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Betula nana ssp. exilis
Scientific Name: Betula nana ssp. exilis
Family: Betulaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Shrub, Subshrub
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Arctic Dwarf Birch (Betula nana subsp. exilis)
Betula nana subsp. exilis, commonly known as Arctic dwarf birch, is a subspecies of Betula nana. It's important to differentiate between the scientific name and common names to avoid confusion.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Betula nana subsp. exilis (Sukaczev) Hultn.
- Synonyms:
- Betula exilis Sukaczev (basionym)
- Betula glandulosa var. sibirica (Ledeb.) C.K.Schneid.
- Betula nana var. sibirica
- Family: Betulaceae (Birch Family)
- Order: Fagales
- Kingdom: Plantae
Distribution and Habitat
Betula nana subsp. exilis is found in:
- Northeastern Asia
- Northern North America, including Alaska and Canada east to Nunavut.
Morphological Characteristics
- Young twigs are hairless or have only scattered hairs.
- The principal difference between Betula nana subsp. exilis and Betula nana subsp. nana is that exilis has shorter leaf blades.
- Orbicular leaves and developing female catkins are characteristic features.
Quirky Facts
- Ashburner and McAllister (2013) have combined Betula nana subsp. exilis into Betula glandulosa.
- The major ether-soluble metabolite is 3-O-malonylbetulafolientriol oxide I.
- In Scandinavia, Betula nana hybridizes naturally.
Genetics and Cytology
- Genetic information is encoded in the trnK tRNA gene intron, which assists in splicing its own and other chloroplast group II introns.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Betula nana subsp. exilis is a host for the psyllid species Cacopsylla (Thamnopsylla) affinis and Cacopsylla striata.
Further Information
- International Plant Names Index
- Plants of Canada (VASCAN)
- NYBG Virtual Herbarium
- JSTOR
- ITIS: Integrated Taxonomic Information System