Minuartia L.
Caryophyllaceae, pink family.
Sp. Pl. 89. 1753.
Alsinanthe (Fenzl) Rchb.
Tryphane (Fenzl.) Rchb.
Lidia Á. and D. Löve
Porsildia Á. and D.
Löve
Vegetative morphology. Plants perennial herbs; 1–10(–20) cm high. Taproot present. Caudex absent. Ground-level or under-ground stems horizontal, or not developed horizontally or vertically; stoloniferous; compact, or elongate; 0.5–1.5 mm wide. Aerial stems decumbent; glabrous, or sparsely hairy; stem hairs spreading, or erect. Leaves distributed along the stems; opposite; marcescent. Petioles absent. Leaf blade bases cuneate. Blades 2–12 mm long; 0.4–2 mm wide. Blades spreading, or divaricate; herbaceous; linear, or elliptic, or lanceolate; flat, or folded; with three main veins, or appearing single-veined, or with inconspicuous veins. Blades adaxial surface dull; glabrous. Blades abaxial surface glabrous. Blade margins glabrous, or with non-glandular hairs, or with glandular hairs. Leaf apices acute, or obtuse.
Reproductive morphology. Flowering stems with leaves; glabrous, or hairy. Flowering stem hairs pubescent; simple. Flowering stems glandular hairs present. Flowering stem hairs white or translucent. Flowers solitary, or in inflorescences. Inflorescence a dichasium; terminal. Flowers per inflorescence 1–3(–4); small, less than 5 mm in diameter or length. Calyx sepals 5; free; 1.5–4.5(–5.2) mm long. Calyx green, or purple, or green and purple; herbaceous and scarious; glabrous, or hairy. Calyx hairs glandular, or non-glandular; white or translucent (if applicable). Petals free; shorter than the calyx, or same length as the calyx, or longer than the calyx; 5; white and pink; obovate, or oblanceolate, or spatulate; unlobed; 2–4.5(–5.8) mm long. Stamens 10; filaments glabrous. Anthers yellow; ellipsoid; 0.2–0.5 mm long. Gynoecia superior. Carpels syncarpous; 3. Ovaries ovate; glabrous. Styles 3; free; 0.4–1.5 mm long. Stigmas per style 1. Placentation free central. Ovules 6–30. Fruit with calyx persisting; dry; a capsule; ellipsoid, or ovoid; dehiscent; opening with teeth at the top of the capsule; teeth 3. Fruit 1–6 mm long; 1–2.2 mm wide; yellowish, or purple, or straw coloured; surface appearing veinless. Seeds several; 0.2–1.2 mm long; brown; with surfaces smooth, or verrucose.
Chromosome information. 2n = 22, 24, 26, 30, 58, 60. Ploidy levels recorded 2x&4x.
Distribution. Northern hemisphere distribution: circumpolar; Greenland, Canada, United States, Eurasia.
Notes. Canadian authors from Porsild (1957) to Scoggan (1978) have
included Minuartia in a more widely circumscribed Arenaria. This
treatment follows the developing Panarctic Flora treatment in treating
Minuartia as a separate genus.
The genus Minuartia is
heterogeneous, and some authors, e.g. Reichenbach (1841–42) and Löve
and Löve (1975a) have suggested that it should be split into several
genera. Minuartia is here treated in its collective sense.
Based on a
study of genetic variation in three Minuartia species, Borgen (1999)
concluded that M. biflora is a 'mixed mater' (that is a species that
cross pollinates and, if this fails, can self pollinate) and M. rubella a
self pollinator. The vegetatively reproducing tetraploid, M. rossii,
showed a high degree of fixed heterozygosity. The results suggested that the
three species, which are currently placed in separate sections, represent
lineages that diverged a long time ago.
Illustrations. • Minuartia biflora. Plant growing in crevices among the rocks. Norway, Sør-Trøndelag, Røros, Osthåmmaren (serpentine). Photo by R. Elven, June 1973. • Minuartia rossii. Isolated plants growing in an area with less than 5% vegetation cover. Nunavut, Ellesmere Island, Scoresby Bay, 79°53'N, 71°33'W. Aiken 98–025. CAN. Photograph by Mollie MacCormac. • Minuartia rubella. Plant in fruit, growing in dry, sun baked dolomite gravel. Manitoba, Churchill, Beech Bay, in the tidal estuary of the Churchill River, south of the Port, 58°44.30'N, 94°08.06'W. Aiken and Brysting 01–034. CAN. • Minuartia stricta. Plant collected in polygons in Cassiope-Vaccinium heath. Greenland, Disko, Nordfjord, Stordal, 70°00'N, 54°09'W, alt. 100m. Andersen, Fredskild, and Hanfgarn 514, 13. Aug. 1975. O.
Cite this publication as: ‘S.G. Aiken, M.J. Dallwitz, L.L. Consaul, C.L. McJannet, L.J. Gillespie, R.L. Boles, G.W. Argus, J.M. Gillett, P.J. Scott, R. Elven, M.C. LeBlanc, A.K. Brysting and H. Solstad. 1999 onwards. Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval. Version: 29th April 2003. http://www.mun.ca/biology/delta/arcticf/’. Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993, 1995, 2000) should also be cited (see References).
