368 CLEMATIS 



C. VERTICILLARIS, De Candolle. BELL RUE. 



(Atragene americana, Sims ; Bot. Mag., t. 887.) 



A climbing shrub of the Atragene group, 6 to 8 ft. high ; young stems 

 slightly ribbed, smooth, becoming much enlarged at the joints with age. 

 Leaves ternate, being composed of three leaflets on a common stalk 2 to 

 3 ins. long ; leaflets ovate or heart-shaped, i to 2 ins. long, coarsely toothed or 

 entire, with a little loose down about the veins and stalks when young. 

 Flower solitary on a stalk about 3 ins. long, purple or purplish blue, 2 to 3 ins. 

 across. Sepals four, thin, lance-shaped, pointed, prominently veined, downy, 

 especially at the margins ; petals about f in. long. Seed-vessel surmounted by a 

 feathery style about i \ ins. long. 



Native of Eastern N. America ; introduced in 1797. It is most nearly 

 allied to the European C. alpina, producing its flowers in May from the joints 

 of the previous year's wood, and having petals or petal-like organs between the 

 sepals and stamens. It is, however, quite distinct in having but three leaflets 

 to each leaf, and these have not the deep, handsome toothing of C. alpina. 

 C. verticillaris is now very rare in gardens, as it is said to be also in a wild 

 state. 



C. VIORNA, Linnaus. LEATHER-FLOWER. 



A half-woody climber, 6 to 10 ft. high. Leaves mostly pinnate ; leaflets, usually 

 five, of various sizes and shapes, the basal, ones largest, mostly two- or three- 

 lobed, or trifoliolate, often heart-shaped at the base, i^ to 2 ins. long and wide ; 

 the upper ones not lobed, ovate, f to i^ ins. long ; all of them without teeth and 

 often smooth. Flowers nodding, solitary on stiff stalks 2 or 3 ins. long ; sepals 

 very thick and leathery, pointed, I to i \ ins. long, dull reddish purple, greenish 

 white or yellowish inside. The sepals touch and form a bell-shaped flower, 

 slightly narrowed towards the mouth where the points are curved back. 

 Seed-vessels with brownish feathery styles i in. long. 



Native of the eastern United States, introduced in 1730. It is the type 

 species of a group of Clematis (sometimes separated as a distinct genus under 

 the name of Viorna), whose converging sepals give an urn- or bell-shape to the 

 flower. The stems die back in winter, to the woody base of the plant. 

 Although interesting and curious, this species is not particularly attractive. 



C. VIRGIN IAN A, Linnceus. 



A deciduous, climbing shrub up to 20 ft. high ; young stems ribbed and 

 almost without down. Leaves nearly always consisting of three leaflets (rarely 

 five), which are ovate, rounded or heart-shaped at the base, coarsely and 

 unequally toothed, borne on a common stalk \\ to 3 ins. long ; each leaflet on 

 its own stalk J to \ in. long, slightly downy when young. Flowers dull white, 

 i to i ins. across, produced in axillary panicles 3 to 6 ins. long in August and 

 September ; sepals four, oblong, thin. Seed-vessels with silky, feathered styles, 

 forming silvery heads about 2^ ins. across. 



Native of Eastern N. America ; introduced in 1767. It is but little grown 

 outside botanic gardens, being inferior in vigour to our native species, and not 

 so attractive as many others. It is allied most closely to C. Vitalba, but is 

 distinguished by its three-foliolate instead of five-foliolate leaves. Plants, too, 

 are frequently unisexual. 



C. VITALBA, Linnceus. TRAVELLER'S JOY. 



A deciduous, climbing shrub, forming woody stems reaching ultimately, if 

 support be available, 40 ft. or more high, the older portions near the ground 



