Virgins Bower (Clematis virginiana) Fruit/Seeds

Clematis in the Greek, Klematis, refers to climbing plants. The species, virginiana, refers to 'of Virginia' the state named after the English virgin queen, Elizabeth I. The common name, Virgin's Bower, is believed to come from the flowers which, when abundant, can form a cascade of white - white being a plant color referencing virginity. The author name 'L.' is for Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), Swedish botanist and the developer of the binomial nomenclature of modern taxonomy.

Nature Preserve - November, 2013

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