Charity

Jacob's Ladder is common in cool temperate and subalpine forests all over the northern region of W.Pakistan, 2500—4000 m. Prefers shady places with rich soil and sufficient humidity.

30 cm—1 m tall, slightly hairy or glabrescent. Stem leafy. Leaves 5—25 cm long; leaflets many, lanceolate, acuminate, sessile, 1—4 cm long, 3—8 mm broad. Calyx campanulate, 5—10 mm long, hairy. Corolla funnel-shaped, blue, occasionally white, c. 2 cm in diam., tube very short. Stamens included. Style protruded. Capsule c. 5 mm in diam.. ellipsoid. included in the calyx, dehiscing by 3 valves.

Stems erect, 30-100 cm, glabrous or sparsely glandular-pubescent above middle. Leaves pinnately compound, 7-14(-25) cm, gradually reduced upward, distal leaves ± sessile; petiole 1.5-8 cm; leaflets 11-27, ovate to lanceolate, 1-4 cm 2-14 mm, glabrous to sparsely pilose. Pedicel 3-5(-10) mm, puberulent to villous, trichomes often minutely glandular. Calyx 5-8 mm; lobes ca. as long as tube, oblong to lanceolate, apex obtuse to acuminate. Corolla violet to blue-violet, broadly campanulate, 1-2 cm; lobes obovate, margin glabrous to sparsely ciliate, apex rounded to ± acute. Stamens ca. as long as corolla, rarely shorter or longer than corolla. Style longer than stamens, slightly exserted. Capsule 5-7 mm. Seeds brown, 3-3.5 mm. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Jun-Sep. 2n = 14, 18 + 0-1B.

Distribution: Europe, N. and Central Asia, N. America.

Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Xinjiang, NW Yunnan [India, Japan, Kashmir, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia; Europe, North America]

Fl. Per. July—August.

Streambanks or moist sites in meadows, open slopes, open sites in forests; (1000-)1700-3700 m.