ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM BRITANNICUM. 



5. Fruit of C. Vit.i!!>.i. 



at the base, parti}' cut. Peduncles forked, shorter than the leaves. (Doris 

 Mill.} A deciduous climber of vigorous growth. Europe and Britain, in 

 hedges and copses, always indicating a calcareous soil. Height loft, to 

 30ft.; in rich soil, and in a sheltered situation, 50ft. to 100ft. Flowers 

 white ; August, September. Fruit white ; ripe from October to February. 

 Leaves long retained, and dying off black or dark brown. 



The stems are woody, more so 

 than those of any other species, an- 

 gular, climbing to the height of 20 

 or 30 feet, or upwards, and hanging 

 down from rocky cliffs, ruins, or the 

 branches of trees; or being supported 

 by, and forming tufts on, the upper 

 surface of other shrubs or low trees, 

 which they often so completely 

 cover as to have the appearance of 

 bushes at a distance. The footstalks 

 of the leaves are twined about what- 

 ever object they approach, and after- 

 wards become hard and persistent, 

 like the tendrils of a vine. The leaflets are either quite entire, or unequally cut ; 

 sometimes very coarsely so. The panicles are axillary and terminal, many- 

 flowered and downy. The flowers are of a greenish white colour, with little 

 show; but they have a sweet almond-like scent. The seeds (fig. 5.) have 

 long, wavy, feathery, and silky tails, forming beautiful tufts, most conspicuous 

 in wet weather. The French gardeners use the twigs instead of withs, for tying 

 up their plants ; and make very neat baskets of them when peeled, and also bee- 

 hives. The twigs are in the best state for making these articles in winter; and 

 their flexibility is increased by holding them to the fire before using them. In 

 gardens and plantations the plant is valuable for the rapidity with which it may 

 be made to cover naked walls, unsightly roofs of sheds, or low buildings and 

 arbours ; and for a variety of similar purposes. 



1 5. C. VIRGINIA^NA L. The Virginian Clematis. 



Identification. Linn. Amcon., p. 275. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 4. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 5. ; Tor. and Gray, 



1. p. 8. 

 Synonymes. C. canadensis trifufia repens Town. ; C. canadensis Mill. Diet. No. 5., Salisb. Prod. 



371.; C cordifblia Mcench. Supp. 104. ; 6'. triternata Hart.', the broad-leaved Canada Virgin's 



Bower; Clematite de Virginie, Fr.\ Virginische Waldrebe, Ger. 

 Engravings. Den. Brit, (the male plant), t. 74. ; and our Jig. G. 



Spec. Char., fyc. Flowers panicled, dioecious. Leaves 

 ternate; leaflets cordate, acute, grossly toothed, 

 or lobed. (Dons Mill.) A deciduous climber. 

 Canada to Florida, in hedges and near rivers. 

 Height 10ft. to 15ft. Introduced in 1767. 

 Flowers white ; August, September. Fruit white. 

 Decaying foliage brown or black. 



Variety. 



i C. v. 2 bractedtaDec. C. bracteata Mcench . 

 Leaflets ovate-lanceolate, entire. 



The general appearance of this plant is like that 

 of C. Vitalba; but it is less robust in all its 

 parts, and less ligneous in its stems and branches ; 

 and it is also somewhat more tender. Panic es 

 trichotomously divided, with small leaves at the divisions. Sepals 4, white, 

 obovate, exceeding the stamens. Flowers often dioscious or polygamous. (Tor. 

 and Gray.) Miller states that it seldom ripens seeds in England ; but, as it is 

 dioecious, it is possible that he possessed only the male plant. 



