Flora of Svalbard
There are over 190 vascular plant species on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. This figure does not include algae, mosses, and lichens, which are non-vascular plants. For an island so far north, this number of species constitutes an astonishing variety of plant life. Because of the harsh climate and the short growing season, all the plants are slow growing. They seldom grow higher than 10 cm (4 in)
In some areas, especially in warmer valleys, the plants produce carpets of blossoms. Svalbard has been divided into four vegetation zones.
Plant species[]
- Acorus calamus L. (introduced)
- Alchemilla glabra Neygenf. (doubtful)
- Alchemilla subcrenata Buser (introduced)
- Lam.
- (Bigelow) Veldkamp
- Arabis alpina L.[1] – Alpine rock-cress
- Arctagrostis latifolia (R.Br.) Griseb.
- Arctium lappa L.
- × Arctodupontia scleroclada (Rupr.) Tzvelev
- Arenaria humifusa Wahlenb.
- Arenaria pseudofrigida (Ostenf. & O.C.Dahl) Steffen – fringed sandwort
- Barbarea vulgaris W.T.Aiton (introduced)
- Betula nana L.[1] – dwarf birch
- Bistorta vivipara (L.) Delarbre
- (R.Br.) Bunge ex Ledeb. – purplish braya
- Cakile arctica Pobed. (extinct in Svalbard)
- Calamagrostis purpurascens R.Br.
- Calamagrostis stricta (Timm) Koeler
- Callitriche stagnalis Scop.
- Vest ex Schult.
- Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. (introduced)
- L.
- Gand. – polar cress
- Carex bigelowii Torr. ex Schwein.
- Carex capillaris L.
- Carex dioica L.
- (F.Nyl.) F.Nyl.
- Carex fuliginosa Schkuhr
- Carex glacialis Mack.
- Carex glareosa Schkuhr ex Wahlenb.
- Carex incurviformis Mack.
- Boeckeler
- Carex lachenalii Schkuhr
- Fernald
- Hadac
- Dewey
- Carex maritima Gunnerus
- (Hornem.) Fr.
- (Laest.) Sommerf.
- Drejer
- Carex rupestris All.
- Carex saxatilis L.
- Carex subspathacea Wormsk. ex Hornem.
- Dewey
- Carum carvi L. (introduced)
- Cassiope hypnoides (L.) D.Don
- Cassiope tetragona (L.) D.Don[1] – Arctic bell-heather
- Cerastium alpinum L.
- Cerastium arcticum Lange – Arctic mouse-ear chickweed
- Tolm.
- Cerastium regelii Ostenf.
- Cherleria biflora (L.) A.J.Moore & Dillenb.
- (N.Lund) Th.Fr.
- Cochlearia groenlandica L.
- (Rottb.) Toyok.
- Cystopteris fragilis (L.) Bernh.
- Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P.Beauv.
- Dichodon cerastoides (L.) Rchb.
- Adams ex DC.
- L.
- J.Vahl
- O.E.Schulz (endemic)
- Adams
- Draba corymbosa R.Br. ex DC.
- DC.
- Draba fladnizensis Wulfen
- L.
- Draba lactea Adams – Lapland whitlow-grass
- O.E.Schulz (endemic)
- Hook.
- Lilj.
- Draba norvegica Gunnerus
- Sommerf.
- R.Br.
- O.E.Schulz (endemic)
- Simmons
- Gand. (endemic)
- Drosera rotundifolia L.
- Dryas octopetala L.[1] – mountain avens
- Dupontia fisheri R.Br.
- Empetrum nigrum L.[1] – crowberry
- Epilobium anagallidifolium Lam.
- Equisetum arvense L.
- Equisetum scirpoides Michx.
- Eriophorum angustifolium Honck.
- Eriophorum scheuchzeri Hoppe – Arctic cottongrass
- Pugsley
- R.Br.
- Polunin
- Festuca brachyphylla Schult. & Schult.f.
- Pourr.
- Holmen
- Hook.
- Festuca rubra L.
- Festuca vivipara (L.) Sm.
- Galium aparine L.
- Hippuris vulgaris L.
- Honckenya peploides (L.) Ehrh.
- Huperzia appressa (Bach.Pyl. ex Desv.) Á.Löve & D.Löve
- Huperzia selago (L.) Bernh. ex Schrank & Mart.
- Juncus arcticus Willd.
- Juncus biglumis L.
- Juncus castaneus Sm.
- Juncus effusus L.
- Juncus squarrosus L. (introduced)
- Juncus triglumis L.
- Koenigia islandica L.
- Lemna minor L.
- Lolium pratense (Huds.) Darbysh.
- Luzula arcuata (Wahlenb.) Sw.
- Luzula confusa Lindeb. – Arctic wood-rush
- Luzula nivalis (Laest.) Spreng. – tundra wood-rush
- Luzula spicata (L.) DC.
