Traveller's joy

Description

Clematis brachiata, commonly known as traveller's joy, is a hardy, deciduous Southern African liana of the family Ranunculaceae. It tends to clamber to the tops of trees and shrubs, sprawling over the crowns. Leaves are compound with from 1 to 7 leaflets. Attractive fragrant flowers appear in summer. Achenes are covered in fine silky hair. This species is common in the northern parts of South Africa and kwaZulu-Natal and was first described by Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828), the celebrated Swedish naturalist. "Clema" is Greek for a liane, and the Latin specific name "brachiata" means "provided with arms" since the right-angled and opposite branching habit resembles arms sticking out of a torso.