Clematis

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iClematis

Clematis hybrid

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Ranunculaceae
Genus:	Clematis Dill. ex L.

Species

See text.

Clematis is a genus of mostly vigorous climbing lianas, with attractive flowers. Some species are shrubby, and some others are herbaceous perennials. They are found throughout the temperate regions of both hemispheres, and also in mountains in the tropics. The cool temperate species are deciduous, but many of the warmer climate species are evergreen.

Image:Clematis - Etiole Violette.jpg

Most species are known as Clematis in English, while some are also known as traveller's joy, leather flower, vase vine and virgin's bower, the last three being names used for North American species.

One recent classification recognised 297 species of clematis. Unsurprisingly, therefore, modern taxonomists subdivide the genus. Magnus Johnson divided Clematis into 19 sections, several with subsections [1]; Christopher Grey-Wilson divided the genus into 9 subgenera, several with sections and subsections within them [2]. Several of the subdivisions are fairly consistent between different classifications, for example all Grey-Wilson's subgenera are used as sections by Johnson.

Subgenera of Clematis according to Grey-Wilson:

Clematis, Cheiropsis, Flammula, Archiclematis, Campanella, Atragene, Tubulosae, Pseudanemone, Viorna

Some of these were previously classed as separate genera.

[edit] Species

Image:Clematis2.jpg

Image:Clematis Montana 02.jpg

Image:Clematis vitalba.JPG

Image:Old man's beard Clematis vitalba seeds.jpg

A partial list of species:

Clematis addisonii - Addison's Leather Flower
Clematis albicoma - Whitehair Leather Flower
Clematis alpina - Alpine Clematis, a hardy clematis flowering in August
Clematis armandii - one of two evergreen Clematis species (the other is C. cirrhosa); it includes the 'Apple Blossom' and 'Snowdrift' cultivars.
Clematis baldwinii - Pine Hyacinth
Clematis bigelovii - Bigelow Clematis
Clematis campaniflora - Portuguese Clematis
Clematis caracasana - Clematis
Clematis catesbyana - Satin curls
Clematis cirrhosa - one of two evergreen Clematis species (the other is C. armandii); it includes the 'Freckles,' 'Wisley Cream,' 'Jingle Bells,' and 'balearica' cultivars.
Clematis coactilis - Virginia Whitehair Leather Flower
Clematis columbiana - British Columbia Virgin's-bower
Clematis crispa - Curly Virginsbower
Clematis dioica - Cabellos de Angel
Clematis drummondii - Drummond Clematis
Clematis durandii
Clematis flammula - Fragrant Virgin's Bower
Clematis Florida - Asian Clematis
Clematis fremontii - Fremont's Leather Flower
Clematis glaucophylla - Whiteleaf Leather Flower
Clematis hirsutissima - Hairy Clematis
Clematis integrifolia
Clematis x jackmanii - Jackman's Clematis
Clematis lasiantha - Pipestem Clematis
Clematis ligusticifolia - Virgin's Bower
Clematis macropetala
Clematis marmoraria - New Zealand Dwarf Clematis
Clematis montana - Anemone Clematis
Clematis morefieldii - Huntsville Vasevine
Clematis occidentalis - Western Blue Virginsbower
Clematis ochroleuca - Curlyheads
Clematis orientalis - Chinese Clematis
Clematis palmeri - Palmer Clematis
Clematis pauciflora - Ropevine Clematis
Clematis pitcheri - Bluebill
Clematis recta - Ground Clematis
Clematis reticulata - Netleaf Leather Flower
Clematis socialis - Alabama Leather Flower
Clematis tangutica - Golden Clematis
Clematis terniflora - Leatherleaf Clematis
Clematis ternifolia - aka Clematis paniculata
Clematis texensis - Scarlet Leather Flower
Clematis versicolor - Manycolored Leather Flower
Clematis viorna - Vasevine or Traveller's joy
Clematis virginiana - Devil's Darning Needles, Virginia Bower
Clematis vitalba - Traveller's Joy or Old Man's Beard - The flowers of this species are eaten by the larvae of moths including The V-Pug and Double-striped Pug and the leaves by Willow Beauty.
Clematis viticaulis - Millboro Leather Flower
Clematis viticella - Italian Clematis

[edit] References

Grey-Wilson, Christopher Clematis: The Genus : A Comprehensive Guide for Gardeners, Horticulturists and Botanists (Timber Press, 2000)
Johnson, Magnus The Genus Clematis (Magnus Johnson Plantskola AB, 2001)
Gardeners' Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers, Christopher Brickell ed. (Dorling Kindersley, 1989)