Dyer's Woad

At a glance

Origin / distribution: UK, China, US

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Cancer, Cancer(Cervix), Fever, Parotitis

Science studied: ARSENIC, CICEROSE, COPPER, BETA-GALACTAN

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Brassicaceae

Scientific name: Isatis tinctoria

Common names: Dyer's Woad, Artengruppe Färber-Waid, Barbjerska sywina, Berggran, Csülleng, Dažinė mėlžolė, Deutscher Indigo, Dyer's woad, Dyer’s woad, Faerber-Waid, Farve-vajd, Färber-Waid

POWO: 285873-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in UK, China, Elsewhere, US.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Cancer
• Cancer(Cervix)
• Fever
• Parotitis
• Sore
• Sore(Throat)
• Tumor
• Rash

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• UK
• China
• Elsewhere
• US

Documented cultural uses

• Cancer
• Cancer(Cervix)
• Fever
• Parotitis
• Sore
• Sore(Throat)
• Tumor
• Rash
• Bactericide
• Cyanogenetic

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Cancer · UK · "
• Cancer(Cervix) · China · "
• Fever · China · "
• Parotitis · China · "
• Sore · Elsewhere · "
• Sore(Throat) · China · "
• Tumor · China · "
• Rash · China · "
• Bactericide · China · "
• Cyanogenetic · US · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Correction: Direct evidence for processing Isatis tinctoria L., a non-nutritional plant, 32-34,000 years ago. · 2025 source ↗
• Microbes Associated to Dyer's woad (Isatis tinctoria L.): Pigment Extraction, Dyeing and Cultivation with Non-toxic Inputs. A Review. · 2025 source ↗
• <i>Isatis tinctoria</i> L.-From Botanical Description to Seed-Extracted Compounds and Their Applications: An Overview. · 2025 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ARSENIC
• CICEROSE
• COPPER
• BETA-GALACTAN
• GAMMA-GALACTAN
• IRON
• ISATAN
• LINOLENIC-ACID
• LUPEOSE
• MANNEOTETROSE
• OLEIC-ACID
• POTASSIUM
• QUERCETIN
• SINIGRIN
• STACHYOSE
• 1-SULFO-3-INDOLYLMETHYLGLUCOSINOLATE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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