A Checklist of the Hepaticae of Alaska

The last published list of all hepatics known from Alaska included 113 species and varieties. The present enumeration, compiled from published records, lists 208 taxa in 66 genera and 35 families. Hepaticology in Alaska has had two periods of development, similar to history of study of mosses (Worley & Iwatsuki, 1970). Contributors who reported early collections, which were primarily made in south coastal regions, include Stephani (1844-47, 1887) and Kurtz (1895), who discussed material collected by Krause brothers in Chilkoot region of southeastern Alaska; Underwood (1882, 1884, 1891), who determined material from several Alaskan collections; Hazen and Turner (1886), who collected in interior of Territory; Pearson (1890), who noted several Alaskan records in his list of Canadian Hepaticae; Howe (1897, 1899, 1901), who contributed several new Alaskan records; Coville (1896), who reported material from Yakutat Bay; and Cooley (1892), who collected in Alexander Archipelago. By turn of century A. W. Evans had begun to work on Alaskan hepatics, reporting collections of Harriman Alaska Expedition (Evans, 1900), those of Setchell from western Alaska (Evans, 1901), and in a major paper those of Kelp Expedition (Evans, 1914). In this last report he listed 105 species. During next 25 years there was a lull in study of Alaskan liverworts. Evans added some new records, monographic studies occasionally added others, but no large collections were made. In 1934 Brinkman listed only 109 species from Alaska, and was able to add only four additional species by 1938. Several liverworts were reported for first time from Alaska in compilation of North American hepatics by Frye and Clark (1937-47). While preparing this flora they were able to study specimens collected by many of early expeditions and by more recent investigators. These were reported (Clark & Frye, 1942) along with plea for future collectors to move inland as nearly all Alaskan material was from near sea. The second phase in study of Alaskan hepatics has been almost identical to that of mosses. Most workers and many of papers from early 1940's until present deal with all bryophytes. The most important contributors have been indicated by Worley and Iwatsuki (1970). Although H. Persson never collected in Alaska, his research on collections of others have been central to understanding of I thank Drs. Z. Iwatsuki, M. Mizutani, and T. Amakawa for comments, and Dr. W. B. Schofield for guidance throughout preparation of list and for financial assistance through National Research Council of Canada. 2 Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.101 on Thu, 21 Apr 2016 05:46:58 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 1970] WORLEY: HEPATICAE OF ALASKA 33 Alaskan bryophytes for past three decades. Three other workers must be especially singled out: Persson (1968) cites E. Hultin, W. C. Steere, and H. T. Schacklette as the most successful collectors of bryophytes in Alaska and Yukon Territory. The many publications by Persson and others during this period brought bryological knowledge of interior and northern parts of Alaska to a similar stage as that of coastal regions and nearly doubled number of taxa of liverworts known from state. Even though he has never worked specifically with Alaskan hepatics, R. Schuster has offered many important taxonomic judgments of taxa present in Pacific Northwest. Almost all species known from Alaska are (or will be) discussed, either as main entries or as notes, in his flora The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America East of Hundreth Meridian, first two volumes having already appeared (Schuster, 1966, 1969). The major components of Alaskan hepatic flora have now been established, but many problems still exist, some of them requiring intensive and critical study. The number of hepaticologists who have collected in Alaska is small, and collections have not been extensive. A frequent consequence has been that mosses have received more attention, both in field and in herbaria. That there are many species of liverworts yet to be found, especially in alpine regions, is underlined by recent discoveries of Takakia ceratophylla (Sharp & Hattori, 1967), Acrobolbus ciliatus (Sharp & Hattori, 1968), Gymnocolea acutiloba, Hybrobiella laxifolia, and Lophozia opacifolia (Persson, 1968), and Haplomitrium hookeri (Worley, 1969). An addition of another 100 species to present list is certainly to be expected. Major collections in last five years have been made by A. J. Sharp and Z. Iwatsuki in Aleutian Islands and Alexander Archipelago and by I. A. Worley in southeastern Alaska. The most recent enumeration of liverworts known from Alaska was made by Persson in 1949, but it contained no list of species. Persson noted a total of 160 published and unpublished records of hepatics. The present list was compiled from literature and contains 208 species and varieties in 66 genera and 35 families. Family and generic systematics and, with few exceptions, species treatment follow Schuster (1966, 1969). For most taxa not yet treated by Schuster work of Arnell (1956) is followed. The conservative treatment of Lophoziaceae by Schuster (1969) has been used and subgenera of genus Lophozia are indicated within list. No attempt has been made to verify determinations or species reports. Hence, occasional entries may represent misdeterminations. Persson (1968) emphasizes need for critical study of several genera in Alaska, namely Calypogeia, Cephaloziella, Lophozia, Plagiochila, and Scapania. To these Marsupella and Frullania can be added. In list that follows names of taxa known from Alaska from only one or two reports are indicated by a reference. A few critical discussions in literature are similarly indicated. The status of species of Frullania from Alaska is somewhat unclear. Stephani's species F. chilcootiensis from Chilkoot, Alaska, is known only from type and is poorly described. It is probably only a form of a common coastal species (Frye & Clark, 1937-47). Frullania californica may not be in Alaska (Persson, 1952); F. frasciscana is known from several collections, but has not been reported since list of Frye and Clark (1937-47); and F. tamarisci is rarely reported, most recent record also being that of Frye and Clark. Frullania nisquallensis is common and abundant within its range. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.101 on Thu, 21 Apr 2016 05:46:58 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 34 THE BRYOLOGIST [Volume 73 Calypogeia neesiana has also not been reported recently from Alaska. It is possible that early reports represent other species. Moerckia hibernica has been considered by some as a synonym of M. flotowiana. This makes certain citations unclear. Persson and Weber (1958) reported from Mt. McKinley Park sterile but well developed material of an undeterminable species of Fossombronia. (It is entered in present list as Fossombronia sp.) Finally, all collections from British Columbia previously determined as Marsupella ustulata are not that species according to R. Grolle (pers. comm.). It is possible that same is true for Alaskan material.