[1] It is a perennial herb that is native to much of the western United States, from Washington to Nebraska.

[2] It is a small, erect plant which, unlike other Clematis, does not generally produce vines.

[1] The flower is made up of an urn-shaped cup of deep purple-blue petal like sepals,[1] which are fuzzy and have pointed or rounded tips.

The fruit is a hairy achene with a very long beak and a plume on the end; it is dispersed by wind.

The compact mound of foliage and many blossoms of well developed plants are regarded as handsome by many including noted wildflower writer Claude A. Barr.