Clematis hirsutissima is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name hairy clematis or vase flower.[1] It is a perennial herb that is native to much of the western United States, from Washington to Nebraska.[2] It is a small, erect plant which, unlike other Clematis, does not generally produce vines. It is quite variable in appearance, especially across varieties. In general the hairy stem reaches up to about half a meter tall and has many large hairy leaves divided into lance-shaped lobes.[1] The inflorescence appears at the tip of the stem and bears a solitary flower.[1] The flower is made up of an urn-shaped cup of deep purple-blue petal like sepals,[1] which are fuzzy and have pointed or rounded tips. Rare individuals have white or pinkish sepals. There are no true petals. The fruit is a hairy achene with a very long beak and a plume on the end; it is dispersed by wind.[1]

Clematis hirsutissima
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Ranunculaceae
Genus:	Clematis
Species:	C. hirsutissima
Binomial name
Clematis hirsutissima Pursh

The plant was thought by some Plains Indians to have healing properties.[1] It grows in grasslands, sagebrush plains, and ponderosa forests.[2]

References

External links

• USDA Plants Profile
• Flora of North America

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