| Galium boreale L. | |
| Publ. & Syn. | L., Sp. Pl.: 108 (1753). Lectotype (LINN): Europe. Herb. Linn. 129.25 (Nazimuddin and Qaiser 1989: 70). |
| Notes | The northern material of Galium boreale s. lat. has been proposed as three species: G. boreale s. str. described from Europe, G. physocarpum described from southeastern European Russia, and G. septentrionale described from eastern North America. Löve and Löve (1975a) distinguished between a tetraploid G. boreale in Europe, Siberia, and Greenland and a hexaploid G. septentrionale in Siberia, the Russian Far East, and Alaska. Their referred chromosome number reports do not fully support this geographic pattern. Rahn (1961) found tetraploids in western Europe and Scandinavia and hexaploids in Scandinavia and eastern Europe but he did not find any morphological differences. Ehrendorfer (1976) stated that "the tetraploids and hexaploids have widely overlapping distributions, and are morphologically indistinguishable", and he indicated - with a question mark - G. septentrionale to be a synonym of G. boreale s. str. As for G. physocarpum, Ehrendorfer included it with many other 'Russian' taxa in an extended G. rubioides. Tzvelev (2000a) accepted six eastern European species of the group, the three above as northern, and he considered G. physocarpum to be different from G. rubioides which he considered a central European species. The reported morphological distinctions are slight and the reported ploidy differences and geographical ranges are unclear. Due to these difficulties, we treat the group as a collective with entry of two unranked and one ranked race of G. boreale. |
| Chromosomes | (1) 44 (4x), (2) 55 (5x), (3) 66 (6x), (4) 88 (8x). - See provisionally entered races below (and also Rahn 1961). |
| Geography | Circumboreal. |
| Distribution | N = F AN = r AO = r GW = r D = S Ic = b E = F CC = r YG = s HL = r FN = s CE = f CS = f UN = s AW = f Kh = r CW = f Tm = r KP = f [ key ] |
| Parent taxon | Galium L. |
| Child taxa |
Galium boreale subsp. septentrionale (Roem. & Schult.) H. Hara Galium boreale subspecies taxon boreale Galium boreale subspecies taxon physocarpum (Ledeb.) |
| PAF ID | 750102 |