Participant Info

Species

Salix petrophila [Salix arctica subsp. petraea] [Salix arctica var. petrophila]

Family

Salicaceae

CommonName

alpine willow, Rocky Mountain willow

Presence

YES

Status

native

EarliestDate

1911

LatestDate

2014

Ecosystem

tundra

Geobotanical

SSawatch, SSanjuans, Culebras, NCristos

Counties

Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, Archuleta, San Juan

Passes

Elwood, Grayback, Spring Creek, Stony, Wolf Creek

WildlifePreserves

Great Sand Dunes

Other Localities

PhotoRecords

YES Rich Haswell: Mineral Co, Continental Divide south of Wolf Creek Pass 18 July 2014

Comments

Alpine willow is common on the tundra in all mountain regions of the Watershed, sometimes growing near Salix nivalis. Some authorities (e.g., Allred et al. 2020; Kittel 2023) do not accept S. petrophila as a species separate from S. arctica. S. petrophila is found in suitable habitat in most USA states west of the Great Plains, but can be found in the alpine of the Rio Grande drainage only a little ways into New Mexico (Taos, Rio Arriva, and Santa Fe counties).

Annotation