1885. 1 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



131 



of mostly hard-wooded, climbing, ornamental, 

 flowering, shrubby plants, and one species or 

 other are indigenous to almost every quarter of 

 the globe. I once heard a lady exclaim to an- 

 other, while admiring a beautiful Henryi : "Oh! 

 what a beautiful flower; what a lovely Clematis! 

 Where do Clematises come from ? " The reply 

 was : " Oh — oh — they come — they come — they 

 come — from all over." How much "all over" was 

 intended to imply I cannot say. But truly, sir, 

 they come from all over. They are almost 

 cosmopolitan. They are here, and they are there, 

 and they are every where. Yet many people seem 

 to think there are very few varieties in exist- 

 ence, and these few are considered compara- 

 tively new. Whereas there are from 250 to 300 

 varieties and species in regular cultivation, and of 

 this number, perhaps 250 are what are called j 

 large-flowered hybrid garden varieties. Some of 

 the species have been in cultivation over three ' 

 hundred years, and are still quite popular. 



Jackmansays: "The scientific records give a 

 total of about 230 species. Of these 17 are 

 European; 43 of Indian origin; 9 are Javanese ; 

 Persia I ; 30 of the finest species from China and 

 Japan ; 1 1 from Siberia ; Feejee Islands 2 ; South 

 America 24 ; Central America and the West 

 Indies 9; North America 35; African tropical 

 mainland 14; South Africa 4; Mascaren Islands 

 and Madagascar 6; New Holland 15; New Zea- 

 land 5." Paxton gives a long list of species 

 from about 30 different countries and parts of 

 countries, the names of which are unnecessary to 

 this article and would take too much space. 



Their habitat extending over such a wide ex- 

 tent of country, their natural habit, character and 

 constitution, &c., must necessarily differ very con- 

 siderably. 



Some of the species are hardy, non-chmbing, j 

 soft-wooded herbaceous perennials, as in Erecta 

 and its varieties, growing about two feet high, 

 furnished with large corymbs of white, sweet- 

 scented flowers. 



Others are soft-wooded and climbing herbaceous 

 perennials, as in Coccinea, which, I believe, is 

 comparatively new and a native of Texas. I have 

 not had this long enough to know much about it. 



Others again are non-climbing, sub-shrubby 

 and hard-wooded, growing erect I or 2 feet, 

 as in Viticella nana, and others 4 or 5 feet, re- 

 quiring the support of a stake, and being covered 

 with large panicles or umbels of sweet-scented 

 white or blue flowers as in Coerulea odorata and its 

 varieties. Other species are tender, evergreen. 



winter-flowering and require the protection of a 

 conservatory or a hothouse. 



But to attempt to describe many of these 

 species would soon take up too much of your 

 valuable space. The first Clematis introduced 

 into England was our old favorite Clematis 

 viticella, from Spain in 1569, in the reign of Queen 

 Elizabeth, who, it is said, was delighted to be 

 called the Virgin Queen, and in compliment to 

 her majesty the Clematis was very appropriately 

 and very prettily called the Virgin's Bower. 



In the same year was brought into cultivation 

 the old wayfarer of the English hedgerows, 

 Clematis vitalba, commonly called Traveller's 

 Jay, Virgin's Bower, Welcome Traveller, Old 

 Man's Beard, White Vine, Smoking Cane, Cigar 

 Plant, Pithwine, &c. One might think a plant 

 having all these common names must be of some 

 importance. Then came Clematis flammula, a 

 well-known European species and called sweet- 

 scented Clematis. After this the pretty little 

 Crispa, a native of North America and of the 

 Viticella type, is now becoming quite fashion- 

 able again. Next in importance. Clematis Vir- 

 giniana, which I think is best of the old com- 

 mon white sorts, but which has no distinctive 

 common name, I believe, and often gets con- 

 founded with the Vitalba under the name of 

 Virgin's Bower. Besides these have been raised 

 hosts of others, of little importance just now, 

 down to about 1835, when was introduced Azurea 

 or Ccerulea, now called Azurea grandiflora or 

 Patens. Flower about 5 inches in diameter, eight 

 sepals. Sepals somewhat recurved and reflexed, 

 of a delicate azure blue, hence its name. About 

 the same time was introduced Sieboldii, under the 

 name of Florida bicolor. Flower about 3 inches 

 across, sepals standing straight out from the disc, 

 flat and broad, and the center filled with a rosette 

 of purple petaloid stamens, forming a very pretty 

 flower. Sepals creamy white. From Japan by 

 Dr. Siebold. 



About 1851, was sent to London from China, I 

 think, by Mr. Forsyth, the grand old Lanuginosa. 

 Flowers, 6 to 8 inches across ; eight sepals, pale 

 lavender. About 1863, was sent from Japan, by 

 Mr. Robert Fortune to Messrs. Standish & Noble, 

 of London, I believe, that fine old double white 

 Clematis named Fortunei. Its color is creamy 

 white, sweet scented, 4 to 5 inches diameter. 

 About the same time came Standishii ; color, 

 bluish mauve. Also John Gould Veitch, a beau- 

 tiful double blue or lavender blue ; both by Mr. 

 Fortune from Japan. From these last named 



