From aceska at telus.net Wed Jan 3 09:41:35 2007 From: aceska at telus.net (Adolf Ceska) Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2007 01:41:35 -0800 Subject: [BEN-L]BEN # 369 Message-ID: <003301c72f1b$5c2ca280$ee18d8cf@xphome> BBBBB EEEEEE NN N ISSN 1188-603X BB B EE NNN N BBBBB EEEEE NN N N BOTANICAL BB B EE NN NN ELECTRONIC BBBBB EEEEEE NN N NEWS No. 369 January 3, 2007 aceska@telus.net Victoria, B.C. ----------------------------------------------------------- Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2 ----------------------------------------------------------- SOME RECENTLY DISCOVERED VASCULAR PLANTS IN NE ALBERTA From: Graham C.D. Griffiths [gcdgriff@telusplanet.net] Rare plant surveys related to industrial proposals in NE Alberta have resulted in some additions to the Alberta list of vascular plants. In the present article I discuss three taxa I have personally collected in surveys based on Conklin during 2005 and 2006. Relevant specimens have or will be deposited in ALTA, and photographs offered for publication in Iris, the _Alberta Native Plant Council Newsletter_. 1. _Cardamine dentata_ Schult. The ranks of taxa constituting the _Cardamine pratensis_ complex are interpreted differently in different publications. North American authors have generally treated the whole complex as a single species, within which subspecies or varieties are recognized. But in recent special European literature (e.g. Marhold et al. 2004), the complex is divided into 11 species. It is my understanding that the _Flora of North America_ treatment now being written by Karol Marhold and collaborators will apply the nomenclature used in recent European special studies to North American material. The basic subdivision of this complex derives from the monograph by Lovkvist (1956). He divided the material he studied into two main groups, between which he did not succeed in obtaining hybrids in crossing trials: the "_Temperate Group_" [including _Cardamine pratensis_ s. str., _C. palustris_ (= _paludosa_), _C. matthiolii_, _C. granulosa_ and _C. rivularis_] and the "_Arctic Group_" containing the single species _C. nymanii_ (within which he included North American material of var. _angustifolia_). He also recognized a third "_Repent Rhizome Group_" containing the Pyrenean _C. crassifolia_ and the Siberian _C. prorepens_, but was unable to obtain living material of this group for experimentation. The "_Repent Rhizome Group_" does not occur in North America. As far as I am aware, all collections of the _Cardamine pratensis_ complex in Alberta prior to 2005 belong to the plant to be called _C. nymanii_ Gandoger in the _Flora of North America_ [= _C. pratensis_ L. var. _angustifolia_ Hook.]. I have seen this plant in the field east of Fort MacKay and in Elk Island National Park, also a herbarium specimen from NW of Athabasca in the University of Athabasca Herbarium. The plants flower from the end of May through June. The leaflets are thick with embedded veins; on basal leaves the terminal leaflet is not much larger than the lateral leaflets; leaflets on the upper stem leaves are narrowly wedge-shaped, not borne on petiolules. In Alberta populations the plants flower profusely; but an increased reliance on vegetative reproduction is reported towards the northern range limits of this taxon in the Arctic. The entries for "_Cardamine pratensis_" in the current _Tracking List_ for rare vascular plants in Alberta (Gould 2006) and for the "_Carex limosa Menyanthes trifoliata Cardamine pratensis_ community" in the _Preliminary Ecological Community Tracking List_ (Allen 2006) both refer to this taxon. The occurrence of a second member of the _Cardamine pratensis_ complex in NE Alberta first came to light in 2005. Only nonflowering plants were found during that season, on which account identification proved problematical. I sent photographs by e-mail to numerous botanists, and eventually received a firm identification of _C. pratensis_ L. subsp. _paludosa_ (Knaf) Celak. from Thomas Karlsson of the Swedish Natural History Museum. An equivalent identification (as _C. pratensis_ var. _palustris_) was also suggested by Canadian botanist Paul Catling. This same taxon (when ranked as a full species) is known as _C. dentata_ Schult. in recent European special literature (e.g. Marhold et al. 2004), and I understand that this name will be used in the _Flora of North America_. Confirmation that this identification is correct was obtained in 2006, when the first flowering stem was found. This well shows the diagnostic feature used in published keys (e.g. _Flora Europaea_ 1: 287), that the leaflets of all leaves (including upper stem leaves) are stalked (borne on petiolules). So far _Cardamine dentata_ is known from seven localities, six situated NW of Conklin and one East of Conklin (Conklin: 55 deg 38 min N, 111 deg 05 min W). The habitats are in most cases rich shrubby mossy fens (prominent shrubs including _Betula pumila_ var. _glandulifera_, _Larix laricina_ saplings and diverse _Salix_ spp.); in one case a flooded sedge fen (dominated by _Carex aquatilis_). Most plants grow as emergents in waterfilled depressions, with only the tips of their basal leaves rising above water level. In Alberta populations the plants reproduce mainly by means of "adventitious shoots" arising from their leaflet blades; flowering stems are very rarely produced. The leaflets are relatively thin (veins not embedded); on basal leaves the terminal leaflet is often much larger than the lateral leaflets; leaflets on all leaves (including those on flowering stems, if present) are borne on petiolules. My observations of plants grown indoors indicate that leaflets bearing adventitious shoots may fall off and give rise to separate new plants; or, if the leaf is prostrate, the new plant may remain attached to the parent plant. In the latter case plants may appear to be connected by stolons, but the apparent stolons originated as the petioles and rhachises of basal leaves. True stolons (horizontal stems producing new plants) are not known in any North American members of the _Cardamine pratensis_ complex. The following key couplet is intended to distinguish the two members of the _Cardamine pratensis_ complex now known in Alberta: 1a. Leaflets thick, with embedded veins; terminal leaflet of basal leaves normally not much larger than lateral leaflets; leaflets on upper stem leaves narrowly wedge-shaped, not borne on petiolules (petiolules evident at most on basal and lower stem leaves). Alberta populations flowering readily ............ _C. nymanii_ Gandoger [= _C. pratensis_ L. var. _angustifolia_ Hook.] 1b. Leaflets thinner (veins not embedded); terminal leaflet of basal leaves often much larger than lateral leaflets; all leaflets borne on petiolules (including those on upper stem leaves). Alberta populations reproducing mainly by adventitious shoots arising from leaflets, rarely flowering ........... _C. dentata_ Schult. [= _C. pratensis_ L. subsp. _paludosa_ (Knaf) Celak.] 2. _Euphrasia hudsoniana_ Fernald & Wiegand Sell & Yeo (1970) accepted the occurrence of this species in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador and Minnesota, mainly on the shores of seas, rivers and lakes. The known range can now be extended to NE Alberta on the basis of collections during 2005 and 2006 (samples identified by Ernst Vitek of the Vienna Natural History Museum). Whether this species is a longstanding resident of NE Alberta or has recently spread here as a result of industrial activity is uncertain, because we have no historical data for the districts where it occurs. It is now a common plant NW of Conklin, where it is found on roadsides, cutlines, well pads and other disturbed ground. I also found it in ditches along Secondary Highway 881 south of Conklin. The following key is offered for distinguishing the three species of Euphrasia so far reported for Alberta: 1. Flowers relatively large and conspicuous; corolla length (to tip of hood) 7-8 mm; lower lip of corolla strongly spreading (fanshaped). Introduced populations .................... _E. nemorosa_ (Pers.) Wallr. sensu lato 1. Flowers smaller and less conspicuous; corolla length (to tip of hood) 3-6 mm; lower lip of corolla rather narrow (not strongly spreading). Native species. 2. Long-stipitate glands abundant on leaves and calyces (in addition to teeth); upper cauline and lower floral leaves suborbicular to broadly ovate, deltoid or subcordate; corolla length (to tip of hood) 3-4 mm .................................... _E. subarctica_ Raup 2. Leaves and calyces hirsute (with long simple hairs) and toothed, but lacking stipitate glands (the only glands present being the sessile glands on the lower leaf surface present in all species of _Euphrasia_); upper cauline and lower floral leaves lanceolate to ovate, with strongly cuneate (tapered) base; corolla length (to tip of hood) 4.5-6 mm ....................... _E. hudsoniana_ Fernald & Wiegand Introduced populations of Euphrasia with large flowers found in Central and Western Alberta have been recorded under the names _E. arctica_ Lange ex Rostrup subsp. _borealis_ (Townsend) Wettst. (Griffiths 2002) and _E. nemorosa_ (Pers.) Wallr. (Ford et al. 2003). These taxa were distinguished by Sell & Yeo (1970), who recorded both as introduced to Western Canada. Subsequently Downie et al. (1988) concluded that these taxa are not distinct in Eastern North America, but there remain unanswered questions since they omitted to publish their data matrix (see Griffiths 2002). Until further studies are undertaken, it is unclear whether more than one large-flowered introduced species should be recognized in Western Canada. The prior name, if all such introduced populations are referred to a single species, is _E. nemorosa_ (Pers.) Wallr. (s. l.). I am aware of such populations in Alberta in Elk Island National Park (Griffiths 2002), Lacombe and Gadsby Lake (Ford et al. 2003), West of Hinton (Transmountain Pipeline right-ofway at 448149E 5901535N, NHMW) and 27 km South of Jasper (ALTA). _Euphrasia subarctica_ Raup is the taxon treated in the _Flora of Alberta_ (Moss & Packer 1983) under the name _E. arctica_ Lange ex Rostrup var. _disjuncta_ (Fern. & Wieg.) Cronq., but this nomenclature does not accord with Sell & Yeo's (1970) findings. Raup's species was described from Shield rocks on the shore of Lake Athabasca, but its main distribution in Alberta is along the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, where it is common along trails, cutlines and other disturbed ground. It is not present at the sites in NE Alberta where I have found _E. hudsoniana_. 3. _Utricularia stygia_ Thor Thor (1987, 1988) concluded that bladderworts generally called _Utricularia ochroleuca_ in Europe actually consisted of two species, the true _U. ochroleuca_ R. Hartm. and a new species he described as_ U. stygia_ (described in Swedish in his 1987 paper, validated by a Latin description in 1988). While Thor did not undertake a comprehensive review of North American material, he gave a few records of both species. He accepted the synonymy of _U. occidentalis_ Gray (described from the Falcon Valley, Washington) with the true _U. ochroleuca_, as originally suggested by Ceska & Bell (1973). And in his list of collections of his new _U. stygia_ he includes (Thor 1988): "Nova Scotia, St. Paul Island, Lena Lake, 23 July 1929 Perry & Roscoe 351a (GH); 10 Aug 1929 n 351 (GH); Northwest territories, Mackenzie River delta, south end of Richards island, 22 Jul 1934 Porsild 7076 (GH). Alaska, Kuskokwim river drainage basin, near Farewell lake, 62E 33ïN 153E 37ïW, 2 Aug 1949 Drury 2377 (GH)." Last summer I discovered the first Alberta population of _Utricularia stygia_ at a site near Janvier (512692E 6207100N NAD 83 Zone 12V, June 7-8, 2006) during field work for Matrix Solutions Inc. Plants were found in pools between sphagnum mounds in rich shrubby mossy fen (_Betula pumila_ var. _glandulifera_ dominant, with _Salix candida_, _Andromeda polifolia_, _Oxycoccus oxycoccos_, _Potentilla palustris_, _Menyanthes trifoliata_, _Caltha palustris_, _Carex diandra_, _C. aquatilis_, _C. limosa_ and _Trichophorum alpinum_). No other species of _Utricularia_ was found at the site. The identification of _U. stygia_ was made by the original author, Goran Thor, in an email dated September 4, 2006. This species should be added to the Alberta _Tracking List_, and its status in Canada as a whole needs to be reviewed. Among the species of _Utricularia_ previously reported for Alberta, _U. stygia_ most closely resembles _U. intermedia_ Hayne on account of its flat leaf segments. The distinction between the three species with leaves of this type known in North America (two in Alberta) is as follows: 1. Green leaves entirely lacking bladders (all bladders borne on separate colourless stems). Leaf segments usually obtuse (rarely subulate). Spur as long as or almost as long as lower lip. Quadrifid hairs (inside bladders) consisting of two, almost parallel pairs of arms ........ _U. intermedia_ Hayne 1. A few bladders on green leaves (in addition to bladders on separate colourless stems). Leaf segments always subulate. Spur half as long as lower lip. Quadrifid hairs (inside bladders) with radiating arms. 2. Flowers yellow with slight reddish tinge. Lower lip flat or with margin slightly curved upwards, 9-11 x 12- 15 mm. Quadrifid hairs with angles between shorter arms (30-)52- 97(-140) degrees, between longer and shorter arms (80-) 106-139(-175) degrees (Thor 1988) ...... _U. stygia_ Thor 2. Flowers light yellow. Lower lip at first almost flat, later with deflexed margins, about 8 x 9 mm. Quadrifid hairs with angles between shorter arms (117-)146-197(-228) degrees, between longer and shorter arms (34-)60-93(-123) degrees (Thor 1988) .......... _U. ochroleuca_ R. Hartm. Important discussion on variation in _Utricularia stygia_ and _U. ochroleuca_ in California and Oregon is given by Schlosser (2003). It is evident that information on the distribution of both species in North America is far from complete, but both appear to be rare. Flowers of _U. stygia_ were not found at the Alberta site. Their future discovery will assist in comparison with populations from other areas. Literature Cited Allen, L. 2006. _Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre Preliminary Ecological Community Tracking List_. Alberta Community Development, Edmonton. 116 p. Ceska, A. & M.A.M. Bell. 1973. _Utricularia_ (Lentibulariaceae) in the Pacific Northwest. _Madrono_ 22:74-84. Downie, S. R., A. Quintin, & J. McNeill. 1988. Le statut des _Euphrasia borealis_, _E. nemorosa_ et _E. stricta_ dans l'est de l'Amerique du Nord: une analyse numerique. _Can. J. Bot._ 66: 2208- 2216. Ford, E., S. Glass, & G. Hughes. 2003. Encounters of the rare kind. _Iris_ no. 43: 7-8. Gould, J. 2006. _Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre Tracking and Watch Lists - Vascular Plants, Mosses, Liverworts and Hornworts_. Alberta Community Development, Edmonton. 25 p. Griffiths, G. C. D. 2002. A second species of eyebright (_Euphrasia_, Scrophulariaceae) in Alberta. _BEN_ # 299: 46. Lovkvist, B. 1956. The _Cardamine pratensis_ complex. Outlines of its cytogenetics and taxonomy. _Symbolae Botanicae Upsalienses XIV, no. 2_. 131 + xvi p. Marhold, K., J. Lihova, M. Pern, & W. Bleeker. 2004. Comparative ITS and AFLP analysis of diploid _Cardamine_ (Brassicaceae) taxa from closely related polyploid complexes. _Annals of Botany_ 93: 507-520. Moss, E. H. & J. G. Packer. 1983. _Flora of Alberta_. 2nd edition. University of Toronto Press. xiii + 687 p. Schlosser, E. 2003. _Utricularia stygia_ in California, USA, and _U. ochroleuca_ at its southern range. _Carnivorous Plant Newsletter_ 32: 113-121. Sell, P. D. & P. F. Yeo. 1970. A revision of the North American species of _Euphrasia_ L. (Scrophulariaceae). _Bot. J. Linn. Soc._ 63: 189- 233. Thor, G. 1987. Sumpbladdra, _Utricularia stygia_, en ny svensk art. _Sv. Bot. Tidskr._ 81: 273-280. Thor, G. 1988. The genus _Utricularia_ in the Nordic countries, with special emphasis on _U. stygia_ and _U. ochroleuca_. _Nord. J. Bot._ 8: 213-225. Tutin, T. G. et al. (eds.) 1964. _Flora Europaea, Volume 1_. Cambridge University Press. xxxii + 464 p. ANNOUNCING: THE BRITISH COLUMBIA EPIPHYTIC CRUSTOSE LICHEN FLORA PROJECT - CONNECTING THE DOTS. From: Toby Spribille [tspribi@uni-goettingen.de], Curtis Bjork [cbjork@onewest.net], Trevor Goward [tgoward@interchange.ubc.ca] and Tor Tonsberg [tor.tonsberg@bm.uib.no] Though spotted owls and many other birds and mammals depend on trees, they don't actually grow on them. Lichens, of course, are different. In recent years we have become fascinated by the epiphytic crustose lichens of our region. To date, we have passed more than 30,000 specimens under our collective microscopes. So far we have documented some 550 species - a number that grows larger by the day. Included in this count are scores of species that still appear to have no names. During the same period, we have undertaken floristic studies in three of British Columbia's forest regions and one national forest in Montana. In each study, the resulting list of epiphytic lichens has exceeded 275 species. Rather astonishingly, we found that epiphytic lichen species (especially crustose lichens) often far outnumber vascular plants and bryophytes combined! We've decided to formalize our project by announcing its main objective: a flora of the epiphytic crustose lichens of British Columbia. When published, this will constitute Part III of Trevor Goward's _Lichens of British Columbia_ series, and will follow roughly the same format. As with earlier volumes, we hope our work will be useful not just in British Columbia, but also in adjacent states and provinces. And to hedge our bets, we intend to incorporate several species known from surrounding regions, though not yet specifically recorded from British Columbia. Funding for the flora project has yet to be secured. For the time being, we are looking forward to additional field work of the sort we have already undertaken. We hope our fellow lichenologists in both Canada and the U.S. (and for that matter, those in other countries who have worked in this region) will support this project by: (1) sending along difficult or otherwise interesting specimens; (2) letting us know of opportunities for floristic research on epiphytic crusts; and (3) joining us at workshops, one of which we will announce soon for the coming summer. Here's to fruitful collaboration in the years ahead to lichenologists everywhere! BOOK: PRACTICAL PLANT IDENTIFICATION GUIDE Cullen, James. 2006. _Practical Plant Identification: Including a Key to Native and Cultivated Flowering Plants in North Temperate Regions_. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 357 p. ISBN 0-521-86152-7 [hardback] Price: US$75.00 ISBN 0-5211-67877-3 [softcover] Price: US$29.99 "_Practical Plant Identification_ is an essential guide to identifying flowering plant families (wild or cultivated) in the northern hemisphere. Details of plant structure and terminology accompany practical keys to identify 318 families into which flowering plants are currently divided. Specifically designed for practical use, the keys can easily be worked backwards for checking identifications. Containing descriptions of families and listings of the genera within, it also includes a section on further identification to generic and specific levels." "A successor to the author's bestselling _The Identification of Flowering Plant Families_, this new guide is fully revised and updated, and retains the same concise userfriendly approach. Cullen skillfully leads the reader from restrictive disciplines of older taxonomy, into an era of increasing numbers of plant families defined by DNA analysis. Aimed primarily at students of botany and horticulture, this is a perfect introduction to plant identification for anyone interested in plant taxonomy." "Illustrations and explanations of plant structure and the associated terminology enable accurate identifications to be made. Practical keys allow for accurate and precise identification, and can easily be worked backwards for checking. A helpful section explains the use of botanical literature for further identification, and lists the more important general texts." Contents Preface; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Examining the plant: a brief survey of plant structure and its associated terminology; Using the keys; Keys; 'Spot' characters; Arrangement and description of families; Further identification and annotated bibliography; Glossary; Index. ________________________________________________________________ Subscriptions: http://victoria.tc.ca/mailman/listinfo/ben-l Send submissions to aceska@telus.net BEN is archived at http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ ________________________________________________________________ From aceska at telus.net Thu Jan 11 23:58:33 2007 From: aceska at telus.net (Adolf Ceska) Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:58:33 -0800 Subject: [BEN-L]BEN # 370 Message-ID: <000001c735dc$67002b10$ee18d8cf@xphome> BBBBB EEEEEE NN N ISSN 1188-603X BB B EE NNN N BBBBB EEEEE NN N N BOTANICAL BB B EE NN NN ELECTRONIC BBBBB EEEEEE NN N NEWS No. 370 January 11, 2006 aceska@telus.net Victoria, B.C. ----------------------------------------------------------- Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2 ----------------------------------------------------------- EDWARD THEODOR OSWALD (1935 - 2006) Born in Kit Carson, Colorado on November 30, 1935, Ed Oswald passed away peacefully in Kelowna on Dec 1, 2006 with his family by his side. Ed spent two years in college before joining the Navy for four years. He returned to College and received his B.Sc. in 1962 and his M.Sc. in 1963 from the Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado and his Ph.D in 1966 from the Montana State University in Plant Ecology. The title of his Ph.D. thesis was: _A synecological study of the forested moraines of the valley floor of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming_. Ed Oswald worked at the Pacific Forestry Centre in Victoria from 1970 until his retirement in the mid-1990s, and had also spent three years at the Canadian Forest Service lab in Winnipeg before the lab closed. Throughout his career at Victoria, he provided ecological data from various locations throughout British Columbia to research studies; his greatest contribution and the work period he enjoyed most, however, was the time he spent in Yukon Territory, which culminated in a publication in the land- classification field. Oswald served on a number of national and regional committees and represented the Canadian Forest Service in the Mackenzie Pipeline Hearings. The list of Ed Oswald's Pacific Forestry Centre publications is available at the following web site: http://bookstore.