861201 Arnica angustifolia Vahl
- Vahl, Fl. Dan. 9, 26: t. 1524 (1816). Holotype (S): Greenland: "E colon. Omenak Umanak et Godhavn", leg. Gieseke (according to Downie 1988: 35, see notes).
Geography: Circumpolar-alpine.
Notes: We find it strange that a holotype of a species first described in Flora Danica is located in a Swedish herbarium. May it rather be a lectotype?
Arnica angustifolia s. lat. has been considered a group of parapatric to allopatric, closely related species or races at several ploidy levels (2x-5x). Agamospermy is involved at least at the higher ploidy levels (3x-5x). A long series of studies have failed to produce a generally accepted specific or subspecific classification (e.g., Maguire 1942, 1943; Douglas and Ruyle-Douglas 1978; Wolf 1980, 1987, 2006; Downie 1988). However, there are some (small) morphological differences among many of the proposed races (or species), and they have different ranges (allopatric or parapatric). This could be interpreted as support for parapatric races rather than agamospecies.
The major part of the variation is found in North America where the most recent study (Wolf 2006) accepts only two races: a circumpolar subsp. angustifolia and a Cordilleran subsp. tomentosa. Wolf did not discuss the variation. The additional proposed taxa are therefore entered provisionally as four more subspecies following after subsp. angustifolia.
The name A. alpina (L.) Olin 1799 has often been used for this species. It is based on A. montana L. var. alpina L. 1753, described on the northern Scandinavian plant, but at rank of species this name is inapplicable because it is predated by A. alpina Salisb. 1796 (referring to a Doronicum, see Ferguson 1973).
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Source: Tamnell at Wikispecies
Higher Taxa
- Arnica [8612,genus]