Click for help
Volume IV (1988) - Flora of New Zealand Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons
Copy a link to this page Cite this record

Clematis L.

CLEMATIS L.

Perennial woody climbers or rarely terrestrial herbs. Lvs cauline, opposite, simple to ternate to 1-2-pinnate; leaflets entire or lobed. Fls ⚥ or unisexual, solitary or in axillary fascicles or simple to compound dichasial cymes; involucre 0 but bracts sometimes connate in pairs. Perianth of 1 petaloid whorl of sepals; sepals 4-6-(8), white, yellow, pink, blue or violet, without nectaries or spurs. Stamens many, spiralled; staminodes present or 0, sometimes petaloid or nectariferous. Carpels with 1 functional ovule. Achenes many, lanceolate to ovate; style elongated and feathery. Receptacle glabrous or hairy.

Key

1
Sepals 4-(5); plants either unisexual or ⚥
2
Sepals (5)-6-(8); plants unisexual
9
2
Lvs 1-pinnate or 3-foliolate or reduced to twining petioles
3
Lvs 2-pinnate
8
3
Plants ⚥, deciduous; sepals valvate
4
Plants unisexual, evergreen; sepals imbricate
6
4
Lvs 3-foliolate; fls solitary or clustered in lf axils; sepals > 25 × 10 mm
3. *montana
Lvs 5-foliolate; fls in compound dichasial cymes; sepals < 25 × 5 mm
5
5
Leaflets subcoriaceous; sepals creamy white, 15-24 × 3-4 mm, glabrous to glabrescent beneath except for dense hairs near margins
2. *maximowicziana
Leaflets thin; sepals greenish white, 6-11-(15) × 2-4 mm, densely hairy above and beneath
5. *vitalba
6
Lvs reduced to twining petioles and petiolules (except in shaded or juvenile plants)
6. afoliata
Lvs 3-foliolate, rarely 1-foliolate but lamina always present
7
7
Sepals brown or purplish, up to 2 mm broad; bracts elliptic
13. quadribracteolata
Sepals greenish or yellowish, sometimes brown-blotched at base, 3-6 mm broad; bracts spathulate
10. marata
8
Fls solitary in lf axils; filaments ciliate; fls yellow
4. *tangutica
Fls in axillary compound dichasial cymes; filaments glabrous; fls white
1. *flammula
9
Infl. with > 6 fls
10
Fls solitary or infl. with < 6 fls
13
10
Fls pure white, > 5 cm diam.; stamens of ♂ fls > 50
12. paniculata
Fls pale yellow or greenish white, < 5 cm diam.; stamens of ♂ fls < 30-(35)
11
11
Anthers 2-3 mm long, narrow-oblong; lvs usually glabrous, or sometimes with white hairs beneath
9. forsteri
Anthers 0.7-1.5 mm long, elliptic; lvs usually with sparse fulvous hairs
12
12
Perianth segments densely pilose beneath; fls very fragrant
8. foetida
Perianth segments ± pubescent beneath; fls faintly scented
7. cunninghamii
13
High-climbing or sprawling liane; petioles twining; sepals yellow to greenish white, ovate-oblong
9. forsteri
Tufted suckering subshrub; petioles not twining; sepals pure white or slightly greenish when young, obovate-elliptic
11. marmoraria

250 spp., cosmopolitan, mostly temperate. Native spp. 8, naturalised 5.

As pointed out by Godley, E. J. New Zealand J. Bot. 15: 775-776 (1977), the native N.Z. spp. of Clematis have imbricate sepals and are dioecious, whereas most spp. of the genus, including the 5 naturalised in N.Z., have valvate sepals and are ⚥.

Click to go back to the top of the page
Top