Clematis tangutica s.l.

[Catwheazle]

Hello, In the case of Clematis tangutica, tangutica hybrids are also to be sold as such.
Is that correct? How can I tell the difference between the "real" tangutica?
greetings
Bernd

[Christian G.]

I'm no expert when it comes to Clematis but telling the difference between members of the Orientalis group is not easy, plus these species are quite variable with various subspecies and cultivars.
http://www.clematis.be/tangutica.html

You can run a plant through the identification key of Flora of China to see if it displays typical tangutica features but for reasons above I would not expect a clear outcome.
 http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=107312

I guess as often there's only 2 viable options to avoid hybrids  - either get a known tangutica cultivar from a respectable nursery (and hope it's just a selected clone and not a hybrid), or try to get seeds or plants which can be traced back to a collection from the wild. Actually the latter is the only way to be sure, everything else is a gamble.

[Catwheazle]

Oh      .... thanks for your informations !
Bernd