Finnish botanists on the Kola Peninsula (Russia) up to 1918

Authors

• Pertti Uotila Finnish Museum of Natural History (Botany), University of Helsinki

Abstract

Finnish botanists actively studied the flora of Karelia (Karelian Republic) and the Kola Peninsula (Murmansk Region) when Finland was a Grand Duchy of Russia in 1809–1918. J. Fellman’s expeditions in 1829 were the first notable botanical expeditions to the area. Geologically and floristically the area was similar to Finland, and exploring the area was considered to be a national duty for Finnish biologists. Almost 40 Finnish scientists who travelled on the Kola Peninsula collected significant amounts of herbarium specimens from there. The specimens are mostly in H, but duplicates were distributed widely. The collectors include M. Aschan, W. M. Axelson (Linnaniemi), V. Borg (Kivilinna), M. Brenner, V. F. Brotherus, R. Envald, J. Fellman, N. I. Fellman, C. W. Fontell, E. af Hällström, H. Hollmén, P. A. Karsten, A. Osw. Kihlman (Kairamo), F. W. Klingstedt, H. Lindberg, J. Lindén, A. J. Malmberg (Mela), J. Montell, F. Nylander, J. A. Palmén, V. Pesola, P. A. Rantaniemi, J. Sahlberg, and G. Selin. A short description is given of the biographies of the most important collectors with notes on their itineraries. Details of the collections from the Kola Peninsula are mostly taken from the vascular-plant specimens kept in the Finnish main herbaria and entered in the Floristic database Kastikka of the Finnish Museum of Natural History. As to bryophytes, lichens and other fungi, only a small proportion has been entered into the database. A network of biogeographic provinces for the Kola Peninsula was created by Finnish scientists in the mid 1800s, and it is still commonly used. Changes in the boundaries of provinces in the peninsula are discussed. The herbarium data are given according to the provinces.