Clematis occidentalis
Encyclopedia
Clematis occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family
known by the common name western blue virginsbower. It is native to much of southern Canada
and the northern United States
. There are three varieties: var. occidentalis is limited to the eastern half of the species' range, var. grosseserrata to the western half, and var. dissecta is endemic to Washington. The plant varies somewhat in appearance. Generally they produce vine
s and climb on surfaces. The leaves are divided into three thick, green leaflets, which may have lobes or teeth. The flower has no petals, but petallike sepal
s which are usually either deep purple-blue in western populations or reddish purple in eastern plants. White flowers are rare.
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae are a family of about 1700 species of flowering plants in about 60 genera, distributed worldwide....
known by the common name western blue virginsbower. It is native to much of southern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the northern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. There are three varieties: var. occidentalis is limited to the eastern half of the species' range, var. grosseserrata to the western half, and var. dissecta is endemic to Washington. The plant varies somewhat in appearance. Generally they produce vine
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
s and climb on surfaces. The leaves are divided into three thick, green leaflets, which may have lobes or teeth. The flower has no petals, but petallike sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s which are usually either deep purple-blue in western populations or reddish purple in eastern plants. White flowers are rare.