Festuca rubra 
Most of the red fescue entries declined ap- 
preciably in leaf length (Fig. 16), production of 
flowering culms (Fig. 17), and shoot weight 
(Fig. 18) at both sites. A McKinley Park entry 
yielded the most in shoot weight at both sites 
and produced the most flowering culms at Prud- 
hoe. An arctic entry (Sagwon) bore the most 
flowering culms at Palmer. 
Poa alpina 
An entry of Poa alpina from Niwot Ridge, 
Colorado, became well established in both 
gardens in the initial year, but was winter-killed 
during the ensuing winter. 
Seed set and phenology 
A small amount of matured seed was found 
in some entries from the Prudhoe garden in 
1973, but none was found in any of the entries 
in 1974. Only the arctic entries of A/opecurus 
alpinus, nos. 126, 134, 135, and 136, set seed in 
1973. All surviving entries with healthy growth 
matured in the Palmer garden. 
103 
Approximate flowering dates (anthesis) were 
obtained for the entries in the Palmer garden in 
1973 and 1974. Arctagrostis Jatifolia was 
omitted because of poor initial development of 
many of the plants. 
Alpine foxtail was the earliest to flower 
followed by tufted hairgrass, with red fescue and 
northern reedgrass being the last to flower (Fig. 
19). 
The arctic entries generally commenced 
flowering about 2 to 3 weeks earlier than the 
boreal forested region entries and the Colorado 
alpine entries. The boreal alpine entries as a rule 
initiated flowering about 5 to 10 days after the 
earliest arctic entries and sometimes overlapped 
with their flowering times. The latest flowering 
entries were the high polyploid biotype of 
northern reedgrass (no. 163, 2n = 105), from the 
Cook Inlet tideland flats, and the coastal forest 
entry of red fescue. 
Discussion 
Most of the alpine entries from Colorado 
perished in the two transplant gardens in Alaska. 
DESCHAMPSIA CAESPITOSA—-SHOOT WEIGHTS 
FRANKLIN 
ORIGIN: MEADE R. PRUDHOE BLUFFS 
(2n = 26) (2n = 52) (2n = 52) 
o-—-—-0 Prudhoe Transplant Garden 
o———~ Palmer Transplant Garden 
1972 73 
74 72 73 74 72 73 74 72 
CARIBOU MT. CARIBOU MT. COPPER C. COPPER C. 
(2n = 26) (2n = 52) (2n = 26) (2n = 52) 
° a/ 
(oF Ge) 
73 74 72 73 
74 72 73 
74 72 73 74 
YEARS 
Fig. 9. Shoot weights of Deschampsia caespitosa over 2- or 3-year period. 7/ 
Entry severely injured or winter-killed. 
