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BEN # 160
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BBBBB EEEEE NN N N BOTANICAL
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No. 160 March 22, 1997
aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca Victoria, B.C.
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Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
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BOTANY BC '97 - AUGUST 1ST TO 3RD, 1997, CATHEDRAL LAKES
The BC Conservation Data Centre is organizing this year's meet-
ing and we are excited to offer an opportunity to do some high
country botany at Cathedral Lakes Park. We have booked space at
Cathedral Lakes Lodge, and space is limited in the lodge,
chalets, and cabins. There are camping sites in the park, and
the lodge can accommodate limited numbers of campers for meals.
We are still working on the details, but the registration forms
will be mailed out early next week.
ACAULON - A NEW BRYOPHYTE GENUS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
From: "D. Ross Priddle" <yb396@freenet.victoria.bc.ca>
One Sunday afternoon in February of 1997 I went for a walk at
McNeil Bay, Victoria, B.C. I walked east and north along the
rocky shoreline. A ways along (before the point) and back from
the shore at the vegetation margin on the sandy soil beneath
small shrubs I discovered a tiny bulbiform moss which appeared
to have included sporophytes. I collected a small sample and
later identified it as Acaulon muticum var. rufescens (Jaeg.)
Crum. I sent the specimen to Dr. R.H. Zander at the Clinton
Herbarium in the Buffalo Museum of Science, New York (BUF) who
confirmed my identification and deposited the specimen there.
This moss has not been previously reported in British Columbia.
Crum & Anderson (1981) illustrate this taxon and give the range
as "Quebec to Michigan, Iowa, Kansas and south to Florida and
Texas; California and (according to Grout) Arizona." On the
Canadian Checklist (Ireland et al., 1987) the taxon is verified
only for Ontario, with literature reports from Quebec and Sas-
katchewan.
Dr. Zander is the recognized expert on Pottiaceae and is working
on the treatment of Acaulon for the forthcoming Flora of North
America. He offers this key:
1. Leaves awned; laminal cells papillose abaxially
............. 1. Acaulon schimperianum (Sull.) Sull. & Lesq.
1. Leaves cuspidate or blunt; laminal cells smooth.
2. Plant often three-angled, about 1.0 mm high; leaves
keeled; seta about as long as the diameter of the capsule;
spores about 30 um, finely papillose
..................... 2. Acaulon triquetrum (Spruce) C.M.
2. Plants flattened-globose or three-angled; leaves broadly
channeled; seta short, about 0.3 the diameter of the
capsule; spores 30-50 um, smooth or papillose
......................... 3. Acaulon muticum (Hedw.) C.M.
3. Spores shortly ellipsoidal, brown, densely papillose-
roughened
..................... 3a. Acaulon muticum var. muticum
3. Spores nearly spherical, yellow, smooth
...... 3b. Acaulon muticum var. rufescens (Jeag.) Crum
Acaulon muticum var. muticum seems to be rare in North America,
although it is more common in northern and central Europe.
Acaulon muticum var. rufescens seems to be common plant in parts
of North America (see above).
Crum, H.A. & L.E. Anderson. 1981. Mosses of eastern North
America. Columbia University Press, N.Y. 1328 p.
Ireland, R.R., G.R. Brassard, W.B. Schofield, & D.H. Vitt. 1987.
Checklist of the mosses of Canada II. Lindbergia 13: 1-62.
BRYOLOGICAL EXCURSION, 10 MAY 1997, SWAN VALLEY, MONTANA
Toby Spribille <Spribille_Toby/r1_kootenai@fs.fed.us>
A bryological excursion day is planned for 10 May 1997 near the
northwest Montana town of Bigfork, led by Drs. Dale Vitt
(University of Alberta, Edmonton) and Lars Soederstroem (Univer-
sity of Trondheim, Norway). The object of the field trip is to
bring together people with interest in mosses and liverworts to
meet and exchange ideas and information while inventorying the
bryoflora of the bottoms of the Porcupine Creek drainage just
southeast of the town of Bigfork in the beautiful Swan Valley.
This is an area with high species diversity and many unique
phytogeographic elements, including boreal and coastal. There
are several calcareous fens in the area. The excursion will
include guided visits to these unique habitats as well as sur-
rounding upland terrain.
Excursion participants will meet at the Forest Service Ranger
Station in Bigfork at 8:00 AM on the morning of the 10th of May
and will carpool to go to the field sites. The excursion is
planned to last until about 4:00 PM. Participants are advised to
bring raingear and rubber boots, a boxed lunch, collecting bags
and hand lenses.
Accommodations and restaurants are found in abundance in Bigfork
and nearby Kalispell.
Registration is free of charge. To register, please provide your
name, mailing address (incl. e-mail!) and phone/fax to
Toby Spribille
Fortine Ranger District
Kootenai Nat'l Forest
P.O. Box 116
Fortine, MT 59918
Phone: (406) 882 4451 Fax: (406) 882 4835
e-mail: Spribille_Toby/r1_kootenai@fs.fed.us
This will allow us to anticipate turnout and better plan
specific activities. In addition, this will allow us to mail
vicinity maps to registrants to help them plan their attendance.
NEW BOOK ON MOSS GARDENING
From: Marshall Crosby <crosby@mobot.org> originally posted to
bryonet-l@mtu.edu [abbrev.]
Schenk, G. 1997. Moss gardening, including lichens, liverworts,
and other miniatures. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis,
MO. 261 pages, 97 beautiful color plates. Hard cover. Prices,
postpaid: $38.50 U.S. addresses; $39.50, all other addresses.
At last, a comprehensive, up-to-date, sensible book on growing
mosses and similar things. The perfect answer to those frequent
queries from gardeners about how to grow mosses. Or for that
matter to those who want an introduction to mosses, including
what's not a moss. Sections include transplanting, propagating,
and growing mosses in containers, for bonsai, and as ground
covers.
See our web site, http://www.mobot.org, for additional bryophyte
(and other) titles.
Send order to:
Department Eleven Phone: (+1) 314-577-9534
Missouri Botanical Garden Fax: (+1) 314-577-9594
P.O. Box 299 E-mail: dept11@mobot.org
St. Louis, MO 63166-0299 Web: http://www.mobot.org
ORCHIDS OF THE OTTAWA DISTRICT, ONTARIO, CANADA
From: Marilyn Light <mlight@aix1.uottawa.ca>
Reddoch, Joyce M. & Allan H. Reddoch. 1997. The orchids in the
Ottawa District: Floristics, phytogeography, population
studies and historical review. Special Issue of The Canadian
Field-Naturalist, vol 111, no. 1: 1-186.
This 186-page work describes the 44 orchid species that have
been found within 50 km of Canada's National Parliament Build-
ings in Ottawa. It contains information on identification, past
abundance, population changes, development cycles and relative
stability of colonies. It is presented as a baseline study from
which to design further research and prepare effective planning
measures to protect wild orchid populations.
The Introduction describes the history of collecting and record-
ing since 1856, principal orchid habitats, local distribution
patterns, rare species, colour forms, capsules and seeds, bloom-
ing dates and other topics.
Each species account provides detailed information on the above
topics, as well as a brief description of the plant. A drawing
and a spot distribution map accompany each account. Correlations
of some species with the Canadian Shield or the St. Lawrence
Lowlands, or with calcareous rock, sandstone or sand deposits
are shown. Long-lived colonies of many species are described,
and population studies are included for Corallorhiza striata,
Goodyera pubescens, G. tesselata, Platanthera hookeri, P. or-
biculata and Spiranthes cernua.
To obtain copies of this journal issue, send CAN $10. plus $2.50
(postage and handling) for each copy to
The Canadian Field-Naturalist
P.O. Box 35069, Westgate P.O.
Ottawa, Canada K1Z 1A2
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