Banuncidacece.] 
THE COLONY OP VICTORIA. 
3 
CLEMATIS. 
IAnne Gen. Plant. n. 696. 
Sepals petaloid, 4-8. Stamens 6, or more and indefinite. Ovaries numerous, free. Carpels 
many, sessile, with persistent gradually lengthened naked or bearded style. 
Showy, often climbing, herbs or shrubs, inhabiting the temperate zone, or the higher mountains 
within the tropics, with opposite generally divided or compound leaves, often tendril-like leaf-stalks, a 
mostly compound inflorescence and ebracteolate or sometimes bibracteolate flowers. 
The three or four Australian species of Clematis are endemic. 
Sect. Flammula, Canid. Syst. i. 133. 
Bracteoles and petals wanting. Styles lengthened, plumose. 
Clematis aristata, B. Br. in Caiul. Syst. i. 147; C. coriacea, Cand. I . c.; C. stenosepala, Cand. 1. c.; 
C. gentianoides, Cand . 1. c.; Beless. Icon. sel. i. 5; C. blanda, Hook. Journ. Bot. i. 241. 
A woody dioecious climber; leaves divided into three glabrous segments, occasionally some of them 
simple, generally on long* petioles; segments stalked, almost leathery, cordate-ovate or narrow- or ovate- 
lanceolate, almost three-nerved, net-veined, often acute, either entire or particularly below the middle 
crenate-serrated, above shining; peduncles axillary and terminal, with one or several cymose or fastigiate 
pedicels, which are frequently longer than the flowers; sepals four, oblong- or linear-lanceolate, outside downy 
or glabrous, along the margin slightly tomentose, twice or three times as long as the stamens; anthers 
oblong-linear , with a. terminal subulate appendage, which is longer or shorter than the cells, or rarely 
shortened to a mere point; carpels ovate or ovate-lanceolate acute, not wrinkled, generally downy; fruit- 
style long, feathery, except at the base and apex. 
In moist forest localities, chiefly along banks of rivers and rivulets, as far west as the Grampians, 
through the whole of the colony of Victoria. It occurs likewise throughout Tasmania, and in the more 
southern parts of New South Wales. 
A tall evergreen climber, sometimes reaching to the summits of large trees, possessing the general 
acridity of its congeners. Branches furrowed, smooth in 'age. Branclilets generally more or less downy. 
Leaflets 1-4 inches long, J-2 inches broad, often purplish beneath, prominently veined, variegated in a young 
state. Pedicels generally longer than the peduncles; the latter at times very short. Lower bracts leaf-like, 
upper ones gradually smaller, at last diminutive. Pedicels 4 inches long, or variously shorter. Sepals 
i-1 inch long, 1-3 lines broad, pure or yellowish white, occasionally five in number. Filaments linear, some 
surrounding the female flower. Anthers pale, f-lj line long; their appendix acute, rarely blunt, varying 
greatly in length sometimes even in the same flower, their measurement being between J-1J line. Carpels 
1J-2J lines long. Fruit-styles I-l| inch long. 
Nothing can be more beautiful than the graceful festoons formed by this climber when loaded with its 
flowers in spring, or when producing its plumose fruit in summer. 
Clematis glycinoides, DC., which differs only in generally entire leaves, smaller flowers, oblong-oval 
anthers with veiy short appendage and in narrow lanceolate carpels, is not yet found in Victoria, but extends 
along the east coast as far north as the Dawson River. Dr. Hooker refers very justly, in the Flora 
Tasmanica, i. p. 3, to the probability of Clematis pubescens, Hueg. (Cl. indivisa, Steud . non IF., Cl. discolor 
and Cl. cognata, Steud.), belonging to the species above described. Although I found no distinct character 
by which it could be discriminated from Cl. aristata, I have hesitated to unite them, because the latter is a 
forest plant which only, with numerous other Tasmanian species, makes its appearance in Victoria, not 
extending to any part of the colony of South Australia hitherto explored, whilst Clematis pubescens is 
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