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Polygonum tinctorium Aiton © Plantillustrations

Botanical classification

Polygonum tinctorium Aiton

Order:

Caryophyllales

Family:

Synonyms:

Ampelygonum tinctorium (Aiton)Steud.

Persicaria tinctoria (Aiton) H. Gross

Persicaria tinctoria (Aiton) Spach

Pogalis tinctoria (Aiton) Raf.

Plant growing area

Native to Vietnam and South of China, cultivated elsewhere.

China (Widespread), Japan, Vietnam.

Grows in moist valleys, stream banks at altitude 200-1000 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Polygonum tinctorium is an annual or biennial herb from 30 to 50cm high. The pale pink flowers are small and blooming occurs from June to October. The fruits are small, black and hard. The plant prefers fertile soils and sun exposure. Hot and humid climates suit it the best. Harvesting can take place twice a year before flowering.

The plant is cultivated for its medicinal properties (anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties) and as source of dye.

Indigo plants represent about a thousand species in the world. The indigo produced by Polygonum tinctorium is one of the oldest blue dyes. The species mainly exploited for its indigo in Asia currently, is the true indigo or Indigofera tinctoria.

The leaves contain a colorless glycoside of indoxyline, indican. This one by acid or enzymatic hydrolysis releases indoxyl and sugars. Indoxyl in contact with oxygen from the air, is oxidized into dihydro-indigo (greenish) and then into indigotine (blue).

Indican is found only in the leaves. The leaves of Polygonum tinctorium can provide about 5% of indigo.

The fresh leaves can be used directly for dyeing fabrics by crushing them in water and putting the fabric to dye to their direct contact. This method is used in the areas of plant cultivation. The other method is to produce an intermediate substance to be used after fermentation.

Blues are used as basis for greens and purples.

China:

The use of Polygonum tinctorium is very old in southern China and Vietnam. Its use as dye or for medicinal purpose is attested in the Western Zhou (1050-771 BC.). The technique is perfectly mastered under the Han (206 BC-220 AD) as it is evidenced by the discovery of archaeological textiles, especially silk clothing from this period.

Miao in southern Sichuan, northern Yunnan and Guizhou used it in paste form. It was the most important source of indigo throughout the Far East until the arrival of Indigofera tinctoria.

The cultivation of the plant, the indigo starch extracting and tank dyeing are described in “Qimin Yaoshu” or “Main techniques for the welfare of the people” by Jia Sixie (text on agriculture in 10 volumes dating from 6th century) as well as in the “Tiangong kaiwu” or “Creations of nature and work of man” by Song Yingxing (encyclopedia dating from 1634 or 1637).

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).

Japan:

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

Indigo Polygonum tinctorium is used in dyeing fabrics, papers and also in prints. It is often used to make green, mixed with Miscanthus tinctorius.

The plant has been cultivated throughout Japan but especially in Shikoku (Tokushima prefecture) where yield was very good thanks to the particularly favorable soil and climate conditions. Awa region was a major center for the indigo production that has enriched the region for a long time. Ai cultivation currently remains.

Imported from China probably in the 4th century, Polygonum tinctorium becomes the main source of indigo. From the 8th century its use by dyers is mentioned in the administration code (Shokuin-rei).

In the 18th century it is still the main source of dye stuffs. During the Edo period (1603-1868) Japan starts to import cotton and then its cultivation, to meet the restrictions on the use of silk. Indigo was the most suitable for dyeing cotton. All social classes used to wear blue clothes. Its use in printing prints begins at the same time probably.

Both methods of fermentation and direct dye are used. The first one started during the Nara period (710-794). Later during the Muromachi period (1333-1573) a complicated double fermentation method will be developed.

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. They are also used for Buddhist sutras copies with gold ink.

Korea:

Two encyclopedias from the 18th century report the extraction process of indigo.

This is a dye that has always been very popular in Korea; the blue is called "jjok bit" or "Korean blue". The methods traditionally used are those by fermentation.

