FLORA OF ICELAND elements: Potentilla egedii = Argentina egedii, Sea-side Silverweed, Skeljamura

Potentilla egedii; the Sea-side Silverweed can easily be overlooked as one can think it is a common silverweed (Potentilla anserina = Argentina egedii). The flowers are and fruits are similar. On closer inspection one can see though, that the narrower lower calyx bracts are generally smaller or just as long as the broader sepals above them in the Sea-side Silverweed whereas they are longer in the common Silverweed. They also differ in their foliages: The Common Silverweed has many more leaflets (more than 6) whereas the Sea-side Silverweed only has occasionally a few more than 6 leaflets on each leaf. Next the Common Silverweed has downy (silvery) upper leaf-parts. The Sea-side Silverweed has leaves with bright green upper-sides. As the name already suggests, the Sea-side Silverweed only grows near the sea-side. Its distribution on Iceland is limited to the Djúpivogur region in the south-east, northern and some western localities. Thus it is not common. It grows mainly on salt-marsh/brackish areas. I first encountered it at Djúpivogur on a track close to the sea where saline and trodded conditions were present.
It is a member of the Rose family (Rosaceae). The Icelandic name of this species is Skeljamura.

A brief introduction to Iceland plants
Text & Photographs by Dick Vuijk
- unless stated otherwise
Other Rose family members

Other Rose family members

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Natural History of Iceland Site  in Dutch

Natural History of Iceland Site  Dutch