641007 Potentilla wrangelii V.V. Petrovsky
Distribution
Wrangel Island: Rare
Mid Arctic Tundra: Rare
Southern Arcti Tundra: Rare
- V.V. Petrovsky, Bot. Zhurn. 62: 675 (1977). Holotype (LE): Russian Far East: Wrangel Island, "ad fontes fl. Neizvestnaja", 22. July 1971, leg. V. Petrovsky and O. Shteinberg.
Geography: Asian Beringian: RFE.
Notes: Yurtsev: Potentilla wrangelii is known only from the very central part of Wrangel Island where it occurs in six micropopulations from gravelly ridges in valleys up to steppe meadows on southfacing slopes. In the same locality are found two more local endemics, Oxytropis uniflora and Hierochloe wrangelica, along with single occurrences in the island of a number of other species. Potentilla wrangelii occurs sympatrically with P. anachoretica but is distinct in a number of characters, e.g., abundance of subsessile glands on leaves, bracts, and calyces, leaf lower surface with loose, canescent pubescence, and leaflets wider and much less dissected. The sericeous pubescence along the midvein of the lower leaflet surface does not fully cover the crispate loose wool between the veins.
Some of these characters also distinguish P. wrangelii from P. lyngei e.g., copiose glands, wider and less dissected leaflets, and looser pubescence. They are supplemented by some others like leaf segments triangulate-oblongate, somewhat remote, and epicalyx segments linear-lanceolate and acute (not oblongate, obtusate etc.).
Potentilla anachoretia, P. lyngei, and P. wrangelii are truly pinnate with crispate wool, mostly verrucose straight hairs, and subcylindric styles with few small glands at their base. They are obviously related, typical of the section, and there is no need to propose hybridization to explain their origin.
Higher Taxa
- Potentilla [6410,genus]