Saxifraga rivularis

L.

Alpine Brook Saxifrage

G5Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.814144
Element CodePDSAX0U2H0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRosales
FamilySaxifragaceae
GenusSaxifraga
Other Common Names
Saxifrage des ruisseaux (FR) weak saxifrage (EN) Weak Saxifrage (EN)
Concept Reference
Jørgensen, M. H., R. Elven, A. Tribsch, T. M. Gabrielsen, B. Stedje, and C. Brochmann. 2006. Taxonomy and evolutionary relationships in the Saxifraga rivularis complex. Systematic Botany 31(4): 702-729.
Taxonomic Comments
Kartesz's (1999) concept of Saxifraga rivularis is broader than that of Jørgensen et al. (2006) and FNA (vol. 8, 2009). Kartesz (1999) includes Rocky Mountain "debilis" material in his S. rivularis, while Jørgensen et al. (2006) and FNA split S. debilis out as a distinct species. Kartesz (1999) also includes "flexuosa" material in his S. rivularis, while Jørgensen et al. (2006) place it in their S. hyperborea. In total, the S. rivularis of Jørgensen et al. (2006) and FNA has Amphi-Atlantic + Amphi-Beringian distribution, in North America occurring only along the Atlantic coast of Canada from Baffin Island south to the Gaspe´ Peninsula, into the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and along the arctic Pacific coast of Alaska from Barrow south to Seward Peninsula. In contrast, Kartesz's (1999) S. rivularis occurs in most western U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-22
Change Date2008-01-22
Edition Date2024-08-22
Edition AuthorsJohnson, J. (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
Saxifraga rivularis is a small perennial herb native to Arctic Canada, Alaska, New Hampshire, Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia. Little known about threats or trends, but with a large range extent and more than 600 occurrences this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Saxifraga rivularis is native to northern North America, Greenland, the northern coast of Europe, and northeastern Russia. Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be more than 600 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Saxifraga rivularis is unlikely to be impacted by development due to its cold, rugged habitat. Climate change is causing disruptions to arctic habitats but the impact on this species is unknown.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Saxifraga rivularis grows in snow beds, wet tundra, mossy streamsides, seepage slopes, bird-manured cliffs, silty or gravelly seashores (FNA 2009).
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousAlpineTundraBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
New HampshireSNRYes
AlaskaSNRYes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
Island of NewfoundlandS2Yes
LabradorS4Yes
QuebecSNRYes
Yukon TerritoryS1Yes
OntarioS1Yes
NunavutS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherUnknownUnknownUnknown

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (5)
New Hampshire (4)
AreaForestAcres
Dartmouth RangeWhite Mountain National Forest9,233
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
Horse Mountain - Mans PeakManti-Lasal National Forest22,159
References (6)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2009. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 8. Magnoliophyta: Paeoniaceae to Ericaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 585 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Jørgensen, M. H., R. Elven, A. Tribsch, T. M. Gabrielsen, B. Stedje, and C. Brochmann. 2006. Taxonomy and evolutionary relationships in the <i>Saxifraga rivularis</i> complex. Systematic Botany 31(4): 702-729.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).