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Orthotrichum stramineum Hornsch. ex Brid. is reported from North America for the first time. It has been found at St. John's, Newfoundland, in situations that suggest accidental introduction by man. Orthotrichum stramineum Hornsch. ex Brid. has until now been known only from Europe, Asia Minor, and North Africa (Smith 1978). It is here reported for the first time from North America. CANADA. NEWFOUNDLAND: St. John's, Bowring Park, 26 Feb. 1981, Brassard 13523; grounds of Arts and Culture Centre, 7 July 1983, Brassard 14166 (ALTA, NFLD). Both specimens ver. D. H. Vitt. Orthotrichum stramineum is very abundant and fertile at the two Newfoundland sites where it has thus far been collected, on deciduous park trees (Acer, Aesculus, Ulmus), always in open places. It is an interesting addition to the moss flora of North America, and joins a few other mosses that have their only North American occurrences in Newfoundland (Brassard 1983a). The restriction of Orthotrichum stramineum to planted trees in parks suggests introduction by man. Bowring Park was established in 1911, and the trees planted there are mainly European taxa; it is also the locality of a number of other mosses possibly introduced to Newfoundland by man, e.g., Pseudoscleropodium purum (Hedw.) Fleisch. (Brassard 1983b). The grounds of the Arts and Culture Centre were formerly the site of a Church of England orphanage, and the row of planted trees on which 0. stramineum occurs probably date from the early part of this century. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada provided financial support (Grant A-6683). I thank Dr. D. H. Vitt for verifying the specimens. Brassard, G. R. 1983a. Bryogeography, with special reference to mosses, pp. 361-384. In G. R. South (ed.), Biogeography and Ecology of the Island of Newfoundland. Junk, The Hague. . 1983b. Pseudoscleropodium purum in Newfoundland, Canada. Journal of Bryology 9: 618-619. Smith, A. J. E. 1978. The Moss Flora of Britain and Ireland. Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge. 007-2745/84/168$0.25/0 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.111 on Sun, 22 May 2016 06:12:56 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms |
