Arabis petraea
Ecology
A perennial herb of very open sites on acidic and basic rocks and rock ledges, on montane cliff faces and screes and on sea-cliffs. It is also found on river shingle and on serpentine fellfield in Shetland. Being a colonist of open habitats, populations can be transient at particular sites, and the species has a curiously disjunct distribution. From near sea level (Shetland) to at least 1220 m (Braeriach, S. Aberdeen).
Status
Trends
It is difficult to assess trends in the frequency of this species, as it may still be present in some of the squares for which there are only pre-1987 records.
World Distribution
Eurasian Arctic-montane element.
Broad Habitats
Light (Ellenberg): 9
Moisture (Ellenberg): 3
Reaction (Ellenberg): 8
Nitrogen (Ellenberg): 1
Salt Tolerance (Ellenberg): 0
January Mean Temperature (Celsius): 1.7
July Mean Temperature (Celsius): 11.9
Annual Precipitation (mm): 1966
Height (cm): 25
Perennation - primary
Life Form - primary
Woodiness
Clonality - primary
Count of 10km squares in Great Britain: 78
Count of 10km squares in Ireland: 2
Count of 10km squares in the Channel Isles: 0
Atlas Change Index: -0.64
JNCC Designations
Scarce Atlas Account
Arabis petraea (L.) Lam.
Northern rock-cress
Status: scarce
This is an extremely local and erratically distributed montane species. It is usually in dry to slightly moist, markedly open habitats, on cliff faces, screen, exposed soil and gravel, river alluvium and shingle. A. petraea is especially abundant on basic and ultrabasic igneous rocks in the western Highlands and Inner Hebrides, but also has another stronghold on the granite of the Cairngorms. There are occurrences on serpentine, limestone, hornblende schist, Lewisian gneiss and Torridonian sandstone, so that range of substrate base-status is extremely wide. Yet it is absent from a great many apparently suitable places. Commonly associated species include Alchemilla alpina, Antennaria dioica, Cerastium arcticum, Festuca vivipara, Luzula spicata, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Silene acaulis, Thymus polytrichus and Racomitrium lanuginosum. The altitudinal range is wide, from near sea level in Shetland to at least 1220 metres on Braeriach.
This perennial herb evidently propagates by seed quite freely, at least in some localities. Any limitation by high summer temperature is unlikely, as indicated by the altitudinal range. Its occurrence on low-lying river gravels and shingle suggests establishment from down-washed seed, but could also represent ancient populations.
Many pre-1970 records of A. petraea are probably still extant. This plant is often in places grazed by sheep and deer, but appears to be less threatened than many montane species. Smaller populations would be vulnerable to collecting, but many are large and not at risk.
A. petraea is an arctic-alpine species of wide distribution in the Old World and extending to Alaska in North America.
D. A. Ratcliffe
Atlas text references
Atlas (46d)
.
1988. The Irish Red Data Book. 1. Vascular Plants.
.
1986. Atlas of north European vascular plants north of the Tropic of Cancer. 3 vols.
Jalas & Suominen (1994)
.
1965. Vergleichende Chorologie der zentraleuropäischen Flora. Volume 1. 2 vols.
.
1991. Crucifers of Great Britain and Ireland. Botanical Society of the British Isles Handbook no. 6.
.
1994. Scarce plants in Britain.