Clematis albicoma var. coactilis Fernald:
United States (North America)

Clematis coactilis (Fernald) Keener:
United States (North America)

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Shale barren endemic of Ridge and Valley of Virginia.

Clematis coactilis is known only from western Virginia. C. S. Keener (1967, 1975) suggested that this species may be a stabilized derivative of past hybridization between C. albicoma and C. ochroleuca . 

 In fruit, Clematis coactilis is distinguishable from C. ochroleuca by its combination of spreading to reflexed hairs on the achene rims and whitish to pale yellow (rarely tawny) hairs on the beaks, contrasting with the strongly ascending hairs on the achene rims and tawny (rarely yellowish white) hairs on the beaks of C. ochroleuca . This species and C. ochroleuca lack stomates on the adaxial surface of the leaves, whereas the closely related species C. albicoma , C. fremontii , and C. viticaulis have stomates on both leaf surfaces (C. S. Keener 1967).

Stems erect, not viny, 2-4.5 dm, densely silky, hirsute, or ± tomentose with appressed hairs. Leaves simple. Leaf blade rarely 1-pinnate, narrowly to broadly ovate, unlobed or sometimes few-lobed, 5-12 × 3-9.5 cm, leathery, ± prominently reticulate adaxially; surfaces abaxially densely silky-tomentose with appressed hairs, not glaucous. Inflorescences terminal, flowers solitary; bracts absent. Flowers broadly urn-shaped; sepals pale yellow to rarely purple-tinged, lanceolate, 1.9-3.4 cm, margins not expanded or narrowly expanded to 1.7 mm wide, thin, not crispate, tomentose, tips obtuse, spreading, abaxially finely tomentose. Achenes: body pilose, hairs of rim spreading; beak (2.5-)3-4.5(-5.5) cm, plumose. 2 n = 16.

Clematis albicoma Wherry var. coactilis Fernald, Rhodora 45: 407. 1943

Flowering spring-early summer. Shale barrens, rarely on sandstone, dolomite, or limestone outcrops; of conservation concern; 300-600 m; Va.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 6 - 20

Comments: About 20 occurrences known, distinct but often nearby.

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N3 - Vulnerable

Rounded Global Status Rank: G3 - Vulnerable

Reasons: Virginia endemic known only from shale barrens, with perhaps 20 occurrences but low numbers at most sites.

Comments: Clematis coactilis has a limited distribution, making it especially vulnerable to land-use conversion and habitat fragmentation; Competition from non-native species is also reported to be a threat (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).