# Polemonium

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Genus of plants

This article is about the plant species. For the ancient city, see [Fatsa](/source/Fatsa).

Polemonium Polemonium reptans Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade: Asterids Order: Ericales Family: Polemoniaceae Genus: Polemonium L. Type species Polemonium caeruleum L.

***Polemonium***, commonly called **Jacob's ladders** or **Jacob's-ladders** (the name derived from the [Biblical story](/source/Jacob's_Ladder)), is a genus of between 25 and 40 species of [flowering plants](/source/Flowering_plant) in the family [Polemoniaceae](/source/Polemoniaceae), native to cool [temperate](/source/Temperate_climate) to [arctic](/source/Arctic_climate) regions of the [Northern Hemisphere](/source/Northern_Hemisphere).[1][2] One species, *[Polemonium micranthum](/source/Polemonium_micranthum)*, also occurs in the southern [Andes](/source/Andes) in [South America](/source/South_America). Many of the species grow at high altitudes, in mountainous areas. Most of the uncertainty in the number of species relates to those in Eurasia, many of which have been synonymized with *[Polemonium caeruleum](/source/Polemonium_caeruleum)*.[3]

*Polemonium* are [perennial plants](/source/Perennial_plant) (rarely [annual plants](/source/Annual_plant)) growing 10–120 cm tall with bright green [leaves](/source/Leaf) divided into lance-shaped [leaflets](/source/Leaflet_(botany)). They produce blue (rarely white or pink) [flowers](/source/Flower) in the spring and summer.

Some species are used as food plants by the [larvae](/source/Larva) of some [Lepidoptera](/source/Lepidoptera) species including *[Coleophora polemoniella](/source/Coleophora)*.

## Species

*[Polemonium caeruleum](/source/Polemonium_caeruleum)*

*[Polemonium californicum](/source/Polemonium_californicum)*

As of April 2020[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium&action=edit) [Kew](/source/Kew)'s [Plants of the World Online](/source/Plants_of_the_World_Online) accepts 37 species.[1] Many are locally known simply as "Jacob's ladder".[4][5][6][7]

- *[Polemonium acutiflorum](/source/Polemonium_acutiflorum)* – tall Jacob's ladder[8][9]

- *[Polemonium boreale](/source/Polemonium_boreale)* Adams – northern Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium brandegeei](/source/Polemonium_brandegeei)* (A.Gray) Greene – Brandegee's Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium caeruleum](/source/Polemonium_caeruleum)* L. – Jacob's ladder (the original plant to bear this name); charity

- *[Polemonium californicum](/source/Polemonium_californicum)* Eastw. – showy Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium campanulatum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_campanulatum&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Th.Fr.) Th.Fr.

- *[Polemonium carneum](/source/Polemonium_carneum)* A.Gray – royal Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium caucasicum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_caucasicum&action=edit&redlink=1)* N.Busch

- *[Polemonium chartaceum](/source/Polemonium_chartaceum)* H.Mason – Mason's Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium chinense](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_chinense&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Brand) Brand

- *[Polemonium confertum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_confertum&action=edit&redlink=1)* – Rocky Mountain Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium eddyense](/source/Polemonium_eddyense)* Stubbs – Mount Eddy Jacob's-ladder

- *[Polemonium elegans](/source/Polemonium_elegans)* Greene – elegant Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium elusum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_elusum&action=edit&redlink=1)* J.J.Irwin & R.L.Hartm. – elusive Jacob's-ladder

- *[Polemonium eximium](/source/Polemonium_eximium)* Greene – sky pilot

- *[Polemonium foliosissimum](/source/Polemonium_foliosissimum)* A.Gray – towering Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium glabrum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_glabrum&action=edit&redlink=1)* J.F.Davidson

- *[Polemonium grandiflorum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_grandiflorum&action=edit&redlink=1)* Benth.

- *[Polemonium hingganicum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_hingganicum&action=edit&redlink=1)* (P.H.Huang & S.Y.Li) S.Y.Li & K.T.Adair

- *[Polemonium kiushianum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_kiushianum&action=edit&redlink=1)* Kitam.

- *[Polemonium majus](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_majus&action=edit&redlink=1)* Tolm.

- *[Polemonium mexicanum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_mexicanum&action=edit&redlink=1)* Cerv. ex Lag.

