Llorón
Miconia prasina
Orden: Order: Myrtales
Familia: Family: Melastomataceae
Género: Genus: Miconia
Especie: Species: Prasina
Nombres comunes: Common names: Camasey blanco, cenizo, jogorai, kuukutee, waraia.
Parte de la planta que se usa para el pigmento: Part of the plant used for pigment: Leaf
Color: Brown Yellow
Llorón pigment on paper. 102 x 68 cm
Pigmento de llorón sobre papel.
102 x 68 cmLlorón pigment on paper.
102 x 68 cm
Herbarium. Dried Llorón leaves, sewn on rice paper.
77 x 57 cm. 2013.
Monotype on rice paper made from the dried Llorón leaves.
100 x 65 cm. 2013.
Llorón. Leticia, Colombia, 2011.
Descripción general
General Description
Small, leafy tree between two and eight meters in height, with slender branches and prominent, oval shaped leaves. Its tiny, pink and white flowers are clustered at the ends of branches. The fruits also arranged at the end of the branches are small grapes that turn bluish-purple when ripe.
Llorón. Leticia, Colombia, 2011.
Distribución geográfica
e historia natural
Geographic Distribution
and Natural History
Found along tropical America, from Southern Mexico to Bolivia and Paraguay, including the West Indies. Blooms during the dry season and bears fruit at the start of the rainy season. Typically found in wet tropical forests, although it also inhabits mountain forests. Birds eat the fruit and scatter the seeds. It can be found in clearings, forest fringes, and second-growth areas.
Color extraction and dyeing process of natural fibers. Leticia, Colombia, 2011.
Usos
Uses
Its timber is used as fuel and building handmade tools. Its fruit, although edible, is not popular. Mostly used as food for cattle and for biological restoration processes, since it is an easy-growing pioneer species.
Pigmento
Pigment
The llorón produces a green-tea colored pigment attained when the leaves are macerated. This is a high yielding pigment that sets easily over different surfaces. When turmeric and lemon are added, the result is the only green colored pigment, among the plants explored to effectively set on fique.
