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Rubia cordifolia is a rhizomatous perennial vine that can reach 1m. The flowers are small and have a cream color, they are arranged in clusters at the base of the leaves. Flowering occurs between July and September depending on the region. The fruits are small black berries. The roots are fleshy creeping rhizomes. It is botanically very close to Rubia tinctorium.

The plant has been extensively cultivated since the antiquity for the production of red color used to dye and print cloth. Until the mid nineteenth century and the advent of synthetic dyes, it represented an important economic resource as well in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Rubia cordifolia has antibacterial properties.

The main component of most madders is an anthraquinone, alizarin, which is found in the rhizome. It is present only in small amounts in this species. The main dyes are in order of the percentage munjistin,  pseudopurpurin, purpurin which are all anthraquinones.

The color is mainly used for dyeing textiles (red or rose madder) and as a pigment in paint (madder lake).

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.

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.

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.

Rubia cordifolia is a rhizomatous perennial vine that can reach 1m. The flowers are small and have a cream color, they are arranged in clusters at the base of the leaves. Flowering occurs between July and September depending on the region. The fruits are small black berries. The roots are fleshy creeping rhizomes. It is botanically very close to Rubia tinctorium.

The plant has been extensively cultivated since the antiquity for the production of red color used to dye and print cloth. Until the mid nineteenth century and the advent of synthetic dyes, it represented an important economic resource as well in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Rubia cordifolia has antibacterial properties.

The main component of most madders is an anthraquinone, alizarin, which is found in the rhizome. It is present only in small amounts in this species. The main dyes are in order of the percentage munjistin,  pseudopurpurin, purpurin which are all anthraquinones.

The color is mainly used for dyeing textiles (red or rose madder) and as a pigment in paint (madder lake).

Rubia cordifolia is a rhizomatous perennial vine that can reach 1m. The flowers are small and have a cream color, they are arranged in clusters at the base of the leaves. Flowering occurs between July and September depending on the region. The fruits are small black berries. The roots are fleshy creeping rhizomes. It is botanically very close to Rubia tinctorium.

The plant has been extensively cultivated since the antiquity for the production of red color used to dye and print cloth. Until the mid nineteenth century and the advent of synthetic dyes, it represented an important economic resource as well in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Rubia cordifolia has antibacterial properties.

The main component of most madders is an anthraquinone, alizarin, which is found in the rhizome. It is present only in small amounts in this species. The main dyes are in order of the percentage munjistin,  pseudopurpurin, purpurin which are all anthraquinones.

The color is mainly used for dyeing textiles (red or rose madder) and as a pigment in paint (madder lake).

Rubia cordifolia is a rhizomatous perennial vine that can reach 1m. The flowers are small and have a cream color, they are arranged in clusters at the base of the leaves. Flowering occurs between July and September depending on the region. The fruits are small black berries. The roots are fleshy creeping rhizomes. It is botanically very close to Rubia tinctorium.

The plant has been extensively cultivated since the antiquity for the production of red color used to dye and print cloth. Until the mid nineteenth century and the advent of synthetic dyes, it represented an important economic resource as well in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Rubia cordifolia has antibacterial properties.

The main component of most madders is an anthraquinone, alizarin, which is found in the rhizome. It is present only in small amounts in this species. The main dyes are in order of the percentage munjistin,  pseudopurpurin, purpurin which are all anthraquinones.

The color is mainly used for dyeing textiles (red or rose madder) and as a pigment in paint (madder lake).

Flax is an annual plant from 30 to 120cm in height. It requires rich and loose soil and a temperate climate is most favorable to it. In India flax is cultivated to 1900 m altitude. Its growth cycle is short, one hundred days. Flowering takes place in mid-June.

Linum usitatissimum was domesticated in the 8th millennium BC. in Syria or Iran. It was widely used in ancient Egypt as well as a textile fiber and as in diet. The use of linen was later adopted in countries around the Mediterranean, then in Northern and Western Europe (5th century BC.) and would have moved Eastward where its use would have begun in India around the 3rd century BC.

It is cultivated both for its use in textiles and for its seeds in the production of oil and bread. The seed-cakes are used as fodder.

For papermaking, fibers are obtained from either textiles, known as rag, or from remnant hemp fibres called “textile flax tow” after the textile fibers have been recovered, either from the whole plant (usually from seed oil flax).

Bast fibers for textile production are separated from the stem after retting, beating, scutching and drying.

Retting allows the separation of the fibrous parts of the plant by decomposition of the pectose that binds them, thanks to the action of bacterias. It is performed either in water or on fields.
It takes place after pulling the plants, collecting them in bales, and ginning them with a comb.
After retting the fibers are dried and the dry tow is ground to remove the remaining particles of bark.
Scutching is to rid the fibers from the woody part of the plant (boon) and separate the long strands from the tow. The work ends with combing. The fibers can then be carded, spun and then woven.

Flax is an annual plant from 30 to 120cm in height. It requires rich and loose soil and a temperate climate is most favorable to it. In India flax is cultivated to 1900 m altitude. Its growth cycle is short, one hundred days. Flowering takes place in mid-June.

Linum usitatissimum was domesticated in the 8th millennium BC. in Syria or Iran. It was widely used in ancient Egypt as well as a textile fiber and as in diet. The use of linen was later adopted in countries around the Mediterranean, then in Northern and Western Europe (5th century BC.) and would have moved Eastward where its use would have begun in India around the 3rd century BC.

It is cultivated both for its use in textiles and for its seeds in the production of oil and bread. The seed-cakes are used as fodder.

For papermaking, fibers are obtained from either textiles, known as rag, or from remnant hemp fibres called “textile flax tow” after the textile fibers have been recovered, either from the whole plant (usually from seed oil flax).

Bast fibers for textile production are separated from the stem after retting, beating, scutching and drying.

Retting allows the separation of the fibrous parts of the plant by decomposition of the pectose that binds them, thanks to the action of bacterias. It is performed either in water or on fields.
It takes place after pulling the plants, collecting them in bales, and ginning them with a comb.
After retting the fibers are dried and the dry tow is ground to remove the remaining particles of bark.
Scutching is to rid the fibers from the woody part of the plant (boon) and separate the long strands from the tow. The work ends with combing. The fibers can then be carded, spun and then woven.