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Language:

Japanese

Local scripture:

ヤマグワ

山桑　

Morus australis Poir. © CFH Nature Museum

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	2,2 mm
Average fibre width	30 µm
Fibre ends	Blunt.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Cross-markings.
Associated cells
Special features	Less prominent fiber wall.
Herzberg staining
Graff 'C' staining

Botanical classification

Morus australis Poir.

Order:

Rosales

Family:

Moraceae

Synonyms:

Morus acidosa Griff.

Morus alba L. var. indica Bureau

Morus alba var. nigriformis Bureau

Morus alba var. stylosa Bureau

Morus australis var. hastifolia (F. T. Wang & T. Tang ex Z.Y. Cao) Z.Y. Cao

Morus australis var. incisa C. Y. Wu

Morus australis var. inusitata (H. Lév.) C.Y. Wu

Morus australis var. linearipartita Z.Y. Cao

Morus australis var. oblongifolia Z.Y. Cao

Morus bombycis Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. angustifolia Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. bifida Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. longistyla Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. tiliifolia Koidz.

Morus cavaleriei H. Lév.

Morus formosensis Hotta

Morus hastifolia F. T. Wang & T. Tang ex Z.Y. Cao

Morus inusitata H. Lév.

Morus longistylus Diels

Morus nigriformis (Bureau) Koidz.

Morus stylosa Ser. var. ovalifolia Ser.

Plant growing area

Grows in temperate and warm areas, in tropical areas.

Bhutan, Burma, China (Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, South East Xizang/Tibet, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India (Sikkim), Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Okinawa), Korea, Nepal, Taiwan.

Grows in limestone areas, forest margins, on mountain slopes, at an altitude from 500 to 2000 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Morus australis is a deciduous tree growing 10-15m. It is in flower from March to May. It prefers a warm well-drained loamy soil in a sunny position but can accommodate to various kinds of soils and grow in semi-shade.

The fruit, the bark, the leaf and the root have medicinal properties. The fruits are edible.

The fruits contain anthocyanins which are pigments. The colours vary from orange, red, purple, black, and blue. They are water-soluble and easily extractable.

Root contains also yellow dyes used for dyeing paper.The bark is used for making paper.

China:

The fibers are supposed to be used in papermaking.

Korea:

In Korea the bark is used to get fiber for papermaking; the roots are used for dye or medicine.

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:

Bark

Root

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Dye

Language:

French

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	2,2 mm
Average fibre width	30 µm
Fibre ends	Blunt.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Cross-markings.
Associated cells
Special features	Less prominent fiber wall.
Herzberg staining
Graff 'C' staining

Botanical classification

Morus australis Poir.

Order:

Rosales

Family:

Moraceae

Synonyms:

Morus acidosa Griff.

Morus alba L. var. indica Bureau

Morus alba var. nigriformis Bureau

Morus alba var. stylosa Bureau

Morus australis var. hastifolia (F. T. Wang & T. Tang ex Z.Y. Cao) Z.Y. Cao

Morus australis var. incisa C. Y. Wu

Morus australis var. inusitata (H. Lév.) C.Y. Wu

Morus australis var. linearipartita Z.Y. Cao

Morus australis var. oblongifolia Z.Y. Cao

Morus bombycis Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. angustifolia Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. bifida Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. longistyla Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. tiliifolia Koidz.

Morus cavaleriei H. Lév.

Morus formosensis Hotta

Morus hastifolia F. T. Wang & T. Tang ex Z.Y. Cao

Morus inusitata H. Lév.

Morus longistylus Diels

Morus nigriformis (Bureau) Koidz.

Morus stylosa Ser. var. ovalifolia Ser.

Plant growing area

Grows in temperate and warm areas, in tropical areas.

Grows in limestone areas, forest margins, on mountain slopes, at an altitude from 500 to 2000 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The fruit, the bark, the leaf and the root have medicinal properties. The fruits are edible.

The fruits contain anthocyanins which are pigments. The colours vary from orange, red, purple, black, and blue. They are water-soluble and easily extractable.

Root contains also yellow dyes used for dyeing paper.The bark is used for making paper.

