PHLOX FAMILY 



it will always retain. Jacob 's-Ladder is also without 

 significance. Polemonium is referred in the books to 

 the Greek, polemos, war, explained by Pliny as given 

 to a certain plant for the reason that two ancient 

 kings went to war because they could not agree which 

 of them first discovered its virtues. The Latin name, 

 reptans, suggests that it creeps — a thing it never does. 

 The plant is a pretty Uttle creature dwelling by choice 

 in moist woods and by meadow rimlets, but taking 

 kindly to cultivation, and better known perhaps in 

 the gardens than out of them. In color the flower- 

 bells vary from bright blue to pure white, and, as the 

 anthers are white, this gives the flower an unusual 

 and delicate appearance. The ripe seed when mois- 

 tened emits an innumerable number of spiral threads 

 which to the naked eye appear like a thick mucus. 



194 



