Polemonium viscosum

Polemonium viscosum
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Embryophytes
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Polemoniaceae
Genus:	Polemonium
Species:	P. viscosum
Binomial name
Polemonium viscosum Nutt.
Synonyms
Polemonium lemmonii

Polemonium viscosum, known as sky pilot, skunkweed, sticky Jacobs-ladder, and sticky polemonium, is a flowering plant in the genus Polemonium native to western North America from southern British Columbia east to Montana and south to Arizona and New Mexico, where it grows at high altitudes on dry, rocky sites.

It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing 10–30 cm (3.9–11.8 in) tall, with pinnate leaves up to 15 cm (5.9 in) long with numerous small spoon-shaped leaflets 1.5–6 mm long and 1–3 mm broad. It has purple flowers 17–25 mm (0.67–0.98 in) long.

It is grown as an ornamental plant in rock gardens.

Taxonomy

Polemonium viscosum was given its scientific name in 1848 by Thomas Nuttall. It is classified in the genus Polemonium as part of the Polemoniaceae family. The species has no accepted subspecies, but has two among its four synonyms.

Table of Synonyms

Name	Year	Rank	Notes
Polemonium lemmonii Brand	1907	species	= het.
Polemonium viscosum subsp. genuinum Wherry	1942	subspecies	≡ hom., not validly publ.
Polemonium viscosum subsp. lemmonii (Brand) Wherry	1942	subspecies	= het.
Polemonium viscosum f. leucanthum L.O.Williams	1934	form	= het.
Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym

References

• "Polemonium viscosum". eFlora BC. Plants of British Columbia. University of British Columbia.