Blackberry, Blackberry
Blackberries are considered members of the bramble family. (Bramble is the name for the thorns found on the blackberry plant.) The name comes from the thorns found on many varieties of the plant. The Greeks also used blackberries as a remedy for gout, and the Romans used blackberry leaves as a tea to treat various ailments.
According to folklore in the United Kingdom, blackberries should not be harvested after October 11th because devils (or a Puca) spit on or walk on the blackberries, making them unfit for eating. This belief may have some merit, given that the wet, cool weather of autumn often leaves the fruit unsightly and prone to infection by various molds, such as Botryotinia, which can be toxic.
According to some traditions, the dark purple color of the blackberry represents the blood of Christ, and his crown was made from the thorns of the same plant.
