Clematis flammula
Common name
Fragrant virgin’s bower
Family
Ranunculaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Dicotyledonous Lianes and Related Trailing Plants
Conservation status
Not assessed
Habitat
Terrestrial.
Features
Deciduous woody climber, stem terete, weak ribbing. Leaves very sparsely hairy, green & thick, 2-pinnate, 8-15 x 3-12cm, ovate to lanceolate, cuneate to truncate at base, acute to obtuse; margin entire or 2-3 lobed; petiole glabrous, 4-5cm long. Small white flowers 20-30 mm diameter with 4 sepals. Seeds hairy & compressed, 5-6mm long.
Similar taxa
Superficially similar to C. vitalba but leaves are 2-pinnate and sepal lobes relatively longer and narrower..
Flowering
January, February, March.
Flower colours
White
Fruiting
Unripe in February, ripe April-May
Life cycle
Perennial
Year naturalised
1968
Origin
Eurasia, N Africa
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Etymology
clematis: From the Greek klema ‘vine’, alluding to the vine-like habit of many species