Clematis fremontii

S. Watson

Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 10: 339. 1875.

Common names: Fremont's clematis
EndemicIllustrated
Synonyms: Clematis fremontii var. riehlii R.O. Erickson Viorna fremontii
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Stems erect, 1.5-4(-7) dm, moderately to densely villous, sometimes sparsely so near nodes. Leaves simple. Leaf blade ovate-elliptic to broadly ovate, unlobed, 5-14 × 3.5-11 cm, leathery, prominently reticulate adaxially; surfaces abaxially glabrous or sparsely villous-tomentose on veins, not glaucous. Inflorescences terminal, flowers solitary; bracts absent. Flowers narrowly urn-shaped; sepals pale blue-violet to purple, pale green toward tips, lanceolate, 2-4 cm, margins not expanded or 1-3 mm wide, thin or ± thick, not crispate or slightly crispate, tomentose, tips acuminate, spreading to recurved, abaxially glabrous to sparsely villous. Achenes: bodies proximally pubescent with silky or sparse short hairs, distally cobwebby-tomentose; beak 1.5-3(-3.5) cm, proximally silky-tomentose, sparsely appressed-pubescent to nearly glabrous toward tip. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Calcareous prairies and glades
Elevation: 100-700 m

Discussion

R. O. Erickson (1943) separated the Missouri plants as Clematis fremontii var. riehlii R. O. Erickson on the basis of their supposedly greater height and more widely spaced, proportionately narrower leaves. As noted by C. S. Keener (1967), however, so much overlap occurs in the ranges of variation of the Missouri and the Kansas-Nebraska populations that recognition of these varieties is not possible.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Clematis fremontii"
James S. Pringle +
S. Watson +
Undefined subg. Viorna +
Fremont's clematis +
Kans. +, Mo. +  and Nebr. +
100-700 m +
Calcareous prairies and glades +
Flowering spring. +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
Clematis fremontii var. riehlii +  and Viorna fremontii +
Clematis fremontii +
Clematis subg. Viorna +
species +