June issue - Clematis


Here you'll find all the sources of the information on roses in this month's Sideshoots. All were correct at the time of going to press.

Clematis Facts

• Number of clematis species growing wild around the world: 297
  (Clematis - the Genus by Chris Grey-Wilson, publ. 2000)
  
  
• Proprtion which are perennials or shrubs rather than climbers: 10%
  (pers. comm. Chris Grey-Wilson,)
  
  
• Number of clematis species growing wild in Britain: 1
  (New Flora of the British Isles by Clive Stace)
  
  
• Number of cultivars listed on the International Clematis Register: 3500
  (pers. comm Vicky Mathews, International Clematis Registrar)
  
  
• Number of clematis available from British nurseries: 806
  (RHS Plantfinder 2000/2001)
  
  
• Proportion of clematis available from British nurseries given RHS Award of Garden Merit: 8.4%
  (68, RHS Plantfinder)
  
  
• Number of varieties raised by the Estonian Uno Kivistik, the leading breeder: 162
  (pers. comm. Mary Toomey, British Clematis Society)
  
  
• Numer of known clematis cultivars with variegated foliage: 3
  (C. japonica 'Gokanosho', C. flammula 'Ithaca' and 'Elfin'; pers. comm. Vicky Mathews.)
  
  
• Proportion of those with variegated foliage at present available: 0%
  (RHS Plantfinder)
  
  
• Number of clematis described on Clematis on the Web (www.clematis.hull.ac.uk): 941
  (pers. comm. Richard Green, founder Clematis on the Web)
  
  
• Proportion illustrated with at least one photogrpah: 35%
  (326; pers. comm. Richard Green, founder Clematis on the Web)
  
  
• Number of species and cultivars in most extensive National Collection (at RJ Evison Ltd, Guernsey): 505
  (NCCPG National Plant Collections Directory)
  
  
• Number of members of the International Clematis Society: 247
  (pers. comm. Fiona Woolfenden, Secretary, International Clematis Society)
  
  
• Number of members of British Clematis Society: 1275
  (pers. comm. David Victor, British Clematis Society Postmaster)
  
  
• Estimated maximum height of the tallest clematis species, C. gouriana: 24.6m/80ft
  (pers. comm.Mary Toomey, British Clematis Society)
  
  
• Growth of C. tangutica ’ÄòCorry’Äô in the author’Äôs garden in one season: 4m/13ft
  (Personal observation)
  
  
• Estimated height of the shortest clematis species: 10cm/4in
  (pers. comm. Chris Grey-Wilson)
  
  
• Number of seeds in old man’Äôs beard seed head: 90
  (pers. comm. Chris Grey-Wilson)
  
  
• Number of plants other than the British native Clematis vitalba also called old man’Äôs beard: 3
  (Chionanthus virginicus, Clematis virginiana, Usnea species - a lichen. Dictionary of Common Names www.plantpress.com/docn.htm)
  
  
• Number of books on clematis at present available: 17
  (amazon.co.uk, excluding those on special order)
  
  
• Ranking in popularity of garden plants in a recent survey sponsored by the Royal Horticultural Society: 2
  (DK/RHS survey)
  
  Clematis banter
  
  TOMATO OR TOMATO? Pardon? I thought this was about clematis.
  
  YES, BUT HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE IT? Tomato?
  
  NO, CLEMATIS. Ah…that, my friend, is a very good question.
  
  AND THE ANSWER? Depends who you ask, there seem to be at least five different options.
  
  SO IT’ÄôS NOT CLEM-AY-TIS. Well some say it that way, while in the United States it’Äôs often clem-AR-tis or cle-MAT-is.
  
  OH NO, THAT’ÄôS RIDICULOUS. CAN’ÄôT WE AT LEAST AGREE THAT IT’ÄôS EITHER CL-EM-ATIS OR CLEM-AY-TIS? Apparently not. Dr Mary Toomey, of the British Clematis Society no less, says that the classically correct pronunciation may well be cl-EEE-matis. The name comes from the Greek, it seems, klema (pronounced kl-EEE-ma) meaning a vine twig.
  
  THEY’ÄôLL LAUGH IF I GO INTO THE GARDEN CENTRE AND ASK FOR A CL-EEE-MATIS!
  Then stick to cl-EM-atis or clem-AY-tis, they’Äôll know what you mean. Or you may want to call it wei ling xian, though not in the garden centre.
  
  THEN WHERE? In the health food shop, it’Äôs the Chinese name for clematis, listed as one of the ten most popular Chinese medicianal herbs.
  
  YOU’ÄôRE GOING TO TELL ME IT’ÄôS USED FOR SOMETHING "FUNNY" AREN’ÄôT YOU? On the contrary, it’Äôs used for rheumatism and to help dislodge fishbones from the throat. And to expel wind.
  
  THERE, I TOLD YOU. BUT IT SOUNDS USEFUL. Except The American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide To Natural Medicines says ’ÄòIf swallowed, it can bring about intense pain in the mouth, blistering, profuse salivation, abdominal cramping, severe diarrhea, bloody vomiting, kidney irritation with pain and excessive urination as well as blood in the urine, dizziness, fainting, and convulsions in severe cases.’Äô
  
  GIVE ME THE FISHBONE ANY DAY. So be careful what you ask for.
  
  NOT WEI LING XIAN, I’ÄôLL STICK TO CLEM-AY-TIS. I say cl-EM-matis.
  
  BUT I SAY CLEM-AY-TIS OK, Let’Äôs call the whole thing off.
  
  
  Calling the whole thing off’Äô
  
  She says: ’ÄòThere is no single correct way, all are correct’Äô Fiona Woolfenden, International Clematis Society
  
  He says: ’ÄòI think the debate is descending into pointless pedantry.’Äô Richard Green, Clematis on the Web
  
  Clematis locations
  
  Clematis by Night Music venue for the middle-aged on Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, Florida (http://www.gopbi.com/partners/clematisbynight/default_welcome.html)
  
  Clematis Cottage Museum Museum illustrating the history of the Mataura district of South Island, New Zealand. (http://www.nzmuseums.co.nz/museums/clematiscottage.html)
  
  Clematis House Farmhouse accommodation in Lund, North Yorkshire, 'several times winner of Britain in Bloom competition'. http://www.clematisfarm.co.uk/
  
  Clematis Hut Mountain hut for treckers in Wellington, Tasmania
  http://www.users.bigpond.com/jandmgrist/huts/Clematis.htm
  
  Clematis Town, 42 km south-east of Melbourne Australia. Location of O’ÄôConnor’Äôs Paradise Hotel, opened in 1899.
  (http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/clematis.html)