Atragene

a genus of shrubs of the family Ranunculaceae, frequently assigned to the genus Clematis. They have climbing stems up to 3 m long; the leaves, with long stalks that wind around a support, are usually twice ternate. The flowers are solitary and drooping; there are four to eight sepals, which are petaloid and of the same color as the petals (white, pale yellow, bluish purple, blue, or violet). The fruits are numerous and downy. There are about ten species found in Europe, Asia, and North America. In the USSR there are three species: A. sibirica, which has white or yellowish flowers and grows in the northern European USSR, Siberia, and Middle Asia; and the Eastern Siberian and Far Eastern species A. ochotensis and A. macropetala, which have blue flowers of varying shades. Atragene is used to cover walls and similar vertical structures; it is poisonous.