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Small-Leaved Clematis photos | Family: Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) |
Scientific Name: | Clematis microphylla | Fruiting plant of Small-leafed Clematis Photo: A J Brown |
Status: | Native to all Australian States. | |
Plant Description: | A woody climbing shrub to about 3 m high, often found scrambling over other vegetation or rocky outcrops. Leaves continually divide into three leaflets with the terminal leaflet 6-50 mm long and from 1-15 mm wide; oblong to obovate in shape. Leaflet margins sometimes with one or two basal lobes but without teeth. Male and female flowers develop on different plants. Flowers consist of four, oblong, creamy-white petal-like sepals (the whorl of bracts surrounding the petals) but no actual petals. Fruit is an achene with thickened margins and a long (2-4 cm) plumose (feather-like) awn or bristle. | |
Habitat: | Throughout Victoria in a wide range of habitats, including coastal shrub-land. | |
Comments: | Current revision of this taxon may result in the segregation of new species, based on their number of leaflets. Other Clematis species in Victoria include Old Man’s Beard (Clematis aristata) which is also widespread but tends to grow to protected gullies and has broader leaflets with more or less toothed margins. |
Leaves of Small-leafed Clematis Photo: A J Brown | Flower buds of Small-leaved Clematis Photo: A J Brown |
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