TREES AND SHRUBS 



flowers are followed by the 1 -seeded fruits, from which hang long whitish 

 feathery, hair-like tufts, very attractive in winter, and making its popular 

 name of Old Man's Beard most appropriate. June — August. 



The genus Clematis consists chiefly of deciduous shrubs, many of which 

 are planted in the garden for the variety, size, and brilliancy of their 

 gorgeous flowers, the rapidity of growth, and the ease with which they 

 may be trained to trellises or walls, or made to climb up stumps of old 

 trees or over rockeries. Their height may range from 1 to 30 ft. ; and their 

 white, blue, purple, or yellow flowers are in evidence from April to October. 

 They thrive best in a rich loamy soil with a fair share of leaf-mould and 

 decayed manure, with an addition of road grit to keep the whole open 

 and allow the free ramification of the roots. The genus has been greatly 

 improved by hybridisation, and the number of varieties is ever increasing. 

 Many do well on chalky soils. 



The species and varieties are mainly propagated by grafting small scions 

 on pieces of roots of old plants in spring. Cuttings also are taken in 

 spring, and shoots may be layered at all periods. Seeds are sown in light 

 sandy soil in gentle heat in March, and the seedlings transplanted outdoors 

 in June or July. 



Flowers 1 in. diam. ; honeyless, with sweet almond scent ; borne in a 

 panicle at ends of short axillary or terminal branches ; pedicels shorter than 

 leaves ; Sepals 4-5, petaloid, valvate, pubescent ; Petals ; Stamens indefinite, 

 hypogynous; Carpels numerous, 1 -celled ; Fruit an etaerio of 1-seeded achenes, 

 with the persistent styles transformed into long feathery awns. 



Leaves opposite, pinnate or ternate, leaflets 3-9, usually 3-5, ovate- 

 cordate, entire, toothed or lobed, downy beneath, veins prominent, petioles 

 persistent when twining. 



A deciduous shrub, climbing by its twisted petioles ; Stem woody, young 

 stems 6-angled, dark olive-green, downy. 



Generic name derived from Gr. klema, a twig or tendril ; specific " Yitalba," 



in a contraction of vitis alba, meaning " white vine," both names referring 



to its trailing habit. Juice of leaves said to be employed by beggars to 



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