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Identification

Fibre type	Bast fibers
Average fibre lenght	2,5 mm (0.5 – 4.8)
Average fibre width	16,5 µm (10 – 25)
Fibre ends	Blunt, spoon-shaped fiber ends.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint.
Associated cells	Rares.
Special features	Lumen varies in width. Transversal cut: Thick cell wall.
Herzberg staining	Dark purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Dark purple.

Botanical classification

Corchorus capsularis L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Tiliaceae

Synonyms:

Corchorus cordifolius Salisb.

Corchorus marua Buch.-Ham.

Plant growing area

The plant is extensively cultivated in tropical countries.

Bangladesh, Burma, China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India (Bengal), Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan.

Middle-East, North Africa.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, India.

Plant cultivation and use

Corchorus capsularis is a annual or perennial shrub that grows in bushes to 2-4 m in height. It is in flower in August, and the seeds ripen in October.

Leaves and seeds are edible and high in protein.

The leaves, roots, seeds and unripe fruits have medicinal uses.

The plant is mainly used for its high strength fiber that is extracted from the bark of the stem. These fibers are used in the manufacture of packing bags, mats, coarse clothes etc.

The remaining portion after extraction of the fiber is used in the paper industry. The paper is buff grey.

China:

Fibers are employed in making mats.

Jute is one of the oldest fibers used in China in the manufacture of paper. It grew throughout China, especially in north and west areas, such as flax, hemp, ramie. All these plants are called "ma" in ancient Chinese documents.

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 wiwteria, rice, oat and barley straws, bamboo, jute, cotton and hemp but also willow leaves, reeds, the bark and needles of pine.

Indeed, jute seems to be used as a complementary fiber source to fibers of paper mulberry from the 15th century. However the old jute papers found in Korea could have been imported papers.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvest is possible 4-5 months after sowing. It occurs when the plant is in flower.

The stems are cut at 10cm from the ground and put in bundles and then they are left to ret in stagnant water.

Shelling is performed by beating to get the tow.

The fibers are cooked for 2 hours in an alkaline solution and then ground for around 4 hours.

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.

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:

English

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fibers
Average fibre lenght	2,5 mm (0.5 – 4.8)
Average fibre width	16,5 µm (10 – 25)
Fibre ends	Blunt, spoon-shaped fiber ends.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint.
Associated cells	Rares.
Special features	Lumen varies in width. Transversal cut: Thick cell wall.
Herzberg staining	Dark purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Dark purple.

Botanical classification

Corchorus capsularis L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Tiliaceae

Synonyms:

Corchorus cordifolius Salisb.

Corchorus marua Buch.-Ham.

Plant growing area

The plant is extensively cultivated in tropical countries.

Middle-East, North Africa.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, India.

Plant cultivation and use

Corchorus capsularis is a annual or perennial shrub that grows in bushes to 2-4 m in height. It is in flower in August, and the seeds ripen in October.

Leaves and seeds are edible and high in protein.

The leaves, roots, seeds and unripe fruits have medicinal uses.

The plant is mainly used for its high strength fiber that is extracted from the bark of the stem. These fibers are used in the manufacture of packing bags, mats, coarse clothes etc.

The remaining portion after extraction of the fiber is used in the paper industry. The paper is buff grey.

China:

Fibers are employed in making mats.

Korea:

Indeed, jute seems to be used as a complementary fiber source to fibers of paper mulberry from the 15th century. However the old jute papers found in Korea could have been imported papers.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvest is possible 4-5 months after sowing. It occurs when the plant is in flower.

The stems are cut at 10cm from the ground and put in bundles and then they are left to ret in stagnant water.

Shelling is performed by beating to get the tow.

The fibers are cooked for 2 hours in an alkaline solution and then ground for around 4 hours.

Paper names

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:

French

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fibers
Average fibre lenght	2,5 mm (0.5 – 4.8)
Average fibre width	16,5 µm (10 – 25)
Fibre ends	Blunt, spoon-shaped fiber ends.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint.
Associated cells	Rares.
Special features	Lumen varies in width. Transversal cut: Thick cell wall.
Herzberg staining	Dark purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Dark purple.

Botanical classification

Corchorus capsularis L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Tiliaceae

Synonyms:

Corchorus cordifolius Salisb.

Corchorus marua Buch.-Ham.

Plant growing area

The plant is extensively cultivated in tropical countries.

Middle-East, North Africa.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, India.

Plant cultivation and use

Corchorus capsularis is a annual or perennial shrub that grows in bushes to 2-4 m in height. It is in flower in August, and the seeds ripen in October.

Leaves and seeds are edible and high in protein.

The leaves, roots, seeds and unripe fruits have medicinal uses.

The plant is mainly used for its high strength fiber that is extracted from the bark of the stem. These fibers are used in the manufacture of packing bags, mats, coarse clothes etc.

The remaining portion after extraction of the fiber is used in the paper industry. The paper is buff grey.

China:

Fibers are employed in making mats.

Korea:

Indeed, jute seems to be used as a complementary fiber source to fibers of paper mulberry from the 15th century. However the old jute papers found in Korea could have been imported papers.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvest is possible 4-5 months after sowing. It occurs when the plant is in flower.

The stems are cut at 10cm from the ground and put in bundles and then they are left to ret in stagnant water.

Shelling is performed by beating to get the tow.

The fibers are cooked for 2 hours in an alkaline solution and then ground for around 4 hours.

Paper names

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:

French

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fibers
Average fibre lenght	2,5 mm (0.5 – 4.8)
Average fibre width	16,5 µm (10 – 25)
Fibre ends	Blunt, spoon-shaped fiber ends.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint.
Associated cells	Rares.
Special features	Lumen varies in width. Transversal cut: Thick cell wall.
Herzberg staining	Dark purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Dark purple.

Botanical classification

Corchorus capsularis L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Tiliaceae

Synonyms:

Corchorus cordifolius Salisb.

Corchorus marua Buch.-Ham.

Plant growing area

The plant is extensively cultivated in tropical countries.

Middle-East, North Africa.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, India.

Plant cultivation and use

Corchorus capsularis is a annual or perennial shrub that grows in bushes to 2-4 m in height. It is in flower in August, and the seeds ripen in October.

Leaves and seeds are edible and high in protein.

The leaves, roots, seeds and unripe fruits have medicinal uses.

The plant is mainly used for its high strength fiber that is extracted from the bark of the stem. These fibers are used in the manufacture of packing bags, mats, coarse clothes etc.

The remaining portion after extraction of the fiber is used in the paper industry. The paper is buff grey.

China:

Fibers are employed in making mats.

Korea:

Indeed, jute seems to be used as a complementary fiber source to fibers of paper mulberry from the 15th century. However the old jute papers found in Korea could have been imported papers.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvest is possible 4-5 months after sowing. It occurs when the plant is in flower.

The stems are cut at 10cm from the ground and put in bundles and then they are left to ret in stagnant water.

Shelling is performed by beating to get the tow.

The fibers are cooked for 2 hours in an alkaline solution and then ground for around 4 hours.

Paper names

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:

French

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fibers
Average fibre lenght	2,5 mm (0.5 – 4.8)
Average fibre width	16,5 µm (10 – 25)
Fibre ends	Blunt, spoon-shaped fiber ends.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint.
Associated cells	Rares.
Special features	Lumen varies in width. Transversal cut: Thick cell wall.
Herzberg staining	Dark purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Dark purple.

Botanical classification

Corchorus capsularis L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Tiliaceae

Synonyms:

Corchorus cordifolius Salisb.

Corchorus marua Buch.-Ham.

Plant growing area

The plant is extensively cultivated in tropical countries.

Middle-East, North Africa.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, India.

Plant cultivation and use

Corchorus capsularis is a annual or perennial shrub that grows in bushes to 2-4 m in height. It is in flower in August, and the seeds ripen in October.

Leaves and seeds are edible and high in protein.

The leaves, roots, seeds and unripe fruits have medicinal uses.

The plant is mainly used for its high strength fiber that is extracted from the bark of the stem. These fibers are used in the manufacture of packing bags, mats, coarse clothes etc.

The remaining portion after extraction of the fiber is used in the paper industry. The paper is buff grey.

China:

Fibers are employed in making mats.

Korea:

Indeed, jute seems to be used as a complementary fiber source to fibers of paper mulberry from the 15th century. However the old jute papers found in Korea could have been imported papers.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvest is possible 4-5 months after sowing. It occurs when the plant is in flower.

The stems are cut at 10cm from the ground and put in bundles and then they are left to ret in stagnant water.

Shelling is performed by beating to get the tow.

The fibers are cooked for 2 hours in an alkaline solution and then ground for around 4 hours.

