Species

Clematis quadribracteolata

Etymology

Clematis: From the Greek klema 'vine', alluding to the vine-like habit of many species

Common Name(s)

Clematis

Current Conservation Status

2018 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

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

2012 - Not Threatened
2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Clematis quadribracteolata Colenso

Family

Ranunculaceae

Brief Description

Vine with small entire to three-lobed-lobed leaflets and purplish coloured flowers

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CLEQUA

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

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (from Waitomo and the Bay of Plenty south to the Eastern Wairarapa), South Island (n Nelson, Marlborough, Westland, Canterbury, Otago and Southland). Mainly in the drier east.

Habitat

Lowland to subalpine. A species favouring grey scrub, frost flats and forest margins.

Features

Evergreen slender, low-growing woody climber; branchlets grooved, glabrous of finely puberulent when young. Leaves 1.5-3(-4.5) x 0.5-2(-3) cm, simple to 3-foliate, opposite; petioles 1-2.5(-3.5) cm long. Leaflets sparsely hairy on petiole and petiolule; petiolules c. 5-10 mm long; midvein and secondary veins inconspicuous above and below; leaflet variable, glabrous above and below, lamina 1-11 mm long, simple, trifid or with basal lobe, broadly spathulate, usually entire, thin, brownish green, tip acute to obtuse, base truncate to subcordate, undersides paler. Juvenile leaves larger, thinner. Inflorescences unisexual, inconspicuous against foliage, soliatry or in 2-3-flowered clusters in leaf axils, up to 8 cm long; inflorescence bracts elliptic, obtuse to hooded, 2-3 paired, connate, hairy. Flowers dull light purple, strongly scented. Male to 1 cm diam., sepals 4, linear-lanceolate, obtuse, imbricate, glabrous above, +/- silky hairy beneath, 5-15 x 1-2 mm, purplish to reddish brown; stamens 25-28, anthers 0.5-1.5 mm long, filaments glabrous., up to 1 cm long. Female 4 sepals, generally darker and hairier than male, otherwise similar; carpels 22-24; staminodes few. Achenes hairy, elliptic, narrowed to apex, compressed, margin thickened and distinct, surface unornamented, (2.2-)2.8-3.5(-3.8) mm long, styles (12-)15-25(-35) cm long at fruiting, white-plumose for most of length, glabrous or with short hairs at base.

Similar Taxa

The wider green hairy sepals (petals are not present in Clematis) distinguish Clematis marata species from the very similar Clematis quadribracteolata which has narrow purple sepals that are glabrous on the inner surface. When not in flower more difficult to distnguish, but C. marata leaflets and branchlets are hairier. The distribution of these two species overlaps through the eastern South Island.

Flowering

September - October

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,Violet / Purple

Fruiting

November - December

Propagation Technique

Easily grown. However, on account of its inconspicuous foliage, and dull coloured flowers it is not very popular with most gardeners. Best grown up through a divaricating shrub. Like all clematis this species does best planted in a permanently damp, fertile soil, in a site where its root stock can remain shaded, and its stems can grow up into the sunlight.

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).

 

 

Attribution

Description adapted from Allan (1961), Webb et al. (1988, Eagle (2000) and Webb and Simpson (2001)

References and further reading

Allan, H.H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington

Webb, C.J; Sykes, W.R; Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1988. Flora of NZ, Vol. IV. DSIR, Christchurch

Eagle, A. 2000. Eagle's complete trees and shrubs of NZ. Te Papa Press, Wellington

Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309

Webb, C.J. &  Simpson, M.J.A. 2001. Seeds of NZ gymnosperms and dicotyledons. Manuka Press, Christchurch.

This page last updated on 15 Aug 2014