Dwarf Willow - Greenland
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Salix herbacea (Dwarf Willow, Least Willow or Snowbed Willow). Not the greatest picture of this tree in the world, but it shows just how exposed it is to the elements. This was a warm (ish) benign summers day, the bare earth around the prostrate tree (middle, bottom of the picture) shows just how harsh the environment is that it lives in, not even an annual weed can manage
to grow there and the "tree" survives by being flat to
the ground out of the wind where it gets temporarily
buried by snow and ice rather than having to support
them.
Photo; © Paul Ward - These are pictures taken while travelling in Eastern Greenland in the Arctic summer.