''Clematis viridiflora'' (common name, ''Kwassakwassa'') is a perennial, climbing shrub in the family Ranunulaceae. The native range of the species is

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...

. Its

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

, ''viridiflora'', means "green-flowered."

Description

''Clematis viridiflora'' is a species of tall, climbing shrub. Young stems are

pubescent The adjective pubescent may describe: * people or animals undergoing puberty * plants that are hairy, covered in trichomes * insects that are covered in setae In biology, setae (; seta ; ) are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-lik ...

but become

glabrous Glabrousness () is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes, or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of a plant or animal, or be due to loss because of a physical condition, ...

, and are longitudinally ribbed and furrowed. Leaves are opposite, five or more foliolate, with leaflets broadly ovate, irregularly lobed and toothed. Flowers range in colour from pale green to yellowish-green.

Sepals A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

are thin and membranous. Fruit is an

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple fruit, simple dry fruits, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and Dehi ...

Habitat

Unusually for an African clematis, it is a coastal species, often growing on dunes.

Medicinal usage

''Clematis viridiflora'' is used as a traditional medicinal plant in

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

, where the roots and leaves are used as an inhalation to treat headaches.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15369107 viridiflora Flora of Africa Medicinal plants of Africa Taxa named by Antonio Bertoloni Plants described in 1858