Together - Clematis vitalba
Old Man's Beard. Quote from:
www.hawk-conservancy.org/Conservation/MeadowMuses/200601....
"A native perennial of the buttercup family, found in hedgerows, woodland edges and scrub, mainly on chalky soils. It has woody, vine-like stems which climb up trees and shrubs, reaching a height of up to 30 metres. Loose clusters of almond-scented white flowers appear in July and August and numerous nut-like fruits with rounded heads of long feathery plumes are produced in September and October. These remain on the trees and bushes well into the winter, giving an almost snow-like appearance to the hedgerows.
Alternative names include Traveller’s Joy, Father Christmas, Baccy Plant, Boy’s Bacca, Smokewood, Shepherd’s Delight and Woodbine. The name Clematis is from the Greek meaning “long, lithe branches” and vitalba means “white vine”. The dry stems were traditionally cut in winter and used for smoking, giving rise to the names referring to tobacco, and Richard Mabey suggests in “Flora Britannica” that the plant may have inspired the Woodbine cigarette brand name. “Smokewood” may also refer to the appearance of the clouds of feathery fronds in the hedgerows when seen from a distance. The stems have also been used traditionally in basketry.
In medicine the plant has been used in homeopathy to treat rheumatism, skin rashes and swollen glands. The boiled roots and stems were used traditionally as a cure for itching. The plant appears in the Bach Flower remedies, quoted for “Indifference, Dreaminess, Inattention and Unconsciousness”, and is one of the ingredients of the well-known Rescue Remedy."
Together - Clematis vitalba
Old Man's Beard. Quote from:
www.hawk-conservancy.org/Conservation/MeadowMuses/200601....
"A native perennial of the buttercup family, found in hedgerows, woodland edges and scrub, mainly on chalky soils. It has woody, vine-like stems which climb up trees and shrubs, reaching a height of up to 30 metres. Loose clusters of almond-scented white flowers appear in July and August and numerous nut-like fruits with rounded heads of long feathery plumes are produced in September and October. These remain on the trees and bushes well into the winter, giving an almost snow-like appearance to the hedgerows.
Alternative names include Traveller’s Joy, Father Christmas, Baccy Plant, Boy’s Bacca, Smokewood, Shepherd’s Delight and Woodbine. The name Clematis is from the Greek meaning “long, lithe branches” and vitalba means “white vine”. The dry stems were traditionally cut in winter and used for smoking, giving rise to the names referring to tobacco, and Richard Mabey suggests in “Flora Britannica” that the plant may have inspired the Woodbine cigarette brand name. “Smokewood” may also refer to the appearance of the clouds of feathery fronds in the hedgerows when seen from a distance. The stems have also been used traditionally in basketry.
In medicine the plant has been used in homeopathy to treat rheumatism, skin rashes and swollen glands. The boiled roots and stems were used traditionally as a cure for itching. The plant appears in the Bach Flower remedies, quoted for “Indifference, Dreaminess, Inattention and Unconsciousness”, and is one of the ingredients of the well-known Rescue Remedy."