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• Clematis vitalba

Clematis vitalba — white virgin's-bower

Facts

White virgin's-bower is native to North Africa and Europe and has a rather spotty distribution in North America. In New England, it has been collected only from roadsides and abandoned homesteads in Maine. It is also known as "old man's beard" for its sprays of white flowers that appear in late summer. It grows well in a variety of garden conditions, and is tolerant of mild deer browse; however, it is regarded as somewhat weedy, even noxious in Oregon and Washington.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Bulbils

  the plant does not appear to have bulbils

  Bulblets replace flowers

  there are no bulblets where the flowers are located

• Flowers

  Anther opening

  the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers

  Anther spurs

  the anthers do not have spurs on them

  Calyx symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)

  Carpels fused

  the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla morphology

  NA

  Corolla palate

  NA

  Corona lobe length

  0 mm

  Epicalyx

  the flower does not have an epicalyx

  Epicalyx number of parts

  0

  Filament surface

  the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales

  Flower description

  the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium

  Flower symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Form of style

  the style is narrow at the tip and unbranched

  Fused stamen clusters

  NA

  Fusion of sepals and petals

  both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused

  Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

  NA

  Hypanthium

  the flower does not have a hypanthium

  Inflorescence one-sided

  the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks

  Inner tepals (Rumex)

  NA

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of pistils

  6 or more

  Number of sepals, petals or tepals

  there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower

  Number of styles

  1

  Ovary position

  the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals

  Petal and sepal colors

  white

  Petal appearance

  NA

  Petal folds or pleats

  • NA
  • the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal number

  0

  Petal tip shape

  • NA
  • the petal tip is rounded
  • the petal tip is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Reproductive system

  • all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
  • the plant has flowers with both carpels and stamens, as well as flowers with only carpels or only stamens (polygamous)

  Scales inside corolla

  NA

  Sepal and petal color

  NA

  Sepal appendages

  the sepals do not have appendages on them

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Stamen attachment

  the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals

  Stamen number

  13 or more

  Stamen position relative to petals

  NA

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene relative orientation

  the achenes are perpendicular to the plane of the perianth (vertical)

  Achene shape

  the achenes are another shape in outline

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  the fruit is an achene (dry, indehiscent, and usually one-seeded)

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  NA

  Capsule splitting

  NA

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit length

  Up to 3.5 mm

  Fruit locules

  one

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe

  Fruit type (specific)

  the fruit is an achene (dry, usually one-seeded, does not separate or split open at maturity)

  Legumes (Fabaceae)

  NA

  Mericarp length

  0 mm

  Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)

  NA

  Other markings on berry

  NA

  Placenta arrangement

  • marginal
  • the plant has basal placentation, where one or a few ovules develop at the base of a simple or compound ovary

  Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit compression

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit segments

  0

  Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  prickles on fruits

  the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures

• Glands or sap

  Glands on leaf blade

  the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales

  Sap

  the sap is clear and watery

  Sap color

  the sap is clear

• Growth form

  Lifespan

  the plant lives more than two years

  Parasitism

  the plant is not parasitic

  Plant color

  the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

  Plants darken when dry

  no

  Spines on plant

  the plant has no spines

• Leaves

  Bracteole number (Apiaceae)

  0

  Bracts in plantain (Plantago)

  NA

  Hairs on underside of leaf

  the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy

  Leaf arrangement

  opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)

  Leaf blade base shape

  the base of the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped, has rounded lobes at the base)

  Leaf blade edges

  the edge of the leaf blade has teeth

  Leaf blade length

  Up to 160 mm

  Leaf blade shape

  the leaf blade is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)

  Leaf blade surface colors

  the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

  Leaf duration

  the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)

  Leaf form

  the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture

  Leaf spines

  there are no spines on the leaf edges

  Leaf stalk attachment to leaf

  the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade

  Leaf stalk base

  the petiole base is narrow where it attaches to the stem

  Leaf type

  the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets

  Leaf variation

  the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem

  Leaflet number

  3–5

  Leaves per node

  there are two leaves per node along the stem

  Pinnately compound leaf type

  the pinnately compound leaves have a terminal leaflet (and usually have an odd number of leaflets per axis)

  Specific leaf type

  the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis

  Stipels

  there are no stipels at the bases of the petiolules

  Stipule features

  NA

  Stipules

  there are no stipules on the plant

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  Maine

  Specific habitat

  man-made or disturbed habitats

• Scent

  Plant odor

  the plant does not have much of a smell

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  NA

  Flowering stem cross-section

  • the flowering stem has strong or sharp angles, but is not square
  • the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular

  Hair between stem nodes

  the stem has hairs between the nodes

  Leaves on stem

  there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem

  Plant height

  Up to 1200 cm

  Tendril origin

  NA

  Tendrils

  the plant does not have tendrils

Wetland status

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae