Teasels Dipsacus Fullonum; I love the perfection of this plant. Guarded on all sides by its spikes, even the stem, it is defiant and its colour from the faintest silver to the dark purple and then brown (a final act) is a lesson in growing old.
When we lived in Essex near to Chelmsford, we would often wander round the area and it was very beautiful in places. Lost little spaces of tangled wild flowers and lanes coming to an abrupt stop. We were near to Sandford Mill, and there seemed to be a lot of teasels around. On reflection they could be the progeny of the clothier teasel, (OE taesan, to tease) used to brush the surface of cloth and Grigson gives many local names for it.
To quote Grigson; In the Wild Teasel the bracts are straight, the Fullers' Teasel they curve back, and so can be used to raise the nap on the newly woven cloth.
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| Meadowsweet has also crept in because it is a favourite as well. |
Interesting historical fact?: Apparently the goldfinch was seen as a special healing kind of bird in the medieval period and can be found occasionally in paintings. Why? because the little goldfinches' red face came about because it plucked the thorns out of Christ's thorn crown. Goldfinches love teasel seeds by the way.
Grigson goes from the Roman naming of the plant, Labruim Veneris - Lip of Venus, to William Turner in 1548 calling it virgo pastoris - Shepherd's Rod. It's local naming holds the word brush as part of the description, Gipsy Brush, Ladies Brush, Barber' Brush, etc.
Another fact; in the Wiki on this plant, and from Darwin's son Francis Darwin's work is to do with carnivory...
"Rain water can collect in the cup-like receptacles that form where sessile leaves join the stem; this structure may perform the function of preventing sap-sucking insects such as aphids from climbing the stem. These receptacles in turn may also be used to collect the nutrients from any animal matter that accumulates within them, making them a form of protocarnivorous plants"
I should think the sapsucking insects would be put off by the fine spikes that cover the stem.
Moment of doubt, I have many of them, perhaps it is a thistle said that annoying little gnome in my head. But thistles have a different shape! ;)
The inspiration for teasels come from Shadows and Light, and as I wandered through my blogs it brought back happy memories, especially now as I hardly see any wild flowers.
That was so interesting, Thelma. I love the history behind plants and the folklore.
ReplyDeleteI used to write a lot about it once I had acquired Geoffrey Grigson's - 'The Englishman's Flora' Janice, it is a fascinating book.
DeleteThey are pretty to look at and we use them in dried flower arrangements sometimes at my volunteer group. But they certainly have to be handled with care!
ReplyDeleteWell it seems you can rub of the prickles according to Sue below Ellen, they are very statuesque.
DeleteI am so glad I inspired this post! I write about teasels all the time as I love them, but you have provided far more depth and context than I ever did. Let's form the Teasel Fan Club!
ReplyDeleteThey are always looked upon as weeds sadly like the thistle but they fit into a mixed flower bed well and obviously seed themselves around quite happily. Not liked in America though where they are considered a pest Steve. Teasels are not really weeds they have a practical use, so perhaps we should have a teasel fan club in America.
DeleteOne year I picked lots of teasels after they'd dried, rubbed off the prickles on the stems and sprayed them gold to sell at the gate near Christmas - I don't think it made me a fortune!
ReplyDeleteLike Honesty (the flower) they make excellent dried plant material for winter vases Sue. I can't imagine you made a fortune though of selling them at the garden gate.
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