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/Searchpubs_e.php?AuthorIDs=AU14298 Ed was a long time member of the Victoria Curling club and was a member of Gallagher's Golf and Country Club in Kelowna. He was passionate about making homemade wine and loved sharing and comparing with his homemaker's wine club. Above all, gardening was his greatest passion. Ed and his wife, Lorna were avid square dancers and loved traveling. Winters were spent at their timeshares enjoying the sunshine in many different locations. ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE IDENTIFICATION OF ALIEN _PHRAGMITES_ IN CANADA From: Paul M. Catling, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Environmental Health, Biodiversity, Saunders Bldg., Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6 Canada [catlingp@agr.gc.ca] Although the abundance of _Phragmites_ has increased drammatically in North America over the past 150 years, it was only recently that this was attributed to introduction of an aggressive non-native race (e.g. Saltonstall 2002, Catling et al. 2003). Of the two taxa that occur in Canada, the native one has been differentiated as _Phragmites australis_ (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. subsp. _americanus_ Saltonstall, P.M. Peterson and Soreng (Saltonstall et al. 2004). The introduced plants, identified as such according to criteria presented by Robichaud & Catling (2003), Saltonstall et al. (2004) and Catling et al. (2006), have been referred to _Phragmites australis_ (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. subsp. _australis_ because: (1) all of those chemically analysed have been referable to haplotype M, which is common in Europe and has a Eurasian origin (Saltonstall 2002; Saltonstall et al. 2004); and (2) similarity of many populations of the introduced race to the large and more or less halophytic race of southern Europe as noted by Catling (2006). With regard to both (1) and (2), _Phragmites australis_ (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. subsp. _australis_ is the only species recently recognized in Europe (e.g. Tutin 1980) with the exception of the very distinctive _P. frutescens_ H. Scholz with vegetatively proliferating spikelets (Greuter & Scholz 1996). Despite the fact that _P. australis_ is based on material from Australia, Clayton (1967) reported that the Australian and European plants were conspecific. The halophytic race of southern Europe, sometimes differentiated as _Phragmites australis_ subsp. _altissimus_ (Benth.) Clayton, also known as _Phragmites communis_ subsp. _maximus_ Clayton and _Phragmites isiaca_ Kunth, has been segregated in the past, but is said to intergrade with subsp. _australis_, to the extent of being unworthy of recognition (Clayton 1967, Tutin 1980, Clevering & Lissner 1999). As it stands there is no current world monograph with which taxa of _Phragmites_ can be conveniently identified and it is clear that the infrageneric classification requires more study. However, using the literature available it is possible to arrive at the following conclusions: Four species are currently recognized and as noted by Saltonstall et al. (2004), all temperate subspecies and varieties are included under _P. australis_ (see also Clayton 1968 and Clevering & Lissner 1999). Thus any North American plant that is not subspecies _americana_ is likely referable to subspecies _australis_ provided that no other infrataxa are recognized (as appears to be the case, see above). Considering the four species that are currently known, and excluding _Phragmites frutescens_ which is presumably better treated as a variety or even a form, the alien plants in Canada appear to conform to _P. australis_. They have blades that are smooth, or slightly rough when dry, but not scabrous beneath, and the rachilla hairs are 6-10 mm long rather than 4-7 mm, and upper glumes more than, instead of less than, 5 mm long. Thus they are not referable to the tropical _P. mauritianus_ Kunth or _P. karka_ (Retz.) Trin. ex Steud. (Clayton 1967, Allred 2003, Liang & Phillips 2006). This leaves _P. australis_ and _P. japonicus_ Steud. The latter differs from _P. australis_ in having lower glumes longer than 2 the length of the lowest lemma (instead of shorter), in having stolons zigzag (instead of straight), and in having stolon nodes hirsute instead of glabrous (Liang & Phillips 2006). With lower glumes less than 2 the length of the lowest lemma, stolons essentially straight, and stolon nodes glabrous in a few observed, the alien plants in Canada are not _P. japonicus_ but rather _P. australis_. The text in both Liang and Phillips (2006) and Ohwi (1965) notes that the culms of _P. australis_ (sub _P. communis_ Trin. in Ohwi) can be either glabrous or pilose, as suggested by examination of specimens from Europe and Asia (pers. obs.). Thus the presence of pilose nodes in some of the alien Canadian plants does not make them referable to _P. japonicus_. Furthermore _Phragmites japonicus_ is a species with relatively smaller spikelets 8-12 mm long whereas in _P. australis_, the spikelets are 10-18 mm long (Liang & Phillips 2006). In the invasive alien Canadian plants the spikelets are 10-16 mm long (measured from the base of the first glume) placing them with _P. australis_. Ohwi (1965) also notes that in _P. japonicus_ the upper sheaths are usually dull purplish above which is not true for the alien plants in Canada. Considering the preceding and assuming that one wants to recognize the North American native subsp. _americanus_, the alien plants in Canada, and presumably elsewhere in northern North America, are referable to _P. australis_ subsp. _australis_. Literature Cited Allred, K.W. 2003. 16.03 _Phragmites_ Adans. P. 10 in Barkworth, M.E., K.M. Capels, S. Long, and M.B. Piep, eds. _Flora of North America north of Mexico_. Vol. 25. Oxford University Press, New York. Catling, P. M. 2006. Notes on the lectotypification of _Phragmites berlandieri_ and identification of North American _Phragmites_. _BEN - Botanical Electronic News_ 366. http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben366.html Catling, P.M., G. Mitrow and L. Black. 2006. Analysis of stem color and correlated morphological characters for grouping _Phragmites_ (Poaceae) taxa in eastern Ontario. _Rhodora_ - In press Catling, P.M., F.W. Schueler, L. Robichaud, and B. Blossey. 2003. More on _Phragmites_ - native and introduced races. _Bull. Can. Bot. Assoc_. 36(1): 4-7. Clayton, W. D. 1967. Studies in the Gramineae; XIV. _Kew Bull_. 21:113-117. Clayton, W. D. 1968. The correct name of the Common Reed. _Taxon_ 17: 168-169. Clevering, O. A. and Lissner, J. 1999. Taxonomy, chromosome numbers, clonal diversity and population dynamics of _Phragmites australis_. _Aquatic Botany_ 64: 185-208. Greuter, W and H. Scholz. 1996. _Phragmites_ in Crete, _Cenchrus frutescens_, and the nomenclature of the common reed (Gramineae). _Taxon_ 45: 521-523. Liang, L. and S.M. Phillips. 2006. 116. _Phragmites_ Adanson, Fam. Pl. 2: 34, 559. 1763. Pp. 448-449 in Zhengyi, W. and H. Deyuan, eds. _Flora of China, Poaceae_. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. Ohwi, J. 1965. _Flora of Japan_. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 1067 p. Robichaud, L. and P. M. Catling. 2003. Potential value of glume length in differentiating native and alien races of Common Reed, _Phragmites australis_. _BEN - Botanical Electronic News 310. http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben310.html Saltonstall, K. 2002. Cryptic invasion by non-native genotype of the common reed, _Phragmites australis_, into North America. _Proc Natl. Acad. U.S.A._ 99: 2445-2449. Saltonstall, K., Peterson, P. M. and Soreng, R. J. 2004. Recognition of _Phragmites australis_ subsp. _americanus_ (Poaceae: Arundinoideae) in North America: evidence from morphological and genetic analysis. _Sida_ 21(2): 683-692. Tutin, T. G. 1980. 109. _Phragmites_ Adanson. P. 253 in: Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, V. H., Walters, S. M., Webb, D. A., Chater, A. O. and Richardson, I. B. K. (eds.), _Flora Europaea, Vol. 5, Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledones)_. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. CANADIAN _PHRAGMITES_ DATABASE - NOTES FOR USE From: Paul M. Catling, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Environmental Health, Biodiversity, Saunders Bldg., Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6 Canada [catlingp@agr.gc.ca] Invasive aliens have become a major threat to biodiversity and to human health and economy. In order to deal with the problem, databases on invasive alien plants and animals have been highlighted as an urgent need in Canada and around the world. With support from the Federal Biodiversity Information Partnership, staff of the AAFC vascular plant herbarium recently completed a database on the occurrence of native and alien races of Common Reed (_Phragmites australis_) in Canada. The introduced _Phragmites australis_ (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. subsp. _australis_ has been recently recognized as a the top priority invasive alien plant of natural habitats in Canada (Catling 2005, Catling & Mitrow 2005), and in parts of the United States (Marks et al. 1993, 1994, Blossey 2002). It has also recently invaded cropland. The native subsp. _americanus_ Saltonstall, P.M. Peterson and Soreng is rare and localized in parts of its North American range and is a priority for protection in some areas. Information on both of these species is urgently needed and a database for Canada is now available. This database can be accessed at the _Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility Website_: http://www.cbif.gc.ca/ Select "language", then "Species Access", then "Plants", then "Search by Taxonomic Name", then enter either the genus name "_Phragmites_" or the name of the native taxon "_Phragmites australis_ subsp. _americanus_" or the name of invasive alien taxon "_Phragmites australis_ subsp. _australis_" and select the _Phragmites_ database below. Then click "search" and wait a few minutes until the database is loaded. A list of specimens with complete label data follows. It includes either 1679 records for the entire database (both subspecies and specimens that cannot be assigned to subspecies) or 901 for subsp. _americanus_ or 275 for subsp. _australis_. At the bottom of the specimen list there is an option to create a map which can be enlanged and within which the data points can be queried. The database can also be searched by collector and location and there is a link to other information on _Phragmites_ in the _Integrated Taxonomic Information System_. Databasae Content: The entire database includes 1679 specimens and is based on material in 20 herbarium collections and museums across Canada including ACAD, ALTA, CAN, DAO, MMMN, MT, MTMG, NSPM, QFA, QUE, SASK, TRT, TRTE, UBC, UNB, UPEI, UWO, V, WAT, and WIN (acronyms from Holmgren et al. 1990 and Holmgren 2005). Identification criteria and misclassification: Research, some of which is published (Robichaud and Catling 2003, Saltonstall et al. 2004, Catling 2006) has established that subsp. _americanus_ differs from subsp. _australis_ in having shorter first glumes and that glume length is strongly correlated with colour of lower stem internodes. Older collections and those from native habitats consistently have red lower internodes suggesting that this is characteristic of the native subspecies. In preparing the database all specimens with clearly red or reddish- purple lower stem internodes were refered to subsp. _americanus_, whereas all specimens with yellow internodes were referred to subsp. _australis_. Specimens without bases, of which there are many because plant collectors frequently collect only the reproductive portion of these tall plants, were identified using the following key which is based on a bimodal distribution of maximum lower glume length correlated with stem colour. Using the lower glume limit of 4.3 mm, the misclassification rate is approximately 6.7%. However, other limits can be selected by assigning individuals in the overlap zone to the to the category of unknowns and this was done for identification of specimens in the database. All plants with lower glumes under 3.8 mm long were assigned to subsp. _australis_, with the result that 0.3 % of subsp. americanus would be misidentified. All specimens with lower glumes over 4.2 mm long were assigned to subsp. _australis_ which would result in 6.6 % of plants possibly referable to subsp. _australis_ being misclassified. However, these misclasification rates may be based on rare mutants lacking red pigment or to hybrids. This method results in 15.8 % of specimens with only inflorescences being unidentified (as a result of occupying the overlap zone). Other characters may also be useful in distinguishing the two subspecies, such as height of ligules (Saltonstall et al. 2004), but these characters have yet to be tested using a large sample. Literature Cited Blossey, B. 2002. Replacement of native North American _Phragmites australis_ by introduced invasive genotypes. BEN - Botanical Electronic News No. 284. http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben284.html Catling, P. M. 2005. New "top of the list" invasive plants of natural habitats in Canada. BEN - Botanical Electronic News 345. http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben345.html Catling, P. M. 2006. Notes on the lectotypification of Phragmires berlandieri and identification of North American _Phragmites_. BEN - Botanical Electronic News 366. http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben366.html Catling, P.M. and G. Mitrow. 2005. A prioritized list of the invasive alien plants of natural habitats in Canada. _Can. Bot. Assoc. Bull._ 38(4): 55-57. Catling, P.M., F.W. Schueler, L. Robichaud and B. Blossey. 2003. More on _Phragmites_ - native and introduced races. _Bull, Can. Bot. Assoc._ 36(1): 4-7. Holmgren P.K.. 2005. Online database of the _Index Herbariorum_: A Global Directory of Public Herbaria and Associated Staff. http://sciweb.nybg.org/science2/IndexHerbariorum.asp Holmgren P.K., N.H. Holgren AND L.C. Barnett. 1990. _Index herbariorum. Part 1: The Herbaria of the World._ The eighth edition. The New York Botanical Garden Press. 693 p. Marks M., B. Lapin and J. Randall. 1993 Element Stewardship Abstract for _Phragmites australis_. The Nature Conservancy. http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/documnts/phraaus.html Marks, M., B. Lapin and J. Randall. 1994. _Phragmites australis_ (_P. communis_): Threats, management, and monitoring. _Natural Areas Journal_ 14: 285-294. Robichaud, L. and P. M. Catling. 2003. Potential value of glume length in differentiating native and alien races of Common Reed, _Phragmites australis_. BEN - Botanical Electronic News 310. http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben310.html Saltonstall, K., P. M. Peterson and R. J. Soreng. 2004. Recognition of _Phragmites australis_ (Poaceae): Arundinoideae) in North America: evidence from morphological and genetic analysis. _Sida_ 21(2): 683- 692. ________________________________________________________________ Subscriptions: http://victoria.tc.ca/mailman/listinfo/ben-l Send submissions to aceska@telus.net BEN is archived at http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ ________________________________________________________________ From aceska at telus.net Tue Jan 30 09:28:46 2007 From: aceska at telus.net (Adolf Ceska) Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 01:28:46 -0800 Subject: [BEN-L]BEN # 371 Message-ID: <002b01c74451$0aa650a0$1c12d8cf@xphome> BBBBB EEEEEE NN N ISSN 1188-603X BB B EE NNN N BBBBB EEEEE NN N N BOTANICAL BB B EE NN NN ELECTRONIC BBBBB EEEEEE NN N NEWS No. 371 January 30, 2007 aceska@telus.net Victoria, B.C. ----------------------------------------------------------- Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2 ----------------------------------------------------------- JOHN GUY TRELAWNY (1919 - 2006) From: John Ballantyne & Harbour Press Publishers John Guy Trelawny was born in Roorkee, India in 1919 and enthusiastically pursued adventure throughout his life. Raised in Devon, the Isle of Jura, Scotland and Phillimore Gardens, London, educated at Bradfield School and Sandhurst College, John served with the British Eighth Army in the Second World War in Iraq, leading Assyrian levy troops, before entering the Italian campaign where he was seriously wounded, lost his leg, and spent two years as a prisoner of war I met John in 1961, when I began working in the old plant pathology lab at what was then the Dominion Experimental Farm on East Saanich Road, in Victoria, British Columbia. We worked together for two years in plant physiology, and John published two papers on thegermination of seeds of Bells of Ireland (_Molucella laevis_), and of seeds of the western dogwood. He was a wonderful person to work with - bright, cheerful, energetic and enthusiastic. At the same time, John was working on his B.Sc. in Botany at Victoria College (later University of Victoria - UVIC), when he was only able to take one course a year. To complete a full year at this rate would have taken five years. John soon became impatient with this situation and, after I left the Experimental Farm to go to UVic, John soon left the civil service to go to UVIC full time. John was an excellent student, and graduated with his B.Sc. in 1967. After graduation John worked at the federal forestry lab on Burnside Road for a couple of years in plant pathology, and then returned to UVIC to qualify as a high school teacher. John taught a good many diverse subjects at Edward Milne High School, including French. In the early 1970s, John joined the Biology Department at UVIC as Senior Lab Instructor in Botany. He taught his students with dedication and enthusiasm, and when they arrived in my third and fourth courses, they were well trained, enthusiastic themselves and raring to go. As well as his teaching duties, John was successfully able to undertake a number of other projects. He edited and revised Dr. Lewis Clark's extensive book on the wild flowers of BC and adjacent regions. Also, from this work John, on his own, prepared and wrote a series of field guides on wild flowers growing in the various regions of BC. After, two extensive trips to the Yukon, John wrote a highly successful field guide on the wild flowers of the Yukon. This book has gone into several editions. John carried out two plant-collecting trips to southeastern Turkey for Edinburgh University, for UBC and for the University of Alberta. For some years John organized and led a series of popular garden tours to Britain, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. John certainly didn't waste his time between May and September! In 1986 John retired from UVIC. Before this, John and Ruth had long since returned to Deep Cove. However, John always maintained his connection with UVic. He was an enthusiastic member of the committee that was advising and managing the development of the Finnerty Gardens, and he was responsible for the addition of many rare and attractive plants to this garden. John spent his later years working on a history of the Assyrian people. John was happiest showing friends and visitors his beautiful and ever-expanding garden, which featured rare shrubs and trees from many parts of the world. His commitment to learning culminated in the award of an honorary doctorate from the University of Victoria in 1992. John died on December 1, 2006 and is buried in Deep Cove, Sidney, BC. ERNEST PETER (ERNIE) MCNAUGHTON (1913 - 2007) From: Vernon Morning Star Vernon, British Columbia Ernest Peter (Ernie) McNaughton passed away peacefully in Vernon, B.C., on January 11, 2007, at the age of 93 years. He was born on April 28, 1913 near Rivers, Manitoba, as the youngest of seven children and spent his younger years living and working in Manitoba and Saskatchewan before moving to Lacombe, Alberta, to continue school. After completing high school he continued working in Lacombe as a linotype operator until he married Belva (nee Johnstone) in May of 1937. They moved to Oshawa, Ontario, where he worked as a linotype operator, attended college and raised a family. This period was interrupted by two years of service as a medic in the Canadian Army. In 1947 the family moved to Lacombe, Alberta, where Ernie completed his bachelor's degree in 1949. They then moved to B.C. and settled in Vernon, British Columbia. Ernie worked as a linotype operator for the _Vernon News_ until retiring in the late 1960s. He now had time to work for causes he believed in, starting with Amnesty International and continuing with the Humanist Association of Canada, the New Democratic Party, and the North Okanagan Naturalist Club. He also began a study of plants that eventually made him one of the most knowledgeable amateur botanists in British Columbia. His education in Botany was assisted by his friendship and collaboration with noted Ontario botanist Wilfred Botham. The two frequently made major trips to meet and study areas of both Ontario and British Columbia. Between these trips, and after Wilfred became unable to continue them, Ernie developed a similar partnership with Malcolm Martin. For many years Malcolm and Ernie traveled and hiked extensively throughout BC searching for rare plants and more accurate botanical knowledge. In recent years Ernie proofread a number of botanical books, including the comprehensive series _Illustrated Flora of British Columbia_ edited by George W. Douglas, Del Meidinger and Jim Pojar. BEN # 309 was dedicated to Ernie McNaughton: http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben309.html _CALAMAGROSTIS TACOMENSIS_, A NEWLY DESCRIBED SPECIES FROM WASHINGTON AND OREGON From: Kendrick L. Marr, Royal British Columbia Museum, 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC V8W 9W2 Canada [kmarr@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca] _Calamagrostis_ is a genus of temperate grasses with approximately 100 species (if the closely related genus _Deyeuxia_ is excluded) distributed in North America, Europe and Asia. Twenty of the 25 North American species have ranges that include western North America. Habitats range from wet meadows, e.g. the widely distributed _C. canadensis_ (Michx.)Beauv.