Clematis drummondii

Clematis drummondii Torr. & Gray is a member of the Ranunculaceae (Buttercup) family. It is known by the common names: Drummond's Clematis, Old Man's Beard, Texas Virgin's Bower, Goat's Beard, Barbas De Chivato, Graybeard, Love-in-the-Mist, and Grandad Beard.

I stumbled upon this inconspicuous vine growing along the front pasture fence about a month ago. At the time it had small leaves and tiny white flowers. Immediately following the recent rains the tiny flowers exploded into a big mass of silky, feathery plumes. They are crazy, happy looking things!

(click on the photo to enlarge)

One of the common names, Old Man's Beard, refers to the fruit of the vine which is a tangle of seeds enmeshed in a cottony looking ball.

Another of the common names was a bit more difficult to track down. In midsummer (when the plant still has tiny white blooms - before it 'explodes') it is referred to as Virgin's Bower. A bower is a small garden shelter made from twining vines or an arbor. I wasn't able to trace the origin of the "virgin" part of the name so I'm going to guess it has something to do with the flowers being white, the color white symbolizing purity, and... well, you get the picture. That's my hypothesis.

The scientific name, Clematis drummondii, refers to Thomas Drummond, the Scottish naturalist born in 1790. He was the first to make collections in Texas that were widely distributed to museums and scientific institutions around the world. He arrived in Velasco, Texas in 1833 and spent 21 months collecting 750 species of plants and 150 specimens of birds from Galveston to the Edwards Plateau, concentrating his efforts along the Brazos, Colorado, and Guadalupe rivers. Drummond brought two tons of paper with him to Texas in order to preserve his specimens. Many of Texas most beautiful plants bear his name.

Drummond faced incredibly harsh conditions while in Texas. Shortly after arriving by boat he fell ill with cholera in a tiny town that consisted of only four houses. His captain and eight others died. He and the other survivors were so weak they nearly starved to death. During his last few months in Texas, he returned to the coast in autumn to spend the winter on Galveston Bay. He again almost starved to death waiting for the migrating birds to pass through the area. Drummond's health deteriorated but he was determined to sail to Cuba. HIs goal was to return to Texas and make a complete botanical survey but what happened in Cuba remains a mystery.

In 1835 Sir Joseph Hooker, who had been receiving specimens, was sent three boxes containing Drummond's personal possessions. The boxes were followed by a death certificate and letter from the American counsel in Havana. There were references to an earlier letter in which some particulars were given. Unfortunately, the earlier letter was never received so the exact fate of Thomas Drummond is not known.