China:

The fibers are supposed to be used in papermaking.

Korea:

In Korea the bark is used to get fiber for papermaking; the roots are used for dye or medicine.

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:

Bark

Root

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Dye

Language:

Chinese

Local scripture:

东北瑞香

Daphne pseudomezereum A. Gray © Flora of China

Daphne pseudomezereum A. Gray © L.B. Vilmont

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	5mm
Average fibre width
Fibre ends
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated cells
Special features	Looks like gampi and mitsumata.
Herzberg staining
Graff 'C' staining	Grey-blue.

Botanical classification

Daphne pseudomezereum A. Gray

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Thymelaeaceae

Synonyms:

Daphne japonica Siebold & Zucc.

Plant growing area

China (Jilin, Liaoning), Japan, Korea.

It grows in forest at an altitude from 800 to 1600m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, Japan.

China:

Xizang (Tibet).

Plant cultivation and use

Daphnes are shrubs or sub-shrubs of the Thymelaceae family. Daphnes comprise from 50 to 95 species, according to the classifications. Some species grow in the plains, others in the mountains, in rockery; they appreciate calcareous soils. The plants are recognizable by their colorful flowers and toxic fruits.
There is a great confusion among the various Daphnes, Edgeworthias and especially Wikstroemias because their morphologies are very similar.

The etymology of daphne pseudomezereum comes on one hand, from the name of the nymph, daughter of Peneus, who pursued by Apollo, was transformed into a laurel tree to escape, and on the other hand from the Arabic word mezereum which means toxic.

Daphne pseudomezereum is a shrub, deciduous in summer, which can reach 1.5 m in height and prefers sunny areas. Flowers are pale green and flowering occurs in March to April. It is easy to propagate but its life does not exceed ten years.

The bark contains a large amount of hemicelluloses which makes it valuable in the manufacture of paper. Daphnes are the base plants for making paper at the foot of Himalayas.

China:

Daphne papers are considered as the best in Tibet where they are called dug-shog which means poison paper because of the repellent properties of the bark.

Japan:

The plant has been used in the manufacture of paper during the Nara period (710-794).

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:

Bark

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Miscanthus sinensis Anders. © Flora of China

Identification

Fibre type	Stem, straw
Average fibre lenght	2mm
Average fibre width	20µm
Fibre ends	Pointed.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Strong.
Associated cells	Epidermal cells present Pitted vessel elements and parenchyma cells
Special features
Herzberg staining	Blue
Graff 'C' staining	Blue

Botanical classification

Miscanthus sinensis Anders.

Order:

Poales

Family:

Poaceae

Synonyms:

Erianthus japonicus (Trin.) P. Beauv.

Eulalia japonica Trin.

Eulalia japonica Trin. ex Steud.

Eulalia japonica var. gracillima (Hitchc.) Grier

Miscanthus japonicus (Trin.) Andersson

Miscanthus japonicus Andersson

Miscanthus condensatus Hack.

Miscanthus kanehirae Honda

Miscanthus purpurascens Andersson

Miscanthus sinensis fo. gracillimus (Hitchc.) Ohwi

Miscanthus sinensis fo. sinensis

Miscanthus sinensis fo. variegatus (Beal) Beetle

Miscanthus sinensis subsp. purpurascens (Andersson) Tzvelev

Miscanthus sinensis var. gracillimus Hitchc.

Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens (Andersson) Matsum.

Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus (Hack.) Makino

Miscanthus transmorrisonensis Hayata

Miscanthus sinensis var. variegatus Beal

Miscanthus sinensis var. zebrinus Beal

Ripidium japonicum (Trin.) Trin.

Saccharum japonicum Thunb.

Saccharum japonicum Houtt.

Xiphagrostis japonicus (Trin.) Coville

Plant growing area

There are 14 species of Miscanthus, mostly located in South Asia and the Pacific Islands; two species are endemic to China.

China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Shaanxi, Shandong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Japan, Korea, Taiwan.

