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alpine-bearberry, torpedoberry

Habit Shrubs 3–20(–30) cm; twigs terete, with persistent old leaves or petioles.
Leaves

petiole winged, 1–4 mm, ciliate on margins, or hairy;

blade obovate to oblanceolate, 4–15 × 0.7–8(–20) mm, base attenuate-cuneate, decurrent onto petiole, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded, surfaces rugose, glabrous or hairy.

Inflorescences

2–4(–7)-flowered;

bracts ovate, membranous.

Pedicels

0.1–0.6 mm.

Flowers

sepals pale green or yellow, 0.8–1.2 mm, apex acute;

corolla yellow, whitish, or green (pale yellowish green), 3.5–4.5 mm, lobes recurved, greenish, rounded, 0.5 mm, glabrous;

stamens 1–2 mm;

anthers reddish, becoming yellow, 0.6–0.7 mm, horns 0.1–0.2 mm.

Fruits

black-purple, 6–9 mm diam.

Pyrenes

2.7–4.6 × 2–3.6 mm.

2n

= 26, 28.

Arctous alpina

Phenology Flowering early summer.
Habitat Tundra, gravelly beach ridges, lichen heaths, open, boggy, coniferous woods, dry, wind-swept and snow-free fellfields in arctic and alpine tundra
Elevation 0-2500 m (0-8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; ME; NH; AB; BC; MB; NL; NT; NU; ON; QC; YT; Greenland; n Europe; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

In Greenland, Arctous alpina reaches 77º north latitude on the eastern coast.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 405.
Parent taxa Ericaceae > subfam. Arbutoideae > Arctous
Sibling taxa
A. rubra
Synonyms Arbutus alpina, Arctostaphylos alpina, Mairania alpina
Name authority (Linnaeus) Niedenzu: Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 11: 144. 1889 ,
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