turn to brown. The leaves are removed from the stems, the stems are steamed and the fibres stripped off. This inside bark is dried to avoid rotting.

The fibres are cooked for 2 hours with lye (fresh material might require longer cooking). They are then beaten in a Hollander beater.

Paper names

China:

Suffixes zhi or chih = paper.

In China, unlike Korea and Japan, papers made with paper mulberry fibers are not prominent, the production of paper from bamboo fiber being the most important.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Japanese

Local scripture:

カラムシ

苧

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	60 – 250 mm
Average fibre width	17 – 80 μm
Fibre ends	Round ends (rarely present).
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Longitudinal stratifications of the wall, many crosses.
Associated cells	Crystals of calcium oxalate.
Special features	Fibers are flat, ribbon-shaped and tend to twist and tangle; they have a large lumen and a membrane. Cross-section: flatter than tubular, lumen and walls of varying thickness.
Herzberg staining	Orange red.
Graff 'C' staining	Red.

Botanical classification

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Order:

Rosales

Family:

Urticaceae

Synonyms:

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Hook. f. & Arn.

Urtica nivea L. (pour Boehmeria nivea var. nivea)

Ramium niveum (L.) Kuntze

Plant growing area

Originated in tropical areas of Asia.

Forest margins, thickets, moist places along streams, roadsides, often cultivated; 200-1700 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, Japan.

Plant cultivation and use

Boehmeria nivea or white ramie or is a large perennial herb. It spreads by fragmentation of rhizomes. The stems reach 2 to 3m high. The plant likes sandy and well drained soils.

The plant is cultivated for its resistant bast fibers. It is possible to obtain 2-4 harvests per year depending on the climate of the region.

This is one of the oldest textile plants because its use would have started more than 6000 years ago (it was used in the manufacture of strips for the preparation of mummies in Egypt).

However, the fibers are difficult to extract from the plant. Indeed, it is difficult to peel them in tow because they are very embedded with gums.

The fibers are difficult to dye due to high molecular crystallinity. They have a shiny appearance that made them qualify as silk plant.

The other species appreciated for textiles, is the green ramie (Boehmeria utilis, Boehmeria tenacissima), which is also cultivated in China.

Ramie has medical uses in particular it is febrifuge. Leaves and roots are also eaten.
Boehmeria nivea can also be grown as forage plant.

China:

Japan:

Korea:

It has rarely been used in Korea as a paper plant but mainly as a textile plant.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvesting is made when stems turn to brown. The leaves are removed from the stems, the stems are steamed and the fibres stripped off. This inside bark is dried to avoid rotting.

The fibres are cooked for 2 hours with lye (fresh material might require longer cooking). They are then beaten in a Hollander beater.

Paper names

China:

Suffixes zhi or chih = paper.

In China, unlike Korea and Japan, papers made with paper mulberry fibers are not prominent, the production of paper from bamboo fiber being the most important.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

French

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	60 – 250 mm
Average fibre width	17 – 80 μm
Fibre ends	Round ends (rarely present).
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Longitudinal stratifications of the wall, many crosses.
Associated cells	Crystals of calcium oxalate.
Special features	Fibers are flat, ribbon-shaped and tend to twist and tangle; they have a large lumen and a membrane. Cross-section: flatter than tubular, lumen and walls of varying thickness.
Herzberg staining	Orange red.
Graff 'C' staining	Red.

Botanical classification

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Order:

Rosales

Family:

Urticaceae

Synonyms:

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Hook. f. & Arn.

Urtica nivea L. (pour Boehmeria nivea var. nivea)

Ramium niveum (L.) Kuntze

Plant growing area

Originated in tropical areas of Asia.

Forest margins, thickets, moist places along streams, roadsides, often cultivated; 200-1700 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, Japan.

Plant cultivation and use

Boehmeria nivea or white ramie or is a large perennial herb. It spreads by fragmentation of rhizomes. The stems reach 2 to 3m high. The plant likes sandy and well drained soils.

The plant is cultivated for its resistant bast fibers. It is possible to obtain 2-4 harvests per year depending on the climate of the region.

This is one of the oldest textile plants because its use would have started more than 6000 years ago (it was used in the manufacture of strips for the preparation of mummies in Egypt).

However, the fibers are difficult to extract from the plant. Indeed, it is difficult to peel them in tow because they are very embedded with gums.

The fibers are difficult to dye due to high molecular crystallinity. They have a shiny appearance that made them qualify as silk plant.

The other species appreciated for textiles, is the green ramie (Boehmeria utilis, Boehmeria tenacissima), which is also cultivated in China.

