Photo © Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

Photo © Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

Photo © Alicia Lafever

Photo © Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

Photo © Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

White Virgins-bower (Western Virgins-bower; Clematis)

Clematis ligusticifolia

Family: Ranunculaceae – Buttercup Family

Perennial vines to 33' (10 m) long or more; dicot

Leaves: opposite; pinnately compound with 3 to 7 leaflets; can be toothed; leaflet 0.8” to 3.2” (2 to 8 cm) long

Flowers: 0 petals; 4 or 5 white petaloid sepals; many stamens; many pistils; male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers on different plants; sepals 0.24” to 0.44” (6 to 11 mm) long

Pollinators: bees and flies

Fruits: achenes

Blooms in Arches National Park: July, August, September

Habitat in Arches National Park: riparian communities

Location seen: around Visitor Center , upper Courthouse wash, Petrified Dunes, Fiery Furnace

Other: The genus name, “Clematis”, in Greek means "long, lithe branches" and is an ancient name for a climbing plant. The species name, “ligusticifolia”, means “with leaves like Ligusticum (Lovage)”.

Several species in this family are grown as ornamentals, others provide drugs, and some are poisonous.