From aceska@cue.bc.ca  Sat Feb  1 01:34:38 1997
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Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 21:58:21 -0800
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
Message-Id: <199702010558.VAA15758@cue.bc.ca>
To: ben@cue.bc.ca
Subject: BEN # 155
Status: RO
X-Status: 

                                                   
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. 155                              January 31, 1997

aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca        Victoria, B.C.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
-----------------------------------------------------------

BOTANY BC, A ROLE MODEL FOR WASHINGTON STATE BOTANISTS
From: AR Kruckeberg <ark@u.washington.edu> originally
      printed in Douglasia Winter 1997

A  novel  botanical gathering occurs annually over the border in
Canada. Novel, indeed, in the waning years of this century, when
botanists now most often gather  to  share  their  findings  and
techniques  from laboratories equipped to probe the mysteries of
DNA molecules and proteins. Rather, Botany BC harks back to  the
days when field botany (read, Natural History!) was a common and
respected  pursuit.  Especially in the study and appreciation of
regional floras is the "gel jock" botanist supplanting the field
botanist. Yet Botany BC is hardly  an  anachronism;  it  thrives
each  year on the premise that total immersion in one's regional
flora can be fun and an unforgettable learning experience.

>From my attendance this summer at a 3-4 day excursion  in  north
central  British  Columbia  with  about  thirty women and men of
Botany BC, I learned that its diverse clientele all leave  their
appointed  tasks  in  land  management, recreation, forestry and
rehabilitation ecology to renew  their  contact  with  the  real
world  of  BC's  biodiversity.  Most  attendees  work for the BC
government: Ministries of Forestry, Environment, the  Endangered
Species program and the like; academics are in the minority. The
annual  gathering  of  self-motivated BC naturalists is hardly a
conference; much more it is: "Botany BC, a very  informal  group
whose  sole  purpose is to put together an interesting, informa-
tive, fun-filled trip each year. It brings  together  interested
botanists  from  throughout BC and adjacent areas from many dif-
ferent fields (forestry,  mine  reclamation,  etc.)"  [Craig  De
Long,  the  1996 convener]. Besides fascinating habitats visited
during the day, evenings combine an informal botanical talk with
social activities.

This year Botany BC  focused  on  unusual  habitats  within  the
Prince  George  area.  We  visited  a serpentine outcrop (Murray
Ridge) and a limestone habitat  (Pope  Mountain),  both  located
near  Fort  St James and the scenic Stuart Lake. With the aid of
botanists  familiar  with  the  local  flora,  we  put  together
creditable  check lists for these two, and other, edaphic sites.
I had given a talk the night before on Pacific Northwest serpen-
tine ecology, so all were primed to encounter a  unique  vegeta-
tion.  And  it  was! On Murray Ridge we witnessed the serpentine
form of maidenhair fern (Adiantum aleuticum) in a subalpine  fir
(Abies  lasiocarpa)  forest.  Then  at  the  summit  a  sparsely
vegetated serpentine outcrop with a number of exceptional  herbs
and  shrubs.  The  uniqueness  of  the flora was repeated on the
limestone of Pope Mountain. No endemics, but a peculiar  mix  of
wide-ranging  species.  Then  back  to  Prince George for a fine
catered dinner, followed by an evening  talk  on  forest  mycor-
rhizae (Hugues Massicotte). And the night  before, it was Canad-
ian folk singing by Andy  McKinnon  around the  campfire at Lake
Stuart.

The next day again focused on unique habitats: wetlands,  dunes,
and  the  like,  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  Trench east of Prince
George. I saw my first tamarack (Larix laricina) in a  bog  set-
ting;  it  was  the  dominant  tree,  mostly  dwarfed by the bog
habitat.

In yet another bog, we saw a rich wetland  flora:  club  mosses,
ericaceous shrubs and sedges. After bog-slogging in the morning,
we entered a remarkable habitat that could have been on the west
side  of  the  Olympic Peninsula: the West Twin Creek old-growth
cedar-hemlock forest, and here we  were,  almost  to  the  Rocky
Mountains!  Notable  absentee  in  this  mesic western hemlock -
western red cedar forest was vine maple. At  this  stop  we  had
Trevor Goward, lichenologist, regale us with a novel notion that
lichens  serve  as  indicators  of  stages in forest succession.
Goward claims that some lichens  are  only  found  in  very  old
growth  forests,  what he calls "antique forests". The last stop
of the day was just west of  Valemont,  where  the  highway,  BC
Route  16,  borders  a  thinly forested duneland along the upper
Fraser River. Scattered lodgepole pine grows here with kinnikin-
nik and Juniperus communis in the pine understory,  as  well  as
herbs (including a rare sedge and locoweed - Astragalus sp.).

So the three days of rich botanical fare in the field and in the
informal  lecture- discussion sessions came to an end; it was an
exciting experience for me to be with Canadian  companions  who,
freed from their appointed daily chores, reveled in the devotion
to  fun  with  botany.  An added thrill for me was an all-day BC
Rail trip from North Vancouver  to  Prince  George.  It  gave  a
kaleidoscopic view of BC vegetation and scenery from wet coastal
forest up into the dry interior (ponderosa pine and sagebrush at
Lillooet),  then  on  east to the Cariboo Plateau for a taste of
the subboreal spruce forest. There is "method"  in  my  relating
this  delightful  event.  I  believe it can be matched below the
border. Washington state has the flora, the requisite  amenities
for hostelry, and above all a potential clientele. We could pull
it  off here, just as well as the Canadians do it! Our potential
clientele: botanists, ecologists, and wildlife specialists  with
the  federal  and state agencies (USFS, BLM, NPS, DNR, etc.), as
well as junior college and high school botany/biology  teachers,
graduate  students  - yes, and even academics from the four-year
colleges and universities.

Botany BC's organization is simple, especially as it is divorced
from any government agency. One host  convener  per  year  at  a
given meeting area; their own bank account, and modest registra-
tion  fees  to cover housing, meals and transport. I could envi-
sion our version of Botany BC  holding  annual  outings  in  the
Columbia Gorge, the Hanford Reach, the Columbia Plateau country,
the  Okanogan  Highlands,  the  North  Cascades, and the Olympic
Peninsula, and elsewhere, well into the future. So  let  us  in-
itiate  a  "Botany  Washington"  field tour some time before the
century plays out. We have the botanists and the botany to  make
it  work!   I am  willing to be  the "point - person"  to get it
started. 
Art Kruckeberg, University of Washington, Botany, Box 351330, 
Seattle, WA 98195. 
Phone: (206) 543-1976.   E-mail: ark@u.washington.edu 


HYBRID LARCH FOR REFORESTATION OF DISASTER AREAS - NW BOHEMIA
From: Jiri Sindelar & Josef Frydl c/o <FORINST@MS.ANET.CZ>

Forests cover 34.4% or 4 626  million  hectares  of  the  former
Czechoslovakia,  with 33.4 and 39.9%, respectively, in the Czech
Republic and Slovakia. Development of  these  forests  has  been
influenced by human activity.

The health of forests in the Czech Republic forests is declining
quickly,  mainly due to air pollution. For example, 54.5% of the
forests in 1986 were affected by  air  pollution  while  only  6
years  later about 58.3% were affected (Domes, 1992). Air pollu-
tion results in the acidification of soils  and  depositions  of
harmful  substances  including  compounds  of sulphur, nitrogen,
fluoride, chlorine, and heavy metals.

The damage is most severe in Northern Bohemia.  For  example  in
the  Ore  Mountains  (Krusne  hory  Mountains)  and Orlicke hory
Mountains, soil pH can be as low as 2.2 ( Materna, 1978). Norway
spruce, the predominant tree species in these  areas,  is  quite
susceptible to air pollution.

To  alleviate  the  problem  in  forests  in  the Czech Republic
forests, it is necessary to reduce the effects of air  pollution
and  then  to  regenerate forest stands using tree species which
are genetically and economically suitable for  the  sites.  Good
tending  of  young  stands,  especially  on  an ecological-sound
basis, is also very  important  for  re-establishing  productive
forests  in  the  regions affected by air pollution. Our results
with larch inter-specific hybrids progenies in the Ore Mountains
region indicate that they are good candidates  for  regenerating
the forest stands in air pollution damaged areas.

For more than 50 years, intensive provenance testing of European
larch  (Larix  decidua  Mill.) and Japanese larch (L. leptolepis
Gord.) has provided basic information on the natural variability
of these species (Paques,  1992).  In  the  Ore  Mountains,  two
research  plots  with  larch  inter-specific hybrids were estab-
lished in  1970  as  a  part  of  a  program  to  determine  the
feasibility of using such trees for reforestation in areas which
have been heavily damaged by air pollution.

Observation  made on 18-year old trees show that growth was slow
on sites heavily affected by air pollution, but that  the  trees
were  otherwise  healthy.  Our  results indicate the possibility
that using inter-specific hybrids  of  larch  for  reforestating
disaster areas will be successful in the Ore Mountains. Compared
to European larch progenies, hybrids grow more quickly, avoiding
the detrimental effect of ground frosts, competition from weeds,
and  animal damage. We propose the establishment of larch hybrid
seed orchards to provide seed for reforesting these areas.

Literature

Domes, Z. 1994. Forestry of the Czech Republic. Workshop Country
   Report, FAO, Rome, 1994, 25 p.
Materna, J. 1978. The effect of industrial pollutants on  forest
   trees:  Physiological  and  ecological  aspects. UVTIZ Praha,
   Lesnictvi, 5, 76 p. [In Czech]
Paques, L. 1992. Current status of inter-  and  intra-  specific
   hybridization.  Pp.  108-122 In: Results and future trends in
   Larch breeding on the basis  of  provenance  research.  Proc.
   IUFRO Centennial Meeting of the IUFRO Working Party S2.02-07.
   Berlin.
Sindelar,  J.  1987.  State of health and growth of Larch (Larix
   sp.) progenies from open pollination  and  controlled  cross-
   breeding in the Ore Mountains. race VULHM, 70(1987): 37 - 69.
   [In Czech]

Authors' address:
   Ing. Jiri  Sindelar, C.Sc.  and  Ing. Josef  Frydl, C.Sc.
   Forestry and Game Management Research Institute
   Jiloviste - Strnady
   156 04  Praha 5 - Zbraslav nad Vltavou
   The Czech Republic


RESOURCE ECONOMIST/SOCIOLOGIST FACULTY POSITION - BAMFIELD
From: Emily L. MacQuarrie c/o <sfshome@igc.apc.org>

At The School for Field  Studies'  Center  for  Coastal  Studies
located in Bamfield British Columbia.

Experienced  in: Cost benefit analysis, Sustainable development,
Extensive experience developing survey  tools,  Experience  with
First  Nations  peoples, Knowledge of local politics in a social
and cultural context, Assessment and evaluation methodology, The
Social Science of natural resources,  The  human  dimensions  of
wildlife  and  conservation  biology.  All faculty positions are
residential and require faculty to live on site  with  students.
Programs  are  offered  to  32 college students for semester and
summer programs. Faculty will teach the equivalent  of  one  and
one  half  courses  per  semester, oversee students directed re-
search projects and participate  in  all  daily  living  at  the
center.  Room  and  board are provided by SFS. Salary is $25,000
American, and health insurance is provided.

Requirements: Ph.D or Masters degree with at least  4  years  of
applied  experience.  Relevant work/living experience in British
Columbia or similar ecosystem. At least 2 years  at  the  under-
graduate  level  with  full  course  responsibility (writing and
grading exams, lecturing, etc.), a  demonstrated  commitment  to
conservation  and experience working  with applied  conservation
and management issues.

To apply: Send cv and a detailed letter  explaining  skills  and
experience to:

   SFS BC Search, 16 Broadway, Beverly, MA 01915
   Fax: (508) 927-5127, Phone: (508) 922-7200 ext. 304
   E-mail: sfshome@igc.apc.org

----------------------------------------------------------------
Submissions, subscriptions, etc.:  aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
BEN is archived on gopher freenet.victoria.bc.ca. The URL is:
gopher://freenet.victoria.bc.ca:70/11/environment/Botany/ben
Also archived at   http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/
________________________________________________________________

From aceska@cue.bc.ca  Tue Feb 11 02:25:58 1997
Received: from cue.bc.ca (aceska@cue.bc.ca [199.60.222.200])
	by calzone.oit.unc.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id CAA21738
	for <london@sunsite.unc.edu>; Tue, 11 Feb 1997 02:25:54 -0500 (EST)
Received: (from aceska@localhost) by cue.bc.ca (8.7.5/8.7.3) id WAA21966 for ben; Mon, 10 Feb 1997 22:50:28 -0800
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 22:50:28 -0800
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
Message-Id: <199702110650.WAA21966@cue.bc.ca>
To: ben@cue.bc.ca
Subject: BEN # 156
Status: O
X-Status: 

                                                   
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. 156                              February 10, 1997

aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca        Victoria, B.C.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
-----------------------------------------------------------

LECTURE ON KAMTCHATKA IN VICTORIA, FEBRUARY 16, 1997

Dr.  Vojtech  Holubec, the Czech botanist and expert alpine gar-
dener, will speak on Sunday, February 16, 1997, at 2:30 p.m., in
room A240 of the Human & Social Resources Building at UVIC.  His
topic will be

   Kamtchatka  -  A  land of fire, ice, beautiful alpines and
   fantastic dwarf willows.

Admission is $5.00 and tickets are available  at  the  door,  at
Ivy's Books and at all Dig This stores.


TALL BUGBANE (CIMICIFUGA ELATA) IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca> &
        the CDC Newsletter No. 5 - December 1996

Seek  and  ye  shall find! On September 18, 1996, Jane Wentworth
(Washington Natural  Heritage  Program)  took  botanists  George
Douglas  and Jenifer Penny (both from the B.C. Conservation Data
Centre [CDC]) to a site of  tall  bugbane  (Cimicifuga  elata  -
Ranunculaceae)  on  Vedder  Mountain  in Washington, in order to
survey the plant's habit and habitat. This paid off nicely  next
day,  when  Jane,  George, and Jenifer discovered over 50 plants
growing in a 6-hectare area of a  70-100-year-old  western  red-
cedar  (Thuja  plicata)  stand  in  the British Columbia part of
Vedder Mountain near Cultus Lake. Tall  bugbane  was  considered
extinct  in British Columbia since the last collection came from
the late 1950's, and the plant has not been seen lately [cf. BEN
# 10]. The plant is on the rare  plant  lists  over  its  entire
range in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

There  was  initial  concern for the viability of the new Cultus
Lake site, since it fell partly within a small business  logging
sale  area  in  the Chilliwack Forest District. This concern was
quickly alleviated when Ian Blackburn and Greg George (from  the
B.C.  Ministry  of  Environment)  took  immediate action. Within
days, a site inspection by the logging  company  and  CDC  staff
resulted  in  alteration  of  the  sale  area boundaries and the
establishment of  a  Wildlife  Tree  Patch  for  the  Cimicifuga
population.

After  this  find  was  published  in  the  British Columbia CDC
Newsletter  (No.  5  -  December  1996),  Rob  Scagel   (Pacific
Phytometric  Consultants) reported to the CDC another population
of Cimicifuga elata in the cut  blocks  on  the  north  side  of
Vedder  Mountain,  in experimental plots established by the B.C.
Ministry of Forests. He also mentioned  the  occurrence  of  the
species  near  the  junction  of the Tamihi Creek with the Chil-
liwack River, and along the ridge top trail from Chipmunk  Creek
to  Mt.  Cheam.  (The early botanist J.R. Anderson collected the
plant from "Mt. Cheam" in 1899.)

Both Rob Scagel and George Douglas urge botanists  to  look  for
new  sites of this plant. Mt. Liumchen of the B.C. Cascade Range
is another area where the plant has been seen in  the  past  and
not  collected  since  1957.  Please  contact Dr. George Douglas
(phone 250-256-5019, e-mail gwdouglas@fwhdept.env.gov.bc.ca) for
more information on how  to  gather  data  needed  for  the  CDC
database of rare and endangered plant species. For more informa-
tion on the ecology and conservation of Cimicifuga elata see BEN
# 121.


CULTIVATION OF CASTILLEJA
From: Art Guppy, P.O.Box 7216, Stn. "D", Victoria, B.C. V9B 4Z3

[Adolf  asked  me  to  write  a short note on the cultivation of
Castilleja levisecta. That is a difficult assignment. In fact it
is impossible for me to do it as a short note.]

Castillejas are hemi-parasites which  attach  to  the  roots  of
other plants. Identifying host plants is difficult. I have in my
garden  8  Castilleja  species that have reached flowering size,
and another 4 are coming along, but are still  quite  small.  Of
these  12  species I found in the literature only one host plant
identified. Castilleja linariifolia (the state flower  of  Wyom-
ing)  can  sometimes  be  seen growing with Artemisia tridentata
(sagebrush) with no other plants  nearby,  so  identifying  that
parasite-host   pair  was  not  difficult.  By  doing  a  little
plantwatching, I have been able to identify common hosts of  two
castillejas  frequently  seen  at low altitudes on southern Van-
couver Island. Castilleja miniata commonly grows on Alnus rubra,
and C. hispida is often on Symphoricarpus albus or on Holodiscus
discolor. Frequently these castillejas are found where rock  and
hard  clay  keeps the roots of the trees or shrubs near the sur-
face. I have grown these castillejas in pots  with  their  hosts
and  observed  them  to  thrive and flower very well. I have ob-
served that at the edges of  subalpine  meadows  C.  miniata  is
often  associated  with  willows,  but  have not yet tested that
pairing.

When I have not known the natural host for a castilleja, I  have
tried  a  substitute  host  and  often these are successful, but
sometimes there are problems that probably would not arise  with
the  natural host. Castillejas on substitute hosts seem prone to
wilting on warm days as if unable to get sufficient  water  from
their hosts.

This  brings me to the problem that I have writing about Castil-
leja levisecta. I don't know its natural host. I do  have  a  C.
levisecta thriving in a pot on Symphoricarpos albus, but I don't
suppose anyone would want Symphoricarpos albus in a garden as it
is  a  very  invasive weed. In my garden I have two plants of C.
levisecta growing on a dwarf form of Spiraea japonica, and  last
May  one  produced  13  inflorescences, though these were not as
plump as they are in nature, likely because the  plant  was  not
getting enough water from its unnatural host.
[In  the  Beacon  Hill  Park, where Castilleja levisecta used to
grow, and on Trial Island, two plants that regularly accompanied
Castilleja levisecta were Eriophyllum lanatum  and  the  coastal
variety of Festuca rubra. - AC]

Recently  I  have  been  trying  Symphoricarpos mollis as a host
plant for several castillejas, and the first results are  excel-
lent.  I doubt this is ever a host plant in nature as its choice
of habitat probably would not suit castillejas. I  have  a  very
showy,  semi-dwarf  form  of C. hispida from the Oregon Cascades
growing on this host, and it is  doing  extremely  well.  Unlike
Symphoricarpus albus, S. mollis seems not to be invasive provide
one  cuts  back the long runners. I have great hopes for success
using this host with C. levisecta.  When  I  have  the  sunshine
yellow  of  C.  levisecta  next to the blinding red of Oregon C.
hispida, you will need sunglasses to view them.

All of the 12 species of castilleja growing in my garden and  in
pots  have  been raised from seed. I do not recommend collecting
castilleja plants from the wild as the combination of the  shock
of  being  moved  to  a new host would almost certainly kill the
castilleja. Certainly growing from  seed  is  much  quicker  and
easier.  Twice  I  have  had a castilleja in a bloom within less
than 6 months of the germinating of the seed.

There are several ways of growing castillejas from seed,  but  I
can  only  describe the two I have used. Several books recommend
what I call the "sow and pray  method";  that  is  one  takes  a
handful  of seed, goes out in the garden, and scatters it about.
That might succeed if you are good with prayer.

I have used what I call the "improved sow and pray method." This
requires some preparation. You must propagate a number  of  pos-
sibly  suitable  host  plants (strong growing perennials). These
should be young seedlings and rooted cuttings, quite small,  and
with  roots near the surface. Tastefully space these prospective
hosts about where you hope to have castillejas, and then sow the
castillejas seeds close to the host roots. Choosing the time for
sowing requires luck and judgment; it must be  early  enough  in
the  winter  to allow the seeds a sufficient period of cold, but
the earlier you sow, the more time the rain has to wash away the
seeds. With an easy species such as Castilleja miniata, provided
you use plenty of seed, your chances of success are very good.

I no longer need to sow seeds of Castilleja miniata because  the
plants self-sow prolifically, and I frequently pull up seedlings
as  weeds.  With other species I generally do not have much seed
to spare, and I use the more painstaking method which follows.

You will need clean, sterilized sand, a suitable container  such
as  500  gram yogourt container and, as a cover, a piece of thin
plastic cut from a plastic bag. Put about 2 cm of moist sand  in
the  bottom  of the container, level it, and sow the seed evenly
over the surface. Sprinkle on enough dry sand  to  almost  cover
the  seeds. (The dry sand will immediately take up moisture from
the moist sand.) Place the covered  container  in  a  fridge  at
about 5 degrees C.

Germination  will usually take place in the fridge after about 1
to 4 months. If there has been  no  germination  after  3  to  5
months,  depending on what seems a reasonable period of cold for
the species, bring the container out of the fridge and place  it
in  a  window or in a green house. Some castillejas seem to ger-
minate  best  in  the  cold;  others  need  warmth.   Castilleja
levisecta  seeds  will  germinate  in  the fridge within about 2
months.

While the seeds are in the fridge, you need to get  host  plants
ready.  Fairly  young seedling host plants or small rooting cut-
tings are best as their roots are  near  the  surface  and  they
won't  cut  off  light to the tiny castilleja seedlings. Pot the
hosts in a well-drained, light, sandy soil. Deep  clay  pots  of
about  14  cm  diameter  are  suitable.  The potted hosts can be
plunged in the garden until the castillejas need them.  At  that
time  submerge  the pots in water for at least 24 hours to drown
any unwelcome guests; then allow them to drain for some hours.

When the seedlings castillejas have unfolded their seed  leaves,
they  are ready to plant, but they can be left in the fridge for
some time after that without suffering harm. Make several  small
hollows  in  the  soil near the host roots. Use a spoon to scoop
out the tiny castillejas with their roots enclosed in moist sand
and place them in the hollows. Dry sand can be used to  fill  in
around them, and this should immediately be moistened. Place the
pot  in  a clear plastic bag, and close the bag above the pot to
form a tent. If the host is tall it may protrude from  the  bag.
Place  the  pot  where  it  will  get plenty of light but little
direct sun. After the seedlings are growing  you  can  gradually
open  the  bag and then roll it down. Thin the seedlings down to
no more than three in a pot. When  the  castillejas  are  sturdy
young  plants,  they and their host can be removed together from
the pot and planted in the garden.

----------------------------------------------------------------
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Also archived at   http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/
________________________________________________________________

From aceska@cue.bc.ca  Sat Feb 15 11:22:39 1997
Received: from cue.bc.ca (aceska@cue.bc.ca [199.60.222.200])
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Received: (from aceska@localhost) by cue.bc.ca (8.7.5/8.7.3) id HAA26662 for ben; Sat, 15 Feb 1997 07:45:08 -0800
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 1997 07:45:08 -0800
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
Message-Id: <199702151545.HAA26662@cue.bc.ca>
To: ben@cue.bc.ca
Subject: BEN # 157
Status: O
X-Status: 

                                                   
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. 157                              February 15, 1997

aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca        Victoria, B.C.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
-----------------------------------------------------------

INTERACTIVE KEYS
From: M. J. Dallwitz, T. A. Paine, and E. J. Zurcher
      <delta@ento.csiro.au>

Computer-based  multi-access  keys,  also  known  as interactive
keys, can offer several advantages over conventional keys:

    A correct identification can be made in spite of errors by
    the user or in the data.

    Characters can be used, and their values changed, in any
    order.

    Numeric characters can be used directly, without being
    divided into ranges.

    The user can express uncertainty by entering more than one
    state value, or a range of numerical values.

Other desirable features include:

    Advice on the most suitable characters to use at  any  stage
    of an identification.

    Character  dependencies:  certain  character  values  making
    other characters inapplicable.

    Provision for  gaps  in  the  values  recorded  for  integer
    numeric characters.

    Storing, searching, and displaying free-text information.

    Locating errors which were circumvented by the
    error-tolerance mechanism.

    Use of probabilities.

    Provision for restricting any operations to subsets of the
    characters and taxa.

    Glossaries and notes on interpretation of characters.

    Illustrations of characters and taxa.

    Provision for information retrieval.

    Finding the differences and similarities between taxa.

    Finding diagnostic descriptions.

    The ability to handle large data sets efficiently.

    Data sharing with other description-based applications:
    description writing, generation of conventional keys, and
    phenetic and cladistic analysis.

It  is  an inevitable consequence of the flexibility of interac-
tive keys that much of the strategy involved in carrying out  an
identification  is  left  to  the  user. Good strategies must be
learnt if the keys are to be used to the best advantage.

M. J. Dallwitz, T. A. Paine, and E. J. Zurcher
Division of Entomology, CSIRO, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601,
Australia. Fax +61 6 246 4000. Email delta@ento.csiro.au.
Home Page http://www.keil.ukans.edu/delta/


RANDOM ACCESS PLANT IDENTIFICATION (RAPID)
From: Alex Inselberg <aei@junction.net>

[This is an  abbreviated  abstract  of  the  Forest  Renewal  of
British Columbia funding proposal.]

RAPID  will  be  an  interactive  plant  identification computer
program which will greatly accelerate the process of identifying
vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens within B.C. The  program
and  its  database  will  continue  to grow and evolve, and will
possibly  become  our  most  valuable  and  readily   accessible
resource for plant identification. Images and line drawings will
be  an  integral  part  of  RAPID.  In addition to the program's
primary function, it will also be a useful teaching aid.

The random access approach to plant  identification  is  dynamic
compared  with  the restrictive dichotomous key approach used in
traditional paper-based methods. This  will  allow  greater  ex-
ploration  of  the  rich  descriptive  attributes  of plants, in
addition to their  ecological  characteristics.  RAPID  will  be
constructed  as  a relational database, which is a sophisticated
and efficient way to store and quickly retrieve information.

Plant identification will begin with the selection of any  of  a
variety  of  characteristics  from an introductory menu. For ex-
ample, identification will involve decisions on  the  following:
location  in the province, type of site, plant life form, physi-
cal size features, and a variety of properties  associated  with
stems,  leaves, inflorescence types, flowers, fruits, and roots.
If you have an idea of the plant family or genus,  you  will  be
able  to  begin your search from that point. With each selection
of a characteristic feature the list of likely candidate species
is potentially shortened. The program will also advise on  those
characters  most  likely  to  discriminate  amongst  the species
remaining. For example, if the type of leaf margin  is  able  to
discriminate  amongst  the  remaining  species in your candidate
list, it will automatically move to the  top  of  your  list  of
"best" characters.

In  the  event  a  given  plant characteristic cannot be clearly
defined, e.g. a leaf is pubescent or possibly tomentose, you can
ask the program to include all species with either  description.
Likewise if you are unsure your sample is considered a tree or a
shrub,  you can include both trees and shrubs in your selection.
For those species which may be indistinguishable without  exper-
tise  and  access  to  materials such as a microscope or special
chemicals, the user will be notified  with  a  warning  message.
Likewise  if  a crucial plant component must be present in order
to make a positive identification, the user will be notified.

Plant names may be displayed  in  either  common  or  scientific
names,  along  with the correct Latin code used to enter species
names on field data forms. Explanation of any of the terminology
used in the menus and keys will also be readily available in the
form of text, diagrams and images.

Approach: Efforts are being made to learn about similar  systems
and  initiatives  in  other parts of the world. RAPID's features
will be carefully selected to ensure it meets the needs of field
personnel here in B.C., as well as the broader goals and  stand-
ards  of  international  data exchange. RAPID will ultimately be
the property of the B.C. Government.  Wherever  possible,  RAPID
will  be  a  cooperative effort with other developers of similar
initiatives and databases within and outside of the province.

When this project goes ahead, a web page will be constructed for
the purpose of information exchange and updates.

For more information on interactive plant identification see the
following:
http://www2.euronet.nl/users/mbleeker/prog/swtaxlst.html#ch210

[For interactive identification programs  see  also  BEN  #  96,
March 25, 1995.]


INTERNET ACCESS TO DELTA PROGRAMS AND DATA
From: Mike Dallwitz <miked@ento.csiro.au>

The  DELTA  programs,  and  several data sets, are available via
anonymous ftp from
    ftp.keil.ukans.edu (directory: /pub/delta) and via WWW from
    http://www.keil.ukans.edu/delta/

The file Index.txt (note the upper-case I) contains  a  list  of
the  available  programs and data. Most of the subdirectories of
delta contain text files *.1st which contain  information  about
downloading  and  installing  the  programs or data in that sub-
directory. When using ftp, always enter the command `binary'  at
the start of the session.

When downloading the program distribution files, place them in a
directory  \DELTA.  To install the programs, follow the instruc-
tions in Delta.1st.

The programs are supplied with documentation files, sample data,
and a list of references. The conditions of use are  in  a  file
delta.use,  and  the prices in delta.reg. These files are within
both of the self-extracting archive  files  delta1@.exe  (MS-DOS
INTKEY) and deltaw@.exe (MS-Windows INTKEY).

There  is  a  mailing list, DELTA-L, for discussion of DELTA and
announcements of updates. To subscribe, send the message
    SUBSCRIBE DELTA-L your-first-name your-last-name by email to
LISTSERV@NIC.SURFNET.NL

----------------------------------------------------------------
Submissions, subscriptions, etc.:  aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
BEN is archived on gopher freenet.victoria.bc.ca. The URL is:
gopher://freenet.victoria.bc.ca:70/11/environment/Botany/ben
Also archived at   http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/
________________________________________________________________

From aceska@cue.bc.ca  Sat Feb 22 12:23:36 1997
Received: from cue.bc.ca (aceska@cue.bc.ca [199.60.222.200])
	by calzone.oit.unc.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id MAA27789
	for <london@sunsite.unc.edu>; Sat, 22 Feb 1997 12:23:28 -0500 (EST)
Received: (from aceska@localhost) by cue.bc.ca (8.7.5/8.7.3) id IAA17574 for ben; Sat, 22 Feb 1997 08:35:42 -0800
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 1997 08:35:42 -0800
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
Message-Id: <199702221635.IAA17574@cue.bc.ca>
To: ben@cue.bc.ca
Subject: BEN # 158
Status: O
X-Status: 

                                                   
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. 158                              February 22, 1997

aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca        Victoria, B.C.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
-----------------------------------------------------------

SAPROPHYTES AND PARASITES - ODDBALLS SENSU POJAR & MACKENZIE
From: Mann, H.E. & M.V.S. Raju (1996) - Blue Jay 54(4): 192.
       [abbreviated introduction to the paper cited bellow]

Parasites,  in  general,  are organisms that live on or in other
individuals and draw their nourishment from  their  hosts.  Most
plants,  on the other hand, are autotrophic, and can manufacture
their own complex nutrients independently from simple  naturally
occurring   substances.   But  even  here  in  the  green  (with
chlorophyll),  self-sustaining  plant  kingdom,  evolution   has
perhaps been diverted several times to produce a small number of
saprophytes and parasites.

The  saprophytes  are  those  that  survive on a wide variety of
complex organic substances without depending  on  other  plants.
Their  aerial  parts are non-green (lacking chlorophyll) and the
underground roots become  variously  modified  by  showing  very
irregular  branching.  Often  these  irregularly  branched roots
morphologically resemble  corals,  and  hence  they  are  called
coralloid  roots,  as in some plants such as Pine Sap or Indian-
pipe (Monotropa)  of  the  family  Monotropaceae,  or  Coralroot
Orchid (Corallorhiza) of the family Orchidaceae. Their roots are
usually  associated externally and/or internally with fungi, and
such an association is called mycorrhiza.

Unlike the  saprophytes,  parasites  depend  directly  on  other
plants  for  their  growth,  development  and  reproduction. The
parasites can be classified into two  types  -  a)  complete  or
holo-parasites  and  b)  semi-  or  hemi-parasites. The complete
parasites are those that depend on autotrophic plants for  their
living.  They  are non-green and cannot photosynthesize. [Broom-
rapes (Orobanchaceae),  Dodders  (Cuscutaceae),  and  Mistletoes
(Loranthaceae) can be given as an example.]

The  semiparasites  do  contain  chlorophyll but depend on other
living plants for water and other  simple  nutrients.  [A  large
group of genera in the Scroph family (Scrophulariaceae), includ-
ing  Indian  Paintbrush (Castilleja), some member of the Santal-
wood family (Santalaceae) such as Bastard  Toadflax  (Comandra),
can be given as an example.] Some semiparasites in nature may or
may  not depend on hosts for their living. The former are called
obligate semiparasites; the latter, facultative  or  circumstan-
tial  semiparasites.  In  all  parasites  the roots, usually the
lateral roots, become modified to form haustoria  (the  part  of
the  root  that penetrate the host), which facilitate the uptake
of water and other nutrients from the host plant.  The  faculta-
tive  semiparasites, under favourable growth conditions, may not
produce haustoria. (In some instances, haustoria of the parasite
become attached to its own root, causing some destruction.  This
phenomenon  is  called self-parasitism, which is not uncommon in
parasites, especially in semiparasites.)

Mann, H.E. & M.V.S. Raju. 1996. Some parasitic  plants  of  Sas-
   katchewan. Blue Jay 54 (No. 4 - December 1996): 192-198.


RE: CULTIVATION OF CASTILLEJA [BEN # 156]
From: Mary Barkworth <stipoid@cc.usu.edu>

My  advisor - Marion Ownbey commented that he had simply planted
Poa pratensis in the plots where he was growing  Castilleja.  At
least, that is what I think he said - it was a long time ago ...
But  the  experimental garden did not have shrubs in it. Has Art
Guppy tried grass (as a host)?


COMMENTS ON ARTICLE "CASTILLEJA IN CULTIVATION" [BEN # 156]
From: Loren Russell, Corvallis, Oregon <loren@peak.org>

In my  experience,  Castillejas  do  not  have  restricted  host
ranges, nor are the hosts necessarily woody plants. I have grown
C.levisecta  on  for about 6 years, from a seed population given
me by Mrs. Florence Free, of Seattle Washington. Mrs.  Free  had
obtained  seed of this species on Whidbey Island Washington, and
had maintained it in the garden for about 20 years when she gave
me the seed. She has since had to give up her garden.

Mrs. Free had started both Castilleja levisecta and  C.  miniata
in  her  garden  by  rubbing  seed directly into mats of the New
Zealand composite Raoulia levisecta, growing in her rock garden.
Both Castillejas had become self-seeding in  this  rock  garden,
among a great variety of exotic and native plants.

I  sow  Castilleja  levisecta  in 4-inch pots in mid-winter, and
germination is usually complete by mid-March; seed sown  outside
after  the  end  of February will not germinate. (This and other
observations indicate that this is a D-40 germinator  in  Norman
Deno's  terminology.)  The  seed of C.levisecta, and probably of
most Castillejas is very long-lived in dry storage. Some of  the
original  batch  of seed from Mrs. Free's garden germinated last
winter, about 6 1/2 years  after  harvest.  The  seed  had  been
stored  dry  in a basement room at about 15-20 C, without desic-
cants.

Castilleja levisecta grows on very  well  to  about  the  6-leaf
stage,  after which it is necessary to transfer the seedlings to
a host. Acceptable  hosts  have  included  Raoulia  tenuicaulis,
Festuca  ovina,  Aster alpinus, Potentilla megalantha. While all
of these are exotic species, it is clear  that  C.levisecta  can
successfully  establish  root  connections with a great range of
host plants of diverse taxonomic groups.


PAINTBRUSH - CASTILLEJA CAN GROW WITHOUT A HOST
From: Jon Splane <jons@EFN.ORG> originally posted to
        Alpine-L the Electronic Rock Garden Society
        <ALPINE-L@NIC.SURFNET.NL>

I have grown and bloomed for a couple of years several clones of
what I identified as C. hispida. These were grown from  seed  in
pots  of  a soilless mix based on composted fir bark with a sub-
stantial amount of pumice added. No "host" plants were  present,
although  weeds frequently appeared. Weeds were removed whenever
noticed. Moss also colonized the pots  and  was  pretty  much  a
permanent  fixture. I doubt the Castillejas were able to use the
moss as a host.

The seedlings made very slow growth  for  most  of  their  first
season, but appeared healthy. The pots were constantly moist and
fed  with  slow  release  fertilizer  and  an occasional shot of
soluble. They were well, but not extravagantly  fertilized.  The
second season they got the same culture and grew moderately well
and bloomed in mid summer.

The  following  spring  a  took some cuttings from these plants.
When the new shoots were just poking up  through  the  ground  I
removed  half  a dozen of these right were they were attached to
the crown. These rooted easily under cover in a mix  similar  to
the  one  growing  the mature plants but with more pumice and no
fertilizer. Most grew on after being potted  up  and  eventually
bloomed.

These  Castillejas  were  around a couple more years and bloomed
but never looked like they were  happy.  They  might  have  done
better in the ground. When I've seen this species in the wild it
has  been growing in a fairly clayey loam with good drainage and
little organic material in the soil. I don't think  their  even-
tual demise was due to lack of a host.

[Similar observations were reported  by L.R. Heckard in 1962, in
the  article on "Root parasitism in Castilleja" published in the
Botanical Gazette, 124: 21-29.]


ERRATA

BEN # 154 - YUKON COLLECTING PERMITS -I made a mistake in  phone
   number  for  the collecting permits. It was given as 668-5363
   it should be 667-5363. I hope you can distribute  the  change
   with my apology. - Bruce Bennett

BEN # 156 - Apologies for the German spelling of Kamchatka. - AC

----------------------------------------------------------------
Submissions, subscriptions, etc.:  aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
BEN is archived on gopher freenet.victoria.bc.ca. The URL is:
gopher://freenet.victoria.bc.ca:70/11/environment/Botany/ben
Also archived at   http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/
________________________________________________________________

From aceska@cue.bc.ca  Tue Mar 18 03:01:41 1997
Received: from cue.bc.ca (aceska@cue.bc.ca [199.60.222.200])
	by calzone.oit.unc.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id DAA00720
	for <london@sunsite.unc.edu>; Tue, 18 Mar 1997 03:01:35 -0500 (EST)
Received: (from aceska@localhost) by cue.bc.ca (8.7.5/8.7.3) id XAA29942 for ben; Mon, 17 Mar 1997 23:23:12 -0800
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 23:23:12 -0800
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
Message-Id: <199703180723.XAA29942@cue.bc.ca>
To: ben@cue.bc.ca
Subject: BEN # 159
Status: O
X-Status: 

                                                   
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. 159                              March 17, 1997

aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca        Victoria, B.C.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
-----------------------------------------------------------

NPSBC - NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

The  first  Annual  General  Meeting of the NPSBC - Native Plant
Society of British Columbia was held in Victoria on  March  9th,
1997 and ellected the first board of directors:

   President:       Douglas Justice
   Vice President:  Tom Wells
   Treasurer:       Sylvia Mosterman
   Secretary:       Ross Waddell

The remaining directors are:
Adolf Ceska, Theresa Duynstee, Pam Meneguzzi, Verna Miller, Wilf
Nichols, John  Olafson,  Bruce  Peel,  Giles  Stevenson,  Paulus
Vrijmoed, Josette Wier, and David Williams.

The aim of the Native Plant Society of British Columbia is to 
encourage  knowledge, responsible  use  and  conservation of 
British Columbia's native plants and habitats (cf. BEN # 144)

If you want to become a member, please,  send  your  application
and the membership fee (Individual - $20.00, Associate - $15.00,
Corporate - $75.00) to

   Ross Waddell, NPSBC Secretary
   2012 William Street
   Vancouver, B.C.  V5L 2X6
   Telephone: 604-255-5719


PLANTWATCH - SPECIAL BOTANY NIGHT - VICTORIA - APRIL 2, 1997

Special  Botany Night:   Wednesday,  April  2,  1997, 7:30 p.m., 
Swan Lake Nature Centre. (Free admission)

Elisabeth Beaubien (Research Associate of the  Devonian  Botanic
Garden,  University  of  Alberta  in  Edmonton)  will talk about
"Plantwatch 97" - a phenology program launched by  the  Devonian
Garden.


EXHIBIT OF FRUITS (ACHENES AND PERIGYNIA) OF THE SEDGE FAMILY

Anna  Roberts  (Williams  Lake,  B.C.) was inspired by fruits of
Cyperaceae and created what she called  the  "biomorphic  sculp-
tures"  of  various  Cyperaceae achenes and Carex perigynia. Her
exhibit "SEDGES" will open  in  the  Station  House  Gallery  in
Williams  Lake,  B.C. on April 3rd, 1997, and will last till the
end of April. Don't miss it!


ORTHOCARPUS BARBATUS (SCROPHULARIACEAE) IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
From: Frank Lomer, Honourary Research Associate, UBC
         Herbarium, Vancouver, B.C. c/o <ubc@unixg.ubc.ca>

Grand Coulee owl-clover, Orthocarpus barbatus Cotton, an attrac-
tive yellow-flowered species endemic to central Washington,  was
collected on May 27, 1995 in low ground in Stipa-sagebrush hills
south  of  the  golf  course west of Highway 97 in Osoyoos. Many
hundreds of plants grew at this site in one small  area  at  the
foot  of  115th  Street  on the south side of a cattle fence ad-
jacent to a new and  very  destructive  subdivision  (Lomer  95-
198).  In 1996 I revisited this site and the population seems to
have increased.

A second Canadian site for this species was found about 5 km due
east of the first site, on June 16,l996 in sagebrush flats south
of Highway 3, 49 0'25" N, 119  24'18"  W  (Lomer  96-079).  This
population  was considerably larger and covered a wide area near
an old cattle corral. Orthocarpus barbatus was collected earlier
at this same site by George Douglas and J.M. Illingworth on June
24, 1994 (Douglas # 12848).


BIOLOGY OF POPLARS
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca>

Stettler,  R.F.,  H.D.  Bradshaw,  Jr.,  P.E.  Heilman,  &  T.M.
   Hinckley  [eds.] 1996. Biology of Populus and its implication
   for management and conservation. NRC Research Press,  Ottawa,
   Ontario,  Canada.  539  p.  ISBN  0-660-16506-6  [hard cover]
   Price: CND$49.95 (in Canada), US$49.95 (other countries).

The study of poplars has been the focal theme of the  University
of   Washington/Washington   State  University  Poplar  Research
Program since 1978. This book offers a summary of the results of
these studies. The  twenty  chapters  (authored  by  forty-seven
researchers)  are  divided into two principal parts: 1) chapters
dealing  with   systematics,   evolution,   molecular   biology,
hybridization, ecology, fungal pathogens, and herbivore interac-
tions of poplars (Chapter 1 through 11), and 2) chapters dealing
with  the  physiology, growth, productivity, and stress response
of various poplar species and their hybrids (Chapter 12  through
20).

The  book  covers a wide range of topics with poplar as a common
denominator. Although this  book  is  a  valuable  reference  to
everything  related to poplars, it also contains valuable infor-
mation on applications of molecular biology, hybridization,  and
physiological  assessments  of  deciduous  tree  species. Anyone
interested in these fields will find it as a valuable reference.

The book is reasonably priced and very well produced. A  general
subject  index  and  an index of authors would have improved the
book.

Order information:
The book can be ordered from

   Monographs Orders
   NRC Research Press, M-55
   National Research Council of Canada
   Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0R6
   Telephone: 613-993-0151  Fax: 613-952-7656
   e-mail: research.journals@nrc.ca
   Web site: http://www.nrc.ca/cisti/journals/mgraphs.html

Authorized distributor (USA)

   Aubrey Books International Ltd.
   Telephone: 301-587-3950
   e-mail: aubrey@access.digex.com


FLORA OF THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC VOL. II: CYPERACEAE - ORCHIDACEAE
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca>

Flora of the Russian  Arctic.  Volume  2.  Translated  from  the
   original  Russian  "Arkticheskaya Flora SSSR" by G.C.D. Grif-
   fiths, edited by J.G. Packer. University  of  Alberta  Press,
   Edmonton. 1996. 233 p. ISBN 0-88864-270-9 [hard cover] Price:
   CDN$125.00

This  volume  of an English translation of the Russian "Flora of
the Soviet Arctic" contains original volumes III  (Cyperaceae  -
published  in  January  1966)  and IV (remaining monocots - pub-
lished in April 1963). The most important parts of  this  volume
are  the  classical  treatment  of  sedges (genus Carex) by T.V.
Egorova and Tolmachev's treatment of Juncaceae.  Egorova's  dis-
cussions  of  taxonomical problems of sedges growing in the Rus-
sian Arctic are relevant to Canadian and North American  readers
and  anybody with even only a slight interest in Carex will find
an important reference  in  this  publication.  The  translator,
G.C.D  Griffiths,  and  the English edition editor, J.G. Packer,
should be commended for their work on this volume.

The price of this volume is  prohibitive  and  put  this  useful
publication  out of reach of many students who should have it in
their reference library. According to the  Acknowledgements  and
according  to  the  promotional note, only a part of this volume
was funded by the NSERC grant. As a result,  this  volume  costs
almost  twice  as  much as the first volume (cf. BEN # 132), and
yet it is only about two thirds the size of  the  first  volume.
The  University of Alberta Press did an excellent job in produc-
ing the first two volumes of this English edition. Compared with
the paperbacks printed on ugly newsprint paper  of  the  Russian
edition,  this  English edition looks like a limited bibliophile
edition, but we have to pay comparably high price  for  it.  Can
NSERC  help  again?  (NSERC  =  Natural  Science and Engineering
Research Council, the  principle  academic  granting  agency  in
Canada)

Please send orders to:

   UBC PRESS
   6344 Memorial Drive
   Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6G 1Z2
   Tel.: (604) 822-5959
   Fax: 1-800-668-0821 (toll-free within North America)
   Fax: (604) 822-6083 (outside North America)
   email: orders@ubcpress.ubc.ca

**Special Price for Two Volume Purchase**
Flora of the Russian Arctic, Vol. I & II        $175.00

**Special Price for Complete Series**
Order the entire series now and save $200!
Flora of the Russian Arctic, Vols. I-VI         $500.00
(If you already own Volume I, deduct $65.00)

ADD  Shipping & Handling ($5.00 per book)
*Canadian orders only* add 7% GST
**Orders from outside Canada are payable in US dollars.**

MasterCard and VISA accepted. Please make cheques payable to UBC
Press. Orders from individuals must be prepaid.

For more information visit the following web site:
http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/press


TWO BOTANICAL JOBS, SUMMER 1997, IN SMITHERS, B.C.
From: Phil or Carla Burton <symbios@mail.netshop.net>

Symbios  Research  and  Restoration  is  looking  for  two field
botanists / ecologists to work on  vegetation  surveys.

Activities will involve  transect  and  plot  layout;  recording
tree,  snag  and  windthrow  diameters  and  height; determining
seedling and sapling densities and recent leader growth; vegeta-
tion sampling  using  line  intercept  method;  and  lichen  and
bryophyte surveys on rotting logs, tree bases, and (possibly) in
the  canopy.

These positions are based in Smithers, B.C. You will be  respon-
sible for your own accommodation and meals.

We  are  particularly looking for individuals with strong LICHEN
AND BRYOPHYTE IDENTIFICATION SKILLS. Work will start June 2  and
will continue to the end of August, 1997.

If interested in one of these positions, please contact me prior
to April 30:

   Carla  Burton,  Symbios  Research  and  Restoration 
   Box 3398, Smithers, B.C. V0J 2N0 
   Tel. 250-847-0247 Fax. 250-847-0278 
   e-mail:  symbios@mail.netshop.net

----------------------------------------------------------------
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BEN is archived on gopher freenet.victoria.bc.ca. The URL is:
gopher://freenet.victoria.bc.ca:70/11/environment/Botany/ben
Also archived at   http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/
________________________________________________________________

From aceska@cue.bc.ca  Sat Mar 22 05:17:09 1997
Received: from cue.bc.ca (aceska@cue.bc.ca [199.60.222.200])
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Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 01:40:10 -0800
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
Message-Id: <199703220940.BAA13327@cue.bc.ca>
To: ben@cue.bc.ca
Subject: BEN # 160
Status: O
X-Status: 

                                                   
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. 160                              March 22, 1997

aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca        Victoria, B.C.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
-----------------------------------------------------------

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

----------------------------------------------------------------
Submissions, subscriptions, etc.:  aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
BEN is archived on gopher freenet.victoria.bc.ca. URL: gopher:
//gopher.freenet.victoria.bc.ca:70/11/environment/Botany/ben
Also archived at   http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/
________________________________________________________________

From aceska@cue.bc.ca  Thu Apr 10 02:56:49 1997
Received: from cue.bc.ca (aceska@cue.bc.ca [199.60.222.200])
	by calzone.oit.unc.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id CAA05172
	for <london@sunsite.unc.edu>; Thu, 10 Apr 1997 02:56:47 -0400 (EDT)
Received: (from aceska@localhost) by cue.bc.ca (8.7.5/8.7.3) id XAA11117 for ben; Wed, 9 Apr 1997 23:19:51 -0700
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 1997 23:19:51 -0700
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
Message-Id: <199704100619.XAA11117@cue.bc.ca>
To: ben@cue.bc.ca
Subject: BEN # 162
Status: O
X-Status: 

                                                   
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. 162                              April 9, 1997

aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca        Victoria, B.C.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
-----------------------------------------------------------

CAMPYLOPUS  INTROFLEXUS  - MOSS INTRODUCED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
From: Terry Taylor <ttaylor@terragen.com>

In August of 1994 while botanizing the northern  part  of  Burns
Bog  [south  of  Vancouver,  B.C.],  near  the  area  where  the
Eriophorum virginicum  has  been  introduced,  I  noticed  large
populations  of  what  appeared  at a distance to be Racomitrium
heterostichum. They grow on what is otherwise bare peat.  Closer
inspection  showed  apical hairpoints diverging horizontally, as
they do in C. introflexus. Microscopic examination of leaf cross
sections also indicated a Campylopus. Dr.  Wilf  Schofield  con-
firmed  my  previous speculation when I gave him the collection.
Last year a population was also found in the  Big  Bend  Bog  in
Burnaby  and fertile material was also collected at another site
in Burns Bog.

