Traveller's Joy seedhead

..in winter known as Old Man's Beard, as I expect most of you are aware.  Anyway, Clematis vitalba

Today I haven't been out. I picked this at the bus stop yesterday on my way back from Shawford, wondering if it would make a shot for Tuesday, but woke today with vertigo and dizziness so obviously a camera walk was out.

Therefore nothing much of note to report so instead I thought you might like a few bits of rather ridiculous lore about this wild clematis.  According to Roy Vickery's delightful 'Folk Flora' it has many country names, among others:

'Binder' in Hampshire
'Hag rope' in Somerset
'Jewel guts' in Devon
'Robin Hood's fetter' in Cumberland
'Belly wind' in Hampshire
'Silver bush' in Jersey
'Crocodile' in Kent
'Hedge feathers' in Yorkshire
and - perhaps my favourite - 'Love-entangled', again from Devon

At least up to the 1950s it was much smoked by boys who wanted to be up to no good.  Sadly for them (though luckily for their loving parents)  it gives no kind of buzz and tastes disgusting.  When I was growing up we used grass seeds for a similar purpose..

Have a lovely weekend, all  xx