''Androsace americana'',

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

''Douglasia arctica'', known as the Mackenzie River dwarf primrose, is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the primrose family,

Primulaceae The Primulaceae ( ), commonly known as the primrose family (but not related to the Onagraceae, evening primrose family), are a family (biology), family of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous and woody flowering plants including some favourite garden pla ...

. It is native to subarctic North America (Alaska, the Northwest Territories and Yukon).

Taxonomy

The species was first described by

William Jackson Hooker Sir William Jackson Hooker (6 July 178512 August 1865) was an English botany, botanist and botanical illustrator, who became the first director of Kew Gardens, Kew when in 1841 it was recommended to be placed under state ownership as a botan ...

in 1838 as ''Douglasia arctica''.

Molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

studies showed that the genus ''Douglasia'' is nested within ''

Androsace ''Androsace'', commonly known as rock jasmine, is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Primulaceae, second only to ''Primula'' in the number of species. It is predominantly Arctic–alpine, with many species in the Himalay ...

''. The name "''Androsace artica''" was published in 1826 for a different species (now regarded as a synonym of '' Androsace ochotensis''), so the replacement name ''Androsace americana'', published by Per Wendelbo in 1961, is used instead.

Description

''Androsace americana'' are relatively small, usually found as mats growing up to about 2 inches tall. They have a single, short stem that protrude from each rosette of leaves. Leaves are smooth and closely packed, forming rosettes of leaves that reach an average of 3/8 inches long. ''Androsace americana'' typically flowers in june. Pink petals are most commonly observed, but white petals can occur with older, more mature plants. Petals are deeply lobed and fuse at the bottom to form the flower. Scapes are generally 2 mm in early anthesis, but range from 2–4 cm in fruits, and are typically glandular and hairy, but can sometimes be hairless.

Phenology

''Androsace americana'' has been described as both a perennial and as a long-lived cushion. It has been suggested that as a cushion, the plant's canopy functions as a buffer for temperature variation, allowing for elevated temperature inside the plant.

Distribution and habitat

''Androsace americana'', like other ''Androsace'' species, are found in cold climates ''Androsace americana'' is native to Northern America as well as Subarctic America, and it is typically found in Alaska, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Canada. It prefers to grow on rocky and mossy slopes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15316067, from2=Q17243942 americana Plants described in 1838 Flora of Alaska Flora of the Northwest Territories Flora of Yukon Flora without expected TNC conservation status