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Dye Plant plants from which natural dyes are obtained
to colour textiles, leather, food, paints, varnishes, ink, paper,
wood,
fur, medicine and cosmetics. There are about 150 such commercially important
plants throughout the world. In Bangladesh, dyes are mostly used to colour
cotton yarns, synthetic fibres and silk cloths. The most important textile
dyes are obtained from a small spiny tree, Acacia catechu, locally
known as Khoir tree, mostly growing naturally; but also cultivated
in northeastern part of Bangladesh. The dye is extracted from the heartwood.
This dye is fast and is mostly used for various brown,
khaki and drab colours; it is used for dyeing canvas, fishing nets and
ropes. The popular orange dye obtained from the leaves of a shrubby plant,
Lawsonia inermis, locally known as Mehedi, is used for dying
hairs, eyebrows, fingernails and palms during ceremonials and festivals.
turmeric, Curcuma longa, a herbaceous rhizomatous plant is a source
of yellow colours for cloths, carpets, calico-printing, food stuffs and
in preparation of curries.
The yellow or orange thistle-like flower heads of safflower,
Carthamus tinctorius, are used for colouring food and cloths. Another
minor dye yielding plant is Shephalika/Shephali or tree of sorrow, Nyctanthes
arbor-tristis, the flower yield yellow colour. The seeds of the Annatto
dye plant, Bixa orellana, is a source of a dye used to colour foodstuffs,
wool, paints, varnish and soap.
[Mostafa Kamal Pasha]
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