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Montana Field Guide

Montana Field Guides

Purple Virgin's-bower - Clematis columbiana var. columbiana
Other Names:  Clematis pseudoalpina

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Native Species

Global Rank: G5?T5?
State Rank: S4
(see State Rank Reason below)
C-value:


Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:


 

External Links

State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Clematis columbiana var. columbiana is found in a variety of habitats, elevations, and disturbance regimes in about 17 counties in west-central Montana. Populations appear to be frequent and stable.
  • Details on Status Ranking and Review
    Purple Virgin's-bower (Clematis columbiana var. columbiana) Conservation Status Review
    Review Date = 09/23/2016
    View State Conservation Rank Criteria
    Range Extent

    ScoreF - 20,000-200,000 sq km (~8,000-80,000 sq mi)

    Area of Occupancy

    ScoreE - 26-125 4-km2 grid cells

    Number of Populations

    ScoreC - 21 - 80

    Number of Occurrences or Percent Area with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity

    ScoreD - Some (13-40) occurrences with excellent or good viability or ecological integrity

    Environmental Specificity

    ScoreC - Moderate. Generalist or community with some key requirements scarce

    Long-term Trend

    ScoreU - Unknown

    Trends

    ScoreU - Unknown

    Threats

    ScoreU - Unknown

    CommentThreats: Unknown/undetermined. Present in forests after a burn.

    Intrinsic Vulnerability

    ScoreC - Not intrinsically vulnerable

 
General Description
Clematis columbiana

Plants: Stems viny, growing upward, clambering over surfaces or forming rhizomatous mats (Lesica 2012).
Leaves: Leaf blades 2- to 3-times ternate into lobed leaflets; leaflets 1–3 cm long, lanceolate (Lesica 2012), outlines varying, the lobes mostly deep, with serrate margins (FNA 1997).


Clematis columbiana variety columbiana: Present in Montana.

Plants: Stems viny, growing upward, clambering over surfaces, 59-150(-350) cm in length (FNA 1997).
Leaves: Blade ternate 2 or 3 times, thin; leaflets typically lance-shaped or somewhat broader below with the several lobes usually more than 0.5 cm in width; margins toothed (FNA 1997).


Clematis columbiana variety tenuiloba: Present in Montana.

Plants: Stems mostly rhizomatous and underground, those aboveground not viny, typically less than 10 cm in length (intermediate forms to var. columbiana up to 150 cm), tufted (FNA 2005).
Leaves: Blade typically 3-ternate, somewhat fleshy; lobes usually 1.5-5 mm in width (FNA 1997).

(Lesica's contribution adapted from Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX)

Phenology
Clematis columbiana: Fruits mature late in the summer into autumn (Lesica 2012).

Clematis columbiana var. columbiana: Flowers mostly spring into the first part of summer (upper elevations), but sometimes in autumn on young growth (FNA 1997).

Clematis columbiana var. tenuiloba: Flowers late spring into the first part of summer (FNA 1997).

(P. Lesica's contribution adapted from Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX)

Diagnostic Characteristics
Clematis columbiana var. columbiana: Stems clambering; the leaves only twice ternate (Lesica 2012), the blades thin, with final leaf divisions frequently greater than 5 mm in width (FNA 1997).

Clematis columbiana var. tenuiloba: Stem tufted (not trailing or clambering); the leaves three-times ternate (Lesica 2012), the blades somewhat fleshy, with final leaf divisions usually 1.5-5 mm in width (FNA 1997).

(P. Lesica's contribution adapted from Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX)

Range Comments
Clematis columbiana: MT, ND south to AZ, NM, and TX (Lesica 2012).

Clematis columbiana var. columbiana: AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, TX, UT, and WY. Elevation: 5580-10,500 feet (FNA 1997).

Clematis columbiana var. tenuiloba: CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, and WY. Elevation: 3280-9850 feet (FNA 1997).

(P. Lesica's contribution adapted from Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX)

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 66

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Habitat
Clematis columbiana: Both varieties have a strong affinity to calcareous soil (Lesica 2012).

Clematis columbiana var. columbiana: Rocky groves of small trees and shrubs, open woodlands (FNA 1997).

Clematis columbiana var. tenuiloba: Rock faces and peaks, typically in exposed areas or thin pine woodlands (FNA 1997).

(Lesica's contribution from Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX)

Ecology
In their extremes, the 2 varieties appear markedly different. However, they intergrade considerably. Their physical form may be partially due to a response to their environment. For example, in some areas where variety tenuiloba lives on wide-open crests, variety columbiana may grow close by but at lesser elevations (FNA 1997).

POLLINATORS
The following animal species have been reported as pollinators of this plant species or its genus where their geographic ranges overlap: Bombus vagans, Bombus occidentalis, Bombus pensylvanicus, and Bombus impatiens (Thorp et al. 1983, Colla and Dumesh 2010).

Reproductive Characteristics
Clematis columbiana
Flowers: Bell-shaped, perfect, solitary, terminal, nodding; sepals 2.5–4 cm long, deep blue (Lesica 2012), rarely white in var. columbiana, ovate or more lance-shaped (FNA 1997); petals lacking; stamens many; pistils many in a head-shaped (capitate) bundle (Hitchcock et al. 1964).
Fruit: Achene with feathery persistent style or beak (Hitchcock et al. 1964); beak 2–5 cm long (Lesica 2012).

Clematis columbiana variety columbiana
Flowers: Sepals 25-60 mm in length, violet or bluish-violet (FNA 1997).

Clematis columbiana variety tenuiloba
Flowers: Sepals 15-50 mm in length, violet or bluish-violet (FNA 1997).

(P. Lesica's contribution adapted from Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX)

Management
ECONOMIC VALUE

Clematis columbiana: Leaves or sometimes leaves and stems are steeped, the liquid then washed into the hair to prevent greyness (Moerman 1998).

Clematis columbiana var. columbiana: Plants are cultivated for their beauty and to provide shade (Moerman 1998).


References
  • Literature Cited AboveLegend:   View Online Publication
    • Colla, S.R. and S. Dumesh. 2010. The bumble bees of southern Ontario: notes on natural history and distribution. Journal of the Entomological Society of Ontario 141:39-68.
    • Flora of North America Editorial Committee. 1997. Flora of North America North of Mexico. Volume 3. Magnoliophyta: Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae. Oxford University Press, Inc., New York, NY. xxiii + 590 pp.
    • Hitchcock, C. L., A. Cronquist, M. Ownbey, and J. W. Thompson. 1964. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 2: Salicaceae to Saxifragaceae. University of Washington Press, Seattle. 597 pp.
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
    • Moerman, D.E. 1998. Native American ethnobotany. Portland, OR: Timber Press, Inc. 927 p.
    • Thorp, R.W., D.S. Horning, and L.L. Dunning. 1983. Bumble bees and cuckoo bumble bees of California (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Bulletin of the California Insect Survey 23:1-79.
  • Additional ReferencesLegend:   View Online Publication
    Do you know of a citation we're missing?
    • Culver, D.R. 1994. Floristic analysis of the Centennial Region, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Montana State University, Bozeman. 199 pp.
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
    • Pac, D.F. 1976. Distribution, movements, and habitat use during spring, summer, and fall by mule deer associated with Armstrong winter range, Bridger Mountains, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 121 p.
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Citation for data on this website:
Purple Virgin's-bower — Clematis columbiana var. columbiana.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from