THE BRYOLOGIST 
Vol. XXV July, 1922 No. 4 
MOSSES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS PARK, BANFF, 
ALBERTA, CANADA* 
W. H. Emig 
The Rocky Mountains Park of Canada offers bryologists an exceptionally 
rich field for the study and collection of mosses. The mosses listed below 
were collected by Mr. N. B. Sanson, Curator of the Government Museum, 
within short distances from Banff, where the Museum is located. 
The Town of Banff nestles in a small valley west of Tunnel Mountain. To 
the north side of the valley ascend the Cascade and Stony Squaw Mountains. 
The Bow River passes near the town and after tumbling over a pretty cascade 
is joined by the Spray River from the south. The river flows on to the east and 
cuts through Tunnel Mountain and Rundle Mountain. To the south, hot 
sulphur springs issue from the east slope of Sulphur Mountain. Leaving the 
Banff station, the Canadian Pacific Railroad climbs along the broad swampy 
valley of the Bow River to the west. In this general direction, some ten miles 
distant, appear the snow capped peaks of the Bourgeau Range. 
In this region of limestone, quartzite, and shale formations, we would expect 
to find a very large number of species of mosses if the collections were carefully 
and vSystematically made. The species listed below for one of Mr. Sanson's 
collections is an indication of what can be obtained in this region. 
I am indebted to Prof. A. Leroy Andrews for the determination of the species 
of Sphagnum; to Mr. George B. Kaiser for the determination of Hypmim 
turgescens Schimper; and to Dr. O. E. Jennings for many suggestions while 
working on the separate determinations of the mosses listed below. 
The specimens enumerated below are to be found in the Government Museum 
at Banff, Alberta, while duplicates of many of the numbers have been deposited 
in the Carnegie Museum Herbarium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 
Aulacomnium palustre Schwaegr. No. 6, Mound, off Aspen Ave., Banff, 
10-7-10:^ Nos. 37. 43, and 62, Simpson Pass Summit, 8-25-13. Nos. 116 and 
119, Swamp back of station, 10-15-10. Nos. 200, and 202, no locality given, 
7-18-03. No. 203, along fireguard below Hot Springs, 6-20-04. Nos. 204, and 
205, marsh nearly opposite C. P. R. Hotel, 6-27-04. No. 206, off from marsh 
in woods of lower park, 8-25-13. 
Barbula convoluta Hedw. No. 179, ditches at side of Hot Springs Road, 
6-24-04. 
♦Contribution No. 4 from the Department of Botany; University of Pittsburgh. 
* October 7, 1910. For purposes of brevity the dates are indicated thus by figures. 
The May number of The Bryologist was published June 20, 1922. 
