Ifi 



ARBORETUM ET FItUTICETUM BRITAFNICUM. 



GENUS II. 



^TRA'GENE L. THE ATRAGENE. Lin. Syst. Polyandria Polygynia. 



Identification. Lin Gen., p. 615. ; Don's Mil)., 1 . p. 10. 



Synonymes. Clematis Lam. and Dec. ; Atragene, Fr. and Ger. 



Derivation. The name of Atragene appears to be taken from two Greek words ; athros, pressed, 

 and genos, birth ; alluding, as it is supposed, to the manner in which the branches press against 

 or clasp the trees that support them. It was first used by Theophrastus, and was by him applied 

 to Clematis Vitalba L. 



Gen. Char. Involucre none. Sepals 4, somewhat induplicate in the bud. 



Petals numerous, shorter than the sepals. Cariopsides (carpels) terminated 



b}' a bearded tail. Cotyledons approximate in the seed. (Doris Mill.) 

 Leaves compound, opposite, generally exstipulate, deciduous ; leaflets 



variously cut. Flowers axillary, pedunculate ; purple, blue, or white. 



Climbing shrubs, natives of Europe and North America. 



The atragenes differ from the clematises in producing leaves and one flower 

 from the same bud contemporaneously; whereas in most clematises the 

 flowers are produced upon wood developed previously to their appearance, 

 and during the same season. Hence the winter buds of Jtragene are larger 

 than those of Clematis, from their including the flower as well as the leaves 

 of the succeeding year. In atragenes the leaves are less divided than in many 

 of the species of Clematis, and they are always divided ternately. All the 

 species of Atragene described in this work have petioles, which not only clasp 

 objects, like those of Clematis, but maintain the hold for more than the 

 season, like the vine. All extremely interesting from the beauty of their 

 blossoms. The culture is the same as in Clematis, and the propagation 

 generally by layers. 



-i 1. ^TRA'GENE ALPI^NA L. The Alpine Atragene. 



Identification. Lin. Sp., 764. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 10. 



Synonymes. Clematis caerulea Bauh. ; Atragene austrlaca Scop, and Bot. Mag. ; Atragene clema- 



tldes Crantz ; Clematis alpma MM. Diet. No. 9. ; C. alplna Dec. Prod. 1. p. 10. ; Atragene des 



Alpes, Fr.; Alpen Atragene, Ger. 

 Engravings. Bot. Rep., 1. 180. ; Bot. Mag., t. 530. ; and our fig 26. 



Spec. Char., $c. Peduncles 1 -flowered, longer than the leaves. Leaves 

 biternate ; leaflets ovate-lanceolate, acuminated, serrate. Petals somewhat 

 spathulate, blunt. (Doris Mill.) A deciduous climber. South of Europe, 

 on mountains, in calcareous soils. Height 8 ft. Introduced in 1792. 

 Flowers blue; May to July. Fruit white; 

 ripe in August. Decaying leaves brownish, 

 and in general parting more freely from the 

 stems than in Clematis. 



Varieties. DeCandolle mentions its varying with 



white flowers; and A. sibirica Lin., described 



below as a species with yellowish white flowers, 



appears to us nothing 'more than a variety of 



A. alpina. 



The stems are numerous, branching, weak, 

 forming knots at the joints where the leaves and 

 flowers are protruded. One flower, on a longish 

 scape, springs from between the leaves. The sepals 

 are twice the length of the petals, and are blue 

 on both sides. The petals are small, of a dirty 

 white, and in general 12 in number. Very orna- 

 mental. Layers. 



26. Atragene alpina. 



