862403b Petasites frigidus subsp. nivalis (Greene) Cody
Distribution
East Chukotka: Scattered
Western Alaska: Scattered
Northern Alaska - Yukon: Scattered
Southern Arcti Tundra: Scattered
Shrub Tundra: Frequent
Bordering boreal or alpine areas: Frequent
- Cody, Canad. Field-Naturalist 108: 94 (1994). - Petasites nivalis Greene, Pittonia 2: 18 (1889). Type (NDG-062357): U.S.A.: Washington, Crater Lake on Mount Rainier, 20. Aug. 1889, leg. E.L. Greene.
- Petasites hyperboreus Rydb., N. Amer. Fl. 34: 312 (1927). Holotype (NY): Canada: British Columbia, second summit west of Skagit River, 22. July 1905, leg. J.M. Macoun 76,977.
Geography: Asian (N) - amphi-Beringian - Cordilleran: RFE ALA CAN.
Notes: The majority of Russian authors have not accepted subsp. nivalis from northeastern Asia but plants indistinguishable from Alaskan ones of that subspecies are frequent, at least in East Chukotka. Subspecies nivalis is intermediate in most features between subsp. frigidus and subsp. palmatus but mainly occurs outside the range of subsp. palmatus in northwestern North America and northeastern Asia. Note that its type is from far south of the acknowledged range of subsp. frigidus. The synonymy between Petasites nivalis Greene (Washington) and P. hyperboreus Rydb. (British Columbia) should perhaps be reconsidered; the name subsp. nivalis may not be the correct one for the Beringian plant.
Bayer et al. (2006) synonymized P. hyperboreus/nivalis with their var. frigidus. The nearly smooth transition between these in the northwestern North American material justifies that treatment (but in our concept as subspecies). However, the Beringian plants with deeply lobed leaves differ appreciably from the Siberian and northern European ones, i.e., from the major parts of the species including the type.
Higher Taxa
- Petasites frigidus [862403,species]