| Arenaria norvegica | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Caryophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Arenaria |
| Species: | A. norvegica |
| Binomial name | |
| Arenaria norvegica | |
Arenaria norvegica, also known as Arctic, English or Norwegian sandwort, is a low growing plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, found in northwest Europe. The diploid chromosome number is 2n=80. There are two recognised subspecies. [1]
Arenaria norvegica is a much branched, low-growing plant growing up to six centimetres tall. The midrib of the leaves is indistinct and the margins glabrous only in the lower third which distinguishes it from the rather similar Arenaria ciliata . [1]
Arenaria norvegica subsp. anglica is an annual or biennial with few non-flowering shoots. The leaves are opposite, narrowly ovate or elliptic. The flowers are eleven to twenty-three millimetres in diameter, have five white petals and three styles. [1] The plant flowers from May to October. [2]
Arenaria norvegica subsp. norvegica is a perennial with many non-flowering shoots. The leaves are obovate and the white flowers about ten millimeters across with five petals and three to five styles. [1]
Both subspecies are uncommon and localised.
Arenaria norvegica subsp. anglica is restricted to limestone regions in the Yorkshire Dales in the United Kingdom. [1]
Arenaria norvegica subsp. norvegica is found in west and northwest Scotland, the Shetland Isles, western Ireland, and Scandinavia [3] and Iceland. [4] [5]
Arenaria norvegica is mentioned, [6] in Edward Forbes essay (1846) "On the Connexion between the Distribution of the existing Fauna and Flora of the British Isles and the Geological Changes which have affected their area..." in Memoirs of Geological Survey of Great Britain H.M. Stationery Office, 1846 - England, as a plant among others that shows migration from Scandinavia by means of ice flows in the Glacial Epoch of the Pleistocene.
Arenaria norvegica subsp. anglica favours thin peaty soils in cracks, depressions or hollows on limestone rock. It is also found growing in moist calcareous flushes and in gritty soil at the edge of tracks. It typically grows among small sedges, fescue grass and other members of the pearlwort and sandwort genera. It is classified as a vulnerable endemic species in the vascular plant British Red Data Book. [2]
Arenaria norvegica subsp. norvegica is found on base-rich (alkaline) sandy and gravelly substrates [4] including those derived from ultrabasic igneous rocks and serpentine as well as limestone. [3]
Campanula rotundifolia, the harebell, Scottish bluebell, or bluebell of Scotland, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. This herbaceous perennial is found throughout the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. In Scotland, it is often known simply as bluebell. It is the floral emblem of Sweden where it is known as small bluebell. It produces its violet-blue, bell-shaped flowers in late summer and autumn.
Anacamptis morio, the green-winged orchid or green-veined orchid, is a flowering plant of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It usually has purple flowers, and is found in Europe and the Middle East.
Diapensia lapponica, the pincushion plant, is a plant in the family Diapensiaceae, the only circumboreal species in the genus Diapensia, the others being mainly in the Himalaya and on mountains in southwestern China. This species likely became circumboreal-circumpolar [Arctic–alpine] after it jumped to arctic habitat from North China and Russia. The most likely candidate for ancestor is a white-flowered D. purpurea The plants grow on exposed rocky ridges that are kept free from snow by high winds. Diapensia lapponica is extremely slow and low-growing and cannot compete with plants that overtop it. The plant is very sensitive to higher temperatures and so is often in misty foggy habitat. It usually dies when transplanted to lowland gardens and so this is not recommended. Cold-treated or wild and winter-collected seed will germinate indoors. The seed and leaves are high in lipids.
Polygala vulgaris, known as the common milkwort, is a herbaceous perennial plant of the genus Polygala in the family Polygalaceae.
Armeria maritima, the thrift, sea thrift or sea pink, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plumbaginaceae. It is a compact evergreen perennial which grows in low clumps and sends up long stems that support globes of bright pink flowers. In some cases purple, white or red flowers also occur. It is a popular garden flower and has been distributed worldwide as a garden and cut flower. It does well in gardens designed as xeriscapes or rock gardens. The Latin specific epithet maritima means pertaining to the sea or coastal.
Draba aizoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, known as yellow whitlow-grass. It is native to Europe where it is found on limestone rocks and walls. In the British Isles it is found only on the Gower Peninsula in Wales.
Dicentra formosa is a flowering plant with fern-like leaves and an inflorescence of drooping pink, purple, yellow or cream flowers native to the Pacific Coast of North America.
Honckenya peploides, the sea sandwort (UK) or seaside sandplant (Canada), is the only species in the genus Honckenya of the plant family Caryophyllaceae. Other common names include sea chickweed, sea pimpernal, sea-beach sandwort, and sea purslane. The scientific name is often spelled "Honkenya", and is named after the German botanist Gerhard August Honckeny. This plant has a circumboreal distribution.
Eremogone aculeata is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common name prickly sandwort. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in the southern sagebrush steppe, mountainous areas, and volcanic soils, as well as on rocky slopes.
Fritillaria acmopetala, the pointed-petal fritillary, is a species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae, native to rocky limestone mountain slopes in the Middle East. It was described by the Swiss botanist Pierre Edmond Boissier in 1846.
Artemisia norvegica is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names alpine sagewort, boreal sagewort, mountain sagewort, Norwegian mugwort, arctic wormwood, and spruce wormwood. It is found in cold locations in Eurasia and high altitudes and high latitudes in North America.
Physaria fremontii is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae known by the common name Fremont's bladderpod. It is endemic to Wyoming in the United States, where it occurs only in and around the Wind River Range in Fremont County.
Epilobium brunnescens is a flowering plant belonging to the willowherb genus Epilobium in the family Onagraceae. It is a small, creeping, perennial plant with white or pale pink flowers. It is native to New Zealand and south-east Australia and has been introduced to Northern Europe. Its common names include New Zealand willowherb in Great Britain and Ireland, creeping willowherb in New Zealand and bog willowherb for the Australian subspecies.
Helleborus viridis, commonly called green hellebore, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to Central and Western Europe, including southern England. All parts of the plant are poisonous.
Sandy iris is a species in the genus Iris; it is also in the subgenus of Iris and in the Psammiris section. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Central Europe, found in Hungary, Austria, Romania, Czech Republic and Ukraine. It has grass-like leaves, a short stem and pale yellow flowers. It has had a mixed origin and was once Iris humilis subsp. arenaria, a subspecies of Iris humilis, until it was reclassified as a separate species. But many sources still state that it is either a synonym or subspecies of Iris humilis. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Eremophila pterocarpa, commonly known as silver poverty bush or winged-fruited eremophila, is a plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a densely foliaged, upright shrub with most of its parts covered with a silvery powder.
Eremophila forrestii, commonly known as Wilcox bush is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a many-branched shrub with its branches, leaves and sepals densely-covered with a thick layer of greyish or yellowish hairs giving the plant a felty appearance. Its flowers are cream-coloured to pink and are spotted or streaked dark red. It occurs mostly in Western Australia but also in the far west of South Australia and the Northern Territory. Six subspecies are recognised by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
Eremophila platycalyx is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with its branches and leaves covered with a layer of matted hairs, although the hairs are sometimes obscured by resin. The shape of the leaves is variable, depending on subspecies, the sepals are often brightly coloured and the petals are cream-coloured, sometimes spotted on the outside. Two subspecies have been described but others have been discovered although not as yet formally described.
Minuartia recurva, the recurved sandwort or sickle-leaved sandwort, is a rare tufted, calcifugous chamaephyte perennial flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It blooms from late spring to the end of summer.
Rhadinothamnus rudis is a small shrub with needle-shaped, angular branchlets and single white flowers at the end of branches. This species and the three subspecies are endemic to Western Australia.