Description
Clematis is a perennial climbing vine, often exceeding 40 feet in length. It is frequently seen clambering over trees, bushes, and fences. The older stem sections, closest to the ground, are woody and often have thin and fissured bark. Clematis climbs by its tendril-like petioles, which wrap around supporting plants or structures. The leaves can be opposite and deeply cleft, entire, pinnate, or bipinnate. With the exception of Clematis hirsutissima, which has purple flowers, the flower sepals are petal-like and typically cream-colored. The mature fruits are small and have long feathery tails attached to them, actually converted styles, which lends descriptiveness to one of the plant’s common names: Old man’s beard.
Clematis drummondii can reach upwards of 30 feet in length. Its lower stem bark is striated and tawny or light gray. The leaves are composed of sets of 3-5 leaflets; they are cleft, lance shaped, or ovoid. They are grayish-green and covered with an ashy pubescence. C. ligusticifolia has 5-7 toothed leaflets per leaf. The green leaves are hairless, except in southern California where the plant has wooly leaf surfaces. C. pauciflora has 3-5 roundish leaflets that are toothed or lobed and sparsely hairy. C. hirsutissima, another woody-stemmed climber has 7-13 compound leaflets that are generally lanceolate. The flower sepals are bell-shaped, purple, and droop downwards very distinctively against its green foliage background.
Distribution
From 3,000-4,000 feet look for Clematis drummondii along washes, canyons, and streamsides. This plant is found from Arizona eastward to southern New Mexico and central-southern Texas. At various elevations C. ligusticifolia is wide spread throughout the west. From British Columbia and North Dakota it ranges southward through much of the coastal and interior west. Look for the plant in moist places, bottomlands, and along streams. C. pauciflora is largely found throughout southern California. From Los Angeles County to the Little San Bernardino Mountains, it ranges south. It is found, as are most of the species here, in moist drainage areas, and along canyon sides, streams, and gullies.
From Montana and Washington, Clematis hirsutissima is found south to northern Arizona and New Mexico. Look for the plant in Mixed Conifer Belts (Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, etc.). There is some botanical disagreement on the plant’s designated nomenclature in Arizona and New Mexico. Whether it is C. hirsutissima or C. hirsutissima var. arizonica really does not matter, what does is that the biotype is on the edge of its range and is not fairing well because of poor forest health. The plant should not be collected in this region.
Chemistry
Anemonin, protoanemonin, b-sitosterol, campesterol, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and other compounds
Medicinal Uses
A most telling use of Clematis is a Nez Perce application: a peeled section of Sugar bowls root (Clematis hirsutissima) was placed in a horse’s nostril after it had collapsed from exhaustion from being raced too hard. This would quickly revive the horse. It would then be led to water, bathed and a short time after appear to suffer no ills from the experience – an herbal smelling-salt. The medicinal potency of Clematis can be largely rated by its causticness. It is in these acrid Buttercup family aromatics that Clematis musters its array of effects.
Worldwide, geographically disconnected groups of people have traditionally used different varieties of Clematis in relieving headaches. These days the fresh plant tincture or leaf infusion is used in congestive-type headaches, particularly migraines. Since Clematis has a relaxing and dilating effect on brain lining vasculature, it is useful in aborting migraine headaches. Use Clematis when visual and auditory disturbances are first noticed, before the intense pain of the episode descends. If a strong cup of coffee or caffeine pills have no effect on the migraine or make it worse, try Clematis.
Second to Clematis’ dilatory effect, the plant is moderately antiinflammatory when taken internally. It provides cyclooxygenase and interleukin inhibition. Certainly, this plays a role in its effect on headaches, but it is of value also in its application to rheumatoid arthritis, especially if aggravated by cold and damp weather. The freshly crushed plant or fresh plant tincture applied topically is rubefacient. Use it as a counter-irritant applied specifically to areas where the above description of joint pain fits.
Indications
Migraines and migraine-like headaches, as an abortive
Rheumatoid arthritis
Arthritis, as a counter-irritant (external)
Collection
After finding a sizable stand of the plant, chew a leaf. If it is hot and acrid then it is good medicine, if it is not then move on (new spring growth is usually the most acrid). Prune and collect the leafing vine ends, with or without flowers.
Preparations
Drying diminishes Clematis’ potency. The recently dried herb has some value, but even sealed it degrades quickly. The fresh plant tincture is the preferable preparation.
Dosage
FPT/DPT (50% alcohol): 10-40 drops 2-3 times daily
Leaf infusion: 2-4 ounces 2-3 times daily
Fresh plant poultice: use as needed, remove when skin begins to redden
Cautions
As with most Buttercup family plants, do not use Clematis during pregnancy. Although Clematis is useful in its inflammatory mediating effects on the autoimmune heat of rheumatoid arthritis, the plant is contraindicated in vasculitis, immunologically derived or otherwise. For some individuals even chewing a leaf can paradoxically usher in a headache. If this is the case, due to idiosyncratic vascular dynamics, Clematis is not for you.