Aug 062014
Another plant came into flower along Piney Woods Church Road, which is a fairly uncommon event at the height of midsummer. The blooming vine is covered with a profusion of white blossoms with four petals and yellow stigmas (the uppermost portion of the pistil). It has a delicate beauty though no noticeable fragrance. I was disappointed to find that it is an invasive species from China or Japan with quite a melodramatic name : Sweet Autumn Virginsbower (Clematis terniflora). Originally introduced as an ornamental plant, it is now found throughout the Southeast along forest edges and rights-of-way. Ah, well. If I am to be a photographer of dirt road landscapes, I will become familiar indeed with many invasive species on my journeys.
