We do not need to be told that Clematis are toxic. I don't need to know. Parents, children and grand children do not need this warning. Eating a clematis is the furthest thing from my mind. It would never occur to me.
A physician needs to know that it can cause bloody emesis, diarrhea and abdominal cramps; that there is initial polyneura, painful micturition and hemeturia , which may be followed by oliguria. The folks at Toronto's Sick Kids' Hospital should know but also know better than to list this attractive flowering vine as a plant 'known to be poisonous to humans' and scare the pee out of everybody. Let us agree with medical evidence that Clematis are toxic but a most unlikely hazard.
It will be much more fun to argue about the pronounciation of Clematis.
Out of habit and long-usage, I say Klem-AH-tiss while I hear others saying KLEM-a-tiss. The fashionable trend in English is to bring the stressed vowel forward; so it probably should be KLEM-a-tiss and for me to be wrong for a change. In a polysyllabic name the stress is best when it lands on the antepenultimate syllable. (I am indebted to Alan Hickman who teaches gardening for much of this) The ultimate is the last. Penultimate is second to last and antepenultimate the syllable before the second to last. Most times we follow this rule quite naturally as when we speak of an Az-AIL-ee-ah. Rhododendron does not comply to this rule as the stressed vowels are emphasized almost equally. It sounds really awkward when Hemerocallis is forced into the antepenultimate mold. Hem-err-OH-cal-iss would be a silly affectation that is best when the vowels are treated equally, although I have a tendency to say Hem-err-oh- Kal-iss.
Bluebells should be Camp-ANN-you-laz not Camp-ann-YULE-az. Sweet Coltsfoot, Petasites sounds best as Pet-AH-sit-ees. It is grating to my ears to hear Ah-ne-moans for Ah-NEM-oh-nees but am now quite used to KLEM-at-iss. Please just don't mess around with Astilbes. I like the way it has always been said and still is.
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