io8 



IRISH GARDENING 



Notes on some new Clematis. 



Bv J. W. Bksant. 



SINCE Ihe introduction of C. montana rubens a few- 

 years ago, several other new Clematises have 

 found their way into British and Irish gardens. 



C. Armandi (Hot. Mag. 7897).— This was introduced 

 by Messrs. James X'eitch & Son from China, and is 

 described by botanists as a form of C. meyenianum, 

 which is the name under which it appears in the 

 Botanical Magazine. It bears dark-green, rather 

 leathery leaves, and pviro wliile flowers produced in 

 early spring. A fast 

 grower during sum- 

 mer at CiUisnc\in, it 

 is nevertheless fre- 

 quently cut back by 

 frost during winter. 

 Perhaps after a few- 

 years under cultiva- 

 tion it may become 

 hardier, but in any 

 case it w-ould be quite 

 worth cultivating as 

 a greenhouse or con- 

 servatorj- climber. 



C. nutans. — This 

 also has been recent- 

 ly introduced t'votu . 

 Cliina, and is in its 

 way imique. The 

 pale yellow, nodding, 

 bell - shaped flowers 

 are produced abunti 

 antly in Jul\- anii 

 August, a time when 

 they are very wel- 

 come among climb- 

 ing plants. It is ap- 

 parently quite hardy, 

 and grows fast, 

 quickly covering a 

 large space. It may 

 be used on pergo- 

 las, trellis-work or 

 trained on poles to 

 form a pyramidal 

 specimen. 



C. Pratti. — The 

 plant at present in 



cultivation under this name is apparently only a form or 

 variety of C. montana, very near to C. montana rubens. 

 It blossoms about the same time as the latter variety, 

 but the flowers are paler, while the leaves, though 

 ultimately closely resembling C. montana rubens, are, 

 when quite young, more distinctly marked with white 

 lines on the segments. The true C. Prattii is said to 

 have yellow- flowers, and is probcibly not at present in 

 cultivation. 



C. splendens was introduced by Messrs. Bees, Ltd., 

 of Liverpool, and promises to be one of the most 

 interesting of recent novelties in Clematises. It also 

 comes from China, and bears fragrant yellow flowers 

 in Ihe way ol C. orienlalis langnlic;i. The leaves are 



riwtu liy] 



CLT--.M.\TIS >K1Nr.\XA Kl HKN-. 



aptly described as " currant-like." Probably when 

 these yellow-flowered species become belter known 

 they may prove useful for hybridizing. 



C. montana Wilsoni is a large-flowered form, 

 blooming in late summer as a rule, but this year it is 

 carrying abundance of flowers in June. Flowering so 

 much later than other forms of C. montana. it w-ill be 

 found useful in many ways for keeping up a display on 

 walls, arches, pillars, itc. 



C. repens. — This has been described as ''similar to 

 C. montana, but with larger flowers produced in 

 August." .So far as the plants at Glasne\in show, 



it is indistinguishable 

 from C. montana Wil- 

 soni, ,-ind both, as 

 [ioted above, are 

 flowering freely in 

 June. 



.Si r,-siiKi-|iiiv I'l.K 

 M.\TisF,s. — There are 

 several low- growing 

 bushy varieties of Cle- 

 matis heradcvfolia. 

 which are emiiu^ntly 

 suit.able for beds or 

 groups in the front 

 of shrubberies. ;intl 

 which lend them- 

 selves iidmirably 

 for use on large 

 I'ockeries. 



.\Uhough tliev fre- 

 quently behave very 

 nnich like the herba- 

 ceous species, dying 

 back considerably 

 each winter, yet the 

 lower part oi the 

 shoots is mo r e 

 w o o d )-, a n d the 

 young growths fre- 

 quently break much 

 higher up than is the 

 case with the strictly 

 herbaceous kind s. 

 The pruning should 

 consist of culling ofl' 

 all dead shoots in 



spring. 



C. heracle.efolia is 

 cpiite a shrubby species, hailing from China. The 

 large trifoliate leaves are handsome, and the clusters 

 of lilac-bhie flowers which are freely producctl rcTuler 

 a well grown group highly ornamental. 



C. heraclea;folia '^'iir. davidiana is a fine bhie-flowered 

 variety, bearing large rounded leaflets on erect half- 

 wood}' branches. 



C. h. Slans is a dwarf form from Japan. It is not a 

 showy variety, the flowers .being rather colourless, 

 densely clothed on the outer surface with a whitish 

 down. Owing to its dwarf habit, it will be found useful 

 for the rockery, and lends variety to the shrub border. 



Hi'RBACKOl's Clematisi-'S. — Under this heading come 

 a number of species and varieties which die ilown 



