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Idaho Mountain Wildflowers

Buttercup Family: Ranunculaceae (Page 5 of 5)

Clematis, Clematis spp.

Although our wild clematis plants are relatively plain compared to the many spectacular cultivars one sees in ornamental gardens, they are, nevertheless, all related members of genus Clematis. For the record, "CLEM-atis," and "clem-AH-tis" are both correct pronounciations!

The Rock Clematis, or Columbian Virgin’s Bower, Clematis columbiana. The rock clematis is a woody climbing vine found in open montane forests. Four long sepals—the flowers, borne on long stems, are apetalous—are a vibrant pinkish lavender that seems out of place in such somber surroundings. Three-parted, toothed, heart-shaped leaves are a tip-off that these plants belong to the buttercup family. The Greek word klematis apparently referred originally to species of periwinkle (Vinca spp.) and only later was it applied to today’s clematis. Oue plant was first collected by Nathaniel Wyeth along the Flathead River in Western Montana in 1833 and named columbiana in 1834 by Thomas Nuttall who did not then realize that the Columbia River was far to the west. A very similar plant, Clematis occidentale, with lobed leaves also grows in the mountains of Idaho

Western Clematis, Clematis ligusticifolia. The western clematis (or western virgin's bower) is found in many of our western states. It grows in the open and, like the rock clematis (above), is a climbing plant but much more aggressively so. It will climb any neighboring tree, shrub or fence, forming a mass of white blossoms (right) and--later--hairy fruiting bodies (left). The plant is sometimes used as an ornamental, but tends to spread further and faster than one might wish. The species name, ligusticifolia apparently refers to a perceived similarity between this plant's leaves and those of a species of Ligusticum in the parsley family (Apiaceae).

The Vase-flower, Sugar Bowl, or Hairy Clematis, Clematis hirsutissima. The hairy clematis (the species name means “hairiest”) could not be mistaken for any other plant. Its four purple sepals are joined for much of their length to form a striking furry “vase” that gives the flower one of its common names. The vase flower is a herbaceous (non-woody) soft-stemmed, annual plant. Its flowers are born on a single stem arising from a profusion of soft, thin leaflets. Look for it in moist meadows in late spring and early summer, while the ground is still wet from the snowmelt. The hairy clematis--a plant previously unknown to science--was collected by Lewis and Clark in Northern Idaho on May 27, 1806 near their encampment, "Camp Chopunnish," located in what today is the community of Kamiah, ID.

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The Rock Clematis, or Columbian Virgin’s Bower, Clematis columbiana. The rock clematis is a woody climbing vine found in open montane forests. Four long sepals—the flowers, borne on long stems, are apetalous—are a vibrant pinkish lavender that seems out of place in such somber surroundings. Three-parted, toothed, heart-shaped leaves are a tip-off that these plants belong to the buttercup family. The Greek word klematis apparently referred originally to species of periwinkle (Vinca spp.) and only later was it applied to today’s clematis. Oue plant was first collected by Nathaniel Wyeth along the Flathead River in Western Montana in 1833 and named columbiana in 1834 by Thomas Nuttall who did not then realize that the Columbia River was far to the west. A very similar plant, Clematis occidentale, with lobed leaves also grows in the mountains of Idaho
	*Western Clematis, Clematis ligusticifolia. The western clematis (or western virgin's bower) is found in many of our western states. It grows in the open and, like the rock clematis (above), is a climbing plant but much more aggressively so. It will climb any neighboring tree, shrub or fence, forming a mass of white blossoms (right) and--later--hairy fruiting bodies (left). The plant is sometimes used as an ornamental, but tends to spread further and faster than one might wish. The species name, ligusticifolia* apparently refers to a perceived similarity between this plant's leaves and those of a species of Ligusticum in the parsley family (Apiaceae).
The Vase-flower, Sugar Bowl, or Hairy Clematis, *Clematis hirsutissima*. The hairy clematis (the species name means “hairiest”) could not be mistaken for any other plant. Its four purple sepals are joined for much of their length to form a striking furry “vase” that gives the flower one of its common names. The vase flower is a herbaceous (non-woody) soft-stemmed, annual plant. Its flowers are born on a single stem arising from a profusion of soft, thin leaflets. Look for it in moist meadows in late spring and early summer, while the ground is still wet from the snowmelt. The hairy clematis--a plant previously unknown to science--was collected by Lewis and Clark in Northern Idaho on May 27, 1806 near their encampment, "Camp Chopunnish," located in what today is the community of Kamiah, ID.