Clematis japonica (Clematis japonica)

Japanese: ハンショウヅル(半鐘蔓) - ハンショウヅル（英語表記）Clematis japonica

A deciduous vine of the Ranunculaceae family. It is found in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, growing on the edges of mountain forests in these areas. The stems are slender, dark purple, and woody. The leaves are stalked, opposite, compound, and somewhat hard, with three leaflets. The petioles and stems are dark purple, and the leaflets are 5-10 cm long and have prominent sawtooth. In early summer, flower stalks emerge from the leaf axils, and single red-purple flowers grow. The flowers are bell-shaped, drooping, and do not open fully. There are four sepals that become petal-like, and they are oblong and have no actual petals. The achene has a white feather that is a modified style, and is about 4 cm long. The closely related alpine species, C. alpina , is found in the alpine and cold zones of the Northern Hemisphere, and has leaves that are twice trifoliate. The flowers are large and beautiful, with several petals inside the four-sepal bell-shaped flowers. In Japan, it is found in the high mountains of central Honshu and Hokkaido.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

キンポウゲ科の落葉性のつる植物。本州，四国，九州に分布し，各地の山林のへりなどに生える。茎は細長くて暗紫色で木化している。葉は柄があって対生し，3小葉から成る複葉でやや硬い。葉柄は茎とともに暗紫色で，小葉は長さ5～10cmあり鋸歯が目立つ。初夏の頃に葉腋から花茎を出し，紅紫色の花を単生する。花は鐘形で下垂して咲き，全開しない。萼片は4個で花弁状となり，長楕円形で本来の花弁はない。痩果には花柱が変化した白色の羽毛がつき，長さ約 4cm。高山性の近縁種ミヤマハンショウヅル C. alpinaは北半球の高山帯や寒帯に分布し，葉は2回3出する。花が大きく美しく，4萼片の鐘形花の内部にさらに数片の花弁がある。日本では本州中部と北海道の高山にみられる。

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