94 B 



Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



Populus balsamifera L., the Balsam poplar, extends even farther north than 

 the Aspen, P. tremuloides, and as stated by John Macoun (l.c.p. 456), it attains 

 a great size and height as far north as the arctic circle on the Mackenzie river. 

 From the valley of the Mackenzie river, and from the Alaskan coast, it is dis- 

 tributed through the Hudson bay region and Newfoundland, southwest to 

 northern New England and New York, central Michigan and Minnesota, the 

 Black Hills of Dakota, northwestern Nebraska, northern Montana, Idaho, and 

 Oregon and Nevada, according to Sargent.' As far north as Fort Simpson on 

 the Mackenzie, Lat. 62° N., Mr. E. A. Preble (l.c.p. 520) writes that the species 

 is a stately tree, but below that point it rapidly decreases in size, and on the 

 lower Mackenzie and Peel rivers it occurs as a small tree. 



"West of the Mackenzie river delta there are said to be poplars on the 

 Turner river (Kongakut) west of Demarcation point; on the Aichillik river, 

 south of Icy reef, on Jago river, south of Martin point; and on the Hulahula, 

 southwest of Barter island. There are said to be no poplars on the north side 

 of the mountains west of the Hulahula river where specimens were taken. All 

 the streams have shrub willows a short distance back from the coast, except the 

 Okpilak, whose name signifies "without willow (okpik)". The Sagavanirktok 

 has few willows, while the Canning is said to have willows 15 to 20 feet high 

 and as thick as an ordinary stovepipe, in some of its sheltered valleys." (R. M. 

 Anderson, from field notes.) 



While Betula glandulosa Michx. was collected at several stations, no speci- 

 mens of B. nana L. were discovered. And the material of the former, though 

 very small-leaved, showed the structure characteristic of the species, especially 

 the branches being densely covered with resinous, wart-like glands. It seems 

 very strange that B. nana appears to be absent from the north coast, since 

 the two species actually cover the same area, a little farther south, from New- 

 foundland and Labrador westward to the Mackenzie river. 



Fig. 4. Thicket of small poplars, Populus tremuloides Michx., bordered by a common arctic willow 

 Salix arctica. Foothills of Endioott mountains, on Hulahula river, Alaska. One of the very few' 

 straggling bunches of poplar on the arctic slope west of the Mackenzie. April 2, 1914. Dead leaves 

 are still hanging on the willows, the nook being well sheltered from winds. (Photo by R M 

 Anderson.) j ^ • • 



1 The Silva of North America. Vol. 9, p. 167. Boston, 1896. 



