Polemonium reptans L.

Greek valerian (en), Polémoine (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Ericales > Polemoniaceae > Polemonium

Characteristics

Stems loosely clustered or solitary, slender, 2–5 dm, erect to diffuse, branched above; basal lvs long-petioled, cauline less so or the upper sessile; lfls oblanceolate to oblong or elliptic, 2–4(–7) cm, those of the principal lvs 7–17; infl few-fld, loose and open, the pedicels nearly as long to longer than the cal; cal 5–6 mm, the broadly triangular lobes nearly as long as the tube; cor campanulate, lobed to about the middle, the lobes entire; stamens shorter than the cor; 2n=18. Rich, moist woods; N.Y. to Minn., s. to Va., Ala., and e. Okla., most abundant w. of the mts. Apr.–June. (P. longii, a pathological form) Var. reptans, with nearly the range of the sp., has the infl and cal minutely puberulent and the stem usually glabrous; the cor is mostly 12–16 mm. Var. villosum E. L. Braun, local in s. O. and adj. Ky., and largely replacing var. reptans there, has the infl densely glandular-villous, the stem usually glandular-villous as well, and the cor mostly 8–12(–13) mm.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.35 - 0.5
Mature height (meter) 0.3
Root system creeping-root
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Rich woods, damp ground and along shady river banks.
Light 4-8
Soil humidity 3-7
Soil texture 3-6
Soil acidity 3-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-8

Usage

Uses medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use Cathartic (root), Diuretic (root), Alterative (unspecified), Astringent (unspecified), Cold (unspecified), Diaphoretic (unspecified), Expectorant (unspecified), Fever (unspecified), Pleurisy (unspecified), Sudorific (unspecified), Lung (unspecified), Bronchitis (unspecified), Cough (unspecified), Inflammation (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) 20 - 25
Germination temperacture (C°) 21
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Polemonium reptans leaf picture by hippopotropolis (cc-by-sa)
Polemonium reptans leaf picture by steven Levenberg (cc-by-sa)
Polemonium reptans leaf picture by steven Levenberg (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Polemonium reptans flower picture by moonanimal (cc-by-sa)
Polemonium reptans flower picture by steven Levenberg (cc-by-sa)
Polemonium reptans flower picture by Margaret Rogers (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Polemonium reptans world distribution map, present in Canada and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:690014-1
WFO ID wfo-0001099806
COL ID 4KXJV
BDTFX ID 82354
INPN ID 611414
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Polemonium longii Polemonium quadriflorum Polemonium reptans var. reptans Polemonium reptans