Cochineal is a dye-stuff consisting of the dried bodies of the females of a species of insect, the Coccus Cacti a native of the warmer parts of America, particularly Mexico, and found living on a species of cactus called the cochineal-fig. The insects are brushed softly off, and killed by being placed in ovens or dried in the sun, having then the appearance of small berries or seeds. A pound of cochineal contains about 70,000 of them. The finest cochineal is prepared in Mexico, where it was first discovered, and Guatemala; but Peru, Brazil, Algiers, the East and West Indies, and the Canary Islands have also produced cochineal more or less success. Cochineal produces crimson and scarlet colours, and is used in making carmine and lake. Research Cochineal
Red is a colour ranging from pink (purple-red) to orange (yellow-red). Red is traditionally associated with danger, stop, blood, warnings, prohibition. Red can evoke images of blood, and hence of murder, of ghoulishness and of horror. Red is associated with energy, activity, anger, fertility and is associated with the planetMars and with war.
Apple - Almost any shade of red you wish. A purely poetic term, though more usually applied to a pale green.
Auburn - A reddish-brown colour, the colour of an orang-utan's hair. Auburn is usually used to describe the colour of hair.
Burgundy - A dark, purplish-red colour of Burgundywine.
Crimson - A deep rich-red inclining towards purple.
Ruddle - A deep orange-red ochre-based pigment used for marking sheep.
Ruddy - Tinged with red. Reddish. Implying a colour of blood.
Rusty - Reddish-brown or brownish-orange colour of iron oxide (rust). Rusty implies decay, age, weathering.
Rufous - Rust-coloured. Rufous implies more organic than mineral, an animal may be described as being rufous in colour, while a weathered piece of iron is more likely rusty.
Russet - Reddish-brown. Russet is more usually applied to flora, such as apples or potatoes, while rufous may describe an animal and rusty a mineral or metal item.
Rubicund - Tinged with red. Rubicund is used to describe a person's complexion, and implies the appearance that occurs as a result of excessive good living. The ruddy complexion one might achieve from plenty of alcoholconsumption, for example.
Sanguine - A rather archaic term for the red colour of blood, implying blood.
The Bead-snake (Elaps fulvius), is a beautiful venomoussnake of North America, inhabiting cultivated grounds, especially plantations of the sweet-potato, and burrowing in the ground. It is finely marked with yellow, carmine, and black. Research Bead-Snake
The Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) or bluebottle, is a favourite annual garden flower of the family Compositae. The flowers are double and blue, white, rose or carmine in colour and borne on long stalks. The stem is erect, branched, wiry and alternate with downy greyish linear-lanceolate leaves. Cornflowers are effective as cut flowers or for border cultivation. They are hardy annuals, and may be sown in April or May. Research Cornflower
Carmine is a brilliant, deep, fiery red colouring derived from the cochineal insect. It was first prepared by a Franciscanmonk at Pisa and manufacture began in 1650. Carmine is used as an artists' colour and as a glass colour, works well with water and oil, but fades badly. Research Carmine
Abbreviations
Research Cochineal
