THE FUNGI OF ALASKA 



BY P. A. SACCARDO, C. H. PECK, AND WILLIAM TRELEASE 

 INTRODUCTION 



IN a very helpful little bibliography arranged according to 

 geographic regions, a recent writer on fungi states that no rep- 

 resentatives of this group are known from Alaska. This, how- 

 ever, is not quite true, for Hooker and Arnott many years ago 

 recorded a Dothidea and a pseudo-fungus, Erineum, from 

 Alaska ; Professor Douglas H. Campbell, a few years since, 

 noted the occurrence there of what he doubtfully named Exo- 

 basidium vaccinii; Professor T. H. Macbride more recently 

 gives Alaska as a locality for five species of Myxomycetes ; 

 one rust, at least, is accredited to Alaska ; and in his recent 

 account of the vegetation of the Seal Islands, Mr. J. M. Macoun 

 includes seven pileate fungi. 1 The fact remains, however, after 

 taking note of even these recent publications, that almost noth- 

 ing is known of the fungus flora of Alaska. And yet conditions 

 are favorable for the development there of a large representa- 

 tion of this group of plants, for over the lower coast region fre- 



l lt is well known that the Krause brothers, some years since, made important 

 botanical collections about the head of Lynn Canal, and some of their material 

 has been examined and made the basis of published reports by Kurtz, Muller 

 and Stephani ; but inquiry made of Dr. Arthur Krause by my friend Dr. Buch- 

 enau shows that the collectors paid little attention to this group of plants, and 

 that their collections now contain no Alaskan fungi. 



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