Campylopus introflexus (Hedw.) Brid. is an introduction from the
southern hemisphere and had not  been  collected  previously  in
Canada, although it does occur along the Oregon coast.


BRYOPHYTES UNINTENTIONALLY INTRODUCED TO BRITISH COLUMBIA
From: Wilf Schofield <wilfs@unixg.ubc.ca>

The  introduction  of  bryophytes to the British Columbian flora
has not significantly enriched the  flora.  This  is  in  strong
contrast  to  the  vascular  plants,  in which introductions are
reported to form over 20% of the vascular flora.

Apparent introductions are characterized by the fact that  their
presence  in the province is discordant with their natural world
distribution.

Some bryophytes associated with  disturbed  soil  appear  to  be
introductions  because  they are unknown from undisturbed sites.
In the B.C. flora Micromitrium tenerum, Orthotrichum  diaphanum,
Physcomitrium  immersum, Pottia truncata, Pseudephemerum nitidum
and Tortula amplexa could  well  be  introductions,  but  it  is
impossible to be confident.

Other  species  common  in  the  indigenous  flora are obviously
spread by human activity, especially in the production of exten-
sive disturbed sites near roads and  gardens.  Mosses  that  fit
this  category  include Atrichum undulatum, Barbula unguiculata,
Calliergonella   cuspidata,   Ceratodon    purpureus,    Funaria
hygrometrica,  Leptobryum  pyriforme, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus
and Tortula muralis as well as many others, plus  the  liverwort
Marchantia polymorpha.

In lawns, especially in urban areas, several mosses are favoured
by  the conditions maintained through lawn-mowing and fertiliza-
tion, as well as winter conditions of  the  lawn.  Some  mosses,
including  several  species  of  Brachythecium (largely undeter-
minable, and possibly exotic in origin), Rhytidiadelphus  squar-
rosus,  Calliergonella  cuspidata  and  Pseudoscleropodium purum
often form extensive carpets. It is possible that  these  mosses
are  transported  accidentally  from one lawn to another by lawn
maintenance workers. In the final mowing in autumn,  the  mosses
are  usually  of  a stature that allows them to be fragmented by
the lawn mower. These fragments adhere to the mower and are,  in
consequence,  transported  to another lawn where they detach and
are scattered. During the winter, when the grass is dormant, the
moss  fragments  are  able  to  flourish  and  grow  under   the
favourable  light  and moisture conditions and produce extensive
carpets. Moss killers applied in the spring can destroy most  of
these,  but if any living plants persist, they are fragmented as
the lawn is mowed, and the next winter repeats the process.

The bryophyte  introductions  appear  to  have  originated  with
horticultural  plants. Pseudoscleropodium is often used as pack-
ing material for nursery stock in Europe, where the  species  in
native  to  the  flora. It is probable that this was transported
out of Europe through this means. In both  eastern  and  western
North  America it is confined mainly to lawns, although in B.C.,
at lest, it is known from near coastal cities  (Vancouver,  Vic-
toria,  Nanaimo),  but  is  also  on Galiano Island and probably
elsewhere. It has also been  introduced  to  Australia  and  New
Zealand  as  well  as other non-European localities. Pseudocros-
sidium hornschuchianun, Pottia truncata, Physcomitrium immersum,
and Lunularia cruciata  are  associated  almost  exclusively  to
gardens  or to the perimeter of agricultural land, and sometimes
persist briefly in a site. It is reasonable  to  speculate  that
these originated with soil in pots of garden seedlings.

The  introduction  of  Campylopus  introflexus  (endemic  to the
Southern Hemisphere) and Orthotrichum diaphanum are difficult to
explain. The Campylopus is confined in B.C. to  Burns  and  Bend
Bogs  in  the Lower Mainland, to disturbed peatland. It is known
in western North America also from Oregon  (sand  dune  slacks),
and  adjacent  California  (seemingly  natural  habitats).  This
Campylopus was introduced to  Europe  many  years  ago  and  has
spread  relatively  rapidly.  Terry  Taylor  has discovered both
fertile and vegetative populations, sometimes,  covering  exten-
sive  tracts.  The  plants  are  brittle,  and the fragments can
readily establish the species in new sites after  transfer.  The
Orthotrichum  is  indigenous to North America, but the only B.C.
sites are in Vancouver (concrete walls and introduced cottonwood
trees). The species is not common in western United  States,  so
its  appearance  in  Vancouver  in  anthropogenic  sites is mys-
terious.

The intriguing problems remain concerning the vegetative popula-
tions of several species of Brachythecium  in  lawns.  Some  are
extremely  abundant.  Sporophytes  are  essential  for confident
determination. Lawn mowing appears to impede sporophyte  produc-
tion,  keeping  the  populations in a vegetative state. sp It is
apparent that  introduced  bryophytes  harbour  many  intriguing
problems worthy of attention.


BIOGRAPHY OF CHARLES CHRISTOPHER PARRY

Weber,  W. A. 1997. King of Colorado Botany: Charles Christopher
   Parry, 1823-1890. University Press of Colorado, Boulder,  CO.
   216 p. ISBN 0-87081-431-1 [hardcover] Price: US$39.95.

   Ordering   information:   Order   from  University  Press  of
   Colorado, P.O.Box 849, Niwot, CO 80544. Toll-free  number  1-
   800-268-6044.  $US39.95, shipping $3.00 for first book, $1.00
   for each additional.

Charles Christopher Parry is well known to botanists  worldwide.
More than eighty new species of flowering plants were named from
Parry's Colorado collections, and many more from his collections
in Mexico and the American Southwest. Fascinated with mountains,
Parry  made  barometric  observations  that  permitted the first
accurate estimations of altitudes of the  high  peaks.  Yet  his
greatest contribution to science was through the distribution of
his  botanical  collections  to the museums of the world. Except
for  his  name  having  been  affixed  to  many  of   Colorado's
wildflowers,  two mountain peaks, and a creek in Middle Park, he
is hardly known in Colorado. . . . [The book] combines the lists
of Parry's  collections  with  the  scientific  and  semipopular
descriptions of his travels, up till now found only scattered in
rare periodicals and old newspapers. This is a work that will be
of interest to naturalists and all others interested in the West
as it existed during Parry's lifetime.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Submissions, subscriptions, etc.:  aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
BEN is archived on gopher freenet.victoria.bc.ca. URL: gopher:
//gopher.freenet.victoria.bc.ca:70/11/environment/Botany/ben
Also archived at   http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/
________________________________________________________________

From aceska@cue.bc.ca  Sat Apr 19 04:09:38 1997
Received: from cue.bc.ca (aceska@cue.bc.ca [199.60.222.200])
	by calzone.oit.unc.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id EAA27341
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Received: (from aceska@localhost) by cue.bc.ca (8.7.5/8.7.3) id AAA07755 for ben; Sat, 19 Apr 1997 00:26:15 -0700
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 00:26:15 -0700
From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
Message-Id: <199704190726.AAA07755@cue.bc.ca>
To: ben@cue.bc.ca
Subject: BEN # 163
Status: O
X-Status: 

                                                   
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. 163                              April 19, 1997

aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca        Victoria, B.C.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
-----------------------------------------------------------

1997 MEETING OF THE ALASKA RARE PLANT FORUM

From: Alan Batten & Carolyn Parker <fnclp1@aurora.alaska.edu>
       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  <Bruce.Bennett@ec.gc.ca>  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 <ubc@unixg.ubc.ca>

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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From aceska@cue.bc.ca  Wed Apr 30 04:35:19 1997
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From: Adolf Ceska <aceska@cue.bc.ca>
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To: ben@cue.bc.ca
Subject: BEN # 164
Status: O
X-Status: 

                                                   
BBBBB    EEEEEE   NN   N             ISSN 1188-603X
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No. 164                              April 30, 1997

aceska@freenet.victoria.bc.ca        Victoria, B.C.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Dr. A. Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2
-----------------------------------------------------------

SYN-TAX 5 WORKSHOP IN ANCHORAGE  ALASKA,  12-14  SEPTEMBER  1997
From: "Stephen S. Talbot" <75327.1053@CompuServe.COM>

Two  years  ago I met Janos Podani at the IAVS meetings in Texas
and then again last summer in Budapest. I  have  been  very  im-
pressed  with his SYN-TAX 5 computing package and invited him to
come to Anchorage. It is with great pleasure  that  I  send  the
following workshop announcement for possible inclusion in BEN.

   Special Three-day Workshop
   12-14 September 1997
   Alaska Pacific University

Exploration of Multivariate Data Structures in Biology:
How to Use the SYN-TAX Package on the Mac or PC
by Dr. Janos Podani

This  three-day course will combine morning lectures with after-
noon hands-on application to teach the basic  concepts  and  ad-
vanced  features  of  the  SYN-TAX  5.0  computing package. Par-
ticipants are encouraged to bring their own data sets.

 1. Classification. Hierarchical,  non-hierarchical,  and  fuzzy
    approaches.
 2. Ordination.  Metric and non-metric multidimensional scaling.
    Principal components analysis.
 3. Evaluation of classifications and ordinations.  Comparisons,
    consensus, meta-analysis, and Monte Carlo tests.
 4. Character   ranking.  Rearrangement  of  distance  and  data
    matrices to elucidate diagonal or block structures.
 5. Pattern analysis  of  species  assemblages  using  digitized
    field data.

The  workshop will be held at Alaska Pacific University and will
be limited to 20 participants. Cost of  workshop:  $200.  Checks
should  be  made payable to "Alaska Pacific University" and sent
to: SYN-TAX  Workshop,  Environmental  Science,  Alaska  Pacific
University,  4101  University  Drive,  Anchorage,  Alaska 99508.
Classes from 9:00-12:00 and 1:00-4:00 pm. Macintosh  Power  PC's
will  be available in the laboratory as well as a smaller number
of DOS machines. Participants may also bring  their  own  laptop
computers.  Further  information  concerning the SYN-TAX package
may be found on the Web homepage (http://ramet.elte.hu/).

Suggested reading:
Podani, J. 1994.  Multivariate  data  analysis  in  ecology  and
   systematics.  A  methodological  guide  to  the  SYN- YAX 5.0
   package. SPB Academic Publishing bv, P.O. Box 97747, 2509  GC
   The Hague, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-5103-094-0

Registration form and more information can be obtained from:

Stephen  Talbot, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor
Road, Anchorage, AK 99503; phone (907) 786-3381, fax (907)  786-
3976, email: 75327.1053@compuserve.com (Stephen Talbot).


SACRED FUNGUS IN TRADITIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE

Blanchette,  R.A.  1997  Haploporus  odorus:  A sacred fungus in
   traditional native American culture of the  northern  plains.
   Mycologia 89: 233 - 240.

Abstract: The Indigenous Peoples of the northern American plains
used  Haploporus  odorus  to  ornament sacred robes, human scalp
necklaces and other cultural properties. The fungus was  also  a
component  of  medicine  bundles and used for protection against
illness. Numerous collections, some dating to the  early  1800s,
from the Blackfoot, Blood, Cree and other northern plains tribes
indicate  this  fungus  was used widely as a component of sacred
objects and as a symbol  of  spiritual  power.  The  exceedingly
fragrant anise-like scent of H. odorus sporophores appears to be
the  reason  this  fungus  was  selected and revered. Collection
notes and historic photographs provide additional  evidence  for
the  importance  of  this  fungus in traditional Native American
culture. The significance of this fungus  has  remained  obscure
due  to  misidentification  of  the  fungus as carved cottonwood
roots, loss of information on traditional Native  American  cul-
ture over the last century and lack of previous ethnomycological
investigation.

Robert  A.  Blanchette Department of Plant Pathology, University
   of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108.
   E-Mail: robertb@puccini.crl.umn.edu


CATALOG VERSUS CURATE - UPDATE
From: Una Smith <una@doliolum.biology.yale.edu> originally on
         TAXACOM <taxacom@cmsa.berkeley.edu>

In  September 1995, I posted an article on TAXACOM re cataloging
versus curating natural history  collections,  which  started  a
lively  discussion. My original article is included below. It is
also archived, along with the entire thread  that  followed,  on
http://www.keil.ukans.edu/archive/ taxacom.html. Recently, I was
asked if my views have changed over the past year and a half. In
short:  no.  In fact, the posted replies to my article convinced
me that the problem is far more severe than I had realized.

Here's one common scenario: a funding agency awards a  grant  to
build  an electronic catalog for an important collection. By the
end of the grant period the money is gone but only a  tiny  part
of  the catalog has been done. "The agency said our grant was to
cover cataloging 40,000 specimens, but they only gave us  enough
money to pay for doing 1,000!"

How  did this happen? The funding agency and the institution had
very different ideas of  what  the  term  "catalog"  meant.  The
agency expected a small amount to be spent on each specimen, but
left  the  particulars  up  to  the institution; the institution
spent most of the money on a few very difficult  specimens,  and
nothing  on  the  rest.  This  is not a good outcome for anyone,
except perhaps the one or two scientists who are most interested
in those few specimens.

Apparently, this is a common scenario. Why? I think  the  reason
for this is evident in some of the replies to my article back in
September 1995. Several people (dare I say, taxonomists?) stated
that  curation  and  cataloging  are  (or should be) one and the
same. Cataloging can be fairly cheap  and  painless  (especially
when  done  in the course of curating), but curating (especially
of important, *old* collections), is always expensive.

Why are funding agencies so willing to pay for rapid  cataloging
of  old collections, but not for "proper" curation? Because once
the catalog is available on the Internet,  specialists  anywhere
in  the  world will be able to locate specimens of "their" group
in that collection. It is these taxonomic specialists  who  will
(and  should) be expected to do the extensive, detailed curation
that is so  expensive.  If  they  are  like  me,  they  will  be
delighted  to  perform  this  valuable  service  in exchange for
access to these important, historic collections.

CATALOG VS CURATE - ORIGINAL ARTICLE
From: Una Smith <una@DOLIOLUM.BIOLOGY.YALE.EDU> originally
   posted to TAXACOM, 12 September 1995

Over the past few years, I have visited numerous  museums,  her-
baria,  and  botanical  gardens in the course of my research, to
look  at  specimens.  Invariably,  it  seems,  I  also  talk  to
curators,   collection   managers,   and  computing  system  ad-
ministrators about their on-line cataloging efforts.

One theme that emerges consistently is the difficulty of finding
a good relationship between cataloging and curating.  Cataloging
is  the  creation  of  data  records in a consistent format on a
tangible medium. Curation is the analysis of specimens  and  all
pertinent  data,  with  various  goals  in mind: verification of
known data, validation of that data,  discovery  of  interesting
links  or  patterns  among  the  data,  determination of correct
identifications, and taxonomic  and  systematic  treatments  and
revisions.

In  some institutions, on-line catalogs are perceived as an end-
product, and as being (ideally) fixed. Also, there appears to be
a great deal of difference of opinion about what various funding
agencies want when they fund "cataloging" projects. Hence, there
is sometimes intense pressure on research staff to do "complete"
and "final" curatorial work on all  specimens  as  part  of  the
cataloging  effort,  regardless  of  the scientific value of the
specimens or the area of  expertise  of  the  curator.  It  also
requires  highly  trained  researchers  to spend huge amounts of
time doing what could be done, for the most  part,  by  a  semi-
skilled  clerical  worker, student trainee, or volunteer. Conse-
quently, cataloging  can  become  an  excruciatingly  difficult,
expensive, and slow process.

Is  it  practical to make curatorial work a principal element of
cataloging work, and not the other way around? Is it useful?  Is
it  even  desirable?  I  think  not.  In fact, I think it may be
extremely detrimental to natural history  research  institutions
and to our science.
Comments,  anyone?  Because  I  think  that  many people reading
TAXACOM find themselves in exactly the sort of situation that  I
describe  here,  and may feel hesitant to post anything that may
appear to be a criticism of their own institution, I would  like
to  propose the following: If you wish to post a comment on this
topic, but do not want your identity known, you may send  it  to
me  via e-mail privately (be sure to check your headers!), and I
will post your article with a pseudonym. If  you  do  not  state
that  you  wish me to post your e-mail, I will hold it in stric-
test confidence.


BEN # 163 - ERRATUM

ALA is the official abbreviation of  the  University  of  Alaska
Herbarium in Fairbanks (not Anchorage).

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