dyer's moss

noun

1. a lichen, Roccella tinctoria, from which the purple dye orchil can be prepared.

Example Sentences

These, under the name of “orchella weed” or “dyer’s moss,” are obtained from Angola, on the west coast of Africa, where the most valuable kinds are gathered; from Cape Verde Islands; from Lima, on the west coast of South America; and from the Malabar coast of India.

From Project Gutenberg