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Polemonium reptans - Jacob's ladder

1,796 bytes added, 7 years ago
Created page with "thumb|right|''creeping Jacob's ladder'', ''Polemonium reptans'' '''Polemonium reptans''' is a perennial..."
[[File:Jacob's Ladder Polemonium reptens Flowers and Wasp 1479px.jpg|thumb|right|''creeping Jacob's ladder'', ''Polemonium reptans'']]

'''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'''.

== Description ==

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.<ref name="des"/> 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.

== Uses ==

*The dried roots have a slightly bitter and acrid taste. The root is rarely used in modern herbalism. It is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use.
*They have used internally in the treatment of coughs, colds, bronchitis, laryngitis, tuberculosis, feverish and inflammatory diseases.<ref name="uses"/>

== References ==

<references>
<ref name="des">[http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/jacob_ladder.htm "Polemonium reptans"]</ref>
<ref name="uses">[http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Polemonium+reptans "Polemonium reptans-plants for future"]</ref>
</references>

== External Links ==

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polemonium_reptans Polemonium reptans-Wikipedia]

[[Category:Herbs]]

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