Clematis baldwinii Torr. & A. Gray:
United States (North America)

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Clematis baldwinii occurs only in the Florida peninsula, occupying 32 counties from Levy and Flagler south to Dade and Monroe, all on the mainland. It appears to be well distributed throughout this range, except in the Everglades region.

The long peduncles (10-30 cm) elevating the flowers well above the leaves are unique to Clematis baldwinii among the simple-leaved species of Clematis subg. Viorna in the flora. Broad-leaved, large-flowered plants have been segregated as C. baldwinii var. latiuscula , but many intermediates connect the extremes, and flower size is not well correlated with leaf shape. As noted by C. S. Keener (1975), leaf shape appears to be uncorrelated with distribution; collections from a single population often include broad- and narrow-leaved plants.

Stems erect, 2-6 dm, nearly glabrous to moderately pilose. Leaves usually simple. Leaf blade unlobed or 2-3-lobed, occasionally divided into 3-5 leaflets; leaflet blades or lobes linear to narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, or unlobed leaf blades elliptic to ovate, 1.5-10 × 0.2-2.5(-3.5) cm, thin, not prominently reticulate; surfaces glabrous, not glaucous. Inflorescences terminal, flowers solitary; bracts absent or sometimes distal pair of leaves smaller, bractlike. Flowers narrowly bell-shaped; sepals uniformly violet-blue, oblong-lanceolate, 2-5.5 cm, margins narrowly expanded distally to ca. 1 mm wide, thin, crispate, proximally tomentose, glabrous where expanded, distally ± tomentose, tips acuminate, spreading to recurved, abaxially glabrous. Achenes: bodies long-pubescent; beak 6-10 cm, plumose. 2 n = 16.

Clematis baldwinii var. latiuscula R. W. Long; Viorna baldwinii (Torrey & A. Gray) Small

Comments: Xeric to moist habitats, including the following: xeric oak scrub, xeric sand pine-oak scrub, dry longleaf pine-oak sandhills, slash pine-palmetto rocklands on oolite, dry to mesic longleaf pine-oak-palmetto flatwoods, dry to moist prairies with scattered pines, moist pine-shrub-wiregrass flatwoods. Also, roads, powerlines, gasline, and railroads through such habitats. In all of these, C. baldwinii occurs generally where the canopy is open or sparse. Populations do well after fire, so fire is often indicated as part of site management.

Flowering all year. Sandy, flat pine woods; 0-50 m; Fla.

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

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

Comments: Not tracked in Florida. Documented from 32 counties; number of populations must be much higher. Not at all hard to find, according to active field botanists.

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure

Reasons: Relatively widespread; occurs throughout the Florida peninsula. Relatively easy to find in appropriate habitats. Several to many protected populations. Threats acting mostly over long-term.

Global Short Term Trend: Decline of 10-30%

Comments: Decline gradual, due to habitat loss.

Comments: Habitat conversion to pine plantations, agriculture, suburban sprawl; fire suppression.

Needs: Where else is it protected?