THE /l^ERICp BDTPIST. 
Vol. VIII. BINGHAMTON, N. Y., FEBRUARY, 1905. No. 2. 
THE COMMON CLEMATIS. 
( Clema tis virginiana . ) 
IN July or August the saunterer along country by-ways 
is pretty certain to find the flower-laden sprays of the 
common clematis spreading over the shrubbery in its 
haunts. Although lacking the tendrils of the grape and 
the twining stem of the bindweed, it is an expert climber 
and seldom rests until its topmost sprays have formed a 
tangled mat of green over its support. Its method of 
getting up in the world is somewhat out of the ordinary 
and consists in the coiling of the petioles about any 
convenient support. The tendrils of the common garden 
pea are evidently transformed leaflets, but the clematis is 
able to retain its leaflets by making its petioles do extra 
work. Since the stem is not annual like that of the pea 
it would not do to cut off leaf and petiole in autumn as 
other perennial plants do, so the leaflets themselves are 
cut off leaving the coiled petiole as a permanent support 
for the stem. 
Although the flowers are dioecious, that is, the 
stamens and pistils are on separate plants, they apparent- 
ly produce no nectar but are nevertheless able to secure 
the visits of insects by providing them with plenty of 
pollen. The insects that transfer the pollen are small flies 
and possibly a few bees. As is well known the two kinds 
of flowers diff*er slightly, the staminate ones have only the 
usual four-parted calyx but the pistillate have a circle of 
petal-like organs inside the calyx which are probably the 
remains of stamens. After the sepals have fallen these 
remain for a time to make the flower more conspicuous. 
After polHnation the styles lengthen greatly and develop 
the soft fluffy hairs that aid in transporting the seed. 
