Panarctic Flora

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470202 Rhodiola integrifolia subsp. integrifolia Raf.

Distribution

Yana - Kolyma: Scattered
West Chukotka: Frequent
South Chukotka: Scattered
East Chukotka: Frequent
Western Alaska: Frequent
Northern Alaska - Yukon: Scattered
Southern Arcti Tundra: Rare
Shrub Tundra: Frequent
Bordering boreal or alpine areas: Frequent

2n= 36 ca. 38 (4x, x = 9). - Far East (N), Alaska, Canada, U.S.A. - Several reports.
Not included: Reports of the diploid number 2n = 18 (2x, x = 9) by Zhukova (1965a, 1967b, cultivated plants, for R. atropurpurea) from the Russian Far East should be checked for possibly belonging to another species. A report of 2n = 22 (2x, x = 11; Uhl 1952) should be checked against source before acceptance.

Geography: Amphi-Pacific/Beringian - Cordilleran: SIB RFE ALA CAN.

Notes: Hultén considered Rhodiola integrifolia a subspecies of R. rosea. Korobkov accepted the species R. integrifolia as did Moran (2009). There are several morphological differences between R. integrifolia and R. rosea and a difference in base chromosome number and ploidy level. The reports based on x = 9 are all from the broadly Pacific areas and several of the 2n = 36 counts certainly belong to R. integrifolia. Yurtsev commented that R. integrifolia is sympatric with R. rosea over most parts of Chukotka, differs well in morphology and ecology without transitions, and that it deserves rank of species. We agree.

Hultén and Fries (1986) mapped R. integrifolia much farther westwards in Siberia (to both sides of the Jenisei River) than did Petrovsky (1984) and Korobkov. This means that Hultén and Fries included R. borealis (see above), an opinion we do not share. Porsild and Cody (1980) mapped R. integrifolia to reach just east of the Mackenzie River Delta, whereas Moran (2009) excluded the Northwest Territories.

In addition to the widespread, western subsp. integrifolia, Moran (2009) accepted two local North American subspecies: subsp. neomexicana (Britton) H. Ohba in New Mexico and subsp. leedyi (Rosend. & J.W. Moore) H. Ohba in Minnesota and New York.

Higher Taxa