{"id":1853,"date":"2014-12-13T13:07:06","date_gmt":"2014-12-13T13:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.reading.ac.uk\/crg\/?p=1853"},"modified":"2014-12-13T13:07:06","modified_gmt":"2014-12-13T13:07:06","slug":"2014-advent-botany-day-13-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/herbarium\/2014\/12\/13\/2014-advent-botany-day-13-paper\/","title":{"rendered":"2014 Advent Botany – Day 13 – Paper"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Paper<\/a>
Paper showing wood-pulp fibres<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Produced by the simple process of pressing together moist plant fibres, typically cellulose pulp, derived from the plant-based materials wood, rags or grasses and drying them into flexible sheets. Paper has an unrivalled versatility of uses \u2013 writing, drawing and painting, books, stationary and cards, boxes picture frames, wallpaper, screens, blinds and lampshades. Through papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9<\/a>\u00a0and related compounds paper can be moulded into almost anything, including vases, trays, jewellery and furniture.<\/p>\n

At Christmas time finding the right wrapping paper is a major preoccupation and Christmas without wrapping paper is unthinkable \u2013 in the UK more paper is consumed in this season than at any other time of the year \u2013 in fact enough wrapping paper to go round the equator nine times, that\u2019s a lot of paper!<\/p>\n

The pulp paper making process probably originated in China during the early 2nd century AD, developed by the Han court Eunuch Cai Lun<\/a>. This early start has given rise to the modern pulp and paper industry and it is still China that leads production followed by the United States.<\/p>\n

\"Korean<\/a>
Korean art on mulberry paper<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The word \u201cpaper\u201d comes from Papyrus, and the Egyptians, and later the Romans and others, pressed strips of pith from the flower stems together and dried them. No glue was needed, because the plant\u2019s sap and some Nile water did the job.\u00a0 Papyrus isn\u2019t as robust or flexible as paper made from fibre, so once the Chinese had used Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera<\/a>) to make the first fibre-based papers in AD 105, its days were numbered. \u00a0You can read lots more about papyrus in MSc Plant Diversity<\/a> graduate, Peter Rooney\u2019s double tropical botany blogs one (value and uses)<\/a>\u00a0 and two (taxonomy and distribution)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Edwin_Smith_Papyrus_v2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But the last word on paper for today comes from Mark Miodownik <\/a>Professor of Materials and Society at University College London. In his amazing book \u201cStuff Matters\u201d<\/em> he rhapsodises about how wrapping paper gives a Christmas gift \u201ca crispness and pristineness that emphasise the newness and value\u201d of the contents. The paper has mechanical properties that lend it to folding and creasing without falling apart, and yet allow it to be torn easily. It is \u201cstrong enough to protect the present during transportation but so weak that even a baby can rip it open.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Follow these links to read more on the fascinating story of the Rice-paper plant<\/a> (nothing to do with rice by the way!) and\u00a0The history\u00a0of paper<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Produced by the simple process of pressing together moist plant fibres, typically cellulose pulp, derived from the plant-based materials wood, rags or grasses and drying them into flexible sheets. 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