Volume 6 — PLATE CCCCII.

CLEMATIS FLORIDA.

Large-flowered Virgin’s Bower.

CLASS XIII. ORDER VI.

POLYANDRIA POLYGYNIA. Many Chives. Many Pointals.

ESSENTIAL GENERIC CHARACTER.

Calyx nullus. Petala quatuor, rarius quinque. Semina caudata.

Empalement none. Petals four, rarely five. Seeds tailed.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Clematis, foliis decompositis, foliolis binatis ternatisque, petalis ovatis. Willd. Sp. Pl. 2. 1287.

Clematis, with decompound leaves, leaflets in twos and threes, and egg-shaped petals.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

The large-flowered Virgin’s Bower was introduced into the English gardens, in the year 1776, from Japan; of which country it is a native; and possesses by much the largest and most showy flowers in the whole genus.

Although introduced so long since, it is not often met with. Our drawing was made from very fine plants in the collection of Messrs. Colvill, Nurserymen in the King’s Road, in the month of July last; where they made an exceeding fine appearance.

Like many of the Japanese plants, it is found capable of resisting the severity of our ordinary winters, without receiving much injury.

It thrives best when trained against a wall or other fence, planted in rich soil; and is usually propagated by laying down the lowest branches in a careful manner; which take root in due time, and may then be safely separated from the mother plant.