Bedstraw

Galium mollugo

Description

A natural red dye obtained from the roots of the Galium species plants native to England and northern parts of Europe. Some examples are Galium verum (ladies bedstraw), Galium cruciata (bedstraw), and Galium mollugo (hedge bedstraw). The principal colorant in bedstraw dyes is pseudopurpurin. A yellow dye is obtained from the stem and tops of the plant (yellow ladies bedstraw). The stems of the plants were also used for stuffing mattresses in medieval times.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Galium verum (ladies bedstraw, our lady's bedstraw, yellow spring bedstraw); Galium mollugo (hedge bedstraw, false baby's breath); Galium cruciata (bedstraw); Natural Red 14; caglio (It.); erba solfina (It.)

Galium verum

Additional Information

H.Schweppe, J.Winter, "Madder and Alizarin", Artists Pigments, Volume 3, E. West FitzHugh (ed.), Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1997.

Authority

• R.J. Adrosko, R.J. Adrosko, Natural Dyes in the United States, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, 1968

• External source or communication, External source or communication Comment: A. Wallert Studies in Conservation 40:177-188 1995

• Artists' Pigments: A Handbook of their History and Characteristics, Elisabeth West FitzHugh, Oxford University Press, Oxford, Vol. 3, 1997 Comment: H.Schweppe, J.Winter, "Madder and Alizarin",

• Random House, Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998