Arabidopsis arenicola

Arabidopsis arenicola, the Arctic rock-cress, is a plant species native to the northeastern part of North America. It has been reported from Greenland, Labrador, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. It grows on sandy or gravely beaches or stream banks at elevations below 1500 m.

Arabidopsis arenicola is a perennial herb up to 30 cm tall, usually hairless or almost hairless. Basal leaves are up to 6 cm long; stem leaves up to 2.5 mm long. Flowers are white, up to 10 mm across. Fruits are straight, smooth, cylindrical or slightly flattened, up to 3 cm long.

A. arenicola is a self-fertilizing lineage that arose from the outcrossing species Arabidopsis lyrata, and is associated with range expansion. During this range expansion there was no significant increase in mutational load due to selfing, probably because of quasi-clonal selection.