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. Jacob's ladder grows 50 centimetres (20Â in) tall, with pinnate leaves up to 20 centimetres (8Â in) long with 5â13 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. 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. Pollinated flowers develop into an oval pod with three chambers, 6Â mm (1?2 in) long, which is enclosed by the green calyx. The plant spreads by reseeding itself. The Latin specific epithet reptans means creeping.
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