The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Clematis cunninghamii

Etymology

Clematis: From the Greek klema 'vine', alluding to the vine-like habit of many species
cunninghamii: Named after Allan Cunningham (1791 – 1839) who was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels to Australia (New South Wales) and New Zealand to collect plants. Author of Florae Insularum Novae Zelandiae Precursor, 1837-40 (Introduction to the flora of New Zealand).

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 cunninghamii Turcz.

Family

Ranunculaceae

Brief Description

Scrambling liane with pale green flowers, smooth-edged or with 1-2 sharp-tipped lobes leaves which are covered in brownish down when young

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CLECUN

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Lianes and Related Trailing Plants

Synonyms

Clematis parviflora A.Cunn, Clematis hillii Colenso

Distribution

Endemic. North Island. South to Hawkes Bay in the east, to ?? in the west.

Habitat

Lowland forest and forest margins

Features

Evergreen woody climber with main stems to 3 m or more tall; branchlets finely grooved, pilose when young. Leaves 3-foliate, opposite; petioles c. 3 cm long, pilose-pubescent. Leaflets pubescent-pilose with fulvous hairs especially beneath; on petiolules c. 1 cm long; midvein and secondary veins visible above, more obvious below; leaflet lamina 1.5-4 x 1-2 cm, ovate, entire or crenately toothed or lobed, submembranous, dark green to yellowish-green, tip acute, base usually cordate, undersides paler. Juvenile leaves larger, thinner, irregularly lobed and sometimes serrate. Inflorescences unisexual, conspicuous, in axillary dichasial cymes, few-flowered, up to 8 cm long, inflorescence bracts linear-oblong, paired, united, inserted above middle of peduncle, fulvous. Flowers slightly fragrant. Male 1-2(-2.5) cm diam., sepals 5-8, narrow-oblong to elliptic-oblong, subacute, imbricate, glabrous above, hairy beneath, 9-12(-22) x 2-5 mm, yellowish; stamens many, anthers 0.7-1 mm long, filaments glabrous., up to 1 cm long. Female 5-8 sepals, imbricate, yellowish, glabrous above, hairy beneath, elliptic-ovate, 8-13(-15) x 2-3(-6) mm; staminodes few. Achenes hairy, elliptic, narroweed to apex, compressed, margin thickened and distinct, surface finely ridged, 2.6-3.4(-3.6) mm long, styles 20-26(-30) cm long at fruiting, white-plumose for most of length, short hairs at base.

Similar Taxa

Similar to other climbing yellow-or green-flowered clematis species that have large leaves. It can be distinguished most easily from C foetida by the strong pleasant smell of that species (and also by the hairy rather than downy sepals and petals). C. forsteri has young leaves that are either glabrous underneath, or occ. with white (rather than brownish) hairs (the anthers are also larger in this species).

Flowering

September-November

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

November-January

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 2 Jun 2014