You scratch my back..........

Teasel

Sometimes nature surprises us with a design that surpasses and delights human understanding

Dipsacus is a genus of flowering plant in the family Dipsacaceae. the members of this genus are known as teasel, teazel or teazle.

The genus name is derived from the word for thirst (hence dipsomaniac?) and refers to the cup-like formation made where sessile leaves merge at the stem. Rain water can collect in this receptacle; this may perform the function of preventing sap-sucking insects such as aphids from climbing the stem. A recent experiment has shown that adding dead insects to these cups increases the seed set of teasels (but not their height), implying partial carnivory

This wonderful plant as well as being decorative has many practical uses, some people who weave wool prefer to use teasels for raising the nap, claiming that the result is better than that achieved by metal combs. Breeders of long haired cat varieties use the fine heads to detangle the belly fur, leaving it soft and manageable. Some native peoples of the near east, ie Romania and Hungary, noted for their hirsute women have borrowed the technique resulting in several lady members being triumphant in the annual beard and moustache competition, until recently utterly dominated by elderly hairy Dolmation men.

A number of medicinal properties are claimed for the teasel, though not yet proven in medical trials:
Antibiotic.
Improved circulation.
Cure for warts.
Eyewash (water collected in the cup formed by the sessile leaves).
Treatment of Haemorrhoids, best performed under medical supervision a gentle application of the teasel to the affected area together with an astringent ointment will often prove most efficacious. This latter treatment is also proving most effective in clearing blocked tear ducts, as in "teazle brush, made to make your eyes water"
Lymes disease


The Ferriman-Gallwey score is a method of evaluating and quantifying hirsuitism in humans, the measurement being on a teasel scale of one to 50,

Many people are now cultivating teasels as a cash crop or growing them in window boxes, they are of much benefit in floral displays and have been nominated as 'flower of the year' by the Federation of Womans' Institutes of The British Isles.