X 



VINES 



I. Common Virgin's-bower 



Clematis Virginiana. — Fajuily, Crowfoot. Color, white. 

 Leaves, opposite, divided into 3 leaflets, each deeply ser- 

 rate, more or less heart-shaped at base. Time, July and Au- 

 gust. 



There are no petals in this flower, but the 4 small, whitish 

 sepals take their place. Pistils and stamens, in different flowers, 

 on separate plants. The centre of the flower is a head of 

 feathered achenes. As the fruit ripens these become very 

 plumose. A vine growing over shrubs, by means of the 

 turning and twisting of the leaf -stalk, making a veritable 

 bower. 



The plant has a very wide range, from New England southward 

 and westward. It often forms a thick mass of tangle over alders, 

 hazel, and other shrubs. Its chief beauty lies in its hoary, plumed 

 seeds, which become feathery, soft, and downy in early Septem- 

 ber. It requires wet, springy soil. 



2. W^horled Clematis 



C. verticillaris . — Color, bluish purple. Leaves, 3-divided, the 

 leaflets somewhat heart - shaped, entire, or toothed or lobed. 

 Ti7ne, May. 



Petals, none. Sepals, 4, thin, spreading, colored. Flower, 

 large, 2 or 3 inches across, showy, growing singly on pedun- 



