Species
Clematis paniculata
Etymology
Clematis: From the Greek klema 'vine', alluding to the vine-like habit of many species
paniculata: small sprayed
Common Name(s)
white clematis, puawananga
Current Conservation Status
2012 - Not Threatened
Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB
Previous Conservation Status
2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened
Authority
Clematis paniculata J.F.Gmel.
Family
Ranunculaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Native
CLEPAN
The
National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Lianes and Related Trailing Plants
Synonyms
Clematis integrifolia G.Forst. non C. integrifolia L.; Clematis indivisa Willd.
Distribution
Endemic. North, South and Stewart Islands. Naturalised on Chatham Island.
Habitat
Coastal to montane in shrubland or tall forest (up to 1000 m a.s.l.).
Features
Robust high-climbing evergreen woody vine. Main stems woody up to 200 mm diameter at base, branching in upper ½ or less, bark grey-brown, furrowed, branchlets stout, pliant, glabrescent. Leaves dark and glabrous above, pale green and sparsely covered in white hairs beneath, 3-foliolate, (50-)-70-130-(10) × 60-120(-190) mm; leaflets coriaceous, broadly ovate to broad-oblong, cordate to truncate at base; margin entire to crenately toothed or lobed near apex, rarely deeply lobed to almost dissected; petiole (20-)30-60(-70) mm long. Flowers unisexual, in compound axillary dichasial cymes. Bracts paired; lower pair often leaf-like, united, usually inserted below middle of pedicel. Male flowers: sepals 6, imbricate, white, glabrous above, hairy beneath, spathulate to obovate or oblong, 25-35(-60) × 8-15-(24) mm; stamens numerous; anthers 1.5-2.0(-2.5) mm long; filaments sparsely hairy or glabrous. Female flowers: sepals 6, similar to male, (16)-20-25-(40) × 7-10(-13) mm; staminodes few. Achenes hairy, 2-4 mm long. Style (2.5)-3.5-6.5 cm long at fruiting, plumose. Fruits not persistent.
Similar Taxa
None - the usually entire, dark green, leathery leaves, and big white flowers serve to distinguish it from all indigenous, naturalised and exotic species in New Zealand, except C. armandii which differs from C. paniculata by its much larger leaves with lanceolate lobed leaflets and smaller white flowers.
Flowering
July - November
Flower Colours
White
Fruiting
October - January
Propagation Technique
Easily grown from seed. Can be grown by cuttings but these can be fickle and slow to strike. Prefers to be planted a permanently damp but not sopping soil, in a situation where it can grow up into the sun. Its root stock should never be allowed to dry out. In humid climates prone to powdery mildew.
Threats
Not Threatened
Chromosome No.
2n = 16
Endemic Taxon
Yes
Endemic Genus
No
Endemic Family
No
Life Cycle and Dispersal
Pappate achenes are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
This page last updated on 15 Aug 2014