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NOTES ON THE FLORA OF SOME ALASKAN 

 SPHAGNUM BOGS 



GEORGE B. RIGG 



University of Washington, Seattle, Wash. 



i^jllBlf ARY 



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In the . course of the investigation of the kelps of western 

 Alaska as a source of potash fertihzer^ during the summer of 1913, 

 the writer had opportunity to examine a number of sphagnum 

 bogs situated near the sea shore and ranging in geographical 

 location from Cape Spencer to the Shumagin Islands. 



The easternmost bog examined is at Dixon Harbor, longitude 

 136° 57', latitude 58° 22'. The westernmost one is on Unga Island 

 (one of the Shumagin group), longitude 160° 10', latitude 55° 20'. 

 This is also the southernmost. The northernmost one is situated 

 at Cordova in latitude 60° 33'. 



Twenty-five species (not to mention varieties and forms) of 

 the genus Sphagnum have been listed from Alaska so far as the 

 writer has been able to consult the pubHcations (Rothrock,^ Tur- 

 ner,3 Coville and Funston,'' Setchell,^ Trelease^). Sphagnum was 

 not found in fruit, but sterile specimens were collected from various 

 bogs. These have been submitted to Prof. Theodore C. Frye of 

 the University of Washington for determination. 



All of the spermatophytes found by the writer in Alaskan 

 sphagnum bogs are included in the list of Alaskan plants by 



1 The expedition of which the writer was in charge was a part of the general 

 investigation of the fertilizer resources of the United States conducted by Dr. 

 Frank K. Cameron of the U. S. Bureau of Soils. 



2 Rothrock, J. T., Sketch of the flora of Alaska. Smithsonian Report, 1868. 



3 Turner, L. M., Contributions to the natural history of Alaska, 1886. 



* Coville, F. V. and Funston, F. The botany of Yakutat Bay, Contr. U. S. 

 National Herbarium, 3: No. 6. 1896. 



^ Setchell, W. A. Some unreported Alaskan Sphagna. University of California 

 Publications, Botany, 2: 309-315. 1907. 



^ Trelease, William, Alaskan species of Sphagnum. Harriman Alaska Series 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, 5: 331-337. 1910. , 



167 



THE PLANT WORLD, VOL. 17, NO. 6, 1914 



