741502 Empetrum atropurpureum Fernald & Wiegand
Distribution
Hudson Bay - Labrador: Presence uncertain
Ellesmere Island: Presence uncertain
Western Greenland: Presence uncertain
Eastern Greenland: Presence uncertain
Shrub Tundra: Presence uncertain
Bordering boreal or alpine areas: Scattered
- Fernald & Wiegand, Rhodora 15: 214 (1913). Type (GH): U.S.A.: Maine, Mount Saddleback, Rangeley, 17. Aug. 1894, leg. Fernald and Wiegand. - Empetrum rubrum var. atropurpureum (Fernald & Wiegand) R.D. Good, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 47: 519 (1927). - Empetrum eamesii subsp. atropurpureum (Fernald & Wiegand) D. Löve, Rhodora 62: 288 (1960). - Empetrum nigrum var. atropurpureum (Fernald & Wiegand) B. Boivin, Naturaliste Canad. 93: 433 (1966).
- ?Empetrum purpureum Raf., New Fl. 3: 50 (1836). Described from Labrador (Canada). - Empetrum nigrum var. purpureum (Raf.) DC., Prodr. 16, 1: 26 (1869). - Empetrum nigrum f. purpureum (Raf.) Fernald, Rhodora 25: 83 (1923).
2n=
52 (4x). - Canada - Tetraploid in FCM (Popp et al. in prep. a).
Geography: North American (NE): CAN? GRL?
Notes: Mirré, Elven and Murray: Vassiljev (1961) reported Empetrum atropurpureum to possibly reach the Arctic in southern Alaska and northeastern Canada. Alaskan occurrence is improbable. The species is supported as an allotetraploid from E. nigrum and E. eamesii (Murray et al. 2009; Popp et al. in prep. a).
We provisionally include E. purpureum as possibly synonymous with E. atropurpureum due to it being described from Labrador. Vassiljev reported E. purpureum from the Arctic in northeastern Canada north to Ellesmere Island and in Greenland. No other authors have accepted E. purpureum in recent times and especially not from Greenland or as far north as Ellesmere. We have not yet been able to confirm presence in the Arctic.
Higher Taxa
- Empetrum [7415,genus]