Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture

List of All Vascular Elements

List of All Vascular Plant Elements (210 kb)
Element List of Vascular Plants (503 kb)

ANHIC collects, evaluates and makes available information on the elements of environmental diversity of Alberta. Native vascular plants represent a significant component of Alberta's biological diversity. This list contains all currently known vascular plant taxa (2082, including subspecific taxa) that occur, potentially occur, or have been thought to occur in Alberta's natural habitats. It includes 458 rare plant taxa currently tracked by ANHIC and 63 taxa that are on the ANHIC's watch list. It also accounts for about 299 plant taxa that are considered non-native to our province (may be native to nearby regions), hybrids, potentially existing taxa (with no persuasive documentation), those taxa that were reported falsely, and one taxon that is believed to be extirpated from our province (Machaeranthera tanacetifolia).

The list is organized alphabetically by Scientific Name, and it also includes Common Name, Provincial Rank (SRank), Global Rank (GRank), Tracking Status, Element Code (ECode - same for all jurisdictions, to compare the elements if they do not have the same SName). Scientific name follows NatureServe (2006) and Kartesz (1999) in most instances. Ongoing work, particularly the Flora of North America project, is resulting in taxonomic revision and nomenclatural changes to many of the vascular taxa occurring in Alberta. We are incorporating these changes into the database, as information becomes available. The SName reflects these changes where possible. Common names mostly follow Ealey (1993). Explanation of provincial and global ranks can be found on ANHIC's website.

In the process of creating and updating this list with all the associated information, numerous references were consulted, including Argus and White (1978), Moss (1983), Packer and Bradley (1984), Griffiths (1989), and Argus and Pryer (1990). Various other sources of information include published and unpublished documents, field surveys, herbarium specimens, rare plant files and discussions with knowledgeable individuals. The Provincial Ranks have been assigned with the assistance of experts and the use of published/non-published data. The Global Ranks were provided by NatureServe. Both Provincial and Global Ranks are reviewed and updated periodically.

References cited:

Argus, G. W. and K. M. Pryer. 1990. Rare vascular plants in Canada: Our Natural Heritage. Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa. 191 pp. + maps.

Argus, G. W. and D. J. White. 1978. The rare vascular plants of Alberta. Syllogeus No. 17. National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa.

Ealey, D. 1993. Alberta plants and fungi - master species list and species group checklists. Alberta Forestry, Lands & Wildlife, Edmonton, AB.

Flora of North American Editorial Committee. 1993-1997. Flora of North America. Oxford University Press.

Griffiths, G. C. D. 1989. The true Carex rostrata (Cyperaceae) in Alberta. Alberta Naturalist 19(3): 105-108.

Kartesz, J. T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First Edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC.

Moss, E. H. 1983. Flora of Alberta. Second Edition, revised by J. G. Packer. University of Toronto Press, Toronto. ON, 687 pp.

NatureServe. 2002. NatureServe explorer, and online encyclopedia of life. NatureServe, Arlington, VA, USA (URL: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer).

Packer, J. G. and C. E. Bradley. 1984. Rare vascular plants of Alberta. Natural History Occasional Paper No. 5, Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton. 112 pp.

 

List of All Bryophyte Elements

List of All Non-vascular Plant Elements (74 kb)
Element List of Non-vascular Plants (192 kb)

ANHIC collects, evaluates and makes available information on the elements of environmental diversity of Alberta. Non-vascular plants represent a significant component of Alberta's biological diversity. This list contains all currently known non-vascular plant taxa (including subspecific taxa). Altogether, there are 510 mosses, 159 liverworts and one hornwort that occur, potentially occur, or have been thought to occur in Alberta's natural habitats. The list includes 388 rare non-vascular plant taxa currently tracked by ANHIC and 20 taxa that are on the ANHIC's watch list. It also accounts for potentially existing taxa (with no persuasive documentation) and these taxa that were reported falsely (misidentifications or recent taxonomic revisions).

The list is organized alphabetically by Scientific Name (SName), and it also includes Common Name, Provincial Rank (SRank), Global Rank (GRank), Tracking Status and Element Code (ECode - same for all jurisdictions, to compare the elements if they do not have the same SName). Scientific name follows NatureServe (2002) (mainly based on Anderson (1990) for Sphagnum, Anderson et al. (1990) for other mosses, and Stotler and Crandall-Stotler (1977) for liverworts and hornworts). Ongoing work, particularly the Flora of North America project, is resulting in taxonomic revision and nomenclatural changes to many of the non-vascular taxa occurring in Alberta. We are incorporating these changes into the database, as information becomes available. The SName reflects these changes where possible. Common names mostly follow Ealey (1993). Explanation of provincial and global ranks can be found on ANHIC's website.

In the process of creating and updating this list and all the associated information, various sources of information were consulted, including published and unpublished documents (e.g. Belland 1998), field surveys, herbarium specimens, rare plant files and discussions with knowledgeable individuals. The Provincial Ranks have been assigned with the assistance of experts and the use of published/non-published data. The Global Ranks were provided by NatureServe. Both Provincial and Global Ranks are reviewed and updated periodically.

References cited:

Anderson, L. E. 1990. A checklist of Sphagnum in North America north of Mexico. The Bryologist 93(4): 500-501.

Anderson, L. E., H.A. Crum, and W.R. Buck. 1990. List of the mosses of North America north of Mexico. The Bryologist 93(4): 448-499.

Belland, R.J. 1998. The rare mosses of Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ont.

Ealey, D. 1993. Alberta plants and fungi - master species list and species group checklists. Alberta Forestry, Lands & Wildlife, Edmonton, AB

Flora of North American Editorial Committee. 1993-1997. Flora of North America. Oxford University Press.

NatureServe. 2002. NatureServe explorer, and online encyclopaedia of life. NatureServe, Arlington, VA, USA (URL: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer)

Stotler, R. and B. Crandall-Stotler. 1977. A checklist of liverworts and hornworts of North America. The Bryologist 76:405-428.

 

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