Naming
It was called "pepper vine" by early travelers and pioneers of the American Old West. They used it as a pepper substitute to spice up food since real black pepper was a costly and rarely obtainable spice. Like the rest of the genus "Clematis", it contains essential oils and compounds which are extremely irritating to the skin and mucous membranes. Unlike Black Pepper or "Capsicum", however, the compounds in clematis cause internal bleeding of the digestive tract if ingested internally in large amounts. The plants can be toxic if consumed in large enough amounts, and can be toxic to small animals. Native Americans used very small amounts of clematis for migraine headaches and nervous disorders. It was also used as an effective treatment of skin infections.A whole-plant hot water extraction was used to treat eczema, and a leaf compress is used to treat chest pain, sores, and boils.
It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.
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