Paper names

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:

圆果黄麻

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fibers
Average fibre lenght	2,5 mm (0.5 – 4.8)
Average fibre width	16,5 µm (10 – 25)
Fibre ends	Blunt, spoon-shaped fiber ends.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Faint.
Associated cells	Rares.
Special features	Lumen varies in width. Transversal cut: Thick cell wall.
Herzberg staining	Dark purple.
Graff 'C' staining	Dark purple.

Botanical classification

Corchorus capsularis L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Tiliaceae

Synonyms:

Corchorus cordifolius Salisb.

Corchorus marua Buch.-Ham.

Plant growing area

The plant is extensively cultivated in tropical countries.

Middle-East, North Africa.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, India.

Plant cultivation and use

Corchorus capsularis is a annual or perennial shrub that grows in bushes to 2-4 m in height. It is in flower in August, and the seeds ripen in October.

Leaves and seeds are edible and high in protein.

The leaves, roots, seeds and unripe fruits have medicinal uses.

The plant is mainly used for its high strength fiber that is extracted from the bark of the stem. These fibers are used in the manufacture of packing bags, mats, coarse clothes etc.

The remaining portion after extraction of the fiber is used in the paper industry. The paper is buff grey.

China:

Fibers are employed in making mats.

Korea:

Indeed, jute seems to be used as a complementary fiber source to fibers of paper mulberry from the 15th century. However the old jute papers found in Korea could have been imported papers.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Harvest is possible 4-5 months after sowing. It occurs when the plant is in flower.

The stems are cut at 10cm from the ground and put in bundles and then they are left to ret in stagnant water.

Shelling is performed by beating to get the tow.

The fibers are cooked for 2 hours in an alkaline solution and then ground for around 4 hours.

Paper names

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:

Korean

Local scripture:

닥풀

황촉규

Hibiscus manihot L. var. manihot © Flora of China

Hibiscus manihot L. var. manihot © C. Laroque

Botanical classification

Hibiscus manihot L. var. manihot

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Malvaceae

Synonyms:

Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik. var. manihot

Hibiscus japonicus Miq.

Plant growing area

China: (Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan, Yunnan), India, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Philippines, Taiwan, North Thailand.

Grows in grasslands, on streamsides, margins of cultivated fields, from 1000 to 2100 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, Japan.

Plant cultivation and use

Hibiscus manihot is a perennial plant with annuals flowers, 1 to 2 m in height that grows rather in temperate zones. It prefers well-drained soil but of various kinds and a sunny exposure. The flower color varies from white to light yellow. Flowering occurs between August and October.
The plant has medicinal properties, it is emmenagogue and sedative for pain. Its flowers and leaves are edible.

The roots contain a mucilage which is a polysaccharide, a copolymer of D-galacturonic acid and L-rhamnose. This viscous material is added to pulp to increase its viscosity and thus delay the settling of fibers in the tank. In addition, the mucilage allows a better dispersion of the long fibers. The solution is unstable and its viscosity decreases with the heat, prolonged exposure to air and mechanical agitation. So, during the work, the papermaker will add mucilage gradually as its viscosity decreases.

In the late 19th century, it seems that the use of the mucilage from the Hibiscus manihot replaced the use of other plants to become the dominant mucilage throughout East Asia.

China:

Hibiscus manihot is used during the South Song dynasty (1127-1279) but the beginning of its use is probably older. The use of Hibiscus manihot is quoted in the stories of "Guixinzashi " or "Miscellaneous news from Guixin street" by Zhou Mi (mid 13th century). Other references show that it is still used as formation aid at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), particularly for the manufacture of paper made with paper mulberry fibers; its use is documented in the "Wulixiaoshi" or "Some Knowledge of Physics" written by Fang Yishi in 1643.

Japan:

The plant grows wild throughout Japan. When it is grown on rich soils it has less coarse roots than the plants grown on poor soils. The leaves and flowers are removed to allow better root growth. The plant is torn from the ground when the leaves turn yellow, the roots are separated from the rest of the plant, bundled and placed in a dry place.

During the warm season the mucilage should be used immediately because it quickly loses its properties by fermenting.

Korea:

The plant was probably imported from China. In the past all plant parts were used to give the mucilage (stem, leaves, roots).

She is quoted in an encyclopedia dated 1850 “Ojuyeonmunjangjeonsango” by Igyujyeong.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

The plant is sown in spring and harvest usually takes place in late fall before the frost. The flowers are removed regularly to allow better root growth.

