# Pitcher's leatherflower

*Clematis pitcheri*

Unlike most clematis species with wide, flat petals, this plant features thick, fleshy, urn-shaped sepals that protect its reproductive organs from rain.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Ranunculales › Ranunculaceae › Clematis
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Moist deciduous woods, thickets, rocky slopes, and riparian forest edges.
- **Diet:** Autotroph (Photosynthesis)
- **Range:** United States, Midwest US, Southern US
- **Size:** Climbing vine extending 2 to 4 meters (6 to 13 feet) in length.
- **Lifespan:** Perennial vine living 5 to 15+ years.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation, displacement by invasive woody vines, and roadside herbicide spraying.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to observe, but defensive if handled roughly. The plant's sap contains protoanemonin, which can cause mild skin irritation or blistering in sensitive individuals. Maintain a safe distance of a few feet to admire, and do not ingest any part of the plant. If skin contact occurs, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water.

## About

Clematis pitcheri is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common name bluebill . It is found in the south-central United States.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/3e7b45ab-ef78-41db-ad5e-1c23f87ceed3
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/148019
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clematis pitcheri
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/153671179/medium.jpg (Lexi Destria, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.