Several weeks ago, my wife Mary Alice asked if I would gather a
bag of teasels for her to make a Christmas tree. By the time the
small tree was finished, I had made three trips to get teasels.
About 30 years ago, she had made a teasel tree and decided to
make another for a gift. At that time, a teasel spine caught in
the corner of her eye. This time, she wore glasses. There are 15
species of teasels of the genus Dipsacus. The name Dipsacus is
derived from the Greek word "dipsa," meaning thirst. The species
name is sylvestris, which means "growing in the woods." Teasels
are spiny plants, with opposite leaves and cone-shaped heads of
small, purple flowers that are encased in prickly bracts. The
plant's opposite leaves join at the base to form a rainwater-
holding trough at the stem. The water, which was thought to be
an especially good thirst quencher, was much sought after. It
also was used to bathe tired eyes and remove warts. Supposedly,
using the water could make a woman as beautiful as Venus, which
gave the