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Polemonium vanbruntiae

Britt.

Bog Jacob's-ladder

G3Vulnerable Found in 7 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
High - mediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.143556
Element CodePDPLM0E0L0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderSolanales
FamilyPolemoniaceae
GenusPolemonium
Synonyms
Polemonium caeruleum ssp. vanbruntiae(Britt.) J.F. Davids.Polemonium van-bruntiaeBritton
Other Common Names
Polémoine de Van Brunt (FR) Vanbrunt's polemonium (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
The species epithet formerly generally spelled 'van-bruntiae'; see cited example in ICBN (1988) Recommendation 73C.4(e): "vanbruntiae after Mrs. Van Brunt"
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-02
Change Date2024-08-02
Edition Date2024-08-01
Edition AuthorsLosey, J.; rev. S.M. Young; E.H. Thompson (1991), rev. T. Weldy and L. Oliver, rev. N. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactHigh - medium
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Polemonium vanbruntiae is a perennial herb occurring in wetland habitats, including marshes, calcareous fens, shrub and forested swamps, streambanks, forested floodplains, moist roadsides, and meadows and fields, of eastern North America from Quebec, Canada south to Maine and Vermont to West Virginia. The species' stronghold is in New York, Maryland, and West Virginia. Historic populations have also been reported in New Jersey and southwestern New Brunswick. There are an estimated 80 extant occurrences rangewide and a total estimate of 84,000 plants, although quantifying population estimates for this species is difficult due to its rhizomatous habit. This species is considered rare throughout its range, and many historic populations have disappeared due to habitat loss, succession, flooding, road and dam construction, road maintenance, off-road vehicle use, and deer browse.
Range Extent Comments
Polemonium vanbruntiae is endemic to the central Appalachians of eastern North America (Sabourin 2002). It occurs from Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada south to Maine and Vermont to West Virginia (Sabourin 2002, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024). Historic populations have also been reported in New Jersey and southwestern New Brunswick; though current collections in that province are from a possibly introduced population (Sabourin 2002). Range extent was estimated to be 274,442 square kilometers using herbarium specimens, NatureServe network data, and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, NatureServe network data, and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, it is estimated that there are 80 occurrences rangewide (iNaturalist 2024, NatureServe 2024, SEINet 2024). Canada has a total of twelve occurrences, all of which have been monitored since 2001 (Sabourin 2002).
Threat Impact Comments
Primary threats to Polemonium vanbruntiae include flooding, succession, road construction and maintenance, off-road vehicles, and grazing/browse (Deller 2002). Canopy closure is a concern based on field observations of plants in sunlight appearing more vigorous and having more flowering stems than those occurring in shade. For Vermont populations, logging is listed as a threat, potentially because of direct short-term impacts to plants and forest habitats, though logging may also be beneficial to populations in the long-term by opening forest canopies. Flooding, either because of human activities (dams and power projects), beaver activity, or heavy rains, has impacted populations in Vermont and Pennsylvania. The proposed Davis Power Project in West Virginia would have impacted five populations, but the dam was never constructed. Road construction can impact populations directly, and road maintenance (especially untimely mowing) is a concern for populations occurring on roadsides. Five populations in West Virginia have trampling and impacts from off-road vehicle use listed as a threat. Deer browse can be a significant concern for populations occurring in at least two states (Bermingham 2009, Flaherty et al. 2017), though it is presumed to be a problem elsewhere as white tailed-deer are ubiquitous throughout the Northeast. Loss of seed production due to high levels of white-tail deer browse at some populations may limit this species' dispersal ability by making less seeds available for colonizing new patches (Flaherty et al. 2017).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Jacob's-ladder is a tall erect plant that is easily seen when in flower. It grows up to 3 feet tall and has alternate leaves that sport a ladder-like arrangement of 7-10 pairs of lance-shaped leaflets and one terminal leaflet. The numerous nodding flowers at the top of the plant are quite striking with five deep blue-purple petals with yellow centers and long, bright yellow and white stamens that hang down.

Diagnostic Characteristics

POLEMONIUM VANBRUNTIAE is frequently confused with P. CAERULEUM and P. REPTANS, two other Jacob's ladders found in the northeastern United States. P. REPTANS, a native species, has fewer leaflets (11-17) than P. VAN-BRUNTIAE, has openly branching inflorescences and has longer pedicels. P. CAERULEUM, introduces from Europe and naturalized in the U.S., has sessile leaflets (in P. VANBRUNTIAE the leaflets are short-petioled) and has stamens which are barely exserted, in contrast to P. VANBRUNTIAE's lon-exserted stamens. A technical manual such as Fernald (1950) should be consulted when identifying any specimen of POLEMONIUM.

Habitat

Polemonium vanbruntiae occurs mainly in wetland habitats, including marshes, calcareous fens, shrub and forested swamps, streambanks, forested floodplains, moist roadsides, and meadows and fields, at elevations above 330 m (Bermingham 2009, Native Plant Trust 2024, Weakley and the Southeastern Flora Team 2024).

Reproduction

Seeds of Polemonium vanbruntiae are dispersed by gravity around the parent plant and may be dispersed much longer distances by spring floodwaters and winter winds (Hill et al. 2008).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest EdgeGrassland/herbaceous
Palustrine Habitats
SCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
New JerseySXYes
MarylandS2Yes
West VirginiaS2Yes
New YorkS3Yes
PennsylvaniaS1Yes
VermontS2Yes
MaineS1Yes
CanadaN2
ProvinceRankNative
New BrunswickS1Yes
QuebecS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
4 - Transportation & service corridorsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsPervasive (71-100%)Serious - slightHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionPervasive (71-100%)Serious - slightHigh (continuing)
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityPervasive (71-100%)Serious - slightHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useSmall (1-10%)UnknownLow (long-term)
7.2.11 - Dams (size unknown)Small (1-10%)UnknownLow (long-term)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesPervasive (71-100%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseasesPervasive (71-100%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.2.2 - Named speciesPervasive (71-100%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
11.4 - Storms & floodingRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (7)
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
West Virginia (6)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Glady ForkMonongahela National Forest3,239
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