Clematis glycinoides

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information:

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms > Eudicots >  Basal Eudicots > Ranunculales > Ranunculaceae > Ranunculoideae > Anemoneae > Clematis    glycinoides  

Other links:     https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2004/clematis-gentianoides.html 

Plant  information

Common name:                Headache Vine

• The species gains its common name from its folk use as a supposed remedy for headaches

• The aroma from the crushed leaves is inhaled, appearing to relieve headaches as a result of the highly irritant properties of the resulting fumes

• This process was explained by herbalist Cheryll Williams:

  • The uncomfortable sensation of breathing in the ammonia-like fumes has been described as "the head 'exploding', the eyes 'watering' and intense irritation of the nasal passages" – such that the initial headache was quickly forgotten

Conservation status:  ...

Etymology:   

Flowers:                  

• The cream-white flowers appear from July to December, although these are most abundant in September

• The species is dioecious: the plants have either male or female flowers

• Honeybees visit the flowers

Fruit:                         

• The seed-heads have several feathery 'tails' up to 6 cm long

Leaves:         

• Simple lanceolate (spear-shaped) to oblong leaves that are 1.5–12 cm long by 1–8 cm wide

Stem & branches: 

•  Woody-stemmed vine that can reach 15 m  long

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A shrub or climber 

Habitat:   

• It grows in woodland, forests and rainforests, on basalt, limestone, shale or sandstone soils with good drainage

• Open forest species that it grows under include:

  •  grey myrtle (Backhousia myrtifolia)

  • grey ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata)

  • manna gum (E. viminalis)

  • as well as floodplain forest trees such as:

    •  cabbage gum (Eucalyptus amplifolia)

    • broad-leaved apple (Angophora subvelutina)

Distribution:                  

• Eastern Australia and New Caledonia

•  Found in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria

Additional notes:     

• Taxonomy

  • Augustin Pyramus de Candolle described the species in 1817, based on a specimen from the herbarium of Sir Joseph Banks

  • Two varieties are recognised—C. glycinoides glycinoides and C. glycinoides submutica

• Cultivation

  • C. glycinoides is possibly not as vigorous as other Clematis in cultivation, and requires moist conditions to do well

  • Its white flowers are considered to be an attractive feature

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clematis_glycinoides (2023)