Grows on mountain slopes, on the coasts, below 2000 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Herbaceous perennial plant forming dense clumps from underground rhizomes, at height of 0,80m to 4 m. The culms are topped by feathery silver spikes. It has a rapid growth, it adapts to various types of soils and is resistant to wind and spray. Flowering occurs in late summer.

Japan:

In Japan, the plant is used as thatching for traditional Japanese farmhouses.

In papermaking, it is mainly used to make the movable screen of the paper mould. Its smooth surface leaves no mark.

It is also used as fibers mixed with gampi or other fibers to make gasenshi.

After World War II, a papermaker named Shusaku Tomi, on the Noto peninsula (Ishikawa Prefecture), tried again to make paper with these fibers.

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 wisteria, rice, oat and barley straws, bamboo, jute, cotton and hemp but also willow leaves, reeds, the bark and needles of pine.
Indeed miscanthus sinensis seems to be used as a complementary fiber source to fibers of paper mulberry from the 15th century.

However, this reed is mainly used to make the movable screen of the paper mould. Its smooth surface leaves no mark.

Paper names

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = paper.

In Japan kozo papers are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Chinese

Local scripture:

小叶桑

Identification

Fibre type	Bast fiber
Average fibre lenght	2,2 mm
Average fibre width	30 µm
Fibre ends	Blunt.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Cross-markings.
Associated cells
Special features	Less prominent fiber wall.
Herzberg staining
Graff 'C' staining

Botanical classification

Morus australis Poir.

Order:

Rosales

Family:

Moraceae

Synonyms:

Morus acidosa Griff.

Morus alba L. var. indica Bureau

Morus alba var. nigriformis Bureau

Morus alba var. stylosa Bureau

Morus australis var. hastifolia (F. T. Wang & T. Tang ex Z.Y. Cao) Z.Y. Cao

Morus australis var. incisa C. Y. Wu

Morus australis var. inusitata (H. Lév.) C.Y. Wu

Morus australis var. linearipartita Z.Y. Cao

Morus australis var. oblongifolia Z.Y. Cao

Morus bombycis Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. angustifolia Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. bifida Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. longistyla Koidz.

Morus bombycis var. tiliifolia Koidz.

Morus cavaleriei H. Lév.

Morus formosensis Hotta

Morus hastifolia F. T. Wang & T. Tang ex Z.Y. Cao

Morus inusitata H. Lév.

Morus longistylus Diels

Morus nigriformis (Bureau) Koidz.

Morus stylosa Ser. var. ovalifolia Ser.

Plant growing area

Grows in temperate and warm areas, in tropical areas.

Grows in limestone areas, forest margins, on mountain slopes, at an altitude from 500 to 2000 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The fruit, the bark, the leaf and the root have medicinal properties. The fruits are edible.

The fruits contain anthocyanins which are pigments. The colours vary from orange, red, purple, black, and blue. They are water-soluble and easily extractable.

Root contains also yellow dyes used for dyeing paper.The bark is used for making paper.

China:

The fibers are supposed to be used in papermaking.

Korea:

In Korea the bark is used to get fiber for papermaking; the roots are used for dye or medicine.

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:

Bark

Root

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Dye

Berberis thunbergii DC. © Plantillustrations

Berberis thunbergii DC. © Treeflower Garden

Botanical classification

Berberis thunbergii DC.

Order:

Ranunculales

Family:

Berberidaceae

Plant growing area

Native to Japan : Kanto, Shikoku, Kyushu. Cultivated in China.

Grows in woods, old fields, roadsides.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Deciduous thorny shrub, usually grows circa 1-2 m tall which pale yellow flowers forming small clusters which will give red berries. Flowering is late, in April to May.The plant has an extensive root system with branched rhizomes.

Japanese barberry accepts various types of soils but prefers less acidic soils; it is full sun, part sun and shade tolerant.

A strong yellow dye can be extracted from the wood, root, bark, by cooking them in water. The extract contains alkaloids (berberine, berbamine, and oxyacanthine) and some soluble tannins. The main dye is berberine.

