Gamboge is a partially transparent, reddish yellow
pigment.
First used as a colour name in 1634.
Gamboge is an extract from the Gamboge tree; a species
of evergreen trees of the famliy Guttiferae (or
Clusiaceae) which grow in the eastern part of the world.
The resin is extracted after the tree has grown for
10 years.
This extract is responsible for the colour of Buddhist
monks' robes, as they use the gum resin as a dye.
The synthetic version of this colour is not very
different from its natural counterpart.
Sources:
- http://wordsmith.org/words/gamboge.html
- http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamboge
- http://www.thefreedictionary.com/gamboge
- and Wikipedia