Ramie has medical uses in particular it is febrifuge. Leaves and roots are also eaten.
Boehmeria nivea can also be grown as forage plant.

China:

Japan:

Korea:

It has rarely been used in Korea as a paper plant but mainly as a textile plant.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvesting is made when stems turn to brown. The leaves are removed from the stems, the stems are steamed and the fibres stripped off. This inside bark is dried to avoid rotting.

The fibres are cooked for 2 hours with lye (fresh material might require longer cooking). They are then beaten in a Hollander beater.

Paper names

China:

Suffixes zhi or chih = paper.

In China, unlike Korea and Japan, papers made with paper mulberry fibers are not prominent, the production of paper from bamboo fiber being the most important.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Japanese

Local scripture:

ナンバンカラムシ　

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	60 – 250 mm
Average fibre width	17 – 80 μm
Fibre ends	Round ends (rarely present).
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Longitudinal stratifications of the wall, many crosses.
Associated cells	Crystals of calcium oxalate.
Special features	Fibers are flat, ribbon-shaped and tend to twist and tangle; they have a large lumen and a membrane. Cross-section: flatter than tubular, lumen and walls of varying thickness.
Herzberg staining	Orange red.
Graff 'C' staining	Red.

Botanical classification

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Order:

Rosales

Family:

Urticaceae

Synonyms:

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Hook. f. & Arn.

Urtica nivea L. (pour Boehmeria nivea var. nivea)

Ramium niveum (L.) Kuntze

Plant growing area

Originated in tropical areas of Asia.

Forest margins, thickets, moist places along streams, roadsides, often cultivated; 200-1700 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, Japan.

Plant cultivation and use

Boehmeria nivea or white ramie or is a large perennial herb. It spreads by fragmentation of rhizomes. The stems reach 2 to 3m high. The plant likes sandy and well drained soils.

The plant is cultivated for its resistant bast fibers. It is possible to obtain 2-4 harvests per year depending on the climate of the region.

This is one of the oldest textile plants because its use would have started more than 6000 years ago (it was used in the manufacture of strips for the preparation of mummies in Egypt).

However, the fibers are difficult to extract from the plant. Indeed, it is difficult to peel them in tow because they are very embedded with gums.

The fibers are difficult to dye due to high molecular crystallinity. They have a shiny appearance that made them qualify as silk plant.

The other species appreciated for textiles, is the green ramie (Boehmeria utilis, Boehmeria tenacissima), which is also cultivated in China.

Ramie has medical uses in particular it is febrifuge. Leaves and roots are also eaten.
Boehmeria nivea can also be grown as forage plant.

China:

Japan:

Korea:

It has rarely been used in Korea as a paper plant but mainly as a textile plant.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvesting is made when stems turn to brown. The leaves are removed from the stems, the stems are steamed and the fibres stripped off. This inside bark is dried to avoid rotting.

The fibres are cooked for 2 hours with lye (fresh material might require longer cooking). They are then beaten in a Hollander beater.

Paper names

China:

Suffixes zhi or chih = paper.

In China, unlike Korea and Japan, papers made with paper mulberry fibers are not prominent, the production of paper from bamboo fiber being the most important.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Identification

Fibre type	Grass
Average fibre lenght	1.4mm
Average fibre width	15µm
Fibre ends	Blunt or pointed.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Strong.
Associated cells	Vessel elements. Parenchyma cells. Presence of other thin walled pitted fibres, rounded or barrel.
Special features	Fibers with thick and narrow walls. Large rectangular epidermal cells, often double-walled, in saw tooth shape.
Herzberg staining	Green/Blue.
Graff 'C' staining	Green/Blue.

Botanical classification

Triticum aestivum L.

Order:

Poales

Family:

Poaceae

Synonyms:

Triticum aestivum subsp. vulgare (Vill.) Thell.

Triticum aestivum var. hybernum (L.) Farw.

Triticum aestivum var. hybernum (L.) Fiori

Triticum compositum L.

Triticum dicoccon var. timopheevii Zhuk.

Triticum estivum Raf.

Triticum hybernum L.

Triticum orientale Percival

Triticum persicum Vavilov ex Zhukov

Triticum pyramidale Percival

Triticum sativum Lam.

Triticum sativum var. aestivum (L.) Alph. Wood

Triticum sativum var. compositum (L.) Alph. Wood

Triticum sativum var. vulgare (Vill.) Vilm.

Triticum sativum var. vulgare Desv.

Triticum sativum var. vulgare Hack.

Triticum timopheevii (Zhuk.) Zhuk.

Triticum vulgare (L.) Salisb.

Triticum vulgare Vill.

Triticum vulgare var. aestivum (L.) Spenn.

Zeia vulgaris var. aestiva (L.) Lunell

Plant growing area

Plant of Mediterranean origin, cultivated worldwide: it is found from Europe to China.

China (throughout China).

Grown in fields at altitudes below 3500m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, Japan.

China:

Zhejiang.

Japan:

Shikoku (Ehime prefecture).

Plant cultivation and use

Wheat is an annual plant up to 1.50m in height, consisting of a stem topped by an ear. The plant can adapt to different kinds of soils, but moist and well-drained and she requires full sun.
There are about 25 species of Triticum worldwide, including four in China, which were all introduced.
The ancestor of today's wheats is a wild grass, Egilope, that grew in the Middle East where it was domesticated in the early Neolithic. Wheat is an essential nutrient in Western societies as bread, porridges, noodles etc.. The expansion of wheat cultivation takes place both to Europe and eastward, reaching China and Korea around 3500 BC. and Japan around 2300 BC.
Triticum aestivum wheat is grown to make bread flour in the West and noodles in Asia.
The wheat straw is used as bedding and fodder for animals, to cover houses and in the manufacture of handicrafts.
Straw is not very often used in the manufacture of Asian papers.
Starch is used as a sizing agent for textiles.

China:

Su I-Chien (953-996), in the "Phu Weng Fang Ssu" or "Four implements for writing in a scholar's studio" says that rice and wheat straws are used in Zhejiang and produce an excellent paper when mixed with rattan.

Song Yingxing (1587-1646) in the "Tian Gong Kai Wu" or "Creations of nature and work of man " (encyclopedia dated around 1634) mentions the blending of straw with bamboo in the manufacture of wrapping paper.
Currently straw is still one of the most used materials in the production of packaging paper, ceremony papers and sanitary papers.

Japan:

Rice straw was used at the time of mechanization with the search for new materials. These tests were conducted in Kochi Prefecture during the Meiji period (1868-1912).

Straw is also used in the manufacture of paper of kariryo hanshi or improved hanshi after the World War II.

Korea:

In Korea, wheat and rice straws are used in combination with the bark of Broussonetia. They are additional raw materials to reduce the cost during the Joseon period (1392-1910).

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Wheat is harvested in late summer; after collecting the seeds, the straw is cut in pieces and beaten to soften it.

Straw is set to be steeped in lime water for 5 days in earthen jars, or after soaking in water for 24 hours, it is cooked for two hours in ash lye or caustic soda.

The straw is then placed in fine mesh bags suspended from poles in running water to remove the whole lime.

Straw is then beaten in a ball mill for 1½ hours. The beating is shorter and less violent than for bamboo or bark pulps.

"Tian Gong Kai Wu" variant: the straw is beaten at first, then after immersion in lime water, it is buried in a pit. After disintegration, straw, placed in cloth bags, is rinsed in river.

Japan:

Straw is boiled in caustic soda.

Paper names

China:

Suffixes zhi or chih = paper.

In China, unlike Korea and Japan, papers made with paper mulberry fibers are not prominent, the production of paper from bamboo fiber being the most important.

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.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Chinese

Local scripture:

泥炭藓属

Sphagnum palustre L. © CFH Nature Museum

Identification

Fibre type	....
Average fibre length
Average fibre width
Fibre ends
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated Cells
Special features
Herzberg staining
Graff 'C' staining

Botanical classification

Sphagnum palustre L.

Order:

Sphagnales

Family:

Sphagnaceae

Synonyms:

Sphagnum cymbifolioides Breutel

Sphagnum cymbifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw.

Sphagnum cymbifolium var. squarrosulum Nees & Hornsch.

Sphagnum deflexum Gilib.

Sphagnum glaucum H. Klinggr.

Sphagnum japonicum Warnst.

Sphagnum klinggraeffii Roll

Sphagnum lonchocladum Müll. Hal.

Sphagnum oblongum P. Beauv.

Sphagnum obtusifolium Ehrh.

Sphagnum palustre ssp. cymbifolium Ehrh..

Sphagnum palustre var. latifolium F.W. Weiss

Sphagnum subbicolor Hampe

Sphagnum sulphureum Warnst.

Sphagnum vulgare Michx.

Plant growing area

The genus is distributed nearly throughout the world. It is more abundant in the cooler temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere.

Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Thailand.

It grows in bogs, on wet grassland or undergrowth, on rocks and humid soils near streams.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Bogmoss is a kind of bryophyte moss or plant which has retained the character of the first plants that have evolved on land. It is a plant without roots or true conducting tissues which erected stems are 10 to 25 cm high; it grows very slowly on the surface (3 cm per year) while its lower parts dye forming the peat.

China:

In the "Yunju Mishu" or "Rare Books in Yunju", text written during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) which gives information on raw materials used in the manufacture of paper and provinces where they are used, it is stated that moss is used in the maritime areas of China. Is this moss, bog moss or algae?

Korea:

Bog moss is used in the form of filaments, mixed with other fibers.

Paper names

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.

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

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

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Wikstroemia canescens Wall. ex Meisn. © Flora of China

Wikstroemia canescens Wall. ex Meisn. © Asianflora

Wikstroemia canescens Wall. ex Meisn. © T. Taylor

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fibre
Average fibre length	2-4mm
Average fibre width	4-20µm
Fibre ends	Variable.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint.
Associated cells	Rectangular.
Special features	Broad central portions of fibers.
Herzberg staining	Yellow/ Bleuish Green.
Graff 'C' staining	Blue Green.

Botanical classification

Wikstroemia canescens Wall. ex Meisn.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Thymelaeaceae

Synonyms:

Daphne inamoema Gardner

Diplomorpha canescens (Wall. ex Meisn.) C. A. Mey.

Passerina chamaedaphne Bunge

Wikstroemia inamoena (Gardner)Meisn.

Wikstroemia virgata Wall. Ex Meisn.

Plant growing area

Afghanistan, Bangladesh (Khasia monts), China (Xizang, Yunnan), India (Upper Assam), Japan (Honshu-West of Kanto region), Shikoku, Kyushu), Nepal, West Pakistan, Sri Lanka.

Grows on shrubby slopes, among rocks; 1000-2800 until 3500 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Nepal, Pakistan.

China:

Yunnan (Lijiang, Diqing - Shangri-La county, Sanbei, Lincang), Xizang/Tibet (Zhongdian-Sanba).

Plant cultivation and use

Wikstroemia canescens is a shrub of the Thymelaceae family, family, which includes nearly 500 species in 44 genera. There is a great confusion among the various Wikstroemias, Stelleras, Edgeworthias and especially Daphnes, because their morphologies are very similar.

Thymelaceaes are base plants for paper making in the Himalaya areas. The plants are valued for the large amount of hemicelluloses contained in the bark. They are also very much used in Chinese medicine.

Wikstroemia canescens is a deciduous shrub 1.5 to 2 m tall, aromatic with yellow flowers; blooming takes place from June to September.

The bark produces fibers for making rope in Pakistan and is also used in paper making in China and Pakistan. The plant is also used medically for its antitussive properties.

China:

There are 14 wikstroemia species in Yunnan among which 6 are located in the northwest (W. delavayi, W. leptophylla, W. canescens, W. lichiangensis, W. scytophylla, W. lamatsoensis).

Only Wikstroemia delavayi, W. leptophylla, W. canescens, W. lichiangensis, W. scytophylla, W. lamatsoensis are used by Naxi to make Dongba paper.

The paper is also called "Baidi" from the name of the village (Baishuitai or "white water Terraces" Shangri-La) which is native Dongba culture area.

The tradition traces the production of paper by the Naxi in the Yuan Dynasty (1280 - 1368) but the first Dongba texts date back to 1668.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvesting takes places from March to May before the rainy season but when it is wet so that peeling the bark is easier. The cut is held every two or three years for the same shrub. Only the branches are cut off at maturity. The bark is then pulled and tied in bundles to dry in the sun on a rack for 3 to 5 days. So it can wait until the time it will be used.

The bark is soaked in a tank for 3 to 5 days. It is then kneaded for 1 hour in order to separate the black bark. The dark bark is eliminated as well as xylem (dead cells) in order to retain only the phloem. The bark is finally rinsed with water.

Cooking is done in pine wood ashes lye (Pinus yunnanensis) for 3 to 4 hours. Then the fibers are rinsed with water.

The fibers are crushed in a wooden mortar with a pestle; then the resulting paste is hammered on a wooden stump.

The paste is mixed in the form of balls corresponding to the desired size of the sheet.
The ball is placed in a vat to be diluted and then the pulp is poured in a paper mould.

The paper mould is a high-sided mould which bottom is made by a rigid and removable bamboo mat.
The sheet is removed from the mould by removing the bottom and then is immediately applied to a drying board.

