Polemonium boreale, the northern Jacob's-ladder[1] or boreal Jacobs-ladder, is a plant native to the most of the high arctic. In Greenland it is found only in a small area on the east coast. It is not very common.

The whole plant is pubescent, with long woolly hairs, glandular, and grows to 5–10 cm tall. The basal leaves are more or less alternate, and pinnate, with numerous leaflets. The flowers are produced in a more or less capitate inflorescence, each flower bell-shaped, blue, 15 mm long, 2.5 times longer than the calyx. The plant has a very unpleasant smell, and grows on gravelly slopes and in crevices.

  • Native to the most of the high arctic, its range includes Svalbard.
    Native to the most of the high arctic, its range includes Svalbard.
  • The inflorescence consists of 3—7 (exceptionally 9), 5–15 mm flowers.
    The inflorescence consists of 3—7 (exceptionally 9), 5–15 mm flowers.
  • Basal leaves are pinnate with numerous small leaflets.
    Basal leaves are pinnate with numerous small leaflets.

References

  1. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Polemonium boreale". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 9 October 2015.