POLEMO'NIUM HU'MILE. 
HUMBLE POLEMONIUM. 
Class Order. 
PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
POLEMONIACE^. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
N. America. 
12 inches. 
June, Oct. 
Perennial. 
in 1826. 
No. 709. 
The word Polemonium is deduced from the Greek 
POLEMOS, signifying war. The plant which bore 
this name, amongst the Grecians, was held in high 
estimation for its medicinal virtues, but what the 
species was cannot now be determined. Pliny 
merely notices its having a thick root and clusters 
of berries hanging from its slender branches. 
The reason assigned for the adoption of the name 
Polemonium is somewhat singular. The same his- 
torian notices this, and relates that it arose from 
the dispute and contention which occurred between 
two princes, each of them having claimed the hon- 
our of discovering this herb of a thousand virtues, 
as called by the Cappadocians. Greek Valerian and 
Jacob’s Ladder are common names for Polemonium. 
The seeds of this pretty species and Jacob’s Lad- 
der, were presented to the London Horticultural 
Society, by Dr. Richardson, having been collected 
by his party in the arctic expedition to which he 
was attached. It is a showy low plant, said to 
flower the most abundantly when grown in a poor 
soil. It is probable that Polemonium Richard- 
sonii is but a variety of this species. 
178. 
