Four decades of new vascular plant records for Greenland.

Christian Bay

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.145.39704

Abstract

Records of new species of vascular plants in Greenland from the last four decades are presented and new phytogeographical data leading to extension of the known distribution limits in Greenland are discussed. Since the publication of the latest edition of the Flora of Greenland in 1978 (Böcher et al. 1978) fieldwork by Greenland Botanical Survey and other expeditions have taken place especially in West and East Greenland and in many remote areas in North and Northeast Greenland. This paper serves as an update of the Flora of Greenland. Twenty species, one subspecies and one new forma have been added to the flora of Greenland: Carex membranacea Hook., Carex miliaris Michx., Carex rhomalea (Fernald) Mack., Equisetum hyemale L., Festuca edlundiae S. Aiken, Consaul and Lefkovich, Festuca groenlandica (Schol.) Frederiksen, Festuca saximontana Rydb., Galium verum L., Geum rossii (R. Br.) Ser., Papaver cornwallisense D. Löve, Papaver dahlianum Nordh., Papaver labradoricum (Fedde) Solstad and Elven, Papaver lapponicum (Tolm.) Nordh., Pedicularis sudetica Willd. ssp. albolabiata Hult., Poa flexuosa Sm., Puccinellia bruggemanni Th. Sør., Ranunculus subrigidus W.B. Drew., Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke, Trientalis europaea L. and Veronica officinalis L. in addition to one subspecies Phippsia algida (Sol.) R. Br. ssp. algidiformis (H. Sm.) Löve and Löve. The viviparous form of Poa hartzii f. prolifera has been reported for the first time in Greenland. Presently, the total number of vascular plant species in Greenland is 532. 89 new northern and 28 new southern distribution limits are presented and 26 species are new to the flora province East Greenland, whereas 15 species are new to West Greenland. The numbers of new species to flora provinces North and South Greenland are 14 and one, respectively.

Highlights

Greenland is the largest island in the world, extending from c. 60° to c. 83° northern latitude, and it includes all the Arctic bioclimatic zones (Raynolds et al 2019) from the subarctic zone in continental areas in southernmost Greenland to the polar desert zone in coastal areas of North Greenland (Bay 1997)
The viviparous form of Poa hartzii f. prolifera has been reported for the first time in Greenland
The total number of vascular plant species in Greenland is 532. 89 new northern and 28 new southern distribution limits are presented and 26 species are new to the flora province East Greenland, whereas 15 species are new to West Greenland

Summary

Introduction

Greenland is the largest island in the world, extending from c. 60° to c. 83° northern latitude, and it includes all the Arctic bioclimatic zones (Raynolds et al 2019) from the subarctic zone in continental areas in southernmost Greenland to the polar desert zone in coastal areas of North Greenland (Bay 1997). Ice-free areas have a varying width of up to 200 km from the outer coast to the Inland Ice. Ice-free areas have a varying width of up to 200 km from the outer coast to the Inland Ice This large variation in climate from coastal to inland areas, in addition to large differences in regional geology and soils, gives rise to a large number of biological niches. Despite this fact only 532 species of vascular plants are known from Greenland, which is a low number considering the size and distribution of the island in all the bioclimatic zones of the Arctic. An updated red list of Greenland has been published including all endemic species of vascular plants (Boertmann and Bay 2019)

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