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western blue virginsbower

Scientific Name: Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata

Family: Ranunculaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Vine

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Clematis occidentalis: Western Blue Virginsbower

Clematis occidentalis, commonly known as western blue virginsbower, is a captivating flowering vine belonging to the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae).

Common Names

  • Western Blue Virginsbower
  • Western Blue Clematis
  • Columbia Clematis
  • Purple Clematis
  • Blue Rock Clematis

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Clematis occidentalis (Hornem.) DC.
  • Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)
  • Genus: Clematis
  • Species: occidentalis
  • Rank: Species
  • Subspecies:
    • Clematis occidentalis var. occidentalis
    • Clematis occidentalis var. dissecta
    • Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata
  • Synonyms:
    • Atragene americana Sims
    • Atragene occidentalis
    • Clematis occidentalis var. dissecta (also listed as synonym for Clematis columbiana var. dissecta)
    • Clematis occidentalis var. grosseserrata

Distribution and Habitat

  • Clematis occidentalis is native to much of North America.
  • It is found in mountainous regions, such as the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
  • Specifically, it is endemic to the Wenatchee Mountains (Chelan and Kittitas Counties), often found on forest trails with shade, such as the Teanaway Ridge trail.
  • It thrives at elevations such as 1450 m (4756 ft).

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • It is a perennial vine.
  • It can reach 1 to 12 feet in length.
  • Flowers lack true petals, but have light blue sepals that look like petals.
  • Sepals are approximately 2 inches long.
  • The leaves are trifoliate.
  • Fruits have long, fuzzy tails.
  • In the spring, it may assume a red-pink coloring.

Quirky Facts

  • The "flowers" of Clematis occidentalis don't have petals. The petal-like structures are actually sepals, which are typically found beneath the petals.

Further Information

  • Discover Life offers a page about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Clematis occidentalis.
  • Additional information can be found at niiss.org.
  • Images and clip art are available at wpclipart.com and Clipart-Finder.com, respectively.