Clematis
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 Clematis hybrid
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Clematis (from Ancient Greek klematis, a climbing plant, probably periwinkle) is a genus of mostly vigorous climbing lianas, with attractive flowers. Some species are shrubby, and some others are herbaceous perennial plants. They are found throughout the temperate regions of both hemispheres, and also in mountains in the tropics. The cool temperate species are deciduous, but many of the warmer climate species are evergreen.
Most species are known as Clematis in English, while some are also known as traveller's joy, leather flower, vase vine and virgin's bower, the last three being names used for North American species.
One recent classification recognised 297 species of clematis. Unsurprisingly, therefore, modern taxonomists subdivide the genus. Magnus Johnson divided Clematis into 19 sections, several with subsections [1]; Christopher Grey-Wilson divided the genus into 9 subgenera, several with sections and subsections within them [2]. Several of the subdivisions are fairly consistent between different classifications, for example all Grey-Wilson's subgenera are used as sections by Johnson.
Subgenera of Clematis according to Grey-Wilson:
- Clematis, Cheiropsis, Flammula, Archiclematis, Campanella, Atragene, Tubulosae, Pseudanemone, Viorna
Some of these were previously classed as separate genera.
Although the genus Clematis is extremely diverse many of the most popular forms grown in gardens are cultivars belonging to the Viticella section of the subgenus Flammula as defined by Grey-Wilson. These larger flowered cultivars are often used within garden designs to climb archways, pergolas, wall-mounted trellis or to grow through companion plants. Raymond Evison chronicles the history and development of these forms which normally have large 12-15cm diameter upward facing flowers and believes they largely involve crosses of c. patens, c. lanuginosa and c. viticella.
Early season large flowering forms (e.g "Nelly Moser") tend towards the natural flowering habit of c. patens or c. lanuginosa while later flowering forms (eg. x jackmanii) are nearer in habit to c. viticella.
Clematis leaves are food for the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, including the Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria).
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[edit] Use and toxicity
Clematis ligusticifolia is widespread across the western United States and grows in streamside thickets, wooded hillsides, and coniferous forests up to 4,000 feet. A related species, Clematis columbiana, is widespread from British Columbia south into Oregon, with a range that extends east into Montana and Wyoming. Clematis was referred to as "pepper vine" by early travelers and pioneers of the American West and used as a pepper substitute to spice up food during the period of western colonization, since during this period, Black pepper (Piper nigrum), was a costly and rarely obtainable spice.
The entire genus contains essential oils and compounds which are extremely irritating to the skin and mucous membrames. Unlike Black Pepper or Capsicum, however, the compounds in clematis cause internal bleeding of the digestive tract if ingested internally in large amounts. The plants are essentially toxic. Despite its toxicity, Native Americans used very small amounts of clematis as an effective treatment for migraine headaches and nervous disorders. It was also used as an effective treatment of skin infections.[1]
[edit] Species
A partial list of species:
- Clematis addisonii - Addison's Leather Flower
- Clematis albicoma - Whitehair Leather Flower
- Clematis alpina - Alpine Clematis, a hardy clematis flowering in August
- Clematis armandii - includes the 'Apple Blossom' and 'Snowdrift' cultivars.
- Clematis baldwinii - Pine Hyacinth
- Clematis bigelovii - Bigelow Clematis
- Clematis campaniflora - Portuguese Clematis
- Clematis caracasana - Clematis
- Clematis catesbyana - Satin curls
- Clematis cirrhosa - includes the 'Freckles,' 'Wisley Cream' and 'Jingle Bells,' cultivars.
- Clematis cirrhosa v. balearica from Balearic Islands
- Clematis coactilis - Virginia Whitehair Leather Flower
- Clematis columbiana - British Columbia Virgin's-bower
- Clematis crispa - Curly Virginsbower
- Clematis dioica - Cabellos de Angel
- Clematis drummondii - Drummond Clematis
- Clematis durandii
- Clematis flammula - Fragrant Virgin's Bower
- Clematis florida - Asian Clematis
- Clematis fremontii - Fremont's Leather Flower
- Clematis glaucophylla - Whiteleaf Leather Flower
- Clematis hirsutissima - Hairy Clematis
- Clematis integrifolia
- Clematis lasiantha - Pipestem Clematis
- Clematis ligusticifolia - Virgin's Bower
- Clematis macropetala
- Clematis marmoraria - New Zealand Dwarf Clematis
- Clematis montana - Anemone Clematis
- Clematis morefieldii - Huntsville Vasevine
- Clematis occidentalis - Western Blue Virginsbower
- Clematis ochroleuca - Curlyheads
- Clematis orientalis - Chinese Clematis
- Clematis palmeri - Palmer Clematis
- Clematis pauciflora - Ropevine Clematis
- Clematis pitcheri - Bluebill
- Clematis pubescens
- Clematis recta - Ground Clematis
- Clematis reticulata - Netleaf Leather Flower
- Clematis socialis - Alabama Leather Flower
- Clematis stans - Kusabotan
- Clematis tangutica - Golden Clematis
- Clematis terniflora - Leatherleaf Clematis
- Clematis ternifolia - aka Clematis paniculata
- Clematis texensis - Scarlet Leather Flower
- Clematis versicolor - Manycolored Leather Flower
- Clematis viorna - Vasevine or Traveller's joy
- Clematis virginiana - Devil's Darning Needles, Virginia Bower
- Clematis vitalba - Traveller's Joy or Old Man's Beard
- Clematis viticaulis - Millboro Leather Flower
- Clematis viticella - Italian Clematis,
[edit] References
- ^ Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford, ISBN 0-87842-359-1
- Grey-Wilson, Christopher Clematis: The Genus : A Comprehensive Guide for Gardeners, Horticulturists and Botanists (Timber Press, 2000)
- Johnson, Magnus The Genus Clematis (Magnus Johnson Plantskola AB, 2001)
- Gardeners' Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers, Christopher Brickell ed. (Dorling Kindersley, 1989)
- Evison, Raymond J. The Gardener's Guide to Growing Clematis (Timber Press/David and Charles, 1998)
[edit] External links
