| Common Name: | Mountain or Austral Clematis, Old Man's Beard |
| Synonym: | |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Size: | Vigorous climber to 15m high |
| Description: | Woody climber, suckering to form new plants. Ascends to upper storey canopy. |
| Leaves: | Leaves dull, paired with serrated edges, juvenile - egg-shaped, purplish with white lines, adult - divided into 3 leaflets, leaflets egg-shaped, 3-8cm x 1-5cm. Stalks often twisted around other stems. |
| Flowering: | Male & female flowers on separate plants (dioecious). Branched bunches of starry flowers. Female flowers followed by feathery 'catherine wheel' seed heads. |
| Flower Colour: | Creamy white |
| Flowering Time: | August to March |
| Growing Conditions: | Moist to wet well drained soil in cool forests and gullies. Full sun to full shade. |
| Garden Use: | Beautiful but vigorous creeper for larger gardens. Requires a cool root run. Can be pruned. Useful on pergolas and trellises but will become open below the canopy. |
| Related Species: | |
| Plant Communities: | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 29, 30, 34, 46 |
| Conservation Status: | Widespread within the Shire |
| Aboriginal Use: | Food - tap root |
| Commercially available: | Generally |
| Bird Attracting: | Seeds |
| Butterfly Attracting: | No |
| Frog Habitat: | No |
| Photographer: | 1 Healesville Sanctuary ©; 2, 3a, 3b, 4, 5a, 5b Marilyn Gray © |