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:

Indigo starch method: Harvesting takes place during summer. Stems and leaves are placed in a pit or a tank according to the amount to be treated, coated with water and pressed by a board or a stone. Fermentation starts rapidly and causes the increase of temperature. It can take up to 20 hours depending on the ambient temperature. The green-yellow liquid that forms is filtered, then, it is violently stirred for several hours to aerate and oxidize it. The precipitation of the color is caused by the addition of lime or caustic ash. The deposit or indigo starch is collected, washed, filtered. It can be pressed into cakes or kept in wet paste.

It is in this shape that it is delivered to dyers. It is necessary to perform dyeing, to mix it with rice straw ashes and water and shake again.

Direct method: The leaves are crushed and left to ferment in a warm water tank allowing bacterial activity. Lime or ashes are added to maintain a fixed alkali rate. The fabric is placed directly in the bath. Oxidation occurs when the cloth is removed and exposed to air. This method gives pale blues. It is necessary to repeat soaking and exposure to air and provide fresh leaves for a more intense color.

Japan:

The seeds are sown at the time of the spring equinox (mid March). They are transplanted in May and the first harvest takes place in summer. Plants are sorted, left to dry for two days and the leaves are separated from the stem by threshing

Shell method: The leaves are piled in one meter high layer in a warehouse where they are moistened and brewed regularly every three days. New leaves are added and sprayed with water during the entire operation. The temperature rises progressively according to the fermentation and can reach 70 ° C. The pile is then covered with a straw mat to retain heat and fermentation continues for one hundred days. 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.

Double fermentation method: The leaves are prepared according to the conventional fermentation method. Then the dye is kept in jars for several months without stirring to prevent rapid oxidation. When oxidation starts, it forms purple bubbles on the surface called "indigo flowers. This foam is removed, dried and crushed to reduce it in pigment powder. These pigments are used to form sticks by mixing them with animal glue.

Dyeing of paper is made in two ways: paper pulp dyeing (sukizome) or paper sheet dyeing by dipping (hitachizome). 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:

Shell method: The leaves are piled in a tank or a pit and moistened and brewed regularly. The temperature rises progressively according to fermentation. They are then crushed, drained and formed into shells which are left to dry. They are delivered to dyers in this shape.

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 balls.

Indigo starch method: After harvesting the leaves are left to dry for two days. They are left 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 to oxidize. Precipitation is done by adding an alkali (caustic lime or ash lye). The deposit is washed, boiled and filtered. The paste is then formed into cakes or kept into mud called Niram.

The papers are dyed in three ways: dyeing of the pulp (Seonyeombeop), dyeing of the sheet by dipping, (Huyeombeop ). Then the paper can be hammered.

Paper names

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

Japan:

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

Korea:

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

Used part of the plant:

Leaf

Use for paper making:

Dye

Language:

Chinese

Local scripture:

蓼蓝

Botanical classification

Polygonum tinctorium Aiton

Order:

Caryophyllales

Family:

Synonyms:

Ampelygonum tinctorium (Aiton)Steud.

Persicaria tinctoria (Aiton) H. Gross

Persicaria tinctoria (Aiton) Spach

Pogalis tinctoria (Aiton) Raf.

Plant growing area

Native to Vietnam and South of China, cultivated elsewhere.

China (Widespread), Japan, Vietnam.

Grows in moist valleys, stream banks at altitude 200-1000 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The plant is cultivated for its medicinal properties (anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties) and as source of dye.

Indican is found only in the leaves. The leaves of Polygonum tinctorium can provide about 5% of indigo.

Blues are used as basis for greens and purples.

China:

Miao in southern Sichuan, northern Yunnan and Guizhou used it in paste form. It was the most important source of indigo throughout the Far East until the arrival of Indigofera tinctoria.

Japan:

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

Indigo Polygonum tinctorium is used in dyeing fabrics, papers and also in prints. It is often used to make green, mixed with Miscanthus tinctorius.

Imported from China probably in the 4th century, Polygonum tinctorium becomes the main source of indigo. From the 8th century its use by dyers is mentioned in the administration code (Shokuin-rei).

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. They are also used for Buddhist sutras copies with gold ink.

Korea:

Two encyclopedias from the 18th century report the extraction process of indigo.

This is a dye that has always been very popular in Korea; the blue is called "jjok bit" or "Korean blue". The methods traditionally used are those by fermentation.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

It is in this shape that it is delivered to dyers. It is necessary to perform dyeing, to mix it with rice straw ashes and water and shake again.