The plant is torn from the ground when the leaves turn yellow. The outer bark is peeled from the root. The root is crushed or coarsely grated. It is then placed in a cloth bag and submerged in a bucket of water. After formation of the mucilage, the bag is pressed or suspended to extract it.

Japan:

Seeds are sown at the same time as mungo beans.

The plant is torn from the ground when the leaves turn yellow, usually in June and it is dried until a later use. Or the roots are recovered to be used immediately, in November December. They can also be kept immersed in creosote.

The outer bark is peeled from the root. The root is crushed or coarsely grated. It is then placed in a cloth bag and submerged in a bucket of water. After formation of the mucilage the bag is pressed or suspended to extract it.

Korea:

The plant is sown in spring and harvest usually takes place in late fall before the frost. The flowers are removed regularly to allow better root growth.

Used part of the plant:

Root

Use for paper making:

Formation aid

Language:

Korean

Local scripture:

대청

Botanical classification

Isatis tinctoria L.

Order:

Brassicales

Family:

Brassicaceae

Synonyms:

Isatis indigotica Fortune

Isatis oblongata DC. var. yezoensis (Ohwi) Y. L. Chang

Isatis tinctoria var. indigotica (Fortune) T. Y. Cheo & K. C. Kuan

Isatis tinctoria var. yezoensis (Ohwi) Ohwi

Isatis yezoensis Ohwi

Plant growing area

Isatis tinctoria originated perhaps from India. The species is spontaneous in North Africa, Europe (mostly in Mediterranean area) and Western Asia until Xinjiang (China).

China (Fujian, Gansu, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan.

It grows in fields, on roadsides at an altitude of 600-2800 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The genus Isatis includes 107 species in Europe and the Mediterranean area, 72 species in Asia.

Isatis tinctoria is a biennial herbaceous plant, 1m to 1.50m tall, with branched stem. It grows better in rich or calcareous soils and sunny lands.

The flowers are small, yellow and grow in clusters. Flowering occurs from May to June. The black fruits are oval.

The plant allows several harvests per year if the soil and sun exposure are good.

Its use as a dye plant is very old and widespread in the world. There are traces of its use since prehistoric times in Europe; its cultivation probably dates back to very ancient times. Egypt was a very ancient center of pastel dyeing.

Indigo plants represent about one thousand species in the world. Isatis tinctoria is the indigo plant which was the most widely used.

The roots and leaves are also used for medicinal purposes for their healing properties. The seed oil is used in the industry. The plant was also used as forage or pasture. In the Middle East, mixed with henna, it is used to dye hair.

The leaves contain a colorless glycoside of indoxyline, isatan B. By acid or enzymatic hydrolysis (fermentation) this one releases indoxyl which oxidizes by contact with oxygen from the air into dihydro-indigo (greenish) and then into indigotine (blue).

The leaf also contains but in much smaller amount, an other glycoside capable of providing indoxyl, indican.
Blues are used as basis for greens and violets dyeing (purple imitation).

China:

It is a cultivated species, very popular throughout China in traditional medicine. The roots are dried and ground into granules that will be consumed as teas.

The plant is used as dye stuffs in particular for cotton fabrics and especially for dyeing silk.

Li Shizen in « Bencao gangmu » or « Materia Medica Compendium », published in 1590, presents various kinds of indigo plants Sunglan (Isatsis tinctoria), Liaolan (Polygonum tinctorium), Mulan (Indigofera tinctoria).

The dye is used as basis for greens in combinaison with Sophora japonica or for blacks in combinaison with walnut (Juglans mandshurica Maxim., Juglans Regia L.).

Japan:

Indigo plants used in Japan are Indigofera tinctoria, Strobilanthes flaccidifolia, Isatis tinctoria and Polygonum tinctorium. The latter is the most frequently used in Japan.

The use by Ainu of Isatis tinctoria is very old, prior to the use of Knotweed (Polygonum tinctorium).

To obtain a light blue paper, it is possible to dye the pulp in the tank. To obtain an intense blue, the paper is colored by soaking in a dye bath.

Blue papers are used to cover books.

Korea:

It is a cultivated species. The dye is used as basis for greens.

Preparation process for making paper

The preparation of the dye from indigo plants involves three main techniques: the direct method of dyeing, the manufacture of shells and of starch indigo. However, there are many geographic variations related mainly to locally available ingredients.

China:

Sowing takes place in March or in October. Harvesting can be done several times in the year from June. The leaf is ripe when it begins to wilt, turn to yellow or purple.

