Herbs, or shrubs (sometimes), or trees (Cantua),sometimes lianas. Annual to perennial; Polemonioideae: Mostly ± desert-dwelling herbs (subshrubs); Cobaeoideae: Mostly mesic vines to small trees (herbs
Distribution
Holarctic and Neotropical. Frigid zone to sub-tropical. Widespread, but lacking (though often introduced) in Africa. Also in North America and Eastern South America.
Floral characters
Solitary (sometimes), or aggregated in 'inflorescences'; in cymes, or in heads, or in corymbs. The terminal inflorescence unit cymose; with involucral bracts, or without involucral bracts, 5 merous; cyclic; tetracyclic. Perianth with distinct calyx and corolla: Calyx 5; 1 whorled; gamosepalous; five blunt-lobed; bilabiate to regular; persistent; Corolla 5; 1 whorled; petals connated in different styles,usually forming a tube G superior with an annular nectary disk . Androecium 5. Androecial members adnate (epipetalous); free of one another; 1 whorled. Androecium exclusively of fertile stamens. Stamens 5; inserted near the base of the corolla tube, or midway down the corolla tube, or in the throat of the corolla tube,oppositisepalous; alternating with the corolla members ;Gynoecium (2-)3(-5) carpelled;superior.
Leaf characters
Leaves alternate, or opposite, or whorled (Gymnosteris); when alternate, spiral; petiolate to sessile; simple, or compound; when compound pinnate, or palmate. Lamina when simple, dissected, or entire; pinnatifid, or palmatifid; cross-venulate. Leaves exstipulate. Lamina margins entire, or serrate, or dentate. of leaflets is foliaceous-stipuliform.
Stipules
absent
Fruit characters
Non-fleshy; dehiscent (usually), or indehiscent; a capsule (usually), or capsular-indehiscent. Capsules usually loculicidal. Seeds endospermic. Endosperm oily. Cotyledons 2..
Glands
absent
Hairs
present
Latex
absent
Uses
Polemonium caeruleum is astringent and diaphoretic. It was formerly used internally in the treatment of a wide range of conditions ranging from headaches to fevers and epilepsy.
Chemical characters
Not cyanogenic. Alkaloids absent (6 species). Iridoids not detected. Proanthocyanidins absent. Flavonols present; kaempferol, or kaempferol and quercetin. Ellagic acid absent (2 genera, 2 species). Saponins/sapogenins present. Aluminium accumulation not found.
Distribution maps
(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):