Japan:

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:

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 balls.

The papers are dyed in three ways: dyeing of the pulp (Seonyeombeop), dyeing of the sheet by dipping, (Huyeombeop ). 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:

Botanical classification

Polygonum tinctorium Aiton

Order:

Caryophyllales

Family:

Synonyms:

Ampelygonum tinctorium (Aiton)Steud.

Persicaria tinctoria (Aiton) H. Gross

Persicaria tinctoria (Aiton) Spach

Pogalis tinctoria (Aiton) Raf.

Plant growing area

Native to Vietnam and South of China, cultivated elsewhere.

China (Widespread), Japan, Vietnam.

Grows in moist valleys, stream banks at altitude 200-1000 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The plant is cultivated for its medicinal properties (anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties) and as source of dye.

Indican is found only in the leaves. The leaves of Polygonum tinctorium can provide about 5% of indigo.

Blues are used as basis for greens and purples.

China:

Miao in southern Sichuan, northern Yunnan and Guizhou used it in paste form. It was the most important source of indigo throughout the Far East until the arrival of Indigofera tinctoria.

Japan:

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

Indigo Polygonum tinctorium is used in dyeing fabrics, papers and also in prints. It is often used to make green, mixed with Miscanthus tinctorius.

Imported from China probably in the 4th century, Polygonum tinctorium becomes the main source of indigo. From the 8th century its use by dyers is mentioned in the administration code (Shokuin-rei).

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. They are also used for Buddhist sutras copies with gold ink.

Korea:

Two encyclopedias from the 18th century report the extraction process of indigo.

This is a dye that has always been very popular in Korea; the blue is called "jjok bit" or "Korean blue". The methods traditionally used are those by fermentation.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

It is in this shape that it is delivered to dyers. It is necessary to perform dyeing, to mix it with rice straw ashes and water and shake again.

Japan:

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:

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 balls.

The papers are dyed in three ways: dyeing of the pulp (Seonyeombeop), dyeing of the sheet by dipping, (Huyeombeop ). 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:

Botanical classification

Polygonum tinctorium Aiton

Order:

Caryophyllales

Family:

Synonyms:

Ampelygonum tinctorium (Aiton)Steud.

Persicaria tinctoria (Aiton) H. Gross

Persicaria tinctoria (Aiton) Spach

Pogalis tinctoria (Aiton) Raf.

Plant growing area

Native to Vietnam and South of China, cultivated elsewhere.

China (Widespread), Japan, Vietnam.

Grows in moist valleys, stream banks at altitude 200-1000 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Japan, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The plant is cultivated for its medicinal properties (anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties) and as source of dye.

Indican is found only in the leaves. The leaves of Polygonum tinctorium can provide about 5% of indigo.

Blues are used as basis for greens and purples.

China:

Miao in southern Sichuan, northern Yunnan and Guizhou used it in paste form. It was the most important source of indigo throughout the Far East until the arrival of Indigofera tinctoria.

Japan:

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

Indigo Polygonum tinctorium is used in dyeing fabrics, papers and also in prints. It is often used to make green, mixed with Miscanthus tinctorius.

Imported from China probably in the 4th century, Polygonum tinctorium becomes the main source of indigo. From the 8th century its use by dyers is mentioned in the administration code (Shokuin-rei).

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. They are also used for Buddhist sutras copies with gold ink.

Korea:

Two encyclopedias from the 18th century report the extraction process of indigo.

This is a dye that has always been very popular in Korea; the blue is called "jjok bit" or "Korean blue". The methods traditionally used are those by fermentation.

Preparation process for making paper

China:

It is in this shape that it is delivered to dyers. It is necessary to perform dyeing, to mix it with rice straw ashes and water and shake again.

Japan:

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:

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 balls.

