Clematis chengguensis and C. retusifolia (Ranunculaceae), both described from Shaanxi of China, are merged with C. armandi, a widely distributed species in the country

Based on critical observations of both herbarium specimens (including type material when available) and living plants in the wild, we demonstrate that Clematis chengguensis and C. retusifolia (Ranunculaceae), both described from Shaanxi, China, are not essentially different from C. armandi in any characters, a species widely distributed in the country and morphologically highly variable. We therefore place both of them in synonymy with C. armandi herein. We also determine that the previous records of the occurrence of C. finetiana in Shaanxi have resulted from misidentifications of specimens of C. armandi. In addition, we reveal that C. armandi var. kiangnanensis, which has been previously reduced to the synonymy of C. armandi, may actually belong to C. finetiana.