- *[Polemonium micranthum](/source/Polemonium_micranthum)* Benth. – annual polemonium

- *[Polemonium nevadense](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_nevadense&action=edit&redlink=1)* Wherry – Nevada Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium occidentale](/source/Polemonium_occidentale)* Greene – western Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium pauciflorum](/source/Polemonium_pauciflorum)* S.Watson – few-flower Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium pectinatum](/source/Polemonium_pectinatum)* Greene – Washington Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium pulchellum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_pulchellum&action=edit&redlink=1)* Bunge

- *[Polemonium pulcherrimum](/source/Polemonium_pulcherrimum)* Hook. – beautiful Jacob's ladder

- *[Polemonium reptans](/source/Polemonium_reptans)* L. – Jacob's ladder, Greek valerian

- *[Polemonium sachalinense](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_sachalinense&action=edit&redlink=1)* Vorosch.

- *[Polemonium schizanthum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_schizanthum&action=edit&redlink=1)* Klokov

- *[Polemonium schmidtii](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_schmidtii&action=edit&redlink=1)* Klokov

- [*Polemonium* × *speciosum*](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_%C3%97_speciosum&action=edit&redlink=1) Rydb.

- *[Polemonium sumushanense](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_sumushanense&action=edit&redlink=1)* G.H.Liu & Y.Q.Ma

- *[Polemonium vanbruntiae](/source/Polemonium_vanbruntiae)* Britton – Vanbrunt's Jacob's ladder

- [*Polemonium* × *victoris*](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_%C3%97_victoris&action=edit&redlink=1) Klokov

- *[Polemonium vilosissimum](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_vilosissimum&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Hultén) D.F.Murray & Elven

- *[Polemonium villosum](/source/Polemonium_villosum)* Rudolph ex Georgi

- *[Polemonium viscosum](/source/Polemonium_viscosum)* Nutt. – sticky polemonium

- *[Polemonium yezoense](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polemonium_yezoense&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Miyabe & Kudô) Kitam.

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-powo_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-powo_1-1) ["*Polemonium caeruleum* L."](http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:689911-1#synonyms) *Plants of the World Online*. [Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew](/source/Royal_Botanic_Gardens%2C_Kew). Retrieved 8 April 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-tpl_2-0)** [Kew Plant List of Polemonium species, synonyms, unaccepted names](http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/search?q=Polemonium)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-powo689911-1_3-0)** ["*Polemonium* L."](http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:329833-2) *Plants of the World Online*. [Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew](/source/Royal_Botanic_Gardens%2C_Kew). Retrieved 8 April 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-fotcr2017_4-0)** Wilhelm, Gerould; Rericha, Laura (2017). *Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis*. Indiana Academy of Sciences.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-jepson_5-0)** [Jepson Flora of California: *Polemonium*](https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=8876)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-miflora_6-0)** Reznicek, A. A.; Voss, E. G.; Walters, B. S., eds. (February 2011). ["*Polemonium* *reptans*"](https://michiganflora.net/record/2263). *Michigan Flora Online*. University of Michigan Herbarium. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-usda_7-0)** [NRCS](/source/Natural_Resources_Conservation_Service). ["*Polemonium*"](https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/plant-profile/CPOLEM). *PLANTS Database*. [United States Department of Agriculture](/source/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture) (USDA). Retrieved 8 April 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-usdaacut_8-0)** [NRCS](/source/Natural_Resources_Conservation_Service). ["*Polemonium acutiflorum*"](https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/plant-profile/POAC). *PLANTS Database*. [United States Department of Agriculture](/source/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture) (USDA). Retrieved 9 October 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-iucnacut_9-0)** Maiz-Tome, L. 2016. Polemonium acutiflorum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T64321387A67730462. [https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T64321387A67730462.en](https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T64321387A67730462.en). Downloaded on 30 March 2020.

Taxon identifiers Polemonium Wikidata: Q157357 Wikispecies: Polemonium APNI: 215577 CoL: 6TRQ EPPO: 1PMNG FoC: 126309 GBIF: 2927831 GRIN: 9675 iNaturalist: 48933 IPNI: 329833-2 IRMNG: 1322749 ITIS: 30998 NBN: NHMSYS0000461823 NCBI: 13639 NZOR: 9df3f6a3-11d9-4227-9a04-380195178a5c Open Tree of Life: 173581 Panarctic Flora: 7002 PLANTS: POLEM POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:329833-2 Tropicos: 40013414 VASCAN: 1571 VicFlora: ea8dd8ce-5c8b-4a85-ae49-f5bb877a4020 WFO: wfo-4000030638

Authority control databases National Israel Other Yale LUX

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