Clematis connata var. confusa

Clematis connata var. confusa (Grey-Wilson) W.T.Wang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 39: 14 2001. (syn: Clematis confusa C. Grey-Wilson) as per Catalogue of Life;

Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal as per Catalogue of Life;

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC_0419.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC_0417.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CSC_0786.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CSC_0787.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC_0414-4.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC_0419-6.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC_0420.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC_0415-7.JPG

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC_0423.JPG

SK125OCT042016:ID : 10 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (9)

Sharing some pictures for ID shot at the Chandtagiri Hill Kathmandu on 19 September 2016 at 8200 ft.

Could it be Clematis buchananiana DC. ??

If so why color of flower is different?

My first offering on Nepal. I am not as familiar with its flora as Ladakh or the NW Himalaya and as with the whole of the Himalayan foothills, the lower the elevation one goes, especially into sub-tropical and tropical plants, my knowledge rapidly diminishes! Nevertheless, I have visited Nepal on a number of occasions and know something of its flora. This Clematis is certainly not C.buchananiana. I think you will find this is Clematis acutangula– it is not recorded in ‘An Enumeration of the Flowering Plants of Nepal’ Vol 2, 1979) nor ‘Flora of Kathmandu Valley’ (1986). Hooker knew the plant as is in FBI – from Khasia Hills (now Meghalaya). Do not know of any images on internet. The pressed specimens in Kew herbarium will not help much.

If circumstances permit, I shall contribute more about Nepalese flora.

Thanks a lot, …

Catalogue of Life gives it (Clematis acutangula Hook. fil. & Thomson) as a syn. of Clematis ranunculoides Franch.

Images of this look different at the following links:

http://www.clematisinternational.com/page74.html

http://www.britishclematis.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=17
Link

Clematis acutangula is not listed in Nepal in books as well as link :

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=110&taxon_id=107312

Another, the flower color and leaves do not match at all as per the links:

Link 1

Link 2

As such, request expert for the verdict.

Thanks for letting me know. This name was supplied to me some years back. I had assumed they had expertise, so never

checked further. I am not a specialist in the genus Clematis but will check further incl. with the person who provided the name.

Yes, the plant photographed does not match the images of Clematis ranunculoides you provided links to.

A lesson to all – always double-check IF you can!

As per my e-mail earlier today when I indicated my error naming this as C.acutangula, it is in fact Clematis confusa Grey-Wilson which has been

reduced by W.T. Wang to Clematis connata var. confusa, an accepted name in ‘The Plant List’ and COL.

I do have reservations about this, given how different the flowers seem cf. what I understand to be more typical C.connata and its restricted

geographical range. I also wonder about differences in the ‘connate part’.

Inevitably there will be differences of opinion/interpretation.

But given the seemingly minimal differences used to distinguish between some species in certain genera, I wonder about this but I am not a plant taxonomist.

As to which source of information is more reliable, I am new to using these, so shall scrutinise further and see what others think of them.

Come what may, none will be perfect and subject to change!

It really must be a nightmare for most ‘mortals’ with no particular background in plant identification to face so many changes and different interpretations….

I recollect remarking (like others before me) to someone taking an interest in Nepal flora whilst visiting the Natural History Museum herbarium in London that, “In many ways identifying plants is as much an art form as a science”.

We are all trying incl. … to make things more scientific, consistent and reliable but this has never been straightforward…….

I believe ID from … is correct. Sending some links for further reference.

Catalogue of Life

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=110&taxon_id=242421411

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=110&taxon_id=200007606

Same plant on 2 March, 2017. Attachments (5)

Nice fruiting images.