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Koenigia islandica

Island Koenigia

G4Apparently Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.144306

Element CodePDPGN0D010

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderPolygonales

FamilyPolygonaceae

GenusKoenigia

Other Common Names

Koenigie d'Islande (FR)

Concept Reference

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.

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2016-08-16

Change Date1986-05-27

Range Extent Comments

Circumpolar, extending south in North America to scattered alpine summits in the Rocky Mountains as far south as Colorado.

Ecology & Habitat

Description

Island Koenigia is a small, glabrous annual with simple or sparsely branched, ascending to nearly prostrate stems that are 1-4 cm high. The narrowly elliptic, entire-margined, opposite or alternate leaves are fleshy, reddish-tinged, and 2-5 mm long. Small plants may have only a single pair of leaves. Tiny flowers occur in small clusters on top of the stems or in the axils of the upper leaves. Each flower has 3 greenish calyx lobes and 3 stamens. Petals are lacking. The fruit is a tiny 3-angled achene.

Diagnostic Characteristics

Small, alpine species of POLYGONUM have 4-5 tepals. Small specimens of EPILOBIUM ALPINUM may be mistaken for K. ISLANDICA, but the former has leaves with a more prominent midvein, and the flowers have a linear ovary.

Other Nations (2)

CanadaN4

Province	Rank	Native
Quebec	S4	Yes
Manitoba	S1	Yes
Ontario	SH	Yes
Yukon Territory	S3	Yes
Labrador	S3	Yes
Nunavut	S4	Yes
Island of Newfoundland	SNA	No
British Columbia	S4	Yes
Northwest Territories	SU	Yes
Alberta	S2	Yes

United StatesNNR

Province	Rank	Native
Montana	S2	Yes
Utah	S1	Yes
Wyoming	S1	Yes
Alaska	SNR	Yes
Colorado	S2	Yes

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (1)

Wyoming (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Beartooth Proposed Wilderness	Shoshone National Forest	16,837

References (3)

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2005. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 5. Magnoliophyta: Caryophyllidae: Caryophyllales, Polygonales, and Plumbaginales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. vii + 656 pp.
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.
Lesica, P. 1993g. Vegetation and flora of the Line Creek Plateau area, Carbon County, Montana. Unpublished report to USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, Montana. 30 pp.