Clematis

a genus of the buttercup family. There are over one hundred fifty species; about twenty in North America. The wild species are chiefly copsewood climbers with inconspicuous, greenish flowers and long tailed, cottony fruit; or else they are low, erect, few-flowered herbs with bell-shaped purple sepals. The best known species is the common virgin's bower. The latter and the cultivated species are fine trellis climbers. Blue, white, purple, and rose colored, they offer fine shade and masses of rich color. See Buttercup