[a. L. clēmatis, a. Gr. κληματίς some kind of climbing or trailing plant, prob. periwinkle, f. κλῆμα vine-branch. (A frequent mispronunciation is clemā·tis.)]
1. A genus of twining shrubs (N. O. Ranunculaceæ), having flowers with a showy calyx and no corolla, and seed-vessels adorned with long feathery appendages. The only British species is C. Vitalba, common in hedgerows on the chalk, popularly called Virgin’s Bower, Traveller’s Joy, and Old Man’s Beard. C. Flammula, with small white sweet-scented flowers, and various species with large showy blue, purple, or red flowers, are cultivated in gardens in Britain.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, III. xlviii. 385. Pereuincle … is named Clematis in Latine, and therefore men call this kind Clematis altera, there be founde two kindes, ouer and bysides that plant whiche is nowe called in Latine Vitalba.
1597. Gerard, Herbal, II. cccxxvii. 889. The white Clematis.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 191.
1767. J. Abercrombie, Ev. Man own Gard., Cal. (1803), 697/1. Clematis, virgin’s bower.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., I. xxvi. The clematis, the favoured flower, Which boasts the name of virgin-bower.
1842. Tennyson, Gold. Year, 63. Like an oaken stock in winter woods, O’erflourished with the hoary clematis. Ibid. (1870), Window, 23. Rose, rose, and clematis, Trail and twine and clasp and kiss.
† 2. Formerly applied (as in classical Lat. and Gr.) to the Periwinkle (Vinca).
1551. Turner, Herbal, I. K vj b. Clematis is named in englyshe perwyncle.
1607. Topsell, Serpents (1653), 637. The Egyptian Clematis or Periwink drunk in Vinegar, is very good against the poyson of Asps.
Clematis, obs. pl. of CLIMATE.
