78 American Midland Naturalist Monograph No. 4 



conspicuous fluffy heads sometimes 2 inches in diameter. The leaves are 

 sometimes browsed by animals. 



Field Guide to the Species 

 Flowers while, borne in several-flowered clusters, ihe petal-like sepals about |/2 inch 



long; leaves mostly divided into 5 or 7 leaflets 1. C. ligusticifolia. 



Flowers purple-blue, borne singly, the petals about 1 to 11/2 inches long; leaves 

 divided into mostly 3 leaflets. 



Leaflets irregularly toothed or nearly untoothed, not divided 2. C. verticillaris. 



Leaflets divided into 3 deeply toothed divisions 3. C. pseudoalpina. 



\. Western Virgin's Bower (Clematis ligusticifoLa Nutt.). — Climb- 

 ing vine with more or less woody stems 6 to 30 feet long; leaves in opposite 

 pairs along the stems, composed of 5 to 7 leaflets; leaflets 1 to 3 inches long, 

 egg-shaped to oblong-egg-shaped, sometimes with 3 broad lobes, the margins 

 often coarsely toothed; flowers white, y2 to % inch across, borne in several- 

 to many-flowered clusters in the leaf-axils; sepals 4, petal-like, about 1/4 to ^^ 

 inch long; seeds with white fuzzy tails about 1 to li^ inches long, borne in 

 conspicuous fluffy heads. (Syn. C. brevifolia (Nutt.) Howell.) 



This is a common vine of the lower elevations in the West, but is not 

 abundant in the national parks. The stems ramble high over bushes, often 

 climbing trees, and producing white flowers in great abundance. The clusters, 

 which sometimes become 1 foot long, make quite a show, even in fruit. An 

 infusion of the leaves and stems was used by early settlers of certain regions 

 for healing sores and cuts on horses. 



Occurrence. — VOSEMITE, at the lower elevations: Wawona; Hetch Hetchy. GLACIER, 

 rare on dry rocky slopes: at base of rock wall at East Glacier Campgrounds. YELLOW- 

 STONE, occasional: near Mammoth. ROCKY MOUNTAIN, occasional: Estes Park. MESA 

 VERDE. BRYCE CANYON : Tropic Canyon, near eastern boundary. ZION, occasional. 

 GRAND CANYON. Canyon below the South Rim: Bright Angel trail; upper Bass Canyon, 

 5.800 feet. North Rim: Cape Royal road; Powell Spring. 



2. Purple Virgin's Bower {Clemat's verticillaris DC). — Trailing or 

 climbing vine with slender stems; leaves borne in opposite pairs along the 

 stems, divided into 3 leaflets; leaflets 3 to 4 inches long, egg-shaped to ob- 

 long-egg-shaped, pointed at the tips, the margins coarsely toothed or not 

 toothed, slightly hairy on the veins below, otherwise the foliage smooth; 

 flowers single on slender stems in the leaf-axils, with 4 purple-blue to pinkish- 

 purple sepals spreading to 1^2 or more inches across; seed-like achenes hairy, 

 with long feathery styles up to 2 inches long, bunched into conspicuous white 

 fluffy heads. 



Occurrence. — isLE ROYALE, common in the woods and in old burned areas. 



2a. Western Purple Virgin's Bower (Var. columbiana Gray), fig. 

 27. — Similar to the species but the leaflets broadly egg-shaped. (Syns. Cle- 

 matis columbiana (Nutt.) Torr. & Gray, C. occidentalis Homem.) 



Occurrence. — GLACIER, common, 3,100 to 7,000 feet: Lake McDonald; upper 

 Nyack Valley; Dawson Pass; St. Mary Lake; Otokomi Lake trail; Swiftcurrent 

 Lake; Red Eagle Valley. YELLOWSTONE: Mammoth Hot Springs. GRAND TETON: 

 moraine between Phelps Lake and the Snowshoe Cabin, 6,800 feet. ROCKY MOUNTAIN . 

 m moist woods at higher elevations. 



