Italian seeds

These plants have been grown from seeds collected in Italy last October
- they have all germinated but i don't know what they are - don't think they are weeds but no sign of flowers so may be perenniel - afraid can't tell you much more - they were from a garden in the village where we were staying - thought they may be rudbekias but not so sure any more.

 

Not sure what they are either but not Rudbeckia.

 

I potted a couple of these up and put them in conservatory to bring them on a bit quicker. They have now

started to climb attaching themselves to my bourgainvillia with their leaves/stalks -

- can these be clematis?

 

sounds like a possibility, what were the seeds like.

 

They were quite small - a bit like cosmos but more rounded I think - as i planted a few different ones from the same holiday, only these and one other type have germinated as yet - don't know what the others were either - I(t all makes for interesting stuff!!

 

Clematis seed has a feathery piece attached for wind dispersal.

 

Don't remember them having the feathery bit but have been looking them up in my Clematis book and as they germinated within 2/3 weeks this means they could be orientalis/tangutica/serratifolia variety, however I think all of these varieties flower late so how did i collect the seeds in October?

I think I will have to wait and see how they develop to be sure what they are.

 

I only know tangutica from seed and it flowers early, fuzzy seed in autumn.

 

Don't know what your seedlings are but they look healthy enough.
Just a thought though, as they are from Italy they will probably only do well in your conservatory, being a Mediteranian plant.
As a climber, could it be a Bougainvillea?

 

Definitely not a Bourgainvilea as i have 3 of them in my conservatory - all flowering like mad at the moment - but this grows in a different way

- my bourgainvileas need support to climb but this definitely grows like a clematis -

Hope they don't meed to be in the Conservatory as I have about 40 of the things!!

 

http://cavies.lightskies.net/img_grandi/vitalba.jpg

I don't know where in Italy you were, but clematis vitalba grows like a weed all over the place. Look up the picture above. If it is the same plant you dont need a conservatory for it. It is hardy (and invasive).

 

i could be way off here, but could it be a variety of Vitis? The leaf just looks familiar

 

Thanks Ivory - I think this probably is clematis vitalba - so I will have to pot up singly and give most of them away !!!

 

Seedlings are all doing well - think they are related to a triffid - they vary from 1ft to 6ft high!!
Does anyone know how many years before they flower?