Sphagnum Species of the Thelon River and Kaminuriak Lake Regions, Northwest Territories

Seventeen species of Sphagnum are reported from an interior region of the Northwest Territories. Sphagnum perfoliatum is new to North America and others are very rare and of phytogeographic significance. The following list of Sphagna completes the report on cryptogams collected by Scotter in the Thelon River and Kaminuriak Lake regions from June 26 to July 2, 1964. Previous publications listed hepaticae and mosses (Scotter, 1966) and lichens (Scotter & Thomson, 1966). Scattered spruce trees (Picea glauca and P. mariana) are present along the periphery of the Thelon River sites; the other sites were in tundra communities. The terrain is flat to gently rolling and is covered with glacial drift. Most of the collections were made in tussock muskeg communities, low Carex meadow communities, or along the edge of ponds. The dominant vascular species included Betula glandulosa, Ledum decumbens, Salix spp., Carex spp., and Eriophorum spp. The elevation varied from 50 feet to less than 400 feet. The collection sites were near the following locations: Aberdeen Lake (1) 64038'N, 99044'W Aberdeen Lake (2) 6440'N, 99051'W Beverly Lake 64033'N, 100027'W Kaminuriak Lake 62.57'N, 95027'W Thelon River (1) 62036'N, 104050'W Thelon River (2) 64010'N, 102.34'W Voucher specimens are deposited in the herbaria of the University of Copenhagen (c) and the Canadian Wildlife Service, Edmonton (cws). The numbers are Scotter's. The nomenclature is in accordance with Isoviita (1966). The collections were made during field investigations of caribou range carried out under the auspices of the Canadian Wildlife Service.