New vascular plant records for the Canadian Arctic Archipelago
Author
Gillespie, Lynn J.
Botany Section & Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration, Research and Collections, Canadian Museum of Nature, P. O. Box 3443 Stn. D, Ottawa, Ontario K 1 P 6 P 4, Canada
lgillespie@mus-nature.ca
Author
Saarela, Jeffery M.
Botany Section & Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration, Research and Collections, Canadian Museum of Nature, P. O. Box 3443 Stn. D, Ottawa, Ontario K 1 P 6 P 4, Canada
Author
Sokoloff, Paul C.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7053-8557
Botany Section & Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration, Research and Collections, Canadian Museum of Nature, P. O. Box 3443 Stn. D, Ottawa, Ontario K 1 P 6 P 4, Canada
Author
Bull, Roger D.
Botany Section & Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration, Research and Collections, Canadian Museum of Nature, P. O. Box 3443 Stn. D, Ottawa, Ontario K 1 P 6 P 4, Canada
text
PhytoKeys
2015
2015-06-25
52
23
79
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.52.8721
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.52.8721
1314-2003-52-23
FF88FF9505162F2FFFA7F372FF96FFC6
576313
Coptidium
x
spitsbergense (
Hadac
) Luferov & Prob.
Fig. 18
Ranunculus
x
spitsbergensis
Hadac
Common name.
Spitzbergen buttercup
Distribution.
Disjunct circumpolar
Comments.
Our collections are the first of this species for the CAA. The species is considered to be a sterile triploid hybrid between
Coptidium
lapponicum
(L.) Rydb. and
Coptidium pallasii
(Schltdl.) Tzvelev, and exhibits an intermediate morphology and habitat preference (
Cody et al. 1988
,
Elven and Murray 2008
). All three species were previously treated within
Ranunculus
L. (
Porsild 1957
,
Porsild and Cody 1980
,
Cody et al. 1988
,
Whittemore 1997
,
Aiken et al. 2007
), but they differ both genetically and morphologically (presence of thick white underground stems, fragrant flowers, three sepals, spongy tissue in achene) from other members of the genus (
Hoerandl
et al. 2005
).
Coptidium
x
spitsbergense
, also known from Svalbard and the Russian Arctic, was first recorded in North America by
Cody et al. (1988)
from one site in southern mainland Nunavut, and four sites in northwestern Arctic Quebec. The hybrid is most similar in habit and leaf morphology to
Coptidium pallasii
, but differs in its smaller, pale yellow flowers. The taxon was not treated by
Whittemore (1997)
for North America.
Coptidium
x
spitsbergense
was found at two sites in the Soper River valley growing in sedge meadows, in wet moss adjacent to ponds. Associates at the first site (
Saarela et al. 2194
) include
Carex bigelowii
and
Salix arctophila
, at the second site
Betula glandulosa
,
Empetrum nigrum
,
Eriophorum angustifolium
,
Eriophorum scheuchzeri
,
Rhododendron tomentosum subsp. decumbens
,
Carex
spp. and
Salix
sp. Only one parent,
Coptidium lapponicum
, was found nearby at the
Saarela et al. 2419
site (parents were not looked for at the other site), growing scattered in moist mossy tundra. The other parent,
Coptidium pallasii
, has not been collected in the Soper River valley and was not observed during our fieldwork there, but one older collection is known from the vicinity of Kimmirut (
Polunin 1173
, CAN;
Aiken et al. 2007
). Elsewhere the hybrid species is also often found in the absence of one (usually
Coptidium pallasii
) or even both parents. In Svalbard it is more common than either parent and occurs in large stands usually in the absence of one or both parents (
Elven and Murray 2008
, http://svalbardflora.no/).
Cody et al. (1988)
recorded
Coptidium lapponicum
as present at all five sites in Canada, and
Coptidium pallasii
as present at only two sites, both in northern Quebec.
Throughout its range fruiting specimens have not been observed. Plants are assumed to be spread mainly by bird dispersal of stem-shoot fragments (
Elven and Murray 2008
,
Elven et al. 2011
). However,
Cody et al. (1988)
considered there to be no evidence for long distance dispersal and suggested that separate hybridization events occurred at each locality sometime in the past.
Specimens examined.
Canada. Nunavut
: Qikiqtaaluk Region, Baffin Island, Katannilik Territorial Park Reserve, Soper River valley, W bank, ca. 12 km S of Mount Joy, meadow along river opposite Group/Warden Cabin #7,
63°9'50"N
,
69°39'55"W
, 40 m, 8 July 2012,
Saarela, Gillespie, Sokoloff & Bull 2194
(ALA, CAN-602059, O); Qikiqtaaluk Region, Baffin Island, Katannilik Territorial Park Reserve, Soper River, 18.5 km downstream (S) of its confluence with the Livingstone River, 2 km S of Emergency Cabin #8, E bank of river,
62°59'2"N
,
69°43'1"W
, 20 m, 14 July 2012,
Saarela, Gillespie, Sokoloff & Bull 2419
(ALA, CAN-602060, MT, O, WIN).
Figure 18.
Coptidium
x
spitsbergense
:
A
habitat
B
habit
C
flower,
Saarela et al. 2419
. Photographs by L.J. Gillespie.