GRANT, JASON R. Institut de botanique, Laboratoire de phanérogamie, Université de Neuchâtel, ch. de Chantemerle 18, Neuchâtel 2007, Switzerland. - The genus Botrychium (Ophioglossaceae) in the interior of Alaska – Herb Wagner’s final conquest.
During an on-going floristic project in the interior of Alaska,
numerous accessions of Botrychium were made and sent to Warren
Herb Wagner for identification. Several of these were of such
interest that during the summer of 1999, Herb and Florence Wagner came
to Fairbanks where we spent a week collecting moonworts. At least six
species were identified including Botrychium lanceolatum, B.
lunaria, B. minganense, B. pinnatum, and two new
species. Of the two new species, one is currently being prepared for
publication. This species, which appears to be related to B.
pinnatum and B. boreale will be described as
"Botrychium alaskense W.H. Wagner & J.R. Grant". At
present, there doesn’t appear to be any need for concern for the
habitats of these species, as all seem to thrive best in recently
disturbed sites as revegetating river sandbars, maintained lawns,
long-fallow agriculture fields, and especially in ditches and along
sides of highways. In the interior of Alaska, Botrychium
lunaria is the most commonly encountered species with B.
minganense following soon thereafter. "Botrychium
alaskense" is abundant where found. Botrychium
lanceolatum, B. pinnatum, and the second putative new
species are infrequently encountered within the large populations of
B. lunaria, B. minganense and "B. alaskense".
The Wagner’s trip to Alaska represents one of Herb’s last field
exercises. A photographic travelogue of the trip, of these moonworts
and other pteridophytes of the interior of Alaska will be presented.
Key words: Alaska, Botrychium, ecology, habitats, taxonomy