Uncaria gambir

The Gambir (from the Indonesian, with emphasis on the first syllable) is a color and tannin, consisting of the leaves of the climbing shrub Nauclea Gambir - is obtained - similar to catechu. Both Gambir and catechu provide a brown color mostly for cotton and catechu is also a black color for silk.

Other or legacy names for Gambir are Yellow catechu, Gutta Gambir and incorrectly Terra japonica ("Japanese Earth "). It is made particularly in Indonesia in Java and Sumatra, and in Further India, not as made ​​of acacia catechu, but from the young branches and leaves of the shrub belonging to the Cinchonaceen Nauclea gambir or Uncaria gambir. This variety appears mostly in cube-shaped dark brown or reddish black, inside a little lighter colored pieces as Singapore Gambir, partly as more yellow-brown, internally also lighter cubes ( Rhiogambir ).

To understand the plant dyes should be noted that the greater number are not included directly in the plant parts in question, but is constructed by the treatment process from the existing components. The actual catechu varieties taste astringent and nachgehend sweet, but the Gambir developed alongside the astringent taste bitterness. The varieties all dissolve only partially in cold water, on the other hand should be completely soluble in hot and are all the more contaminated, the more sediment it left there. There are thus produced in combination with chromium and copper salts and other additives brown colors, mixed colors and true black.