The paper surface is polished with a stone or a cloth when the sheet is half dry.

Paper names

China:

Suffixes zhi or chih = paper.

In China, unlike Korea and Japan, papers made with paper mulberry fibers are not prominent, the production of paper from bamboo fiber being the most important.

Used part of the plant:

Bark

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Japanese

Local scripture:

フジ　

Wisteria floribunda (willd.) DC © Flora of China

Wisteria floribunda (willd.) DC © T.H. Choi

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	1,7 mm (0.9 – 2.6)
Average fibre width	17,5 µm (9.3 – 24.8)
Fibre ends	Blunt.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Les prominent fiber wall; no cross-marking.
Associated cells
Special features
Herzberg staining	Purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Yellow.

Botanical classification

Wisteria floribunda (willd.) DC

Order:

Fabales

Family:

Fabaceae

Synonyms:

Glycine floribunda Willd.

Kraunhia floribunda (Willd.) Taub.

Phaseolodes floribundum (Willd.) Kuntze

Rehsonia floribunda (Willd.) Stritch

Plant growing area

China (Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Henan, Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu), Korea,Taiwan.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Wisteria floribunda is a deciduous woody liana. It prefers moist soils and full sun.

Lianas can reach 30m length. Blooming takes place in early spring. Flowers which forms grapes reaching 50cm length, are pale purple. Fruits are poisonous but edible after cooking. Flowers are also eaten and leaves are used to make tea. Seeds have diuretic properties.

Fibers from the stems are long and are used to make a paper with a buff color.

China:

Wisteria floribunda fibers were used in China long before in Korea.

The use of Wisteria floribunda is popular in the Sui dynasty (581-618), the Five Dynasties (581-960) and Tang dynasty (618-907). It disappears after the Tang period because its growth is slow and the quantities obtained were scarce.

The use of the plant is cited in "Yunju Mishu" or "Rare Books of Yunju", text written during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) which provides guidance on raw materials used in the manufacture of paper and provinces where they are used.

Korea:

From the Joseon period (1392-1910), raw materials traditionally used for paper production, mainly bark of Broussonetias begin to fail. Papermakers face to a growing demand for paper stimulated by the development of publications initiated during the Goryeo period (907-1392). Other plants will be used to provide a fiber supplement such as glycine, rice, oat and barley straws, bamboo, jute, cotton and hemp but also willow leaves, reeds, the bark and needles of pine.
Wisteria floribunda seems to have been used very early, since the Goryeo period.

Wisteria is used alone or mixed with Broussonetia Kazinoki, for the manufacture of paper devoted to white fans as the paper has a very smooth surface.

Preparation process for making paper

Korea:

Stems are harvested in summer. After removing the leaves they are steamed. They are cooked for 3 hours in alkaline lye. They are then crushed in a mill or a mortar.

Paper names

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

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

Used part of the plant:

Bark

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

English

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	1,7 mm (0.9 – 2.6)
Average fibre width	17,5 µm (9.3 – 24.8)
Fibre ends	Blunt.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Les prominent fiber wall; no cross-marking.
Associated cells
Special features
Herzberg staining	Purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Yellow.

Botanical classification

Wisteria floribunda (willd.) DC

Order:

Fabales

Family:

Fabaceae

Synonyms:

Glycine floribunda Willd.

Kraunhia floribunda (Willd.) Taub.

Phaseolodes floribundum (Willd.) Kuntze

Rehsonia floribunda (Willd.) Stritch

Plant growing area

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Wisteria floribunda is a deciduous woody liana. It prefers moist soils and full sun.

Fibers from the stems are long and are used to make a paper with a buff color.

China:

Wisteria floribunda fibers were used in China long before in Korea.

Korea:

Wisteria is used alone or mixed with Broussonetia Kazinoki, for the manufacture of paper devoted to white fans as the paper has a very smooth surface.

Preparation process for making paper

Korea:

Stems are harvested in summer. After removing the leaves they are steamed. They are cooked for 3 hours in alkaline lye. They are then crushed in a mill or a mortar.

Paper names

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

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

Used part of the plant:

Bark

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Primary tabs

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Triticum aestivum L.

Sphagnum palustre L.

Wikstroemia canescens Wall. ex Meisn.

Wisteria floribunda (willd.) DC

Wisteria floribunda (willd.) DC

Pages

Search form

Search

Primary tabs

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

Triticum aestivum L.

Sphagnum palustre L.

Wikstroemia canescens Wall. ex Meisn.

Wisteria floribunda (willd.) DC

Wisteria floribunda (willd.) DC

Pages