''Clematis texensis'', commonly called scarlet leather flower,
is a climbing vine in the buttercup family (
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae (buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide.
The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 species), ''Delphinium' ...
). It is native to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, where it is endemic to the
Edwards Plateau
The Edwards Plateau is a geographic region at the crossroads of Central Texas, Central, South Texas, South, and West Texas. It is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.
[''Clematis texensis'']
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Society Its natural habitat is on rocky limestone cliffs and streamsides.
[
]
Description
This is an herbaceous and slightly woody vine that can climb to nine feet. It produces bell-shaped flowers bloom on new growth in the spring and summer.[''Clematis texensis'' Flora of North America]
/ref> The flower petals are thick and leather-like with scarlet-colored sepals. After the flower blooms a feathery ball of plumed seeds will be displayed.
This ''Clematis'' is a very hardy and drought tolerant and when planted in sunny conditions flowers may persist until the first frost.[
]
Cultivation
Crosses with other clematis varieties have yielded varieties showier than the species, such as "Duchess of Albany", "Princess Diana", "Gravetye Beauty", "Sir Trevor Lawrence", and "Etoile Rose", in colors from pink to dark scarlet red. ''Clematis texensis'' and its crosses tend to have four petals; blossoms resemble lily-flowered tulips, and sometimes display as downward-facing bells.
File:Clematis texensis Duchess of Albany2.jpg, A hybrid of ''Clematis texensis'' in cultivation
File:Bloemknop van een Clematis texensis ´Princess Diana´. 20-07-2021 (actm.).jpg, Flowerbud, Princess Diana variety
Uses
Chop dried stems can be brewed into a tea that treats headaches and migraines. Historically, a tincture could be made to function as a counter-irritant that, when applied to the skin's surface, produces an irritation that counteracts an underlying discomfort.[
]
References
External links
texensis
Flora of Texas
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