Kingdom Plantae Family Ranunculaceae Scientific name Clematis hirsutissima Rank Species | Order Ranunculales Genus Clematis Higher classification Leather flower | |
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Similar Leather flower, Ranunculaceae, Clematis columbiana, Clematis ligusticifolia, Clematis occidentalis | ||
Clematis hirsutissima is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name hairy clematis. It is native to much of the western United States, from Washington to Nebraska. 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 hairy leaves divided into lance-shaped lobes. The inflorescence appears at the tip of the stem and bears a solitary flower. The flower is made up of an urn-shaped cup of deep purple-blue petallike sepals, 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.
