Kalinite

Kalinite is a mineral composed of hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate (a type of alum). It is a fibrous monoclinic alum, distinct from isometric potassium alum, named in 1868. Its name comes from kalium (derived from Arabic: القَلْيَه al-qalyah “plant ashes”) which is the Latin name for potassium, hence its chemical symbol, "K". A proposal to remove recognition of kalinite as a mineral species was submitted to the International Mineralogical Association, however, kalinite is still on the list of approved minerals. Many older samples, however, have been found to be potassium alum.