The papers are dyed in three ways: dyeing of the pulp (Seonyeombeop), dyeing of the sheet by dipping, (Huyeombeop ). 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

Juncus effusus var. decipiens Buchenau © J.G. Sturm 1796

Juncus effusus var. decipiens Buchenau © C.Laroque

Juncus effusus var. decipiens Buchenau © Flora Siberia

Juncus effusus var. decipiens Buchenau © T.Taylor

Identification

Fibre type	Grass
Average fibre lenght	2mm (1-3mm)
Average fibre width	70µm (50-90µm)
Fibre ends	Square.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated cells	Small taxodiods and cupressoid pits are present in mature fibres.
Special features	Fibres are wide, thin walled.
Herzberg staining	Pink/Purple
Graff 'C' staining	Pink/Purple

Botanical classification

Juncus effusus var. decipiens Buchenau

Order:

Poales

Family:

Synonyms:

Juncus effusus var. solutus Fern. & Wiegand

Plant growing area

Widespread in temperate and mountainous tropical regions.

Bhutan, China (Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Korea, India (Sikkim), Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

Grows at forest margins, wet grasslands, morasses, lakes, river banks, fields and rice fields at an altitude from 200 to 3400 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

Juncus effusus is a perennial plant which grows in dense clumps that can reach 1.5 m in height by 0.5 m in diameter. The stems are straight and smooth, and contain a spongy pith. Roots are rhizomes allowing it to colonize the edges of water. Flowering occurs in summer.

The plant adapts to various types of soils and can grow in heavy clay soils; it needs moist soils and can grow in water and develop in partial shade.

Its leaves are edible and the stem pith is anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and febrifuge.
Stems are used in basketry, mats making and thatching; the straw, called igusa in Japan, is commonly used to make tatami mats, especially in Kumamoto Prefecture. Dried stems can be twisted into ropes. Pith is used as a wick for oil lamps.

The stems are used to produce paper fiber giving an off-white paper. They are used in combination with the fibers of the bark of mulberry trees for making stencil paper.

Korea:

Used in combination with the bark of paper mulberry during the Joseon period (1392-1910) as substitute material.

Preparation process for making paper

Korea:

The stems are harvested in late summer or autumn, they are cut into pieces and then soaked for 24 hours in clear water. They are then cooked for 2 hours with lye and beaten in a blender.

Paper names

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = papier.

Au Japon les papiers de kozo sont les plus nombreux.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

English

Identification

Fibre type	Grass
Average fibre lenght	2mm (1-3mm)
Average fibre width	70µm (50-90µm)
Fibre ends	Square.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated cells	Small taxodiods and cupressoid pits are present in mature fibres.
Special features	Fibres are wide, thin walled.
Herzberg staining	Pink/Purple
Graff 'C' staining	Pink/Purple

Botanical classification

Juncus effusus var. decipiens Buchenau

Order:

Poales

Family:

Synonyms:

Juncus effusus var. solutus Fern. & Wiegand

Plant growing area

Widespread in temperate and mountainous tropical regions.

Grows at forest margins, wet grasslands, morasses, lakes, river banks, fields and rice fields at an altitude from 200 to 3400 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The plant adapts to various types of soils and can grow in heavy clay soils; it needs moist soils and can grow in water and develop in partial shade.

The stems are used to produce paper fiber giving an off-white paper. They are used in combination with the fibers of the bark of mulberry trees for making stencil paper.

Korea:

Used in combination with the bark of paper mulberry during the Joseon period (1392-1910) as substitute material.

Preparation process for making paper

Korea:

The stems are harvested in late summer or autumn, they are cut into pieces and then soaked for 24 hours in clear water. They are then cooked for 2 hours with lye and beaten in a blender.

Paper names

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = papier.

Au Japon les papiers de kozo sont les plus nombreux.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Japanese

Local scripture:

こひげ

Identification

Fibre type	Grass
Average fibre lenght	2mm (1-3mm)
Average fibre width	70µm (50-90µm)
Fibre ends	Square.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated cells	Small taxodiods and cupressoid pits are present in mature fibres.
Special features	Fibres are wide, thin walled.
Herzberg staining	Pink/Purple
Graff 'C' staining	Pink/Purple

Botanical classification

Juncus effusus var. decipiens Buchenau

Order:

Poales

Family:

Synonyms:

Juncus effusus var. solutus Fern. & Wiegand

Plant growing area

Widespread in temperate and mountainous tropical regions.

