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6 6 1 1 3 3 0 0 2 2 2 2 G G N N I 1 I 1 R R P P S S E E U U S S S S I I ) ) A A S S M M Y Y N N R R ( ( N N O O I I O O T T A A I I C C O O O O S S S S A A S S R R M M O O O O M M E E E E R R I I H H H H S S K K R T R T O O Y Y H H F F T T R R O O N N O O E E H H T T F F E E O O E E N ◆ N C BOTANY – GOOSEGRASS AND FAMILY C I I Z Z I I ◆ OLD ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH, ROBIN HOOD’S BAY A A G G ◆ WHERE ARE THE SKYLARKS? A A ◆ O M O M KEEPING A LOOKOUT FOR THE BARN OWL E E ◆ CROSSWORD H H V T V T ◆ HAWKMOTH – NATURE NOTES NYMA – TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE CHARACTERISTIC BEAUTY OF THE NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS BOTANY GOOSEGRASS AND FAMILY GOOSEGRASS, or cleavers, sticky weed, sticky willy, catch weed, It should always be used fresh and as young as possible as many of its stickyback, cleggers, the many names for Galium aparine indicate its properties change on drying. The exception to this are the seeds, long, close association with mankind over the years; well known to us which when dry, have been used, roasted, to make a good coffee as children when we surreptitiously stuck ‘tails’ of the long, trailing, substitute, perhaps not surprising as it belongs to the same family, clinging stems to each others backs. Rubiaceae, as the coffee bush. The unripe seeds, however, were used to The names reflect this stickiness, all parts of the plant being covered top the pins of lace-makers. by tiny curved, hook-like bristles that enable it to cling to and clamber up other vegetation to reach the light needed for growth. This also MEDICINAL means it will cling to fur, wool and clothing, thus aiding seed But it has also been greatly prized for its medicinal properties. It distribution and the species name, aparine, also means to seize, and appears to promote and stimulate the lymphatic and urine flows, cleavers or clivers to cling. The other common name, goosegrass, refers removing waste products and protecting and toning the systems, a to its use as a chicken and goose fattening food while the Latin Galium diuretic and lymphatic cleanser. It is mildly laxative, astringent, anti- comes from ‘milk’, the rough, sticky stems being used in the past by inflammatory and anti-oxidant, keeping the body healthy inside and shepherds in many countries as a sieve to remove hair and other out. It has been particularly used as a tea or juice for swollen lymph impurities from milk. glands, glandular fever, tumours, nodules, adenoids, cystitis, painful urination, stomach ache and also many skin and joint problems, the SCOURGE OF GARDENERS latter due to its blood cleansing action. External compresses have been At this time of the year we see both start and finish of its annual used on bruises, grazes and other wounds, bites, sunburn, freckles, growth cycle, the old dry, brown stems burns, as a cream for psoriasis and the still clinging to and sometimes covering juice for earache. A medicine chest in the fences and the hedges that have not one, but it really does need to be used been too severely slashed, giving them a freshly picked. wild, unruly appearance. A closer look The tea can also be used as a deodorant, under these, in their protected bases, in the bath or under arms, and it makes a reveals hundreds of little seedlings good anti-dandruff hair rinse, keeping the beginning to sprout, from the start of the scalp healthy. And one final use, the root year, if not before, almost unnoticed. provides a red dye, though not as strong as They are one of the first seeds to that from the madder plant, another germinate in the year and they grow member of this family that was extensively rapidly amongst the other vegetation until used in the past. they produce dense, tangles that can smother and drag down the surrounding OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS plants. The long, square stems can reach Other members of the family share some 1.5 m. long and are clothed for all this of these properties. Ladies bedstraw (G. length in distinct whorls of 6 to 8 verum), yellow flowered and of more elliptical, pointed leaves, although these calcareous soils, has been used in cheese are much rounder in the young seedlings. making, especially the more yellow ones, Tiny white-green, four-petalled flowers and to stem bleeding, though better appear amongst the leaves in late spring known for its use as a strewing herb and and these develop into the round, green- to stuff pillows and mattresses due to its purple