- bluejoint reedgrass, to more xeric conditions, e.g., _C. montanensis_ (Scribn.) Scribn. - plains reedgrass. Among the useful characters to distinguish among species are the lengths of the callus hairs and awns, whether or not the awns are bent or straight and exserted from, or included within, the glumes and whether the growth habit is cespitose versus rhizomatous. In the course of preparing a taxonomic treatment of _Calamagrostis_ for the _Flora of North America_ project, we came across herbarium specimens collected from Washington and Oregon that did not match the description of any taxa treated by Hitchcock et al. (1969). Many of the sheets had been annotated variously as _C. purpurascens_ R.Br., _C. sesquiflora_ (Trin.) Tzvelev or _C. vaseyi_ Beal. These sheets were distinct from both _C. purpurascens_ and _C. sesquiflora_, so we began to apply the name _C. vaseyi_, a name that had been used by the writers of some of the early floras from the Pacific Northwest. This name had first been used by Beal (1896). In attempting to apply this name however we encountered three nomenclatural problems. First, the specimen held that the Smithsonian, which has been attributed as the holotype for _C. vaseyi_, is in fact _C. purpurascens_. Second, Beal, in his description of _C. vaseyi_ did not specify a particular sheet deposited at a particular herbarium. Third, Beal's original description matches _C. rubescens_ quite well for nearly all characters. In order to resolve the nomenclatural problems and to clarify the uniqueness of these plants we have published the name _Calamagrostis tacomensis_ K.L. Marr and R.J. Hebda, with a specimen collected by W. N. Suksdorf in 1886 serving as the holotype. This species occurs in the Olympic and Cascade Mountains of Washington and the Steens Mountains of southeast Oregon in moist to dry, often rocky or well drained habitats from 490-2170 m. It appears to be most closely related to _C. foliosa_ Kearney, a species that is restricted to northern California. Because suitable habitat may occur northwards into British Columbia, further locations may remain to be discovered. Geographical distribution (Marr et al. in press) _C. foliosa_ Kearney: Coastal northern California. _C. howellii_ Vasey: Columbia River gorge of Washington and Oregon. _C. purpurascens_ R.Br.: Circumpolar; widespread in the North American arctic and in the west, south to California and New Mexico. _C. sesquiflora_ (Trin.) Tzvelev: (_Calamagrostis purpurascens_ subsp. _tasuensis_ Calder & R.L. Taylor): Amphiberingian; strictly maritime around the northern Pacific from British Columbia to Kamchatka. _C. tacomensis_ K.L. Marr & R.J. Hebda: Central Cascades and Olympic Peninsula Mountains of Washington; Steens Mountains of SE Oregon. Not in the key: _C. arctica_ Vasey: An amphi-beringian taxon that occurs in North America only on the Seward Peninsula (Alaska) is intermediate between _C. sesquiflora_ and _C. purpurascens_ (Reidar Elven, pers. comm.). These plants differ from _C. purpurascens_ in having setose upper leaf surfaces (versus hairy in _C. purpurascens_), and glumes acuminate (versus acute in _C. purpurascens_). Elven has suggested that these plants be designated either as _C. purpurascens_ R.Br. subsp. _arctica_ (Vasey) Hulten, or at the species level as _C. arctica_ (Vasey) Hulten. The key below is taken from Marr and Hebda (2006) and includes only those species of _Calamagrostis_ in the Pacific Northwest, with long, bent, exerted awns. 1a. Blades densely hairy on the adaxial surfaces; awns 4.5- 9 mm .......................... _C. purpurascens_ R.Br. 1b. Blades glabrous, scabrous or sparsely hairy on the adaxial surfaces; awns 5-17 mm. ...................... 2 2a. Panicles open, (2)3.5-6.5(8) cm wide when pressed, branches usually with spikelets confined to the distal 1/2 of the branches; awns 10-16 mm long ....... _C. howellii_ Vasey 2b. Panicles usually contracted, 1-3 cm wide when pressed or, if open, the branches usually bearing spikelets-to the base; awns 5-17 mm long. ............................. 3 3a. Awns 12-14(17) mm long ............... _C. foliosa_ Kearney 3b. Awns (5.4)7-11(13) mm long .............................. 4 4a. Glume apices long-acuminate and usually twisted at the tips; glume keels scabrous for most of their length .... ........................ _C. sesquiflora_ (Trin.)Tzvelev 4b. Glume apices usually acute, if acuminate, the tips not twisted; glume keels smooth or scabrous only on the distal 1/2 ...... _C. tacomensis_ K.L. Marr & R.J. Hebda Literature Cited Beal, W. J. 1896. _Grasses of North America - Volume II_. H. Holt and Company, New York. Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist, M. Ownbey, & J.W. Thompson. 1969. _Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 1: Vascular cryptogams, gymnosperms, and monocotyledons_. Univ. of Washington Press, Seattle. Marr, K. L. & R. J. Hebda. 2006. _Calamagrostis tacomensis_ (Poaceae), a new species from Washington and Oregon. _Madrono_ 53(3):290-300. Marr, K.L., R.J. Hebda & C.W. Greene. [in press] _Calamagrostis_ Adans. In: Barkworth, M.E. et al. (eds.) _Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae. Flora of North America North of Mexico. Volume 24_. Oxford University Press, New York. NOTES ON _DROSERA_ IN BRITISH COLUMBIA From: Patrick Williston and Paula Bartemucci [pwilliston@bulkley.net] In August 2005, Paula Bartemucci and Patrick Williston discovered two populations of _Drosera linearis_ (slender- leaved sundew) in the vicinity of Moose Lake, Mount Robson Provincial Park, British Columbia. The plants were found growing on peat in calcareous (marl) wetlands that featured the following associated species: _Carex livida_, _Lobelia kalmii_, _Tofieldia pusilla_, _Triantha glutinosa_, _Trichophorum caespitosum_. _Triglochin maritima_, _Utricularia intermedia_, _U. macrorhiza_, and _U. minor_. Each population supported more than 50 plants and included young germinants and mature, seed-bearing plants. One population (P. Williston #5036) is located at Lat. 52 deg. 52'41" N, Long. 118 deg. 41'55" W, and the second (#5038) at Lat. 52 deg. 53'08"N, Long. 118 deg. 43'11"W. Specimens have been prepared and will be submitted to the University of British Columbia herbarium (UBC) and the Royal British Columbia