Polemonium confertum

(Rocky Mountain Sky Pilot)

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Polemonium confertum, North Swan River, Summit Co. 4906

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Polemonium confertum, North Swan River, Summit Co. 2088

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Polemonium confertum, North Swan River, Summit Co. 4874

Scientific Name Polemonium confertum USDA PLANTS Symbol POCO26
Common Name Rocky Mountain Sky Pilot ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. 504481
Family Polemoniaceae (Phlox) SEINet
Reference
Click Here
Description Life zones and habitat: Subalpine and alpine (10500 to 14000 ft.); open areas, talus and scree slopes.
Plant: Perennial up to 12 inches tall with clumps of erect, sticky stems; sweet-smelling.
Leaves: Mostly basal leaves 2 to 5 inches long, pinnately-divided into many (13-39) small, lobed and sticky leaflets.
Inflorescence: Dense, compact terminal cyme of a several blue-to-lavender tubular to bell-shaped blossoms each almost 1 inch long, 5 lobes; corolla twice as long as calyx; orange anthers.
Bloom Period: June to August.
References: "Flora of Colorado" by Jennifer Ackerfield and SW Colorado Wildflowers.
Note: There is significant disagreement amongst experts on the identities of P. viscosum and P. confertum. See SW Colorado Wildflowers for a discussion about this. The images here are believed to be P. confertum, but that could be wrong in some cases.
BONAP Distribution Map

Map Color Key
Colorado Status:
Endemic

© Tom Lebsack 2024

Banner photo: Castilleja rhexifolia and a brewing storm over the San Juan Mountains