The stems, the leaves and the berries can also be used to give a yellow to coral colour. Dye is used in combination with or without mordent on wool and silk. Using an aluminum mordent the color turns to coral. The color has poor light fastness.

The plant also has antimicrobial and antifungal medicinal properties.

China:

Commonly cultivated for ornament in China. Also used for dyeing fabrics.

The Tiang Kong Kai Wu (Creations of nature and work of man ), encyclopedia dating 1634 or 1637, written by Song Yingxing, gives a recipe to prepare a greenish yellow dye.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Extract is obtained by boiling in water for 2 to 3 hours, wood, roots and bark chopped into pieces. Dyeing is performed without etching.

Tiang Kong Kai Wu recipe: stems without bark and roots, cut into small pieces, are boiled for several hours; fibers are soaked in the liquid and in a very diluted bath of indigo starch.

Japan:

Dyeing of papers is performed in two ways: pulp dyeing (sukizome) or sheet dyeing (hitachizome 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.

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

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

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

Used part of the plant:

Bark

Root

Stem

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

English

Botanical classification

Alcea rosea L.

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Malvaceae

Synonyms:

Althaea rosea (L.) Cav.

Althaea rosea var. sinensis (Cav.) S. Y. Hu

Althaea sinensis Cav.

Plant growing area

Not known in the wild but believed to have originated in China or from the tropical areas of South-East Asia.

Widely cultivated as an ornamental. China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan), Pakistan, Taiwan.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea, Japan.

Plant cultivation and use

Biennial or perennial herb up to 2 to 3m high, cultivated as an ornamental. It is in flower from July to September. The flowers have colors ranging from white through pink and dark red to black.The purple flowers provide purple and blue-violet dyes.

The dying components are anthocyanidols: cyanidol, delphinidol, malvidin. The leaves contain a green dye and the flowers, a red one.

The dye was used to dye silk, wool, cotton and hides.

The roots and the flowers are used in Tibetan medicine: flowers and root are demulcent, diuretic and astringent.

The plant has also nutritional properties: the young leaves are eatable; a nutritious starch is obtained from the root and a tea is made from the flower petals.

China:

It is mainly used for its medicinal properties. It is used to dye ceremony papers and cards of scholars.

Japan:

Used as dye for fabrics.

Korea:

Used as dye for fabrics.

Preparation process for making paper

Using alum and tartar mordants allow a range of colors from blue to purple. Iron gives very dark red, almost black.

China:

The flowers are harvested when they are opened and are dried for later use. The dye is extracted from the petals. The petals can be used either fresh or dried.

Japan:

Dyeing 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.

Korea:

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:

Leaf

Flower

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

Japanese

Local scripture:

ススキ

Identification

Fibre type	Stem, straw
Average fibre lenght	2mm
Average fibre width	20µm
Fibre ends	Pointed.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Strong.
Associated cells	Epidermal cells present Pitted vessel elements and parenchyma cells
Special features
Herzberg staining	Blue
Graff 'C' staining	Blue

Botanical classification

Miscanthus sinensis Anders.

Order:

Poales

Family:

Poaceae

Synonyms:

Erianthus japonicus (Trin.) P. Beauv.

Eulalia japonica Trin.

Eulalia japonica Trin. ex Steud.

Eulalia japonica var. gracillima (Hitchc.) Grier

Miscanthus japonicus (Trin.) Andersson

Miscanthus japonicus Andersson

Miscanthus condensatus Hack.

Miscanthus kanehirae Honda

Miscanthus purpurascens Andersson

Miscanthus sinensis fo. gracillimus (Hitchc.) Ohwi

Miscanthus sinensis fo. sinensis

Miscanthus sinensis fo. variegatus (Beal) Beetle

Miscanthus sinensis subsp. purpurascens (Andersson) Tzvelev

Miscanthus sinensis var. gracillimus Hitchc.

Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens (Andersson) Matsum.

Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus (Hack.) Makino

Miscanthus transmorrisonensis Hayata

Miscanthus sinensis var. variegatus Beal

Miscanthus sinensis var. zebrinus Beal

Ripidium japonicum (Trin.) Trin.

Saccharum japonicum Thunb.

Saccharum japonicum Houtt.

Xiphagrostis japonicus (Trin.) Coville

Plant growing area

There are 14 species of Miscanthus, mostly located in South Asia and the Pacific Islands; two species are endemic to China.

China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Shaanxi, Shandong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Japan, Korea, Taiwan.

Grows on mountain slopes, on the coasts, below 2000 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Japan:

In Japan, the plant is used as thatching for traditional Japanese farmhouses.

In papermaking, it is mainly used to make the movable screen of the paper mould. Its smooth surface leaves no mark.

It is also used as fibers mixed with gampi or other fibers to make gasenshi.

After World War II, a papermaker named Shusaku Tomi, on the Noto peninsula (Ishikawa Prefecture), tried again to make paper with these fibers.

Korea:

However, this reed is mainly used to make the movable screen of the paper mould. Its smooth surface leaves no mark.

Paper names

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = paper.

In Japan kozo papers are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Japanese

Local scripture:

メギ

Botanical classification

Berberis thunbergii DC.

Order:

Ranunculales

Family:

Berberidaceae

Plant growing area

Native to Japan : Kanto, Shikoku, Kyushu. Cultivated in China.

Grows in woods, old fields, roadsides.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Japanese barberry accepts various types of soils but prefers less acidic soils; it is full sun, part sun and shade tolerant.

The plant also has antimicrobial and antifungal medicinal properties.

China:

Commonly cultivated for ornament in China. Also used for dyeing fabrics.

The Tiang Kong Kai Wu (Creations of nature and work of man ), encyclopedia dating 1634 or 1637, written by Song Yingxing, gives a recipe to prepare a greenish yellow dye.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

Extract is obtained by boiling in water for 2 to 3 hours, wood, roots and bark chopped into pieces. Dyeing is performed without etching.

Tiang Kong Kai Wu recipe: stems without bark and roots, cut into small pieces, are boiled for several hours; fibers are soaked in the liquid and in a very diluted bath of indigo starch.

Japan:

Dyeing of papers is performed in two ways: pulp dyeing (sukizome) or sheet dyeing (hitachizome 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.

Korea:

Paper names

Korea:

Suffix ji = paper.

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

Used part of the plant:

Bark

Root

Stem

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

English

Identification

Fibre type	Stem, straw
Average fibre lenght	2mm
Average fibre width	20µm
Fibre ends	Pointed.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases	Strong.
Associated cells	Epidermal cells present Pitted vessel elements and parenchyma cells
Special features
Herzberg staining	Blue
Graff 'C' staining	Blue

Botanical classification

Miscanthus sinensis Anders.

Order:

Poales

Family:

Poaceae

Synonyms:

Erianthus japonicus (Trin.) P. Beauv.

Eulalia japonica Trin.

Eulalia japonica Trin. ex Steud.

Eulalia japonica var. gracillima (Hitchc.) Grier

Miscanthus japonicus (Trin.) Andersson

Miscanthus japonicus Andersson

Miscanthus condensatus Hack.

Miscanthus kanehirae Honda

Miscanthus purpurascens Andersson

Miscanthus sinensis fo. gracillimus (Hitchc.) Ohwi

Miscanthus sinensis fo. sinensis

Miscanthus sinensis fo. variegatus (Beal) Beetle

Miscanthus sinensis subsp. purpurascens (Andersson) Tzvelev

Miscanthus sinensis var. gracillimus Hitchc.

Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens (Andersson) Matsum.

Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus (Hack.) Makino

Miscanthus transmorrisonensis Hayata

Miscanthus sinensis var. variegatus Beal

Miscanthus sinensis var. zebrinus Beal

Ripidium japonicum (Trin.) Trin.

Saccharum japonicum Thunb.

Saccharum japonicum Houtt.

Xiphagrostis japonicus (Trin.) Coville

Plant growing area

There are 14 species of Miscanthus, mostly located in South Asia and the Pacific Islands; two species are endemic to China.

China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Shaanxi, Shandong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Japan, Korea, Taiwan.

Grows on mountain slopes, on the coasts, below 2000 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Japan:

In Japan, the plant is used as thatching for traditional Japanese farmhouses.

In papermaking, it is mainly used to make the movable screen of the paper mould. Its smooth surface leaves no mark.

It is also used as fibers mixed with gampi or other fibers to make gasenshi.

After World War II, a papermaker named Shusaku Tomi, on the Noto peninsula (Ishikawa Prefecture), tried again to make paper with these fibers.

Korea:

However, this reed is mainly used to make the movable screen of the paper mould. Its smooth surface leaves no mark.

Paper names

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = paper.

In Japan kozo papers are the most numerous.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Miscanthus tinctorius (Steud.) Hack © K. Yamasaki

Miscanthus tinctorius (Steud.) Hack © Botanic

Botanical classification

Miscanthus tinctorius (Steud.) Hack

Order:

Poales

Family:

Poaceae

Synonyms:

Erianthus tinctorius Sieber

Miscanthus sieboldii Honda

Saccharum tinctorium Steud.

Plant growing area

Eastern Asia, Japan (Honshu)

Grows on the slopes of mountains, in meadows and uncultivated places.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Miscanthus tinctorius is a perennial grass up to 60-150 cm high. It flowers from August to September. The flowers form clusters and produce caryopses.

This grass prefers fresh to moist soils of loamy-sandy type and a semi-shaded exposure. They are resistant to frost.

Stems and leaves contain the dyes. The main dyes, flavones, are luteolin or luteolol and arthraxin.

Dye when fresh, can give a bright yellow; mixed with other colors, mustard yellow to moss green can be obtained. The color has a low fading resistance to light, in particular when the mordant used is alum.

China:

This dye was identified in clothing from graves in Xinjiang, dating from the 5^th BC.

Japan:

During the Nara period (710-794), Ibukiyama near Lake Biwa (Shiga Prefecture) is renowned for the quality of its karyasu thanks to favorable growing conditions.

The dye is often confused, because of the proximity of its components, with that extracted from kobunagusa (Arthraxon hispidus L.).

The use of Miscanthus tinctorius is attested in written sources until the 8th century AD. The yellow dye cited in "Ebukuryo" (Garnment code from 8th century AD) may be Karyasu but could also be Kuchinashi (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) or Kihada (Phellodendron amurense).

A recipe for preparing the dye is given in the "Engishiki" which is a collection of laws and regulations dating from the 10th century.

It seems to have been widely used for dyeing clothes of common people and clothes of Buddhist monks.

It is often used in combination with indigo especially Polygonum tinctorium to get greens.
Its use to dye thin papers is mentioned in "Makura no Soshi" or "The pillow book", treaty by Seisho Nagon from the 11th century.

It seems it would have also been used in printing prints despite its very little resistance to light.

Preparation process for making paper

Japan:

Harvesting takes place at the end of summer when the ears are formed. The stems are mowed and collected in stacks which are left to dry until winter. They are dried quickly before they could be stained by impurities from water or the soil.

To prepare the dye, stems and leaves are boiled. After filtration of the color, the items to be dyed are immersed in the bath and then placed in an alkaline bath (camellia ash lye in particular) to get a very intense yellow. With alum mordant color tends to be green.

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.

Korea:

Paper names

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Dye

Primary tabs

Morus australis Poir.

Morus australis Poir.

Daphne pseudomezereum A. Gray

Miscanthus sinensis Anders.

Morus australis Poir.

Berberis thunbergii DC.

Alcea rosea L.

Miscanthus sinensis Anders.

Berberis thunbergii DC.

Miscanthus sinensis Anders.

Miscanthus tinctorius (Steud.) Hack

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Primary tabs

Morus australis Poir.

Morus australis Poir.

Daphne pseudomezereum A. Gray

Miscanthus sinensis Anders.

Morus australis Poir.

Berberis thunbergii DC.

Alcea rosea L.

Miscanthus sinensis Anders.

Berberis thunbergii DC.

Miscanthus sinensis Anders.

Miscanthus tinctorius (Steud.) Hack

Pages