A flowering plant native to North Africa and the Middle East, formerly used to make blue dye.
From Arabic ar-rağal or similar; the name entered European languages through Middle Eastern trade. The plant became notable in dye production and traditional medicine.
Arghel was how ancient Egyptians and North Africans made blue dyes before synthetic indigo—archaeologists find arghel-dyed fabrics in tombs, showing it was valued enough to take into the afterlife.
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