Subject: BEN # 163

From: Adolf Ceska <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 00:26:15 -0700

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No. 163                              April 19, 1997

[email-masked]        Victoria, B.C.
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 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
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1997 MEETING OF THE ALASKA RARE PLANT FORUM

From: Alan Batten & Carolyn Parker <[email-masked]>
       originally published in the ALA [University of Alaska,
       Anchorage, Herbarium] Newsletter

The meeting of the Alaska Rare Plant Forum in Anchorage on April
2-3  was an enjoyable opportunity to meet with other Alaskan and
Yukon botanists and to catch up on what everyone is doing.  Alan
Batten  presented results from the upland sites of last summer's
fieldwork for BLM in the Yukon-Tanana  Uplands.  Carolyn  Parker
summarized  the high points of the whole 3-year inventory of the
Yukon-Tanana Uplands alpine floristic survey as well as present-
ing her work with Yukon-Charley National  Park  in  the  Ogilvie
Mountains and along the Yukon River. These combined surveys have
resulted  in  a new species for the state flora, Draba ogilvien-
sis, and several new localities for species listed  'Species  of
Concern'  by  USFWS  and/or  being tracked by the Alaska Natural
Heritage Program.

Mike Emers of the USFWS reported on  the  Porcupine  River  trip
that  he and David and Barbara Murray took last June investigat-
ing the flora of the dry south-facing bluffs  along  the  river.
The  flora  of  these  bluffs has some striking differences from
similar bluffs  along  the  Yukon  River.  Two  new  species,  a
fleabane (Erigeron) and a hepatic (Asterella) will eventually be
described from this area.

Bruce  Bennett  of  the  Canadian  Wildlife Service, Whitehorse,
talked about issues affecting rare  plants  in  the  Yukon,  and
about  distributed  a  preliminary  list  of rare plants for the
Yukon.

Donna DiFolco of NPS reported on populations of Aster yukonensis
that have been located in the Brooks Range over the last  couple
of years.

Randy  Meyers  of  BLM  in  Kotzebue  summarized  the  status of
Oxytropis arctica var. barnebyana and reported on her  fieldwork
along the Squirrel River in northwest Alaska.

Rob DeVelice and Bev Shulz of the US Forest Service talked about
the ecosystem mapping project that the Forest Service is working
on.

Connie  Hubbard  of the Forest Service talked about their inven-
tory of Arnica norbergii, a taxonomic entity that may or may not
be distinct from A. lessingii, that occurs along  the  right  of
way of the road being built from Portage to Whittier.

Steve  Talbot, of USFWS, gave an account of the work he is doing
with CAFF. (Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna). CAFF is  an
international group trying to come up with a list of Arctic rare
species.  Much  of  their effort has to do with reconciling dif-
ferent taxonomies as well as balancing different ideas of  rare-
ness  and  different  ideas  of  "arctic"  espoused by different
nations. Dave Murray has also been involved in this work.

Rob gave us the latest list from  the  Alaska  Natural  Heritage
Program of Alaskan species ranked S3 and rarer. He also reported
on  fieldwork  with  Dave  Murray  on  the Seward Peninsula, and
described several rare taxa known from that  area,  including  a
new species for Alaska, Douglasia beringensis."

[Thanks to  Bruce Bennett  <[email-masked]>  for sending 
me this article, and to the authors for permission to post it on
BEN. - AC]

SIX NEW INTRODUCED SPECIES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
From: Frank Lomer, Honourary Research Associate, UBC
         Herbarium, Vancouver, B.C. c/o <[email-masked]>

1. Anchusa arvensis (L.) M. Bieb. - Boraginaceae

Found growing around a Post Office box at the corner of  Highway
3  and  Highway  41 (south to USA) next to Rilkofs Store, Almond
Gardens, a few km west of Grand Forks. A  bristly  hispid  plant
that  looks  a lot like Amsinckia, but has clear blue flowers. A
few more plants were seen in an  adjacent  pumpkin  field.  Col-
lected September 20, 1996 (Lomer 96-157).

2. Chenopodium pumilio R.Br. - Chenopodiaceae

This  Australian weed looks a lot like C. botrys except that the
flowers appear in small glomerules at the base  of  the  reduced
upper  leaves,  instead  of  branched  panicles as in the latter
species. First seen in Urands Nursery (a very good plant  shop),
Highway  3  at  the  south  end of Christina Lake, east of Grand
Forks. C. pumilio is sparsely established  along  the  beach  in
front  of  the  private  lots  west of Christina Lake Provincial
Park. It grows in sandy ground when the lake has receded in late
summer. There were also quite a few large plants in  soil  piles
along  a  dirt  road nearby. Collected September 20, l996 (Lomer
96-160).

3. Hordeum murinum L. ssp. glaucum (Steudel) Tzvelev - Poaceae

A small clump of this weedy annual grass was growing in sand  by
the  beach  path in front of the tennis courts, Kitsilano Beach,
Vancouver. H. murinum ssp. murinum is abundant  along  the  same
beach.  Subspecies  glaucum  has  a  wider inflorescence that is
purplish tinted in summer. The central spikelet is  stalked  and
the  central  floret  is somewhat less than the lateral florets.
Collected July 4,l996 (Lomer 96-099).

4. Rudbeckia laciniata L. - Asteraceae

Collected on Lion Island, west of Annacis Island  in  the  south
arm  of  the Fraser River between Richmond and Delta, on October
16, 1996 (Lomer 96-181). About 6-10 plants  were  seen  on  this
uninhabited  island  along the tidal shore in swampy ground with
Phalaris arundinacea and cattails. Grown  in  gardens  and  fre-
quently  escaped  in  temperate regions. A single plant was also
reported from the ponds at Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver.

5. Soliva sessilis Ruiz & Pavon - Asteraceae

A South American weed that has the appearance of a small  umbel-
lifer.  Growing  on seasonal moist, trampled ground in a natural
grassy area near the amphitheater  in  Ruckle  Point  Provincial
Park,  Saltspring Island. Collected May 18, 1996 (Lomer 96-007).
This species formed a relatively large patch with many  hundreds
of  small,  more  or  less prostrate plants. This population has
achenes with slight wing margins formerly known as S. daucifolia
Nutt.,  but  The  Jepson  Manual  includes  it  along  with   S.
pterosperma  (Juss.)  Less. as been merely forms of S. sessilis.
More common in California.

6. Trifolium striatum L. - Fabaceae

Collected by Terry Taylor next to Village Bay Ferry booth, Mayne
Island, June 1, 1996 (Taylor 96-7).

NEW BOOK: THE NATURAL HISTORY OF POLLINATION

Proctor, M., P. Yeo, & A. Lack. 1996.  The  natural  history  of
   pollination.  Timber  Press, Portland, Oregon. 479 p. ISBN 0-
   88192-352-4 [Hardback], ISBN 0-88192-353-2 [Paperback]  Cost:
   US$ 42.95 [Hardback], US$24.95 [Paperback]

   Ordering information: Toll-free number for credit card orders
   (US+Canada)  1-800-327-5680;  in Canada call Cavendish Books:
   1-800-665-3166.

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