About Dryas octopetala subsp. ajanensis (Juz.) Hultén
This taxon is Dryas octopetala subsp. ajanensis (Juz.) Hultén. Dryas octopetala has woody, tortuous stems that bear short, horizontal rooting branches. Its leaves are hairless on the upper surface, and covered in dense white woolly hairs on the lower surface. Flowers grow on stalks that are 3–10 cm (1–4 in) long, and each flower has eight creamy white petals – this feature gives the species its specific epithet octopetala. The style remains attached to the fruit and is covered in white feathery hairs, which act as a structure for wind dispersal of the seed. Before spreading, the feathery hairs of the seed head are twisted together and glossy; once spread, they form an expanded ball that is quickly dispersed by wind. Dryas octopetala is widespread across mountainous regions, where it is generally limited to limestone outcrops. Its range covers the entire Arctic, as well as the mountains of Scandinavia, Iceland, the Alps, the Carpathian Mountains, the Balkans, and the Caucasus, with isolated populations in other areas. In Great Britain, it grows in the Pennines of Northern England, at two sites in the Snowdonia region of North Wales, and across a wider area of the Scottish Highlands. In Ireland, it occurs on The Burren and a small number of other sites. In North America, it is found in Alaska, where it grows most often on formerly glaciated terrain, and extends through the Canadian Rockies as far south as Colorado in the Rocky Mountains. It grows in dry locations where snow melts early, on gravel and rocky barrens, and forms a distinct heath plant community on calcareous soils. D. octopetala is cultivated in temperate regions as a groundcover, or as a plant for alpine gardens or rock gardens. It has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Its leaves are occasionally used to make herbal tea.
