BEN
BOTANICAL ELECTRONIC NEWS
ISSN 1188-603X


No. 123 January 6, 1996


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

NEW RECORDS OF VASCULAR PLANTS FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA

From: Frank Lomer c/o UBC Herbarium (ubc@unixg.ubc.ca)

The following species, not included in the Vascular Plants of British Columbia Vol. 1-4 (Douglas et al. 1989-94) have been recently identified, overlooked, or newly added to the collection at the University of British Columbia Herbarium (UBC).
Aster frondosus (Nutt.) T. & G.
First collected July 28, 1939 at the "edge of Osoyoos Lake" by J.W. Eastham (Eastham # 6122). I collected it again September 29, 1993 on the northeast shore of Osoyoos Lake (Lomer # 93-281) where it was sparsely scattered among other annual species just above waterline.

Pressed specimens are difficult to distinguish from Aster brachyactis, but live plants are easily recognized by the small white (fading to pink) ray flowers. The rays are not readily apparent once the plant is pressed.

Curiously, on September 30, 1994, I again found a small population of A. frondosus (about 20 plants) growing in moist compacted sand south of Pattullo Bridge in Surrey, 12 km east of Vancouver (Lomer # 94-228). The area was part of a large sand landfill dredged from the Fraser River. Numerous other species native east of the Coast Mountains also grew at this site (Carex atherodes, Carex brevior, Sphenopholis obtusata, Astragalus canadensis, Potentilla rivalis, and many others), no doubt originating from material washed down the Fraser River from the interior B.C. This would indicate that Aster frondosus almost certainly grows in the Fraser drainage east of the Coast Mountains.

Aster pilosus Willd.
I have seen this late flowering Aster growing in seven different locations around Vancouver. It is an introduced species native to eastern North America. First collected November 1, 1990 on a vacant lot at 5th Avenue and Yukon Street, Vancouver (Lomer 90-199). Also collected in Coquitlam, New Westminster, and Surrey. There are always a few plants growing around the old CN railyards, east of Main Street, near the VIA Rail Station, Vancouver.

Centaurea nigra L.
First collected July 28, 1994 in front of Riverview Hospital near Pitt River Road, Coquitlam (Lomer 94-164). A large population also in the back of the hospital along a dirt road.

Chenopodium fremontii Wats. var fremontii
Numerous collections at UBC. The oldest is from August 1, 1943, collected at the "base of limestone cliff, above hotel," Fairmont Hotsprings (Eastham 11087). This species seems to favour protected areas, especially limestone cliff bases and commonly under large Douglas-firs. The latest collection at UBC is July 24, 1993 along Sage Creek Road, calcareous cliff crevices, 49 deg. 08' N. 114 deg. 24' W. (Lomer 93-163).

Easily confused with the common weedy Chenopodium album, with which it sometimes grows, but Ch. fremontii is a smaller plant with a characteristic leaf shape, more finely mealy, and with a smaller, more delicate inflorescence. Collected from Princeton, Keremeos, Cawston, Osoyoos, Summerland, Kamloops, Clearwater, Spence's Bridge, Williams Lake, and west of Alexis Creek. I would consider this native plant to be frequent in southern British Columbia east of the Coast Cascade Mountains.

Chenopodium polyspermum L.
I have seen this weedy European species from at least 8 locations from around Vancouver: Spruce Street & Broadway, Vancouver (Lomer 90-164), Surrey (Lomer 90-001, 90-182), New Westminster (Lomer 90-156), and Coquitlam (Lomer 90-157, 94-245).

Gypsophila scorzonerifolia Ser.
First collected in gypsum piles (appropriately) at Lafarge Cement Plant, foot of No. 9 Road, Richmond, August 25, 1988 (Lomer 88-137) where it still persists today. This Asian species is also well established as a roadside weed in the Columbia River Valley in southeast British Columbia form Windermere to Canal Flats (Lomer 93-184, 93-209). Gypsophila scorzonerifolia can be told from G. paniculata by its pinkish flowers, less diffuse panicle, and glandular inflorescence. The two species grow together in Windermere.

Polygonum bistorta L.
Mount Edziza, "Solifluction terraces" July 14, 1973. Collected by K. Beamish, J. Pojar and K. Wade (UBC 145135). Does anyone know if this is the only record of this northern species for B.C.?

Prenanthes sagittata (Gray) A. Nels.
Kishinena Valley "moist place at roadside" July 22 1970. Collected by K. Beamish (UBC 130057). There is also a good specimen of this species in the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria (V), collected from Grizzly and Akamina Creek, August 13, 1976 (V 93810).

Ranunculus bulbosus L.
Collected May 1, 1995 in the Deep Cove area, north of Victoria (Birch Road, west of Saanich Road - Lomer 95-003, and across from Deep Cove Store on West Saanich Road - Lomer 95-006). According to Vascular plants of British Columbia this species was last collected in B.C. in 1890.

