old man's beard

n 1: dense festoons of greenish-gray hairlike flexuous strands

anchored to tree trunks and branches by sparse wiry

roots; southeastern United States and West Indies to

South America [syn: {Spanish moss}, {black moss}, {long

moss}, {Tillandsia usneoides}]

2: vigorous deciduous climber of Europe to Afghanistan and

Lebanon having panicles of fragrant green-white flowers in

summer and autumn [syn: {traveler's joy}, {traveller's joy},

{Clematis vitalba}]

3: common climber of eastern North America that sprawls over

other plants and bears numerous panicles of small creamy

white flowers [syn: {virgin's bower}, {devil's darning

needle}, {Clematis virginiana}]