Noteworthy Vascular Plants Collected in Southwestern Banks Island, N.W.T

Financial Support for Arctic Specimens have been deposited in the Phanerogamic Herbarium of theCanada TheNational ResearchCouncil of Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa. authorized in March 1974 a publication grant Thanks are hereby extended to Drs. W. J. in support of Arctic of which this note is an Cody, J. G. Fyles, A. E. Porsild and E. F. acknowledgement and a token of apprecia- Roots (all from Ottawa) for their kind tion. assistance. Achillea nigrescens(E. Mey.) Rydb. Found in the Masik River valley: in single Noteworthy Vascular Plants localities on the delta, inland commonly up to 600 ft. on south-facing slopes, but rarely Collected in Southwestern as high as 300 ft. on north-facing ones; absent Banks Island, N.W.T. in the innermost parts of the valley. Several depauperate specimens found on alluvium in Duringthe summers of 1968 and 1969, the middle reaches of the Kellett River valley. while conducting a geobotanical survey in Its mainhabitats are well-exposed and southwesternBanks Island (see Fig. l), the moderately-elevated slopes where it grows on author made anextensive collection of plants. gravelly, muddy, peaty and weatheredrock This paper comprises a list of vascular plants substrates. Previously reported fromthe new to theCanadian Arctic Archipelago or to middle part of the Masik River valleyl. Banks Island, as well as comments on some rare species. Arctophila fulva (Trin.) Anders. The field studies were made possible by Common over the whole area inponds, the National Research Council of Canada usually with Hippurisvulgaris, Eriophorum (1968) and by the Geological Survey of Can- sp. and mosses Callierguntrifarium and ada (1969). ThePolar Continental Shelf Scorpidiumscorpioides. Previously reported Project supplied logistic support during both only from the northeastern corner of Banks summers. Islandz. FIG. 1. Distribution of some plant species in southwestern Banks Island, N.W.T. SHORT PAPERSAND NOTES 147 Arenaria sajanensis Willd. Fig. l), numerous luxuriant specimens being Common up to 1,000 ft. in mountains ad- located near nests of Snowy Owl. New to jacent to the south of the Masik River valley Banks Island. where it forms abundant cushions on stony Descuroinia sophioides (Fisch.) E. Schultz beds in the upper reaches of streams. Rare 0. at lower elevations on alluvium. From Banks Common and abundant in Sachs Harbour Island previously recorded only as a rare plant village in anthropogenic habitats: mostly old fromtwo coastal localities (Sachs Harbour refuse heaps or places laid bare by man, e.g., and Cape Lembton) by Porsildj. A montane along roads and cliffs, and in theMasik River element in the Banks Island flora. valley at several localities associated with former Eskimo camps and bare, eroded river Artemisia borealis Pall. banks (depauperateforms) (see Fig. 1). Common on sunny, dryand elevated Hitherto known atone locality on Banks slopes, on coastal cliffs andon alluvium. Island (see Porsildz). Foundup to 600 ft.in the Masik River Dryas chamissonis Juz. valley. New to Banks Island. Found at Swan Lake on bare soil, in dry A. hyperborea Rydb. parts of moss-bogs andin shelteredplaces Common over the entirearea. Coastal (see Fig. 1). Specimens are sterile. This species specimens are short or even stunted. Found is neglected by botanists, althoughit is among open vegetation, onstony anddry morphologically quite readily recognized by soils. Previously reported fromthe Masik its flat, non-shiny and coarsely crenulated River valleyl. leaves etc. (see Porsilds). Young, immature leaves are very similar to D. integrifolia. Det. A. tilesii Ledeb. A. E. Porsild. Commonin the Sachs River valley and Halimolobus mollis (Hook.) Rollins the Masik River valley, elsewhere rare. Luxuriant specimens grow on drier places in Found in refuse heaps in Sachs Harbour valley bottomsin sheltered depressions on village and in the Masik River valley in areas lower slopes, on margins of Salixalaxensis of formerEskimo camps. Specimens were stands, andnear houses in Sachs Harbour seen onlyin habitats disturbed by man. village. Only depauperate specimens are Previously reported from the middle reaches present on open and windswept places. Found of the Masik River valleyl. at altitudes up to 800 ft. On the northern Melandrium ostenfeldiiPorsild rolling partsof the areait is rare. Banks Island specimens, except those from Sachs Harbour Mostcommonly found on slopes with village, are much shorter than those from the southern exposures in the Masik River valley. subarctic (e.g., vicinity of Inuvik). Previously Rare in other parts of the area studied: in the reported from the north coast of the island2 middle of Kellett River valley, on slopes and from the middle reaches of the Masik above Sachs Harbour village andat Sand River valleyl. Hills. These arethe northernmost known locations of the species1.2. Aster pygmaeusLindl. One flowering specimen (3 in. tall) found Melandrium triflorum (R. Br.) J. Vahl on alluvium in the middle of Kellett River, Found at Sachs Harbour village on coastal and several specimens in the delta of Masik cliffs. High Arctic specimens (e.g. from River and on adjacent gravelly alluvial ter- Eureka or Mould Bay) are taller and better races (see Fig. 1). Theseare northernmost developed inall respects than those from locations of A. pygmaeus (see Porsild2). Sachs Harbour, which have distinctly smaller leaves and flowers and thinner stems. New Carex ursina Dew. for the southern part of Banks Island, which Found onsandy and muddy shores between is one of itssouthernmost locations (see Lennie River and Sachs Harbour. Most Porsildz). abundant on Cape Kellett (see Kuc4) and at southern Blue Fox Point. Hithertonot re- Parnassia kotzebuei Cham. & Schlecht. ported from the west coast of Banks Island. Foundon alluvium inthe Masik River area from the coast to the upper reaches of Crepis nana Richards. valleys, but most common in the middle part Found on top of the morainic hill between of the mainvalley; between stones indry the mouths of Masik and Atitok Rivers (see stream beds, on sandy,muddy, and gravel 148 SHORT PAPERSAND NOTES alluvial and deltaic deposits; rare among wet Rumex arcticus Trautv. tundras in places with running water and on Luxuriant specimens found on anthrop- moist erodedground; single specimens on ogenic habitats in Sachs Harbour village are alluvium in the middle part of Kellett River up to 3 ft. tall, with large, wide leaves, thick and on bogs of the Sachs River valley. Banks stems and inflorescences abundantly flowered. Island is the northernmost part of the range Single smaller plants occur on coastal cliffs of P. kotzebueilJv6. and on beaches around Thesiger Bay. Speci- mens from more inland localities are distinct- Phlox richardsonii Hook. ly depauperate (low, with narrow,short Common, but confined to coastal cliffs and leaves, thin stems and few flowered intlores- alluvium (see Fig. 1). Grows on loose sand cences). Fig. 1 indicates the locations. Coastal and gravel. The best developed and largest plants usually grow on loose soils and inwell- cushions occur on slopes facing the sea and exposed places, whereas inland specimens are around houses inSachs Harbour. Inland it found on gravel, muddy or sandy flats and was observed only on the northern slopes of stony, barren substrates. It is new to the Ca- the lower part of Kellett River, where it grows nadian Arctic Archipelago. in small tufts or in single specimens. Salix alaxensis (Anderss.) Cov. Plantago septata Morris S. alaxensis has been more carefully studied Found at many localities at the mouth of than other plants because of its interesting Lennie River, along Kellett River and Sachs ecology, its peat-formingproperties and its River, on coastal hills around Thesiger Bay, occurrence in interglacial and postglacial in abundance at Sachs Harbour village, and deposits7~sJ)that havegreat significance in on sunny slopes up to 600 ft. in the Masik tracing the development of the flora on Banks Valley. It grows on dry, stony and loose Island. substrates. These are thenorthernmost known Generally, this is a common species in the locations of thisplant (see Mason et dl, interior of the island, but it is absent, or very Porsildz). rare, on the coast. Large clumps of S. alaxensis were observed many times from the Pleuropogon sabinei R. Br. air in swampy areas inthe upper parts of Very rare plant,found in several tundra Barnard River and Big River. Its distribution ponds between Sachs Harbour Meteorological over the area studied is shown in Fig. 1. It is Station and KellettRiver, and in the small possible to distinguish three zones of occur- pool in Sachs Harbour village. These are the rence: 1 - individual localities near the coast; southwesternmost locations of the species. 2 - groups of localities associated with areas of oldpeat deposits, sheltered valleys and Potentilla nivea L.-s. s. larger alluvial patches; and 3 - large patches covering the lowest inland slopes, old al- Found in the Sachs Harbour area (especial- luvium and in swamps. The altitudinal range ly frequentlyin anthropogenic habitats in of S. alaxensis is also very interesting. It is Sachs Harbour village) among drier parts of absent, or very rarely found, on level terrain tundra, on loose mineral soils of southern of elevation up to 50 ft. In themain it is exposures. This is the only known location of foundonly in level areas away from the the species on the island. coast, and farther inland on slopes of eleva- Pulsatilla ludoviciana (Nutt.) Heller tion 50-300 ft. It does not grow in summit areas but loose small clumps of it are to be Rare in low and middle elevated, southern seen at heights of up to500 ft. and dry exposures in the Masik River valley In the past this plant was more widely (see also Mason et dl), but very rare on distributed thanat present,as is shown by north-facing exposures. Seen also inthe twig and moss deposits containing its remains vicinity of Sachs Harbour village.

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