Clematis (Clematis vitalba):

Clematis, the remedy for those who day-dream and live in the future rather the present, is made by the sun method.

It is sometimes known as old man’s beard, due to its white, fluffy tails attached to the seed pods, or traveller’s joy, reputedly coined by herbalist John Gerard, referring to the tendency of the vines to grow in hedges by roads.  The whole plant is toxic and which has limited its use by herbalists.

Clematis vitalba seed heads; photo from pixabay.com

As part of the buttercup family, the fresh plant contains protoanemonin, formed from ranunculin. If ingested, protoanemonin causes burning to the mouth and throat, mouth ulcers, abdominal pain and nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.   Some traditional uses relied on this irritant effect – for example, bruised leaves were applied to the eyes to cause tears, to the throat to induce coughing or to the skin to cause inflammation or blisters.   Reputedly, beggars sometimes rubbed clematis on their skin to cause blisters which would elicit sympathy from passers-by – this led to another common name – beggar’s grass. Clematis was also considered diuretic and diaphoretic and used internally or externally to treat ulcers.

Clematis vitalba; photo from pixabay.com

After drying or boiling, clematis contains no protoanemonin and dried clematis was sometimes used to treat inflammatory conditions such as rheumatism and to reduce fever.  Roots and stems were boiled and taken in oil to treat itching and branches smoked to stop tooth pain. The main medicinally important compound in the dried aerial parts of the plant is 4’-O-coumeroyl-isovitexin. This has shown anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive (i.e. reduces sensitivity to pain) and fever-reducing activities.

Stems, particularly after boiling, can be used in basketry and the fibres used to make rope.  After careful cooking, they can also be eaten.  Clematis vitalba can be invasive and is considered a plant pest in New Zealand. Reputedly, clematis did the Devil’s work by invading other plants and choking them!

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