Sagina apetala L.
Collected around Victoria (Dallas & Simcoe Street - Lomer 95-082, Chinese Cemetery - Lomer 95-054, and at the parking lot of Thetis Lake Regional Park - Lomer 95-056).

Spergularia bocconii (Scheele) Ascherson & Graebner
Three mislabeled specimens have been recently found in the UBC herbarium and identified as this European weed:
  1. August 27, 1939: "near Kamloops" - collected by E.S. Tisdale (UBC 8074) labeled Spergularia diandra (Guss.) Bois.
  2. June 4, 1949: Spotted Lake west of Osoyoos - collected by L.R. Sieburth (UBC 69796) labeled as S. diandra.
  3. August 27, 1950: Shumway Lake south of Kamloops - collected by V.J. Krajina (UBC 106015) labeled S. marina (L.) Griseb.

Spergularia diandra is a less densely glandular plant with blackish seeds, not yet known in British Columbia. This year (1995) I found immature plants around a pond by Haynes Point Provincial Campground, Osoyoos that were in all likelihood S. bocconii.

Veronica biloba L.
Collected across from the Old Post Office in Greenwood, May 27, 1995 (Lomer 95-057). Abundant in a backyard lot and also seen in two other places in town. This is a distinctive glandular annual species of Veronica from central Europe. The owner of the property where I collected this plant had not seen it before this year. She told me that she first noticed it after she sprayed the area with Roundup last year to clear the knapweed and clover. Next spring thousands of these little plants showed up covering a large patch of ground.

Vicia lathyroides L.
This species has been well established for many years in the Victoria area: Mill Hill, May 7, 1966 collected by K. Beamish (UBC 116604), Island View Beach, April 30, 1995 (Lomer 95-032).

AQUATIC PLANT INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM (APIRS) ONLINE

From: AQUAPHYTE, vol. 15, no. 2 - Fall 1995

The Aquatic Plant Information System (APIRS) is now online, 24-hours a day. The 41,000-item database about freshwater macrophytes is the largest of its kind, and since 1981, it has been used by thousands of various users :see BEN 87 --- 5-January 1995:. The users had to write or phone to the APIRS office in Florida and the APIRS office performed their data base searches. Now users may use the database by themselves, searching it in whatever ways they see fit. Use of the database remains free of charge.

The APIRS is available through the Internet as a World Wide Web site: http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/ (or you can telnet directly to 128.227.242.241). After following the sign-on procedure (logon as "guest" - no apostrophes - and for password and another for the default terminal), you may search the database in myriard ways: search by keyword, author, date, citation, plant species, etc. :I found that it is rather tricky to sign out. To end the search press return in the search mode, than enter Q twice. You will get the system's $ sign. Enter "exit" - no apostrophes - to disconnect. - AC:

The Centre for Aquatic Plants welcomes reprints from researchers. Authors can search the database for their name (use lastname$ - $ will take care of initials, etc.) and send anything not already listed. The address is: Center for Aquatic Plants, Aquatic Plant Information Retrieval System (APIRS), University of Florida, 7922 N.W. 71st Street, Gainesville, FL 32606, USA.

The Aquatic plant World Wide Web site http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/ offers a variety of free and for-sale products and services. Besides the APIRS database you can access line drawings of aquatic plants, high resolution photographs of aquatic and wetland plants, etc. You can contact two aquatic plant Extension Specialists and link with other sites of interest to botanist and aquatic plant ecologists. The APIRS office is planning to develop an interactive "short course" about aquatic and wetland plants as part of this Web site.


NONINDIGENOUS SPECIES IN WESTERN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS - SYMPOSIUM

From: Mark Sytsma (MARK@sbii.sb2.pdx.edu) via (pacific-biosnet@listproc.wsu.edu)
Where: Smith Memorial Center, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
When: 27 March 1996

Nonindigenous, introduced species have severely altered aquatic ecosystems in the West. Numerous other species threaten to invade and cause further damage. The Symposium will provide an opportunity for aquatic system managers, scientists, and concerned citizens to learn about the biology and potential management strategies for some important nonindigenous species currently present in, or threatening to invade, the West.

Symposium speakers include:


Western Aquatic Plant Management Society Annual Meeting North American Lake Management Society Regional Meeting

When: 28-29 March 1996

Following the Symposium, the Western Aquatic Plant Management Society (WAPMS) will hold its annual meeting on 28 and 29 March 1996. The meeting will include contributed papers on the biology, ecology, and management of aquatic vegetation.

Some preliminary WAPMS Contributed Papers Sessions:

Western chapters of the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) will host a series of nontechnical workshops on March 29 for concerned citizens interested in becoming more involved in lake management. Contact Jean Jacoby (206-296-5526) for additional information on the workshops. the Northwest. Contact Al Smith (503-229-5410 ext. 375) for additional information.

Contact Mark D. Sytsma (503-725-3833; h2ms@odin.cc.pdx.edu) for additional program information.

Contact Marilyn Schoeder (303-781-8287 :Colorado:) for registration materials. Registration cost is $75 for the Symposium and the WAPMS and NALMS meetings.


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