Clematis armandii

Clematis armandii is a vigorous evergreen woody climber reaching 4-6 m, scrambling over rocks and other vegetation by means of twining leaf-stalks. The leaves are compound, divided into three leathery, glossy dark-green leaflets that are ovate-lanceolate with entire margins and conspicuous parallel veins. In early spring the plant produces abundant fragrant, saucer-shaped white flowers about 4-6 cm across, borne in axillary clusters; each flower lacks true petals, its showy parts being four to seven sepals. The fruit is an achene bearing a long, silky, feathery plume that aids wind dispersal. Native to central and western China, it grows in woodland margins, scrub and along streams in mountainous regions, and is widely cultivated elsewhere as an ornamental climber valued for its early bloom and evergreen foliage.