Indigo starch method: After harvesting the leaves are left to dry and then left to ferment in a tank or a pit covered with a small layer of water. Bacterial fermentation in the tank is maintained at the fixed rate thanks to the addition of lime shell. It can take up to 20 hours depending on the ambient temperature.

The liquid is then collected and filtered. It is beaten to make him absorb oxygen and oxidize.

Precipitation is done by adding an alkali (caustic lime or ash lye). The deposit is washed, boiled and filtered. The paste, called indigo starch, is kept in mud. It is sold in this shape.

Japan:

The seeds are sown autumn. Harvesting starts when leaves are ripe in June. It is renewed every twenty days.

Shell method: The leaves are stored in a warehouse where they are moistened and brewed regularly during one hundred days. The temperature rises progressively according to the fermentation. The leaves are then crushed, drained and formed into shells or aidama which are dried.

So that they can be used for dyeing, these balls are crushed and the fermentation is reactivated by addition of warm water. The dye is directly extracted from the leave ball (which requires filtering).

Indigo starch method: After harvesting, the leaves are left to dry for two days. Then, they are put to ferment in a tank covered with a small layer of water. The fermentation can take up to 20 hours depending on the ambient temperature.

The liquid is then collected and filtered. It is beaten to make him absorb oxygen and oxidize. Precipitation is done by adding an alkali (caustic lime or ash lye).

The deposit is washed, boiled and filtered. The paste, called indigo starch, is then formed into cakes.

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

Usually three jars of dye are prepared with decreasing concentrations. The paper is dipped in the less concentrated dye jar and oxidation occurs in the air; the paper is then soaked in the little beat more concentrated dye. After oxidation, the sheet is dipped into the third jar with the strongest concentration. The process can be repeated several times to obtain a color more or less intense. The sheet is dried by exposing the surface to air; the color changes by oxidation.

Korea:

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.

Paper names

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:

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

Chinese

Local scripture:

大青叶

Botanical classification

Isatis tinctoria L.

Order:

Brassicales

Family:

Brassicaceae

Synonyms:

Isatis indigotica Fortune

Isatis oblongata DC. var. yezoensis (Ohwi) Y. L. Chang

Isatis tinctoria var. indigotica (Fortune) T. Y. Cheo & K. C. Kuan

Isatis tinctoria var. yezoensis (Ohwi) Ohwi

Isatis yezoensis Ohwi

Plant growing area

Isatis tinctoria originated perhaps from India. The species is spontaneous in North Africa, Europe (mostly in Mediterranean area) and Western Asia until Xinjiang (China).

It grows in fields, on roadsides at an altitude of 600-2800 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The genus Isatis includes 107 species in Europe and the Mediterranean area, 72 species in Asia.

Isatis tinctoria is a biennial herbaceous plant, 1m to 1.50m tall, with branched stem. It grows better in rich or calcareous soils and sunny lands.

The flowers are small, yellow and grow in clusters. Flowering occurs from May to June. The black fruits are oval.

The plant allows several harvests per year if the soil and sun exposure are good.

Indigo plants represent about one thousand species in the world. Isatis tinctoria is the indigo plant which was the most widely used.

The leaf also contains but in much smaller amount, an other glycoside capable of providing indoxyl, indican.
Blues are used as basis for greens and violets dyeing (purple imitation).

China:

It is a cultivated species, very popular throughout China in traditional medicine. The roots are dried and ground into granules that will be consumed as teas.

The plant is used as dye stuffs in particular for cotton fabrics and especially for dyeing silk.

The dye is used as basis for greens in combinaison with Sophora japonica or for blacks in combinaison with walnut (Juglans mandshurica Maxim., Juglans Regia L.).

Japan:

Indigo plants used in Japan are Indigofera tinctoria, Strobilanthes flaccidifolia, Isatis tinctoria and Polygonum tinctorium. The latter is the most frequently used in Japan.

The use by Ainu of Isatis tinctoria is very old, prior to the use of Knotweed (Polygonum tinctorium).

To obtain a light blue paper, it is possible to dye the pulp in the tank. To obtain an intense blue, the paper is colored by soaking in a dye bath.

Blue papers are used to cover books.

Korea:

It is a cultivated species. The dye is used as basis for greens.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Sowing takes place in March or in October. Harvesting can be done several times in the year from June. The leaf is ripe when it begins to wilt, turn to yellow or purple.

The liquid is then collected and filtered. It is beaten to make him absorb oxygen and oxidize.

Precipitation is done by adding an alkali (caustic lime or ash lye). The deposit is washed, boiled and filtered. The paste, called indigo starch, is kept in mud. It is sold in this shape.

Japan:

The seeds are sown autumn. Harvesting starts when leaves are ripe in June. It is renewed every twenty days.

The liquid is then collected and filtered. It is beaten to make him absorb oxygen and oxidize. Precipitation is done by adding an alkali (caustic lime or ash lye).

The deposit is washed, boiled and filtered. The paste, called indigo starch, is then formed into cakes.

Korea:

Paper names

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:

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

English

Botanical classification

Isatis tinctoria L.

Order:

Brassicales

Family:

Brassicaceae

Synonyms:

Isatis indigotica Fortune

Isatis oblongata DC. var. yezoensis (Ohwi) Y. L. Chang

Isatis tinctoria var. indigotica (Fortune) T. Y. Cheo & K. C. Kuan

Isatis tinctoria var. yezoensis (Ohwi) Ohwi

Isatis yezoensis Ohwi

Plant growing area

Isatis tinctoria originated perhaps from India. The species is spontaneous in North Africa, Europe (mostly in Mediterranean area) and Western Asia until Xinjiang (China).

It grows in fields, on roadsides at an altitude of 600-2800 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The genus Isatis includes 107 species in Europe and the Mediterranean area, 72 species in Asia.

Isatis tinctoria is a biennial herbaceous plant, 1m to 1.50m tall, with branched stem. It grows better in rich or calcareous soils and sunny lands.

The flowers are small, yellow and grow in clusters. Flowering occurs from May to June. The black fruits are oval.

The plant allows several harvests per year if the soil and sun exposure are good.

Indigo plants represent about one thousand species in the world. Isatis tinctoria is the indigo plant which was the most widely used.

The leaf also contains but in much smaller amount, an other glycoside capable of providing indoxyl, indican.
Blues are used as basis for greens and violets dyeing (purple imitation).

China:

It is a cultivated species, very popular throughout China in traditional medicine. The roots are dried and ground into granules that will be consumed as teas.

The plant is used as dye stuffs in particular for cotton fabrics and especially for dyeing silk.

The dye is used as basis for greens in combinaison with Sophora japonica or for blacks in combinaison with walnut (Juglans mandshurica Maxim., Juglans Regia L.).

Japan:

Indigo plants used in Japan are Indigofera tinctoria, Strobilanthes flaccidifolia, Isatis tinctoria and Polygonum tinctorium. The latter is the most frequently used in Japan.

The use by Ainu of Isatis tinctoria is very old, prior to the use of Knotweed (Polygonum tinctorium).

To obtain a light blue paper, it is possible to dye the pulp in the tank. To obtain an intense blue, the paper is colored by soaking in a dye bath.

Blue papers are used to cover books.

Korea:

It is a cultivated species. The dye is used as basis for greens.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Sowing takes place in March or in October. Harvesting can be done several times in the year from June. The leaf is ripe when it begins to wilt, turn to yellow or purple.

The liquid is then collected and filtered. It is beaten to make him absorb oxygen and oxidize.

Precipitation is done by adding an alkali (caustic lime or ash lye). The deposit is washed, boiled and filtered. The paste, called indigo starch, is kept in mud. It is sold in this shape.

Japan:

The seeds are sown autumn. Harvesting starts when leaves are ripe in June. It is renewed every twenty days.

The liquid is then collected and filtered. It is beaten to make him absorb oxygen and oxidize. Precipitation is done by adding an alkali (caustic lime or ash lye).

The deposit is washed, boiled and filtered. The paste, called indigo starch, is then formed into cakes.

Korea:

Paper names

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:

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Dye

Primary tabs

Corchorus capsularis L.

Corchorus capsularis L.

Corchorus capsularis L.

Corchorus capsularis L.

Corchorus capsularis L.

Corchorus capsularis L.

Hibiscus manihot L. var. manihot

Isatis tinctoria L.

Isatis tinctoria L.

Isatis tinctoria L.

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Primary tabs

Corchorus capsularis L.

Corchorus capsularis L.

Corchorus capsularis L.

Corchorus capsularis L.

Corchorus capsularis L.

Corchorus capsularis L.

Hibiscus manihot L. var. manihot

Isatis tinctoria L.

Isatis tinctoria L.

Isatis tinctoria L.

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