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Home/Species/ Lapland Azalea

Rhododendron lapponicum

(L.) Wahlenb.

Lapland Azalea

G5Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.147437
Element CodePDERI150G0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderEricales
FamilyEricaceae
GenusRhododendron
Other Common Names
Lapland Rosebay (EN) Lapland rosebay (EN) Rhododendron de Laponie (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 Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-10-09
Change Date1983-08-25
Edition Date2024-10-09
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Rhododendron lapponicum is a circumboreal perennial forb occurring in arctic and alpine tundra, ridges, stream banks, and rocky barrens of North America, Europe (Russia, Scandinavia), and Asia (Siberia). There are over 1,200 occurrences of this taxon, which are threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, succession, recreation (trampling), erosion, and other threats in some places. Little is known about threats or trends, but with a large range extent, high number of occurrences, abundant habitat, broad habitat preferences, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, Rhododendron lapponicum is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Rhododendron lapponicum is a widespread subarctic or subalpine circumboreal species, occurring in North America, Europe (Russia, Scandinavia), and Asia (Siberia) (FNA 2009, POWO 2024). In North America, it occurs throughout Alaska and Canada (except for Manitoba and New Brunswick), and in Wisconsin, and New York north to Maine in the United States (FNA 2009). Range extent was estimated to be 57 million square kilometers 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 over 1,200 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Rhododendron lapponicum is threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, succession, recreation (trampling), erosion, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Rhododendron lapponicum occurs in "arctic and alpine tundra, rocky barrens and heaths or thickets, raised beach ridges, [and] sandy stream banks" (FNA 2009).
Terrestrial Habitats
Shrubland/chaparralTundraBarrensBare rock/talus/scree
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Island of NewfoundlandS3Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
OntarioS4Yes
Yukon TerritoryS5Yes
AlbertaS2Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS1Yes
QuebecS4Yes
NunavutS5Yes
ManitobaS2Yes
LabradorS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlaskaSNRYes
WisconsinS1Yes
New HampshireS2Yes
New YorkS2Yes
VermontS1Yes
MaineS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownUnknown
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownUnknown
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownUnknown
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownUnknown
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownUnknown
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsUnknownUnknownUnknown
9.3.2 - Soil erosion, sedimentationUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (5)
New Hampshire (5)
AreaForestAcres
Dartmouth RangeWhite Mountain National Forest9,233
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
References (8)
  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. 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.
  5. Native Plant Trust. 2024. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org (accessed 2024).
  6. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Plants of the World Online (POWO). 2024. Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Online. Available: https://powo.science.kew.org/ (accessed 2024).
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).