western blue virgin’s bower

Western blue virgin’s bower is a climbing and scrambling, perennial, woody vine. It is mostly hairless.

The stems are somewhat hairy. They extend from 1′ to 11½′ and can climb up to 6′.

The leaves are opposite, compound, on stalks 2″ to 4″ long, and divided into 3 leaflets. The leaflets are attached to a central axis by a stalk ⅜″ to ¾″ long.

The leaflets are egg-shaped to lance-shaped, unlobed or occasionally 1 to 3 lobed, and ¾″ to 4″ long but usually 1⅛″ to 2⅓″ long. They taper to a sharp point at the tip with concave sides along the tip. The margins are usually untoothed but may have shallow, blunt or rounded teeth.

The inflorescence is a single flower, sometimes 2, rising mostly from the leaf axils but also at the ends of the stems.

The flowers are 1″ to 2⅓″ long, bell-shaped, and drooping. There are 4 reddish violet, petal-like sepals. There are no petals.

The fruit is an egg-shaped, flattened achene containing a single seed. The styles remain attached, becoming over ¾″ long, green, silky, and curled. The are covered with long white hairs, giving them a feathery appearance. They eventually turn brown.

Climbing: up to 6′

Reddish violet

Sweet autumn virgin’s bower (Clematis terniflora) leaves are unlobed, untoothed, and taper to a blunt, rounded tip. The inflorescence is dense, branched, stalked clusters, with 3 to 12 large flowers, rising from the leaf axils. The flowers are white.

Virgin’s bower (Clematis virginiana) leaves are divided into usually 5 leaflets. The leaflets are coarsely toothed. The inflorescence is dense, branched, stalked clusters, with 3 to 12 large flowers, rising from the leaf axils. The flowers are white to greenish. The elongated styles attached to the achenes are hairless.

Moderate moisture. Woods.

May to June

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 28, 29, 30.

Native

Vine

Vine

Inflorescence

Leaves

Leaves

Peggy A. Cilano
4/18/2024

Location: Edmond, OK