Orcein, or "purple moss", was another common purple dye. Orcein, or "purple moss", was another common violet dye. Often orcein or a combination of resorcinol and fuchsine are used for staining. Elastic fibers stain well with aldehyde fuchsin, orcein, and Weigert's elastic stain in histological sections. Orcein and other lichen dyes have largely been replaced by synthetic versions. It is then converted to orcein by ammonia and air. The chemical components of orcein were elucidated only in the 1950s by Hans Musso. Orcein is a reddish-brown dye, orchil is a purple-blue dye.