E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of BC

Clematis occidentalis (Hornem.) DC.
purple virgin's-bower (blue clematis; Columbia bower; Columbia virgin's bower; western blue virginsbower)
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

General:
Perennial vine; stems climbing to 2 m high or trailing on the ground to 5 m long.

Leaves:
Opposite, long-stalked, firm, 3-parted, the leaflets short-stalked, lance egg-shaped to triangular, 2-11 cm long, thin, not lobed or occasionally 1- to 3-lobed, margins usually entire, occasionally shallow-toothed, hairy when young, becoming smooth, tips pointed; the stalks persisting, acting as tendrils.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of nodding or inclined, solitary flowers on long, erect stalks at ends of short branches from previous year's stems, rarely terminal on long shoots of current year's stems, the flowers bisexual; petals absent; sepals 4, usually becoming wide-spreading, violet-blue to pale blue, narrowly egg-shaped, 3-6 cm long, soft-hairy, tips sharp-pointed; stamens 20-50; pistils 40-175.

Fruits:
Achenes, elliptic, soft-hairy; beaks 3-5 cm long, feathery-hairy.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecological Framework for Clematis occidentalis

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information	Value / Class
Site Information	Avg	Min	Max
Elevation (metres)	1093	35	2020
Slope Gradient (%)	35	0	220
Aspect (degrees) [0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]	336	0	360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric]	3	1	6
Modal Nutrient Regime Class	C
# of field plots species was recorded in:	601
Modal BEC Zone Class	MS
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in	BG(4), BWBS(17), CWH(2), ESSF(46), ICH(94), IDF(123), MS(126), PP(24), SBPS(4), SBS(118)
Source: Klinkenberg 2013

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	S5	Yellow	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer.

KEY TO CLEMATIS

1. Sepals blue to reddish purple......................................C. occidentalis

2. Sepals bright yellow to cream or white. {br}2. Sepals white; flowers imperfect; the plants dioecious, plants native.....................................C. ligusticifolia

2. Sepals bright yellow or cream, if white then the flowers perfect; plants introduced.

3. Sepals bright yellow..........................................C. tanguitica

3. Sepals cream or white.....................................C. vitalba

Source: Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

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