B58 



CLEMATISES 



Cle'matis spp., syns. Atra'gene spp., Vior'na spp. 



The clematis genus includes the plants known as leatherflower, 

 travelers- joy, and virgins-bower and is one of the few genera of 

 the buttercup, or crowfoot family (Ranunculaceae) which have 

 woody stems, but is the only one whose leaves are always opposite. 

 There are about 24 species of clematis native to the West, some of 

 which occur in every State. They all have attractive flowers, and 

 the plumelike tails of the "seeds", which are often produced in masses, 

 are very ornamental. Clematis, or rather Klematis, is a name used 

 by the old Greek botanist Dioscorides for a climbing plant thought 

 to be clematis. Klematis is a diminutive of the Greek Mema, a vine 

 branch. This genus includes early spring herbs which commonly 

 appear in open grasslands. Some species are vigorous woody vines 

 which usually occur along streams or in other moist places at lower 

 elevations and form dense clusters in brush and trees or on rocks. 

 Still others are short-stemmed, trailing, herbaceous or woody species 

 common in the high mountains. 



Clematis species, when young and tender, provide fair forage for 

 sheep. Cattle occasionally browse the leaves of the climbing species ; 

 horses rarely touch them. Some species, notably C. liyusticifolia, 

 clamber up supporting objects by means of their twisting, curling 

 leafstalks, and are often used as ornamental vines. The plant was 

 chewed by the Indians as a remedy for colds and sore throats. The 

 early settlers in the West and the Indians sometimes used a de- 

 coction of C. douglasii, known as headache weed or lions-beard, as 

 a headache cure. An explorer named Geyer reports (London Journ. 

 Bot. 5 : 301-302. 1846) : 



The Saptona Indians use the root of this plant as a stimulant, when horses 

 fall down during their excessive races. They hold a scraped end of the 

 root in the nostrils of the fallen horse. The effect of this is instantaneous, 

 it produces trembling ; the animal springs up, and is led to the water to refresh 

 its limbs. I have been told that it never failed, nor produced bad consequences. 

 The scraped root leaves a burning sensation for half a day, if touched with 

 the tongue. 



All species of Clematis are perennial with mostly enlarged stem 

 joints; large compound opposite leaves; showy flowers, without 

 petals, appearing chiefly in spring and summer, having numerous 

 stamens, and 4 or 5 white, yellow, blue or purple, petallike sepals 

 (calyx lobes), and silky or feathery, tailed "seeds." There are tnree 

 distinct botanical groups of Clematis'. (1) True fflematis. with large 

 clusters of numerous, small, usually white, fragrant flowers; (2) 

 leatherflowers (genus Viorna of some botanists), with usually soli- 

 tary, thickish, usually pendulous and 4-parted, mostly purplish, 

 bell-like or vaselike flowers; and (3) "virgins-bowers" (genus 

 Atragene of some botanists), with very large, solitary, star-shaped, 

 usually bluish flowers. 



