Subject: BEN # 160

From: Adolf Ceska <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 01:40:10 -0800

BBBBB    EEEEEE   NN   N             ISSN 1188-603X
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BBBBB    EEEEE    NN N N             BOTANICAL
BB   B   EE       NN  NN             ELECTRONIC
BBBBB    EEEEEE   NN   N             NEWS

No. 160                              March 22, 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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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" <[email-masked]>

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/[email-masked]>

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/[email-masked]

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 <[email-masked]> originally posted to
         [email-masked] [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:   [email-masked]
      St. Louis, MO 63166-0299   Web:  http://www.mobot.org

ORCHIDS OF THE OTTAWA DISTRICT, ONTARIO, CANADA
From: Marilyn Light <[email-masked]>

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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