fruits that dry hard and brown by honey-like smell and ability to repel fleas. the end of the year. For a seemingly rather Sweet woodruff (G. odoratum), dark fragilely-stemmed plant, it is very deeply green with white flowers and found in and strongly rooted and re-sprouts readily old open woodland was also used for if broken. It is common in hedgerows, pillows and mattresses due to its sweet banks and waste ground, preferring fertile hay smell when dried and its sedative soil and can be the scourge of gardeners effect, said to dispel melancholy, in pot- with its large volume of seeds that rapidly pourri and in cosmetics as it ‘fixes’ other germinate over winter while no one is Photos: Nan Sykes perfumes. Fresh sprigs were added to watching, growing quickly if left unchecked into matted masses that white wine in Germany to make their special May-time drink. The can choke surrounding plants! early and overlooked crosswort (G. cruciata /Cruciata laevipes) of rough grass and hedge bottoms is a wound healer and appetite VERY USEFUL stimulant. But the heath bedstraw (G.saxatile) , a very common carpet- But it is a very useful plant being high in vitamins. The early small forming perennial of our upper acidic grasslands, often so small to be seedlings make a palatable salad, tasting ‘green’ rather like pea shoots, only noticed when the pure white flowers are out, hardly gets a or as a green spring vegetable, in soups and stir fries, any developing mention as to its possible uses, neither do the other bedstraws, hedge, bristles disintegrating when cooked. Later it can be made into a tea or marsh and fen, all occasionally found locally. the juice extracted as a tonic. Legend has it that, although it was used So it is the one best- known to us all, the least attractive and most to fatten geese, it makes a good slimming aid for us! With nettles, it disliked by growers and gardeners, goosegrass or cleavers that is by far makes a light beer and as well as using it to strain their milk, shepherds the most useful of the whole family. ◆ used its coagulation properties to curdle the milk to make cheeses. Anne Press 2 VOICE OF THE MOORS – SPRING 2016 CONTENTS BOTANY PAGE 2 GOOSEGRASS AND FAMILY CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD PAGE 4 PLAN FOR NATIONAL PARKS NYMA PRESIDENT’S PIECE PAGE 5 Founded 1985 A FEW OF MY LEAST FAVOURITE THINGS Registered Charity No. 517639 PAGE 6 OLD ST. STEPHEN’S CHURCH, ROBIN HOOD’S BAY Officers of the Association President Ian Carstairs OBE PAGE 10 Vice Presidents WHERE ARE THE SKYLARKS? Professor Allan Patmore Ron Foster MBE Chairman PAGE 12 KEEPING A LOOKOUT FOR THE BARN OWL Tom Chadwick Vice Chairman David Moore PAGE 13 Council Members EVENTS AND WALKS Sue Chadwick Ruth Chambers Janet Cochrane AMANUENSIS PAGE 14 Albert Elliot CRYPTIC CROSSWORD N o 71 Ann Glass Shirley Learoyd Colin Speakman Malcolm Watt PAGE 14 NYMA PRESIDENT’S AWARDS 2016 George Winn-Darley Elaine Wisdom HAWKMOTH Association Treasurer PAGE 15 Brian Pearce NATURE NOTES 140 Newton Road Great Ayton Middlesbrough TS9 6DL [email protected] Hon. Secretary Janet Cochrane Notice of the 2016 The Forge, Fangdale Beck, North Yorkshire, TS9 7LE [email protected] Membership Secretary NYMA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Gerald King 5 Cleveland View, Faceby Saturday June 11th at 2.00 p.m. Middlesbrough, TS9 7DE Tel. 01642 701051 To be held at Danby Moors Centre Walks Coordinator Heather Mather Guest speaker NYMA President Ian Carstairs OBE Ainthorpe “There is always a Chance” Tel. 01287 669104 ‘Voice of the Moors’ articles to: Thirty-five years of taking on challenges for our natural, Albert Elliot built and cultural heritage. Piper House, 54 Church Street, Castleton, Whitby, YO21 2EL Tel. 01287 660137 Tea and coffee will be available for members attending the meeting email: [email protected] A short walk will be arranged for members in the morning Design & Production Walk will start from the Centre at 11.00 a.m. returning for c. 12.30. Basement Press The Old Parsonage, Glaisdale, For those who wish it, lunch can be taken at the Woolly Sheep Café Whitby, North Yorks YO21 2PL at the Centre. Tel. 01947 897945 www.basementpress.com Contact for the walk is Dave & Cal Moore Printed by Telephone 01287 669648. Camphill Press www.camphillpress.co.uk Articles appearing in Voice of the Moors convey the Front Cover: The beautiful barn owl authors’ personal views, Back Cover: The Flying Scotsman steaming through Newtondale beliefs and opinions and are not necessarily those of the North Yorkshire Moors Association.