Wei Ling Xian

Clematis chinensis (Wei Ling Xian, Chinese clematis) is a deciduous to semi-evergreen woody climber in the Ranunculaceae family, scrambling 3 to 10 meters by means of twining petioles. The slender, ridged stems bear opposite, pinnately compound leaves with five (sometimes three) ovate to ovate-lanceolate leaflets 1.5 to 6 centimeters long, with entire margins and three prominent basal veins. From late summer into autumn, the plant produces large axillary and terminal panicles of numerous small fragrant white flowers, each about 1 to 1.5 centimeters across, with four to six spreading, narrowly oblong tepals that resemble petals (true petals are absent in Clematis) and a central cluster of numerous yellow stamens. The achenes are small, ovoid, and tipped with a persistent feathery, white, plumose style 2 to 4 centimeters long, giving the fruiting heads a silky appearance. Native to central, southern, and eastern China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The roots and rhizomes are harvested in autumn and dried for medicinal use.