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).