About Dryas octopetala subsp. octopetala
This subspecies has woody, tortuous stems with short, horizontal branches that root. Its upper leaf surfaces are hairless, while the lower leaf surfaces are covered in dense white matted hairs. Flowers grow on stalks that measure 3–10 cm (1–4 in) long, and each flower bears eight creamy white petals, which is the source of the specific epithet octopetala. The style remains attached to the mature fruit and is covered in white feathery hairs, which act as a structure for wind dispersal of the seeds. The feathery hairs of the seed head first look twisted together and glossy, before spreading out into an expanded ball that is quickly dispersed by wind. Dryas octopetala occurs widely across mountainous regions, where it is generally restricted to limestone outcrops. Its range covers the entire Arctic, as well as the mountains of Scandinavia, Iceland, the Alps, the Carpathian Mountains, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and isolated locations 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 more broadly across the Scottish Highlands. In Ireland, it is found on The Burren and a small number of other sites. In North America, it occurs in Alaska, where it is most common on terrain that was previously covered by glaciers, and through the Canadian Rockies, extending as far south as Colorado in the Rocky Mountains. It grows in dry sites 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 for use as groundcover, or as a plant for alpine 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.