Grows at forest margins, wet grasslands, morasses, lakes, river banks, fields and rice fields at an altitude from 200 to 3400 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The plant adapts to various types of soils and can grow in heavy clay soils; it needs moist soils and can grow in water and develop in partial shade.

The stems are used to produce paper fiber giving an off-white paper. They are used in combination with the fibers of the bark of mulberry trees for making stencil paper.

Korea:

Used in combination with the bark of paper mulberry during the Joseon period (1392-1910) as substitute material.

Preparation process for making paper

Korea:

The stems are harvested in late summer or autumn, they are cut into pieces and then soaked for 24 hours in clear water. They are then cooked for 2 hours with lye and beaten in a blender.

Paper names

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = papier.

Au Japon les papiers de kozo sont les plus nombreux.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Japanese

Local scripture:

イグサ

Identification

Fibre type	Grass
Average fibre lenght	2mm (1-3mm)
Average fibre width	70µm (50-90µm)
Fibre ends	Square.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated cells	Small taxodiods and cupressoid pits are present in mature fibres.
Special features	Fibres are wide, thin walled.
Herzberg staining	Pink/Purple
Graff 'C' staining	Pink/Purple

Botanical classification

Juncus effusus var. decipiens Buchenau

Order:

Poales

Family:

Synonyms:

Juncus effusus var. solutus Fern. & Wiegand

Plant growing area

Widespread in temperate and mountainous tropical regions.

Grows at forest margins, wet grasslands, morasses, lakes, river banks, fields and rice fields at an altitude from 200 to 3400 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The plant adapts to various types of soils and can grow in heavy clay soils; it needs moist soils and can grow in water and develop in partial shade.

The stems are used to produce paper fiber giving an off-white paper. They are used in combination with the fibers of the bark of mulberry trees for making stencil paper.

Korea:

Used in combination with the bark of paper mulberry during the Joseon period (1392-1910) as substitute material.

Preparation process for making paper

Korea:

The stems are harvested in late summer or autumn, they are cut into pieces and then soaked for 24 hours in clear water. They are then cooked for 2 hours with lye and beaten in a blender.

Paper names

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = papier.

Au Japon les papiers de kozo sont les plus nombreux.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Korean

Local scripture:

골풀

Identification

Fibre type	Grass
Average fibre lenght	2mm (1-3mm)
Average fibre width	70µm (50-90µm)
Fibre ends	Square.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated cells	Small taxodiods and cupressoid pits are present in mature fibres.
Special features	Fibres are wide, thin walled.
Herzberg staining	Pink/Purple
Graff 'C' staining	Pink/Purple

Botanical classification

Juncus effusus var. decipiens Buchenau

Order:

Poales

Family:

Synonyms:

Juncus effusus var. solutus Fern. & Wiegand

Plant growing area

Widespread in temperate and mountainous tropical regions.

Grows at forest margins, wet grasslands, morasses, lakes, river banks, fields and rice fields at an altitude from 200 to 3400 m.

Use area in the manufacture of paper

China, Korea.

Plant cultivation and use

The plant adapts to various types of soils and can grow in heavy clay soils; it needs moist soils and can grow in water and develop in partial shade.

The stems are used to produce paper fiber giving an off-white paper. They are used in combination with the fibers of the bark of mulberry trees for making stencil paper.

Korea:

Used in combination with the bark of paper mulberry during the Joseon period (1392-1910) as substitute material.

Preparation process for making paper

Korea:

The stems are harvested in late summer or autumn, they are cut into pieces and then soaked for 24 hours in clear water. They are then cooked for 2 hours with lye and beaten in a blender.

Paper names

Japan:

Suffixes kami, gami, shi = papier.

Au Japon les papiers de kozo sont les plus nombreux.

Used part of the plant:

Stem

Use for paper making:

Fiber

Language:

Identification

Fibre type	Grass
Average fibre lenght	2mm (1-3mm)
Average fibre width	70µm (50-90µm)
Fibre ends	Square.
Striations, cross-markings, flexion creases
Associated cells	Small taxodiods and cupressoid pits are present in mature fibres.
Special features	Fibres are wide, thin walled.
Herzberg staining	Pink/Purple
Graff 'C' staining	Pink/Purple

Botanical classification

Juncus effusus var. decipiens Buchenau

Order:

Poales

Family: