The main colouring agent in Cosmos sulphureus is a pentahydroxy chalcone hexoside, an anthochlorine type flavonoid generically known as coreopsin
Belonging to the Asteraceae family, it originated in Central America. The Aztecs used it as their main dyestuff for yellow-orange shades, as is mentioned in the 16th C. Florentine Codex compiled by Fr. Bernardino de Sahagún, where we learn that Xochipalli was the Nahuatl name for this dyestuff obtained from the petals of the Cosmos sulphureus which grows in Mexico. The main coloring agent in Cosmos sulphureus is a pentahydroxy chalcone hexoside, an anthochlorine type flavonoid generically known as coreopsin. However, coloring is also provided by additional flavonoids in the plant, such as isoquercitin and the luteolin glycosides. OLD WOOD processes these complex dyes to create two golden hues, one of them greenish with oaken nuances (Golden Oak) and the other more yellow with bright orange tones (Golden Yellow). Both are highly transparent, vibrant, warm and full of life.
