Greek Valerian (Polemonium reptans)
Description
Polemonium reptans is a perennial herbaceous plant native to eastern North America. Common names include spreading Jacob's ladder, creeping Jacob's ladder, false Jacob's ladder, abscess root, american Greek valerian, blue bells, stairway to heaven, and sweatroot.Jacob's ladder grows 50 centimetres (20 in) tall, with pinnate leaves up to 20 centimetres (8 in) long with 5-13 leaflets. The leaves and flower stems grow from a vertical crown with abundant fibrous roots.The flowers are produced in panicles on weak stems from mid to late spring. They are 1.3 cm (-1-2 in) long and have five light blue-violet petals that are fused at the base, enclosed by a tubular calyx with five pointed lobes. The pollen is white. The stigma extends beyond the anthers, making self-pollination difficult, so insects must cross-pollinate for the plants to produce seed.Pollinated flowers develop into an oval pod with three chambers, 6 mm (-1-2 in) long, which is enclosed by the green calyx. The plant spreads by reseeding itself.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Ericales
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Family: Polemoniaceae
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Genus: Polemonium
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