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Why not white?

2020; Wiley; Volume: 18; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/fee.2182

1540-9309

Julien Roy, Julien Bachelier,

Lichen and fungal ecology

Distributed worldwide across arctic-alpine ecosystems, the wildflower Silene acaulis is most notorious for forming remarkably large cushions that are essential for maintaining alpine biodiversity. Up to 3 m in diameter and living for up to three centuries in alpine meadows and fell-fields, as well as on cliffs, these cushions comprise different subspecies usually found on distinct bedrocks. All typically have small pinkish to purple nectar-producing flowers, which are pollinated by diverse insects. In July 2018, we found a rare cushion of white flowers growing on shale near Grossglockner, a mountain in the Austrian Alps. It was the only white-flowered individual we saw during that week, and did not appear to be a part of any larger population. White flowers of this species are seldom reported in the literature and never seem to form or dominate any populations.