Chinese: 花生衣

English: Peanut

Scientific Name:  Arachis hypogaea

Part: Skin

Category: Plant

 

Arachis hypogaea, also known as peanut or groundnut, is a species of legume that is widely cultivated for its edible seeds. While peanuts are primarily used as a food crop, they have also been used in traditional medicine for their health benefits. Additionally, the plant has been used in some cultures as a natural dye for fabric.

 

The shells of the peanut seeds, which are often discarded during processing, can be used to create a brown dye. The process involves boiling the shells in water to extract the color, then soaking the fabric in the resulting dye solution. The resulting color can vary depending on the type of fabric used and the method of application.

 

While peanut dyeing is not a common practice in modern textile production, it has been used in some traditional textile crafts, particularly in parts of Africa and India. The use of natural dyes is often considered to be more sustainable and eco-friendly than synthetic dyes, which may have negative environmental impacts.

 

It is worth noting that while peanut dyeing can be a fun and interesting way to experiment with natural dyes, people with peanut allergies should avoid handling or coming into contact with the peanut shells used in the process.

 

花生衣又稱花生皮，指花生種子外表面的紫紅色種皮。雖然花生主要用作糧食作物，但其健康有益，也用於傳統醫學。此外，該植物在某些文化中用作織物的天然染料。

 

花生衣作為食物，可熬制成花生衣粥，適用於貧血、體虛乏力等症，可經常食用。於醫療上，花生衣具有增加血小板數量、抗氧化、抑菌等作用。另外，花生衣亦可防制干擾素治療慢性丙型肝炎所致的骨髓抑制，減輕中性粒細胞、白細胞及血小板降低等毒副反應。

 

於植物染色上，花生衣亦可用於製造芸黃色染料。

 

值得注意的是，雖然花生染色是一種有趣的天然染料，但對花生過敏者應避免處理或接觸過程中使用的花生殼。