Common Name:

General Information

Clematis gouriana is a vigorous, deciduous climbing shrub with stems that can be 3 - 5 metres long. The plant scrambles into nearby vegetation, attaching itself by means of twining leaf petioles[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials. It is often grown as an ornamental, valued for its autumn flowering and ornamental seedpods in the winter.

Known Hazards

This species, along with some others in the genus, abounds in an acrid poisonous principle[].

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - Indian subcontinent, southeast China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, New Guinea

Habitat

Subtropical and warm temperate, broad-leaved forests and forest margins, thickets, shrubberies and streamsides; at elevations up to 2,600 metres[]. Slopes, scrub, along streams; at elevations from 100 - 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Climber
Height	4.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Clematis gouriana is found in warm temperate and subtropical regions of eastern Asia, also growing at higher elevations in tropical regions. It is surprisingly hardy, with some forms known to tolerate temperatures down to -20°c or lower[].
Prefers a position where the base of the plant is in cool shade, but the plant can grow up through trees or shrubs into a sunny position[]. It grows best in a moist but freely draining, humus-rich loamy soil[].
The plant is grown as an ornamental, often being allowed to grow into trees and large shrubs. It flowers on the current season's new growth and generally does not need pruning unless it is growing too large, in which case simply thinning out some of the stems in late winter or early spring before now growth commences is usually all that is needed[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaves and stems are anthelmintic, antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, diuretic and vesicant[, ]. The leaves and fresh stems, if bruised and applied to the skin, cause vesication[]. The leaves are chewed in order to control postprandial glucose level and thus, cure diabetes[].
Extracts of the leaves are used in the treatment of spleen troubles, and for wound healing[].
A paste formulation prepared from the leaves is used as an external application to cure skin diseases[].

The plant is used as a remedy to treat conditions such as leprosy, blood diseases, and fevers[].

The plant contains various secondary metabolites such as triterpenoid, saponins, lignans, flavonoids, phenolic glycosides, alkaloids and volatile oils, resulting in an array of biological activities[].

Other Uses

The stems, or the fibres obtained from them, are used as a tying material[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe.