Clematis tibetana Kuntze

Vines woody. Branches shallowly 8--10-grooved, sparsely puberulous, glabrescent. Leaves usually 2-pinnate, sometimes 1-pinnate; petiole 1.2--6 cm; leaflet blades broadly lanceolate, narrowly ovate, ovate, or elliptic, 1--4.2 × 0.5--2.4 cm, papery, often 2- or 3-lobed near base or undivided, abaxially appressed puberulous, adaxially glabrous or sparsely appressed puberulous, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin usually entire or sometimes to 2-denticulate; basal veins abaxially nearly flat; terminal lobes largest, lanceolate to narrowly ovate. Flowers solitary and terminal or in axillary 1--3-flowered cymes, 2--4.5 cm in diam.; peduncle 1--4 cm; bracts foliaceous. Pedicel 2--13.5 cm, puberulous or glabrous. Sepals 4, yellow, yellow-brown, or brown-purple, ascending, broadly ovate, ovate, oblong, or lanceolate, 1.5--2.8 × 0.6--1.7 cm, abaxially glabrous or sparsely puberulous, adaxially appressed puberulous, apex acute, caudate-acuminate, or acuminate. Stamens 5--11 mm; filaments puberulous; anthers narrowly oblong to oblong, 1.6--4 mm, glabrous, apex obtuse or minutely apiculate. Ovaries pubescent. Style 0.6--1.5 cm, densely villous. Fl. May--Jul.

Himalaya (Garhwal to Nepal), S.E. Tibet.

SW Sichuan, Xizang [N India, W Nepal].

1700-4000 m

Slopes, scrub, grassy areas, gravelly river banks; 2200--4800 m.

Flowering from May to July.

Clematis tibetana is occurring in SW Sichuan, Xizang of China, N India, W Nepal.

Phylogenetic relationships within Clematis, including Naravelia, Archiclematis and Clematopsis, were analysed using nucleotide sequences of chloroplast DNA sequences matK and trnK introns, atpB-rbcL spacer, rpoB-trnC spacer, psbA-trnH-trnQ spacer, rbcL-accD spacer and the nuclear ITS regions (Miikeda et al., 2006). The phylogenetic trees resulting from these analyses suggested nine major clades. The genera Archiclematis, Naravelia and Clematopsis were found to be nested within the genus Clematis, and should be included within it. Within the genus Clematis, the traditional subgenus Viorna was found to be monophyletic. The remaining subgenera (Flammula, Clematis and Campanella) and sections Flammula, Clematis and Cheiropsis, however, were found to be paraphyletic or polyphyletic. Enormous morphological diversification and very few nucleotide substitutions within Clematis indicate the recent radiation of the genus.

Vines woody. Branches shallowly 8-10-grooved, sparsely puberulous, glabrescent. Leaves usually 2-pinnate, sometimes 1-pinnate; petiole 1.2-6 cm; leaflet blades broadly lanceolate, narrowly ovate, ovate, or elliptic, 1-4.2 cm long, 0.5-2.4 cm wide, papery, often 2- or 3-lobed near base or undivided, abaxially appressed puberulous, adaxially glabrous or sparsely appressed puberulous, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin usually entire or sometimes to 2-denticulate; basal veins abaxially nearly flat; terminal lobes largest, lanceolate to narrowly ovate. Flowers solitary and terminal or in axillary 1-3-flowered cymes, 2-4.5 cm in diameter; peduncle 1-4 cm; bracts foliaceous. Pedicel 2-13.5 cm, puberulous or glabrous. Sepals 4, yellow, yellow-brown, or brown-purple, ascending, broadly ovate, ovate, oblong, or lanceolate, 1.5-2.8 cm long, 0.6-1.7 cm wide, abaxially glabrous or sparsely puberulous, adaxially appressed puberulous, apex acute, caudate-acuminate, or acuminate. Stamens 5-11 mm; filaments puberulous; anthers narrowly oblong to oblong, 1.6-4 mm, glabrous, apex obtuse or minutely apiculate. Ovaries pubescent. Style 0.6-1.5 cm, densely villous.

Growing in slopes, scrub, grassy areas, gravelly river banks; 2200-4800 m.