By 1903, Davey had become the youngest member of the Linnean Society (the world’s oldest active biological society) He and his colleagues – many of whom were volunteers – spent almost a decade, scouring the green spaces of Cornwall and collecting an awesome array of plants for his book, including about 90 species of bramble. In 1909, his Flora of Cornwall was finally published to favourable reviews:
“… the skilled labour of ten years bound up in a volume which the crowd will never see but which will live in the halls of science and be numbered among the botanical classics.” - The Daily Mail
Davey died a fortnight after his 47th birthday in 1915. As news of his death became known, people throughout Cornwall gathered wild flowers from fields and hedgerows, to send to the Wesleyan Chapel, Ponsanooth.
Later, in 1950, Cornishman Francis Rilstone named a particularly fine species of bramble Rubus daveyi in honour of his friend. Davey’s original cutting of this bramble can be seen in the above image, although it was named differently – apparently erroneously- at this time.
Davey’s beautifully prepared and presented herbarium of about 4,000 sheets is kept at the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro. One of his legacies is a collection of bramble specimens.
Thanks and credit must be given where it is due – this section of the article could not have been created without the assistance of local botanist Keith Spurgin and his sister Selina Bates. The information here borrows heavily (bordering whole-sale) from their book about Davey (Stars in the Grass – The Story of Cornish Naturalist Frederick Hamilton Davey 1868-1915) published in 1994, and from my own correspondence with Keith. Keith’s passion for brambles and botany continues to be an inspiration – hopefully this article will meet with his approval.
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Blackberries – the stars of the show
The fruit produced by the bramble is, of course, called a blackberry. However, in strictly botanical terms, a blackberry is not actually a berry at all. If you examine one yourself this summer, you will see that each ‘berry’ is made up of many tiny, juicy balls (for want of a better word) and each of these is actually a fruit in itself. These mini fruits (or drupelets as they are more accurately named) surround a firm core (called a torus) and make up what is referred to as an aggregate fruit.
According to archaeological evidence, blackberries have been foraged and eaten for at least 8000 years and are more highly prized in Western Europe than anywhere else in the world. It is however, in Britain where the tiny purple fruit is gathered most fervently, and where ‘black-berrying’ fills a special cultural niche as both a recreational activity and a way of collecting food.
The berries are a key component of many classic British desserts that we all know and love, such as blackberry and apple pie, fruit crumbles and summer pudding, but why not try making ‘Truro Pudding’? This recipe was kindly supplied by Truro resident Selina Bates and was recently published in The Guardian:
Truro Pudding recipe
This is a great pudding served warm with Cornish clotted cream, creme fraiche or yoghurt.
Serves 6-8
1 large bramley apple, peeled, cored and sliced
150g blackberries
170g butter, plus extra for greasing
140g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
3 eggs
170g self-raising flour
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Place the slices of apple and the blackberries in a lightly greased, deep, 20cm-wide cake tin or deep, glass pudding dish, then sprinkle over 1 tbsp caster sugar.
Cream together the rest of the sugar and butter with an electric whisk until light pale, then add the eggs one at a time, alternating with the flour. Pour the batter over the fruit, then cook for around 30 minutes, until risen and golden. Allow to cool a little, sprinkle with sugar, then serve warm.
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In conclusion, it is difficult not to admire this stubborn plant – tough, flexible and evolved enough to prosper, wherever it may occur. This article is our small way of offering respect and tribute to these unfairly maligned and incredibly important cornerstones of the British countryside. Bramble – we salute you!
- The National Trust ranger team, Trelissick and North Helford