pronounced: po-lee-mon-nee-AY-see-eye
The family and the type genus, Polemonium, were named for Polemon, a 2nd century BC Greek philosopher and geographer. None of his writings have survived, but he is widely quoted by other ancient Greek authors.
All members of the family have bisexual flowers, with radial symmetry, and 5 sepals fused into a tube, 5 fused petals, often forming a long slender tube with flared limbs. There are 5 stamens, attached to the petals; 3 united carpels, a superior ovary, and a single style with 3 stigmas. A few species are woody, but most are herbaceous annuals or perennials. The seed pod forms inside the flower. It usually has 3 parts joined to form a pointed capsule which splits into 3 parts to release the seeds. The seeds are often sticky when wet.
