dyer's moss

American  

noun

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

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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