- Luzula wahlenbergii Rupr.
- Melica uniflora Retz.
- Mentha arvensis L.
- Mertensia maritima (L.) Gray – oysterleaf
- (R.Br.) Gornall
- Micranthes hieraciifolia (Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd.) Haw.
- Micranthes nivalis (L.) Small
- (Wahlenb.) Small
- (L.) DC.
- Origanum vulgare L.
- Oxyria digyna (L.) Hill – mountain sorrel
- Papaver dahlianum Nordh. – Svalbard poppy
- Papaver radicatum Rottb.
- Pedicularis dasyantha Hadac – woolly lousewort
- Pedicularis hirsuta L. – hairy lousewort
- (Sol.) R.Br.
- (Th.Fr.) Lindeb.
- R.Br.
- R.Br.
- Poa alpigena Lindm.
- Poa alpina L. – Alpine meadow-grass
- Poa arctica R.Br.
- Poa glauca Vahl
- Gand.
- Poa pratensis L.
- Polemonium boreale Adams – boreal Jacobs-ladder
- Polygonum aviculare L.
- Potentilla chamissonis Hultén – bluff cinquefoil
- Potentilla crantzii (Crantz) Beck ex Fritsch
- Potentilla hyparctica Malte – Arctic cinquefoil
- Soják (endemic)
- Rottb.
- Potentilla pulchella R.Br. – tufted cinquefoil
- Lehm.
- (R.Br.) E.L.Rand & Redfield
- Puccinellia phryganodes (Trin.) Scribn. & Merr. – cushioned saltmarsh grass
- Puccinellia tenella (Lange) Holmb.
- (Liebm.) Scribn. & Merr.
- (Th.Fr.) Tzvelev
- Ranunculus acris L. (introduced)
- Ranunculus glacialis L.
- Ranunculus hyperboreus Rottb. – Arctic buttercup
- Ranunculus lapponicus L. – Lapland buttercup
- Ranunculus nivalis L. – snow buttercup
- Schltdl.
- Ranunculus pygmaeus Wahlenb. – pygmy buttercup
- Hadac
- Ranunculus sulphureus Sol. – sulphur-coloured buttercup
- Rhodiola rosea L.
- Rubus chamaemorus L.[1] – cloudberry
- Rumex acetosella L.
- (R.Br. ex Richardson) Dillenb. & Kadereit
- (Wahlenb.) Dillenb. & Kadereit
- (Sw.) Rchb.
- Lange
- (Lindblad) Fr.
- Salix herbacea L.[1] – snowbed willow
- Salix polaris Wahlenb. – polar willow
- Salix reticulata L.
- Saxifraga aizoides L. – yellow mountain saxifrage
- Saxifraga cernua L. – drooping saxifrage
- Saxifraga cespitosa L. – tufted saxifrage
- Saxifraga hirculus L. – bog saxifrage
- Saxifraga hyperborea R.Br.
- Saxifraga oppositifolia L. – purple saxifrage
- Saxifraga rivularis L.[1] – brook saxifrage
- Saxifraga svalbardensis Øvstedal (endemic)
- Schoenus nigricans L.
- Sibbaldia procumbens L.
- Silene acaulis (L.) Jacq. – moss campion
- Silene involucrata (Cham. & Schltdl.) Bocquet
- Silene uralensis (Rupr.) Bocquet
- Stellaria crassipes Hultén – chickweed
- Stellaria humifusa Rottb. – Arctic chickweed
- Stellaria longipes Goldie
- Stellaria media (L.) Vill.
- Böcher (endemic)
- G.E.Haglund (endemic)
- Dahlst. ex Andersson
- H.Lindb. ex Dahlst.
- (Dahlst.) G.E.Haglund (endemic)
- G.E.Haglund (endemic)
- (Á.Löve & D.Löve) Á.Löve
- Tofieldia pusilla (Michx.) Pers.
- Trisetum spicatum (L.) K.Richt.
- Vaccinium uliginosum L.[1] – bog bilberry
- Veronica alpina L.
- Vicia sativa L.
- Viola canina L.
- Viola nemoralis Kütz.
- R.Br.
Purple saxifrage
Fruit of Vaccinium uliginosum
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Alsos, I. G.; Eidesen, P. B.; Ehrich, D.; Skrede, I.; Westergaard, K.; Jacobsen, G. H.; Landvik, J. Y.; Taberlet, P.; Brochmann, C. (2007). "Frequent Long-Distance Plant Colonization in the Changing Arctic". Science. 316 (5831): 1606–1609. Bibcode:2007Sci...316.1606A. doi:10.1126/science.1139178. PMID 17569861. S2CID 37250212.
Categories:
- Flora of Svalbard
- Environment of Svalbard
- Flora of the Arctic
- Natural history of Norway