CLEMATIS CIRRHOSA

Family and Genus:- See- RANUNCULACEAE/Sect. CHEIROPSIS

Common Name:- Virgin's bower

Homotypic Synonyms:- Atragene cirrhosa, Cheiropsis balearica, Cheiropsis

cirrhosa.

Meaning:- Clematis, Greek name for several climbing plants.

Cirrhosa (Gr) Yellowish.

General description:- An evergreen climber to 4m.

Stems:-

1) Woody, slender, up to 10 m long but often much less, pubescent.

Leaves:-

1) Opposite, simple or trifoliolate, glabrous, bright shiny green

a) leafets, 2-5 x 1.5-3.5 cm, narrowly ovate, usually gross-dentate.

b) old petioles, indurate, twisting and clasping.

Flowers:-

1) In the axils of clustered leaves, solitary or paired, nodding, broadly campanulate,

subtended by a small, cupuliform involucre of 2 fused bracteoles.

2) Perianth segments, 4, 20-30 x 10-20 mm, elliptic-ovate, pale greenish-yellow,

glabrous above, densely sho1t-pubescent beneath.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes, 3-5 mm, with a long, persistent, plumose style.

Key features:-

1) Flowers, white or yellowish, rarely reddish.

2) Style, plumose in fruit.

3) Plant, evergreen.

4) Bracteoles, connate, forming a 2-lipped involucre beneath the flower.

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, scrubland vegetation , Pinus halopensis

woodland, thickets in gorges, etc. 0-600(1200) m. on various substrates.

Distribution:- Common in the Aegean region, widespread, but scattered in coastal

areas of the Mediterranean region. Widespread and fairly common on Crete.

Flowering time:- (Oct-) Nov-Mar.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton