Stems viny, to 4 m, glabrous or sparsely pilose-pubescent, sometimes more densely pubescent near nodes. Leaf blade 1-pinnate; leaflets 6-8 plus additional tendril-like terminal leaflet, elliptic to ovate, unlobed, 1-3-lobed, or proximal 3-foliolate, 1-9 × 0.5-5(-7.5) cm, leathery, prominently and finely reticulate abaxially and adaxially; surfaces abaxially silky-pubescent, not glaucous. Inflorescences axillary, 1-3-flowered; bracts about 1/3 distance from base of peduncle. Flowers urn-shaped; sepals pale lavender to purple, greenish toward tip, ovate-lanceolate, 1.2-3 cm, margins not expanded, ± thick, not crispate, densely tomentose, tips acute, recurved, abaxially usually ± densely yellowish pubescent, occasionally nearly glabrous. Achenes: bodies appressed-pubescent; beak 4-6 cm, plumose. 2 n = 16.

Flowering spring-summer (May-Jun). Dry woods and thickets in sandy soils; 0-150 m; Ala., Ark., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., Okla., S.C., Tex.

In immature fruit, especially, the vestiture of the beaks of Clematis reticulata might not consistently suffice to distinguish it from C. pitcheri , which has appressed-pubescent beaks. Clematis reticulata is distinguished from C . pitcheri by the very fine reticulation of the leaves, with the smallest areoles completely enclosed by veinlets generally less than 1 mm long and even the quaternary veins prominently raised on the adaxial surface.