672204 Cochlearia arctica Schltdl.
- Schltdl. in DC., Syst. Nat. 2: 367 (1821). Type: Siberia: "in arcticis littoralis ad Obum Sibiria", leg. Pallas. - Cochlearia officinalis subsp. arctica (Schltdl.) Hultén, Fl. Kamtchatka 2: 147 (1928). - Cochleariopsis groenlandica subsp. arctica (Schltdl.) Á. Löve & D. Löve, Bot. Not. 128: 514 (1976).
Geography: European (NE) - Asian (N) - amphi-Pacific/Beringian.
Notes: Elven and Murray: Nordic authors (Nordal in comment) doubt the separation of Cochlearia arctica, as a mainly low-arctic and northern Eurasian and North Pacific species, from C. groenlandica. We see some differences but they may be ecotypical. We also tentatively accept a subspecies from the North Pacific and amphi-Beringian areas, subsp. oblongifolia. Petrovsky (1975c) made a combination under C. arctica to which it seems to be most closely related. An additional species (C. lenensis) has been described but has not been commented on by our Russian PAF collaborators. It is entered provisionally above.
We have made a 'quick and dirty' survey of arctic North American material (ALA). We found it possible to divide it into two or three morphological groups but the criteria are mainly quantitative, possibly developmental, and very subjective. Following this survey, C. groenlandica is the most frequent species in the Arctic in northern Alaska and the exclusive one in the Arctic in Canada. Occurrence of C. groenlandica in the Arctic in western Alaska is more dubious but plants similar to it occur to the north of the Seward Peninsula. Cochlearia arctica is at least the predominant species in both arctic and non-arctic western Alaska, possibly present as rare also in northern Alaska, but absent farther east. Plants with the appearance of subsp. oblongifolia occur along the Bering Strait coasts north to the Seward Peninsula, perhaps farther north.
Higher Taxa
- Cochlearia [6722,genus]