OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

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



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.

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_clvi5_001_lvd

        

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide    pnd_clvi5_008_lvd

        

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

JK Marlow    jkm180408_1076

April    McCormick County    SC

Parks Mill

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

JK Marlow    jkm210513_0246

May    Oconee County    SC

Boone's Creek Preserve

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

JK Marlow    s060520_a

May    Jackson County    NC

Roadside

The three leaflets are coarsely toothed, per Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE leaves of Clematis species

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

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.

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

JK Marlow    jkm0308q_01

August    Jackson County    NC

Roadside

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

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).

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

JK Marlow    jkm140816_759

August    Jackson County    NC

High Hampton Inn

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

JK Marlow    jkm160816_554

August    Oconee County    SC

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

JK Marlow    jkm180821_4058

August    Jackson County    NC

Whiteside Mountain

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

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).

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_clematis_virginiana_4

August        

Mostly dioecious, but with some perfect flowers (polygamo-dioecious), per Weakley's Flora (2012).

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

Steve Marlow    snm140816_056

August    Jackson County    NC

High Hampton Inn

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

JK Marlow    jkm090913_007

September    Pickens County    SC

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

JK Marlow    jkm090913_013

September    Pickens County    SC

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

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).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE fruits that are an aggregate of achenes

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

JK Marlow    jkm150927_309

September    Henderson County    NC

Bearwallow Mountain

image of Clematis virginiana, Virgin's Bower

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

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

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)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)

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!



 


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