860716b Erigeron acris subsp. politus (Fr.) H. Lindb.
Distribution
Northern Fennoscandia: Scattered
Kanin - Pechora: Rare
Polar Ural - Novaya Zemlya: Rare
Yamal - Gydan: Present (Frequency unknown)
Taimyr - Severnaya Zemlya: Rare
Anabar - Onenyo: Presence uncertain
Kharaulakh: Rare
Yana - Kolyma: Presence uncertain
West Chukotka: Rare
South Chukotka: Rare
Western Alaska: Present only in the Borderline Arctic
Northern Alaska - Yukon: Rare
Central Canada: Rare
Hudson Bay - Labrador: Rare
Shrub Tundra: Scattered
Bordering boreal or alpine areas: Frequent
- H. Lindb., Enum. Pl. Fennoscandia: 56 (1901). - Erigeron politus Fr., Bot. Not. 1843: 120 (1843). Described from Scandinavia with reference to Fries, Herb. Norm. 8, Suppl. 1. Internal note: Find type material and information in Herb. Norm.
- Erigeron elongatus Ledeb., Icon. Pl. 1: 9 (1829), non Moench, Suppl. Meth.: 247 (1802).
- Erigeron acris var. asteroides auct., non (Andrz.) DC. (1836).
- Erigeron acris subsp. kamtschaticus sensu G.L. Nesom (2004), non (DC.) H. Hara (1939).
- J. Jap. Bot. 15: 317 (1939).
2n=
18 (2x). - Europe (N), Russia (N), Siberia (N, S), Far East (N), Alaska, Canada/U.S.A. (W). - Numerous reports, the American ones for "acris", "asteroides", and "politus".
(2) 27 (3x). - North America. - Semple and Chmielewski (1987, for subsp. asteroides).
Geography: European - Asian - amphi-Pacific/Beringian - North American (N): NOR RUS SIB RFE ALA CAN.
Notes: The meaning of Fries' name Erigeron politus is clear. It is based on a northern, montane-alpine Fennoscandian plant. The diagnosis is sufficient to identify the plant and to separate it from E. acris s. str. (e.g., "... involucris æqualibus nudis, radio subpatente discum conspicue superante ..."). Unambiguous material for selection of a lectotype and for isotypes is widely available in Fries' Herbarium Normale.
Subspecies politus hybridizes with other taxa of the Trimorpha group but not to a degree compromising the race. Hybrids with the sympatric but rather different E. borealis are about as frequent as with the parapatric E. acris subsp. acris.
For some reason, many American authors disregard the name E. politus (or E. acris subsp. politus). There is a gap in the range between the northeastern Asian and the northwestern North American plants of E. acris s. lat. However, comparing northwestern North American and northern European plants (ALA, O), we have not been able to find any difference. We include the major part of the northern North American material in subsp. politus, as opposed to Nesom (2004, 2006b).
The "asteroides" name, which has been applied to this taxon in both Russia and North America (e.g., Porsild and Cody 1980), belongs according to Hultén (1968b) to the non-arctic western Siberian E. podolicus Besser. The name E. elongatus Ledeb. 1829 (applied by Korolyuk 1997 for Siberia) is also inapplicable at species level as it is a homonym of E. elongatus Moench 1802. The oldest acceptable name seems to be "politus" at both species and subspecies level.
Higher Taxa
- Erigeron acris [860716,species]