421212 Silene wahlbergella Chowdhuri
Distribution
Northern Fennoscandia: Rare
Shrub Tundra: Rare
Bordering boreal or alpine areas: Frequent
- Chowdhuri, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 22: 237 (1957). - Nomen novum for Lychnis apetala L., Sp. Pl.: 437 (1753). Lectotype (LINN): Sweden: "Lapland". Herb. Linn. 602.9 (Jonsell and Jarvis 1994: 158). See notes. - Melandrium apetalum (L.) Fenzl in Ledeb., Fl. Ross. 1: 326 (1842). - Wahlbergella apetala (L.) Fr., Bot. Not. 1843: 9 (1843). - Silene uralensis subsp. apetala (L.) Bocquet, Candollea 22: 26 (1967). - Gastrolychnis apetala (L.) Tolm. & Kozhanch., Fl. Arct. URSS 6: 113 (1971).
2n=
24 (2x). - Europe (N). - At least five reports.
Geography: European (N): RUS.
Notes: The name "apetala" is inapplicable for this species in Silene as it is predated by S. apetala Willd. 1799.
Bocquet (1967) denoted the lectotype specimen as holotype. Linnaeus (1753) described the species from "Alpibus Lapponicis, Sibiricus" and with two references, i.e., there is no holotype. The type connects the name "apetala" to the geographically isolated Scandinavian ("Lapponicis") plant.
Silene wahlbergella is fairly frequent in the Fennoscandian mountains but reaches the Arctic only on the Rybachi Peninsula in the Murman area, northwestern European Russia. Its range is separate (allopatric) from those of all other plants of the aggregate. Bocquet (1967, 1969) considered it as S. uralensis subsp. apetala. Kurtto (2001c) accepted a species: S. wahlbergella. We accept Kurtto's arguments for species rank: several separating characters, no transitions to other species, and in addition full geographical separation. It is characterized by calyx not very strongly inflated, longer than broad even in the fruiting stage, petals mostly entirely enclosed in the calyx (a difference from all others of the aggregate), capsule long (17-21 mm), and stems hairy but mostly not very glandular.
Higher Taxa
- Silene [4212,genus]