Polemonium boreale : Northern Jacob's-ladder

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Genera: Polemonium (Jacob's-ladder) (Gk. polemonion= a kind of plant; See 'Folklore' entry under 'Uses' for more info on name origins)

Species: boreale (Lat. boreas = northern; referring to this species northern distribution)

English Name(s):

Northern Jacob's-ladder,

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• 10-15 cm high.
• Plant more or less sticky pubescent (hairy).
• Stems loosely tufted from a slender branching rhizome (rootstalk).

Leaves:

• Alternate and pinnately divided.
• Leaflets elliptic in shape.
• Mostly basal, usually 9-12 pairs.

Reproductive Parts:

• Calyx (sepals) united, 5-lobed.
• Corolla (petals) united, 5-lobed. Lobes radiating outward and very showy.
• Flowers perfect (bisexual), and regular in symmetry.
• Ovary is superior (above recepticle), and 3-loculed (chambered).
• Stamens (male parts) 5, attached to corolla tube.
• Stamens attached at the top of the corolla tube.
• Pedicels (stalks) shorter than calyx.
• Calyx 5-10 mm long, lobes lanceolate to oblong.
• Corolla 15-20 mm long, blue to violet or rarely white, tube yellowish.
• Inflorescence (flowers) more or less capitate.

Seed:

• Fruit is a capsule.
• Capsule enclosed in calyx.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Can tell from P.pulcherrimum (Showy Jacob's-ladder) by the length of its flowers. P.boreale flowers are longer.

Physiology:

Life Cycle:

• Perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

Animal Uses:

Habitat:

• Alpine meadows, tundra turf, and sand dunes.

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food: