- Source: Clematis brachiata
Clematis brachiata, commonly known as traveller's joy, is a hardy, deciduous Southern African liana of the family Ranunculaceae.
It tends to clamber to the tops of trees and shrubs, sprawling over the crowns. Leaves are compound with from 1 to 7 leaflets. Attractive, highly fragrant flowers appear in summer. Achenes are covered in fine silky hair.
This species is common in the northern parts of South Africa and kwaZulu-Natal and was first described by Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828), the celebrated Swedish naturalist.
"Clema" is Greek for a liane, and the Latin specific name "brachiata" means "provided with arms" since the right-angled and opposite branching habit resembles arms sticking out of a torso.
See also
List of Southern African indigenous trees
References
External links
Dressler, S.; Schmidt, M. & Zizka, G. (2014). "Clematis brachiata". African plants – a Photo Guide. Frankfurt/Main: Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg.