kariyasu 苅安

Also written 刈安. The name of a yellow dye, and the plant from which it is taken. Kariyasu is a tall grass Miscanthus tinctorus which grows on mountain slopes in Japan. The stems and leaves are harvested in autumn and boiled in water, producing a yellow color considered to be one of the most traditional, representative Japanese dye colors. When used with an alum mordant kariyasu gives a mustard color karashi-iro 芥子色, and an iron mordant produces moss green uguisu-iro 鴬色. Kariyasu is also combined with indigo *ai 藍 to give a grass-green color *moegi-iro 萌葱色.