Clematis
Clematis, a genus of flowering plants native to temperate regions of the world and to mountains in tropical Africa. There are about 230 species. Most members of this genus are climbing, woody vines; some are herbaceous plants.
The flowers have no petals, but have four to eight petallike sepals. The sepals may be white or any of several colors, including yellow, scarlet, purple, or blue. The flowers of some species are bell-shaped; those of other species, star-shaped. The seeds develop in long clusters that form silver, feathery plumes.
Many hybrid varieties of clematis are popular in gardens—typically as border plants or as cover for fences, walls, arbors, or trellises. A common wild clematis is the woodbine, or virgin's bower. It is a vine found in eastern North America in thickets and along the edges of woodlands and the banks of streams. It has white flowers and can grow to a length of 20 feet (6 m).
Clematis is a genus in the family Ranunculaceae. The woodbine is Clematis virginiana .