641031 Potentilla vahliana Lehm.
Distribution
Central Canada: Rare
Hudson Bay - Labrador: Scattered
Western Greenland: Scattered
Northern arctic Tundra: Scattered
Mid Arctic Tundra: Scattered
Southern Arcti Tundra: Scattered
Shrub Tundra: Presence uncertain
- Lehm., Monogr. Potentill.: 172 (1820). - Nomen novum for Potentilla hirsuta Vahl ex Hornem., Fl. Dan. 8, 22: t. 1390 (1810), non Michx., Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 303 (1803). Lectotype (PR 378220): Greenland: "e Groenlandia", leg. J. Vahl, Herb. Lehmann (Soják 1996: 122). The type is from the Disko area in western Greenland.
2n=
(1) 42 (6x). - Greenland (W). - Jørgensen et al. (1958).
(2) 49 (7x). - Canada (Baffin Island). - Dansereau and Steiner (1956).
(3) 56 (8x). - Canada (Baffin island). - Dansereau and Steiner (1956).
Geography: North American (NE): CAN GRL.
Notes: Yurtsev, Elven, and Murray: Potentilla vahliana has been considered a major arctic species in North America, partly also in northeastern Asia. Our investigations rather point towards it being restricted to west-central Greenland and northeastern Canada west to the Nunavut mainland west of Hudson Bay. It combines features of P. subvahliana, e.g., densely columnar tussocks, leaf shape and dissection, and straight hairs in the petiole pubescence, with features of P. nivea, e.g., more rounded leaflet teeth, floccose hairs in the petiole pubescence, mostly more than one flower per stem, and narrowly conical style. Potentilla vahliana is morphologically and geographically consistent and most probably a stabilized hybrid species. Its reported ploidy levels are intermediate between those of the assumed parents: P. subvahliana (mostly 4x), P. vahliana (6-8x), and North Atlantic P. nivea (8-9x).
Higher Taxa
- Potentilla [6410,genus]