Indexer
Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) grows all over the British Isles, apart from the Channel Islands.
The plant grows to about 18 inches (45 cms) high, with some stems growing upright while others sprawl along the ground. Each leaf has up to 11 toothed lobes.
Lady’s mantle flowers from June to September, the flowers being unusual in having no petals, only sepals in two rings of four. The hairy fruits ripen in loose clusters.
The plant exhibits an unusual feature called guttation. When humidity is high and water cannot be lost from the leaves as vapour, lady’s mantle forces the water out through its “breathing holes”. This gives the impression of large drops of dew which are not found on neighboring plants.
This phenomenon gave rise in medieval times to the notion that this “dew” was “celestial water” that had magical properties. Alchemists would collect it at dawn in the hope of using it in their experiments aimed at turning base metals into gold. One wonders why they kept on trying, given that every experiment must have been a dismal failure!
This usage is the reason behind the botanical name of the plant.
The name “lady’s mantle” has a different origin, in that it is supposedly dedicated to the Virgin Mary. That has led to the plant being used to treat women’s ailments. One notable past use was to help middle-aged women to restore their breasts to the shape and pertness they once had. Did this work? Presumably enough people must have thought so, otherwise the usage would surely not have entered folklore as it clearly did.
So interesting article!!! Also read that this plant grows in Greenland and can be used for food.
is this along the roadside or specific to planted gardens?
There are cultivated varieties of lady’s mantle, and I suspect that this photo – which is not by me – is of one such cultivar. Wildflowers don’t usually look so neat and tidy!
that is very true! almost like wildflowers were planted by the wind!
Not seen this before Quite an interesting plant. Anything unique takes a different turn as explained so well by you. Thanks.
I would be very cautious in using the word “unique” in such circumstances. “Unusual” I would allow!
What’s unusual to you is unique to me (lol)
Unique means “there is only one of these” – and that means whoever is making that decision!
Appaprently unique also means unusual
” unique definition: bBeing the only existing one of its type or, more generally, unusual, or special in some way” as per the dictionary.
Interesting plant and the first time I hear of it. No, wait for a second they do grow this plant in Latvia and I checked online even though I never purchased it they do sell Lady’s mantle tea. I was thinking that I had seen it somewhere and then it popped into my head.
I don’t think I’ve seen this plant before. It is really unusual especially the flowers.
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What an incredible plant and story about it. Not familiar at all. I thought these were raindrops at first.
There are stories to tell about a great many native plants, especially relating to past uses and folklore. It appears that our distant ancestors were far more aware of what was around them than we are today.