| Funfal dyes |
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Picture: Fungal
dyes by Anna King
Traditionally, dyestuffs were
extracted from roots, leaves, stems, flowers, berries, lichen, bark, wood,
etc. More recently, however, people have also begun to experiment with
dyes from mushrooms. Mushroom dyes are simple to extract and yield a wide
range of bright, fast colours colours - 'a palette possibly unsurpassed
by other natural dyestuffs.'
There does not appear to be
a tradition of dying with fungi in Scotland, although they were historically
employed in scattered locations elsewhere in the world. Coppins and Watling
(1995) cite the usage of several species for this purpose. As fungal dyeing
is a relative newcomer to Britain (having only developed in the 1990s),
experimental dyers are still finding their feet.
The usual rule for natural
dyeing may apply as a starter (traditionally, 1 ounce of wool to one quart
of fresh blossoms or leaves). However, experience has shown that in the
mushroom realm, the concentration of dye substances in each species
is far more the determining factor, so that no rule of thumb can be looked
to for best, better or any special results.
The
following species have been used in Scotland - Click on the links for
more information
Descriptions from:
[Harding,
P., Lyon, T. & Tomblin, G., (1996) How to identify edible
mushrooms. Collins, London]
[Courtecuisse, R. (1999)
Collins guide to the mushrooms of Britain & Europe. Harper
Collins, London.]
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Bulgaria
inquinans
Description:
1-3 cm across, small rubber-like, blackish,
top-shaped (turbinate) fungus growths found growing in clusters
on the bark of oak and other hardwoods, frequently on dead or decaying
wood; spores- black.
Dyes:
All tests produce brown black; red/golden
brown (no mordant), grey brown (alum), chocolate brown (tin), brown
(copper), grey brown (iron).
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Cortinarius
cinnamomeus
Description:
Cap 2 to 5 cm broad, with umbo, becoming
almost flat with maturity, yellow brown to cinnamon brown, remnants
of cortina evident on edge of cap, flesh is pale yellow; gills yellowish,
turning brown with spores in maturity; stalk yellow to yellowish-cinnamon,
often with fine hairs; spores brown; habitat under conifers, autumn
and summer.
Dyes:
Three different colours if dried; orange
(no mordant), orange (alum), muddy orange (tin), red brown/ cinnamon
(copper), grey/ red brown/ orange (iron).
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Cortinarius
croceus
Description:
Cap olivaceous brown, expanded in maturity,
with definite umbo; gills orange-yellow (saffron); stalk yellowish;
spores rusty brown; habitat - on the ground under conifers.
Dyes:
Pale orange/ yellow (no mordant), orange/
yellow (alum), orange yellow (tin).
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| Cortinarius
sanguineus
Cap 2-5 cm broad,
dark blood red, bell-shaped, 'silky', dry, fibrillose, remains
of veil (cortina) on edge of cap in young specimens, gills
blood red, close, attached to stalk (adnate); stalk blood
red; spores rusty brown; habitat - on ground under conifers
during autumm.
Dyes:
Orange, rust-red (no mordant),
red/ red-orange (alum), scarlet (tin), deep fox-red/ cinnamon
(copper), purple/ tan (iron). Best of the Cortinarius
genus.
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Cortinarius
semisanguineus
Cap 5-7 cm broad in maturity, slight
umbo, tawny to cinnamon yellow, dry, smooth, remains of veil
(cortina) evident when young, flesh is yellowish white; gills
blood red when young, becoming 'rusty' with age due to spore
formation; gills attached to stalk; stalk yellowish-tawny, fibrillose;
spores rusty-brown.
Dyes:
Orange-rust red/ apricot (no
mordant), orange red/ red/ apricot (alum), cinnamon (chrome),
orange yellow/ salmon pink, red- brown/ tan (copper), grey
brown/ tan (iron). Best to separate caps and stalks and use
separately.
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| Fomes
fomentarius
Also called Devil's
Hoofnail & Touchwood Fungus.
Bulky, hard bracket fungus (10-30cm
deep), or thin and glabrous. Concentric ridging on bracket
(has pores, not gills), Brownish-grey surface, flesh dark
rufous brown. Common on birch in Scotland.
Dyes:
Beige (no mordant), beige brown/
mustard (alum), yellow brown (chrome), yellow brown/ mustard
(tin), yellow brown/ light brown (copper) and dark brown/
light brown (iron).
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| Gymnopilus
penetrans
Cap up to
6 or 8 cm wide, convex, yellow-orange, hairless surface (dry
or viscid) white veil, slightly umbonate, yellowish flesh;
gills yellow, becoming rusty-brownish with spores; stalk with
no ring even though there is a veil when young; spore print
rusty brown; habitat - growing singly or in groups (caespitose)
on wood, or on the ground under which is buried or rotting
wood.
Dyes:
gold (no mordant), gold
(alum), mustard ( chrome), gold/ yellow (tin), cinnamon (copper),
greenish yellow (iron).
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| Hydnellum
caeruleum
Cap 5cm, leathery,
top-shaped, upper surface rugose, tomentose, blueish, fading
or spotted with reddish fawn. Under surface covered with slender
decurrent spines, bluish, then white and finally purplish
brown.
Dyes:
Tan (no mordant), grey blue (alum),
grey green (chrome), light blue (tin), brown green (copper)
and dark forest green (iron).
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| Hypholoma
fasiculare
Also called Sulphur
Tuft. Cap 4-8 cm, with a low umbo, smooth, bright yellow
with a slightly fawn-orange centre; margin incurved, at first
with a cortina; gills sulphur, becoming a greenish to olive
grey. Flesh yellow, odourless, bitter.
Dyes:
Gold/ yellow (no mordant), yellowish
beige/ gold (alum), cinnamon (chrome), ochre yellow/ gold
(tin), yellow olive/ yellow brown (copper) and grey green/
greenish brown (iron).
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| Inonotus
hispidus
A bracket fungus
(with pores). Thick, rufous brown. Pores glancing. Cap fairly
thick, up to 8 cm. Semicircular, wider than long. Has erect,
bristly hairs (felt-like to touch) starting rust coloured,
then darkening. Flesh fibrous, turning leathery.
Dyes:
Yellow (alum), gold brown (copper)
and green gold (iron).
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| Lactarius
deliciosus
Cap 6-12 cm across,
light orange, turning greenish with either bruising or age,
bleeds orange 'milk' (latex) which turns zoned with greenish
tones, convex in shape, flesh light orange, brittle; gills
bright orange, staining green bruised, decurrent; spores buff;
stalk same color as cap; habitat in mixed conifer/hardwood
forests. This specimen was found under tan oak.
Dyes:
All test produce beige.
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Paxillius
atromentosus
Description:
Cap up to 15 cm wide, light brown with
flattened hairs (felty-tormentose), dry, centrally depressed, margin
strongly inrolled, flesh whitish to beige-yellow; gills bright yellow
to pale brownish yellow, turning brown where bruised, running down
stem (decurrent); stalk off-centre, short, fat, covered with thick
velvet (velutinous) layer of dark brown-black hairs; spores yellowish-brown;
habitat - found in groups on decayed conifer logs and stumps, late
summer and early autumm.
Dyes:
Beige brown (no mordant), beige brown
(alum), yelow brown (tin), olive, tawny (copper), yellow/ grey green
(iron). When aged they range from forest green, lavender, brown
green, dark green, dark grey to purple black.
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Paxillius
involutus
Description:
Cap 5-10 cm broad, convex at first,
flattening out in depression in center, margin of cap inrolled,
yellowish brown felty appearance due to matted hairs (fibrillose),
yellowish flesh with stains down stalk (decurrent); staining brownish
where bruised, often has intersecting gills; stalk short, thick,
slightly enlarged at base, central (never off center), hairless,
yellowish brown; habitat - found in association with wood, either
on it or nearby, especially conifers or mixed hardwood and conifer
forests.
Dyes:
Beige (no mordant), beige (alum), orange
(tin), tan (copper) and greenish tan (iron).
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| Phaeolus
schweinitzii
Cap >12cm across,
dimidiate, thick and expanded. Rather fleshy. Pale ochre/
yellow (darkening to brighter saffron at edges). Pores large,
labyrinthine, olivacoues yellow. Common at base of living
conifer trunks.
Dyes:
Beige yellow (no mordant), yellow
(alum), bright yellow (tin), brown (copper) and moss green
(iron).
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| Ramaria
pallida
Small, gelid fungus
with elongate, vertically held branches. Generally pale yellow,
with lilac, or purple tingeing towards the tips, although
easily confused with older specimens of related species.
Dyes:
Provides blue dye.
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| Thelephora
palmata
3-6 cm tall fungus
growing erect, almost like coral, with many erect flattened
branches, purplish-greyish-brown in color, with a leathery
context; spores fawn; habitat - found on ground under conifers
late summer through to autumn.
Dyes:
Tan (no mordant, alum, chrome),
olive green (tin), tan (copper), tan (iron). Provides blue
dye.
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Tricholompsis
rutilans
Description:
Cap up to 15 cm across when mature,
rounded (convex) expanding to nearly flat, yellowish colour under
a dense covering of dark reddish fibrillose scales, pale yellow
flesh; gills yellow, notched to stem (adnexed), close; stalk up
to 10 or 15 cm long, same yellowish with red fibrils which cap has
and will stain yellow when it's bruised; spore print white; habitat
- grows singly on conifer logs and stumps in comiferous forests.
Dyes:
Mustard (no mordant), brown (alum),
brown (chrome), mustard (tin), dark brown (copper) and brown black
(iron).
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