Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Ranunculales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Clematis virginiana
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
You may also want to check Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina
Learn more about Virgin's Bower from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Clematis virginiana
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Clematis virginiana
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 076-10-007:
Clematis virginiana FAMILY Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Clematis virginiana
COMMON NAME:
Virgin's Bower
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_clvi5_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_clvi5_008_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm180408_1076
April McCormick County SC
Parks Mill
)
JK Marlow jkm210513_0246
May Oconee County SC
Boone's Creek Preserve
)
JK Marlow s060520_a
May Jackson County NC
Roadside
The three leaflets are coarsely toothed, per Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977).
COMPARE
leaves of Clematis species
)
JK Marlow jkm0407k_33
July Jackson County NC
Roadside
3 ~ symmetrical leaflets (vs. 3-many irregular leaflets of C. viorna & crispa), per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm0308q_01
August Jackson County NC
Roadside
)
JK Marlow jkm0408e_23
August Greenville County SC
Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve
Clematis is unique within the Ranunculaceae in having opposite leaves, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
JK Marlow jkm140816_759
August Jackson County NC
High Hampton Inn
)
JK Marlow jkm160816_554
August Oconee County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm180821_4058
August Jackson County NC
Whiteside Mountain
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_clematis_virginiana
August
Both this & C. terniflora have 4 white oval spreading sepals about 1/2" long, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_clematis_virginiana_4
August
Mostly dioecious, but with some perfect flowers (polygamo-dioecious), per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
Steve Marlow snm140816_056
August Jackson County NC
High Hampton Inn
)
JK Marlow jkm090913_007
September Pickens County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm090913_013
September Pickens County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm140906_324
September Jackson County NC
Fruit a cluster of achenes with long curved feather-like tails (styles), per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
COMPARE
fruits that are an aggregate of achenes
)
JK Marlow jkm150927_309
September Henderson County NC
Bearwallow Mountain
)
JK Marlow jkm0511d_06
November Jackson County NC
Roadside
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Clematis virginiana
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Clematis virginiana
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Clematis virginiana
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 076-10-007:
Clematis virginiana
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Clematis virginiana
342
Woody vine
Perennial
Polygamo-dioecious [mostly dioecious, but with some bisexual flowers]
Habitat: In a wide variety of moist forests, thickets, and openings, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common (rare in Coastal Plain)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Odd-pinnately compound: 3 leaflets
Opposite
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
White
Radially symmetrical
4 petaloid sepals
Petals absent
Numerous stamens
Superior ovary
Flowers in axillary clusters
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Brownish
Aggregate of achenes
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p223
- Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers (Campbell, Hutson, Sharp, & Hutson, 1962) p116
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p151
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p183
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p515
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p103
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p170
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p075
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p304
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p036
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p057
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p05
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p104
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p045
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