Stellaria longipes subsp. arenicola

(Raup) C. C. Chinnappa & J. K. Morton

Rhodora 93: 132. 1991.

Common names: Lake Athabasca starwort
Basionym: Stellaria arenicola Raup
Synonyms: Stellaria longipes var. arenicola (Raup) B. Boivin
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 109. Mentioned on page 108.
Revision as of 17:37, 18 September 2019 by FNA>Volume Importer

Plants forming loose clumps, with elongate, straggling stems. Leaf blades narrowly lanceolate. Capsules straw colored. 2n = 52.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat: Inland sand dunes
Elevation: 200-300 m

Discussion

Confined to the extensive mobile sand dunes on the south side of Lake Athabasca, subsp. arenicola is largely self-pollinating but is interfertile with subsp. longipes, with which it intergrades in its natural habitat.

Very rarely, individual plants of subsp. longipes with straw-colored capsules are encountered in other localities. These are probably due to the presence of a recessive gene for capsule color that is of widespread but rare occurrence in these populations. Only on the Lake Athabasca sand dunes have selective pressures been sufficient for it to evolve into a distinct biotype.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.