Rhodamine dyes

A compound of formula I:

• ##STR23## wherein A.sup.- is an anion, R, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkyl substituted by hydroxyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.13 -alkoxy, chlorine, cyano, phenyl, tolyl, chlorophenyl or methoxyphenyl or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl substituted cycloalkyl, or one of said R.sup.1 or R.sup.2 radicals is phenyl, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, together with the nitrogen atoms, form a pyrrolidino, piperidino, morpholino, piperazino, N-methylpiperazino or N-.beta.-hydroxyethylpiperazino ring, R.sup.3 is hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 independently of each other are alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkyl substituted by hydroxyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.13 -alkoxy, chlorine, cyano, phenyl, tolyl, chlorophenyl or methoxyphenyl or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl substituted cycloalkyl, or aminoethyl, aminopropyl, amino(.alpha.-methyl)ethyl, methylaminopropyl, dimethylaminoethyl, diethylaminoethyl, dipropylaminoethyl, dibutylaminoethyl, diethylaminopropyl, aminopropoxypropyl, dimethylaminopropoxypropyl, aminoethylaminoethyl or aminopropylaminopropyl;
• or one of said R.sup.4 or R.sup.5 radicals is hydrogen, phenyl or naphthyl, or R.sup.4 and R.sup.5, together with the nitrogen atom, form a pyrrolidino, piperidino, morpholino, piperazino, N-methylpiperazino, or N-.beta.-hydroxyethylpiperazino ring, n is 1, 2 or 3, X is hydrogen, chlorine, bromine, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy or nitro and Y is hydrogen or chlorine.