Arnebia hispidissima
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64400ace09b9d142101380 |
| Scientific name | Arnebia hispidissima |
| Authority | (Lehm.) A.DC. |
| First published in | Prodr. 10: 94 1846 |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Root extract, dried root powder, and concentrated pigment preparation containing naphthoquinone compounds (alkannin, shikonin derivatives).
Industrial and craft applications:
- Natural red dye for textile fibers (silk, wool, cotton) used with mordant systems (e.g., aluminum or iron) to produce shades ranging from scarlet to deep maroon.
- Ink production for artistic use; the pigment provides a permanent red hue on paper and canvas.
- Leather coloration; the dye imparts a reddish tint to finished leather goods (used as a colorant, not as a tanning agent).
Colorants and tanning:
- The plant’s roots supply a natural red colorant suitable for protein fibers and leather; it is employed as a dye rather than a tannin.
- Colorfastness after mordanting meets standard textile testing (ISO 105‑C06).
Fragrance and cosmetics:
- Extracts rich in alkannin/shikonin are incorporated as red pigments in cosmetics (lipsticks, nail enamels, skin‑care creams) and listed under INCI nomenclature.
- The root oil contributes minor fragrance notes used in natural perfumery.
Properties relevant to use:
- Naphthoquinone content of approximately 0.5–2 % w/w of dry root yields high color intensity.
- Pigments are soluble in ethanol and oils, facilitating formulation in dye baths, inks, and cosmetic emulsions.
- Lightfastness and oxidative stability are improved after complexation with metal mordants.
Standards and regulation:
- Cosmetic colorants derived from A. hispidissima must comply with the EU Cosmetic Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, requiring safety assessment and inclusion on product labels.
- Textile dyes must meet ISO 105‑C06 for colorfastness to washing; the dye has been reported to satisfy these criteria.
- The species has not been authorized as a food additive (no E‑number) in the EU or United States as of 2025.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Primary harvest occurs from wild populations in northern India; demand for the pigment has led to localized over‑harvesting.
- Cultivation by seed propagation is feasible and recommended to reduce pressure on wild stocks.
- Sustainable‑harvest guidelines suggest limiting annual collection to ≤10 % of the standing population and promoting habitat protection.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Lithospermum villosum | G.Don ex A.DC. | Prodr. 10: 86 1846 |
| Lithospermum villosum | Wall. & G.Don | Gen. Hist. 4: 325 (1837) |
| Rhytispermum villosum | Link | Handbuch 1: 580 (1829) |
| Toxostigma luteum | A.Rich. | Tent. Fl. Abyss. 2: 86 (1850) |
| Strobila hispidissima | G.Don | Gen. Hist. 4: 327 (1837) |
| Anchusa asperrima | Delile | Descr. Egypte, Hist. Nat. : 55 (1813) |
| Anchusa hispidissima | Sieber ex DC. | Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 10: 94. 1846 [8 Apr 1846] |
| Arnebia asperrima | (Delile) Hutch. & Dalziel | Fl. W. Trop. Afr. 2: 201 (1931) |
| Arnebia lutea | (A.Rich.) Armari | Annuario Reale Ist. Bot. Roma 8: 161 (1904) |
| Arnebiola migiurtina | Chiov. | Fl. Somala 1: 227 (1929) |
| Dioclea hispidissima | Spreng. | Syst. Veg., ed. 16 [Sprengel] 1: 556. 1824 [dated 1825; publ. in late 1824] |
| Echiochilon hispidissimum | Tausch | Flora 12: 643 (1829) |
| Echioides asperrimum | (Delile) Rothm. | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 49: 56 (1940) |
| Lithospermum hispidissimum | Lehm. | Icon. Descr. Nov. Stirp. : t. 39 (1823) |
| Lithospermum vestitum | Wall. | Numer. List [Wallich] n. 941. 1829 |
| Echioides asperrima | (Delile) Rothm. | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 49: 56 (1940) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | arabian primrose |
| English | spiny bugloss |
| Hausa | jinin mutum |
| Chinese | 阿拉伯报春花 |
| Chinese | 阿拉伯報春花 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
Northeast Tropical Africa
- Chad
- Djibouti
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Socotra
- Somalia
- Sudan
-
Northern Africa
- Egypt
-
West Tropical Africa
- Niger
- Nigeria
-
West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
-
Northeast Tropical Africa
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
Arabian Peninsula
- Gulf States
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
- Yemen
-
China
- Tibet
-
Western Asia
- Iran
- Palestine
- Sinai
-
Arabian Peninsula
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- India
- Pakistan
- West Himalaya
-
Indian Subcontinent
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000549486 |
| Tropicos | 4002686 |
| INPN | 610612 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:113464-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2652995 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 6062066 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 2571305 |
| IPNI | 113464-1 |
| iNaturalist | 489768 |
| GBIF | 4065217 |
| EPPO | ANBHI |
| USDA GRIN | 467732 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Naphthalenes / Naphthoquinones | |||||
| (+-)-Shikonin | 5208 | Click to see | 288.29 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-16470 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| [(1R)-1-(5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-dioxonaphthalen-2-yl)-4-methylpent-3-enyl] (3E)-5-methylhexa-3,5-dienoate | 163195328 | Click to see | 396.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-16470 |
| [(1R)-1-(5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-dioxonaphthalen-2-yl)-4-methylpent-3-enyl] 5-methylhexa-3,5-dienoate | 163193700 | Click to see | 396.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-16470 |
| [(1S)-1-(5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-dioxonaphthalen-2-yl)-4-methylpent-3-enyl] 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoate | 10178341 | Click to see CC(=CCC(C1=CC(=O)C2=C(C=CC(=C2C1=O)O)O)OC(=O)CC(C)(C)O)C | 388.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| 2-(1-n-Butanoyloxy-4-methyl-3-pentenyl)-5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone | 10247808 | Click to see CCCC(=O)OC(CC=C(C)C)C1=CC(=O)C2=C(C=CC(=C2C1=O)O)O | 358.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-16470 |
| 2-[5,8-dihydroxy-2-(1-hydroxy-4-methylpent-3-enyl)-1,4-dioxo-3H-naphthalen-2-yl]acetic acid | 56842723 | Click to see | 348.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| Acetylalkannin | 9967285 | Click to see | 330.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| Acetylshikonin | 32464 | Click to see CC(=CCC(C1=CC(=O)C2=C(C=CC(=C2C1=O)O)O)OC(=O)C)C | 330.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| Alkannin | 72521 | Click to see | 288.29 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0944-7113(00)80077-X |
| Alkannin-beta-hydroxyisovalerate | 100203 | Click to see | 388.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| Arnebin I | 32465 | Click to see | 370.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0944-7113(00)80077-X |
| Butylshikonin | 10089766 | Click to see | 358.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-16470 |
| Deoxyshikonin | 98914 | Click to see CC(=CCCC1=CC(=O)C2=C(C=CC(=C2C1=O)O)O)C | 272.29 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0944-7113(00)80077-X https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| Isovalerylalkannin | 5318685 | Click to see CC(C)CC(=O)OC(CC=C(C)C)C1=CC(=O)C2=C(C=CC(=C2C1=O)O)O | 372.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| Isovalerylshikonin | 335426 | Click to see | 372.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| Shikonin | 479503 | Click to see | 288.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-16470 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty alcohols | |||||
| 1-Tetracosanol | 10472 | Click to see | 354.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Quinone and hydroquinone lipids / Prenylquinones / Ubiquinones | |||||
| 5-[(2E,6Z,7Z)-6-ethylidene-2-methylnona-2,7-dienyl]-2,3-dimethoxycyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione | 5320195 | Click to see CC=CC(=CC)CCC=C(C)CC1=CC(=O)C(=C(C1=O)OC)OC | 330.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-16470 |
| 5-[5-(Furan-3-yl)-2-methylpent-2-enyl]-2,3-dimethoxycyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione | 125243 | Click to see CC(=CCCC1=COC=C1)CC2=CC(=O)C(=C(C2=O)OC)OC | 316.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-16470 |
| Arnebifuranone | 6438590 | Click to see | 316.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2001-16470 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| Beta-Amyrin | 73145 | Click to see CC1(CCC2(CCC3(C(=CCC4C3(CCC5C4(CCC(C5(C)C)O)C)C)C2C1)C)C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1076/PHBI.41.4.231.15667 |
| Betulin | 72326 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(C(C5CCC4(C3(CC2)C)C)(C)C)O)C)CO | 442.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1076/PHBI.41.4.231.15667 |
| Lupeol | 259846 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(C(C5CCC4(C3(CC2)C)C)(C)C)O)C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1076/PHBI.41.4.231.15667 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| (-)-beta-Sitosterol | 222284 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 86821 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| Stigmast-5-en-3-ol | 22012 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(83)83069-6 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Ethers / Alkyl aryl ethers | |||||
| (4E,8E)-4,8-Dimethyl-2-oxabicyclo(9.3.1)pentadeca-1(15),4,8,11,13-pentaen-12-ol | 5281558 | Click to see | 244.33 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0944-7113(00)80077-X |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |