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Jacob'S-Ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum)

Description

Polemonium pulcherrimum-is a species of flowering plant in the-phlox family-known by several common names, including-beautiful Jacob's-ladder,-showy Jacob's-ladder, and-skunk-leaved polemonium. It is native to western North America from-Alaska-and-Yukon-to-Arizona-and-New Mexico, where it can be found in many types of mountain habitat, including-alpine-talus-at high elevations. It is a common and widespread wildflower in several regions. It is a-perennial-herb-producing a clump of several erect stem approaching a maximum height of 30 centimeters. The leaves are mostly basal, with smaller ones arranged along the stem. The leaves are made up of several pairs of lance-shaped to oval or round leaflets. The herbage is lightly hairy, densely glandular, sticky, and strongly scented, the odor reminiscent of-skunk. The showy-inflorescence-is a dense elongated or headlike cluster of bell-shaped flowers each just under a centimeter wide. The flower is deep to bright or pale blue to nearly white with a yellow throat.

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum: Magnoliophyta

        • Class: Magnoliopsida

          • Order: Ericales

            • Family: Polemoniaceae

              • Genus: Polemonium