Museum herbarium (V). _Drosera linearis_ appears in the _Illustrated Flora of British Columbia_ in _Appendix I - Excluded Species_ (Douglas et al. 1999; Vol. 3 page 392). It was excluded from the flora because herbarium specimens showing a British Columbia location could not be found. There are at least two British Columbia reports of _Drosera linearis_ that precede our discovery. The first reference was made by Boivin (1966-1967); however, the location specifics are not known. The second record was by Will MacKenzie, Richard Simms and Jen Moran (B.C. Ministry of Forests, Research Branch), who, in 1995, noted a population of _Drosera linearis_ in a calcareous wetland along the Akie River, south of Fort Ware in the Rocky Mountain Trench (Will MacKenzie pers. comm. 2005-2007). _Drosera linearis_ is restricted to northern North America. It is found across Canada and in five US states bordering Canada (NatureServe 2006). Though considered rare throughout, it is generally more common in the central portion of its range (Ontario) and becomes increasingly scarce to the west. _Drosera linearis_ is known from fewer than 20 populations in Alberta where it is ranked S2 (Kershaw et al. 2001). The Rocky Mountains of British Columbia represent the western-most extent of the global range. More populations of _Drosera linearis_ may await discovery in calcareous wetlands of eastern British Columbia, particularly where mountain passes allow this species to disperse west across the Rocky Mountains. British Columbia may support as many as four native species and one sterile hybrid of _Drosera_, insectivorous plants commonly known as sundews: _D. rotundifolia_, _D. anglica_, _D. linearis_, _D. intermedia_ and _D_. x _obovata_. _Drosera rotundifolia_ and _Drosera anglica_ are common and widespread. _Drosera intermedia_ is known from a single collection from Bella Bella (RICHARDSON 26 MAY 1874), housed in the McGill herbarium (MTMG) and identified by Boivin (Paul Catling pers comm. 2007). The seeds and stipules of this specimen should be re-examined to verify that it does not belong in _D. anglica_. _Drosera_ x _obovata_ was recently reported from the Pacific Northwest (from California to British Columbia)by Hawkeye Rondeau (Kartesz & Meacham 1999); it represents a sterile cross between _D. rotundifolia_ (2n=20) and _D. anglica_ (2n=40) (Fernald 1950; Hickman 1993). _Drosera_ species are distinguished based upon leaf-shape, seed characteristics and the attachment of the stipules. The following key is adapted from _Gray's Manual of Botany_ (Fernald 1950), the _Flora of Alberta_ (Moss 1983) and the _Drosera Plant Crib_ (Culham 1997): 1a. Leaf-blades nearly round or broader than long ............. ............................... _Drosera rotundifolia_ L. 1b. Leaf-blades much longer than broad ...................... 2 2a. Leaves linear; flowers 1-4; seeds 0.5-0.8 mm long; calyx segments obtuse with glandular teeth on the margin ..... ............................. _Drosera linearis_ Goldie 2b. Leaves narrowly obovate to elongate-spatulate; flowers 1- 20; seeds 1.0-1.5 mm long or seeds undeveloped; calyx segments acute or obtuse either without or with single glands on the margin ................................. 3 3a. Lamina length (3-)4-6 x width; inflorescence with swollen capsules; seeds reticulate and dark brown; stipules attached except at the tips .... _Drosera anglica_ Huds. 3b. Lamina length 2-3 x width; inflorescence with swollen or narrow capsules; seeds either papillose and dark brown or undeveloped and pale brown; stipules nearly free or attached ............................................. 4 4a. Capsules swollen; seeds dark brown to black and papillose; stipules nearly free to base of the petiole ............ ............................. _Drosera intermedia_ Heyne 4b. Capsules narrow; seeds undeveloped, linear and straw coloured; stipules attached except at the tips ......... ..................... _Drosera_ x _obovata_ Mert. & Koch Acknowledgements Many thanks to Paul Catling and Will MacKenzie for their contributions to this article. Literature Cited Boivin, B. 1966-1967. _Enumeration des plantes du Canada_. Provancheria No. 6. University de Laval, Quebec, P.Q. Culham, A. 1997. _Drosera_. In: (Rich, T.C.G. & A.C. Jermy eds.) _Plant Crib_. Botanical Society of the British Isles in association with National Museums & Galleries of Wales. http://www.bsbi.org.uk/Drosera.pdf Douglas, G.W., Meidinger, D. and J. Pojar. 1999. _Illustrated Flora of British Columbia. Volume 3: Dicotyledons (Diapensiaceae through Onagraceae) and Pteridophytes_. British Columbia Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management and Ministry of Forests, Victoria. 423 p. Fernald, M.L. 1950. _Gray's Manual of Botany_. 8th edition. American Book Company, New York. 1632 p. Hickman, J.C. (eds.). 1993. _The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California_. University of California Press, Berkeley. 1400 p. Kartesz, J.T. & C.A. Meacham. 1999. _Synthesis of the North American Flora. Version 1.0_ North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. CD-ROM Kershaw, L., Gould, J., Johnson, D., and J. Lancaster. 2001. _Rare Vascular Plants of Alberta_. University of Alberta Press, Edmonton, Alberta and Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton, Alberta. 484 p. Moss, E.H. 1983. _Flora of Alberta_. Second edition. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Ontario. NatureServe. 2006. _NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 6.1_. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer (Accessed: January 17, 2007). BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: _CLAYTONIA_ (PORTULACACEAE) MONOGRAPH Miller, John M. & Keneth L. Chambers. 2006. Systematics of _Claytonia_ (Portulacaceae). _Systematic Botany Monographs, Vol. 78_: 1- 236. Published by the American Society of Plant Taxonomists. ISSN 0737-8211 or ISBN 0- 912861-78-9 [hard cover] Price: US$40.00 (US orders) or US$45.00 (non-US order), postage & handling included. Available from: _Systematic Botany Monographs_, University of Michigan Herbarium, 3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2287, USA Checks payable to "ASPT", Visa & MasterCard accepted. Fax: 734-647-5719 e-mail: chra@umich.edu _Claytonia_ (Portulacaceae) comprises of 27 species, including 14 subspecies. The range extends from the Altai Region of Mongolia to the islands of Bering Sea and south to Alaska, Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and the southern limits of Guatemala. Examination of 50,000 herbarium collections and numerous wild populations, as well as chromosomal, phytochemical, and greenhouse studies revealed the extent of interspecific and infraspecific variation. Most species are fully illustrated and all are mapped. One new species (_C. ozarkensis_) and two new combinations (_C. multiscapa_ subsp. _czukczorum_ and subsp. _pacifica_) are proposed. _Claytonia multiscapa_ subsp. _pacifica_ was originally described from Vancouver Island and Olympic Mountains by John McNeill as _C. lanceolata_ var. _pacifica_. ________________________________________________________________ Subscriptions: http://victoria.tc.ca/mailman/listinfo/ben-l Send submissions to aceska@telus.net BEN is archived at http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ ________________________________________________________________