Volume 11 > Part 1 > Year 2011 > Page 59 > Ranunculaceae > Clematis

9. Clematis smilacifolia Wall.

Asiat. Res. 13: 402. 1820; Kurz, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 43: 44. 1874; Hosseus, Bull. Bot. Centralbl. II Abt. 28: 239. 1911; H.Eichler, Bibl. Bot. 124: 44. 1958; Tamura, Thai Forest Bull., Bot. 25: 70. 1997. Plate IV: 3.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Evergreen climber, sometimes up to more than 10 m, drying brownish. Stems glabrous, internodes porcate with 12 or more ridges, sometimes with more small striae. Leaves simple, broadly ovate to lanceolate, 6–21 by 3–17 cm, subcuneate, truncate to cordate at base, acute to acuminate at apex, peltate with petiole attached up to 4 mm distant from basal margin of blade, small leaves usually epeltate, entire, herbaceous to coriaceous, 5–7-veined, veins branching near base, glabrous on both sides, sometimes pubescent along veins; petioles 5–12 cm long, usually glabrous, dilated near base. Inflorescences axillary, thyrsiform, 10–27-flowered; peduncles 5–10 cm, sparsely crisp pubescent; bract linear to linear-oblong; pedicels 3.5–10 cm long, pubescent to subvillose with brownish, soft hairs especially upwards; bracteoles minute, up to 3 mm long, sometimes absent. Flowers 2.5–4 cm diam, sometime unisexual. Sepals 6, sometimes 4, reflexed, elliptic-lanceolate to ovate-oblong, acute at apex, 20–35 by 3.5–7 mm, upper surface glabrous, purplish to dull scarlet, lower surface purplish brown, villose, margins tomentose with dirty white hairs. Stamens erect, anthers linear, lateral or slightly introrse, 2–5 mm long, connective projected, 1–1.5 mm long, filaments drying blackish, 8–16 mm long, glabrous, slightly dilated downwards. Achenes yellowish to brownish, elliptic-rhombic, sometimes oblique, 6–12 by 3.2–7 mm, compressed, thick-margined, contracted to both ends, pubescent, tails 4–6 cm long, plumose with white or yellowish, ascending or spreading, 2–5 mm long hairs, but shorter, appressed or ascending towards base.

Thailand : NORTHERN: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Phrae (Huai Le Lami – type of Clematis smilacifolia var. grandiflora); NORTH-EASTERN: Phetchabun; EASTERN: Nakhon Ratchasima; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi (Ta Kanun – type of C. smilacifolia var. angustifolia).

Distribution : SE Tibet, Himalayas: Nepal, Eastern India, Bangladesh (type), Myanmar, China (Yunnan, Guizhou, Hainan), Indochina, Malesia, eastwards to New Guinea.

Ecology : Climbing on bushes or trees at forests edges, especially in valleys, 200– 1,800 m alt. Flowering: October–January; fruiting: December–March.

Vernacular : Khruea chang luang (เครือจางหลวง)(Chiang Mai); phuang kaeo kudan (พวงแก้วกุดั่น)(Bangkok).