Was No Doubt Wandering

I’ve written before about ‘worts.’  The word signifies a traditional medicinal purpose and is stuck with the unfortunate association of unwanted protrusions on one’s epidermis.  A wort, like a wart, has primal association with a witch, as well.  Witches with warts, like the three at the outset of Macbeth, were no doubt rather familiar with worts as well, both foul and fair.   Our yard has Virginia Spiderwort which connotes a wort that wouldn’t be for your betterment.   St. John’s Wort is also on the property.  Beatified, and also available at Walgreens, one has a slightly more positive association with SJW.  Spectrum-defying, somewhat racy new addition to the worts of my world is one I identified today and plucked a few yellow flowers of to sit on my desk.  Named by a scientist who’s mind was no doubt wandering, Nipplewort is apparently named because the flower buds resemble that part of the body, though looking at them now I’m not sure I see it. 

Lapsana Communis, a European native, is part of the Daisy family.  Apparently, the plant has a calming effect, though one suspects I’d need to consume a remarkable quantity before it had any demonstrable impact.  It was also used as an antiseptic and apparently and perhaps more appropriately given the name, it was used to stanch the flow of milk when a woman was through with breast feeding. 

I picked four stalks out of the ground on my way up the bike trail and put them in a small, clear glass of water.  Each stem is about a foot long and each one has a half a dozen yellow flowers and bulbs reaching out.  They didn’t seem happy on my desk at first but now they are beginning to stretch and open in response to the sun. 

Among the ingredients of witches toss into their brew before meeting the new "Thane of Glamis," and "Thane of Cawdor," is the eye of an unfortunate newt.  I dropped nearly two-hundred dollars today secure and equip a terrarium for a Leopard Gecko which my daughters have decided they want to secure.  The home needs to be warm and ready before we place the lizard inside, so the lizard itself will need to wait till tomorrow. On the way over it was my turn to control the music and I thought to reacquaint these ladies with “Forty Thousand Headmen” by Traffic and then “Tales of Brave Ulysses” by Cream.   

Saturday, 06/13/20