''Polemonium reptans'' is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

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.

Description

Jacob's ladder grows tall, with pinnate

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

up to long with 5–13 leaflets. The leaves and flower stems grow from a vertical

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

with abundant fibrous roots. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are produced in

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...

s on weak stems from mid to late spring. They are 1.3 cm ( in) long and have five light blue-violet

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s 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 Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an Stamen, anther of a plant to the stigma (botany), stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by Anemophily, wind. Pollinating agents can ...

for the plants to produce seed. Pollinated flowers develop into an oval

pod Pod or POD may refer to: Biology * Pod (fruit), a type of fruit of a flowering plant * Husk or pod of a legume * Pod of whales or other marine mammals * "-pod", a suffix meaning "foot" used in taxonomy Electronics and computing * Proper ort ...

with three chambers, 6 mm ( in) long, which is enclosed by the green calyx. The plant spreads by reseeding itself. The Latin specific epithet ''reptans'' means creeping. File:Jacob's Ladder Polemonium reptens Leaves 3008px.JPG, Leaves File:Jacob's Ladder Polemonium reptens Flower Buds 2628px.jpg, Oval seed pods enclosed in green calyces

Ecology

Jacob's Ladder Polemonium reptens Flowers and Wasp 1479px

The flowers produce both

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

and

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

. Long- and short-tongued bees visit the plants for both nectar and pollen,

syrphid flies Hover flies, also called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while ...

and fire beetles (''

Pedilus lugubris ''Pedilus lugubris'' is a species of fire-colored beetle in the family Pyrochroidae. It is found in North America. References Further reading * External links Pyrochroidae Articles created by Qbugbot {{Pyrochroidae-stub ...

'') feed on pollen, and

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

and

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

s drink nectar. Out of these insects, large bees are the most effective at cross-pollination, since they most often touch the pollen-covered anthers.

Range and habitat

''Polemonium reptans'' is typically found in rich, moist woods, often along streambanks. Its range extends from Minnesota to New Hampshire in the north, and from Georgia to Mississippi in the south. It is most abundant west of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

Cultivation

Polemonium_reptans_Stairway_to_Heaven_11zz

The plant prefers partial shade and mesic soil. It tolerates full sun, but requires constantly moist soil.

Uses

The dried roots have a slightly bitter and acrid taste. ''P. reptans'' has been traditionally used as an herbal medicine for febrile and inflammatory diseases, to ease coughs, colds and bronchial complaints, and to encourage perspiration. It is furthermore said to bring relief in cases of inflammations and infections. The root is rarely used in modern herbalism. It is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q648261 reptans Plants described in 1759 Medicinal plants Garden plants of North America Groundcovers Flora of North America Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus