HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPA2197ARLIS
-.J K
146
.V54
1972
.u.s. Departme•
Forest Service
Leslie A. Viereck
C HEC K FOR j N\~p
Agr -T-
I N Fot..'b&~ .
: ,.
·· .. .. / ··•.. /:·
/
/:
I
/
/
.·.·.:.·.·:·::
/
')·... /
_./ ··•· ... / ··.
/ ...... ..
/
' /
' -~; :1
.. /:
·:· ..
'H :B:·:. H
l1ltl>lf~:
1\t::.~=.L:::-i<:(:_<:··:: :-:··
L.;.i .. • ..... ·:.'.·.·.'.'.:· ·:· : .. · .... ··;.: .. ·:.:.:: .·.·; . . ' ... ~
..··
·· ..
·. '
"-;~.;.;.·:·>.•., ••• 'J ••• ·.············~: .•. ·.·.·.·.·.·.·X:-:·:··-·.·.:.:;;;:·:·.·.·.·.·.·.·~·.·.··········-.{:"'·>~·~r·
\•;;::.;>~:·~:·"i::·:·:·:·»!!;•;-;o;·!'~:.:-" .. 'X.: ... ·.::lt;... ... X''Xol• ... ~· ......
.· :: ·.
·::; ........
-I'
·~
i '::!-
~
0
0
0 ~
0'-
"l"'
{'()
~
ALASKA TRE
AND SHRUBS
by
Leslie A. Viereck, Principal Plant Ecologist
Institute of Northern Forestry
Pacific Northwest Forest and-Range E;xperiment Station
U.S.D.A. Forest SerVice, College, Alaska
and
Elbert L. Little, Jr., Chief Dendrologist
Division of Timber Management Research
U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Washington, D.C.
Agriculture Handbook No. 410
Forest Service
United States Department of Agriculture
Washington, D.C.
ARLIS
Alaska Resources
Library & Information Services
1972
Cover:
ARLIS
Alaska Resources
Library & Information Services
ife Serviae
""""'',..,." ..... "'oad
Anchorage, Alaska 9-9-503
Library of Congress Catalog Card;Number: 70-176230
The scratchboard cover design by William Berry is
a typical white spruce-paper birch stand in
interior Alaska in early winter. The shrub layer
is alder and willow.
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20402
Stock Number 001-00<Hl1344-1
CONTENTS
Page
List of species ~---------------------------------------------1v
Introduction ------------------------------------------------1
Previous work ------------------------------------------2
Preparation of this handbook -----------------------------3
Plan ---------------------------------------------------4
How to use this handbook --------------------------------5
)lcknowledgTJnents ----------~----------------------------5
Statistical summary -----"-------------------------------------6
Growth forms -------------------------------~-----------6
)llaska trees --------------~-----~-----------------------8
Geographic distribution ----~~----------------------------9
Local and rare species ------------------------------------10
Vegetation of )llaska _________________ ..\______________________ 11
Coastal forests --------------------------~---------------13
1. Coastal spruce-hemlock forests ---------------------14
Interior forests ---------~--.:______________________________ 15
2. Closed spruce-hardwood forests ---------------------15
3. Open, low growing spruce forests -------------------18
4. Treeless bogs ---------.--...::._________________________ 19
5. Shrub thickets _________ ::.:.:._________________________ 20
Tundra -------------------------------------------------21
6. Moist tundra -------------------------------------21
7. Wet tundra ---------------------------------------22
8. )llpine tundra ------------------------------------22
Vegetation map -----------------------------------------23
Keys for identification________________________________________ 24
Key to )llaska trees based mainly on leaves ________________ 25
Winter key to deciduous trees of )llaska --------------------28
Key to genera of )llaska shrubs ----------------------------30
Winter key to )llaska shrubs ------------------------------34
Alaska trees and shrubs --------------------------------------43
Key to )llaska willows -----------------------------------78
Vegetative Key to )llaska willows -------------------------82
Selected references ------------------------------------------254
Index of common and scientific names -------------------------260
iii
LIST OF SPECIES 1
Page
Yew :family (Taxaceae)
1. Pacific yew, Tamus brevifolia Nutt. (LS-ST, C, R) 44
Pine :family (Pinaceae)
2. lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta Dougl. (ST-LT, C) ________ 45
3. tamarack, Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch (ST-MT, I) ___ 48
4. black spruce, Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P. (ST-MT, I) ____ 51
5. *whitespruce,Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss (MT-LT,I-c) __ 52
6. *Sitka spruce,.Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. (LT, C) ______ 54
7. *western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.
(LT, C) -------------------------------------------58
8. *mountain hemlock, Tsuga mertensianu, (Bong.) Carr.
(ST-LT, C) ---------------------------------------59
9. Pacific silver fir, .Abies arnabilis (Dougl.) Forbes (MT-LT,
C,R) ----------------------------------------------61
10. subalpine fir, .Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. (ST-LT,
C,R) ----------------------------------------------62
Cypress :family (Cupressaceae)
11. *western redcedar, Thuja plicata. Donn (LT, C) __________ 64
12. *Alaska-cedar, Ohamaecyparis nootkatensis (D. Don) Spach
(MT-LT, C) ---------------------------------------66
13. common juniper, Juniperus communis L. · (PS-SS, I-C) ____ 68
14. creeping juniper, Juniperus horizontalis Moench (PS, I) ___ 69
Willow :family (Salic~eae)
15. *balsam poplar, Populus balsamifera L. (MT-LT, I-c) ___ 72
16. *black cottonwood, Populu8 trichbcarpa Torr. & Gray
(LT, C) ------------------------------------------74
17. *quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides Michx. (SM-MT, I) __ 76
18. netlea:f willow, Salix reticulata L. (PS, I-C) ______________ 86
19. Setchell willow, Salix setchelliana Ball (PS, I-c) __________ 87
20. polar willow, Salix polaris Wahlenb. ssp. pseudopolaris
(Flod.) Hult. (PS, I-c) ----------------------------88
21. skeletonlea:f willow, Salix phlebophylla Anderss. (PS, I) ___ 89
22. least willow, Salix rotundifolia Trautv. (PS, 1-C) ________ 90
23. arctic willow, Salix arctica Pall. (PS, I-C) _______________ 91
1 Size is indicated by letters: LT, large tree; MT, medium tree; ST, small tree;
LS, large shrub; MS, medium shrub; SS, small shrub; PS, prostrate shrub. General
distribution is given as I, interior, and C, coastal, with small letter where restricted,
and R, rare. The 10 tree species producing nearly all the commercial timber are
indicated by an asterisk (*). Explanation under Statistical Summary, page 6.
iv
Page
24. Alaska bog willow, Salix fusoesoens Anderss. (PS, I-C) ----92
25. ovallea:f willow, Salix ovalifolia Trautv. and Salix stolonifera
Cov. (PS, i-C) -------------------------------------94
26. graylea:f willow, Salix glauoa L. (MS-ST, I-C) ------------95
27. barren-ground willow, Salix braohyoarpa Nutt. ssp. nipho-
olada (Rydb.) Argus (SS-J\II:S, I) -------------------97
28. halberd willow, Salix hastata L. (MS, I) ------------------98
29. low blueberry willow, Salix myrtillifolia Anderss. (SS, I) ---99
30. tall blueberry willow, Salix novae-angliae Anderss.
(LS, I) --------------------------------------------101
31. Barclay willow, Salix barolayi Anderss. (MS-LS, I-C) ____ 102
32. Hooker willow, Salix hookeriana Cov. (LS-ST, C, R) 106
33. undergreen willow, Salix oommutata Bebb (MS, I-C) _____ 106
34. Chamisso willow, Salix ohamissonis Anderss. (PS, I) ______ 108
35. park willow, Salix montioola Bebb. (MS-LS, I-c) ________ 108
36. Richardson willow, Salix lanata L. ssp. riohardsonii (Hook.)
A. Skwortz. (MS-LS, I-C) -------------------------110
37. Barratt willow, Salix barrattiana Hook. (SS, I) __________ 110
38. :feltlea:f willow, Salix alawensis (Anderss.) Cov. (LS-ST,
I-C) ----------------------------------------------i12
39. silver willow, Salix candida Fluegge (MS, I, R) ___________ 115
40. Bebb willow, Salix bebbiana Sarg. (LS-ST, I-C) _________ 116
41. diamondlea:f willow, Salix planifolia Pursh ssp. pulohra
(Cham.) Argus (PS-LS, I-C) ______________________ 118
42. Scouler willow, Salix soouleriana Barratt (LS-MT, I-C) ___ 120
43. Sitka willow, Salix sitohensis Sanson (LS-ST, I-C) ______ 122
44. littletree willow, Salix arbusouloides Anderss.
(LS-ST, I--c) --------------------------------------123
45. sandbar willow, Salix interior Rowlee (LS, I) ____________ 126
46. Pacific willow, Salix lasiandra Benth. (LS-ST, I--c) ________ 126
Bayberry :family (Myricaceae)
4'7. sweetgale, ·llfyrioa gale L. (SS-MS, I-C) __________________ 128
Birch :family (Betulaceae)
48. dwarf arctic birch, Betula nana L. (SS-MS, I-C) __________ 130
49. resin birch, Betula glandulosa Michx. (SS-MS, I--c) _______ 130
50. *paper birch, Betula papyrifera Marsh. (ST-LT, I-C) _____ 134
51. American green alder, Alntts orispa (Ait.) Pursh
(MS-LS,I) -----------------~----------------------140
52. Sitka alder, Alnus sinuata (Reg.) Rydb. (LS-ST, I-C) ____ 142
53. red alder, Alnus rubra Bong. (ST-MT, C) ________________ 144
v
Page
54. thinlea£ alder, Alnus tenuifolia Nutt. (LS-ST, I-C) ______ 146
Mistletoe £amily (Loranthaceae)
55. hemlock dwarf-mistletoe, Arceuthobium tsugense (Rosend.)
G. N. Jones (Parasite, C) ---------------------------146
Gooseberry £amily ( Grossulariaceae)
56. swamp gooseberry, Ribeslacustre (Pers.) Poir. (MS, I-C) __ 150
57. stink currant, Ribes bracteosum Dougl. (MS-LS, C) ______ 150
58. northern black currant, Ribes hudsonianum Richards. (PS-
MS,I-C) ------------------------------------------152
59. skunk currant, Ribes glandulosum Grauer (SS-MS, I) _____ 154
60. trailing black currant, Ribes laxiflorum Pursh (PS-MS, C) 155
61. American red currant, Ribes triste Pall. (P.S-MS, I-C) 156
Rose £amily (Rosaceae)
62. Pacific ninebark, Physocarpus capitatus (Pursh) Kuntze
(MS-LS, C) ---------------------------------------158
63. Beauverd spirea, Spiraea beauverdiana Schneid. (SS, I-C) __ 159
64. Douglas spirea, Spiraea douglasii Hook. (MS, C) __________ 160
65. luetkea, Luetkea pectinata (Pursh) Kuntze (PS, i-C) _____ 162
66. Oregon crab apple, llfalus diversifolia (Bong.) Roem.
(ST, C) -------------------------------------------162
67. Greene mountain-ash, Sorbus scopulina Greene (MS-ST,
I-C) --------------------------~-~-----------------166
68. European mountain-ash, Sorbus aucuparia L. (ST-MT, C,
introduced) ------------------------------~---------167
69. Sitka mountain-ash, Sorbus sitchensis B-oem. (MS-ST, C) __ 168
70. Siberian mountain-ash, Sorbus sambucifolia (Cham. &
Schlecht.) Roem. (MS, Aleutian;Is., R) ______________ 169
71. saskatoon serviceberry, Amelanchier alnifolia (Nutt.) Nutt.
(MS, I, R) ----------------------------------------171
72. Pacific serviceberry, Amelanchier florida Lindl. (MS-ST, C) 172
73. black hawthorn, Orataegus douglasii Lindl. (LS, c, R) -----172
74. American red raspberry, Rubus idaeus L. var. strigosus
(Michx.) Maxim. (MS, I-C) ________________________ 175
75. salmonberry, Rubus spectabilis Pursh (MS-LS, C) -------'-176
76. western black raspberry, Rubus leucodermis Dougl. (MS,
C, R) --------------------~------------------------177
77. western thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus Nutt. (MS, C) ____ 178
78. bush cinquefoil, Potentilla fruticosa L. (SS-MS, I-c) ______ 180
79. Drummond mountain-avens, Dryas drummondii Richards.
(PS, I-c) ------------------------------------------182
vi
r I 1 Page 1 80. white mountain-avens, Dryas octopetala L. (PS, I-c) ______ 184
j 81. entire-lea£ mountain -a vens, Dryas integrifolia V ahl ( PS, I -c) 184
82. prickly rose, Rosa acicularis Lindl. (SS-MS, I-c) _________ 187
83. Woods rose, Rosa woodsii Lindl. (SS-MS, I, R) __________ 189
84. Nootka rose, Rosa nutkana Presl (MS-LS, C) ____________ 190
Maple family (Aceraceae)
85. Douglas maple, Acer glabrum Torr. var. douglasii (Hook.)
Dipp. (MS-ST, C) --------------------------------192
Elaeagnus family (Elaeagnaceae)
86. buffaloberry,Shepherdiacanadensis (L.) Nutt. (MS,I-c) __ 194
87. silverberry, Elaeagnus commutata Bernh. (MS-LS, I) ----196
Ginseng family ( Araliaceae)
88. devilsclub, Oplopanax homdus (Sm.) Miq. (MS-LS, i-C) 197
Dogwood family ( Cornaceae)
89. red-osier dogwood, Comus stolonifera Michx. (MS-LS, I-C) 199
Crowberry family (Empetraceae)
90. crowberry, Empetrum nigrum L. (PS, I-C) --------------201
Pyrola family ( Pyrolaceae)
91. pipsissewa, Ohimaphila umbellata (L.) Barton (PS, C, R) __ 204
Heath family (Ericaceae)
92. copperbush, Oladothamnus pyrolaeflorus Bong. (MS, C) ___ 204
93. narrow-leaf Labrador-tea, Ledum decumbens (Ait.) Lodd.
(SS, I-C) ----------:-------------------------------206
94. Labrador-tea, Ledum groenlandicum Oeder (MS, I-C) ____ 207
95. Lapland rosebay, Rhododendron lapponicum (L.) Wahlenb.
(PS-SS, I) ----------------------------------------209
96. Kamchatka rhododendron, Rhododendro,n camtschaticum
Pall. (PS, C) --------------------------------------210
97. rusty menziesia, M enziesia fer'r'Uginea Sm. (LS, i-C) ______ 212
98. alpine-azalea, Loiseleuria procumbens (L.) Desv. (PS, I-C) 212
99. bog kalmia, Kalmia polifolia Wang. (SS, C) --------------214
100. red mountain-heath, Phyllodoce empetriformis (Sm.) D. Don
(PS, c, R) -----------------------------------------215
101. blue mountain-heath, Phyllodoce coerulea (L.) Bah. (PS,
I, R) ----------------------------------------------216
102. Aleutian mountain-heath, Phyllodoce aleutica (Spreng.)
Heller (PS, i-C) -----------------------------------217
103. four-angled cass~ope, Oassiope tetragona (L.) D. Don
(PS, I-c) -----------------------------------------219
vii
Page
104. Mertens casswpe, Oassiope mertensialtUL (Bong.) D. Don
(PS, C) -------------------------------------------220
105. starry cassiope, Oassiope stelleriana (Pall.) DC. (PS, I-C) 220
106. Alaska cassiope, Oassiope lycopodioides (Pall.) D. Don
(PS, C) -------------------------------------------222
107. bog-rosemary, Andromeda polifolia L. (PS-MS, I-C) -----223
108. leather lea£, Ohamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench
(PS-SS, I) ----------------------------------------224
109. salal, Gaultheria shallon Pursh (MS, C) ------------------226
110. Miquel wintergreen, Gaultheria miqueliana Takeda (PS-SS,
Aleutian Is., R) ------------------------------------226
111. bearberry, Arctostaphylos '111/)a-ursi (L.) Spreng. (PS, I-C) 230
112. alpine bearberry, Arctostaphylos alpina (L.) Spreng. (PS,
I-c) -----------------------------------------------230
113. red-£ruit bearberry, Arctostaphylos rubra (Rehd. & Wilson)
Fern. (PS, I-c) ------------------------------------231
114. mountain-cranberry, Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. (PS, I-C) ___ 233
115. dwar£ blueberry, Vaccinium caespitosum Michx. (PS-SS,
i-C) ----------------------------------------------234
116. red huckleberry, Vaccinium parvifolium Sm. (MS-LS, C) __ 236
117. early blueberry, Vaccinium ovalifolium Sm. (MS, i-C) ----236
118. Alaska blueberry, V accinium alaskaense Howell (MS, C) ----238
119. bog blueberry, Vaccinium uliginosum L. (PS-SS, I-C) ----240
120. bog cranberry, Vaccinium owycoccos L. (PS, I-C) _________ 240
Diapensia £amily (Diapensiaceae)
121. diapensia, Diapensia lapponica L. (PS, I-C) _____________ 242
./
Honeysuckle £amily ( Capri£oliaceae)
122. Pacific red elder, Sambucus callicarpaiGreene (LS-ST, C) __ 243
123. high bushcranberry, Viburnum edule (Michx.) Ra£. (MS-LS,
I-C) ----------------------------------------------244
124. snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus (L.) Blake (SS-MS, C, R) 246
125. twin-flower, Linnaea borealis L. (PS, I-C) --------------248
126. bearberry honeysuckle, Lonicera involucrata (Richards.)
Banks (MS-LS, C, R) ------------------------------250
Composite £amily ( Compositae)
127. £ringed sagebrush, Artemisia frigida Willd. (SS, I) _______ 252
128. Alaska sagebrush, Artemisia alaskana Rydb. (SS, I) ______ 252
viii
INTRODUCTION
"Alaska Trees and Shrubs" de-
scribes and illustrates the native
woody plants of the 49th State. It
follows "Pocket Guide to Alaska
Trees" (Taylor and Little 1950 1 )
as a somewhat larger reference cov-
ering also the shrubs, their identi-
ficatiOn, distribution, and uses.
Upon the elevation of Alaska to
statehood in 1959, interest in
Alaska's natural resources, includ-
ing management and conservation,
has greatly increased. This hand-
book was prepared for people de-
siring to learn the names of native
trees and shrubs and additional re-
lated information. The varied au-
dience includes: ( 1) Foresters,
wildlife managers, and recreation
and land-use planners who need to
identify woody plants in their work
in land management and especially
the many seasonal employees from
outside; (2) Alaskan residents with
a desire to know more about their
natural surroundings; ( 3) tourists
with an interest in the scenery and
vegetation; (4) students and teach-
ers studying various aspects of
plant life; ( 5) military personnel
in programs of conservation and
survival; (6) scientific groups,
especially those with meetings or
field trips in Alaska; and (7) con-
servation groups concerned with
the preservation and development
of the State's resources; and ( 8)
all who are interested in the en-
vironment in general and problems
such as destruction of vegetation
and pollution.
Trees and shrubs, classed as
1 Names and dates in parentheses refer
to Selected References, p. 254.
woody plants, have hard stems
composed largely of wood tissue.
These stems are perennial, in that
they remain above the ground
from year to year. In contrast,
herbs are either soft stemmed
plants that die at the end of the
growing season (annuals) or are
plants whose stems die down to the
ground each year (perennials) .
The numerous species of herbs,
such as wildflowers, weeds, grasses,
and sedges, are not included in this
handbook.
Trees are defined as woody
plants having one erect perennial
stem or trunk at least 3 in. ( 7.5
em.) in diameter at breast height
( 4% ft., 1.4 m.) , a more or less
definitely formed crown of foliage,
and a height of at least 12 ft. ( 4
m.) (Little 1953). However, large
willows of tree size but with sev-
eral trunks from the same root and
shrubby species rarely attaining
these dimensions are accepted here
as trees.
Shrubs are woody plants smaller
than trees, commonly with several
perennial stems from the base.
Among these are large or high
shrubs and small or low shrubs.
Also .included are dwarf shrubs
and subshrubs, creeping or pros-
trate plants with erect woody stems
or woody at base, even if only 1-2
in. (2.5-5 em.) above the ground.
Woody vines, or plants with climb-
ing stems supported usually on
other plants, are not native in the
northernmost State.
Alaska has no woody plants
poisonous to the touch or in con-
tact with the skin. Poison-ivy and
1
poison-oak (Rhus spp.), though
widespread in all but 1 of the
lower 48 States, are absent. How-
ever, as noted, several species (also
some herbs) have fruits or foliage
poisonous when eaten.
Identification of the trees and
shrubs of Alaska is not difficult,
because relatively few kinds of
trees and shrubs grow in far north-
ern lands. Most States contain
within their boundaries at least
twice as many native tree species
as does Alaska. The number seems
relatively less also, because some
tree species generally are shrubby
and many are not widely distrib-
uted within the State.
New residents and visitors will
find some familiar species. Nearly
all species of large woody plants
native in Alaska grow wild some-
where in the lower 48 States.
More than half of the Alaska tree
species range as far south as some
part of California.
This handbook covers all Alaska
from the narrow southeastern
coastal region along the Pacific
Ocean west and southwest through
the long chain of the Aleutian
Islands, and north through the in-
terior to the Arctic Ocean, also
the many islands along the coasts.
However, this reference should be
useful over a larger area in north-
western Canada, including the
Yukon Territory, District of Mac-
kenzie, and northwestern British
Columbia. Most native woody
plants of those adjacent areas will
be found here.
The species of wild woody plants
recorded in the technical botanical
floras of Alaska are included. No
additions have been noted, but 3
more shrub species have been ob-
served to reach tree size. Nearly
all species are described and illus-
trated. However, 5 rare or minor
species are mentioned briefly under
their closest relatives. In general,
the variation£ within a species,
such as varieties and subspecies,
2
are not distinguished, but these can
be found in the botanical floras.
Cultivated plants introduced from
other areas, such as ornamental
shrubs and fruits, are not included.
Many native species, being adapted
to the local climates, are grown
around houses as shade trees and
ornamental shrubs. One intro-
duced ornamental tree SJ?ecies,
European mountain-ash, ments in-
clusion, having spread from culti-
vation until established or natur-
alized.
Previous Work
Many botanists and foresters
have studied the trees and shrubs
of Alaska. Naturalists with the
early exploring expeditions col-
lected botanical specimens, which
were named by European special-
ists. A history of the botanical ex-
ploration has been prepared by
Hulten ( 1940a) .
Information about the woody
plants of the 49th State has ap-
peared in numerous publications.
Selected Reference~ (p. 254) lists
many, such as flor!j.s, monographs,
and lists, which ha've been helpful
in the preparation of this hand-
book and which may be consulted
for further details. The most com-
prehensive references for identifi-
cation --'of the higher plants of
Alaska are the technical floras by
Hultilll (1941-50, 1960, 1968) and
by Anderson ( 1959) .
Foresters have long been active
in Alaska. Most of the valuable
coastal forest lands were designa-
ted as forest reserves between the
years 1892 and 1902. These areas
became the Tongass and Chugach
National Forests in 1907, 2 years
after establishment of the Forest
Service in the United States De-
partment of Agriculture. Under
multiple use planning, these pub-
licly owned timberlands are man-
aged for orderly development of
the many resources so that the land
remains productive.
The trees of Alaska were in-
cluded in the classic, well illustra-
ted reference published in 1908
(reprinted ~n 1967), "Forest Trees
of the Pacific Slope," by George
B. Sudworth (1864-1927), for
many years dendrologist in the
Forest Service. "Pocket Guide to
Alaska Trees" by Raymond F.
Taylor, research forester, appeared
first in 1929. This compact book-
let described and illustrated 28
species. A revision in 1950. by
Taylor and Little contained 31
species ( 1 naturalized), as well as
b.rief descriptions of 12 shrub
species.
Many other publications on the
forests and trees of Alaska have
been issued by the Forest Serv-
ice. "Alaska's Forest Resource"
(Hutchison 1967) is a report of the
first forest inventory of Alaska,
made as part of the nationwide
Forest Survey. "Characteristics
of Alaska Woods" (U.S. Forest
Products Laboratory 1963) com-
piled information relating to the
characteristics, distribution, and
utilization of 11 commercially im-
portant species.
Forestry research in Alaska is
being conducted by the USDA
Forest Service through its Insti-
tute of Northern Forestry under
the Pacific Northwest Forest and
Range Experiment Station, with
headquarters at 809 NE. 6th Ave.,
P.O. Box 3141, Portland, Oreg.
97208. Following early studies in
the 1920's, a project location (for-
merly research center) was estab-
lished at Juneau in 1948. Present
address is Federal Bldg., P.O. Box
909, Juneau, Alaska 99801. An-
other project location at the Uni-
versity of Alaska is the Forestry
Sciences Laboratory, College, Alas-
ka 99701.
Preparation of this Handbook
An extensive field trip in Alaska
by the junior author in 1961 indi-
cated the need for a reference for
identification of woody plants and
served as the start in the prepara-
tion of this handbook. As the
dendrologist of the USDA Forest
Service, he was co-author of the
1950 revision of "Pocket Guide to
Alaska Trees" (Taylor and Little
1950) and included the 49th State
in publications about the trees of
the United States.
The senior author has been en-
gaged in field work in Alaska since
1949 with various Federal and
State agencies including Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park, U.S. Army,
Atomic Energy Commission, U ni-
versity of Alaska, and Alaska De-
partment of Fish and Game. Since
1963 he has been conducting re-
search on the forests of interior
Alaska with the Institute of North-
ern Forestry, of the Forest Service,
at College, Alaska.
During the preparation of this
handbook, the authors have col-
lected and examined many botani-
cal specimens of the woody plants
of Alaska. Their plant collections
have been deposited mostly in the
Forest Service Herbaria at Fort
Collins, Colorado, and Juneau,
Alaska, and the University of
Alaska at College. The large col-
lections at the National Herbar-
ium, U.S. National Museum of
Natural History, Washington,
D.C., have been consulted also. A
set of the junior author's specimens
has been deposited there.
The text of the willow genus
(Salix), the heath family (Erica-
ceae) , and several other families
was prepared by the senior author.
The junior author wrote the text
of the trees (except willow) , the
rose family (Rosaceae), and several
other families.
The range maps in this handbook
were prepared by the senior author
primarily from the excellent de-
tailed distribution maps in "Flora
of Alaska and Neighboring Terri-
tories" by Eric Hulten (1968).
Additional information has been
3
compiled from published and un-
published sources including reports
and other information from the
Forest Service, Bureau of Land
Management, and Alaska Depart-
ment of Fish and Game, and from
the authors' observations. Maps
for the willows follow closely those
in "The Genus Salix in Alaska and
Yukon" by George W. Argus
(1972).
There is still much to be learned
about tree and shrub distribution
in Alaska. In order that more
detailed information can be assem-
bled, the earlier request for addi-
tional data, particularly regarding
the ranges of trees and shrubs,
is repeated here. This information
can be sent to the Forestry Sciences
Laboratory, College, Alaska 99701.
Plan
As listed under Contents, this
Introduction is followed by: Vege-
tation of Alaska, Keys for Identi-
fication, the descriptive text of
Alaska Trees and Shrubs in the
usual botanical arrangement by
plant families, and an index of com-
mon and scientific names. A brief
description is given for each :r;>lant
family and for each genus with 2
or more species. The species are
numbered in one series for ready
reference to drawings and maps.
For each species there are in-
cluded: (1) Common and scien-
tific names, also other names in
use; (2) nontechnical description
with emphasis on identification,
vegetative characters including
size and habit, leaves, twigs, and
buds (also bark and wood of trees),
and reproductive characters, such
as flowers and fruits; (3) notes in-
cluding abundance, site, vegetation
type, and uses, such as wood, food,
and wildlife; (4) geographic dis-
tribution both within and outside
Alaska; (5) distribution map of
Alaska; and (6) drawing.
Common and scientific names of
trees are those accepted by the For-
4
est Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture (Little 1953). Scien-
tific names of shrubs follow con-
servative usage. Other widely used
names including synonyms have
been added.
Descriptions and notes refer to
trees and shrubs growing in Alas-
ka. Measurements are in the Eng-
lish system, but equivalents in the
metric system have been added in
parenthesis. Basic equivalents are:
:Ys inch ( 3 millimeters) ; % inch
(1 centimeter) ; 1 inch (2.54 centi-
meters) ; 1 foot ( 0.3048 meter) ;
3.28 feet ( 1 meter) . A ruler with
both inches and centimeters ap-
pears on the last page. Trunk
diameters of trees are measured at
breast height ( 4¥2 ft. or 1.4 m.) .
Most tree species attain larger
heights and diameters southward.
Geographic distribution within
Alaska, as known, is stated by
place names along the corners and
borders of the range. The larger
areas under management by the
Federal Government are listed be-
cause of special interest to resi-
dents and visitors. Those cited
are South Tongass, North Tongass,
and Chugach National Forests, un-
der the Forest Service, U.S. De-
partment of Agriculture. Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park and Glacier
Bay and Katmai National Monu-
ments are under the National
Parki Service, U.S. Department of
the Interior. Kodiak and Aleutian
Islands National Wildlife Refuges,
Kenai National Moose Range, and
Arctic National Wildlife Range are
all under the Fish and Wildlife
Service, U.S. Department of the
Interior. General distribution be-·
yond Alaska has been added. A
map of Alaska showing these areas,
as well as most place names men-
tioned, is printed on the end
papers in front.
Because of space limitations, the
species distribution maps are small,
thus, distribution is not shown in
detail. The range is mapped as
continuous to the outer boundaries.
Small gaps within, suc.h as high
mountains and glamer-covered
areas, are not shown.
Each species is illustrated by
one or more line drawings. Most
show a lea:fy twig (or stem) with
both flowers and fruits, some. al~o
winter twigs. The scales are mdi-
cated, mostly natural size or one-
half natural size.
How to Use this Handbook
Most native trees and shrubs of
Alaska can be identified easily ·by
reference to the drawings, descri p-
tions, and maps. If you know a
common name, consult the Index
of Common and Scientific Names
for page nuJ?bers, then m~tch your
specimen with the drawmgs and
text. The List of Species under
Contents. may be ?onsulted,. if the
family Is recogmzed or I~ the
specimen resembles one previously
named. ·
It is desirable to have flowers or
fruits or both, as well as a twig or
stem with leaves. However, most
trees can be identified from foliage
alone.
Many trees and a few shrubs are
evergreen and can be identified
readily at any time of the year.
For those plants shedding their
leaves, frequently a few ~ld l~aves
and fruits can be found m wmter
either still .attached or on the
ground beneath. In winter, twig
and bud characters are useful.
Maps may be used to elimin~te
species not known to grow wild
where the specimen was found.
If clues to identification are lack-
ing, Keys for Identification (page
24) should be consulted. There
are keys for both summer and win-
ter, which are based mostly on
vegetative characters.
Acknowledgments
Many persons, notably fellow
workers in the Forest Service, have
helped in the preparation of this
handbook. Arland S. Harris, re-
search forester, has contributed
much information on the trees and
shrubs of southeast Alaska includ-
ing descriptions, ranges, and uses.
Mrs. Joan Foote, biological tech-
nician, had aid~d in collecti;ng and
processing specnnens, draftmg the
vegetation map, reviewing the keys,
and checking numerous details.
Mrs. Suzanne Foster Manley, as-
sistant botanist, has drafted the
species distribution maps and made
a number of drawings. Other
drawings were made by Carol Ann
Kanter, Hazel M. Hartman, and
Marion D. Shoquist.
Many drawings are from Forest
Service publications. The figures
in "Pocket Guide to Alaska Trees"
(1950) have been retained. Most
appeared originally in "Forest
Trees of the Pacific Slope" (Sud-
worth 1908) . Nine others were
made for the 1950 revision by Leta
Hughey. That of tamarack was
by W. F. Wight (1908). Some
drawings of shrubs are from "Im-
portant Western Browse Plants"
(Dayton 1931) and "Key to Im-
f>Ortant Woody Plants of Eastern
Oregon and Washingt?n" (H~yes
and Garrison 1960). SIX drawmgs
of willows ( S aliw) , species number
25, 26, 31, 32, 33, and 43, are from
"The Willows of Alaska?' (Coville
1901).
Twenty-two drawings are from
"Vascular Plants of the Pacific
Northwest" by C. Leo Hitchcock,
Arthur Cronquist, Marion Own-
bey, and J. W. Thompson (1955-
69). These are species number 28,
29, 35, 3'7, 39, 56, 5'7, 58, 60, 61,
62, 65, '74, '76, '79, 80, 81, 82, 83,
8'7 88, and 94. Grateful acknowl-ed~ent is given the authors and
the _PUblishers, University of
W ashmgton Press, Seattle, ~ash.,
for permission to copy these Illus-
trations.
William Berry, Alaskan artist,
has prepared the scratchboard
5
cover design of a typical white
spruce-paper birch stand in in-
terior Alaska in early winter.
Dr. George W. Argus, Canadian
Forestry Service, Ottawa, Ont.,
authority on the extremely com-
plex genus of willows (Saliw) with
many years of field experience in
Alaska, has assisted in identifying
collections and in providing an
advance manuscript copy of "The
systematics of the genus Saliw in
Alaska and Yukon" (Argus 1972).
Professor Eric Hulten, N atur-
historiska Riksmuseum, Stockholm,
Sweden, the foremost authority on
Alaska plants, sent advance copies
of his detailed species distribution
maps, which have been adapted
here with minor additions. His
floras and other publications have
been indispensable references in
the preparation of this handbook.
Lloyd A. Spetzman, botanist,
New Crops Research Branch,
Agricultural Research Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture,
who has had extensive field work
in Alaska, has made many valuable
suggestions and has checked the
species distribution maps. His de-
tailed vegetation map of Alaska has
been followed largely in the smaller
map published here. (In pocket.)
STATISTICAL SUMMARY
The trees and shrubs of Alaska,
described and illustrated here,
number 128 species in 54 genera
and 19 plant families, as summar-
ized in the List of Species under
Contents. However, one of these,
European mountain-ash (Sorbus
aucuparia), is introduced. Also,
6 additional species of shrubs,
mostly rare in Alaska, are men-
tioned briefly as follows : sprout-
ing willow ( Saliw stolonifera),
eastern arctic willow (S. arcto-
phila), wedgeleaf willow (S. speno-
phylla), Athabasca willow ( S.
athabascensis) , Canada gooseberry
( Ribes owycanthoides) , and a small
cranberry ( V accinium palustre) .
Thus, the total number of native
woody plants treated is 133 species.
Most species are grouped in rel-
atively few families. The willow,
rose, and heath families together
have about two-thirds of the spe-
cies. Of the 19 plant families, 9 are
represented by a single species
each, and 2 others by 2 each. The
largest are as follows :
6
Willow family ( Salicaceae), 2
genera, 36 species
Heath family (Ericaceae), 13
genera, 30 species
Rose family (Rosaceae), 10 gen-
era, 21 species
Pine family (Pinaceae), 5 gen-
era, 9 species
Gooseberry family ( Grossularia-
ceae), 1 genus, 7 species
Honeysuckle family (Caprifol-
iaceae) , 5 genera, 5 species
The largest genera of native
woody plants in Alaska are as fol-
lows: willow (Saliw), 33 species;
blueberry ( V accinium), 8; currant
( Ribes), 7; and alder (Alnus),
raspberry (Rubus), and cassiope
( Oassiope), 4 each. Of the other
genera, 8 have 3 species each, 9
have 2, and 31 have only 1.
Thus; willow (Saliw) far out-
numbers all other genera having
33 species, one-fourth of all the
woody species in Alaska. Obvi-
ously, the cold climate and abun-
dant wet sites are favorable for de-
velopment of willows. Likewise,
the heath family (Ericaceae), hav-
ing nearly one-fourth of the spe-
cies, is well displayed in the
numerous bogs or muskegs and
other sites with acid soils.
Growth Forms
The woody-plant species of
Alaska differ slightly in size and
growth form or life form from
those of the lower 48 States. Size
class is indicated in the List of
Species under Contents.
The size groups, with limits and
number of native species totaling
127, are listed below. A species
is counted only once, under the
largest size attained.
LT Large trees, more than 70
ft. (21m.) high, 12 species
MT Medium trees, 30-70 ft. (9-
21 m.) high, 5 species
ST Small trees, 12-30 ft. ( 4-9
m.) high, 16 species
LS Large shrubs, 6-20 ft. ( 2-6
m.) high, 19 species
MS Medium shrubs, 2-6 ft. (0.3-
2 m.) high, 30 species
SS Small or low shrubs, 0-2 ft.
( 0-0.6 m.) high, 12 species
PS Prostrate or creeping shrubs,
32 species
~arasite or epiphyte, 1 spe-
cies
Woody vines, none
A more detailed classification of
the life forms of plants based
largely upon the location of re-
newal or perennating buds was
prepared by Raunkiaer (1934). He
showed further that the percent-
ages of the different classes varied
somewhat according to climate.
The simpler classification here
omits herbaceous plants and com-
bines species growing in three
rather different climates of the
coastal and interior forests and
tundra of Alaska, each with dis-
tinct vegetation.
Several observations on growth
forms may be made when the
woody plants of Alaska are com-
pared with those of the lower 48
States. First, the number of woody
plant species northward in Alaska
becomes smaller, both in total and
in percentage of total flora. The
133 native woody plant species
listed here for Alaska are only
about 8 percent of the 1,559 vas-
cular plant species accepted by
Hulten (1968) for a larger area
covering also Yukon Territory and
other neighboring territories.
The number of native tree spe-
cies in the largest State is low,
only 33 species, less than in any
other State. Most States have more
than twice as many tree species.
The average height of tree spe-
cies becomes less northward in
Alaska. Only 12 species are
classed as large · trees. Nine of
these are confined to the coastal
forests of southeast Alaska, and
only 3 are found in the interior
forests. Of the 16 species of small
trees, several commonly are shrubs
and infrequently reach tree size.
However, a few other species
classed as large shrubs in Alaska
are trees south ward.
Vast areas of Alaska, shown as
tundra on the vegetation map, have
no native trees. The tundra vege-
tation beyond the tree line has a
climate so severe that trees are ab-
sent. In some ways it corresponds
to the alpine zone above timberline
on high mountains southward.
Northward the number of shrub
species becomes less in Alaska, also
the height is relatively lower.
However, the number of species of
prostrate, or creeping, or mat-
forming shrubs is higher, 32 spe-
cies or nearly one-fourth of the
total of woody plants. These
dwarf plants with slender stems
and a small amount of woody tis-
sue at the base might have been
omitted. Several are so slightly
woody that they are often classed
as herbs, subshrubs, or half-shrubs.
These small shrubs, included with
some hesitation, emphasize the
adaptations to the severe cold
climate.
The only native species of woody
epiphyte or parasite, hemlock
dwarf-mistletoe (Arceuthobium
tsugense) , is confined to southeast
Alaska.
There are no native species of
woody vines or climbing plants in
Alaska. The nearest example is
7
trailing black currant ( Ribes lam-
iflorum) , which has branches run-
ning along the ground but is some-
times vinelike and climbing on
shrubs.
A conspicuous element has ever-
green leaves. Of the 14 species of
conifers, all except 1 are evergreen
with leaves reduced to needles or
scales. Some species of creeping
shrubs and low shrubs, particu-
larly in the heath family, have per-
sistent leaves, classed as broad but
relatively small and thick. These
plants may be covered by winter
snows.
A few genera are represented by
species of different sizes and
growth forms. Willows (Salim)
range from several species with
tiny prostrate or creeping stems
to 7 of small trees and 1 medium-
sized tree. Both shrub and tree
'S:pecies are found in these genera :
birch (Betula) , alder (Alnus) ,
mountain-ash (Sorbus), and serv-
iceberry (Amelanchier). Dog-
wood (Oornus) and raspberry
(Rubus) are represented not only
by shrubs but by herbaceous spe-
cies, which are mentioned also for
identification.
Alaska Trees
Thirty-three of the 133 species
of native woody plants in Alaska
described here reach tree size, al-
though several commonly are
shrubby and a few are rare. As
trees make up only one-fourth of
the species of this handbook and
were treated separately in "Pocket
Guide to Alaska Trees" (Taylor
and Little 1950), a summary seems
appropriate.
In the List of Species under
Contents, only 12 tree species in
Alaska are classed as large, that
is, more than 70 ft. ( 21 m.) high.
However, 2 conifers of the south-
eastern coastal forests become very
large. Sitka spruce ( Picea sitch-
ensis) reaches a height of 225 ft.
( 69 m.) and a trunk diameter of
8
8 ft. (2.4 m.) or more. Western
hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) at-
tains 190 ft. (58 m.) in height and
5 ft. (1.5 m.) or more in trunk
diameter. A giant black cotton-
wood (Populus trichocarpa) near
Haines has a massive trunk 32 ft.
6 in. (9.9 m.) in circumference and
a broken top 101ft. (30.8 m.) high.
Sixteen species, about half, are
small trees less than 30 ft. (9 m.)
high. All 8 species of tree willows,
as well as 8 others, are classed as
both shrubs and trees and often
may be seen as shrubs, especially
in unfavorable sites.
Three additions to "Pocket
Guide to Alaska Trees" are ac-
cepted here as sometimes reaching
tree size. Grayleaf willow (Salim
glauca) in favorable sites may be-
come a small clump-forming tree
to 20 ft. ( 6 m.) high and 5 in.
(12.5 em.) in trunk dmmeter. Pa-
cific red elder (Sambucus calli-
carpa) and Greene mountain-ash
(Sorbus scopulina) have been ob-
served to reach the same height in
southeast Alaska.
The 33 species of Alaska trees
belong to 17 genera in 8 plant
families.· However, the pine fam-
ily (Pinaceae) contains 9 species
and the willow family (Salicaceae)
11 tree species. Largest genera are :
willow-'( Salim), 8 tree species, and
spruce ( Picea), poplar (Populus) ,
and a1der (Alnus) , 3 each.
Four tree species of southeast
Alaska are so rare and local that
they would not likely be seen with-
out a special trip to the places
mentioned. These are Pacific yew
( Tamus brevi folia), Pacific silver
fir (Abies amabilis), subalpine fir
(Abies lasiocarpa) ,' and Hooker
willow (Salim hookeriana).
Nearly all the commercial timber
of Alaska is produced by 10 tree
species, indicated by an asterisk
(*) in the List of Species. Six are
conifers and 4 are hardwoods. In
the coastal spruce-hemlock forests
of southeastern Alaska the 5 im-
portant conifers are as follows :
Sitka spruce ( Picea sitchensis) ,
western hemlock (Tsuga hetero-
phylla), mountain hemlock (Tsuga
mertensiana) , western redcedar
( Thuja plicata) , and .Alaska-cedar
( Ohamaecyparis nootkatensis). The
lone commercial hardwood in the
southeast is black poplar (Populus
trichocarpa) . In the interior
spruce-hardwood forests, the com-
mercially important species-are
white spruce ( Picea glauca) and
3 hardwoods, balsam poplar (Pop-
ulus balsamifera), quaking aspen
(Populus tremuloides), and paper
birch (Betula papyrifera).
The number of tree species na-
tive in any area of .Alaska is rela-
tively small. Many localities have
fewer than 10 tree species, while
great expanses of tundra beyond
the tree line and above the timber-
line of mountains have none. .
The extensive spruce-hardwood
forests of interior .Alaska are com-
posed of only 3 coniferous tree
species, white spruce (Picea glau-
ca) , black spruce ( P. mariana) ,
and tamarack ( Lariw laricina) ,
and 3 hardwoods, balsam poplar
(Populus balsamifera), quaking
aspen ( P. tremuloides), and paper
birch (Betula papyri/era), also 5
or fewer species of willow (Saliw)
and 2 of alder (Alnus) sometimes
reaching tree size.
Geographic Distribution
Numerous species of .Alaska's arc-
tic shrubs, also herbs, are widely
distributed in far northern regions
around the globe, or circumpolar,
across Canada, Europe, and .Asia to
Siberia. Other .Alaskan species ex-
tend just to northern Europe, while
several range west into Siberia but
not beyond. Some, known as arc-
tic-alpme species, occur southward
above the timberline in the alpine
zone of the Rocky Mountains and
high peaks of New England. These
widespread species are indicated in
the text by the range outside the
State given for each . .Also, Hulten
(1968) published a small map of
each .Alaska species showing the
entire natural distribution as seen
around the North Pole.
The only .Alaska tree species na-
tive also in the Old World is Sitka
alder (Alnus sinuata), which
ranges into northeastern .Asia. By
some authors thinleaf alder (Alnus
tenuifolia) has been united with an
Old World species, European speck-
led alder (A. incana (L.) Moench).
.Also, Pacific red elder (Sambucus
callicarpa) has been treated also as
a variety of European red elder
( S. racemosa L.) of Eurasia.
Seven tree species of the interior
spruce-hardwood forest are trans-
continental in range, being widely
distributed in the northern conifer-
ous forest ("north woods" or boreal
forest) from .Alaska across Canada
east to Labrador and Newfound-
land and south into the Northeast-
ern States. Besides the 3 common
conifers and 3 hardwoods men-
tioned under .Alaska Trees, Bebb
willow (Saliw bebbiana) is a small
tree with similar distribution.
Three tree species have a great
north-south distribution. Lodge-
pole pine (Pinus contorta) and
black cottonwood (Populus tricho-
carpa) range south in the coastal
forests from .Alaska to California
and beyond in mountains of north-
ern Baja California, more than 30°
oflatitude. Quaking aspen (Popu-
lus tremuloides) , the tree species
with the greatest geographic extent
in North .America, has a north-
south range of about 48° from
.Alaska and northwestern Canada
south to mountains of Mexico.
Sandbar willow (Saliw interior), a
shrub along the banks of the Yukon
River in central .Alaska, seems
equally adapted as a small tree
along the Mississippi River in
Mississippi and Louisiana and
ranges also into northern Mexico.
The woody plant species of
.Alaska generally can be separated
9
Left, map of white spruce (Picea glauca), showing maximum spruce-hardwood
forests of the interior (1). Right, Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), showing
occurrence of coastal spruce-hemlock forests (C) of southeast Alaska.
into two groups according to dis-
tribution within the State corre-
sponding to the forest regions, as
indicated in the List of Species un-
der Contents. Many are confined
to the coastal spruce-hemlock for-
ests (C) of southeast Alaska.
Others are characteristic of the
spruce-hardwood forests of the in-
terior (I) or the tundra beyond.
However, some species are found in
both regions or extend a short dis-
tahce into the other. Of the 33 spe-
cies of trees native in Alaska, 20 are
confined to the coastal region, sev-
eral to the southern end. The other
13 are found in the interior, but 11
of these extend at least a short dis-
tance southward to the Pacific coast
also.
The two forest regions which
limit the distribution of many
woody plant species are shown on
the vegetation map and by maps of
the characteristic tree species, which
are repeated here. The map of
white spruce (Picea glauca) shows
the maximum extent of the spruce-
hardwood forests of the interior
(I). That of Sitka spruce (Picea
sitchensis) locates the occurrence
of the coastal spruce-hemlock for-
ests (C) of southeast Alaska.
All Alaska's tree species range
southward across Canada to other
States, with the exception of 3
usually shrubby species of willow
10
(also 2 varieties of paper birch) .
Nineteen, or more than half, grow
wild somewhere in California.
Local and Rare Species
Few of Alaska's species of native
trees and shrubs are local or re-
stricted in distribution and possibly
rare or endangered at present.
Nearly all woody species of local
occurrence here have broader areas
beyond the State's boundaries and
obviously are not in danger of ex-
tinction. Most are found also east-
ward in adjacent Canada, but a few
occur westward in nearby Asia.
About 25 species of trees and shrubs
have local ranges in Alaska, as
shown lh the maps published here.
These .local and rare species are
mentidned below.
No species of woody plants is
confined to Alaska, or endemic.
One tree variety, by some authors
accepted as a species, is restricted
to Alaska though not rare, Kenai
birch (Betula papyrifera var.
kenaica). Setchell willow (Salix
setchelliana), a distinct prostrate
species, is endemic to Alaska and
extreme southwestern Yukon Terri-
tory. Yakutat willow (Salix am-
plifolia Cov.), for many years re-
garded as a local species in the
Yakutat Bay region, recently has
been united as a synonym of Hooker
willow (Salix hookeriana), of the
r 1
Pacific coast from British Colum-
bia to California. A few minor
variations of shrubs, named. as va-
rieties or subspecies but omitted
here, may be endemic to Alaska
also.
The woody species of local dis-
tribution may be grouped into the
following: southeastern, interior,
and extreme western. Several spe-
cies of more southern range are
rare at their northern limit in ex-
treme southeast Alaska. They are:
Pacific yew Tamus brevifolia
Pacific silver fir Abies amabilis
Pacific ninebark
· Physocarpus capitatus
Douglas spirea Spiraea douglasii
cranberry V accinium palustre
These more southern species are
found both at the southern end of
southeast Alaska and also north-
ward at the northern end :
subalpine fir Abies lasiocarpa
black hawthorn Orataegus douglasii
western black raspberry
Rubus leucodermis
bearberry honeysuckle
Lonicera involucrata
A few species enter Alaska from
Canada only at or near the north-
east end of southeast Alaska,
namely:
Hooker willow Salix hookeriana
pipsissewa Ohimaphila umbellata
red mountain-heath
Phyllodoce empetriformis
snowberry Symphoricarpos albus
Two tree varieties cross the
Rocky Mountains westward into the
coastal forests at the head of Lynn
Canal near Skagway and Haines:
lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var.
latifolia) and western paper birch
(Betula papyrifera var. commu-
tata). Subalpine fir (Abies lasio-
carpa) appears both here at the
northern end of southeast Alaska
and also at the southern end.
The following species, mostly
Canadian, are local or rare in in-
terior Alaska :
creeping juniper
Juniperus horizontalis
eastern arctic willow
Salix arctophila
Athabasca willow
Salix athabascensis
silver willow Salix candida
Canada gooseberry
Ribes oxycanthoides
saskatoon serviceberry
· Amelanchier alnifolia
Woods rose Rosa woodsii
blue mountain-heath
Phyllodoce coerulea
Of special interest are a few east
Asian species reaching North
America only in western Alaska.
Two known in Alaska only in the
westernmost Aleutian Islands are
Siberian mountain-ash (Sorbus
sambucifolia) of Siberia and
Miquel wintergreen (Gaultheria
·miqueliana) of Japan and adjacent
Asia. Wedgeleaf willow (Salix
sphenophylla) of Siberia has been
reported from Seward Peninsula.
Another Asiatic species common in
the Aleutian Islands and local
eastward and northward is Kam-
chatka rhododendron (Rhododen-
drom camtschaticum).
VEGETATION OF ALASKA
Alaska is a land of contrasts-
contrasts in climate, physical geog-
raphy, and vegetation. Containing
365.5 million acres (146 million
hectares) , Alaska has the high-
est mountain in North America, as
well as hundreds of square miles of
boggy lowlands. The climate var-
ies from mild and wet to cold and
dry. Temperatures in the interior
may range over 150° F. (83° C.) in
1 year and precipitation may be less
II
than 10 inches (250 mm.) annually
in contrast to 150 inches ( 3,800
mm.) annual precipitation and a
temperature range of 70° F. (38°
C.) in the southeastern coastal area.
Spanning nearly 1,300 miles (2,100
km.) of latitude and 2,200 miles
( 3,500 km.) of longitude, Alaska's
vegetation varies from the towering
fast growing forests of the south-
eastern coast, through the low,
slow-growing boreal forests of the
interior, to the treeless tundra of
the north and west. Distribution
of the vegetation types is shown in
the folded map at the end of this
handbook.
Of Alaska's great land surface,
approximately 119 million acres
( 48 million hectares) are forested.
Of these, 28 million acres (11.2 mil-
lion hectares) are classified as
"commercial forests." These great
timber reserves provide the basis
for one of the State's largest indus-
tries, and one that will continue to
expand in size and importance as
the timber demands of the heavily
populated areas of the world in-
crease. At present, most of the
State's timber production is from
the South Tongass, North Tongass,
and Chugach National Forests,
which contain 92 percent of com-
mercial forests of coastal Alaska.·
Nearly all of the rest is from other
areas within the coastal forests.
But as timber demands increase,
more and more use will be made of
the great timber reserves of the
interior boreal forests. Much of
this land is presently under the
jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land
Management, but the State of
Alaska is in the process of selecting
most of the commercial forest land.
Production of timber on State lands
has increased annually since state-
hood and will continue to increase
as more land is selected and the
demand for timber grows.
In addition to the timber values,
there are many other important
uses of Alaska's forest and tundra
12
areas. Much of Alaska is still wil-
derness, and the value of undis-
turbed wild areas may someday far
outweigh the potential value for
producing lumber and pulp. An
increasing number of people look
to Alaska for wilderness that is no
longer present in the more devel-
oped areas of the world. Thus, it
is important that some areas of
Alaska forests be retained in their
natural state. Tourism in Alaska
is an important and growing indus-
try, based primarily on scenic, wil-
derness, and wildlife values.
The Alaska forests provide many
recreational opportunities, includ-
ing hiking, camping, fishing, and
canoeing. In the National Forests
are extensive trails and shelter sys-
tems that can be used by the hiker,
hunter, or canoeist. The National
Parks and Monuments provide the
visitor with an opportunity to see
some of the most spectacular forest
and mountain scenery, while the
Wildlife Refuges and Ranges, al-
though primarily set aside for the
protection and management of
wildlife species, also have camp-
grounds, trails, and other recrea-
tional facilities. In the interior
boreal forests, the Bureau of Land
Management and the State of
Alaska have provided camp-
groundS, canoe trails, and occa-
sional . hiking trails through the
forest~d and tundra areas. More
development of recreational facili-
ties is planned for the future.
One of the most important re-
sources of the Alaska forests is the
wildlife species that inhabit them.
The Alaska forests provide a living
place for large numbers of birds
and mammals, most of which are
dependent upon the woody plants
either directly or indirectly for
food and shelter. Even those big
game animals, such as the mountain
sheep, mountain goat, and muskox,
that spend much of their lives above
or beyond tree line, often use low
woody plants for food during some
part of the season. ·
Of the forest species, the moose
is probably the most abundant and
widespread large mammal of the
interior forests; occasionally its
range extends into the coastal
areas. The moose survives the win-
ter primarily by browsing on wil-
lows and other shrubs, especially
in areas where the shrubs are grow-
ing thickly following forest fires,
and in willow thickets along the
rivers. In coastal areas, the black-
tail deer feeds primarily on blue-
berry and other shrubs during the
periods when the snow covers the
lower vegetation. In the summer
the deer feeds mainly on the her-
baceous plants that grow in the
openings in the coastal forests.
Even the caribou, often considered
a tundra animal, spends the win-
ters in the open forested area adja-
cent to tree line, especially where
lichen growth is abundant. In the
summer the caribou may utilize sev-
eral woody shrubs, especially resin
and dwarf arctic birch and willows,
as well as the herbaceous tundra
vegetation. The small red squirrel,
which is itself a source of food for
larger furbearers, is dependent
throughout the winter on seeds
from spruce cones stored beneath
the ground.
Several bird species survive
through the Alaskan winters pri-
marily by utilizing the woody
plants as a source of food. Ptarmi-
gan feed on willow and shrub birch
buds, while ruffed and sharptailed
grouse forage for berries from the
past summer and feed on the buds
of shrubs and trees. The spruce
grouse of the interior and the blue
grouse of the coastal areas live
largely from the needles and buds
of the spruce trees, as well as ber-
ries and buds of many shrubby
species.
In the summer, insect life
abounds in the forests and produces
food for large numbers of small
birds that nest and rear their young
before migrating southward in the
fall. In addition, the Alaskan for-
ests and tundra are dotted with nu-
merous lakes that serves as nesting
places where large numbers of
waterfowl rear thmr young during
the short summer season.
Thus it can be seen that the for-
ests of Alaska provide more than
timber to the people of Alaska and
the rest of the United States. They
offer wilderness, a place to hike,
hunt, fish, and areas to see and
photograph wildlife. They are im-
portant in protecting our water re-
source, and they furnish a habitat
f?r a large number of wildlife spe-
cies.
The following section lists the
main vegetation types of Alaska
and the most important trees and
shrubs found in each. Numbers 1-8
correspond to the types designated
by color in the folded vegetation
map in the pocket.
Coastal Forests
The dense forests of western
hemlock and Sitka spruce, a con-
tinuation of similar forests along
the coast of British Columbia,
Washington, and Oregon, extend
about 900 miles ( 1,440 km.) along
the Alaska coast from the south-
eastern tip to Cook Inlet and Ko-
diak Island. Commercial stands
occur from sea level to about 1,500
feet ( 460 m.) elevation, but scat-
tered trees rise to a timberline at
2,000 to 3,000 feet ( 460 to 915 m.) .
The coastal forests are charac-
terized by steep rough topography.
In many areas only a narrow band
of trees exists between the ocean
and the tundra on snowclad moun-
tains above. The scenic grandeur
of the region is unsurpassed. The
narrow waterways with steep for-
ested slopes, the rugged high moun-
tains, and the many glaciers reach-
ing to the coast through forested
valleys along with an abundance of
streams and lakes offer a wealth of
13
recreation values to Alaskans and
tourists.
The climate is cool and cloudy in
summer, and the winters are mild.
Snowfall may be heavy in some
forested areas in the northern part,
but much o£ the high precipitation
falls as rain. Annual precipitation
varies from as much as 222 inches
( 5,640 mm.) on the outside coast
o£ the southeasternmost islands to
25 inches ( 630 mm.) at Homer on
the boundary between coastal and
interior forests. The mean annual
temperature in the coastal forests
ranges from 46° F. (8° C.) at
Ketchikan to 37° F. ( 3 o C.) at Cor-
dova. Summer temperatures range
in the upper 50's (13-16° C.) and
winter temperatures for the coldest
month range from the low 20's
( -6° C.) to the mid 30's ( + 2° C.).
I. Coastal Spruce-Hemlock
Forests
In the southern part the coastal
forests are composed primarily o£
western hemlock and Sitka spruce
with a scattering o£ mountain hem-
lock, western redcedar, and Alaska-
cedar. Red alder is common along
streams, beach fringes, and on
soils recently disturbed by logging
and landslides. Black cottonwood
grows on the flood plains o£ major
rivers and recently deglaciated
areas on the mainland. Subalpine
fir and Pacific silver fir occur occa-
sionally at tree line and near sea
level but are not abundant enough
to be o£ commercial value. Blue-
berries, huckleberry, copperbush,
devilsclub, and salal are the most
important shrubs. Because o£ the
high rainfall and resulting high hu-
midity, mosses grow in great pro-
fusion on the ground, on £allen logs,
and on the lower branches o£ trees,
as well as in forest openings.
In poorly drained areas at low
elevations, open muskegs o£ low
shrubs, sedges, grasses, and mosses
are common. These areas are tree-
14
less or may have a few scattered
shrubby trees o£ shore pine (lodge-
pole pine), western hemlock, moun-
tain hemlock, Alaska-cedar, and
Sitka spruce.
In the northern and western sec-
tions o£ the coastal forests, the
makeup o£ the tree s:pecies changes.
Western redcedar IS not found
north o£ Frederick Sound, and
Alaska-cedar drops out at Prince
William Sound. Cottonwood is
extensive along some o£ the glacial
outwash rivers and becomes com-
mercially important in the Haines
area and on the alluvial terraces
to the west. Western hemlock be-
comes o£ less importance westward
but is found as far as Cook Inlet.
Only Sitka spruce remains as the
important tree in the coastal for-
ests west o£ Cook Inlet and the lone
conifer on Afognak and Kodiak
Islands. Douglas-fir, which is
characteristic o£ the coastal forests
o£ Oregon, Washington, and south-
ern British Columbia, does not
reach Alaska.
The common trees and shrubs o£
the coastal forests are as follows :
Trees
Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis
western hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla
mount~ hemlock
Tsuga mertensiana
Alaska-cedar
; Ohamaecyparis nootkatensis
red alder Alnus rubra
black cottonwood
Populus trichocarpa
Shrubs
Sitka alder Alnus sinuata
salal Gaultheria shallon
rusty menziesia
M enziesia ferruginea
devilsclub Oplopanaw horridus
stink currant Ribes bracteosum
trailing black currant
Ribes lawiflorum
western thimbleberry
Rubus parviflorus
salmonberry
Barclay willow
Scouler willow
Sitka willow
Pacific red elder
Rubus spectabilis
Saliw barclayi
Saliw scouleriana
Saliw sitchensis
Sambucus callicarpa
Alaska blueberry
V accinium alaskaense
dwar£ blueberry
V accinium caespitosum
early blueberry
V accinium ovalifolium
red huckleberry
V accinium parvifolium
high bushcranberry
Viburnum edule
Interior Forests
The white spruce-paper birch
forest, extending £rom the Kenai
Peninsula to the south slopes o£ the
Brooks Range and westward near-
ly to the Bering Sea, is called
the boreal forest or taiga-the
Russian equivalent. These forests
cover about 32 percent o£ the area
or about 106 million acres ( 42.4
million hectares). However, only
about one-fifth or 22.5 million
acres ( 9 million hectares) are clas-
sified as commercial forest land.
Characteristic forest stands are
found in the Tanana and Yukon
Valleys. Here, in contrast to the
coast, climatic conditions are ex-
treme. The mean annual tempera-
ture is 20 to 30° F. ( -7° C. to
-1° C.) but winter temperatures
below -40° F. ( -40° C.) are
common and the coldest month
averages -10 to -20° F. ( -23° to
-29° C.). In contrast, summer
temperatures may reach into the
90's (above 30° C.), and the warm-
est month o£ the year has an
average o£ 60° F. (16° C.). Per-
manently frozen ground is o£
scattered occurrence in the south-
ern part o£ the interior forests
and nearly continuous in the north-
ern sections. Although precipita-
tion is light, 6 to 12 inches ( 150
to 300 mm.) per year, evaporation
is low and permafrost forms an
impervious layer so that bogs and
wet areas are common. Snowfall
averages 55 inches (140 em.) per
year at Fairbanks, but snow cover
usually J?ersists £rom mid-October
until m1d-to late-April. Day
length is also extreme in the boreal
forest regions with nearly 24 hours
o£ daylight available £or plant
growth in June, but with only a
£ew hours o£ sunlight during the
winter months. Forest fires have
always been an important aspect o£
the environment o£ the Alaska in-
terior forests. Even now with
modern fire detecting and fighting
techniques, more than 4 million
acres may burn in a single dry
summer.
The vegetation types in interior
Alaska £orm a mosiac o£ patterns
that is related in part to past fire
history, to slope and aspect, and
to the presence or absence o£
permafrost. Most forest stands
are mixtures o£ two or more tree
species but are usually classified
by the dominant species.
2. Closed Spruce-Hardwood
Forests
White spruce type.-In general,
the, best commercial stands o£
white spruce are £ound on the
warm, dry, south-facing hillsides
and adjacent to rivers where drain-
age is good and permafrost lack-
ing. These stands are rather open
under the canopy but may contain
shrubs o£ rose, alder, and willow.
The forest floor is usually carpeted
with a thick moss mat. On the
better sites 100 to 200 year-old
spruce with diameters o£ 10 to 24
inches (25 to 60 em.) may average
10,000 board £eet per acre (58
cubic meters per hectare) . Stands
in which commercial white s:pruce
are dominant occupy 12.8 million
acres (5.1 million hectares) in in-
terior Alaska. The most common
trees and shrubs o£ the white
spruce type are as follows :
15
Trees
white spruce Picea glauca
paper birch Betula papyri/era
balsam poplar Populus balsamifera
Common Shrubs
red-fruit bearberry
Arctostaphylos rubra
crowberry Empetrum nigrum
narrow-leaf Labrador-tea
Ledum decumben8
American red currant Ribes triste
prickly rose Rosa acicularis
feltleaf willow Salix alaxensis
littletree willow Salix arbusculoides
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
bu:ffaloberry Shepherdia canadensis
mountain -cranberry
V accinium vitis-idaea
bog blueberry
V accinium uliginosum
high bushcranberry
Viburnum edule
Occasional to Rare Shrubs
bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
resin birch Betula glandulosa
rusty menziesia
M enziesia ferruginea
bush cinquefoil Potentilla fruticosa
grayleaf willow Salix glauca
halberd willow Salix hastata
Richardson willow
Salix lanata ssp. richardsonii
park willow Salix monticola
tall blueberry willow
Salix novae-angliae
Scouler willow Salix scouleriana
dwarf blueberry
V accinium caespitosum
Recent burns.-Because of ex-
tensive burns during the past 100
years, large areas of the interior
are in vanous stages of forest suc-
cession. The succession that fol-
lows fire is varied and depends
upon topography, previous vegeta-
tion, severity of burn, and avail-
able seed source at the time of burn.
In general, fires are followed by
a shrubby stage consisting pri-
marily of light-seeded willows.
16
The most important woody plants
to follow immediately after fire are:
Common Shrubs
narrow -leaf Labrador-tea
Ledum decumbens
Labrador-tea
Ledum groenlandicum
prickly rose Rosa acicularis
littletree willow Salix arbusouloides
Barclay willow Salix barclayi
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
Scouler willow Salix scouleriana
dwarf blueberry
V accinium caespitosum
mountain -cranberry
V accinium vitis-idaea
Occasional or Rare Shrubs
American green alder Alnus crispa
Sitka alder Alnus sinuata
thinleaf alder Alnus tenuifolia
red-fruit bearberry
Arctostaphylos rubra
bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
crowberry Empetrum nigrum
bush cinquefoil Potentilla fruticosa
American red currant Ribes triste
bu:ffaloberry Shepherdia canadensis
Beauvered spirea
Spiraea beauverdiana
bog blueberry
V accinium uliginosum
./
Quaking aspen type.-Following
fire and a willow stage, fast grow-
ing a~pen stands develop in upland
areas on south facing slopes. The
aspen mature in 60 to 80 years and
are eventually replaced by white
spruce, except in excessively dry
sites where they may persist. Oc-
casionally aspen stands also follow
fire on well drained lowland river
terraces and, in t-hese situations,
are usually replaced by black
spruce in the successional sequence.
Stands with aspen dominant oc-
cupy about 2.4 million acres (960,-
000 hectares) in central Alaska.
Woody plants occurring in the as-
pen type are as follows :
Trees
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides
white spruce Picea glauca
black spruce Picea mariana
Common Shrubs
bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
prickly rose Rosa acicularis
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
Scouler willow Salix scouleriana
buff'aloberry Shepherdia canadensis
mountain -cranberry
V acciniu,m vitis-idaea
Occasional to Rare Shrubs
red-fruit bearberry
Arctostaphylos rubra
Alaska sagebrush
Artemisia alaskana
fringed sagebrush
Artemisia frigida
resin birch Betula glandulosa
crowberrJ; . Empetrum nigru1n
common JUmper
Juniperus communis
Labrador-tea
Ledum groenlandicum
American red raspberry
Rubus idaeus var. strigosus
dwarf blueberry
V acoinium caespitosum
bog blueberry
V accinium uliginosum
high bushcranberry
Viburnum edule
Paper birch type.-Paper birch
is the common invauing tree after
fire on east-and west-facing slopes
and occasionally on north slopes
, and flat areas. This species oc-
curs either in pure stands or more
often mixed with white spruce,
aspen, or black spruce. Shrubs
may be similar to those under as-
pen but usually Labrador-tea and
mountain-cranberry are more com-
mon. Paper birch may be 60-80
feet (18-24 m.) tall and have di-
ameters up to 18 inches ( 46 em.),
but an average diameter of 8-9
inches (20-22 em.) is more com-
mon in the interior birch stands.
Stands dominated by paper birch
occupy about 5 million acres (2
million hectares) of interior for-
ests and are especially widespread
in the Susitna River Valley. Trees
and shrubs occurring in the birch
type are as follows :
Trees
paper birch
white spruce
black spruce
Common Shrubs
Betula papyrifera
Picea glauca
Picea mariana
narrow-leaf Labrador-tea
Ledum decumbens
Labrador-tea
Ledum groenlandicum
American red currant Ribes triste
prickly rose Rosa aoicularis
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
Scouler willow Salix scouleriana
Barclay willow Salix barclayi
mountain -cranberry
V accinium vitis-idaea
high bushcranberry
Viburnum edule
dwarf blueberry
V accinium caespitosum
Occasional to Rare Shrubs
crowberry Empetrum nigrum
rusty menziesia
M enziesia ferruginea
devilsclub Oplopanax horridus
northern black currant
Ribes hudsonianum
American red raspberry
Rubus idaeus var. strigosus
Pacific red elder
Sambucus callicarpa
Greene mountain-ash
Sorbus scopulina
The balsam 'J!Oplar type.-An-
other tree species of importance
within the closed spruce-hardwood
forest in interior Alaska is balsam
poplar, which reaches its greatest
size and abundance on the flood-
plain of the meandering glacial
rivers. It invades sandbars and
grows rapidly to heights of 80-100
feet ( 24 to 30 m.) and diameters
of 24 inches ( 60 em.) before being
replaced by white spruce. Balsam
17
poplar also occurs in small clumps
near the altitudinal and latitudinal
limit of trees in the Alaska Range
and north of the Brooks Range.
Commercial stands occupy 2.1 mil-
lion acres ( 840,000 hectares) , pri-
marily along the Yukon, Tanana,
Susitna, and Kuskokwim Rivers.
In the Susitna Valley balsam pop-
lar is often replaced in this type
by black cottonwood or by hybrids
between the two. The woody plants
of this type include:
Trees
balsam poplar
Populus balsamifera
black cotton wood
Populus trichocarpa
white spruce Picea glauca
Common Shrubs
American green alder Alnus crispa
Sitka alder Alnus sinuata
thinleaf alder Alnus tenuifolia
littletree willow Salim arbusculoides
feltleaf willow Salim alamensis
prickly rose Rosa acicularis
high bushcranberry
Viburnum edule
Occasional to Rare Shrubs
silverberry Eleagnus commutata
bush cinquefoil Potentilla fruticosa
high blueberry willow
Salim novae-angliae
Scouler willow Salim scouleriana
buffaloberry Shepherdia canadensis
3. Open, Low Growing
Spruce Forests
On north-facing slopes and
poorly drained lowlands, forest
succession leads to open black
spruce and bogs, usually underlain
by permafrost. The black spruce
are slow growing and seldom exceed
8 inches ( 20 em.) in diameter and
are usually much smaller; a tree
2 inches ( 5 em.) in diameter is
often 100 years in age. The black
spruce comes in abundantly after
fire because its persistent cones
open after a fire and spread
18
abundant seed over the burned
areas. A thick moss mat, often
of sphagnum mosses, sedges, grass-
es, and heath or ericaceous shrubs
usually make up the subordinate
vegetation of the open black spruce
stands. Associated with black
spruce in the wet bottom lands is the
slow-growing tamarack. As with
the black spruce, it is of little
commercial value, seldom reaching
a diameter of more than 6 inches
( 15 em.) . The woody plants of
these low growing spruce forests
include the following:
Trees
black spruce
tamarack
paper birch
white spruce
Picea mariana
Larix laricina
Betula papyrijera
Picea glauca
Common Shrubs
red-fruit bearberry
Arctostaphylos rubra
crowberry Empetrum nigrum
Labrador-tea
Ledum groenlandicum
prickly rose Rosa acicularis
littletree willow
Salim arbusculoides
Salim bebbiana
Salim glauca
Bebb wiilow
grayleaf willow
blueberry willow
./ Salim myrtillifolia
diamondleaf willow
· . Salim planifolia ssp. pulchra
Scmfler willow Salim scouleriana
bog blueberry
V accinium uliginosum
mountain -cranberry
V accinium vitis-idaea
Occasional to Rare Shrubs
resin birch Betula glandulosa
d war:f arctic birch Betula nana
narrow-leaf Labrador-tea
Ledum decumbens
-rusty menziesia
M enziesia ferruginea
bush cinquefoil Potentilla fruticosa
dwarf blueberry
V aocinium caespitosum
bog cranberry V accinium omycoccos
4. Treeless Bogs
Coastal areas.-Within the coast-
al forests in depressions, flat
areas, and on some gentle slopes
where ·drainage is poor, treeless
areas occur. The vegetation is
variable but most commonly con-
sists of a thick sphagnum moss
mat, sedges, rushes, low shrubs,
and fruticose lichens. This type
is locally called "muskeg." Often
a few slow growing, poorly
formed, shore pine, western hem-
l<.>ck, or Alaska-cedar are scattered
·on the drier sites. In more ex-
posed situations and in the driest
areas, shrubs may be dominant
over the sedge and herbaceous mat.
Ponds are often present in the
peaty substrate. Characteristic
shrubs of the coastal Alaska bogs
include:
bog-rosemary Andromeda polifolia
crowberry Empetrum nigrum
common juniper
Juniperus communis
bog kalmia Kalmia polifolia
Labrador-tea
Ledum groenlandicum
rusty menziesia
M enziesia ferruginea
Barclay willow Saliw barclayi
undergreen willow Saliw commutata
bog cranberry V accinium owycoccos
bog blueberry
V accinium uliginosum
mountain -cranberry
V accinium vitis-idaea
Interior areas.-Within the bo-
real forest are extensive bogs
where conditions are too wet for
tree growth. North of the Alaska
Range in the unglaciated areas,
they occur on old river terraces
and outwash, in filling ponds and
old sloughs and occasionally on
gentle north, facing slopes. They
are common south of the Alaska
Range, on the fine clay soils
formed in former glacial lake ba-
sins and on morain!tl soils within
the glaciated area~ They are also
common on the extensive flat areas
of the lower Yukon and Kuskok-
wim Rivers.
The vegetation of these bogs con-
sists of varying amounts of grasses,
sedges, and mosses, especially
sphagnum. Often the surface is
made uneven by stringlike ridges.
Much of the surface of these bogs
is too wet for shrubs but on the
drier peat ridges are a number of
heath or ericaceous shrubs, willows,
and dwarf birches. The woody
plants of the treeless bogs include
the following:
0 ommon Shrubs
bog-rosemary Andromeda polifolia
resin birch Betula glandulosa
dwarf arctic birch Betula nana
leatherleaf
Ohamaedaphne calyculata
narrow-leaf Labrador-tea
Ledum decumbens
Labrador-tea
Ledum groenlandicum
sweetgale Myrica gale
Barclay willow Saliw barclayi
Alaska bog willow
Saliw fuscescen.~
low blueberry willow
Saliw myrtillifolia
diamondleaf willow
Saliw planifolia ssp. pulchra
bog cranberry V accinium owycoccos
bog blueberry
V accinium uliginosum
mountain-cranberry
V accinium vitis-idaea
Occasional to Rare Shrubs
American green alder Alnus cri.~pa
Sitka alder Alnus sinuata
thinleaf alder Alnus tenuifolia
red-fruit bearberry
Arctostaphylos rubra
crowberry Empetrum nigrum
bush cinquefoil Potentilla fruticosa
grayleaf willow Saliw glauca
netleaf willow Saliw reticulata
Beauverd spirea
Spiraea beauverdiana
19
5. Shrub Thickets
Coastal alder thickets.-Dense
thickets of shrubs occur in a num-
ber of sites in all the major vege-
tation zones in Alaska. In coastal
Alaska there are extensive alder
thickets between the beach and the
forest, between the treeline and
the alpine tundra meadows, and
extending from treeline downward
through the forest in avalanche
tracks and along streams. The
shrub thicket is also common in
southeastern Alaska in the many
clearcut areas. The alder thicket
is almost impenetrable as the boles
of the shrubs tend to grow horizon-
tally as well as vertically. To
travel through the thicket is even
worse; the spiny devilsclub and
salmonberry are frequently pres-
ent. Beneath the alders there is
often a well developed grass and
fern layer, as well as a number
of herbs and shrubs. The most
common woody plants in this type
are as follows:
Sitka alder Alnus sinuata
luetkea Luetkea pectinata
rusty menziesia
M enziesia ferruginea
Oregon crab apple
Malus diversifolia
devilsclub Oplopanam horridus
stink currant Ribes bracteosum
trailing black currant
Ribes lamiflorum
Nootka rose Rosa nutkana
Western thimbleberry
Rubus parviflorus
salmonberry Rubus spectabilis
Barclay willow Salim barclayi
Scouler willow Salim scouleriana
Sitka willow Salim sitchensis
Pacific red elder
Sambucus callicarpa
Sitka mountain-ash
Sorbus sitchensi8
Alaska blueberry
V accinium alaskaense
dwarf blueberry
V accinium caespitosum
20
early blueberry
V accinium ovalifoUum
red huckleberry
Vaccinium parvifolium
Floodplain thickets.-Another
major shrub type, floodplain
thickets, is found on the flood-
plains of the rivers. Although
somewhat different in species com-
position, the type is rather sim-
ilar from the rivers of the south-
ern coastal areas to the broad
braided rivers north of the Brooks
Range. This type forms on newly
exposed alluvial deposits that are
periodically flooded. It develops
quickly and may reach heights of
15 to 20 feet ( 4.5-6 m.) in the
south and central Alaska and 5 to
10 feet (1.5-3 m.) along the rivers
north of the Brooks Range. The
main dominant shrubs of this type
are willows and occasionally alders
with a number of lower shrubs un-
der the canopy. The shrubs of
this type include the following :
American green alder
Alnus crispa
thinleaf alder Alnus tenuifolia
Sitka alder Alnus sinuata
red-osier dogwood
Oornus stolonifera
silverberry Eleagnus commutata
sweet.gale Myrica gale
prickly rose Rosa acicularis
Am~rican red raspberry
Rubus idaeus var. strigosu8
feltleaf willow Salim alamensis
littletree willow Salim arbusculoides
Barclay willow Salim barclayi
Bebb willow Salim bebbiana
barren-ground willow
Salim brachcarpa ssp. niphoclada
undergreen willow Salim commutata
grayleaf willow Salim glauca
halberd willow Salim hastata
sandbar willow Salim interior
Richardson willow
Salim lanata ssp. richardsonii
Pacific willow Salim lasiandra
park willow Salim monticola
tall blueberry willow
Salim novae-angliae
diamondleaf willow
Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra
Setchell willow Salix setchelliana
Sitka willow Salix sitchensis
bu:ffaloberry Shepherdia canadensis
high bushcranberry
Viburnum edule
Birch-alder-willow thickets.-A
third type of shrub thicket occurs
near tree line in interior Alaska
and beyond tree line in extensive
areas of the Alaska and Seward
peninsulas. It consists of resin
birch, alder, and several willow
species, usually forming thickets
3 to 10 feet (1-3 m.) tall. The
thickets may be extremely dense,
or they may be open and inter-
spersed with reindeer lichens, low
heath type shrubs, or patches of
alpine tundra. The alders tend to
occupy the wetter sites, the birch
the mesic sites, and the tundra
openings the drier or wind exposed
areas. The type extends below tree
line where it is often associated with
widely spaced white spruce. Shrubs
of this type include the following:
American green alder Alnus crispa
Sitka alder Alnus sinuata
alpine bearberry
Arctostaphylos alpina
resin birch Betula glandulosa
dwarf arctic birch Betula nana
crowberry Empetrum nigrum
narrow-leaf Labrador-tea
Ledum decumbens
bush cinquefoil Potentilla fruticosa
Barclay willow Salix barclayi
undergreen willow Salix commutata
Alaskan bog willow
Salix fuscescens
diamondleaf willow
Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra
Richardson willow
Salix lanata ssp. riohardsonii
netleaf willow Salix retioulata
Beauverd spirea
Spiraea beauverdiana
bog blueberry
V aooinium uliginosum
mountain -cranberry
V acoinium vitis-idaea
Tundra
The low tundra vegetation can
be divided into three main types:
moist tundra, wet tundra, a:rid al-
pine tundra. Within each of these
major types are mosaics of sub-
types related to differences in to-
pography, slope, aspect, and sub-
strate.
6. Moist Tundra
Moist tundra occupies the foot-
hills and lower elevations of the
Alaska Range as well as extensive
areas on the Seward and Alaska
peninsulas, the Aleutian Islands,
and the islands of the Bering Sea.
The type varies from almost con-
tinuous and uniformly developed
cottongrass ( Eriophorum) tus-
socks with sparse growth of other
sedges and dwarf shrubs to stands
where tussocks are scarce or lack-
ing and dwarf shrubs are dom-
inant. Over wide areas in Arctic
Alaska, the cottongrass tussock
type is the most widespread of all
vegetation types. In northern
areas the type is often dissected by
polygonal patterns created by un-
derlying ice wedges. On the Aleu-
tian Islands the type consists of
tall grass meadows interspersed
with a dense low heath shrub type.
The shrubs found in this type from
the Aleutian Islands to the north
slope of the Brooks Range include
the following :
American green alder Alnus orispa
alpine bearberry
Arctostaphylos alpina
resin birch Betula glandulosa
dwarf arctic birch Betula nana
four-angled cassiope
Oassiope tetragona
entire-leaf mountain-avens
Dryas integrifolia
white mountain-avens
Dryas ootopetala
narrow-leaf Labrador-tea
Ledum deoumbens
21
alpine-azalea
Loiseleuria prooumbens
Aleutian mountain-heath
Phyllodooe aleutioa
Kamchatka rhododendron
Rhododendron oamtsohatiou1n
Lapland rosebay .
Rhododendron lapponioum
arctic willow Salix arotioa
Barclay willow Salix barolayi
Barratt willow Salix barrattiana
Chamisso willow Salix ohamissonis
undergreen willow Salix oommutata
Alaska bog willow Salix fusoesoens
grayleaf willow Salix glauoa
Richardson willow
Salix lanata ssp. riohardsonii
diamondleaf willow
Salix,planifolia ssp. pulohra
ovalleaf willow Salix ovalifolia
polar willow Salix polaris
netleaf willow Salix retioulata
least willow Salix rotundifolia
Beuverd spirea
Spiraea beauverdiana
bog cranberry V aooinium oxyooocos
bog blueberry
V aooinium uliginosum
mountain-cranberry
V aooinium vitis-idaea
7. Wet Tundra
The wet tundra type as shown
on the vegetation map includes
also the low coastal marshes of
southern Alaska. The type is most
extensive along the coastal plain
north of the Brooks Range, the
northern part of the Seward
Peninsula, and on the broad Yukon
delta. It is usually found in areas
with many shallow lakes and little
topographic relief. Standing wa-
ter is almost always present in the
summer and in the northern parts
permafrost is close to the surface.
Microrelief is provided by peat
ridges and polygonal features re-
lated to frost action and ice
wedges. The vegetation is pri-
marily a sedge and cottongrass
mat, usually not formed into tus-
22
socks. The few woody plants
occur on the driest sites where the
microrelief raises them above the
standing water table. The shrubs
in this type include the following:
bog-rosemary Andromeda polifolia
resin birch Betula glandulosa
dwarf arctic birch Betula nana
narrow-leaf Labrador-tea
Ledum deoumbens
Alaska bog willow Salix fusoesoens
diamondleaf willow
Salix planifolia ssp. pulohra
netleaf willow Salix retioulata
Richardson willow
Salix lanata ssp. riohardsonii
ovalleaf willow Salix ovalifolium,
bog cranberry V aooinium oxyooooos
bog blueberry
V aooinium uliginosum
mountain -cranberry
V aooinium vitis-idaea
8. Alpine Tundra
In all the mountain ranges of
Alaska and on exposed ridges in
the arctic and southwestern coastal
areas, t:P.ere is a zone of alpine
tundra. Much of this type con-
sists of barren rocks but inter-
spersed between the bare rocks and
rubbly are low mat plants, both
herbaceous and shrubby. Dom-
inant in this type in northern areas
and fin the Alaska Range are low
mats of white mountain-avens
which may cover entire ridges and
slopes along with many mat form-
ing herbs, such as moss-campion
( Silene aoaulis L.) , black oxytrope
( Oxytropis nigresoens (Pall.)
Fisch.), arctic sandwort (Minu-
artia arotioa (Stev.) Aschers. &
Graebn.) , and several grasses and
sedges. In the southeastern coast-
al mountains and the Aleutians,
the most important plants are the
low heath shrubs, especially cas-
siopes and mountain-heaths. They
are most abundant where snow ac-
cumulates in the winter and lingers
into late spring. On the Aleutian
Islands this type consists primar-
ily of crowberry, bog blueberry,
mountain -cranberry, alpine-azalea,
and several dwarf willows. Shrubs
in this. type throughout its range
in Alaska include the following:
alpine bearberry
Arctostaphylos alpina
resin birch Betula glandulo8a
dwarf arctic birch Betula nana
Alaska cassiope
Oassiope lyeopodioides
Mertens cassiope .
0 assiope mertensiana
starry cassiope Oassiope stelleriana
four-angled cassiope
Oassiope tetragona
diapensia DiazJensia lapponiea
wh1te mountain-avens
Dryas oetopetala
entire-leaf mountain-avens
crowberry
alpine-azalea
Dryas integrifolia
Empetrum nigrum
Loiseleuria proeumbens
narrow-leaf Labrador-tea
Ledum deeumbens
luetkea Luetkea peetinata
Aleutian mountain-heath
Phyllodoee aleutiea
blue mountain-heath
Phyllodoee eoerulea
red mountain-heath
Phyllodoee empetriformis
Kamchatka rhododendron
Rhododendron eamtsehatieum
Lapland rosebay
Rhododendron lapponieum
arctic willow Salim aretiea
Chamisso willow Salim ehamissonis
Alaska bog willow Salim fuseeseens
ovalleaf willow Salim ovalifolia
skeletonleaf willow
Salim phlebophylla
polar willow Salim polaris
diamondleaf willow
Salim planifolia ssp. pulehra
netleaf willow Salim retieulata
least willow Salim rotundifolia
dwarf blueberry
V aeeinium eaespitosum
bog blueberry
V aeeinium uliginosum
mountain -cranberry
V aeeinium vitis-idaea
Vegetation Map
The colored folded vegetation
map of Alaska (in pocket) , com-
piled by the senior author, combines
some aspects of five published
Alaska vegetation maps. It follows
primarily the detailed, large-scale
"Vegetation Map of Alaska" by
Lloyd A. Spetzman (1963), com-
, piled for the Military Qeology
Branch of the U.S. Geological
Survey. Other maps consulted
are the following : A. W. Kuchler's
map "Potential Natural Vegeta-
tion of Alaska" (U.S. Geological
Survey, National Atlas, Sheet No.
89, 1967), "Vegetation Map of
Northwestern North America"
(Sigafoos 1958); Alaska Forest
Regions in the revision of "Pocket
Guide to Alaska Trees" (Taylor
and Little 1950) ; and the revised,
enlarged map printed in color
in "Alaska's Forest Resource"
(Hutchison 1967). The last, much
reduced, appeared also on the map
"Major Forest Types" (U.S. Geo-
logical Survey, National Atlas,
Sheet No. 182, 1969). In addition,
the · compiler has made some
changes based on his own observa-
tions and experiences.
23
KEYS FOR IDENTIFICATION
Keys are provided to aid identi-
cation, both in summer, when
leaves, flowers, and fruits are
present, and in winter, when twigs,
winter buds, and bark are used.
Four assembled here are as fol-
lows: Key to Alaska Trees Based
Mainly on Leaves, Winter Key to
Deciduous Trees of Alaska, Key
to Genera of Alaska Shrubs, and
Winter Key to Alaska Shrubs.
Also, each genus with two or more
species has a key to its Alaska
species. For the willows (Salim),
the largest genus, there are two:
Key to Alaska ·willows and Vege-
tative Key to Alaska Willows.
A key is an outline for identify-
ing specimens or plants through
the process of elimination. This
device is a short cut to save time
in reading every description until
the one that ag-rees is found. The
species are divided into two group;;
according to certain distinguishing
characters, and each group is di-
vided successively into two smaller
groups down to a single species at
the end. The name of a particular
specimen is found through selec-
tion, one by one, of the group in
which it belongs.
Like an outline, the · keys are
indented. The two groups form-
ing a pair of contrasting charac-
ters are designated by the same let-
ter, single and double, and spaced
one directly below the other but
usually not together. Step by step,
elimination proceeds from left to
right by selection of the group to
which the specimen belongs until
the name is reached. Species num-
bers are cited beside each name
for reference. Then verification is
made by comparison with descrip-
tion, illustration, and map. If
agreement is lacking or doubtful,
the steps followed in the key may
24
be retraced and different steps
tried. With incomplete specimens,
it may be desirable to check both
groups of a pair where the con-
trasting characters are absent or
uncertain.
Emphasis is given to nontechni-
cal and vegetative characters,
which are present over longer
periods than flowers or fruits,
also, to the larger parts. However,
a hand lens will be helpful for
observing details.
The first step is to select the
proper key for the specimen,
whether it is a tree or shrub and
in summer or winter condition.
Usually, the keys based mainly on
leaves and other vegetative char-
acters are simpler and easier to
use than the winter keys. The
latter must depend largely upon
differences in twigs and buds.
Even in winter, enough old leaves,
flowers, and fruits may be found
for use of the main keys. Of
course, keys based largely on leaves
can be used throughout'the year
for the evergreens.
For example, a tree specimen
with broad leaves would be identi-
fied with the Key to Alaska Trees
Based Mainly on Leaves. First,
both contrasting parts or groups
of the key, beginning with the pair
"A" and "AA," should be cread.
The specimen with broad leaves
belongs under "AA," and all the
trees under "A," having needlelike
or scalelike leaves, are eliminated.
Next, the lines "N" and "N~" are
read. If the leaves and twigs are
in pairs (opposite), the specimen
belongs under "NN." Then, if the
leaves have 3 long-pointed lobes,
the specimen agrees with "j" in-
stead of "jj" and is a Douglas
maple. Confirmation is made by
comparison with the description,
illustration, and map.
Key to Alaska Trees Based Mainly on Leaves
A. Leaves needlelike or scalelike, evergreen (except in tamarack) , trees
resinous (except in yew) ; seeds more or less exposed and not
enclosed in a fruit-conifers or softwoods (gymnosperms) .
B. Leaves needlelike, flattened, abruptly pointed but not prickly, in 2
rows comblike with leafstalks extending down twig; seeds
single in scarlet juicy cuplike disk; rare in extreme southeast
Alaska ------------------1. Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia)
BB. Leaves needlelike or scalelike, not as above; seeds borne on scales
of a cone.
C. Leaves needlelike, more than :14 in. (6 mm.) long, single, or
clustered.
D. Needles shedding in fall, 12--20 in cluster on short spur twigs
(also single on leading twigs)------------------------
--------------------------3. tamarack (Larix larioina)
DD. Needles evergreen, single or 2 (sometimes 3) in a bundle.
E. Needles 2 (sometimes 3) in a bundle with sheath at base-
2.lodgepole pine (Pinus oontorta) .
F. Cones pointing backward, opening at maturity; generally
low spreading tree of muskegs in coastal forests ----
-------2a. shore pine (Pinus oontorta var. oontorta)
FF. Cones pointing outward, mostly remaining closed many
years; tree often tall and narrow of inner fiord forests
at head of Lynn Canal (Skagway to Haines)-------
----2b.lodgepole pine (Pinus oontorta var. latifolia)
EE. Needles single, without sheath at base.
G. Older twigs roughened by projections where needles were
shed.
H. Needles sharp-pointed, stiff, without leafstalks-spruce
(Pioea).
I. Needles 4-angled.
J. Twigs hairy; needles mostly less than :Y2 in. ( 12 mm.)
long, resinous; cones egg-shaped or nearly
round, mostly less than 1 in. (2.5 em.) long,
curved down on short stalks, remaining on tree
------------4. black spruce (Pioea mariana)
JJ. Twigs hairless; needles more than lj2 in. (12 mm.)
long, with skunklike odor when crushed; cones
cylindric, 1:14-2¥2 in. (3-6 em.) long, falling at
maturity ______ 5. white spruce (Pioea glauoa)
II. Needles flattened but slightly keeled ___ ::. _________ _
_____________ 6. Sitka spruce (Pioea sitohensis)
HR. Needles blunt, soft and not stiff, with short leaf-stalks
-hemlock (Tsuga)
K. Needles flat, appearing in 2 rows, shiny dark green
above, with 2 whitish bands (stomata) on lower
surface -------------------------------------
------'7. western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
KK. Needles half-round and keeled or angled beneath,
crowded on all sides of short side twigs, blue
green, with whitish lines (stomata) on both
surfaces ------------------------------------
-----8. mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana)
25
GG. Older twigs smooth-fir (Abies).
L. Needles shiny dark green on upper surface and silvery
white with many lines (stomata) on lower surface
-------------9. Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis)
LL. Needles dull dark green with whitish lines (stomata)
on both surfaces ------------------------------
------------10. subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
CC. Leaves scalelike, usually less than Vs in. (3 mm.) long, crowded,
forming fanlike or flattened sprays.
M. Leafy twigs flattened; leaves flattened and curved, not
spreading ______ 11. western redcedar (Thuja plicata)
MM. Leafy twigs 4-angled or slightly flattened; leaves pointed,
spreading -------------------------------------------
------12. Alaska-cedar ( Ohamaecyparis nootkatensis)
AA. Leaves broad and flat, shedding in fall (deciduous); trees non-
resinous; seeds developed from a flower and enclosed in a fruit-
flowering plants (angiosperms) .
N. Leaves and twigs arranged singly (alternate).
0. Leaves not divided into leaflets (simple).
26
P. Leafstalks (petioles) mostly less than lf2 in. (12 mm.) long;
leaves mostly more than twice as long as broad, with edges
finely toothed or without teeth; winter buds covered by a
single scale-willow (Salix).
Q. Leaf edges without teeth or only sparsely and indistinctly
toothed.
R. Leaves rounded at base, broadly elliptic, becoming hairless
on both sides __ 32. Hooker willow (Salix hookeriana)
RR. Leaves tapering or short-pointed at base, narrower, with
hairs on lower surface.
S. Lower surface of leaves covered by dense hairs, appearing
silvery, white, or gray.
T. Leaves thick, lower surface with dense white woolly
hairs ______ 38. feltleaf willow (Salix alaxensis)
TT. Leaves thin, lower surface with dense straight hairs.
U. Lower surface of leaves silvery silky hairy, upper
surface green with scattered hairs _________ _
_________ 43. Sitka willow (Salix sitchensis)
UU. Lower surface of leaves dull gray hairy, upper
surface greenish gray and hairless _________ _
__________ 26. grayleaf willow (Salix glauca)
SS. Lower surface of leaves visible through less dense hairs.
V. Leaves thick, nearly hairless above; hairs on lower
surface short and stiff, at least some red, giving
reddish hue ---~----------------------------
--------42. Scouler willow (Salix scouleriana)
VV. Leaves thin, hairy on both sides; hairs longer, not
reddish ______ 40. B.::~bb willow (Salix bebbiana)
QQ. Leaf edges finely and distinctly toothed from base to apex.
W. Leaves 1-3 in. (2.5-7.5 em.) long, mostly short-pointed at
both ends ------------------------~------------
--------44. littletree willow (Salix arbusculoidesl
WW. Leaves 2-5 in. (5-12.5 em.) long, long-pointed, mostly
rounded at base __ 46. Pacific willow (Salix lasiandra)
PP. Leafstalks (petioles) mostly more than ¥2 in. (12 mm.) long
(often shorter in alder) ; leaves less than twice as long as
broad, with edges finely or coarsely toothed; winter buds
with 2 or more scales exposed.
X. Leaf edges finely toothed with_ curved and rounded teeth-
cottonwood, poplar, aspen (Populus).
Y. Leaf blades nearly round, less than 2 in. ( 5 em.) long;
leafstalks flattened ------------------------------
----------1'7. quak;ing aspen (Populus tremuloides)
YY. Leaf blades longer than broad, 2¥2-5 in. (6-12.5 em.)
long; leafstalks round.
Z. Seed capsules pointed, hairless, 2-parted; leaves pale
green and brownish beneath; tree of interior forests
--------15. balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera)
ZZ. Seed capsules rounded, hairy, 3-parted; leaves whitish
beneath; tree of coastal forests ------------------
------16. black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa)
XX. Leaf edges coarsely toothed with sharp-:pointed teeth.
a. Leaf edges doubly toothed with teeth of 2 Sizes.
b. Leaf edges not lobed; bark papery and peeling off, white,
brown, or pinkish-50. paper birch (Betula
papyrifera).
c. Leaves long-pointed, usually wedge-shaped at base;
bark usually white. in age; interior Alaska
---------------------------------50b. Alaska
_paper birch (Betula papyrifera var. humilis)
cc. Leaves mostly short-pointed.
d. Leaves thin, mostly rounded at base; bark usually
reddish brown; northern part of southeast
Alaska -----------------50a. western paper
birch (Betula papyrifera var. commutata)
dd. Leaves thick, wedge-shaped or rounded at base, with
white hairs on toothed edges; bark usually dark
brown or gray; southern and southern interior
Alaska -------------------------------50c.
Kenai birch (Betula papyrifera var. kenaica)
bb. Leaf edges wavy or shallowly lobed; bark usually gray
and smooth, not papery nor peeling off-alder
(Alnus). .
e. Leaves yellow green above, shiny on both sides and
especially beneath, sticky when young, edges with
relatively long-pointed teeth ------------------
--------------52. Sitka alder (Alnus sinuata)
ee. Leaves dark green above, dull, not sticky when young,
edges with short-pointed teeth.
f. Leaves thick with edges curled under slightly, with
rusty hairs along veins beneath _____________ _
-----------------53. red alder (Alnus rubra)
ff. Leaves thin with edges flat, finely hairy or nearly
hairless beneath ---------------------------
--------54. thinleaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia)
aa. Leaf edges with uniform teeth.
g. Leaves short-pointed, sometimes 3-lobed _____________ _
______ 66. Oregon crab apple (Malus diversifolia)
27
gg. Leaves rounded at apex ----------------,-----------
----72. Pacific serviceberry ( Amelanchier florida)
00. Leaves divided into 7-17 leaflets (compound), the leaflets at-
tached along extended leafstalk and shedding with it-
mountain-ash (Sorbus).
h. Leaflets mostly 11-15, short-pointed, edges toothed nearly to
base.
i. Leaflets becoming hairless --------------------------------
--------67. Greene Mountain-ash (Sorbus scopulina)
ii. Leaflets white-hairy beneath; naturalized tree ___________ _
______ 68. European mountain-ash (Sorbus aucuparia)
hh. Leaflets mostly 9 or 11, rounded or short-pointed at apex, edges
not toothed in lowest third --------------------------
------------69. Sitka mountain-ash (Sorbus sitchensis)
NN. Leaves and usually twigs in pairs (opposite). ·
j. Leaves with 3 long-pointed lobes, irregularly or doubly toothed
________ 85. Douglas maple (Acer glabrum var. douglasii)
jj. Leaves divided into 5 or 7 leaflets (compound), finely toothed
-------------122. Pacific red elder (Sambucus callicarpa)
Winter Key to Deciduous Trees of Alaska
A. Twigs with many wartlike, blackish spur twigs about lJs in. (3 mm.)
long; upright brown cones usually present; trees with pointed
crown ------------------------3. tamarack (Larix laricina)
AA. Twigs without spur twigs or with longer spurs; trees with spreading,
usually rounded crown.
B. Winter buds, leaf -scars, and twigs arranged singly (alternate).
C. Winter buds covered by a single scale ----------------willow
(Salix; the species not readily distinguished in winter)
CC. Winter buds with 2 or more scales exposed.
28
D. Winter buds usually resinous or sticky, shiny, brown, long-
pointed; lowest bud-scale centered over leaf-scar-cotton-
wood, poplar, aspen (Populus). .
E. Winter buds 14 in. ( 6 mm.) or less in length, slightly or not.
resinous ____ 17. quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)
EE. Winter buds %-1 in. (10-25 mm.) long, very resinous.
F. Tree of interior forests ------------------------------
----------15. balsam poplar (Populus· balsamifera)
FF. Tree of coastal forests ------------------------------
--------16. black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa)
DD. Winter buds not resinous or sticky (slightly so in Sitka
alder) ; lowest bud -scale at side of bud.
G. Winter buds mostly stalked (slightly in No. 52), with the 3
exposed scales meeting at edges (overlapping in No.
52) ; old, hard, blackish cones or conelike fruits usually
present-alder (Alnus).
H. Cones with long stalks more than ¥2 in. (12 mm.) long,
mostly longer than cones ------------------------
------------------52. Sitka alder (Alnus sinuata)
HH. Cones with short stalks less than lf2 in. (12 mm.) long.
I. Cones lh-1 in. (12-25 mm.) long----------------------
--------------------53. red alder (Alnus rubra)
II. Cones less than lf2 in. (12 mm.) long ----------------
------------54. thinleaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia)
GG. Winter buds not stalked, composed of overlapping scales;
fruits not conelike.
J. Winter buds :14 in. (6 mm.) or less in length; bud-scales
with few or no hairs.
K. Twigs with many ·small whitish dots (lenticels and
resin); bark papery, peeling off _______________ _
------------50. paper birch (Betula papyrifera)
KK. Twigs with few inconspicuous dots (lenticels) ; bark
not papery.
L. Winter buds blunt-pointed, dark brown; twigs coarse,
gray or brown, often with dense gray hairs near
tip, with short side twigs or spurs ___________ _
____ 66. Oregon crab apple (Malus diversifolia)
LL. Winter buds sharp-pointed, purple; twigs slender,
reddish purple, shiny, hairless, without short side
twigs or spurs ------------------------------
--'72. Pacific serviceberry (Amelanchier florida)
JJ. Winter buds large, usually more than % in. (10 mm.)
long; inner exposed bud-scales densely hairy-moun-
tain ash ( S orbus) .
M. Winter buds with whitish hairs.
N. Winter _buds re~dish brown, inner scales with whitish
hairs at tip ---------------------------------
---6'7. Greene mountain-ash (Sorbus scopulina)
NN. Winter buds densely covered with whitish hairs;
naturalized tree -----------------------------
68. European mountain-ash (Sorbus aucuparia)
MM. Winter buds with rusty brown hairs ----------------
------69. Sitka mountain-ash (Sorbus sitchensis)
BB. Winter buds, leaf-scars, and usually twigs in pairs (opposite).
0. Twigs slender, reddish, with small dark red buds --------------
--------85. Douglas maple (Acer glabrum var. douglasii)
00. Twigs stout, gray, with large gray buds --------------------
------------122. Pacific red elder (Sambucus callicarpa)
29
Key to Genera of Alaska Shrubs
This summer key is for:_ use with
. flowering specimens and is based
upon some flower and fruit char-
acters, as well as vegetative char-
acters of twigs and leaves. The 46
genera of shrubs are included. Iden-
tification is to species also in the 26
genera represented in Alaska by a
single native shrub species. Keys to
species are included in the text for
the genera with 2 or more species.
For incomplete specimens the win-
ter key to Alaska shrubs is also
available. It is more detailed, in-
cluding species except in willow
( S aliw) , as well as genera.
A. Plants parasitic on conifer twigs; leaves reduced to paired brownish
scales ___ 55. hemlock dwarf-mistletoe (Arceuthobium tsugense)
AA. Plants growing on land ; leaves green.
B. Shrubs without true flowers; seeds in persistent berrylike resinous
blue or green cones; leaves scalelike, awl-shaped, or needlelike,
resinous ----------------------13-14. juniper (Juniperus)
BB. Shrubs with flowers; seeds enclosed in fruits; leaves mostly broad
(if needlelike or scalelike, fruit a capsule or black berry).
30
C. Flowers crowded in heads or catkins.
D. Flowers in dense yellow heads; leaves finely dissected, whitish
hairy, with sagebrush odor --------------------------
----------------------127-128. sagebrush (Artemisia)
DD. Flowers in catkins, long narrow clusters, male and female
separate; leaves various.
E. Fruit a capsule with many hairy seeds; bud covered by 1 scale
-----------------------------18--46. willow (Salim)
EE. Fruit a nutlet, 1-seeded, not hairy, bud covered by 2 or more
scales.
F. Leaves aromatic, with minute resin dots, oblanceolate,
rounded at tip and with several coarse teeth; male
catkins erect __________ 47. sweetgale (Myrica gale)
FF. Leaves not aromatic or resin dotted, elliptic or ovate,
toothed along margin; male catkins drooping (birch
family, Betulaceae) .
G. Leaves small, mostly less than 1 in. (2.5 em.) long,
nearly as broad as long, twigs densely glandular
--------------------------48-49. birch (Betula)
GG. Leaves larger, mostly more than 2 inches (5 em.) long,
· longer than broad, pointed at tip; twigs not.
glandular ----------------51-54. alder (Alnus)
CO. Flowers not in heads or catkins.
H. Leaves with minute scales; flowers with calyx but no corolla
( elaeagnus family, Elaeagnaceae) .
I. Leaves opposite, with brown scales ------------------------
------------86. buffalo berry ( Shepherdia canadensis)
II. Leaves alternate, with silvery scales --------------------
--------------87. silverberry (Elaeagnus oommutata)
HH. Leaves not scaly; flowers with both calyx and corolla.
J. Petals separate.
K. Ovary or ovaries superior, with calyx and corolla attached
below.
L. Ovaries few to many (rose family, Rosaceae) .
M. Fruits dry; stems without spines and prickles.
N. Shrubs low or prostrate, less than 6 in. ( 15 em.) high.
0. Leaves twice divided into 3 narrow pointe1l seg-
ments, thin, hairless ---------------------
----------65. luetkea (Luetkea pectinata)
00. Leaves oblong, leathery, densely white-hairy
beneath ____ 79-81. mountain-avens (Dryas)
NN. Shrubs upright, more than 12 in. (30 em.) high.
P. Leaves pinnately compound; petals yellow _____ _
__ 78. bush cinquefoil (Potentilla fruitcosa)
PP. Leaves simple; petals white or pink.
Q. Leaves 3-5 lobed, palmately veined ________ 62.
Pacific ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus)
QQ. Leaves not lobed, pinnately veined _______ _
----------------63-64. spirea (Spiraea)
MM. Fruits fleshy; stems mostly with spines or prickles.
R. Fruit a raspberry or similar, of crowded drupelets;
leaves simple or divided into 3-5 leaflets
------------------------------------74-77.
raspberry, salmonberry, thimbleberry (Rubus)
RR. Fruit a rose hip, fleshy and rounded enclosing the
"seeds"; leaves pinnate with 5 or more leaflets
------------------------82-84. rose (Rosa)
LL. Ovary 1.
S. Leaves less than 1A, in. (6 mm.) long, needlelike; fruit
berrylike, blue black or purple ----------------
-----------90. crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)
SS. Leaves larger and broader; fruit a capsule.
T. Leaves thin, deciduous, with straight or entire
margins ----------------------------------
92. copperbrush ( Oladothamnt68 pyrolaeflorus)
TT. Leaves thick and leathery, evergreen, with rolled
or toothed margins.
U. Leaves densely woolly beneath, rolled under on
margins ____ 93-94. Labrador-tea (Lednm)
UU. Leaves ~airless beneath, sharply toothed on
margins --------------------------------
----91. pipsissewa ( Ohimaphila umbellata)
KK. Ovary inferior, with petals and sepals attached above;
fruits fleshy.
V. Leaves opposite or paired ---------------------------
------89. red-osier dogwood ( Oornus stolonifera)
VV. Leaves alternate or single.
W. Low creeping shrubs; petals 4, red to pink, bent
backward; fruit a cranberry ------------------
-----120. bog cranberry (Vaccinium owycoccos)
WW. Upright shrubs; petals 5, spreading.
X. Leaves palmately veined and lobed.
Y. Leaves small, not prickly; twigs slender, mostly
without spines or prickles ---------------
--------56-61. currant, gooseberry (Ribes)
31
32
YY. Leaves large, with prickles on veins; twigs stout,
very spiny ------------------------------
------88. devilsclub ( Oplopanaw horridus)
XX. Leaves or leaflets pinnately veined; fruit like a
small apple ( pome) (rose family, Rosaceae) .
Z. Leaves pinnately compound with 7-17leaflets ___ _
------------67-70. mountain-ash (Sorbus)
ZZ. Leaves simple.
a. Leaves elliptic, rounded at apex, not lobed ___ _
______ 71-72. serviceberry (Amelanchier)
aa. Leaves mostly ovate, pointed at apex, ofteri
lobed.
h. Twigs usually bearing stout spines; fruit
blackish -------------------------73.
black hawthorn ( Orataegus douglas#)
bb. Twigs sometimes ending in spines; fruit
yellow or red --------------------66.
Oregon crab apple (Malus diversifolia)
JJ. Petals united, at least partly, into a corolla tube.
c. Leaves alternate or single (heath family, Ericaceae ; except
No.121).
d. Fruit a berry or berrylike.
e. Ovary superior.
f. Fruit a berrylike capsule, covered by fleshy purplish
or white calyx; leaves sharply or wavy toothed
on margin --------------------------------
----109-110. salal, wintergreen (Gaultheria)
ff. Fruit a drupe with 4-5 stony nutlets, red or blue-
black; leaves not toothed on margin ________ _
________ 111-113. bearberry (Arctostaphylos)
ee. Ovary inferior; berry blue or red; leaves entire or
finely toothed on margin --------------------~
___ 114-119. blueberry, huckleberry (Vaccinium)
dd. Fruit a dry capsule.
g. Shrubs more than 4 ft. (1.2 m.) high; leaves thin,
deciduous; twigs and leaves with glandular
(" t• k ") h . S IC y airS -----------------------------
----97. rusty menziesia (Menzie8ia ferruginea)
gg. Shrubs less than 4 ft. (1.2 m.) high; leaves thick,
evergreen; twigs and leaves without glandular
("sticky") hairs. ·
h. Upright shrubs, loosely branching, not forming
mats; leaves not crowded, not needlelike, more
than lf2 in. (12 mm.)·long.
i. Leaves oblong to linear, edges rolled under.
j. Corolla purple, saucer-shaped; leaves whitish
beneath with inQonspicuous veins _______ _
______ 99. hog kalmia (Kalmia polifolia)
JJ· Corolla pinkish to crimson, urn-shaped; leaves
greenis~ or whitish beneath with conspic-
uous veins ----------------------------
107. bog-rosemary (Andromeda polifolia)
ii. Leaves elliptic or oblanceolate, edges not or
slightly rolled under.
k. Flowers erect or spreading, with saucer-shaped
showy pink to purple corolla ______ 95-96.
rosebay, rhododendron (Rhododendron)
kk. Flowers hanging singly under twig, with bell-
shaped white corolla --------------108.
leatherleaf ( Ohamaedaphne calyculata)
hh. Low shrubs forming dense mats; leaves crowded,
needlelike.
I. Flowers usually several at stem tip, corolla yellow,
blue, or red ------------------------------
----100-102. mountain-heath (Phyllodoce)
II. Flowers usually single, corolla pink or white.
m. Stems partly erect, to 6 in. ( 15 em.) high; flower
stalk less than lh in. (12 mm.) high ___ _
105. starry cassiope ( 0 assiope stelleriana)
mm. Stems creeping, forming dense mats less than
2 in. (5 em.) high; flower stalk %-1% in.
(2-4 em.) long ------------------------
----121. diapensia (Diapensia lapponica)
cc. Leaves opposite or paired.
n. Ovary superior, with calyx and corolla attached below
(heath family, Ericaceae) .
o. Leaves scalelike, pressed against stems --------------
------------------103-106. cassiope ( Oassiope)
oo. Leaves larger, spreading.
p. Stems creeping, forming dense mats to 2 in. ( 5 em.)
high; leaves needlelike, ~ in. ( 6 mm.) long __ _
___ 98. alpine-azalea (Loiseleuria procumbens)
pp. Stems upright, 4-20 in. (1-5 dm.) high; leaves
oblong, %-1% in. (2-4 em.) long ___________ _
__________ 99. bog kalmia (Kalmia polifolia)
nn. Ovary inferior, with calyx and corolla attached above
(honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae).
q. Stems creeping; leaves evergreen, rounded, 1,4-% in.
(6-15 mm.) long and wide -------------------
-----------125. twin-flower (Linnaea borealis)
qq. Stems upright.
r. Leaves pinnately compound with 5-7 sharply toothed
leaflets -----------------------------------
--122. Pacific red elder (Sambucus callicarpa)
rr. Leaves simple.
s. Leaves slightly 3-lobed above middle, with sharply
toothed margin --------------------------
123. high bushcranberry (Viburnum edule)
ss. Leaves entire or slightly toothed.
t. Twigs not angled; leaves blunt-pointed; corolla
pink to white; berrylike drupes white ___ _
124. snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
tt. Twigs 4-angled when young: leaves short-
pointed; corolla yellow, sometimes tinged
with red; berries black ________ 126. bear-
berry honeysuckle ( Lonicera involucrata)
33
Winter Key to Alaska Shrubs
To find the name of a shrub in
its winter condition, you must be
somewhat of a detective. The first
twig seen may not run down
quickly in the key. Every bit of
evidence will help in finally de-
termining the name. In the field,
look for old leaves and remains of
flowers and fruits, also well-
formed buds of foliage and flowers
for the next year. Take notes on
the size and general characteristics
and look around the area carefully
to see whether the specimen is
typical.
Becoming familiar with the
characters used in the key may
save time. Thus, knowing that
all shrubs in Alaska with winter
buds covered by a single bud-scale
are willows (Saliw) will aid in
learning this genus. Recognition
of willows will eliminate running
each willow through several steps
in the key. When you finally
reach a name in the key, check it
with the description and range on
the map. If either does not agree
with your plant, go back through
the key to see if alternatives might
have been taken along the way.
As it is only for native species,
this key may not work for shrubs
planted around homes.
This winter key to Alaska shrubs
is to species except in the willows.
Species of willow are not readily
distinguished in winter. However,
if old dead leaves are present, the
vegetative key to willows may be
used for further identification.
A. (AA on p. 37). Plants evergreen or with leaves persistent in winter.
B. Plants parasitic on conifer twigs; leaves reduced to paired brownish
scales __ 55. hemlock dwarf-mistletoe (Arceuthobium tsugense)
BB. Plants growing on land; leaves green.
34
C. (CO on p. 36). Low shrubs usually less than 1 ft. (30 em.) high,
mostly forming mats or clumps.
D. Leaves scalelike, awl-shaped or needlelike, narrow.
E. Plants resinous, with persistent berrylike resinous cones, co-
niferous.
F. Leaves awl-shaped, sharp-pointed, spreading in groups of 3
________ 13. common juniper (Juniperus communis)
FF. Leaves mostly scalelike, 15lunt, pressed against twig,
paired ------------------------------------------
----14. creeping jmiiper (JunipeTUS horizontalis)
EE. Plants not resinous, not producing berrylike cones,
heatherlike.
G. Leaves less than 14 in. (6 mm.) long, scalelike or needlellke;
twigs without peglike leaf-scars.
H. Leaves alternate or whorled, spreading, linear or linear-
lanceolate, not scalelike.
I. Leaves mostly 4 in a whorl, sometimes alternate, linear,
Ys-14 in. (3-6 mm.) long, rounded at tip, with
groove on lower surface, hairless; black berries
sometimes persistent ------------------------
------------1)0. crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)
II. Leaves alternate, linear-lanceolate, Yl_6 -%6 in. (2-5
mm.) long, pointed, without groove on lower sur-
face, often with long hairs on margin; dried
capsule often persistent at tip of twig _______ _
__ .:__ 105. starry cassiope ( Oassiope stelleriana)
HH. Leaves paired or opposite, scalelike, pressed against
twig.
J. Leaves deeply grooved on lower surface, Ys-%6 in.
(3-5 mm~) long -----------------------------
--103. four-angled cassiope ( Oassiope tetragona)
JJ. Leaves not deeply grooved on lower surface, ){6 -
%2 in. (1.5-4mm.) long.
K. Twigs with leaves about ){6 in. (1.5 mm.) in
diameter ----------------------------------
106. Alaska cassiope ( Oassiope lycopodioides)
KK. Twigs with leaves Ys in. (3 mm.) in diameter ___ _
104. Mertens cassiope ( Oassiope mertensiana)
GG. Leaves more than% in. ( 6 mm.) long, needlelike.
L. Twigs smooth; leaves tightly rolled under, with dense
brownish hairs beneath ------------------------
93. narrow-leaf Labrador-tea (Ledum decumbens)
LL. Twigs with peglike leaf-scars; leaves flat-mountain-
heath (Phyllodoce). (The 3 species below are not
readily distinguished by leaves.)
M. Leaves short, %6 -%6 in. (5-8 mm.) long and about
){6 in. n.4-1.8 mm.) wide ------------------
101. blue mountain-heath (Phyllodoce coerulea)
MM. Leaves longer, more than %6 in. (8 mm.) long, and
narrower. about Ya 2 in. (1-1.2 mm.) wide.
N. Lower surface of leaves with white hairs ______ 102.
Aleutian mountain-heath (Phyllodoce aleutica)
NN. Lower surface of leaves with reddish resin glands
or hairless ------------------------100. red
mountain-heath (Phyllodoce empetriformis)
DD. Leaves relatively broader.
0. Leaves with brown resin dots on both surfaces ___________ _
____ 95. Lapland rosebay (Rhododendron lapponicum)
00. Leaves without brown resin glands.
P. Leaves mostly less than% in. (10 mm.) long.
Q. Leaves crowded, spatula-shaped, appearing as a whorl at
tip of stem __ 121. diapensia (Diapensia lapponica)
QQ. Leaves scattered, rounded or linear.
R. Leaves elliptic, rounded at tip, lower surface with
dense hairs; stems coarse, much branched; plants
of dry alpine and arctic tundra ----------------
----98. alpine-azalea (Loiseleuria procumbens)
RR. Leaves oval to lance-shaped, short-pointed, lower
surface hairless; stems very fine, creeping in
peatmoss; plants usually in bogs --------------
----120. bog cranberry (Vaccinium omycoccos)
PP. Leaves more than% in. (10 mm.) long.
S. Leaves oblong, leathery, with wavy-toothed or straight
edges, densely white hairy beneath, with 2 narrow
long-pointed stipules.
T. Leaves wedge-shaped at base; plants mainly pioneers
on gravel and sand ----------------------79.
Drummond mountain-avens (Dryas drummondii)
35
36
TT. Leaves notched (heart-shaped) at base; plants of
alpine tundra or open spruce and shrubs near
treeline.
U. Leaves with straight or slightly wavy edges, not or
. slightly rough above, without glands and scales
on midvein beneath ---------------------81.
entire-leaf mountain-avens (Dryas integrifolia)
UU. Leaves with wavy-toothed edges, very rough above,
with glands and scales on midvein beneath __
80. white mountain-avens (Dryas ootopetala)
SS. Leaves oval or spatula-shaped, not densely white hairy
beneath, with stipules.
V. Leaves spatula-shaped, broadest at tip and tapering
toward base.
W. Leaves whorled, edges with sharp teeth _________ _
______ 91. pipsissewa ( Ohimaphila umbellata)
WW. Leaves alternate, edges not toothed.
X. Leaves without petiole, with conspicuous stiff
hairs on edges and lower surface; upright
shrub of alpine tundra of southwest Alaska
---------~------------96. Kamchatka rho-
dodendron (Rhododendron oamtsohatioum)
XX. Leaves with petiole ¥sin. (3 mm.) long, hairless
' on lower surface; reddish berries often per-
sistent; creeping shrub, usuaily of dry
forested area ----------------------------
--111. bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
VV. Leaves oval, broadest at middle.
Y. Leaves not toothed, with edges slightly roiled under
--------------------------------------114.
mountain -cranberry ( V aooinium roitis-idaea)
YY. Leaves toothed, flat.
Z. Leaves toothed at tip; delicate creeping herbaceous
shrub __ 125. twin-flower (Linnaea borealis)
ZZ. Leaves finely wazy-toothed; dwarf shrub of
Kiska Island in eastern Aleutians ______ 110.
Miquel winter,green (Gaultheria miqueliana)
CC. (Con p. 34). Shrubs usuaily more than 1ft. (30 em.) high (less
in tundra) , not forming mats.
a. Leaves 2-4 in. (5-10 em.) long, broad, shiny, sharply toothed
on edges ______________ 109. salal (Gaultheria shallon)
aa. Leaves less than 2 in. (5 em.) long, narrow, dull, not toothed
on edges.
b. Leaves with dense brownish red curly hairs beneath.
c. Leaves oblong, 1-2 in. (2.5-5 em.) long, %6 -lh in. (5-12
mm.) wide, curled downward slightly on edges; fruit
stalk bent or curved throughout its length _________ _
---------94. Labrador-tea (Ledum groenlandioum)
cc. Leaves linear, %6 -% in~ (8-15 mm.) long, %4 -lfs tn. (0.5-
3 mm.) wide, tightly roiled under, curled edges
covering lower surfac;e; fruit stalk abruptly bent
near cap:;;ule -------------------------------------
--93. narrow-leaf Labrador-tea (Ledum deoumbens)
bb. Leaves hairless or nearly so beneath.
d. Leaves flat or only slightly rolled under, with scurfy scales
often appearing as white dots; young twigs with fine
short white hairs --------------------------------
--------108. leatherleaf ( Ohamaedaphne calyculata)
dd. Leaves rolled under, without scurfy scales; twigs hairless.
e. Leaves elliptic, %-¥2 in. (3-12 mm.) wide, slightly rolled
under, whitish beneath, veins inconspicuous; south-
east Alaska ____ 99. bog kalmia (Kalmia polifolia)
ee. Leaves slightly narrower, Yt 6 -~ in. (2-6 rom.) wide,
tightly rolled under and partly concealing greenish
or whitish lower surface with conspicuous veins;
throughout Alaska ----------------------------
-------107. bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia)
AA (A on p. 34). Plants deciduous, leafless in winter, dead leaves some-
. times persistent.
f. Leaves (or leaf -scars) and twigs opposite or paired.
g. Twigs and buds covered with minute brown shield-shaped scales
----------------86. bu:ffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis)
gg. Twigs not scaly.
h. Buds large, more than % in. ( 10 mm.) long and nearly as broad,
stalked; twig stout, dying back at tip; pith broad ------
------------122. Pacific red elder (Sambucus callicarpa)
hh. Buds small, mostly less than % in. (10 rom.) long, if longer
then less than %6 in. ( 5 mm.) wide, stalked or stalkless;
twig slender, usually not dying back; pith narrow.
i. Twigs 4-angled or squarrish ------------------------------
----126. bearberry honeysuckle (Lonicera involucrata)
ii. Twigs round.
j. Leaf-scars raised, often torn or indistinct, with 1 bundle-
scar; twigs very slender with bark becoming shreddy
__________ 124. snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
jj. Leaf-scars not raised or torn, with 3 or more bundle-scars;
twigs less slender, with bark not shreddy.
k. Twigs gray, hairless, buds red.
I. Buds long, narrow, pointed, dark brownish red, outer
bud -scales united at edges, inner bud-scales hair-
less; loose straggling shrubs often with persistent
red berries or fruit stalks ---------------------
----123. high bushcranberry (Viburnum edule)
II. Buds rounded, blunt, bright red, outer bud-scales often
spreading and exposing hairy inner bud-scales;
erect shrub or small tree with maple key fruits
often persistent -----------------------------
85. Douglas maple (Acer glabrum var. douglasii)
kk. Twigs red, shiny, densely gray hairy near tip; buds gray
brown ----------------------------------------
----89. red-osier dogwood ( Oornus stolonifera)
ff. Leaves (or leaf -scars) and twigs alternate or single.
m. Twigs with spines, thorns, or prickles (often absent on young
plants and new shoots, especially in No. 75) .
n. Twigs very stout, light brown, densely covered with slender
sharp spines ______ 88. devilsclub ( Oplopanam horridus)
37
38
nn. Twigs slender, of various colors, with spines less dense or
partly enlarged at base.
o. Spines. stout, %-1 in. (10-25 mm.) long, few on shiny red
brown twigs; purplish black berries often persistent
------------73. black hawthorn ( Orataegus douglasii)
oo. Spines less than lf2 in. ( 12 mm.) long.
p. Spines 3-9 at nodes and smaller single spines between; pith
with spongelike cavities; shrubs usually trailing ___ _
-------------56. swamp gooseberry (Ribes lacustre)
pp. Spines single; pith not spongelike; erect shrubs.
q. Twigs light brown or whitish, soft and easily broken, bark
usually shreddy, pith occupying more than %; old
raspberries often present-raspberry (Rubus) .
r. Twigs brown.
s. Twigs straight, covered with bristles and prickles
------------------------------74. American
red raspberry (Rubus idaeus var. strigosus)
ss. Twigs zigzag, with weak straight rounded prickles
--------75. salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)
rr. Twigs whitish, with stout hooked flattened prickles or
spines --------------------------------------
76. western black raspberry (Rubus leucodermis)
qq. Twigs dark red, hard, bark not shreddy, pith occupying
less than %; old rose hips often present-rose
(Rosa).
t. Twigs with prickles or spines round or partly so, many
to few.
u. Prickles or spines many --------------------------
----------82. prickly rose (Rosa acicularis)
uu. Prickles or spines few, scattered _______________ _
-------------83. Woods rose (Rosa 1ooodsii)
tt. Twigs with few flattened prickles or spines usually
paired at nodes -----------------------------
--------------84. Nookta rose (Rosa nutkana)
mm. Twigs without spines, thorns, or prickles.
v. Shrubs low, less than 6 in. (1~ em.) high or dying back to
woody base. f
w. Shrubs creeping.
x. Buds covered by a single bud-scale ---------------------
----------------18-25. dwarf willows (Salim spp.)
(If old dead leaves are present, the vegetative key to
willows may be used for identification to species.)
xx. Buds with 2 or more bud-scales.
y. Red or brown leaves or skeletonized leaves persisting,
black berries often persistent _________________ _
----112. alpine bearberry (Arctostaphylos alpina)
yy. Leaves shedding first year; red berries often persistent
___ 113. red-fruit bearberry (Arctostaphylos rubra)
ww. Shrubs herbaceous, dying back to woody base; dead leaves
often persistent, divided into narrow segments.
z. Leaves twice 3-forked, hairless, without odor ___________ _
-------------------65. luetkea (Luetkea pectinata)
zz. Leaves finely dissected, whitish hairy, with sagebrush odor
persisting.
A. Basal leaves :14-lh in. (6-12 mm.) long, 2-3 times divided
into narrow segments Ya 2 in. (1 mm.) wide ------
------127. fringed sagebrush (Artemisia frigida)
AA. Basal leaves 1-2 in. (2.5-5 em.) long, 2-3 times divided
into spatula-shaped segments Yt 6 -Ys in. (2-3 mm.)
wide __ 128. Alaska sagebrush (Artemisia alaskana)
vv. Shrubs usually upright and more than 6 in. (15 em.) high.
B. Twigs with expanded buds of next year's catkins, remains of
last year's catkins, and conspicuous dots (lenticels or
resin glands) .
0. Twigs resinous, buds of next year's catkins small, :14 in.
(6 mm.) long and stalkless, covered by several white-
bordered bud-scales; remains of last year's catkin
spikelike; winter buds not stalked, of overlapping
bud -scales.
D. Remains of last year's catkin a stalkless straight stout
spike% in. (10 mm.) long, Yt 6 in. (1.5 mm.) wide,
with conspicuous concave bud-scars; resin dots
inconspicuous, on young twigs only -------------
--------------------47. sweetgale (Myrica gale)
DD. Remains of last year's catkin very narrow, %-% in.
(10-15 mm.) long, lfs 4 in. (0.5 mm.) wide, long
stalked; twigs covered with resin glands-birch
(Betula).
E. Shrubs usually less than 2 ft. ( 0.6 m.) high, in bogs
and tundra; catkin scale without resiniferous dot
or hump, glandless; broad wing around nutlet
__________ 48. dwarf arctic birch (Betula nana)
EE. Shrub to 5 ft. (1.5 m.) high, near tree line; catkin
scale with resinous dot or hump, often glandular;
wing of nutlet narrow, often broader toward apex
__________ 49. resin birch (Betula glandulosa)
00. Twigs not resinous, buds of next year's catkins%-% in.
(10-15 mm.) long on stalks of %6 -% in. (5-10 mm.),
bud-scales not white-bordered; old, hard blackish
cones or conelike fruits usually present-alder
(Alnus).
F. Winter buds of overlapping scales.
G. Cones %-% in. (10-15 mm.) long, on stalks 1;4,-1;1! in.
(6-12 mm.); shrub of interior Alaska _______ _
______ 51. American green alder (Alnus orispa)
GG. Cones lh-3,4 in. (12-20 mm.) long, on stalks %-%
in. (10-20 mm.); shrub or small tree of southern
and southeast Alaska ------------------------
--------------52. Sitka alder (Alnus sinuata)
FF. Winter buds with 3 exposed scales meeting at edges.
H. Cones lh-1 in. (12-25 mm.) long ------------------
------------------53. red alder (Alnus rubra)
HH. Cones less than lh in. (12 mm.) long--------------
----------54. thinleaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia)
BB. Twigs without catkins.
39
40
I. Stipules and bases or stumps of petioles persistent, partly
covering buds.
J. Stipules narrow, bent or twisted; twigs soft, canelike,
dying back from tip --------------------------
----77. western thimbleberry (Rubus parvifloru8)
JJ. Stipules broad, papery, spreading; twigs hard, not
dying back------------------------------------
------78. bush cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticoga)
II. Stipules and bases of petioles absent.
K. Fruits persistent in conspicuous clusters.
L. Fruits fleshy, like a small apple, red; winter buds
large, mostly more than % in. (10 mm.) long,
with densely hairy inner bud-scales; large shrubs
and small trees---:-mountain -ash ( S or bus) .
11/. Winter buds with whitish hairs.
N. Winter buds reddish brown, inner bud-scales with
whitish hairs at ti:p ----------------------
67. Greene mountam-ash (Sorbu8 8copulina)
NN. Winter buds densely covered with whitish hairs;
naturalized tree ----------------------68.
European mountain-ash (Sorbu8 aucuparia)
MM. Winter buds with rusty brown hairs.
0. Winter buds dull reddish brown, densely rusty
hairy -----------------------------------
69. Sitka mountain-ash (Sorbu8 8itchen8i8)
00. Winter buds shiny reddish brown, slightly rusty
hairy; only in westernmost Aleutian Islands
----------------------------------70. Si-
berian mountain-ash (Sorbtt8 gambucifolia)
LL. Fruits dry, 3-5 from a flower, egg-shaped, podlike,
splitting open, brown; winter buds less than % in.
(10mm.) long.
P. Fruits%-% in. (6-10 mm.) long; bark peeling and
shedding in long strips --------------------
62. Pacific ninebark (Phygocarpu8 capitatu8)
PP. Fruits less than Ys in. (3 mm.) long; bark not
shedding.
Q. Fruit clusters flat-topped to half round _______ _
63. Beauverd spirea (Spiraea beauverdiana)
QQ. Fruit clusters conic, much longer than broad __
____ 64. Douglas spirea (Spiraea dougla8ii)
KK. Fruits absent or borne singly.
R. Winter buds covered by a single scale --------------
------------------------15--46. willow ( Saliw)
(Species not readily distinguished in winter. Old
leaves arid catkins sometimes can be found for
identification to species in the Vegetative Key to
Alaska Willows. Descriptions, size of plants, and
range maps may be helpful.)
RR. Winter buds with 2 or more scales exposed.
S. Twigs with rusty brown scales when young, becom-
ing silvery; silvery berries often persistent __ _
______ 87. silverberry (Elaeagnu8 commutata)
SS. Twigs and fruits not as above.
T. Twigs without end buds; side buds with 2 bud-
scales meeting at edges (except in No. 119) ;
fruit a blue or red berry, seldom persistent-
blueberries and huckleberries ( V aooinium) .
U. Shrubs mostly less than 16 in. ( 40 em.) high;
twigs round or sometimes slightly angled.
V. Bud-scales 2, meeting at edges ____ 115. dwarf
blueberry ( V aooinium oaespitosum)
VV. Bud-scales several, overlapping ______ 119.
bog blueberry ( V aooinium uliginosum)
UU. Shrubs mostly more than 2 ft. ( 60 em.) high;
twigs angled.
W. Twigs green, strongly angled; fruit red ___ _
----------------------------116. red huckleberry ( V aooinium pa'I'Vifolium)
WW. Twigs brown or reddish, weakly angled;
fruit blue or black.
X. Fruit stalks usually less than% in. (1 em.)
long, curved, not enlarged below fruit
-------------------------117. early
blueberry ( V aooinium ovalifolium)
XX. Fruit stalks often more than % in. (1
em.) long, straight or nearly so, en-
larged just below fruit __ 118. Alaska
blueberry ( V aooinium alaskaense)
TT. Twigs with true end buds covered by 3 or more
bud-scales.
Y. Shrubs spreading; twigs angled, with papery
shedding or shredded bark, often with un-
pleasant odor when crushed; pits porous or
spongy-currants ( Ribes) .
Z. Twigs stout, 1,4 in. (6 mm.) in diameter; leaf-
scars heart-shaped, large, gray _______ _
___ 57. stink currant (Ribes braoteosum)
ZZ. Twigs slender, less than o/t 6 in. (5 mm.) in
diameter; leaf-scars V-shaped, narrow
and inconspicuous.
a. Twigs with black gland dots.
b. Buds hairless; twigs Yl_6 in. (2 mm.) in
diameter ____________ 58. northern
black currant ( Ribes hudsonianum)
bb. Buds with white hairs; twigs about Ys
in. (3 mm.) in diameter ______ 59.
skunk currant (Ribes glandulosum)
aa. Twigs without gland dots.
o. Twigs hairy, yellow brown, becoming dark
brown, about o/t 6 in. ( 5 mm.) in
diameter _____________ 60. trailing
black currant ( Ribes laxiflorum)
oo. Twigs hairless, light brown, becoming
reddish brown and shredded, about
41
42
¥s in. (3 rom.) in diameter ____ 61.
American red currant ( Ribes triste )c
YY. Shrubs erect (or becoming small trees) ; twigs
rounded, with bark not shedding (except
in No. 92) ; pith hard, solid.
d. Twigs paired or whorled, widely forking, with
. gland hairs, odorous when crushed __ 97.
rusty menziesia ( M enziesia ferruginea)
dd. Twigs not paired, without gland hairs.
e. Winter buds orange -------------92. cop-
perbush ( OladothamnttB pyrolaeflorus)
ee. Winter buds darker.
f. Winter buds blunt-pointed, dark brown;
twigs coarse, gray or brown, often
with dense gray hairs near tip, with
short side twigs or spurs __ 66. Ore-
gon crab apple (Malus diversifolia)
ff. Winter buds sharp-pointed, purple; twigs
slender, reddish purple, shiny, hair-
less, without short side twigs or
spurs.
g. Shrub rare in central and southern
Alaska ______ 71. saskatoon serve
iceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)
gg. Shrub or small tree of southern and
southeast Alaska ____________ _
---------------72. Pacific serv-
iceberry (Amelanchier florida)
ALASKA TREES AND SHRUBS
YEW FAMILY
(Taxaceae)
The seed plants with seeds
partly exposed (gymnosperms) , not
enclosed in fruits, are represented
in Alaska by 3 families of con-
ifers or softwoods, the yew family
(Taxaceae), the pine family (Pi-
naceae), and the cypress family
(Cupressaceae) . The Alaska ex-
amples are evergreen (with 1
exception) trees and shrubs with
narrow or small leaves resembling
needles or scales. Pacific yew
( Tawus brevi folia N utt.) , the
Alaska member of the yew family,
is distinguished by the brown
seeds borne singly in a scarlet,
juicy, cuplike or berrylike disk,
by the flat, pointed, nonresinous
needles in 2 rows, and by the
twisted leafstalks extending down
the twig.
Figure I.-Pacific yew (Taxus brevifo-
lia), natural size.
43
1. PACIFIC YEW
(Taxus brevifolia Nutt.)
Other name: western yew.
Small tree or large shrub of ex-
treme south end of southeast
Alaska, to 20-30 ft. (6-9 m.) tall,
with straight conical trunk 2-6 in.
(5-15 em.) or rarely 12 in. (30 em.)
in diameter at breast height, with
open crown or horizontal or droop-
ing branches. Leaves (needles) in
2 rows,~-% in. (12-20 mm.) long,
flat, slightly curved, stiff or soft,
abruptly pointed but not prickly,
shiny yellow green above, paie
green beneath, not resinous. Peti-
oles yellow, extending down the
slender twigs, twisting to produce
an even, comblike arrangement of
needles. Bark purplish brown,
thin, scaly, ridged, and fluted.
Wood bright red with thin light
yellow sapwood, fine-textured,
heavy, hard, elastic.
Pollen and seeds on different
trees ( dioecious) . Seeds single, %
in. (1 em.) long, brown, exposed at
apex but partly surrounded by a
thick scarlet, juicy, cuplike disk or
"berry."
Southward, the strong, durable
wood is used for poles, bows, canoe
paddles, and cabmet work. How-
ever, in Alaska the trees are too
scarce to be commercially impor-
tant. The plants could serve as or-
namentals.
The seeds are poisonous when
eaten, causing vomiting, diarrhea,
and inflammation of urinary ducts
and the uterus. Also, yew foliage
is poisonous when browsed by live-
stock. However, the juicy scarlet
"berries" around the seeds are not
toxic.
Pacific yew is rare and local in
the extreme south end of southeast
Alaska, near sea level on poor sites
and in canyons. It is scattered in
understory of the coast forest of
western red cedar, western and
mountain hemlocks, and Sitka
44
spruce. The irregular distribution
may be related to dispersal of the
seeds by birds. Growth is slow.
Another species of yew has been in-
troduced in southeast Alaska as an
ornamental shrub and hedge plant.
Pacific yew has been found in
Alaska only on a few islands near
Ketchikan. These include Annette,
Dog, Cat, Mary, Bold, and Gravina
Islands. Also southern end of
Prince of Wales Island north to
Kasaan Island in Kasaan Bay.
Probably rare in nearby areas.
South Tongass National Forest.
Pacific coast region from Alaska
and British Columbia south
through western Washington to
central California and in moun-
tains to Idaho and northwestern
Montana.
PINE FAMILY
(Pinaceae)
Conifers, or softwoods, are eco-
nomically the most important group
of trees in Alaska. Many have tall
straight trunks and narrow crowns,
except where dwarfed near the
limits of tree growth. However,
the 2 native species of juniper are
low shrubs. These narrow leaf ever-
greens make up nearly all the trJleS
of the-' coastal forests of southeast
Alaska and most of the timber of
the interior forests. They furnish
nearly all the State's lumber, pulp-
wood, building logs, and other wood
products.
These cone-bearing trees are res-
inous softwoods with needlelike or
scalelike evergreen leaves with seeds
exposed in cones, usually hard and
woody. Pollen is borne in small
male cones usually on the same
plant, and true flowers and fruits
are lacking. Alaska's conifers are
classified in 3 plant families, yew
family (Taxaceae), pine family
(Pinaceae) with needlelike leaves,
and cypress family (Cupressaceae)
with scalelike leaves. Members of
·the yew :family have ·seeds borne
singly in a scar:let juicy cuplike
disk, rather than m a cone, and may
not be true conifers.
The pine :family (Pinaceae) is
well represented m Alaska by 5
genera and 9 species o:f trees with
narrow, mostly long needles. The
cones have many cone-scales, each
bearing 2 long-winged seeds at its
base. Characters o:f the 5 genera
and names o:f their Alaska species
are summarized here :for ready
identification.
Larch ( Lariw) , the only Alaska
conifer shedding its leaves in. :fall
and leafless in wmter. One species,
tamarack (L. laricina (Du Roi)
K. Koch), with slender flexible
needles borne 12-20 in a cluster on
short stout spur twigs (or single on
leading twigs).
Pine (Pinus) , 1 species, lodge-
pole pine ( P. contorta Dougl.) ,
with 2 varieties. Needles 2 in a
bundle or cluster with sheath at
base, relatively long and stiff.
Cones one-sided, with many prickly
cone scales.
Spruce ( Picea) , 3 species, black,
white, and Sitka spruce. Needles
sharp-pointed and stiff, either 4-
angled or flattened and slightly
keeled, extending out on all sides o:f
twig. There is no leafstalk, but
each leaf is attached on a small
stalklike or peglike projection o:f
the twig. Older twigs without
·needles are rough because o:f these
projections. Cut branches of spruce
and hemlock shed their needles
promptly upon drying. The cones
hang down. (In the preparation of
botanical specimens, immersion of
freshly cut twigs in boiling water
for a :few minutes before pressing
reduces shedding of needles.)
Hemlock ( T suga) , 2 species,
western and mountain hemlock.
Needles short, blunt, soft and not
stiff, flat or slightly keeled, with
short leafstalks, spreading in 2 rows
or curved UJ?Ward. As in spruce,
the older twigs are slightly rough
from the peglike projections. The
cones hang down.
Fir (Abies), 2 species, Pacific
silver fir and suoalpine fir. N eedle'3
flat and without leafstalks, often
spreading in 2 rows or curving up-
ward. Older twigs smooth with
round leaf-scars. Cones upright in
highest branches of the narrow
pomted crowns. As the cone-scales
fall :from the axis at maturity, old
cones are not found on or under the
trees.
2. LODGEPOLE PINE
(Pinus contorta Dougl.)
Other names: scrub pine, tama-
rack pine.
The general description and
range o:f this species are followed by
similar notes :for the 2 varieties in
Alaska. Small to large evergreen,
resinous tree o:f southeast Alaska,
20-75 ft. ( 6-23 m.) tall and 8-32 in.
(20-81 em.) in trunk diameter, with
crown rounded spreading or narrow
pointed. Leaves (needles) 2 in a
bundle with sheath at base, 1-214
in. (2.5-6 em.) long, relatively long
and stiff, often twisted, yellow
green to dark green with whitish
lines (stomata). Twigs stout,
orange when young, becoming gray
brown and rough. Winter buds
. short-pointed, o:f many narrow red
brown scales. Bark gray to dark
brown, scaly, thin or becoming
thick. Wood resinous or pitchy,
coarse-textured, straight-grained
(scrubby trees with spiral grain),
moderately lightweight, moderately
soft. Heartwood hght yellow to
yellow brown, sapwood narrow and
whitish.
Cones 1 to few, almost stalkless,
egg-shaped, one-sided, 1:14-2 in.
(3-5 em.) long, light yellow brown,
with many priCkly cone scales, ma-
turing in 2 years, persistent, open-
ing or remaining closed many years.
Seeds brown, about% in. (15 mm.)
lo!lg, including the long broad
wmg.
45
Figure 2a.-Shore pine (Pinus contorta
var. contorta), natural size.
Alaska's only native species of
pine is not important for lumber
because of its mostly small size and
limited occurrence. The wood is
used for poles and fuel. The sweet
orange-flavored sap served the In-
dians as a delicacy, fresh or dried.
In the vicinity of Fairbanks, the
inland variety has been introduced
as a fast growing hardy shade tree.
Wood of lodgepole pine of the
Rocky Mountain region is suitable
for pulping for papers and fiber-
board. Other uses are lumber, rail-
road ties, mine timbers, and poles,
posts, and fuelwood. The lumber
46
is mostly for rough construction,
occasionally for boxes, siding, fin-
ish, and flooring.
This species including 3 geo-
graphic varieties has a broad range
from southeast Alaska, central Yu-
kon, and southwestern Mackenzie,
south in mountains and along coast
to Colorado, Utah, and California;
a~so local in northern Baja Califor-
ma.
Figure 2b.-Lodgepole pine (Pinus con-
torta var. lati/olia), natural size.
Key to the 2 Alaska Varieties
Cones pointing backward, opening at maturity; generally low spreading
tree of muskegs in coastal forests -----------------------,-------
--------------------2a. shore pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta)
Cones pointing outward, mostly remaining closed many years; tree often
tall and narrow of inner fiord forests at head of Lynn Canal ( Skag-
way to Haines) ___ 2b. lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var.latifolia)
2a. SHORE PINE
(Pinus contorta Dougl. var.
contorta)
Other names : lodgepole pine,
scrub pine, tamarack pine.
Shore pine, the common pine
through southeast Alaska, is often
a low spreading or scrubby tree 20-
40 ft. ( 6-12 m.) high and 8-12 in.
(20-30 em.) in trunk diameter.
However, it sometimes becomes 75
ft. (23m.) tall and 18-32 in. ( 45-81
em.) in diameter. Cones pointing
backward on twig, opening at ma-
turity in October-November but
remaining attached.
47
The dwarf coastal form is com-
mon in open muskegs of peat moss
and on benches near lakes. Intol-
erant of shade, it grows in open
stands as a scrub pine, straight
when young but gnarled in age,
with large branches extending al-
most to the ground. On the poorest
sites, it is often like a prostrate
shrub. It is best developed and
largest in the better-drained borders
between muskeg and hemlock or
hemlock-redcedar stands. Occa-
sionally the trees are pioneers of
rapid growth after infrequent fires
or logging or on outwash sand and
gravel.
This coastal variety ranges
throughout southeast Alaska north
to the head of Lynn Canal at
Haines and to Glacier Bay and
Dixon Harbor. The northwestern
outlier is an area of several square
miles on rolling muskegs about 15
miles (24 km.) east of Yakutat,
where the trees of poor form reach
40 ft. ( 12 m.) in height and 1 ft.
(30 em.) in trunk diameter. South
Tongass and North Tongass N a-
tiona I Forests, Glacier Bay N a-
tiona I Monument. Pacific coast
from southeast Alaska through
western British Columbia to north-
western California.
2b. LODGEPOLE PINE
(Pinus contorta var. latifolia
Engelm.)
Other names: Rocky Mountain
lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta ssp.
latifolia (Engelm.) Critchfield.
The Rocky Mountain or inland
variety of lodgepole pine reaches
the State only in the vicinity of
Skagway and Haines. This mostly
tall form with narrow crown be-
comes 50-75 ft. ( 15-23 m.) high
and 8-12 in. (20-30 em.) in trunk
diameter here and somewhat larger
48
southward. Cones hard, heavy,
pointing outward, mostly remain-
ing closed many years, opening
after a forest fire to release seeds.
However, in Alaska some cones
open at maturity.
The Rocky Mountain variety of
lodgepole pine can be added to the
list of Alaska trees, though not
mentioned in botanical references.
This inland variety differs from
shore pine in being generally a
taller tree with narrow crown and
thinner scaly bark, in having
slightly longer needles, and in the
slightly larger, heavier, closed cones
which point outward on the twig
rather than backward.
This variety of lodgepole pine
crosses the Coast Range from Can-
ada into Alaska only in the vicinity
of Skagway and Haines and Chil-
kot River at the head of Lynn
Canal near the northernmost end
of southeast Alaska. It forms
stands in the mixed forest with
Sitka spruce, western paper birch,
and subalpine fir (also from the
Rocky Mountains) and in the inner
fiords down to sea level. North
Tongass National Forest. Also
northward in Yukon Territory
along Yukon River and tributaries
near Dawson to within about 50
miles ( 80 km.) of the Alaska bor-
der. -'East to southwestern Mac-
kenzie and south through western
Alberta and British Columbia and
in Rocky Mountains to Colorado
and Utah.
3. TAMARACK
(Larix laricina (Du Roi)
K. Koch)
Other names : Alaska larch,
eastern larch, hackmatack; Larix
alaskensis W. F. Wight, L. laricina
var. alaskensis (W. F. Wight)
Raup.
Figure 3.-Tamarack (Larix laricina),
natural size. Winter twigs at bottom.
Small to medium-sized deciduous
tree 30-60 ft. ( 9-18 m.) high, with
straight tapering trunk 4-10 in.
(10-25 em.) in diameter, occasion-
ally to 75ft. (24m.) tall and 13 in.
(33 em.) in diameter, horizontal
branches extending nearly to
ground, and thin pomted crown of
blue green foliage. Leaves (needles)
shedding in fall (deciduous) , in
crowded clusters of 12--20 on short
stout spur twigs or branches or
single on leading twigs, %-1 in.
(1-2.5 em.) long, very narrow,
slender and flexible, 3-angled, blue
green, turning yellow before falling
in_early autumn. Twigs long, stout,
dull tan, hairless, with many short
stout spur twigs to % in. ( 6 mm.)
long, bearing crowded raised leaf-
scars, becoming blackish and rough.
Winter buds small, round, about
7{6 in. (2 mm.) long, covered by-
many short-pointed overlapping
scales. Bark dark gray, smoothish,
thin, becoming scaly and exposing
brown beneath. Wood light brown,
hard, heavy, elastic.
49
Cones curved upright on short
stalks along horizontal twigs,
rounded,%-% in. (1-1.5 em.) long,
dark brown, composed of about 20
rounded, finely toothed cone-scales,
opening in early autumn and re-
maining attached in winter. Seeds
light brown, % in. ( 12 mm.) long,
including long broad wing.
Tamarack is the only Alaska
conifer shedding its leaves in win-
ter. It is scattered in muskegs and
various moist soils of the interior in
open stands with paper birch, black
spruce, alders, and willo1vs. Occa-
sionally it forms dense stands on
flood plains with black spruce and
white spruce. Where it does occur
naturally on upland well drained
sites, its growth rate may be equal
to that of white spruce; one stand
in the Tanana Valley has produced
trees 13 in. ( 33 em.) in diameter in
100 years.
The durable, strong wood is used
to some extent for poles, railroad
ties, and fenceposts. ·
Interior Alaska tamarack is re-
stricted to drainages between
Brooks Range on the north and
Alaska Range on the south. Lo-
cally abundant along Tanana River
but scattered along Yukon and Kus-
kokwim Rivers and up Koyukuk
River to Allakaket but not north to
the limit of trees. West to Unala-
kleet River, which drains into Nor-
ton Sound, and to Napaimiut on the
lower Kuskokwim River. Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park. There are
broad gaps separating the Alaska
trees from the main range from
Yukon Territory eastward, except
for 2 records from near the Alaska-
Yukon Border. From Alaska, Yu-
konTerritory, and District of Mac-
kenzie east ·across Canada along
northern limit of trees to Hudson
Bay, Labrador, and Newfoundland,
south in Northeastern United
States to New Jersey, Illinois, and
Minnesota (local in Maryland and
West Virginia) , and north west to
northeastern British Columbia.
The Alaska tree were named as a
separate species, afterwards re-
duced to a variety and to synonymy.
The slight differences in cone-scales
and their bracts seem insufficient
for retention of a separate name.
SPRUCE (Picea)
Spruce trees have short leaves
(needles) spreading on all sides of
twig, mostly 4-sided or slightly flat-
tened, sharp-pointed and stiff, shed-
ding promptly on drying. Twigs
become rough from peglike bases
of leaves. The cones hang down.
Key to the 3 Alaska Species
Leaves (needles) 4-angled, with whitish lines (stomata) on all sides.
Twigs hairy; needles mostly less than% in. (12 mm.) long, resinous;
cones egg-shaped or nearly round, mostly less than 1 in. (2.5 em.)
long, curved down on short stalks, remaining on tree ------------
-------------------------------4. black spruce (Picea mariana)
Twigs hairless; needles more than % in. (12 mm.) long, with skunk-
like odor when crushed; cones cylindric, 11,4-2¥2 in. (3-6 em.) long,
falling at maturity --------------5. white spruce (Picea glauca)
Leaves (needles) flattened but slightly keeled, with 2 whitish bands
(stomata) on lower surface; twigs hairless; cones cylindric, 2-3% in.
(5-9 em.) long, falling at maturity ----------------------~----
------------------------------6. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchen.~is)
50
Figure 4.-Black spruce (Picea mari-
ana), natural size.
4. BLACK SPRUCE
( Picea mariana (Mill.)
B.S.P.)
Other names: bog spruce, swamp
spruce.
Evergreen resinous tree of inte-
rior forests, usually small and 15-
30 ft. ( 4.5-9 m.) high, and 3-6 in.
(7.5-15 em.) in trunk diameter,
with narrow pointed crown. Often
a shrub 10 ft. (3 m.) or less in
height. Sometimes a medium-sized
tree to 50-60 ft. ( 15-18 m.) tall and
9 in. ( 23 em.) in trunk diameter,
the maximum height measured 72
ft. ( 22 m.) . The branches are short,
sparse, and often slightly drooping
at ends. Leaves (needles) short-
stalked, spreading on all sides of
twig, :14-% in. (6-15 mm.) long,
4-angled, pointed, stiff, ashy blue
green, with whitish lines (stomata)
on all sides. Twigs slender, hairy,
covered with very short reddish
hairs, becoming brown and rough
from peglike bases of leaves. Bark
thin, composed of gray or blackish
scales, brown beneath, the cut sur-
face of inner bark yellowish. Wood
yellowish white, light-weight, soft,
fine-textured, with growth rings
very narrow to almost microscopic.
Cones curved downward on short
stalks, small and short, egg-shaped
or nearly round, %-1:14 in. ( 1.5-3
em.) long, dull gray or blackish,
remaining on tree several years and
often conspicuously clustered in
tree tops; cone-scales rigid and brit-
tle, rounded, and slightly toothed.
Seeds brown, about ¥2 in. ( 12 mm.)
long including large wing.
Black spruce is characteristic of
cold wet flats, muskegs, north-fac-
ing slopes, silty valley terraces, and
lake margins in the spruce-birch
interior forests up to an altitude of
2,000 ft. ( 610 m.), locally to 2,700
ft. ( 823 m.). Extending to tree line
on gentle damp slopes, such as
northern side of Alaska Range.
Dense pure stands are frequently
on wet area burns. Clusters of
black spruce are common, because
the lower branches take root to
form a ring of small trees around
the central parent tree.
51
Besides its usually different habi-
tat and smaller size with more com-
pact branching, black spruce is dis-
tinguished from white spruce by
the shorter and blunter needles,
hairy twigs, and smaller cones with
brittle, shghtly toothed cone-scales
curved down on short stalks and
remaining attached several years.
The twigs of black spruce are re-
ported to be tougher and gummier
also; These 2 species of the interior
forests can be distinguished also in
the seedling stage by the finely
toothed leaf margins in white
spruce and absence of teeth in black
spruce. Logs and tree trunks can
be identified by inner bark color,
yellowish in black spruce and whit-
ish in white spruce. Annual growth
rings of black spruce wood are nar-
rower also.
The wood is of slight importance
for lumber because of the small size
of the trees. Occasionally the logs
are cut along with white spruce for
cabins. The trees are important as
fuel, especially in stands killed by
fire, remaining standing and well
preserved for several decades.
Southward black spruce is a popu-
lar Christmas tree.
Interior Alaska north to southern
slopes of Brooks Range but at lower
elevations and not as far north as
white spruce. West to upper
Kobuk River and to Elim at base
of Seward Peninsula; reported only
to Kaltag on Yukon River and the
Stoney River on Kuskokwim River.
Southwest at base of Alaska Penin-
sula to Bristol Bay at Naknek.
South of Alaska Range in Susitna
Valley, Cook Inlet and·Kenai Pe-
ninsula south to Homer, and Cop-
per River basin south to Tonsina.
Not in southeast Alaska. Chugach
National Forest, Mt. McKinley N a-
tiona! Park, Kenai National Moose
Range. East across Canada near
northern limit of trees to Hudson
Bay, Labrador, and Newfoundland,
south to New Jersey, Minnesota,
Manitoba, and British Columbia.
52
5. WHITE SPRUCE
(Picea glauca (Moench)
Voss)
Other names: western white
spruce, Canadian spruce, Alberta
spruce, Picea glauca var. albertiana
(S. Brown) Sarg.; Porsild spruce,
P. glauca var. porsildii Raup.
White spruce, the most important
tree of the spruce-birch interior for-
est, is a medium-sized to large tree
40-70 ft. ( 12-21 m.) high and 6-18
in. (15--46 em.) in trunk diameter.
On the best sites it reaches 80-115
ft. ( 24-35 m.) and 30 in. ( 76 em.) ,
but at timberline it becomes a pros-
trate shrub with a broad base below
the snow-cover line. Crown pointed
and usually very narrow and spire-
like, sometimes broad and conical,
composed of slightly drooping
branches with upturned ends and
many small drooping side twigs.
Leaves (needles) short-stalked,
spreading on all sides of twig but
massing on top near ends, lh-% in.
(12-20 mm.) long, 4-angled, sharp-
pointed, stiff, blue green, with whit-
ish lines on all. sides; leaves and
twigs with skunklike odor when
crushed. Twigs slender, hairless,
orange brown, becoming rough
from peglike bases of leaves. Bark
thin, _gray, smoothish or in scaly
plates, the cut surface of inner bark
whitpsh. Wood almost white, the
sapwood not easily distinguished,
moderately lightweight, moderately
soft, of fine and moderately uneven
texture, with growth rings easily
seen in cross-sections.
Cones nearly stalkless, hanging
down, cylindric, 11,4-21!2 in. (3-6
em.) long, shiny light brown, fall-
ing at maturity; cone-scales thin
and flexible, margins nearly straight
and without teeth. Seeds brown,
about% in. (10 mm.) long, includ-
ing large wing.
White spruce is the commonest
tree of interior Alaska, occuring
from near sea level to tree line at
;;··.
Figure 5.-White spruce (Picea glauca),
natural size.
·about 1,000-3,500 ft. (305-1,607 m.).
The tree line is lowest in the north
and west and on north-facing slo:r;>es
and highest in the southeast interiOr
and on south-facing slopes. This
species is found in mostly open for-
ests, usually with paper birch or in
pure stands. In a few places, such
as the Chugach National Forest, it
extends to tidewater. Although not
exacting as to site, this species
grows best on well drained soils on
south-facing gentle slopes and
sandy soils along the edges of lakes
and rivers. It forms the tallest for-
ests along the large rivers, where
running water thaws the soil. It is
seldom found where permafrost is
close to the surface. White spruce
often replaces balsam poplar along
the river floodplains and also in-
vades the open forests of birch and
aspen that follow fire. The trees
have average growth rate, attaining
an age of 100-200 years at maturity.
Alaska trees commonly have very
narrow crowns and short broad
cones and have been referred to a ·
western variety (western white
spruce, var. albertiana (S. Brown)
Sarg.). In.contrast the trees of the
typical variety, for example, in the
Lakes States and Northeast, have
broader conical crowns. Another
western variation scattered in
Alaska has smooth bark with resin
blisters (as in fir) and relatively
broad crown (Porsild spruce, var.
porsildii Raup).
53
On Kenai Peninsula, where this
species meets Sitka .spruce, hybrids
or intermediate trees occur, as noted
under that species. Natural hy-
brids between white spruce and
black spruce apparently are very
rare in interior Alaska. One inter-
mediate tree identified as a hybrid·
was discovered among trees o£ these
two species on the north edge o£
Tanana Valley about 250 miles
( 400 km.) east-southeast o£ Fair-
banks, at about 1,800 feet ( 550 m.)
elevation.
White spruce is used extensively
in interior Alaska £or cabin logs,
peeled and in natural form, sawed
flat on 3 sides, or milled on lathes
into uniformly round logs having
diameters o£ 6, 8, or 10 inches (15,
20, or 25 em.). Large numbers o£
pilings and rough timbers £rom in-
terior Alaska have been transported
to the North Slope £or construction
o£ oil drilling platforms. Timbers
for bridges and corduroy roads are
other uses. A small quantity is cut
for fuel also. This species supplies
much o£ the lumber sawed in in-
terior Alaska, also dimension ma-
terial for buildings in light and
medium construction. Early uses
included flumes, sluice boxes, and
boats.
In Canada, white spruce is the
most important commercial tree
species and the foremost pulpwood.
Uses include scaffolding planks,
paddles and oars, sounding boards
in musical instruments, shop fit-
tings, agricultural implements,
kitchen cabinets, boxes, cooperage,
shelving, veneer, and plywood, The
seasoned wood is almost tasteless
and odorless and well suited £or
food containers.
The range o£ white spruce
through interior Alaska corre-
sponds to that mapped £or the
spruce-birch interior forests, north
and west to the limit o£ tree growth
but not in the southeast. In the
northeast to Firth River and its
tributary Joe Creek on the Arctic
54
slope and north to south slopes o£
Brooks Range and northwest to
Noatak River near Chukchi Sea.
West to upper Fish River on Sew-
ard Peninsula, Unalakleet, Moun-
tain Village on Yukon River, Ho-
litna River on Kuskokwim River,
and reaching Bristol Bay coast at
Dillingham on Nuskagak Bay.
Also south o£ Alaska Range £rom
Susitna Valley to Cook Inlet and
northern Kenai Peninsula and east
to Copper River basin. Chugach
National Forest, Mt. McKinley N a-
tiona! Park, Katmai National
Monument, Kenai National Moose
Range, Arctic National Wildlife
Range. East across Canada near
northern limit o£ trees to Hudson
Bay, Labrador, and Newfoundland,
south to New York, Minnesota,
Montana, and British Columbia,
also local in Black Hills.
. 6. SITKA SPRUCE
(Picea sitchensis (Bong.)
Carr.}
Other names : tideland spruce,
yellow spruce, western spruce, sil-
ver spruce, coast spruce.
Sitka spruce is the largest and
one o£ the most valuable trees in
Alaska, also the State tree. Large
to very large everg-reen tree to 160
ft. ( {9 m.) in height and 3-5 ft.
(0.9-1.5 m.) in trunk diameter, in-
frequently to 200-225 ft. (61-69 m.)
and '7-8 ft. (2.1-2.4 m.) or more.
From the much enlarged or but-
tressed base, the tall straight evenly
tal?ering trunk rises to an open
pomted broad conical crown with
horizontal branches. Leaves (nee-
dles) standing out on all sides o£
twig, flattened and slightly keeled,
%-1 in. ( 15-25 mm.) long, sharp-
pointed, dark green, the upper sur-
face slightly keeled or angled and
with 2 whitish bands (stomata),
lower surface rounded or slightly
keeled and sometimes with few
whitish lines. Twigs stout, stiff,
hairless, light brown to dark brown,
becoming rough from peglike bases
of leaves. Bark gray and smooth-
ish on small trunks, thin, becoming
-dark purplish brown with scaly
plates, the inner bark whitish with
brown dots. Wood moderately
lightweight, moderately soft, of fine
and moderately even texture, and
usually very straight grained. Sap-
wood nearly white and heartwood
light reddish brown.
Figure 6.-Sitka spruce (Picea sitchen-
sis), three-fourths natural size.
Cones short-stalked, hanging
down, ~ylindric, 2-31!2 in. (5-9 em.)
long, hght orange brown, falling
at. maturity; cone-scales .long, stiff,
thm, rounded and Irregularly
toothed. Seeds brown, about 1h in.
(~2 mm.) long, including large
wmg.
Sitka spruce forms more than
20 percent of the hemlock -spruce
coastal forests of Alaska and also
occurs in pure stands. It grows
more rapidly and to larger size than
western hemlock and is more light-
requiring. The largest old growth
trees in southeast Alaska have
trunk diameters exceeding 8 ft.
55
(2.4 m.) and ages of 500-750 years
or more. Many years ago there
was reported a giant 141-h ft. ( 4.4
m.) in trunk diameter measured
6 ft. ( 1.8 m.) above the ground, but
further information including the
locality is lacking. (The national
champion Sitka spruce, at Forks,
"Wash., is somewhat larger, approxi-
mately 17.9 ft. ( 5.4 m.) in trunk
diameter and 248 ft. (75.6 m.) in
height.) Westward on the Chugach
National Forest, the trees are
smaller, averaging 80 ft. (24 m.)
in height, 1lh ft. ( 45 em.) in diam-
eter, and about 200 years in age.
At Afognak and Kodiak Islands
there are pure stands of Sitka
spruce, the only conifer. On Ko-
diak Island near the southwestern
limit, this tree is reported to be
migrating westward during the
past few centuries.
This species extends from sea
level to the timberline up to about
3,000 ft. (914 m.) in the coastal
mountains but grows mainly at al-
titudes below 1,500 ft. ( 457 m.).
However, dwarf plants have been
seen as high as 3,500-3,900 ft.
(1067-1189 m.) on unglaciated
!ocky outcrops (nunataks) project-
mg above the Juneau Ice Field.
In bare or open areas, such as at
Glacier Bay, the bushy trees often
propagate by layering. The lowest
branches touch the ground, become
partly covered up, develop roots,
and then turn upward to form sepa-
rate trees. Sprouts from stumps
have been observed also.
Small groves of Sitka spruce
trees were planted as early as 1805
by Russians at Unalaska, near the
eastern end of the treeless Aleutian
Islands and far outside the tree
limits. These trees are still grow-
ing and have produced cones.
Younger trees are absent, perhaps
because of grazing. Several plant-
ings have been made also on other
Aleutians. Both the common and
scientific names honor Sitka Island,
now Baranof Island, where the
56
southeast Alaska town of Sitka is
located.
Sitka spruce produces high-grade
wood pulp, the best on the Pacific
coast. The wood with that of west-
ern hemlock is extensively used in
manufacture of newsprint. This
species is also the principal saw-
timber tree of southeast Alaska and
is made into all the usual forms of
lumber. The high-grade lumber
from the large clear trunks has
many uses. It is the most impor-
tant wood for airplane and glider
construction, and in World War II
was utilized especially in British
mosquito bombers. Other impor-
tant uses are oars, ladders and scaf-
folding, and boats, particularly rac-
ing sculls. Resonant qualities,
large size, and uniformity make the
wood valuable for piano sounding
boards. Much low-grade lumber is
made into packing boxes for the
Alaska salmon industry. Other
uses are general construction, food
containers, shelving, and kitchen
furnishings. Alaska has about two-
fifths of the total supply of this
species and seven-eighths of the
United States supply.
The range of Sitka spruce is the
same as the hemlock-spruce coastal
forests of southeast and southern
Alaska. Throughout southeast
Alaska north to head of Lynn
Canal at Skagway, Glacier Ray,
and Yakutat Bay. West along
coast of southern Alaska to Prince
William Sound, Kenai Peninsula,
and west side of Cook Inlet. Along
southern coast of Alaska Peninsula
southwest to its westernmost limit
at Cape Kubagakli near southern
boundary of Katmai N a tiona]
Monument. Also Afognak Island
and eastern half of Kodiak Island,
where it is the only conifer. South
Tongass, North Tongass, and Chu-
gach National Forests, Glacier Bay
National Monument, Kenai N a-
tiona! Moose Range, Kodiak Island
National Wildlife Refuge. From
Kodiak Island and southern Alaska
southeast along Pacific coast to
northwestern California.
On Kenai Peninsula there are
natural hybrids between white
spruce and Sitka spruce (Pice a
glauoa X sitohensis; Lutz spruce,
Pioea X l!utzii Little) . The hybrid
is a tree 55-70 £t. (17-21 m.) high
and 1-1 :lf2 ft. ( 30-45 em.) in trunk
diameter. Hybrid trees are recog-
nized by their leaves and cones in-
termediate between those o£ the
parent species. The leaves are
slightly 4-angled, less so than in
white spruce and are near Sitka
spruce m the whitish upper sur-
faces. The cones are intermediate
in size or small as in white spruce.
Figure 7.-Western hemlock (Tsuga
heterophylla), natur~l size.
Cone-scales are short as in white
spruce but like Sitka spruce in be-
ing thin, light brown, and irregu-
larly toothed. These hybrids are
found on Kenai Peninsula where
the ranges o£ the two species meet
and overlap slightly and may be
sought elsewhere along the border
between the coastal and interior
forest types.
HEMLOCK (Tsuga)
Hemlock trees have very slender
leading twigs or leaders which are
curved down or nodding. The
leaves are short needles, flat or half-
round, blunt, so£t, and not stiff,
with short lea£-stalks, shedding
promptly on dryin~. Twigs are
very slender, becommg roughened
by peglike bases a£ter leaves £all.
The cones are stalkless and usually
hang down.
57
Key to the 2 Alaska species
Leaves (needles) flat, appearing in 2 rows, shiny dark green above, with
2 whitish bands (stomata) on lower surface; %-1 in. (1.5-2.5 em.)
long ------------------7. western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
Leaves (needles) half-round and keeled or angled beneath, crowded on
all sides of short side twigs, blue green, with whitish lines (stomata)
on both surfaces; cones cylindric, 1-2% in. (2.5-6 em.) long------
----------------------8. mountain hemlock ( Tsuga mertensiana)
7. WESTERN HEMLOCK
(Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.)
Sarg.)
Other names: west coast hem-
lock (lumber) , Pacific hemlock;
formerly Tsuga mertensiana auth.
Large evergreen tree becoming
100-150 ft. (30-46 m.) tall and 2-4
ft. ( 0.6-1.2 m.) in trunk diameter,
with long slender trunk often be-
coming fluted when large, and short
narrow crown of horizontal or
slightly drooping branches, the very
slender leading twig curved down
or nodding. The largest trees are
as much as 190 ft. (58 m.) in height
and 5 ft. (1.5 m.) or more in diam-
eter. Leaves (needles) short-
stalked, spreading in 2 rows, 1_4-%
in. ( 6-22 mm.) long, flat, rounded
at tip, flexible, shiny dark green
above, and with 2 whitish bands
(stomata) on lower surface. Twigs
slender, dark reddish brown, finely
hairy, roughened by peglike bases
after leaves fall. Bark reddish
brown to gray brown, becoming
thick and furrowed into scaly
plates; a pocketknife will disclose
the red inner bark not found in
spruce. Wood moderately light-
weight, moderately hard, of moder-
ately fine and even textured, non-
resionous. Heartwood pale reddish
brown, sapwood similar or whitish.
Cones stalkless and hanging
down at end of twig, small, elliptic,
%-1 in. (1.5-2.5 em.) long, brown,
with many thin papery scales.
58
Seeds about % in. ( 12 mm.) long
including large wing.
Western hemlock is the most
abundant and one of the most im-
portant tree species in southeast
Alaska and forms more than 70 per-
cent of the dense hemlock-spruce
coastal forests. This species attains
its largest size on moist flats and
lower slopes, but with abundant
moisture, both atmospheric and soil,
it grows well on shallow soils. It
is very tolerant of shade.
This species is one of the best
pulpwoods for paper and paper-
board and products such as rayon.
Other important uses are lumber
for general construction, railway
ties, mine timbers, and marine pil-
ing. The wood is suited also for
interior finish, boxes and crates,
kitchen cabinets, flooring and ceil-
ing, gutter stock, and veneer for
plywood. The outer bark contains
a high percentage of tannin and is
a potential source of this product.
Alaska Indians made coarse bread
from the inner bark of this tree and
shore pine. Western hemlock is the
State tree of Washington.
Western hemlock has the dis-
tribution of the hemlock -spruce
coastal forests of southeast and
southern Alaska but does not go as
far west as Sitka spruce, not reach-
ing Afognak and Kodiak Islands
or the west side of Cook Inlet.
It extends throughout southeast
Alaska north to head of Lynn Canal
at Skagway, Glacier Bay, and Ya-
kutat Bay, west to Prince William
Sound and east side of Cook Inlet
to Portlock at southwest end of
Kenai Peninsula and northwest to
hills around Anchorage. South
Tongass, North Tongass, and Chu-
gach National Forests, Glacier Bay
National Monument, and Kenai N a-
tiona! Moose Range. Southeast
along Pacific coast to northwestern
California and east in mountains
to southeastern British Columbia,
northwestern Montana, and north-
ern Idaho.
8. MOUNTAIN HEMLOCK
(Tsuga mertensiana (Bong.)
Carr.)
Other names: alpine hemlock,
black hemlock.
Small to large evergreen tree be-
coming 50-100 ft. (15-'-30 m.) high
and 10-30 in. (25-76 em.) in trunk
diameter, maximum about 125 ft.
(38 m.) and 40 in. (1 m.), with
marked taper when open grown,
narrow crown of horizontal or
Figure B.-Mountain hemlock (Tsuga
mertensiana), natural size.
drooping branches, and very slender
leading twig curved down or nod-
ding; a shrub near timber line.
Leaves (needles) mostly crowded
on all sides of short side twigs and
curved upward, short-stalked, ~-1
in. ( 6-25 mm.) long, flattened above
and rounded, keeled, or angled be-
neath (half-round in section), stout
and blunt, blue green and with
whitish lines (stomata) on both
surfaces. Twigs mostly short,
slender, light reddish brown, finely
hairy, roughened by peg like bases
after leaves fall. Bark gray to
dark brown, thick, and deeply fur-
rowed into scaly plates. Wood
moderately heavy, moderately hard,
and moderately fine and even tex-
tured. Heartwood pale reddish
brown, sapwood thin and similar
or whitish.
Cones stalkless and usually hang-
ing down, cylindric, 1-2% in. (2.5-
6 em.) long and% in. (2 em.) wide,
purplish but turning brown, with
59
many thin papery scales. Seeds
light brown, about :Y2 in. ( 12 mm.)
long including large wing.
Mountain hemlock extends from
sea level to an altitude of 3,000-
3,500 ft. (914-1067 m.), growing in
an altitude higher than other trees.
On upland sites, it is well formed
and resembles western hemlock.
Toward the timberline, it replaces
the latter and becomes a prostrate
shrub. It grows with shore pine in
muskegs of deep peat as well as on
subalpine slopes on the ocean side
of the Coast Range in southeast
Alaska. In the Prince William
Sound and Cook Inlet regions,
mountain hemlock is found on bet-
ter drained slopes and near tide-
water, reaching its maximum
height.
The wood is marketed with west-
ern hemlock, being similar but
somewhat more dense, and has the
same uses. Nearly pure stands of
mountain hemlock on Prince of
Wales Island have been logged for
pulp. The wood has been used for
railroad ties. However, in the
higher altitudes where commonly
found, mountain hemlock is largely
inaccessible and unimportant com-
mercially.
Southeast and southern Alaska.
Through southeast Alaska north to
head of Lynn Canal at Skagway,
Glacier Bay, and Yakutat Bay,
west to Prince William Sound,
Kenai Peninsula, and east side of
Cook Inlet. Also local at Lake
Iliamna on Alaska Peninsula.
South Tongass, North Tongass, and
Chugach National Forests, Glacier
Bay National Monument, Kenai
National Moose Range. Southeast
along Pacific Coast of British Co-
lumbia and in mountains to western
Montana and central California.
This species honors the German
naturalist Karl Heinrich Mertens
( 1796-1830), who discovered it near
Sitka, Alaska, in 1827.
60
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga men.
ziesii (Mirb.) Franco; Ps. tamifolia
(Poir.) Britton) though not native
is sometimes planted in southeast
Alaska as an ornamental and in
forestry tests. Growth is rapid.
The flat leaves (needles) o/s-1~ in.
(1.5-3 em.) long resemble those of
fir but are narrowed into stalks at
base and have an elliptic leaf-scar.
·winter buds are distinctive,
pointed, red brown, and not resin-
ous. The elliptic, light brown
cones 2--3¥2 in. (5-9 em.) hang
down and have thin rounded cone-
scales and prominent 3-toothed
bracts. Douglas-fir, one of the
world's most valuable timber trees,
is widespread i:p. the Pacific coast
and Rocky Mountain regions north
in British Columbia nearly to
Alaska. On the coast it extends
almost to the north end of Van-
couver Island and slightly inland
north to Gardner Canal. In the in-
terior it ranges north to Fort Mc-
Leod and Tacla Lake at latitude
55°, north of the southern tip of
Alaska.
FIR (Abies)
Fir trees have narrow pointed
crowns with mostly horizontal
branches. The leaves are flat nee-
dles without leafstalks, those on
lower branches often spreading in
2 rows along the twig~ others mostly
curving upward. Older twigs are
smooth with round leaf-scars.
Cones are upright and stalkless in
the highest branches. At maturity
the cone-scales and seeds are shed,
but the narrow upright axis per-
sists on the twig. No old cones re-
main on the trees or on the ground.
Two species of fir are present in
southeastern Alaska, both rare and
local. They are not likely to be
seen without a special trip to one of
the places mentioned.
Figure 9.-Paeific silver fir (Abies ama-
bilis), natural size.
Key to the 2 Alaska Species
Leaves (needles) shiny dark green on upper surface and silvery white
with many lines (stomata) on lower surface --------------------
----------------------------9. Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis)
Leaves (needles) dull dark green with whitish lines (stomata) on both
surfaces --------------------10. subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
9. PACIFIC SILVER FIR
(Abies amabilis (Dougl.)
Forbes)
Other names: silver fir, white
fir (lumber).
Medium-sized resinous and aro-
matic tree rare and local in extreme
southeast Alaska, becoming 80 ft.
( 24 m.) tall and 24 in. ( 60 em.) in
trunk diameter, maximum 149 ft.
( 45 m.) tall and 49 in. ( 1.24 m.) in
diameter. Leaves (needles) crowded
and spreading, stalkless, %-114 in.
(2-3 em.) long, flat, deeply grooved
61
and shiny dark ~Teen above, be-
neath silvery white with whitish
lines (stomata), those on lower
branches notched or rounded at tips
and spreading in. 2 rows, those to-
ward top of tree shorter and sharp-
pointed, twisted in brushlike mass
on upper side of twig. Twigs slen-
der, finely hairy. Bark smooth,
gray, splotched with white. Wood
with whitish sapwood and pale
brown heartwood, fine-textured,
lightweight, soft.
Cones in highest branches, up-
right, 4-5 in. (10-12.5 em.) long,
2-2¥2 in. (5-6 em.) in diameter,
purplish, finely hairy or nearly
hairless; many fan-shaped rounded
overlapping scales, falling from
axis in autumn. Seeds light brown,
about 1 in. (2.5 em.) long, includ-
ing broad wing.
The trees are logged with other
conifers. Fir logs are sawed into
lumber with Sitka spruce, if large
and clear, or chipped with hemlock
and used for pulp. Southward,
where more abundant, the wood is
used for interior finish.
Pacific silver fir is rare and local
in extreme southeast Alaska. It
has been recorded from well-drained
lower slopes of canyons, benches,
and flats from sea level to 1,000 ft.
(305 m.) altitude. In the Salmon
River valley near Hyder, it is com-
mon in the coastal forest of Sitka
spruce and eastern hemlock, being
very shade tolerant. Large trees
were found on forest survey plots
east of Ketchikan in mountains near
Marten Arm of Boca de Quadra,
Smeaton Bay of Behm Canal, and
near Thorne Arm. Northeast of
Ketchikan, trees have been observed
in Carroll Inlet and George Inlet.
However, earlier reports from Kos-
ciusko Island and near northern
end of Prince of Wales Island re-
main unverified. South Tongass
National Forest. South through
Pacific coast region of British Co-
lumbia and in mountains to Oregon
and northwestern California.
62
10. SUBALPINE FIR
(Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.)
Nutt.)
Other names: alpine fir, white
fir (lumber).
Small to medium-sized evergreen
tree, rare and local in southeast
Alaska, commonly 20-60 ft. (6-18
m.) high and 4-12 in. (10-30 em.)
in trunk diameter, with long, nar-
row, sharp-pointed or spirelike
crown and branches extending
nearly to base, resinous and aro-
matic. However, larger trees to 95
ft. ( 29 m.) tall and 27 in. ( 69 em.)
in diameter have been observed.
Leaves (needles) crowded and
spreading, stalkless, %-1¥2 in. (2-4
em.) long, flat, dark blue green and
with whitish lines (stomata) on
both sides, grooved above, those on
lower branches rounded or occa-
sionally notched at tip and in 2
rows, those near top of tree shorter'
pointed, stiff, and twisted upward
and curved on upper side of twig.
Twigs gray, rusty hairy. Bark ash
gray, smooth, thin. Wood pale
brown, fine-textured, lightweight,
soft, usually knotty because of the
many_.,persistent branches.
Cones in highest branches, up-
right, cylindric, 2¥2--4 in. (6-10
em.) long and 1:14-1¥2 in. (3--4 em.)
in diameter, dark purple, finely
hairy; many fan-shaped, rounded,
overlapping scales, falling from
axis in autumn. Seeds light brown,
% in. (1.5 em.) long, including
broad wing.
Subalpine fir is of rare, local oc-
currence in mountains of southeast
Alaska. This inland tree grows. in
cool, moist subalpine slopes near
timberline, becoming shrubby or
prostrate, and is found on the val-
ley floors as well. It appears to be
very shade tolerant.
Figure 10.-Subalpine fir (Abies lasio-
carpa), natural size.
Near the southernmost tip o:f
Alaska, subalpine fir is known from
several localities. At Hyder it is
reported to be common mostly at
higher altitudes near the timberline
at 2,500 ft. (762 m.) and accessible
on the Texas Creek road. It grows
with Pacific silver fir in the forest
of Sitka spruce and hemlock.
Southeast of Ketchikan, subalpine
fir has been recorded from Very In-
let, Boca de Quadra, and Thorne
Arm. Another stand is found at
3,000 ft. (914 m.) altitude on Har-
ris Ridge near Hollis on Prince of
Wales Island, associated with
mountain hemlock and Sitka
spruce.
At the northern end of southeast
Alaska, subalpine fir from the in-
terior of British Columbia crosses
over the divide of the Coast Range.
In Taku River valley northeast of
Juneau, this species extends from
the Canadian border down to sea
level on outwash of Norris Glacier.
It is common, scattered with Sitka
spruce, hemlock, and black cotton-
63
wood. Near Skagway at head of
Lynn Canal, subalpine fir descends
from timberline at 3,000 ft. (914
m.) to sea level.
Northeastward in Yukon Terri-
tory, this species occurs within 125
miles (200 km.) of the Alaska bor-
der along Stewart River, a tribu-
tary of Yukon River. South Ton-
gass and North Tongass National
Forests. Southeast Alaska, central
Yukon Territory, and southwest-
ern District of Mackenzie, south
through British Columbia and
southwestern Alberta and in moun-
tains to New Mexico, Arizona, and
Oregon.
Subalpine fir has been reported
from 3 localities in south central
Alaska: Copper River basin, Men-
tasta Pass on Glenn Highway, and
mountains northeast of Anchorage.
Specimens are needed before those
unverified range extensions should
be accepted.
CYPRESS FAMILY
(Cupressaceae)
The cypress family ( Cupres-
saceae) has 2 genera and species of
trees in Alaska, also a third genus
with 2 species of low shrubs, juni-
pers. This family formerly in-
cluded in the pine family is charac-
terized by small scalelike leaves
paired or in 3's. The cones are
small with few cone-scales bearing
mostly few seeds with short side
wings. However, junipers have
berrylike cones and wingless seeds.
Characteristics of the 3 genera
and names of their Alaska species
are summarized here for ready
identification.
Western redcedar ( Thuja plicata
Donn), the only Alaska species of
thuja. Leaves scalelike, flattened
and curved, on flattened twigs in
fanlike sprays. Small cones clus-
tered near ends of twigs and becom-
ing turned up.
64
Alaska-cedar ( Ohamaecyparis
nootkatensis (D. Don) Spach), the
only species of white-cedar. Leaves
scalelike, pointed and spreading.
Leafy twigs 4-angled or slightly
flattened. Cones small, hard, nearly
round.
Juniper (Juniperus), 2 species,
common juniper and creeping juni-
per. Dwarf shrubs with scalelike
or awl-shaped leaves, small round
berrylike cones, and few wingless
seeds.
II. WESTERN REDCEDAR
(Thuja plicata Donn)
Other names : giant arborvitae,
canoe cedar, shinglewood, Pacific
redcedar, arborvitae.
Large evergreen tree 70-100 ft.
(21-30 m.) tall, sometimes 130 ft.
( 40 m.), with tapering trunk 2-4 ft.
(0.6-1.2 m.) in diameter, sometimes
to 6 ft. (1.8 m.), swollen or but-
tressed base, pointed conical crown,
and horizontal branches curving
upward at tips. Leaves scalelike,
flattened, Yl_6 -Ys in. ( 1.5-3 mm.)
long, on leader twigs to 1;{., in. ( 6
mm.) long and pointed, shiny yel-
low green above and dull green
below. Leafy twigs flattened, in
fanlirre sprays, slightly drooping,
older twigs gray and smooth. Bark
graj or brown, thin, fibrous and
stringy or shreddy, becoming thick
and furrowed into long ridges.
Wood with the distinctive odor of
cedars, fine-textured, straight-
grained, lightweight, moderately
soft, and brittle. Heartwood red-
dish brown, the narrow sapwood
white.
Cones clustered near ends of
twigs and becoming turned up on
short stalks, elliptic, ¥2 in. ( 12 mm.)
long, light brown, composed of sev-
eral paired elliptic leathery cone-
scales. Seeds 3 or fewer under a
cone-scale, %6 in. (5 mm.) long,
light brown, with 2 narrow wings.
Western redcedar is native in the
southern hal£ of southeast Alaska
from sea level to 3,000 ft. (915 m.)
altitude on the west slopes of the
Coast Range, attaining its largest
size below 500 ft. ( 150 m.) . Al-
though sometimes in pure stands,
it is also dominant in the redcedar-
hemlock forest and scattered in the
hemlock-spruce forest. It is of
moderately slow growth and long-
lived.
Figure 11.-Western redcedar (Thuja
plicata), natural size.
Western redcedar is well suited
for boat and canoe construction.
It is the most widely used wood for
shingles. Other uses of this very
durable lightweight wood are util-
ity poles, fenceposts, light construc-
tion, pulp, clothes closets and chests,
conduits, piling, and fish-trap floats.
The Indians employed the wood for
totem poles, dugout canoes, and
houses and made mats, baskets, and
ropes from the stringy bark. This
65
is an important timber tree of the
coast region of British Columbia.
Western redcedar is exported to
Japan in log form, though some is
used locally.
Southern half of southeast
Alaska north to Wrangell and vi-
cinity of Petersburg on southern
parts of Mitkof, Kupreanof, and
Kuiu Islands. On Kupreanof
Island north to Duncan Canal (col-
lected on Woewodski Island) but
not found at Portage Bay on north
end where formerly reported.
South Tongass National Forest and
south end of North Tongass N a-
tiona} Forest. Pacific coast region
of southeast Alaska south to north-
western California, also east in
Rocky Mountains to eastern Mon-
tana and southeastern British Co-
lumbia.
12. ALASKA-CEDAR
( Chamaecyparis nootkatensis
(D. Don) Spach)
Other names: Alaska yellow-
cedar, N ootka false-cypress, yellow-
cedar, Alaska cypress, Sitka cy-
press, yellow cypress.
Medium sized evergreen tree 40-
80 ft. ( 12-24 m.) high and 1-2 ft.
( 30-60 em.) in trunk diameter,
sometimes a large tree to 100 ft.
(30 m.) tall and 4 ft. (1.2 m.) in
diameter, with narrow crown of
slightly drooping branches. Leaves
scalelike, Yt 6 -Ys in. ( 1.5-3 mm.)
long, pointed and spreading, yellow
green, with slightly spreading,
pointed tips; leaves on leader twigs
to 1;4 in. ( 6 mm.) long and sharp-
pointed. Leafy twigs 4-angled or
slightly flattened, in flat, spread-
ing sprays on drooping slightly
branches, becoming reddish brown.
Bark shreddy, with long narrow
shreds and fissures, ash gray or
66
purplish brown. Wood with dis-
tinctive odor, fine-textured, rela-
tively straight-grained, moderately
heavy, moderately hard. Heart-
wood bright yellow with narrow
band of lighter sapwood.
Cones scattered, short-stalked,
nearly round, less than Y2 in. (12
mm.) in diameter, hard, ashy gray,
often covered with whitish bloom,
of 4 or 6 paired rounded hard cone-
scales each with a central pointed
projection, maturing in 2 years.
Seeds 2-4 under a cone-scale, %6
in. (4 mm.) long, brown, with 2
broad wings.
Alaska-cedar extends along the
coast of southeast Alaska from sea
level to timberline but is best devel-
oped at 500-1,200 ft. (150-365 m.)
altitude. It is scattered with western
redcedar, in pure stands, in forests
of Sitka spruce and western hem-
lock, and, on higher slopes or mus-
kegs, with mountain hemlock. The
trees are slow-growing, those 15-20
in. ( 38-51 em.) in trunk diameter
being 200-300 years old.
The very durable aromatic wood
is easily worked and takes a beau-
tiful finish. It is valuable for win-
dow frames and exterior doors, boat
construction, and similar purposes.
It is _used also for utility poles,
piles, interior finish, furniture,
cabinet work, patterns, and nove]-
ties.' Indians of southeast Alaska
made their canoe paddles from this
wood. Much Alaska-cedar is ex-
ported to Japan in log form, though
some is used locally.
Through southeast Alaska north
to Lynn Canal and Yakutat and
west in southern Alaska to Glacier
Island and Wells Bay in Prince
William Sound. South . Tongass,
North Tongass, and Chugach N a-
tiona] Forests. Pacific coast region
from southern Alaska southeast
through British Columbia and in
mountains to Oregon and north-
western California.
Figure 12.-Alaska-cedar (Chamaecy-
paris nootkatensis), natural size.
67
JUNIPER (Juniperus)
Low or prostrate aromatic ever-
green shrubs (elsewhere also trees).
Leaves opposite in 4 rows or in 3's,
crowded, scalelike, blunt, and
closely pressed against twig or awl-
shaped, sharp-pointed, and spread-
ing. Male and female cones mostly
on different plants. Cones small,
berrylike, fleshy, round, ~-% in.
(6-10 mm.) in diameter, mostly
blue, fleshy, resinous, not opening,
containing usually 1-4 wingless
seeds.
Key to the 2 Alaska Species
Leaves awl-shaped, sharp-pointed, spreading in groups of 3 _______ _
--------------------13. common juniper (Juniperus communis)
Leaves mostly scalelike, blunt, pressed against twig, paired _________ _
------------------14. creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)
13. COMMON JUNIPER
(Juniperus communis L.)
Other names: low juniper,
mountain common juniper; Juni-
perus communis var. saxatilis Pall.,
var. montana Ait., var. depressa
Pursh, ssp. nana (Willd.) Syme;
J. sibirica Burgsd., J. nana Willd.
Low or prostrate spreading ever-
green shrub to 2 ft. (0.6 m.) high,
forming mats or clumps to 10 ft.
(3 m.) · in diameter. Leaves in
groups of 3 (whorled), spreading
at right angles or curved slightly
downward, awl-shaped, ~-% in.
(6-12 mm.) long, less than ¥!6 in.
(1.5 mm.) wide, stiff, very sharp-
pointed, jointed at base, whitish
and grooved above, shiny yellow
green beneath. Twigs slender, 3-
angled, light yellow, hairless. Bark
gray or dark reddish brown, rough,
scaly and thin.
Cones lateral on very short scaly
stalks, berrylike, round, ~-% in.
(6-10 mm.) in diameter, blue and
covered with a bloom, hard, mealy,
resinous and sweetish1 maturing in.
2 or 3 years and persistent. Seeds
3 or fewer, light brown, more than
lj8 in. (3 mm.) long, pointed.
68
Common juniper becomes a small
tree rarely in New England and
frequently in Europe. Including a
few geographic varieties, this spe-
cies is the most widely distributed
conifer in the world and the most
widespread tree species in the north
temperate zone. In northern Eu-
rope the fruits have been used to
flavor gin. Juniper is planted as
. an ornamental in Alaska, mostly as
a ground cover in dry and rocky
locations.
Scattered to rare in rocky tundra,
sunnyslopes, sandy areas, and for-
est openings. Throughout most of
Ala$a except extreme northwest,
Alaska Peninsula, and Aleutian
Islands. From southeast Alaska
north in central Alaska to Porcu-
pine, Yukon and Koyukuk Rivers
and north of Brooks Range to
Chandler, Canning, and Shaviovik
Rivers and west to Bering Sea
(Elim) and west side of Cook Inlet.
South Tongass and North Tongass
National Forests, Mt. McKinley
National Park. Alaska, east across
Canada to Labrador, Newfound-
land, and Greenland, south mostly
in mountains to Georgia, Illinois,
New Mexico, and California. Also
across northern Europe and Asia.
Figure 13.-Common juniper (Juni-
perus communis), natural size.
14. CREEPING JUNIPER
(Juniperus horizontalis
Moench)
Other name: creeping savin.
Prostrate or trailing evergreen
shrub with long horizontal stems
often rooting-and with short erect
twigs 2-6 m. ( 5-15 em.) high.
Leaves paired in 4 rows, mostly
scalelike, YI 6 in. (1.5 mm.) long,
blunt and short-pointed with gland
dot, blue green, shedding with
69
twigs, on young plants and leaders
awl-shaped, sharp-pointed, %6 A~
in. long (5-6 mm.) long. Twigs
less than 7{ 6 in. ( 1.5 mm.) broad,
4-angled, covered with scale leaves.
Cones terminal and curved down
on short stalks, berrylike, round,
*-%6 in. (6-8 mm.) in diameter,
light blue and covered with a bloom,
fleshy, resinous. Seeds 4 or fewer,
brown, lh in. ( 3 mm.) long.
Rare and local on dry rocky
slopes and sunny sands. Southeast
interior Alaska along Chitina and
Copper Rivers and west to Hicks
Creek (east of Palmer). Alaska,
Mackenzie, and Yukon, east to
Great Slave Lake, Hudson Bay,
Labrador, and Newfoundland, south
to New York, Michigan, Iowa, and
Colorado.
Used as an ornamental ground
cover in interior and south central
Alaska.
WILLOW FAMILY
( Salicaceae)
The willow family ( Salicaceae)
contains the cottonwoods, poplars,
and aspens (all in the genus Popu-
l1t8 with 3 tree species in Alaska),
and the willows (Salim), a large
genus of 30 or more native species
ranging in size from creeping or
dwarf shrubs to large shrubs and
small trees ( 8 species) . Distin-
70
Figure 14.-Creeping juniper (Juniper.
us horizontalis), natural size.
guishing characters are as follows :
( 1) leaves borne singly (alternate) ,
with margins evenly toothed or
without teeth (entire) but not
lobed; (2) flower clusters (catkins)
composed of an axis bearing many
small flowers each above a scale, in
early spring before or with the
leaves; (3) flowers without sepals
or petals, of 2 kinds on different
plants, male flowers with pollen and
on other plants the female flowers
with seeds; and ( 4) the tiny seeds
with long white cottony hairs,
borne in small seed capsules mostly
2-parted.
Cottonwoods, poplars, and aspens
usually have broad leaves with
petiole nearly as long as blade, stout
twigs-(and large winter buds with
several scales exposed, resinous (ex-
ceptf in aspen), an end (terminal)
bud present. Willows usually have
narrow leaves with very short peti-
oles, slender or wiry twigs, and
small winter buds covered by a
single scale, without an end bud.
Catkins in the genus of cotton-
woods hang down, while those of
willows are upright or slightly
spreading. Flowers of cottonwoods
have deeply lobed scales soon shed-
ding, a broad or cup-shaped disk,
and 10 to many stamens. Willow
flowers have scales without or with
teeth, persistent or late shedding,
disk reduced usually to 1 small
gland, and 2-8 stamens.
Figure 15.-Balsam poplar (Populus
balsamifera), natural size. Winter
twig at lower right.
71
COTTONWOOD, POPLAR,
ASPEN (Populus)
This genus has no single English
common name. The 3 Alaska spe-
cies of the cottonwood genus, all
common trees, are balsam poplar,
black cotton wood, and quaking
aspen.
Key to the 3 Alaska Species
Leaf blades longer than broad, 2¥2-5 in. ( 6-12.5 em;) long; leafstalks
round.
Seed capsules pointed, hairless, 2-parted; leaves pale green and
brownish beneath; tree of interior forests ------------------
---------------------15. balsam poplar (Populus balsamifeTa)
Seed capsules rounded, hairy, 3-parted; leaves whitish beneath; tree
of coastal forests ___ 16. black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa)
Leaf blades nearly round, less than 2 in. ( 5 em.) long; leafstalks flattened
--------------------1'7. quaking aspen (Pop1tlus tremuloides)
15. BALSAM POPLAR
(Populus balsamifera L.)
Other names : tacamahac, taca-
mahac poplar, cottonwood; Popu-
lus tacamahaca Mill.
Medium-sized deciduous tree
usually 30-50 ft.· ( 9-15 m.) high,
with straight trunk 4-12 in. (10-30
em.) in diameter and long thin open
crown, sometimes a large tree 80-
100 ft. (24-30 m.) tall and 2 ft.
( 60 em.) in trunk diameter. Leaves
with slender petioles 1-2 in. (2.5-5
em.) long, round, finely hairy. Leaf
blades ovate or broadly lance-
shaped, 2¥2-4¥2 in. (6-11 em.) long,
1¥2-3 in. ( 4-'7.5 em.) wide, mostly
long-pointed at apex and rounded
at base, with many small rounded
teeth, hairless or nearly so, shiny
dark green above, pale green and
rusty brown beneath. Twigs red
brown and hairy when young, with
orange dots (lenticels) , becoming
gray, with raised leaf scars show-
ing 3 dots. Winter buds large, to
1 in. (2.5 em.) long, long-pointed,
sticky or resinous, covered with
shiny brown scales, with pungent
balsam odor which permeates the
air in spring. Bark light gray to
72
gray' smooth, becoming rough,
thick, and deeply furrowed. Wood
with thick whitish sapwood and
light brown heartwood, fine-tex-
tured, lightweight, soft.
Flower clusters (catkins) 2-3lj2
in. (5-9 em.) long, narrow, droop-
ing; with many small flowers about
Ys in. (3 mm.) long, each with disk
and above a light brown hairy lobed
scale, male and female on different
trees ( dioecious). Male flowers
with 20-30 reddish purple stamens;
female flowers with conic slightly
2-lobed hairless ovary and 2 broad
wavy stigmas. Seed capsules in
catkins to 6 in. (15 em.) long, short-
stalked, egg-shaped, %-%6 in. (6-
8 mm.) long, long-pointed, light
brown, hairless but warty, 2-parted,
with many·· tiny cottony seeds.
Flowering in May-June before the
leaves, fruit maturing in June.
Balsam poplar, sometimes errone-
ously called balm-of-Gilead, is a
rapidly growing tree. It is common
in river valleys including sandy
bottoms and gravelly flood plains,
terraces, and coarse alluvial fans
throughout the interior except near
the coasts. In forests, especially in
openings and clearings, it is asso-
ciated with white spruce, birch, and
Figure 16.-Black cottonwood (Popu-
lus trichocarpa), natural size. Winter
twig at left.
aspen. It is often common with wil-
lows and alders in flood plain
thickets and along river banks.
In the mountains balsam poplar
extends to somewhat higher alti-
tudes than white spruce, to 3,500 ft.
(1067 m.) altitude or more on north
and west slopes of the Alaska
Range. Also, it projects farther
north to the Arctic slope in a few
places. At Firth River near the
northeast corner of Alaska and
north of the treeline, balsam pop-
lar, white spruce, and feltleaf wil-
low are the only tree species.
The wood is used chiefly for
boxes, crates, and pulpwood south-
ward. A small amount is sawed for
73
use in the Anchorage area and ef-
forts are being made to broaden the
market.
Interior Alaska, north and west
to limits of trees, south to Kodiak
Island and northern end of south-
east Alaska. On south slopes of
Brooks Range in drainages of Por-
cupine, Koyukuk, Kobuk, and N oa-
tak Rivers; north of Brooks Range
in small isolated stands along many
of the rivers draining into Arctic
Ocean but best developed and most
extensive along Canning River.
W'" est to Igloo near western tip of
Seward Peninsula; southward, at
Unalakleet, and reaching coast of
Bristol Bay near Dillingham; on
Alaska Peninsula as far west as
Chignik, and on Kodiak Island.
South of Alaska Range in Cook In-
~et and Copper River drainages and
m extreme northern part of south-
eastern Alaska near Haines and
Skagway and Taku Inlet near Ju-
neau. North Tongass and Chugach
National Forests, Mt. McKinley
National Park, Katmai National
Monument, Kenai National Moose
Range, Kodiak National Wildlife
Refuge, Arctic National Wildlife
Range.
East across Canada to Labrador
and Newfoundland, south in eastern
United States to West Virginia,
Indiana, and Iowa and in western
mountains locally as far south as
Colorado.
Balsam poplar intergrades or hy-
bridizes with black poplar in south-
ern Alaska where ranges of the two
overlap, as mentioned under the
latter. Rare hybrids with quaking
aspen, which has smaller, rounded
leaves and flattened petioles, have
been recorded also.
16. BLACK COTTONWOOD
(Populus trichocarpa
Torr. & Gray)
Other names: cottonwood, bal-
sam cottonwood, northern black
cottonwood, Pacific poplar; Popu-
74
l'tts triohocarpa var. hastata (Dode)
Henry; P. balsamifera L. ssp. tri-
chocarpa (Torr. & Gray) Bray-
shaw, var. californica S. Wats.
Large deciduous tree to 80-100
ft. (24-30 m.) tall, with straight
trunk 3ft. (1m.) in diameter, with
narrow pointed crown; in age larger
and developing a tall massive trunk
and small flat-topped crown.
Leaves with slender petioles 1~-2
in. ( 4-5 em.) long, round, finely
hairy. Leaf blades broadly ovate,
2~-5 in. (6-12.5 em.) long, 1~-3
in. ( 4-7.5 em.) wide, mostly long-
pointed at apex, rounded or slightly
notched at base, with many small
rounded teeth, hairless or nearly
so, shiny dark green above, beneath
whitish and often with rusty specks.
Twigs red brown and hairy when
young, with orange dots (lenticels),
becoming dark gray, sometimes
angled, with raised leaf scars show-
ing 3 dots. Winter buds large, to
% in. (2 em.) long, long-pointed,
sticky or resinous, covered with
shiny brown scales. Bark gray to
dark gray, smooth, becoming rough,
thick, deeply furrowed with flat
ridges. Wood with thin whitish
sapwood and light brown heart-
wood, fine-textured, lightweight,
soft.
Flower clusters (catkins) 1 ~-3
in. (~7.5 em.) long, narrow, droop-
ing, with many small flowers about
Ys int (3 mm.) long, each with disk
and above a light brown hairy lobed
scale, male and female on different
trees ( dioecious) . Male flowers
with 40-60 reddish purple stamens;
female flowers with rounded densely
hairy ovary and 3 broad lobed
stigmas. Seed capsules in catkins
to 6 in. (15 em.) long, short-stalked,
rounded, 'X_6 in. (5 mm.) in diam-
eter, white hairy, 3-parted, with
many tiny cottony seeds. Flower-
ing in May before the leaves, fruit
maturing in June-July.
Black cottonwood is the largest
broadleaf tree in Alaska, growmg
rapidly to a height of 80-100 ft.
(24-30 m.) at maturity. It is also
the hardwood or broadleaf tree of
greatest size in northwestern North
Affierica, reaching a height of 125
ft. (38 m.) on the best sites at age
35 years.
A champion of this species, the
largest then known, was discovered
in Alaska in 1965 by foresters on
the State timber inventory project.
:Measurements of this giant are as
follows : circumference of trunk at
breast height, 32 ft. 6 in. ( 9.9 m.),
total height, 101 ft. (30.8 m.), and
estimated spread of crown, 60 ft.
( 18.3 m.) . It is located on State
land about 25 miles (40 km.) north-
west of Haines on a gravel flat 300
ft. (91 m.) from Klehini River
about 5 miles ( 8 km.) west of the
village of Klukwan. This ancient
tree had its main stem broken off
many years ago but has several
large branches forming the top.
The trunk is deeply grooved and
hollow. In 1969 a larger black cot-
tonwood was found near Salem,
Oreg., thus replacing the northern
rival as the national champion.
Though with a broken top and not
as tall, the Klukwan giant has a
slightly broader trunk than the
Oregon winner, which measures 30
ft. 2 in. (9.2 m.) in circumference.
This species is found in lowlands
of the coastal forests of southeast
and southern Alaska. It is best
developed at lower levels on river
bottoms and sandbars, forming pure
stands with undergrowth of wil-
lows and alders. It is common on
the valley floors of a few large
streams, such as Stikine and Taku
Rivers. Very rare on islands.
Trees are planted for shade in
towns of southeast Alaska. South-
ward, the wood is used for boxes
and crates, pulpwood, and excelsior.
The small supply in Alaska is a
possible source of paper pulp,
veneer, and lumber. Square cut
logs have been used for cabins.
Black cottonwood is not easily
distinguished from its close rela-
tive, balsam poplar. Both have
much the same general appearance
and similar habitats. The chief
differences ~e in the seed capsules,
which in black cottonwood are
nearly round, densely hairy, and
split into 3 parts and which in
balsam poplar are longer than
broad and long-pointed, hairless but
warty, and split into 2 parts. Also,
there are minor differences in flow-
ers. The pistil of black cottonwood
has 3 carpels and 3 stigmas, while
that of balsam poplar has 2 carpels
and 2 stigmas. The number of
stamens is reported to be greater in
black cottonwood. Leaves of black
cottonwood generally are broader
in proportion to length and seem to
be whiter beneath. As the ranges
of the two species are separate ex-
cept at their narrow borders, most
trees or specimens without seed
capsules can be identified by local-
ity.
Black cottonwood hybridizes ex-
tensively with balsam poplar where
the ranges meet and overlap
slightly, for example, in the Cook
Inlet and Lynn Canal areas. Hy-
brids or intermediate trees are rec-
ognized by the seed capsules, which
may be 3-parted and hairless or
2-parted and hairy.
Pacific coast of southeastern
Alaska, rare toward southern end
and reported from only a few
islands; commoner from Stikine
River north to head of Lynn Canal
along the Dyea, Chilkat, and Kle-
hini Rivers, Glacier Bay, and Yaku-
tat Bay; west to Prince William
Sound, Cook Inlet, Susitna Valley,
and Kodiak Island. South Ton-
gass, North Tongass, and Chugach
National Forests, Glacier Bay N a-
tional :Monument, Kenai National
:Moose Range, Kodiak National
Wildlife Refuge. Southern Alaska
and southern Yukon Territory
south through British Columbia to
:Montana, Idaho, and California
and in mountains to Utah and Baja
California.
75
Black cottonwood and balsam
poplar have long been regarded as
separate species. The two have
geographic ranges mostly far apart
and grow under somewhat different
climates with different associated
tree species. Recently black poplar
has been united by a few botanists
as a subspecies of balsam poplar,
because of the slight differences and
the intermediate trees where the
ranges meet. However, foresters
treat the two as separate species in
forest management.
17. QUAKING ASPEN
(Populus tremuloides
Michx.)
Other names: American aspen,
trembling .aspen, popple, squaws-
tongue; Populus tremuloides var.
aurea (Tidestr.) Daniels.
Small to medium-sized deciduous
tree commonly 20--40 ft. ( 6-12 m.)
tall, maximum 80ft. (24m.), with
straight trunk 3-12 in. (7.5-30 em.)
in diameter, maximum 18 in. ( 46
em.), and short, irregularly bent
limbs making a narrow domelike
crown. Leaves with slender flat-
tened petioles 1-2.5 in. ( 2,5-6 em.)
long. Leaf blades nearly round,
1-2 in. (2.5-5 em.) long and broad,
short-pointed at apex, rounded at
base, with many small rounded
teeth, hairless, shiny green above,
pale beneath, which tremble in the
slightest breeze, turning bright yel-
low (sometimes reddish) in autumn.
Twigs slender, reddish and slightly
hairy when young, becoming gray,
with raised leaf scars showing 3
dots. Winter buds conic, 14 in.
(6 mm.) long, long-pointed, of
shiny red brown hairless scales, not
resinous o!' .flower buds s~ightly so.
·· Bark whitish or greemsh gray,
smooth, thin, with characteristic ,
curved scars and black knots.
Wood of broad whitish sapwood
and light brown heartwood, fine-
textured, lightweight, soft, and
brittle.
76
Flower clusters (catkins) 1-2112
in. (2.5-6 em.) long, narrow, droop-
ing, with many small flowers Ys in.
(3 mm.) long, each with saucer-
shaped disk and above a brown
hairy lobed scale, male and female
on different trees ( dioecious) . Male
flowers with 6-12 stamens; female
flowers with conic ovary, short
style, and 2 stigmas each 2-lobed.
Seed capsules in catkins 3--4¥2 in.
(7.5-11 em.) long, nearly stalkless,
less than 14 in. (6 mm.) long, conic,
hairless, 2-parted, with many tiny
cottony seeds. Flowering in May
before the leaves, fruit maturing in
May-June.
Quaking aspen is a fast-growing
tree common on south slopes, well-
drained benches, and creek bottoms
throughout the interior of Alaska
to about 3,000 ft. (914 m.) altitude.
It often occurs in dense pure stands,
especially following forest fires.
Aspen frequently propagates by
suckers from roots. Growth will
continue for 80-100 years before the
stands begin to deteriorate. Also
in forests with white spruce and
birch. Rare hybrids with balsam
poplar have been noted.
The wood has not yet been uti-
lized commercially in quantity in
Alaska. Elsewhere it is used for
pulpwood, boxes and crates, and ex-
celsiOr:'
Interior Alaska as far north as
the oouth slopes of Brooks Range
but not as far north or as high in
mountains as white spruce; west-
ward to Koyukuk and Kobuk
Rivers; south on Yukon River to
Holy Cross and on Kuskokwim to
Bethel and to base of Alaska Penin-
sula at Lake Iliamna; south of
Alaska Range in Susitna Valley,
Cook Inlet, Kenai Peninsula, and
Copper River ·areas. Southeast
Alaska only in extreme northern
part near Haines and Skagway at
head of-Lynn Canal. Chugach Na-
tional Forest, Mt. McKinley N a-
tional Park, Kenai National Moose
Range.
Figure 17.-Quaking aspen (Populus
tremuloides), natural size. Winter
twig at right.
The most widely distributed tree
species in North America, ranging
from Alaska east across Canada to
Labrador and Newfoundland, south
in the Northeastern United States
to New Jersey, Virginia, and Mis-
souri, and south in western moun-
tains to Trans-Pecos Texas, Cali-
fornia, and Mexico.
WILLOW (Salix)
Willows are well represented in
Alaska, as in other far northern
lands. In habit they vary from
prostrate or creeping dwarf shrubs
to erect bushes 2-6 ft. ( 0.6-2 m.)
tall and large shrubs or small trees,
usually with many stems. As 8 of
the 33 Alaska species are known to
attain the size and habit of small
trees, willows (Saliw) are the larg-
est genus of trees here. Numerous
77
variations occur, and some species
seem to intergrade or hybridize,
often making identification difficult.
Some botanists distinguish by name
many additional varieties or sub-
species of Alaska willows.
Although field identification is
difficult, especially in winter, the
willows as a group can be distin-
guished by the usually slender or
wiry twigs, the winter buds covered
by a single bud -scale, and by the
bitter quininelike taste of the bark.
The short-stalked leaves generally
are long and narrow, with smooth
or finely toothed edges. The yel-
lowish or greenish male and female
flowers are borne in hairy, narrow
catkins 1-3 in. (2.5-7.5 em.) long,
on separate trees or shrubs in early
spring before or with the leaves.
The fruits in tassellike catkins
are pointed, thin-walled seed cap-
sules about lh in. (6 mm.) long,
which split open in spring and sum-
mer to release the numerous tiny
seeds with tufts of cottony hairs.
Shrubby willows are widely dis-
tributed almost throughout Alaska,
extending beyond the limits of trees
to the Arctic coast, Bering Sea, and
Aleutian Islands. They are the un-
dergrowth of the open spruce-birch
forest of interior Alaska and form
thickets on sandbars and other po-
rous soils along streams. Although
not· suitable for lumber because of
their small size, shrubby willows
provide important summer and win-
ter food for many game animals,
especially moose and ptarmigan.
The great variation in willows
and their tendency to hybridize
make it difficult to construct a com-
pletely workable key. Two keys
are provided. For using the first
key to Alaska willows, it is best to
have material grown under normal
conditions (not sprouts from stumps
of fast-growing roadside shoots)
and to have both mature catkins
and leaves. Because the catkins
often develop before the leaves, it
may be desirable to tag the shrub
and return to it at different times
during the growing season. In ad-
dition; unusual growth forms re-
sulting from differences in site can-
not always be included in the key.
For example, a high-growing shrub
becoming occasionally a low pros-
trate one near its range limits is
included only under the section of
the key for upright tall willows.
The second key, for specimens with-
out catkins, is a vegetative key
based on leaves, twigs, and growth
form.
With considerable field experi-
ence, one can learn to distinguish
many willows. It is best to start
with the more common and distinc-
tive willows, such as Sitka willow
and Scouler willow in southeastern
Alaska, and feltleaf willow, dia-
mondleaf willow, and Bebb willow
in central Alaska. Once the char-
acter1stics of these become familiar,
it is easier to recognize the less com-
mon and less easily identified wil-
lows.
Key to Alaska Willows
A. Low, prostrate shrubs less than 3 ft. (1 m.) tall, usually only a few
inches in height, with branches frequently rooting at nodes (see
also AA for several normally upright shrubs, such as Salim
oraohyoarpa ssp. niphoolada and S. pulohra, which may be
prostrate in the tundra).
B. Ovaries and seed capsules hairy (sometimes with few scattered
hairs in age) .
78
C. Creeping shrubs with long branches rooting at nodes, 4-12 in.
(10-30 em.) high; leaves more than % in. (20 mm.) long;
catkins usually more than 1¥2 in. ( 4 em.) "long.
D. Leaves round, strong net-veined, dark green above and grayish
white below; catkins at ends of long leafless twigs;
female flowers with 2 glands at base of pedicel --------
------------------18. netleaf willow (Salix reticulata)
DD. Leaves ovate or obovate, light green above and below, not
strongly veined; catkins on leafy side twigs; flowers
with only 1 gland at the base of the pedicel.
E. Leaves finely toothed around margin; catkins about 1% in.
( 4 em.) long -----------------------------'-------
----------34. Chamisso willow (Salix chamissonis)
EE. Leaves entire on margin; catkins 1%-3 in. (4-7.5 em.)
long --------------23. arctic willow (Salix arctica)
CC. Matted or creeping shrubs, usually less than 4 in. (10 mm.)
tall; leaves less than % in. ( 2 em.) long; catkins less than
1% in. ( 4 em.) long.
F. Plants densely matted, from central taproot, with abundant
brown skeletonized leaves persistent in mat; leaves green
on both surfaces ---~-------------------------------
----------21. skeletonleaf willow (Salix phlebophylla)
FF. Plants not mat-forming; creeping and rooting at nodes, with
few dead leaves; leaves pale beneath ----------------
------20. polar willow (Salix polaris ssp. pseudopolaris)
BB. Seed capsules hairless, ovaries usually hairless, sometimes with
few scattered hairs.
G. Leaves distinctly toothed on all or part of margin; shrubs
trailing to semi erect, to 3 ft. ( 1 m.).
H. Leaves obovate or oblanceolate, tapering gradually at base,
thick and fleshy' light blue green and shiny on upper
surface; seed capsule stout, light green, fleshy; scales
light green with hairs on margins; on silt and gravel
bars or gravel and sandy beaches --------------------
--------------19. Setchell willow (Salix setchelliana)
HH. Leaves not tapering gradually at base, not thick and fleshy;
seed capsule elongate, not fleshy; bogs and other wet
habitats.
I. Leaves regularly toothed around margin, green on both sur-
faces, net-veined pattern conspicuous on underside; to
3 ft. (1 m.) high --------------------------------
----------29. blueberry willow (Salix myrtillifolia)
II. Leaves with irregular minute glandular teeth around lower
edges; 6-24 in. ( 15-61 em.) tall --------------------
------------24. Alaska bog willow (Salix fusce8cens)
GG. Leaves with entire margins; prostrate or matted shrubs less
than 6 in. ( 15 em.) high.
J. Creeping shrubs with elongate, prostrate branches; leaves
usually more than % in. (2 em.) long; catkins many-
flowered, % in. (2 em.) or longer --------------------
--25. ovalleaf willow (Salix ovalifolia and S. stolonifera)
JJ. Densely matted shrubs usually from central taproot; leaves
less than % in. (2 em.) long, crowded; catkins short,
less than lh in (12 mm.) long, few-flowered (6-12) ___ _
----------------22. least willow (Salix rotundifolia)
79
AA. Erect shrubs or small trees, usually more than 3 ft. ( 1 m.) tall
(or prostrate in exposed sites near range limits) .
K. Pedicels, ovaries, and seed capsules hairless (young ovaries in
some species with few hairs, especially near tip).
80
L. Leaves long and narrow (linear) to 4 in. (10 em.) long and
only ~-% in. (6-10 mm.) wide, usually with scattered
glandular teeth; silt and sandbars of interior Alaska ___ _
--------------------45. sandbar willow (Salim interior)
LL. Leaves much wider in proportion to their length, toothed or
entire.
M. Catkins stalkless (occasionally with a few small leaves in
park willow, S. monticola).
N. Young twigs densely hairy; stipules long, narrow, glandu-
lar margined, persisting on twig several years; leaves
entire or with few teeth --------------------------
36. Richardson willow (Salim lanata ssp. richardsonii)
NN. Young twigs glabrous; stipules broad, shedding; leaves
toothed on margin, reddish when young __________ .:__
. -----------------35. park willow (Salim monticola)
MM. Catkins on leafy twigs.
0. Leaf margins distinctly toothed.
P. Leaves hairless or with scattered hairs near mid vein (or
young developing leaves with dense long hairs) .
Q. Leaves lance-shaped, 4-5 times as long as broad, with
long narrow tip, shiny above; scales of catkin
yellow, soon shedding ------------------------
----------46. Pacific willow (Salim lasiandra)
QQ. Leaves rounded or blunt at tip, not lance-shaped;
scales of catkin not yellow or deciduous.
R. Leaves whitish (glaucous) beneath, ovate to obovate,
toothed or entire on margins, hairless or with
few hairs on veins of upper surface (or both
surfaces with long silky hairs when young);
pedicels short, abo-gj; Ya 2 in. (1 mm.) --------
----------31. Barclay willow (Salim barclayi)
RR. Leaves light green beneath, dark green above, regu-
larly toothed, hair1ess; pedicels lft 6 -Ys in. (1.5-3
mm.) ----~---------------------------------
30. tall blueberry willow (Salim novae-angliae)
PP. Leaves with scattered hairs on both surfaces, even in
age, light green on both surfaces ----------------
--------33. undergreen willow (Salim commutata)
00. Leaf margins entire or with few small teeth near base.
S. Twigs with dense long hairs when young; catkins large
and thick, to %, in. ( 2 em.) in diameter; styles Ys
in. (3 mm.) long, small tree --------------------
------------32. Hooker willow (Salim hookeriana)
SS. Twigs hairless or with scattered hairs, never densely
hairy; catkins usually less than % in. (15 mm.) in
diameter; styles less than lft 6 in. (1.5 mm.) long;
shrub.
T. Leaves hairless or hairy only on midvein.
U. Leaves broadly lance-shaped, completely hairless;
pedicels Ya 2 -7{6 in. (1-1.5 mm.) long; style
7{;4 in. ( 0.5 mm.) long -----------------------
-----------28. halberd willow (Salim hasta~a)
UU. Leaves ovate to obovate, usually hairy on mid vein;
pedicels 7{;4 in. (0.5 mm.) long; style 7{6 in.
( 1.5 mm.) long ----------------------------
--------31. Barclay willow (Salim barclayi)
TT. Leaves hairy and light green on both surfaces _____ _
______ 33. undergreen willow (Salim commutata)
KK. Ovaries hairy (mature seed capsules sometimes with :few hairs
near tip).
V. Pedicels o:f flower and seed capsule lfs-%6 in. (3-5 mm.) long,
conspicuous, exceeding scales --------------------------
----------------------40. Bebb willow (Salim bebbiana)
VV. Pedicels shorter, less than lfs in. (3 mm.) long, not exceeding
scales.
W. Leaves distinctly glandular toothed around margin _______ _
------------44. littletree willow (Salim arbusculoides)
WW. Leaves irregularly or indistinctly toothed or entire.
X. Leaves without hairs on lower sur:face, except occasionally
on midvein, upper sur:face shiny green; stipules long
and narrow, glandular margined, persistent several
' years ---------------------------------------------41. diamondlea:f willow (Salim planifolia ssp. p~tlchra)
XX. Leaves distinctly hairy on lower sur:face, upper sur:face
not shiny green; stipules shedding.
Y. Leaves' hairless above, lower sur:face with dense woolly
hairs ________ 38. :feltlea:f willow (Salim alamensis)
YY. Leaves hairy on both sur:faces, sometimes with scattered
hairs.
Z. Leaves linear or lance-shaped, 5-'7 times longer than
broad; whole plant silvery :from dense woolly
hairs on lower sur:faces o:f leaves and on twigs,
upper sur:face with scattered hairs --------------
--------------39. silver willow (Salim candida)
ZZ. Leaves broader, 3-4 times as long as broad.
a. Lower surface o:f leaves shiny, silky :from straight
appressed silvery hairs ----------------------
----------43. Sitka willow (Salim sitchensis)
aa. Lower sur:face o:f leaves wihout silky sheen.
b. Lower surface o:f leaves with scattered, short, stiff
hairs at least partly red, giving a reddish
hue; catkins without lea:fy stalks, developing
be:fore leaves; pedicels lfs in. (3 mm.) long __
______ 42. Scouler willow (Salim scouleriana)
bb. Lower sur:face o:f leaves densely hairy, with woolly
hairs, never red. Catkins either stalkless on
lea:fy twigs or developing be:fore or with the
leaves; pedicels short or lacking.
c. Leaves densely hairy on both sur:faces, regularly
glandular on margin, st.ipules broad, hair-
less; catkins stalkless, developing be:fore
81
the leaves; bud-scales giving off a waxy
substance when twig is dried or pressed;
low compact shrub with coarse branches __
____ 37. Barratt willow (Salim barrattiana)
cc. Leaves less densely hairy, especially on upper
surface, without glands on margins; cat-
kins on leafy stalks, developing with or
after the leaves; usually upright shrub with
slender branches.
d. Petioles lfs-% in. ( 3-10 mm.) long, yellow;
leaves obovate to oblong, short-pointed to
blunt; catkins cylindrical, densely flow-
ered; pedicel Ya 2 in. (0.5-1 mm.) long __
____ 26. graylea:f willow (Salim glauca)
dd. Petioles shorter, less than lfs in. ( 3 mm.)
long, reddish; leaves strap-shaped, rounded
or blunt; catkins narrowly cylindrical,
loosely flowered ___ 27. barren-ground wil-
low (Salim brachycarpa ssp. niphoclada)
Vegetative Key to Alaska Willows
Because lea:f, twig, and growth
:form characteristics o:f some wil-
lows are extremely variable, a vege-
tative key cannot account :for all
the variability. The key must deal
primarily with the typical speci-
men in a typical location. Perhaps
the :following key will serve :for
three-:fourths o:f the Alaskan willow
specimens. However, many will not
key out or will key to a wrong spe-
cies. Usually, it should be possible
to narrow the choice to 2 or 3 spe-
cies. The species descriptions,
drawings, and maps will then be o:f
aid in :further determination.
A. Low prostrate shrubs less than 12 in. ( 30 em,) high.
B. Creeping shrubs with long prostrate branches, often rooting at
nodes, but with branches ascending :from 4--12 in. (10-30
em.); leaves more than 1 in. (2.5 em.) long.
82
C. Leaves toothed around margin, green on both sur:faces or some-
times lighter green beneath.
D. Leaves bluish green, leathery or fleshy, 3--4 times as long as
wide, tapering gradually to base --------------------
--------------19. Setchell willow (Salim setchelliana)
DD. Leaves not bluish green, oval, not tapering to base, thin.
E. Leaves nearly as wide as long, elliptic, %-2 in. (2-5 em.)
long; branches prostrate --------------------------
------------34. Chamisso willow (Salim chamissonis)
EE. Leaves 2-3 times as long as wide, %-1¥2 in. (1--4 em.)
long, branches ascending -------------------------
------29. low blueberry willow (Salim myrtilli.folia)
CO. Leaves entire or toothed only on basal hal:f, green above, whitish
(glaucous) beneath.
F. Leaves dark green above, conspicuously net-veined, round, with
long red petiole -------------------------------------
----------------18. netleaf willow (Saliw retioulata)
FF. Leaves not conspicuously netveined, more than 2 times as
long as broad, petiole green.
G. Leaves fleshy, 3-4 times as long as wide, tapering to base,
bluish green; on dry gravel sites --------------------
------------19. Setchell willow (Saliw setohelliana)
GG. Leaves not fleshy or bluish green, 2 times as long as broad,
not tapering to base; in bogs or on arctic and alpine
tundra.
H. Trailing shrub with long branches rooting at nodes, leaves
finely glandular toothed on basal half; usually in
boggy sites ~-----------------------------------
--------24. Alaska bog willow (Saliw fusoesoens)
HH. Leaves entire, forming dense mats from short branches;
mostly in dry alpine and arctic sites --------------
----------------23. arctic willow (Saliw arotioa)
BB. Matted or creeping shrubs, usually less than 4 in. (10 em.) tall,
usually in compact mats without long creeping branches;
leaves less than 1 in. (2.5 em.) long, entire.
I. Leaves green on both surfaces.
J. Shrubs densely matted, often from a central taproot; leaves
Jess than % in. (2 em.) long; stems brown to reddish
brown.
K. Shrub mat with abundant dead leaves persistent; leaves
%~% in. (1-2 em.) long --------------------------
--------21. skeletonleaf willow (Saliw phlebophylla)
KK. Shrubs with few or no dead leaves; leaves lfs-% in.
( 4--10 mm.) long ----------------------------------
----------------2. least willow (Saliw rotundifolia)
J J. Shrubs forming loose mats, usually with long trailing buried
branches; stems pale yellow, thin; leaves to 1 in. (2.5
em.) long, usually smaller --------------------------
----20. polar willow (Saliw polaris ssp. pseudopolaris)
II. Leaves green above, whitish (glaucous) beneath --------------
----25. ovalleaf willow (Saliw ovalifolia and S. stolonifera)
AA. Erect shrubs or trees, more than 1 ft. ( 30 em.) high.
L. Upright shrubs usually less than 3 ft. (1 m.) high.
M. Leaves with hairs on lower surface, gray or silvery.
N. Leaves linear to lanceolate, 5-7 times longer than broad, with
dense woolly hairs beneath; rare shrub of interior bogs
--------------------39. silver willow (Saliw candida)
NN. Leaves broader, not densely woolly beneath.
0. Leaves with dense straight hairs, often oriented in vertical
plane; petioles green, yellow, or brown; low compact
shrub with thick branches; bud scales giving off yellow
waxy substance when plant is dried ----------------
--------------37. Barratt willow (Saliw barrattiana)
00. Leaves with scattered hairs; petioles reddish; upright
shrub with slender branches; buds not giving off waxy
substance ------------------------------27. barren-
ground willow (Saliw braohyoarpa ssp. niphoolada)
83
MM. Leaves without conspicuous hairs.
P. Leaves. fleshy, bluish green, 3-4 times as long as broad, taper-
ing gradually to base --------------------------------
--------------19. Setchell willow (Saliw setohelliana)
PP. Leaves thin, green, oval.
Q. Stipules, if present, persisting less than 1 year.
R. Leaves toothed around margin, lower surface light green,
not whitish (glaucous) --------------------------
----29. low blueberry willow (Saliw myrtillifolia)
RR. Leaves toothed only on basal half with fine glandular
teeth, lower surface whitish (glaucous) _________ _
________ 24. Alaska bog willow (Saliw fusoesoens)
QQ. Stipules persistent several years.
S. Stipules broad at base and glandular toothed along mar-
gins; twigs coarse, brown to black, with dense hairs
persistent several years ----------------36. Rich-
ardson willow (Saliw lanata ssp. riohardsonii)
SS. Stipules linear, narrow at base, without glandular
teeth; twigs fine, usually reddish brown and shiny,
without dense hairs after 1 year __________ 41. dia-
mondleaf willow (Saliw planifolia ssp. pulohra)
LL. Tall shrubs or trees 3-25 ft. (1-'7.5 m.) or more in height.
T. Leaves linear, 1%-4in. (4-10 em.) long, and 14 in. (6 mm.) wide,
with scattered small teeth; usually growing on river
alluvium ------------45. sandbar willow (Saliw interior)
TT. Leaves broader.
84
U. Adult leaves with hairs on lower surface.
V. Lower surface of leaves with dense hairs, appearing silvery,
white, or gray.
W. Lower surface of leaves with dense white woolly hairs.
X. Leaves long and narrow, lance-shaped, 2-4 in. (5-10
em.) long and only 14-% in. (6-15 mm.) wide;
low shrubs seldom exceeding 4 ft. (1.2 m.) in
height; rare in boggy sites in interior Alaska ___ _
--------------39. silYery willow (Saliw candida)
XX. Leaves broader, 2-4 in. (5-10 em.) long, and %-1%
in. ( 12-40 mm.) wige; tall shrub or tree to 30 ft.
(9 m.), common in many sites over most of Alaska
------------38. feltleaf willow (Saliw alawensi8)
WW. Lower surface of leaves with dense straight hairs.
Y. Lower surface silky hairy, upper surface green, with
scattered hairs; tall shrub or tree to 20 ft. ( 6 m.)
high ______ 43. Sitka willow (Saliw 8itohen8is)
YY. Lower surface dull gray hairy, upper surface greenish
gray, without hairs; shrub usually less than 10
ft. (3 m.) high ------------------------------
______________ 26. grayleaf willow (Saliw glauoa)
VV. Lower surface of leaves visible through less dense hairs.
Z. Margins of leaves distinctly toothed.
a. Leaves light green on both surfaces, not shiny, oval,
about 2 times as long as broad; shrub 3-6ft. (1-2
m.) high -------------------------------------
------33. undergreen willow (Saliw oommutata)
aa. Leaves dark green and shiny above, whitish (glaucous)
beneath, 3-4 times as long as broad; shrub 10-
15 ft. (3-4.5 m.) tall, with slender branches ___ _
______ 44. littletree willow (Salix arbusculoides)
ZZ. Margins of leaves not toothed or with a few teeth on
basal half.
b. Hairs on lower surface short and stiff, at least some
red, giving a reddish hue ----------------------
---------42. Scouler willow (Salix scouleriana)
bb. Hairs denser, longer; not reddish.
c. Tall shrubs or trees 10-25 ft. (3-7.5 m.) tall; twigs
diverging at nearly right angles from the main
stem _______ 40. Bebb willow (Salix bebbiana)
cc. Medium shrubs, usually under 10 ft. (3 m.) high;
twigs usually branching at 45 ° angle or less.
d. Petioles lfs-% in. (3-10 mm.) long, yellow, leaves
obovate to oblong, acute to obtuse ----------
----------26. grayleaf willow (Salix glauca)
dd. Petioles less than lj8 in. ( 3 mm.) long, reddish,
leaves strap-shaped, rounded or blunt ------
-------------------------27. barren-ground
willow (Salix brachycarpa ssp. niphoclada)
UU. Adult leaves without hairs on lower surface.
e. Stipules persistent on the twigs several years.
f. Stipules broad at the base and glandular toothed along
margins; twigs coarse, brown to black, densely hairy,
even after several years ----------------------36.
Richardson willow (Salix lanata ssp. richardsonii)
ff. Stipules linear, narrow at base, without glandular teeth;
twigs, fine, usually reddish brown, shiny, without
dense hairs at 1 year --------------------------
41. diamondleaf willow (Salix planifolia ssp. pulchra)
ee. Stipules not persisting more than 1 year.
g. Leaves with teeth around margin.
h. Leaves 3-4 times as long as broad; tall shrubs or trees.
i. Leaves large, 3-4 in. (7.5-10 em.) long, lance-shaped,
with long tapering tip; young twigs woolly __ _
__________ 46. Pacific willow (Salix lasiandra)
ii. Leaves smaller, 2-3 in. (5-8 em.) long, not lance-
shaped, shortpointed; young twigs not woolly_-
____ 44. littletree willow (Salix arbusculoides)
hh. Leaves less than 3 times as long as broad.
j. Leaves whitish (glaucous) beneath.
k. Leaves broadly lance-shaped to oval, usually nar-
rowing to small projection at tip (apiculate),
often reddish when young; well drained
alluvial soils and upland forests __________ _
__________ 35. park willow (Salix monticola)
kk. Leaves ovate, blunt at tip; not reddish when
young; moist habitats in open and forested
areas and near treeline --------------------
-------31. Barclay willow (Salix barclayi)
jj. Leaves light green, not whitish (glaucous) beneath __ _
30. tall blueberry willow (Salix novae-angliae)
85
gg. Leaves entire or with teeth only on lower part.
1. Tall shrubs or trees, 10-25 ft. (3-7.5 m.) tall.
m. Leaves large at maturity, to 3 in .. (7.5 em.) long,
obovate; in Yakutat Bay area----------------
--------32. Hooker willow (Saliw hookeriana)
mm. Leaves smaller, 1~-2~ in. (4-6 em.) long, duil
grayish green above, elliptic to ovate; widely
distributed in most of Alaska except southeast
----------40. Bebb willow (Saliw bebbiana)
ll. Smaller shrubs, to 10 ft. (3m.) tall, occasionally taller.
n. Leaves strap-shaped, grayish; petioles reddish, stip-
ules absent ----------------27. barren-ground
willow (Saliw braahyaarpa ssp. niphoalada)
nn. Leaves oval, green, petioles green or yellow, stipules
usually present.
o. Upper leaf surface light green, not shiny; typically
on river alluvium, interior and northern
Alaska __ 28. halberd willow (Saliw hastata)
oo. Upper leaf surface dark green, usually shiny;
typically in moist sites, open and forested
areas in coastal Alaska -------~-----------
-------31. Barclay willow (Saliw baralayi)
18. NETLEAF WILLOW
(Salix reticulata L.)
Other names : thickleaf willow,
reticulate willow.
Prostrate creeping shrub, rooting
along branches and ascending only
a few inches; not a dense mat for-
mer. Leaves nearly round to oval,
to 1 ~ in. ( 4 em;) long, thick and
leathery, prominently net-veined on
both surfaces but more conspicu-
ously beneath; margins entire, up-
per surface green and roughened,
lower surface whitish (glaucous)
with scattered hairs along veins,
petioles slender, red, *-% in. (6-
20 mm.) long. Twigs coarse, pur-
plish when young, becoming red-
dish brown with age.
Catkins erect, long and slender,
to 2 in. (5 em.) long, on long leaf-
less stalks; scales rounded, with
long hairs on inner surface and
nearly hairless on outer. Seed cap·
sules stout, reddish, with short
white hairs. Flowering in June,
seeds dispersing July to August.
86
Netleaf willow is easily recog-
nized by its thick round leaves with
the net-veined pattern and by its
long slender reddish catkins. It is
common in a wide variety of vege-
tation types throughout most of
Alaska, although it IS more common
in tundra than in forests. It grows
on both dry and wet sites in the
arctic and alpine tundra. In the
boreal -forest, it is most common
around the edges of bogs and on
hummocks within the bogs, but it
sometimes grows in open stands of
black and white spruce, usually
near timberline.
From Juneau area in southeast
northward across the State. To
5.000 ft. (1,524 m.) altitude on
rocky cliffs or nunataks of Juneau
Ice Field. On the Aleutians there
is a gap in the range between Car-
lisle Island and Attu Island. North
Tongass and Chugach National
Forests, Glacier Bay and Katmai
National Monuments, Mt. McKin-
ley National Park, Kenai National
Moose Range, Aleutian Islands N a-
tional Wildlife Refuge, Arctic N a-
Figure 18.-Netlea£ willow (Salix retic-
ulata), natural size. Male catkin at
left; seed capsules at right.
tional Wildlife Range. Eastward
across northern Canada to New-
foundland, south to Great Slave
Lake and northern Hudson Bay.
19. SETCHELL WILLOW
(Salix setchelliana Ball)
A semi-prostrate loose shrub with
branches sometimes ascending to
12 in. ( 30 em.). Leaves obovate or
oblanceolate, 1-2% in. (2.5-6 em.)
long,%-% in. (1-2 em.) wide, thick
and fleshy, tapering to a petiole
Ys-14 in. (3-6 mm.) long, rounded
at tip, margins entire or Irregularly
glandular-toothed. Upper surface
greenish blue and shiny, lower sur-
face pale green to whitish (glau-·
·cous), with long silky hairs when
young but becoming hairless. Twigs
waxy, with dense long hairs when
young but becoming smooth and
gray, coarse.
Catkins thick and fleshy, %,-114
in. (2-3 em.) long and % in. (12
mm.) thick; scales large and con-
spicuous greenish yellow, with hairs
on margins. Seed capsules thick
and large, to% in. (10 mm.) long,
greenish yellow, turning brown
with age.
Setchell willow is unique in
Alaska because of its thick fleshy
leaves and catkins. It does not
seem to be closely related to any
other willow. In habitat it is also
87
Figure 19.-Setchell willow (Salix set-
chelliana), natural size. Female cat-
kin at upper left; seed capsules at
right.
unusual, being nearly totally re-
stricted to the gravel outwash of the
glacial rivers of the Alaska Range
and adjacent mountain ranges.
Gravel bars of the rivers of north
slope of Alaska Range as far west
as Tonzona River and south, to
Matanuska River in Cook Inlet re-
gion. An isolated collection on ter-
races of Alsek River near Yakutat.
North Tongass National Forest,
Mt. McKinley National Park. Also
in southwestern Yukon Territory,
Canada, on silt and gravel outwash
of the Donjek and Alsek Rivers and
beaches of Lake Kluane.
Named for William Albert Set-
chell ( 1864-1943), California bota-
nist who made a collection of
Alaska willows.
20. POLAR WILLOW
(Salix polaris W ahlenb. ssp.
pseudo polaris (Flod.) Hult.)
Other names: Salix pseudopo-
laris Flod., S. polaris var. selwynen-
si8 Raup.
A small prostrate shrub forming
loose to sometimes dense mats, 1-2
in. tall ( 2.5-5 em.) , with branches
often buried in moss or soil. Leaves
oval to rounded, ~-~ in. (6~20
88
mm.) long and % as wide, on short
petioles; bright green on both sur-
faces to slightly paler beneath, mar-
gins entire, sparsely hairy beneath
when young but becoming hairless
with age. Twigs slender, rooted at
nodeS, often buried, smooth and
reddish.
Gttkins erect on leafy stalk ~-
1lh in. (2-4 em.) long, developing
with the leaves; scales broad and
rounded at tip, brown to black and
slightly lighter at base, with dense
long hairs. Seed capsule broad,
flask-shaped, ~ in. (6 mm.) long,
on short stalks, reddish-purple,
densely hairy when young but be-
coming nearly hairless with some
hairs remaining near tip.
Polar willow is common to
abundant in the arctic and alpine
tundra of central and western
Alaska. It forms loose mats in
snow beds and along small streams
where it is often imbedded in the
moss and sedge mats. It charac-
teristically forms a much looser mat
than least willow and skeletonleaf
willow and is usually found in
wetter sites.
In alpine and arctic tundra of
most of central, northern, and west-
ern Alaska but lacking along the
southern coast except for one loca-
tion at Atka Island in the central
Aleutians. To 5,400 ft. (1,646 m.)
altitude on rocky cliffs of Juneau
Ice Field. Mt. McKinley National
Park, Aleutian Island National
Wildlife Refuge, Arctic National
Wildlife Range. West along the
Arctic coast to Banks and Victoria
Islands, and south in the Rocky
Mountains to the Peace River in
northern British Columbia. The
typical subspecies in northern Eur-
ope and Asm.
Figure 20.-Polar willow (Salix po-
laris), natural size. Seed capsules at
left; female catkin at right.
21. SKELETONLEAF
WILLOW
(Salix phlebo phylla Anderss.)
A tiny densely matted prostrate
shrub lh-1% in. (1-4 em.) tall,
usually with a thick central tap-
root. Leaves oblanceolate to obo-
vate, %6 -% in. ( 8-20 mm.) long
and %6 -% in. (5-10 mm.) wide,
entire on edges, shiny green on both
surfaces, with scattered hairs when
young but becoming hairless with
age. Veins 3-5 pairs from midrib
and rather prominent beneath.
New leaves crowded near tips of
twigs, old leaves persisting at base
one or more years, brown and par-
tially skeletonized. Twigs radiat-
ing from central taproot, much
branched and rooting sparingly.
Catkins erect, lh-1 in. ( 12--25
mm.) long, on short leafy shoots,
developing with the leaves; scales
broad, blunt, and black at tip, dark
red at base, with long silky hairs.
Seed capsules% in. (6 mm.) long,
89
on short stalk, densely silvery hairy
when young but becoming nearly
hairless at maturity.
Skeletonleaf willow is common
on dry usually exposed sites in the
arctic and alpine tundra. It forms
small dense mats along with a large
number of mat-forming plants, es-
pecially mountain-avens. Closely
related to least willow (Saliw ro-
tundifolia) but differs in having
large, slightly hairy capsules, abun-
dant skeletonized leaves, and 3-5
pairs of veins on leaves instead of
2-3 pairs in least willow. As nu-
merous specimens are intermediate,
possibly th~ two should be combined
m one species.
Most of the mountains and arctic
tundra of central and western
Alaska. Mt. McKinley National
Park, Katmai National Monument,
Arctic National Wildlife Range,
Aleutian Islands National Wildlife
Refuge. West to the Mackenzie
Mountains, and in eastern Asia.
90
Figure 21.-Skeletonleaf willow (Salix
phlebophylla), natural size. Female
catkin at left; seed capsules at right.
22. LEAST WILLOW
(Salix rotundifolia Trautv.)
Includes Saliw rotundifolia ssp.
dodgeana Argus.
A densely matted prostrate shrub,
usually from a central taproot,
forming mats about 1 in. (2.5 em.)
high. L~aves ovate, less than ¥2 in.
(12 mm.) long, and% to% as wide,
entire, shiny green on both surfaces,
2-3 pairs of veins prominent be-
neath ;__some dry leaves persistent
about 1 year. Twigs radiating
from. a central taproot, slender,
muci! branched, and rooting at
nodes.
Catkins short and few-flowered,
¥2 in. (12 mm.) long, with 6-10
flowers; scales dark brown to 'black,
thinly hairy. Seed capsules hair-
less, to :14 in. ( 6 mm.) long.
Least willow is found in the arc-
tic and alpine tundra in a variety
of vegetation types from dry scree
to wet snow bed slopes. For differ-
ences between this willow and the
closely related skeletonleaf willow
( Saliw phleobophylla), see the lat-
ter.
Arctic and alpine tundra of cen-
tral and western Alaska, but not in
southeast Alaska. Along the south-
ern coast from the Aleutians to
Prince William Sound. Chugach
National Forest, Mt. McKinley Na-
tional Park, Katmai National
Monument, Kenai National Moose
Range, Aleutian Island National
Wildlife Refuge, Arctic National
Wildlife Range. In North Amer-
ica only in Alaska and adjacent
Canada. Eastern Asia.
23. ARCfiC WILLOW
(Salix arctica Pall.)
Other names: Salix torulosa
Trautv., S. crassijulis Trautv., S.
angolorum Cham.
A trailing low shrub frequently
forming dense mats to 8-10 in. (20-
25.5 em.) high, coinmonly lower.
Leaves variable in shape but gen-
erally obovate to elliptic %.-3 in.
(2-7.5 em.) long and %-1% in.
(1-3 em.) wide, blunt or short-
pointed at tip. Upper surface dark
green and often shiny, under sur-
face pale green, margins entire.
Petiole %6 -% in. ( 5-15 mm.) long.
Figure 22.-Least willow (Salix rotun-
difolia), natural size.
Twigs reddish, coarse, and much
branched, rooting at nodes.
Catkins relatively large, to 4 in.
(10 em.) long and% in. (15 mm.)
thick, erect on stalks that may be
leafless or with 2 or 3 leaves; scales
brown to black with long silky
hairs. Seed capsules broad, %6 in.
(8 mm.) long, with scattered hairs,
reddish to pale brown. Flowering
in June and July, fruits ripening
in July and August.
Arctic willow is extremely vari-
able in growth form and in the size
and the shape of the leaves. It has
been subdivided into several spe-
cies, which by some botanists have
been treated as subspecies and varie-
ties.
In the ~trctic and alpine tundra
it may occur as a loose trailing
shrub or compact low mats. It is
found in both dry and wet sites and
in protected and exposed situations.
In southeast Alaska although pri-
marily-1n the alpine tundra, it may
occur at sea level on glacial out-
wash and moraines.
Through the tundra and moun-
tainous areas of Alaska. South
Tongass, North Tongass, and Chu-
gach National Forests, Mt. McKin-
ley National Park, Glacier Bay
and Katmai National Monuments,
Kenai National Moose Range, Aleu-
tian Islands National Wildlife
Refuge, Arctic National Wildlife
Range. East across northern Can-
ada, south in the mountains to Que-
bec and California. Northern Eu-
rope and Asia.
91
The closely related eastern arctic
willow (Salix arctophila Cock.) of
eastern Canada has been collected
in several locations in the eastern
Brooks Range including J ago Lake
and along Firth River. It resem-
bles arctic willow (S. arotioa) in
appearance but has darker, more
shiny upper leaf surfaces.
92
Figure 23.-Arctic willow (Salix ··arc-
tica), natural size. Female catkin at
left; seed capsules at right. .
Ano.ther closely related species:
wedgeleaf willow (Salix spheno-
phyllp A. Skvortz.), of northeast-
ern Asia, has been reported from
Seward Peninsula and the extreme
northeast corner of Alaska. ·
24. ALASKA BOG WILLOW
(Salix fuscescens Anderss.)
Other name: S alir;e arbuti folia
Pall.
Trailing shrubs only4-12 in. (10:...
30 em.) high. Leaves typically
obovate and rounded at tip, occa-
sionally elliptic and pointed, %::-
11;2 in. (1--4 em.) long, margins en-
tire or toothed near base, upper sur-
face-·Shiny dark green, l<~wer sur-
face whitish .. (glaucous)._ Petioles
Ys-:14 in. ( 3-6 mm.) long. Twigs
dark brown and smooth when
young, .becoming lighter with age.
Catkins %.:...1% in. (2-4 em.) .
long, on leafy shoots developing
with leaves, loose-flowered, ·dark
purple; scales hairy, dark colored
toward the. tip .. Seed capsules long
and thin,·on stalk 7{6 J/s in. (1.5-3
mm.) long, dark purple and with
scattered hairs when young but be-
coming brown and hairless with
age. Flowering. in June, fruits
ripening in July.
Figure 24.-Alaska bog willow (Salix
fuscescelUI), natural size. Female
catkin at upper left; seed capsules at
right •
•
Alaska bog willow occurs com-
monly in wet tundra and small bogs
beyond treeline and in open black
spruce and bogs throughout most
of the Alaskan boreal forest. On
the southern coast of Alaska at Ko-
diak Island, the Alaska Peninsula,
and the Cook Inlet regio:n, one col-
lection from Chichagof Island in ·
southeastern Alaska; northward to
Arctic Ocean at Pt. Barrow, East-
ward to Alaska-Yukon border in
upper Tanana and Yukon River
valleys and on north slope of Brooks ·
Range. North Tongass and Chu-
gach National Forests, Mt. McKin-
ley National Park, Katmai National
Monument, Kenai National Moose
Range, Arctic National Wildlife
Range. Eastward in a narrow band
across northern Canada to .Hudson
Bay. Throughout northern Siberia.
93
25. OV ALLEAF WILLOW
(Salix ovalifolia Trautv. and
Salix stolonifera Cov.)
Other names : sprouting willow,
Salim arctolitoralis Hult., S. fiagel-
laris Hult., S. cyclophylla Rydb.,
S. ovalifolia var. arctolitoralis Ar-
gus, S. ovalifolia var. glacialis Ar-
gus, S. ovalifolia var. cyclophylla
(Rydb.) Ball.
Ovalleaf willow includes two
closely related prostrate creeping
willows of coastal Alaska, distin-
guished with difficulty. It has been
94
Figure 25.-0valleaf willow (Salix ovali-
/olia), natural size. Female catkin
at top; seed capsules at left; male cat-
kin at right.
suggested that they probably repre-
sent variation within one species.
Leaves elliptic to round, %-1 iri.
(1-2.5 em.) long and lh-% as wide,
on slender petioles, upper surface ·
green, lower surface pale green to
whitish (glaucous), margins entire, .
Twigs slender, orange to dark red-
dish biown, creeping and rooting
at nodes. ·
Catkins %, -1lh in. ( 2--4 em.)
em.) long, on leafy shoots with
scattered hairs when young, soon
becoming hairless; scales reddish ·
'brown, hairy. Seed capsule smooth
and greenish, whitish (glaucous) or
reddish purple, becoming brown
with age. ·
Willows of the ovalleaf group
occur primarily in tundra along the
Arctic and western coast and in al-
pine tundra in southeastern Alaska.
In the Arctic they occur most com-
monly along beaches and in saline ..
meadows and more rarely in wet
sites along rivers on inland sites,
although never far from the sea.
Figure 25.l.:......,Sprouting willow (Salix stoloni/era), natural size. Male catkins at
top; female catkin at lower left; seed capsules at lower right.
In southeastern Alaska they grow
primarily in wet sites in the alpine
tundra. .
Range of ovalleaf willow, Salix
ovalifolia, north coast of Alaska
southward to the Aleutians and
westward to Attu Island and all
islands off the west coast of Alaska.
Range of sprouting willow, Saliw
stolonifera, southern Alaska from
Prince of Wales Island westward
to Aleutian Islands. To 5,600 ft.
(1,707 m.) altitude on rocky cliffs
of Juneau Ice Field. Both species,
South Tongass and North Tongass
National Forests, Glacier Bay N a-
tional Monument, Aleutian Islands
National . Wildlife Refuge, Arctic
National Wildlife Range. Known
only from Alaska and adjacent
Canada.
26. GRAYLEAF WILLOW
(Salix glauca L.)
Other names: Saliw cordi folia
Pursh, S. desertorum Richards.,
S. glauoa ssp. aoutifolia (Hook.)
Hult., ssp. oallioarpaea (Trautv.)
Bocher, ssp. desertorum (Richards.)
Anderss., ssp. glabresoens (An-
derss.) Hult.
An erect to spreading shrub with
a dull gray appearance, commonly
3-4 ft. ( 1-1.2 m.) tall but in ex-
posed sites may be depressed and in
favorable sites may become a small
tree to 20 ft. ( 6 m.) high and 5 in.
(12.5 em.) in trunk diameter.
Leaves variable in size, shape, and
hairiness, oval to lanceolate, 1lh-
3lf2 in. ( 4-9 em.) long and %-1¥2
95
Figure 26.--Grayleaf willow (Salix glau-
ca), natural size. Female catkin at
upper left; male catkins at lower left;
seed capsules at right.
in. (1-4 em.) wide, short-pointed to
rounded at tip, margins usually en-
tire but occasionally with small
glandular teeth on the lower part.
Upper surface green, densely hairy
to nearly hairless; lower surface
whitish (glaucous) with scattered
hairs. Petiole Ys-% in. (3-10 mm.)
long. Stipules minute, glandular
margined, Ys 2 -%6 in. (1-8 mm.)
long. Twigs reddish brown to
96
Figure 27.-Barren·ground willow (Sal·
ix brachycarpa ssp. niphoclada), nat·
ural size. Seed capsules at left·
· female catkin at right. · '
grayish, hairy or hairless, with
dense white hairs when young.
Winter buds reddish brown with
scatter:ed hairs. Bark gray, smooth,
becommg rough and furrowed.
Catkins %-2 in. (2-5 em.) long,
on leafy shoots, usually several
inches back from end of branches
develop~ng with the leaves, persist-
ent durmg most of the summer and
often after leaves have fallen·
scales light brown to yellow'
rounded on tip, hairy on both sur~
faces. Seed capsule ha:iry, gray
when young and turnmg hght
brown with age; on short stalk
Ys2-Y16. in: (1~1.5 rom.) long.
Flowermg m June, fruits ripe in
• Tuly and August.
Grayleaf willow is common after
fi_re and as a pioneer species along
rivers and roads and on glacial out-
wash, mine tailings, and abandoned
fields in interior Alaska in thickets
with other willows: It' also occurs
as an individual open shrub in most
forest types in the boreal forest.
In the J\rctic and western parts of
Alaska, It grows on the floodplain
and cutbanks of rivers as well as
protected sites in tund~a habitats.
Because it is such a common species
and seldom grows too tall to be
reached by moose, it is an important
browse species.
Throughout Alaska except Aleu-
tian Islands and southeast coast. In
southeast Alaska it occurs only at
Glacier Bay, the Haines-Skagway
area and mountains above Juneau
to 5,000 ft. (1,524 m.) altitude.
~ orth Tongass and Chugach N a-
honal Forests, Glacier Bay and
Kat~ai N ation.al Monuments, Mt.
Mc~mley N at10nal Park, Kenai
N abonal Moose Range, Arctic N a-
tiona! Wildlife Range. East across
North America to Labrador and
Newfoundland, south to southern
British polumbia, and in the Rocky
Moun tams to northern New Mexico.
Northern Europe and Asia.
Though generally shrubby, gray-
leaf willow in Alaska reaches the
size of small, clump-forming trees .
This species is added here to the
l~st of Ala~ka trees, the eighth na-
tive tree willow.
The closely related species Atha-
hasca willow (Salix athabascensis
Raup) has been collected in two lo-
cations in the upper Tanana River
valley.
27. BARREN-GROUND
WILLOW
(Salix brachycarpa Nutt. ssp.
niphoclada (Rydh.) Argus)
Other names: Salix niphoclada
Rydb., S. brachycarpa var. mexiae
Ball, S. muriei Hult., S. niphoclada
97
var. muriei (Hult.) Raup, S. glauoa
ssp. niphoolada (Rydb.) Wiggins.
A low shrub with gray appear-
ance, prostrate to erect, usually 1-3
ft. (3-10 dm.) tall but occasionally
to 6ft. (2m.) in lowland and pro-
tected sites. Leaves variable, obo-
vate to lanceolate, short-pointed, 1-
1¥2 in. (25-40 mm.) long, %6 -% in.
(5-10 mm.) wide, upper surface
green, thinly hairy, lower surface
whitish (glaucous), more thickly
hairy. Petioles %2 -Ys in. (1-3
mm.) long, reddish to yellow.
Stipules glandular along edge, 7{6 -
Ys in. ( 1.5-3 mm.) long. Twigs
thin, reddish brown to yellowish
brown, densely hairy when young,
becoming hairless. Winter buds
reddish brown, hairy.
Catkins l-2¥2 in. (25-60 mm.)
long, on ends of leafy twigs, nar-
rowly cylindrical, appearing gray
from the dense hairs on flowers and
scales; scales yellowish to dark
brown, rounded, hairy on both sur-
faces, Catkins developing with the
leaves, catkins persisting through-
out the summer and often through
the following winter. Seed capsule
grayish green when young but be-
coming brown with age, thinly
hairy on short stalk ¥:3 2 in. (1 mm.)
long. Flowering in June and July,
seeds dispersed in July and August.
Barren ground willow is most
common in arctic and alpine areas
as a low shrub on talus slopes, in
upland mountain-avens (Dryas)
tundra, and in moist meadows and
along stream margins. It occurs as
a taller shrub, usually with other
willows in the boreal forest as a
pioneer on well drained alluvium
and glacial outwash and moraine.
Through central and northern
Alaska but not found in the Yukon-
Kuskokwim delta, the extreme west-
ern part of the Alaska Peninsula,
Aleutian Islands, or southeast
Alaska. Chugach National Forest,
Mt. McKinley National Park, Kat-
mai National Monument, Kenai N a-
tiona! Moose Range, Arctic Na-
98
tional Wildlife Range. Eastward
to the Mackenzie River and Hudson
Bay, and southward to northern
British Columbia.
28. HALBERD WILLOW
(Salix hastata L.)
Other names: Farr willow, Salix
walpolei (Cov. & Ball) Ball, S.
farrae Ball var. walpolei Cov. &
Ball, S. hastata var. farrae (Ball)
Hult.
A much branched spreading
shrub 3-6 ft. ( 1-2 m.) high. Leaves
elliptic, lanceolate to oblanceolate,
1-2 in. (2.5-5 em.) long and about
% as wide, short-pointed, hairless,
edges entire or with shallow teeth,
upper surface yellow green to green,
lower surface whitish (glaucous).
Petiole slender, ¥1_6 -%6 in. (1.5-8
mm.) long. Twigs reddish brown
to brown, shiny, with dense white
hairs when young.
Catkins %-1¥2 in. (2-4 em.) long,
on leafy stalks, usually scattered
along twig 2-4 in. (5-10 em.) from
end, with the leaves; scales yellow
at base and brown at apex, hairless
or thinly hairy. Seed capsules lfs-
:J,i in. ( 3-6 mm.) long on short
stalks, light brown to reddish brown
when mature; flowering in late
June, ~eeds dispersed during late
.July and early August.
Halberd willow occurs occasion-
ally in the boreal forest of interior
Alaska, primarily in willow thickets
along small streams, but also as a
pioneer species on river sandbars
and on glacial moraines. It also
occurs occasionally in alpine sedge
bogs but does not seem to be abun-
dant anywhere. From north slope
of Brooks Range at Umiat south to
Alaska Range and Matanuska Val-
ley and eastward to MacKenzie
Mountains. Chugach National For-
est, Mt. McKinley National Park,
Arctic National Wildlife Range.
In isolated areas in central Canada
as far east as Hudson Bay and in
the mountains as far south as west-
ern Wyoming. Across northern
Europe and Asia and south in the
mountains of both continents.
29. LOW BLUEBERRY
WILLOW
(Salix myrtillifolia Anderss.)
Low shrubs usually 8-24 in. (20-
61 em.) tall, much branched and
often prostrate. Leaves elliptic,
ovate, to obovate, %-17'2 in. (2-4
em.) long and %-% in. ( 1-2 em.)
wide, blunt or short-pointed at tip,
margins toothed, upper surface
dark green and shiny, lower surface
slightly lighter, conspicuously net-
vemed. Petioles short, stipules
small and inconspicuous and soon
shedding. Twigs brown to gray,
hairless, finely hairy when young.
Catkins usually %-114 in. (2-3
em.) long hut occasionally to 2 in.
Figure 28.-Halberd willow (Salix has-
tata), natural size. Male catkin at
upper left; seed capsules at right.
99
Figure 29.-Low blueberry willow (Sa-
lis myrtillifolia), natural size. Seed
capsules at left; male catkins at right.
(5 em.) long on leafy stalks ap-
pearing after the leaves have
started to develop; scales brown to
gray with long gray hairs. Seed
capsules green to brown, hairless,
~ -%6 in. ( 6-8 mm.) long on stalks
¥!6-Ys in. (1.5-3 mm.) long.
Occasional in black spruce stands
and bogs in the interior of Alaska.
Locally abundant as a successional
species following burning of low-
lying black spruce stands. It also
occurs occasionally in bogs below
and just above treeline. From
100
Umiat on north slope of Brooks
Range southward in interior Alaska
to upper Kuskokwim River, Mata-
nuska Valley, and Copper River.
Mt. McKinley National Park.
Eastward to southern Hudson Bay
and Labrador, south to St. Law-
rence River and southern British
Columbia.
30. TALL BLUEBERRY
WILLOW
(Salix novae-angliae Anderss.)
Other names : Salix pseudo cor-
data Anderss., S. myrtillifolia An-
derss. var. pseudo-myrsinites (An-
derss.) Ball, S. pseudo-myrsinites
Anderss.
A tall erect shrub usually 6-8 ft.
(2-2.5 m.) tall, occasionally to 20
ft. ( 6 m.) and treelike. Leaves
elliptic to obovate, 1-3 in. (2.5-'7.5
Figure 30.-Tall blueberry willow (Sa-
lix novae-angliae), natural size. Seed
capsules at upper left; male catkin at
lower left; female catkin at lower
right.
em.) long and about Ya as wide,
blunt to short-pointed at tip; mar-
gins with teeth often glandular
tipped, upper surface dark green,
lower surface lighter but not whit-
ish (glaucous), prominently net-
veined, with long silky hairs when
young, soon becoming hairless.
Petioles Yt 6 -~ in. (1.5-6 rom.)
long. Stipules variable, small and
inconspicuous to o/J_6 in. (5 rom.),
broad, and glandular toothed.
Twigs brown, usually straight,
coarse, with dense white silky hairs
when young.
Catkins %-2% in. ( 2-6 em.)
long on leafy stalks, appearing
after the leaves have started to
develop; scales short, brown, with
long gray hairs. Seed capsule
green to brown, hairless ~-%6 in.
( 6-8 rom.) long on stalks Yt 6 -Ys
in. ( 1.5-3 rom.) long. Flowering
101
in early to mid-June, seeds matur-
ing in late June to mid-July, cat-
kins £ailing in late July.
This is a common willow on the
silt and sandbars o£ the Tanana and
Yukon Rivers, where it occurs as a
pioneer with other willows. It is
also common in willow thickets
along small streams and roadsides.
Closely related to blueberry willow
and often included as a subspecies.
However, the two appear to be quite
distinct in ecology, size, and growth
£orm.
Central Alaska £rom Yukon
River southward to Copper River
basin. Mt. McKinley National
Park. East to British Columbia
and southward in mountains to
northern California and southern
Utah.
31. BARCLAY WILLOW
(Salix barclayi Anderss.}
Spreading, much branched shrubs
tending to £orm dense thickets 3-6
ft. (1-2m.) high, sometimes to 10-
20 £t. ( 3-6 m.) and treelike, vari-
able in growth £orm, lea£ structure,
color, and habitat. Leaves broadly
elliptic to obovate, %-3 in. (2-7.5
em.) long and %-1% in. (1-3 em.)
wide, short-pointed tip and wedge-
shaped to rounded at base, margms
toothed, serrate to entire; upper
surface shiny yellow green thinly
hairy when young but becoming
hairless, sometimes with short red-
dish hairs along midrib; lower sur-
£ace whitish (glaucous), thinly
hairy but soon becoming hairless;
usually turning black m drying.
Petioles 7i 6 -% in. ( 1.5-6 mm.)
long. Stipules inconspicuous and
soon dropping. Twigs blackish and
densely hairy when young, becom-
ing reddish brown and hairless with
blackish buds. Bark gray or green-
ish brown, smooth.
Catkins 2-3 in. (5-7.5 em.) long,
on stalks with 2-3leaves, appearing
102
with the leaves, scales about Ya 2 in.
(1 mm.) long, black, with long
hairs. Seed capsules short and
stout, on short stalk, hairy when
young but soon becoming hairless,
green to reddish. Flowering in
June, seeds ripening in July, most
catkins £ailing by August.
Barclay willow is the most com-
mon thicket-£orming shrub along
the southern coast o£ central Alaska
in £orest openings, along small
streams, and in wet alluvial sites.
On the Kenai Peninsula it £orms
extensive thickets at treeline in
areas where it is protected by win-
ter snow deposits.
Closely related to and easily con-
fused with low blueberry willow
and undergreen willow, but these
latter willows have leaves green to
pale beneath but never whitish
(glaucous) .
Along coast o£ Alaska £rom
southeastern tip to Aleutian Islands.
Occasional to rare in Alaska Range
and in the interior lowlands. South
Tongass, North Tongass, and Chu-
gach National Forests, Mt. McKin-
ley National Park, Glacier Bay
and Katmai National Monuments,
Kenai National Moose Range, Aleu-
tian Islands National Wildli£e
Refuge. South along the coast to
Washington and eastward to Al-
berta apd Montana.
Twigs o£ Barclay willow often
end in rounded galls, composed o£
de£onhed leaves and caused by in-
sects. Presence o£ these galls o£ten
ca1led "willow roses" may aid iden-
tification.
This species honors George Bar-
clay, English botanical collector
with the surveying expedition o£
the ship Sulphur along the western
coast o£ America in 1835-41.
Where the range o£ Barclay wil-
low overlaps that o£ Hooker willow
and undergreen willow, there is
considerable difficulty in separating
the three species. The £ollowing
key provided by George W. Argus
should help in identification.
Figure 31.-Barclay willow (Salix bar-
clayi), natural size. Male catkins at
left; female catkins at bottom; seed
capsules at right.
103
Figure 32.-Hooker willow (Salix hook-
eriana), natural size. Female catkin
at left; seed capsules in center; male
catkin at right.
A. Leaves green or pale beneath, not whitish ------------------------
------------------33. undergreen willow (Salix commutata)
AA. Leaves whitish (glaucous) beneath.
B. Stipules present; leaves without hairs beneath; lacking long silky
hairs at the base of twigs; styles greenish ----------------
----------------------31. Barclay willow (Salix barclayi)
BB. Stipules absent (sometimes very small on vigorous shoots); leaves
long silky hairy beneath, at least along midrib; long silky hairs
persistent at the base of twigs; styles red in life, drying dark
--------------------32. Hooker willow (Salix hookeriana)
104
~.·.
Figure 33.-Undergreen willow (Salix
commutata), natural size. Male cat-
kin at upper left; female catkin at
lower left; seed capsules at right.
105
32. HOOKER WILLOW
(Salix hookeriana Barratt}
Other names: bigleaf willow,
Yakutat willow, Salix amplifolia
·Cov.
A shrub or small tree, usually
about 10-16 ft. (3-5 m.) tall but
occasionally attaining a height of
25 ft. ( 7.5 m.) and a trunk diameter
of 8-15 in. (20-38 em.). Leaves
oval to broadly obovate or rarely
the uppermost ovate, 1lf2-3 in. ( 4-
7.5 em.) long and %-2 in. (2-5 em.)
wide, broadly pointed to rounded
at apex, mostly rounded at base,
edges without teeth or sparsely
wavy-toothed, pale green above,
whitish beneath, more or less hairy
on both sides while unfolding but
becoming hairless. Twigs stoutish,
dark brown, densely white-or gray-
woolly for 2 or 3 years. Buds dark
reddish brown, hairy. Bark gray,
smooth.
Catkins on leafy stalks, appear-
ing before or with the leaves, 3-4
in. (7.5-10 em.) long and ¥2-% in.
(12-15 mm.) wide at maturity;
scales brownish to blackish, covered
with long whitish hairs. Seed cap-
sules long, hairless. Flowering in
mid-May to early June, seeds ripen-
ing mid-June to July. ·
In Alaska, Hooker willow grows
in a variety of sites including beach
ridges, stabilized sand dunes, and
coastal meadows. Rare in Alaska,
except in the Yakutat Bay region
where it has been known for many
years as a local species, Yakutat
willow (Salix amplifolia Cov.).
Collected recently from a few other
coastal areas including Middleton
Island. At Yakutat the plants are
browsed by moose.
Coastal Alaska in the vicinity of
Prince William Sound and Yakutat
Bay. North Tongass National For-
est. Also coastal dunes, Pacific
Coast from Queen Charlotte Islands
106
(Moresby Island) and extreme
southwestern British Columbia,
Vancouver Island, and Puget
Sound region of western Washing-
ton south to northwestern Cali-
fornia. Reported also from eastern
Siberia.
This species honors William
Jackson Hooker ( 1785-1865) , Eng-
lish botanist, in whose work the
description was published.
33. UNDERGREEN WILLOW
(Salix commutata Bebb)
A much branched dense shrub
3-6ft. (1-2m.) tall, with an over-
all light green appearance. Leaves
elliptic to obovate, to 2¥2 in. ( 6
em.) long and about % to lf2 as
wide; entire or glandular toothed
on margins, dense gray hairy on
both surfaces when young but only
thinly hairy with age, light green
on both surfaces. Petioles Ys-14
in. (3-6 mm.) long. Stipules well
developed and leaflike with glandu-
lar margins to% in. (1 em.) long,
persistent or deciduous. Twigs
densely gray hairy when young but
becoming hairless with age, dark
brown. Buds of next season's cat-
kins are often large and red by
mid to late summer.
Catkins %-1¥2 in. (2-4 em.)
long on leafy shoots, developing
with or after the leaves; scales
brown with dense woolly hairs.
Seed capsules 14 in. ( 6 mm.) long,
hairless, reddish but becoming
brown with age. Flowering mid-
June to July, seeds ripening late
July and August.
Undergreen willow forms_ thick-
ets in the mountains of south cen-
tral Alaska at and just above tree-
line along small streams and in
areas protected by winter snow
accumulation, usually with several
other willows. It also occurs oc-
casiomtlly along the coast in wet
open habitats. It is quite similar
in appearance and often grows with
Barclay willow but the so:ft green
color resulting :from the dense
woolly hairs on the new leaves help
to distinguish it.
Figure 34.-Chamisso willow (Salix
chamissonis), natural size.
From the mountains in the north-
ern part o:f southeast Alaska west-
ward in the coastal mountains to
Kodiak Island and the Alaska
Peninsula to the eastern Aleutian
Islands, north to the south slopes
o:f Alaska Range. North Tongass
and Chugach National Forests,
Kenai National Moose Range,
Aleutian Islands National Wildh:fe
Refuge. East to southern Yukon
Territory and Saskatchewan, south
to Washington, western Montana,
and northern Wyoming.
107
34. CHAMISSO WILLOW
(Salix chamissonis Anderss.)
Prostrate loosely branched creep-
ing shrub rooting along the
branches and 4-6 in. (10-15 em.)
high at the ends. Leaves broadly
obovate, rounded at tip and wedge-
shaped at base, %-2 in. (2--5 c:rr .. )
long and %-% as wide, glandular
toothed on margin; green on both
surfaces but slightly paler beneath.
Petioles long and slender, %-% in.
(10-15 mm.) long. Twigs gray or
brown, coarse, often buried in
mosses and rooting at nodes.
Catkins erect on leafy twigs,
about 1l!z in. (4 em.) long, develop-
ing with the leaves; scales black
with grayish hairs. Seed capsnles
long and slender with gray hairs,
stalkless or on a very short stalk.
Flowering from late June through
July, seeds ripening July and
August.
Chamisso willow is a rare shrub
of the Arctic tundra of northern
and western Alaska and the alpine
tundra of interior Alaska. In the
Arctic it grows as a very loose
creeping shrub in wet meadows,
seepage areas, and adjacent to snow
fields. It is abundant in the Eagle
Summit area north of Fairbanks
where it forms loose mats in similar
habitats. Readily distinguished
from the other creeping willows by
its glandular toothed leaves and the
slender gray hairy capsules.
The Eagle Summit area north of
Fairbanks, western Arctic coast
from Nome northward to Cape
Thompson, St. Lawrence Island, the
north slope of the Brooks Range;
also on Attu Island in the Aleu-
tians. Aleutian Island National
Wildlife Refuge, Arctic National
Wildlife Range. Eastward to Rich-
ardson Mts. in northwestern Dis-
trict of Mackenzie, Canada, also in
northeastern Asia.
108
Named for Ludolf Adalbert von
Chamisso ( 1781-1838) , German
botanist who visited Alaska in 1816
and 1817 on the ship Rurik.
35. PARK WILLOW
(Salix monticola Bebb)
Other names : cherry willow,
serviceberry willow; Salix pado-
phylla Rydb., S. pseudomonticola
Ball, S. pseudomonticola var. pado-
phylla (Rydb.) Ball.
An erect shrub, 3-12 ft. (1-3.5
m.) tall in Alaska but becoming a
small tree southward in western
Canada and northwestern contig-
uous United States. Leaves oval
to elliptic, 1-4 in. (2.5-10 em.) long,
l!z-% as broad, usually abruptly
pointed to rounded at tip, glandular
toothed on margins, purple to red-
dish yellow when young but soon
turning green, shiny green and
hairless above, whitish (glaucous)
beneath, with prominent veins.
Petioles*-% in. (6-10 mm.) long.
Stipules small and inconspicuous
or on fast growing shoots larger
and leaflike with glandular teeth.
Twigs yellow to reddish brown,
shiny, hairy when young but becom-
ing hair-less. Bark gray, smooth.
Catkins short, 1 * -2l!z in. ( 3-6
em.) lpng, stalkless twigs, appear-
ing in May and early June before
the leaves and usually shedding by
end of J nne ; scales 'ii 6 in. ( 1.5
mm.) long, brown with long hairs.
Seed capsules short and stout, lfs-
o/J.6 in. (3-5 mm.) long, hairless,
short-stalked, seeds ripening in
June.
A common pioneer willow on the
braided rivers of interior Alaska
and along other rivers and lake
shores, forming thickets with other
willows. Occasional in floodplain
balsam poplar and spruce stands
and in upland black spruce. In
early summer the reddish color of
Figure 35.-Park willow (Sali~ mon-
ticola), natural size. Seed capsules at
left; male catkins at right.
109
the new leaves stand out from the
other willows. Along the rivers it
is utilized as a browse species by
snowshoe hares and moose.
Central interior Alaska along
Yukon and Tanana Rivers, south-
east to the Susitna and Copper
Rivers and at Haines and Skagway
near northern end of southeast
Alaska. Mt. McKinley National
Park. East to Hudson Bay and
south to Ontario, Colorado, and
Oregon.
36. RICHARDSON WILLOW
(Salix lanata L. ssp.
richardsonii (Hook.)
A. Skwortz.)
Other names : woolly willow,
Salix richardsonii Hook.
Erect much-branched shrubs usu-
ally forming dense clumps 3-6 ft.
( 1-2 m.) tall, sometimes to 15 ft.
( 4.5 m.) . Leaves elliptic to obo-
vate, %-2% in. (2-6 em.) long,
about % to % as wide, short-
pointed or rounded at apex, entire
or toothed on margins, both sur-
faces with long thin hairs when
young but becoming hairless with
age, dark green above, whitish
(glaucous) beneath. Petioles stout,
lfs-% in. (3-10 mm.) long. Stip-
ules conspicuous, long and narrow,
with glandular teeth on the edges,
persistent on the twig for several
years. Young twigs stout and
densely hairy, dark brown to black;
older twigs hairless, orange-red to
red-brown and characterized by
persistent stipules. Bark gray,
smooth. ·
Catkins 1%-2% in. ( 4-6 em.)
long on leafless peduncles, develop-
ing early in spring before the
leaves; scales dark brown to black
with dense silky hairs. Seed cap·
sules stout, green to light brown,
hairless, on short stalks. Flowering
no
in May and early June, seeds ripen-
ing in July, catkins shedding by
August.
Richardson willow is a common
thicket-forming shrub of stream
banks and moist slopes in the
Arctic and above timberline where
it is often associated with alders
and shrub birch, also in open spruce
stands and old burns at lower
elevations.
From the Arctic coast south-
ward through most of central and
south central Alaska but not reach-
ing to western Alaska Peninsula or
Kenai Peninsula. In southeastern
Alaska only in mountains in area
from Juneau to Haines. North
Tongass National Forest, Glacier
Bay National Monument, Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park, Arctic
National Wildlife Range. This
subspecies occurs across northern
Canada to Baffin and Southampton
Islands, south to Northwestern
Hudson Bay and British Columbia;
northeastern Asia. The species oc-
curs across northern North Amer-
ica, Europe, and Asia and south in
mountains of Asia.
37. BARRATT WILLOW
(Salix barrattiana Hook.)
~·
A ·low upright shrub, usually
1-2 lt. ( 30-60 em.) tall, commonly
forming loose clumps several yards
(meters) across. Leaves tending
to have a vertical orientation, ellip-
tic to obovate, 1%-2% in. ( 4-6 em.)
long and ~ to Ya as wide, short-
pointed apex, both surfaces grayish
from long silky hairs. Petioles to
% in. ( 15 mm.) largest on upper
leaves. Twigs stout, densely hairy
when young and remaining so for
many years, older twigs reddish
brown to dark brown.
Catkins 1~-2 in. (3-5 em.) long,
sessile on twigs, erect in habit, ap-
pearing in spring before the leaves;
Figure 36.-Richardson willow (Salix
lanata ssp. richardsonii), natural size.
Seed capsules at left; female catkin
at right.
scales black, pointed at tip, with
long silky hairs. Seed capsule
stout, about :!A, in. ( 6 mm.) long,
with silky white hairs on pedicels
7{6 in. (1.5 mm.) long.
Barratt willow is a rare shrub in
Alaska although it may be locally
abundant above treeline on gravel
terraces o£ some rivers in the
Alaska Range where it may reach
altitudes o£ 4,600 ft. ( 1,400 m.). It
also occurs occasionally in wet al-
pine meadows. It is conspicuous
among Alaskan willows and easily
determined at a distance by its
silvery appearance, its low growth
form into dense thickets, and its
upright leaves and twigs. When
collected and pressed, the scales,
stipules, and young twigs exude a
yellowish oily substance that stains
the paper yellow. Young twigs are
browsed by moose.
From the head o£ the Chitina
River in the Copper River drainage
north to the north slopes o£ the
Alaska Range as far west as eastern
end o£ Alaska Peninsula. On the
south slopes o£ the Brooks Range
at Wiseman and on the north slope
£rom the Canning River eastward
to the border. Mt. McKinley N a-
lll
tional Park, Arctic National Wild-
life Range. South and east to
Yukon Territory, southern British
Columbia, Montana and Colorado.
Named for Joseph Barratt
( 1796-1882) , American student of
willows.
38. FELTLEAF WILLOW
(Salix alaxensis (Anderss.)
Cov.)
Other names: Salix longistylis
Rydb., S. alawensis var. longistylis
(Rydb.) Schneid., ssp. longistylis
(Rydb.) Hult.
A shrub or small tree to 20-30
ft. (6-9 m.) high with a trunk 4-7
in. (10-18 em.) in diameter, occa-
sionally dwarfed and nearly pros-
trate in exposed places. Leaves
elliptic or oblanceolate (reverse
lance-shaped), 2---4 in. (5-10 em.)
long and %-1 V2 in. ( 1.2---4 em.)
wide, short-pointed, usually taper-
ing to base, edges without teeth or
nearly so, above dull green and
hairless or sometimes somewhat
short-hairy, beneath covered with
a dense white or creamy-white felt;
midrib yellowish. One-year and 2-
year twigs stoutish, usually white-
woolly. In a common variety (var.
longistylis (Rydb.) Schneid. or ssp.
longistylis (Rydb.) Hult.) the
young twigs and buds without hairs
and often with a bluish white
bloom. Bark gray, smooth, becom-
ing rough and furrowed into scaly
plates.
Catkins stoutish, not stalked, ap-
pearing before the leaves, 2---4 in.
(5-10 em.) long at maturity; scales
blackish. Seed capsules long,
pointed, white-woolly. Flowering
May and June, seeds ripening in
June and July.
Feltleaf willow is widely distrib-
uted in valleys almost throughout
Alaska. Extending beyond the
ll2
limits of the spruce-birch interior
forest, it is the only tree willow in
many areas, such as north and west
of Kodiak Island and at Firth
River on the northeast Arctic slope.
In many places in northern Alaska,
this willow is important as the only
wood available for fuel. Though
not the common "diamond willow"
from which ornamental canes are
made, the trunks sometimes have
this pattern of diamond-shaped
scars where the lower twigs have
died. Feltleaf willow is a preferred
browse species of moose which pull
down and break branches and
trunks up to 1 V2 in. ( 4 em.) in
diameter. Eventually the shrub
grows above the reach of the moose
and becomes too thick for the
moose to break. It is reported that
the inner bark has served as food
for humans.
Widely distributed and common
almost throughout Alaska from
northern part of southeast Alaska
to Arctic Ocean. Southeast Alaska
from Wrangell to head of Lynn
Canal at Skagway, Glacier Bay,
and Yakutat Bay; north through
the interior to the Arctic coast and
northwest to Cape Lisburne; west
to Bering Sea; southwest on Alaska
Peninsula and Aleutian Islands to
Unalaska Island; and south to
Kodia* Island, Cook Inlet, and
Prince William Sound. North
Tongiass, South Tongass, and Chu-
gach National Forests, Glacier Bay
and Katmai National Monuments,
Mt. McKinley National Park,
Kenai National Moose Range, Ko-
diak National Wildlife Refuge,
Arctic National ·wildlife Range.
East to northwest shore of Hudson
Bay and south to central British
Columbia, but not reaching con-
tiguous United States. Also in
eastern Asia.
This willow was first collected at
Kotzebue Sound beyond Bering
Strait. The specific name alawensis
means Alaskan but is from an old
spelling.
ll3
Figure 38.-Feltleaf willow (Salix alax-
ensis), natural size. Male catkins at
upper right; female catkins at lower
right.
ll4
Figure 39.-Silver willow (Salix candi-
da), natural size. Seed capsules at
upper left; male catkins at lower
left.
39. SILVER WILLOW
(Salix candida Fluegge)
Other names: sage willow, hoary
willow.
An erect shrub usually 6 ft. (2
m.) or less in height, with an over-
all silvery appearance. Leaves ob-
long to lanceolate, short-pointed at
115
/ both ends, 2-4 in. (5-10 em.) long
and only :14-% in. (6-15 mm.)
wide, edges entire or wavy and com-
monly rolled toward lower surface;
upper surface silvery from dense
woolly hairs when young but be-
coming hairless and dark green
with age; lower surface remaining
silvery with dense woolly hairs.
Twigs covered with white woolly
hairs when young but becoming
smooth and reddish with age.
Catkins %-2 in. (~5 em.) long,
narrowly cylindrical, stalkless on
twigs, in early spring before the
leaves; scales brown, rounded at tip,
with long white hairs. Seed cap·
sules stout, :14 in. ( 6 mm.) long,
covered with short dense woolly
hairs.
Silver willow is a rare shrub in
Alaska, having been collected only
a few times in bogs and other wet
sites along the Tanana and Yukon
Rivers. The silvery appearance of
leaves, twigs, and catkins, and the
narrow leaf shape give it a char-
acteristic appearance.
Along Tanana and Yukon Rivers
from Canadian border west to Fair-
banks and Fort Yukon. East
across Canada to Labrador, south
to New Jersey, Colorado, and
British Columbia.
40. BEBB WILLOW
(Salix bebbiana Sarg.)
Other names : diamond willow,
beak willow, S. 'f'ost'f'ata Richards.,
S. dep'ressa L. ssp. 'f'Ostmta (An-
derss.) Hiitonen.
A large shrub 10 ft. (3 m.) tall
or a small, bushy tree 15-25 ft.
(4.5-7.5 m.), rarely 35ft. (10.5 m.)
with trunk diameter of 6-9 in. ( 15-
23 em.). Leaves elliptic and
pointed at both ends to broadly
oblanceolate or obovate-oval and
very short-pointed at apex and
broad at base, 1-3¥2 in. (2.5-9 em.)
ll6
long and %-1 in. ( 10-25 mm.)
wide, edges without teeth or some-
what wavy, dull green above, gray
or whitish and roughly net-veined
beneath, more or less hairy on both
sides but becoming less hairy with
age. In an uncommon variety, the
smaller leaves are hairless or nearly
so beneath and often less rough.
Twigs slender, branching at wide
angles, yellowish to brown, gray
hairy when young but afterward
becoming hairless. Bark gray to
dark gray, smooth, becoming rough
and furrowed. Wood lightweight,
brittle.
Catkins on short leafy stalks,
before or with the leaves, at matur-
ity 1-3 in. (2.5-7.5 em.) long and
loose, scales narrow, yellowish with
reddish tips, hairy. Seed capsules
long, very slender, with short hairs
Ys-o/1.6 in. (3-5 mm.) long, on slen-
der, sparsely hairy stalks. Flower-
ing mid-May through mid-June,
seeds ripening by mid-to late June,
catkins shed by mid-July.
Bebb willow is the most common
upland willow in interior Alaska,
occurring as scattered individuals
in most forest types. It is also the
most common species in the willow
stands that follow forest fires on up-
land sites and in thickets adjacent
to str~ams, swamps, and lakes. In
open meadows it forms large
spreading shrubs. It is an im-
port~nt browse species for moose
throughout interior Alaska. In
winter heavy snows tend to bend
the branches down so that they are
in reach of both moose and snow-
shoe hares.
Bebb willow is the most impor-
tant producer of "diamond willow."
This term applies to several species
with diamond-shaped patterns on
their trunks. When the stems are
carved they result in a striking
pattern of diamond-shaped cavities
with a sharp contrast between the
white or cream sapwood and the
reddish brown heartwood. Dia-
mond willow is carved into canes,
lamp posts, furniture and candle
holders. In the old roadhouse at
Copper Center, the newel posts and
balusters o:f the whole staircase
have been carved :from diamond
willow.
The . depressions or "diamonds"
are caused by one or more fungi
which attack the willow at the junc-
tion o:f a branch with the main
trunk. The "diamond willows" oc-
cur most commonly under shade o:f
trees or where the site is poor.
They are most abundant in the
Figure 40.-Bebb willow (Salix bebbi-
ana), natural size. Seed capsules at
left; male catkin at upper right.
Copper River basin area but oc-
cur in Alaska throughout the bOreal
:forest :from the Kenai Peninsula
northward. In addition to the
Bebb, the :following also :form "dia-
monds" although usually to a lesser
degree: Park willow, :feltlea:f wil-
low, littletree willow, and Scouler
willow.
In other areas o:f the United
States, Bebb willow :formerly was
used :for baseball bats, charcoal,
gunpowder, and withes :for furni-
ture and baskets.
Widely distributed in interior
Alaska, south to the Pacific Coast.
In the northern part o:f southeastern
Alaska at Glacier Bay and the head
o:f Lynn Canal. In central Alaska
:from Prince William Sound north
to the south slopes o:f the Brooks
Range, west on the Yukon River
to Holy Cross, and south to Katmai,
Kodiak Island, and the Kenai
117
Peninsula. North Tongass and
Chugach National Forests, Mt.
McKinley National Park, Katmai
National Monument, Kenai N a-
tiona! Moose Range, Kodiak N a-
tiona! Wildlife Refuge. East across
Canada to Hudson Bay, Labrador,
and Newfoundland, and south to
New Jersey, Nebraska, New Mexico,
and central California. Also in
eastern Asia.
ll8
Figure 41.-Diamondleaf willow (Salis
planifolia ssp. pulchra), natural size.
Female catkin at left; seed capsules
at right.
This §pecies commemorates Mich-
ael Schuck Bebb ( 1833-95) , Amer-
ican Sijecialist on willows.
41. DIAMONDLEAF
WILLOW
(Salix planifolia Pursh ssp.
pulchra (Cham.) Argus)
Other names: Salix pulchra
Cham., S. pulchra var. yukonensis
Schneid.
An upright much branched shrub
3-6 ft. (1-2 m.) tall, rarely to 15
ft. ( 4.5 m.) , often forming loose
thickets in wet habitats but becom-
ing a prostrate creeping shrub in
exposed sites in arctic and alpine
tundra. Leaves elliptic to oblance-
olate, pointed at both ends and often
diamond-shaped, as stated in the
name, 1-2¥2 in. ( 2.5-6 em.) long
and about Ya-lh as wide, hairless
and shiny green above and pale to
whi~ish (glaucous) beneath, entire
on edges or with a few small teeth
near base. Petioles Ys-% in. ( 4-
10 mm.) long, slender. Stipules
%-lh in. (6-12 mm.) long, linear,
Figure 42.-Scouler willow (Salix scou·
leriana), natural size. Seed capsules
at upper left; female catkin at upper
right; male catkin at lower right.
glandular-toothed, persisting on
twigs 2-3 years. A few brown
leaves usually remain on the twigs
through the following winter and
into the next summer. Twigs shiny
dark brown, reddish or pur{>le,
hairy when young but becommg
hairless in age. Bark dark gray,
smooth.
Catkins 3,4-1¥2 in. ( 2-4 em.) long
stalkless on the branches, develop-
ing in early spring before the
leaves; scales blackish in upper
part and hairy. Seed capsules %6
ll9
in. (8 mm.) long, stout, hairy,
greenish gray when young but be-
coming brown with age, on a short
stalk. Flowering in late May and
early June, seeds ripening in late
June and July; catkins shedding
by August.
A common shrub in bogs and
other wet sites in the boreal :forest
o:f Alaska, :forming thickets usually
3-5 :ft. ( 1-1.5 m.) tall. It is a mo~e
upright, often isolated shrub m
black spruce stands. It also occurs
in the arctic and alpine treeless
regions along streams and in the
tundra where it may become a pros-
trate shrub. Indians and Eskimos
eat the young leaves as a green, both
raw and cooked. The leaves must
be picked when young, or they have
a bitter taste.
In winter the twigs are browsed
by moose and snowshoe hare, and
the persistent leaves are often eaten
by Dall sheep. Diamo:f!-dlea:f wil-
low is one o:f the :few willows that
can usually be identified. in the
winter condition; the shmy red
twigs, the persistent stipules, and
the persistent brown leaves are
characteristic.
Almost all o:f Alaska except the
western Aleutians and the coastal
:forests o:f southeastern Alaska.
Alono-the south coast :from Un-alask~ Island to Prince William
Sound. In southeastern Alaska only
in the extreme northern part in
mountains above Haines and Skag-
way. Chugach National Forest,
Katmai National Monument, Mt.
McKinley National Park, _Kenai
National Moose Range, Archc N a-
tiona! Wildlife Range. East to Yu-
kon and south to British Columbia.
In Asia :from Novaya Zemlya to
Chukchi Peninsula.
The closely related planelea:f wil-
low (Salim planifolia Pursh ssp.
planifolia; S. phylicif?lia L. ssp.
planifolia (Pursh) Hntonen) has
been reported :from south-central
Alaska.
120
42. SCOULER WILLOW
(Salix scouleriana Barratt)
Other names : mountain willow,
black willow, fire willow.
A shrub or tree with compact
rounded crown usually 15 :ft. ( 4.5
m.) tall and 4 !n. (10 em.) i:r: ~ru:f!-k
diameter but m some localities m
Alaska becoming a tree 50-60 :ft.
(15-18 m.) tall and 16-20 in. (40.5-
51 em.) in trunk diameter.
Leaves variable, mostly oblanceo-
late to narrowly obovate or some-
times oblong or elliptic, 2--~ in. {5-
12.5 em.) long and lh-1¥2 m. wide
( 12--40 mm.), mostly very . short-
pointed at apex and ta permg to
base, edges without teeth to
sparsely wavy-toothed, dark green
and nearly hairless above, beneath
whitish to white and more or less
gray hairy or becoming ~usty hairy
when older. Twigs stoutish, yellow-
ish or greenish brown a;nd densely
hairy when young, reddish to dark
brown and nearly hairless when
older· buds red. Bark gray
smooth, thin, becoming dark b~own,
divided into broad flat ridges.
Wood light brown tinged with red
and with thick whitish sapwood,
fine-textured, lightweight, so:ft.
Catkins stout, stalkless ~w <?n
short leafless stalks, appearmg m
great abundance before the leaves,
at maturity 1-2 in. (2.5-5 em.) l_ong
and nearly 112 in. ( 12 mm.) thi_ck;
scales obovate, black, long hairy.
Seed capsules long, slender, gray-
woolly. One _o:f the ~arliest ;flower-
ing o:f the willows, Its catkms de-
veloping as pussy willows even _be-
fore the snow has melted; flowermg
in May seeds dispersing in June,
catkins ~hedding by July.
Scouler willow is the most com-
mon willow o:f southeastern and
south central Alaska where it occurs
over a wide range o:f habitats and
vegetation types. It is especially
abundant in the vicinity of Anchor-
age and Kenai Peninsula where it
has become widespread in the up-
lands following past widespread
Figure 43.-Sitka willow (Salix sitchen-
sis), natural size. Seed capsules at
left; female catkin at right; male
catkins at lower right.
fires. It is often called "fire wil-
low" because of its rapid occupa-
tion of burned areas, forming blue-
green thickets. In southeastern
Alaska it comes in abundantly after
logging and also occurs along
streams and roadsides and occa-
sionally in the more open spruce
and hemlock stands. Over all of
southeastern and south central
Alaska, it commonly reaches tree
size. In south central Alaska where
it is an important moose browse
121
species, most trees have been barked
by moose. In the interior of
Alaska, Scouler willow occurs in
spruce, birch, and aspen stands, and
occasionally in bogs, but is most
common in areas that have been
burned. It is one of several used
for "diamond willow" carvings.
Southern end of southeastern
Alaska north and west along the
coast to Kodiak and Katrnai, north
to the Tanana River. Also in the
upper and central Yukon River dis-
trict around Dawson. South Ton-
gass, North Tongass, and Chugach
National Forests, Mt. McKinley
National Park, Glacier Bay and
Katrnai National Monuments, Ke-
nai National Moose Range, Kodiak
National Wildlife Refuge. East-
ward to Saskatchewan and south
to New Mexico and California.
This species honors its discoverer,
John Scouler ( 1804-71) , Scotch
naturalist who made plant collec-
tions on the northwest coast of
North America in 1825-27.
43. SITKA WILLOW
(Salix sitchensis Sanson)
Other names : silky willow,
Saliw coulteri Anderss.
A large shrub or small tree 10-20
ft. (3-6 rn.) high with trunk 4-6
in. ( 10-15 ern.) in diameter or
rarely 30 ft. ( 9 rn.) tall and 12 in.
( 30 ern.) in diameter. In exposed
places, becoming a low, nearly pros-
trate shrub. Leaves oblanceolate
or .narrowly obovate or sometimes
elliptic, 2-4 in. (5-10 ern.) long,
usually short-pointed at apex,
mostly tapering to a narrow base,
edges without teeth or sparsely
and inconspicuously wavy-toothed,
above dark green and with sparse
short hairs when young, beneath
paler and with short silvery, silky
hairs. Twigs slender, sometimes
122
thinly hairy when young but when
older hairless and dark reddish
brown. Bark gray, smooth, becom-
ing slightly furrowed and scaly.
Wood pale red, fine-textured, light-
weight, soft.
Catkins slender, tightly flowered
on short leafy stalks, appearing
with the leaves, 2-4 in. (5-10 ern.)
long at maturity; scales small,
brown, densely hairy. Seed cap·
sules short, silvery hairy. Flower-
ing in May, seeds ripening in early
to mid-June, catkins shedding by
July or early August.
Sitka willow is common in the
coastal forest region of southeast
Alaska, growing m sunny locations
along streams and beaches or in the
upland where the forest is open or
absent. The satiny sheen on the
lower surface of the leaves serves
to distinguish it from other willows.
The wood is not used commercially
though the Indians burn it in dry-
ing fish, as the smoke has no bad
odor. The supple twigs have been
used by the Indians in basketrnak-
ing and for stretching skins, and
the pounded bark has also been
applied to heal wounds.
Pacific coast region of southeast
and southern Alaska. Throughout
southeast Alaska from Ketchikan
north~est to head of Lynn Canal at
Skagway, Glacier Bay, and Yaku-
tat Bay, and west to Prince Wil-
liam" Sound, Cook Inlet, and
Kodiak Island, north as far as
Anchorage and the Chitna River.
South Tongass and North Tongass
National Forests, Glacier Bay N a-
tiona! Monument, Kenai National
Moose Range, Kodiak National
Wildlife Refuge. Alaska and
British Columbia south along the
coast to southern California and
east to New Mexico and Black
Hills. Also in eastern Asia.
Sitka willow was named for
Sitka, Alaska, near which it was
discovered by Karl Heinrich Mer-
tens in 1827.
44. LITTLETREE WILLOW
(Salix arbusculoides
Anderss.)
An erect shrub 10-15 ft. (3-4.5
m.) tall or commonly a small tree
25-30 feet (7.5-9 m.) tall and 5-6
in. ( 12--15 em.) in trunk diameter.
Leaves narrowly elliptic-lanceolate,
often oblanceolate while unfolding,
1-3 in. (2.5-7.5 em.) long,%-% in.
(10-20 mm.) wide, usually short-
pointed at both ends, with edges
finely but shallowly toothed, green
and hairless above, beneath whitish
to white and finely silvery-hairy or
in an uncommon variety hairless;
veins closely parallel. Twigs slen-
der, much branched, the younger
yellowish brown and sometimes
Figure 44.-Littletree willow (Salix ar-
busculoides), natural size.
thinly short-hairy, the older reddish
brown, hairless, and shiny. Bark
gray to reddish brown, smooth.
Catkins small and slender on
very short stalks, appearing slightly
before or with the leaves, 1-2 in.
( 2.5-5 em.) long at maturity; scales
blackish. Seed capsules small,
thinly silvery-hairy. Flowering
mid-May to early June, seeds ripen-
ing mid-to late June.
Littletree willow is one of the
most common willows, forming
dense thickets along streams and
rivers in interior Alaska. It also
grows in the upland along streams
and is a common successional
species following the burning of
open stands of black spruce in wet
sites. It is less commonly found as
a shrub in stands of white spruce
and birch. On the north slope of
123
FiiPU'e 45.-Sandbar willow (Salix in-
terior), natural size.
the Brooks Range, it grows on
streambanks and gravel bars in
association with several other wil-
low species. It is one of several
species that form "diamond wil-
low" patterns.
Widely distributed in interior
Alaska from the Copper River
basin northward to the northern
foothills of the Brooks Range, west-
124
ward to the Kobuk River and Yu-
kon Delta. Mt. McKinley National
Park, Kenai National Moose Range,
Arctic National Wildlife Range.
East to Hudson Bay and south to
British Columbia and central
Quebec.
Figure 46.-Pacific willow (Salix lasi-
andra), natural size.
125
45. SANDBAR WILLOW
(Salix interior Row lee)
Other names: Salix longifolia
Muhl., Salix exigua ssp. interior
(Rowlee) Cronq.
An upright shrub, 10-12 ft. (3-
3.5 m.) tall in Alaska, but becoming
a small tree 20 ft. ( 6 m.) high in
contiguous United States. Leaves
long and very narrow, 1¥2-4 in. ( 4--
10 em.) long, usually :14 in. ( 6 mm.)
wide, light green on both surfaces,
edge sometimes entire but usually
with sharp rather widely spaced
teeth; petiole short. Twigs long,
thin, unbranched, brown, and
smooth.
Catkins 1-2¥2 in. ( 2.5-6 em.)
long on leafy stalks, appearing with
the leaves; scales long, pale yellow,
with thin hairs, and dropping soon
after the catkin opens. Seed cap·
sule long and slender, to %in. (10
mm.) long on a short stalk. Flow-
ering in June, seeds ripening in late
June and July.
Sandbar willow is an occasional
pioneer on the sand and silt bars of
the rivers of interior Alaska, where
it is often the first willow to invade
a newly exposed bar, primarily by
the development of shoots from its
widely divergent root system. It
seems to be unable to compete with
other shrubs and trees, for it is
seldom found in the older succes-
sional stages along the river and
seldom reaches a height of more
than 6-8 ft. (2-2.5 m.) in these
localities. It is utilized as browse
by moose, which often winter on the
young islands and sandbars of the
Tanana and Yukon Rivers.
Central Alaska in the Yukon,
Porcupine, and Tanana River val-
leys and on the north slope of the
Brooks Range along the Colville
River at Umiat. East across Can-
ada and south to Virginia, Louisi-
ana, New Mexico, and northern
Mexico.
126
46. PACIFIC WILLOW
(Salix lasiandra Benth.)
Other names: western black
willow, yellow willow.
A tall shrub or small tree to 20
ft. ( 6 m.) high. Farther south ill
contiguous United States, it is a
small tree 20-30 ft. ( 6-9 m.) tall
but occasionally a larger tree 50-60
ft. (15-18 m.) tall with a trunk
2-3 ft. ( 60-90 em.) in diameter.
Leaves lance-shaped, 2-5 in. ( 5-
12.5 em.) long and lh-1 in. ( 12-25
mm.) wide, long pointed, mostly
rounded at the base, with edges
finely toothed, shiny green above,
glaucous and more or less hairy
beneath. Twigs hairy when young,
stoutish, chestnut to reddish, shiny,
hairless with age. Bark gray,
smooth, becoming rough and deeply
furrowed. Wood pale brown,
brittle.
Catkins on leafy stalks, appear-
ing with the leaves, 2-4 in. long
(5-10 em.) at maturity; scales yel-
lowish, hairy toward the base.
Seed capsules without hairs.
Pacific willow is an occasional
pioneer species on the sand and
silt bars of the rivers of interior
Alaska.,.usually with other willows
but occasionally forming pure
stand~. It is occasional to rare
in the uplands in willow thickets
along streams and roadsides.
Interior and southeast Alaska.
In southeast Alaska only in the
vicinity of Yakutat, Haines, and
Skagway and in British Columbia
adjacent to the boundary along the
Stikine and Chilkat Rivers. In
interior Alaska from Palmer north
to the central Yukon River dis-
trict and Wiseman and west to Holy
Cross on the lower Yukon River.
North Tongass National Forest.
East to Saskatchewan and south
to southern California and New
Mexico.
Fipre 47.-Sweetgale (Myrica gale),
natural size. Leafy twig at upper
left; male catkins at upper center;
fruits at upper right; winter twigs at
lower left.
BAYBERRY FAMILY
(Myricaceae)
Fragrant shrubs in Alaska (else-
where also small trees). Leaves
alternate, simple with entire or
toothed margins, and with small
aromatic yellow resin dots on both
surfaces. Flowers small, yellowish,
127
without sepals or petals, unisexual,
male and female on separate plants
in short scaly spikes (aments) ,
stamens usually 4--8, ovary 1-celled.
Fruit, tiny nutlike, with whitish
waxy coat, 1-seeded. Includes bay-
berry and sweetfern of eastern
United States. In Alaska only 1
species.
47. SWEETGALE
(Myrica gale L.)
Other name: Myrica gale L.
var. tomentosa C. DC.
Low shrub 1-4 ft. ( 3-12 dm.)
tall, of low wet habitats, usually
branching loosely at base. Leaves
oblanceolate, 1-2 in. (25-50 mm.)
long and %-~ in. (10-12 mm.)
wide, rounded at tip with several
coarse teeth, tapering at base to
short petiole ¥s in. ( 3-5 mm.) long,
thinly hairy on both surfaces and
dotted with yellow waxy glands.
Twigs slender, finely hairy when
young, dark brown to gray with
yellow resin dots and white dots
(lenticels), resembling birch and
alder. Buds lfs in. (3 mm.) long,
pointed, dark reddish brown,
hairless.
Flowers male and female on sep-
arate plants ( dioecious), small, in-
conspicuous, yellowish, in spikes in
early spring before the leaves.
Male (staminate) spikes %-% in.
(10-15 mm.) long, female (pistil-
late) spikes 1,4-% in. (6-10 mm.),
both dotted with yellow waxy
glands. Fruit a green 2-winged
nutlet lfs in. (3 mm.) long, resinous
waxy.
Sweetgale is one of Alaska's ear-
liest blooming plants, flowering
from mid-May to the first week in
June,· depending on locality. It is
a common shrub of low wet areas,
especially bogs in interior Alaska
and tidal flats along the coast. The
following year's flower spikes form
128
in late summer and the stalks of
previous summer's spikes often
remain throughout the winter, giv-
ing the winter twigs a distmct
appearance.
Along the Yukon and Tanana
Rivers to the western coast but not
in intervening hills and mountains.
Common along the coast from
Alaska Peninsula southeastward.
South Tongass, North Tongass,
and Chugach National Forests,
Glacier Bay and Katmai National
Monuments, Kenai National Moose
Range, Kodiak Island National
Wildlife Refuge. Across Canada to
southern end of Hudson Bay, Lab-
rador, and Newfoundland, south in
mountains to North Carolina and
Tennessee and to northwest Oregon.
Also in northern Europe and east-
ern Asia and Japan.
BIRCH FAMILY
(Betulaceae)
The birch family (Betulaceae) is
represented in Alaska by 2 genera,
birch (Betula) and alder (Alnus),
and 7 species, also intergrading
varietes and hybrids. Distinguish-
ing characters are as follows : ( 1)
Leaves~·borne singly (alternate),
broad, margins sharply and usually
doubly toothed with teeth of 2 sizes,
and in alders often slightly wavy
lobed; ( 2) flower clusters (catkins)
composed of an axis bearing many
minute greenish flowers 2-3 above a
scale, in early spring before the
leaves, from buds partly formed the
preceding summer; (3) flowers with
minute calyx, of 2 kinds on the same
plant (monoecious); (4) male flow-
ers with pollen in long, narrow
catkins at end of twig and female
flowers in short catkins on sides of
twig; and ( 5) fruits conelike, ~-
2 in. (1.2-5 em.) long, of many
nutlets ("seeds") and scales.
The tree birches of Alaska are
easily recognized by their smooth,
thin, white, pinkish, coppery brown,
or purplish brown bark, which peels
off in papery strips; the soft cone-
like fruits shed, leaving slender
axis. Alders generally have smooth
gray bark, which is not papery,
and usually have at all seasons some
old dead, hard, blackish or dark
grown conelike fruits remaining on
the twigs. Birch twigs commonly
have raised gland dots and have
winter buds not stalked, composed
of overlapping scales. Alder twigs
lack glands and have usually stalked
winter buds with 3 exposed scales
usually meeting at their edges or
overlapping.
BIRCH (Betula}
Alaska has 2 species of dwarf,
shrubby birches both widely dis-
tributed, and 3 kinds of tree birches.
These are variable and intergrade
and hybridize wherever their
ranges meet. The dwarf birches
have round, rounded-toothed leaves
less than %in. (2 em.) long, while
the tree birches have larger, ovate
leaves 1%-3% in. ( 4-9 em.) long.
The tree birches of Alaska are
treated as 3 geographical varieties
of a single transcontinental species,
paper birch (Betula papyrifera
Marsh.). Western paper birch
( var. commutata (Reg.) Fern.), of
the northern part of southeast
Alaska, has leaves mostly rounded
at base and usually reddish brown
bark. Alaska paper birch ( var.
humilis (Reg.) Fern. & Raup),
common through the interior for-
ests, has rather long-pointed leaves
usually wedge-shaped at base and
usually white bark in age (or red-
dish brown when young or in dense
stands). Kenai birch ( var. kenaica
(W. H. Evans) Henry), of south-
ern and southern interior Alaska
and treated by some authors as a
distinct species, has relatively thick,
usually short-pointed leaves and
usually dark brown or gray bark.
Key to Alaska Birches
A. Leaf blades rounded or elliptic, thick, less than 1:14 in. (3 em.) long,
rounded teeth on edges; shrubs or sometime8 small trees with
smooth bark not peeling.
B. Leaf blades less than% in. (2 em.) long; low shrubs less than 5 ft.
( 1.5 m.) high.
C. Leaf blades often broader than long, o/!6 -% in. (5-12 mm.) long,
straight or notched at base ----------------------------
--------------------48. dwarf arctic birch (Betula nana)
CC. Leaf blades longer than broad, mostly %-% in. (10-20 mm.)
long, wedge-shaped at base ----------------------------
----------------------49. resin birch (Betula glandulosa)
BB. Leaf blades 1-1:14 in. (2.5-3 em.) long; large shrubs or trees be-
coming more than 10 ft. (3 m.) high --------------------
--------------------49.1. hybrid birches (Betula hybrids)
AA. Leaf blades ovate, 1%-3% in. (4-9 em.) long, mostly thin, with
pointed teeth on edges; trees with thin papery bark, peeling off
__ 50. paper birch (Betula papyrifera), 3 varieties in Alaska.
129
D. Leaves long-pointed, usually wedge-shaped at base; bark usually
white in age (or reddish brown when young or in dense
stands) ; interior Alaska ---------------------------~---
----50b. Alaska paper birch (Betula papyrifera var. humilis)
DD. Leaves mostly short-pointed; bark brown or pinkish; southern
and southeast Alaska.
E. Leaves thin, mostly rounded at base; bark usually reddish brown;
northern part of southeast Alaska ------------------50a.
western paper birch (Betula papyrifera var. commutata)
EE. Leaves thick, wedge-shaped or rounded at base, with white hairs
on toothed edges; bark usually dark brown or gray; southern
and southern interior Alaska --------------------------
------50c. Kenai birch (Betula papyrifera var. kenaica)
48. DWARF ARCTIC BIRCH
(Betula nana L.)
Other names : dwarf birch,
dwarf alpine birch, Betula nana
subsp. emilis ( Sukatch.) Hult., B.
glandulosa var. sibirica (Ledeb.)
Blake.
Low spreading deciduous shrub
commonly lh-3 ft. ( 1.5-9 dm.)
high. Leaves alternate, almost stalk-
less, with slender petioles ¥1 6 in.
(2 mm.) long. Blades round or
kidney-shaped, often broader than
long, %6 -lh in. (5-12 mm.) long,
%6 -o/s in. (5-16 mm.) wide,
rounded at apex, finely wavy
toothed to straight or notched base,
thick, hairless, above green, be-
neath pale green, turning cooper
red in autumn. Twigs slightly
resinous and slightly hairy, with
few minute warty glands.
Male flower clusters %-1 in. ( 1-
2.5 em.) long, with brown scales.
Female flower clusters ~-% in.
(6-10 mm.) long, green. Fruits
conelike, elliptic, %6 -¥2 in. (5-12
mm.) long, % 6 -~ in. (5-6 mm.)
wide, light brown, with many 3-
lobed bracts or scales without res-
inous dot or hump on back. Nut-
lets many, elliptic, with 2 narrow
wings of equal width from base to
130
apex. Flowering June, fruits ma-
turing July-August.
Moist soil, muskegs or bogs,
rocky alpine slopes, and hummocks
on tundra. Very widespread nearly
throughout Alaska over the coasts
and in mountains of interior from
northern part of southeast Alaska
to western end of Alaska Peninsula
and Bering Sea, north to Arctic
Coast. North Tongass and Chu-
gach National Forests, Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park, Katmai N a-
tiona! Monument, Kenai National
Moose Range, Kodiak Island Wild-
life Refuge, Arctic National Wild-
life Ra:p.ge. Alaska, across north-
ern Canada to Labrador and
Greenland. Not in contiguous
UniteU States. Also across north-
ern Eurasia.
49. RESIN BIRCH
(Betula glandulosa Michx.)
Other names : shrub birch,
glandular scrub birch, bog birch,
ground birch, dwarf birch.
Deciduous shrub mostly low and
spreading to erect, 1-5 ft. ( 0.3-1.5
m.) high or taller, forming clumps.
Leaves with short hairy petioles
Figure 48.-Dwarf arctic birch (Betula
nana), slightly enlarged.
% 6J_.i in. (5-6 mm.) long. Blades
elliptic to broadly obovate, mostly
%-% in. (1-2 em.) long, rounded
but longer than broad, rounded at
apex, finely wavy-toothed except
near wedge-shaped base, thick and
leathery, often with gland dots on
both surfaces (visible only with
high magnification) , above shiny
dark green and usually hairless,
beneath yellow green and often
finely hairy. Twigs often finely
hairy when young, densely resinous
with warty glands, with a gray
layer of wax. Bark reddish brown,
becoming dark gray, smooth, not
peeling. ·
Male flower clusters (catkins)
several near base of twigs, Yz-1 in.
(12-25 mm.) long, %6 -14 in. (5-6
mm.) wide, of light brown scales
and numerous stamens. Female
flower clusters several to many on
older twigs l_.i-lj2 in. ( 6-12 mm.)
long, ¥!6 in. (2 mm.) wide, green-
ish. Fruits conelike, %-1 in. (10-
25 mm.) long, Ys-14 in. (3-6 mm.)
wide, mostly erect, with many 3-
lobed bracts or scales with resinous
dot or hump on back. Nutlets ellip-
tic, flattened, reddish brown, more
than ¥!6 in. (2 mm.) long, with 2
very narrow wings rutrrowest at
base. Flowering May-June, fruits
maturing July-August, persistent
in winter.
The leaves and young twigs are
browsed by caribou and reindeer.
In winter the buds and twigs are
clipped by v.tarmigan.
Moist soil, especially in muskegs
or boggy areas, hummocks on tun-
dra, and boarders of lakes and
streams. Forming extensive thick-
ets at treeline in the Alaska and
Brooks Ranges. Widely distrib-
uted in interior Alaska from north-
ern Brooks Range and Firth River
southward. Mt. McKinley N a-
tional Park, Arctic National Wild-
life Range. Alaska, across north-
ern Canada to Labrador and Green-
land, south in Northeastern United
States to Maine, New York, Mich-
igan, and Minnesota, and in west-
ern mountains to Colorado and
California.
This species hybridizes with
dwarf arctic birch and the tree
birches.
131
Figure 49.-Resin birch (Betula gland-
ulosa), natural size. Leafy twig with
fruits at left; male and female catkins
in center; winter twig at right.
49.1. HYBRID BIRCHES
(Betula hybrids)
Many plants have characters in-
termediate· between those of the
tree and shrub birches described
and illustrated here. These hybrid
birches can be recognized by their
characters between those of their
parents growing nearby. In size,
132
the hybrids between a tree and a
shrub species are large shrubs or
small trees. Bark is like that of
the tree parent but does not peel
off. Leaves are intermediate in size
and vary in shape and margin. The
shrubby species hybridize with one
another as do the varieties of paper
birch, the tree species.
Yukon birch, the hybrid between
resin birch and paper birch (Betula
glandulosa X papyri/era; Betula
Figure 49.1-Yukon birch (Betula glandulosa X papyri/era), natural size. Leafy
twig with female catkins and fruits at upper left; leafy twig with male and
female catkins at lower left; winter twig at right.
133
Xeastwooaiae Sarg., B. Xoom-
miwta Sarg., B. oooiaentalis auth.) ,
is the common hybrid birch through
interior Alaska, for example, at
Fairbanks. Often found near tree-
line, where birch trees below meet
a band of resin birch shrubs above.
Large, spreading clump-forming
shrub 10-12 ft. (3-3.7 m.) high,
with many stems 1 in. (2.5 em.) in
diameter, sometimes becoming a
small tree 15-20 ft. ( 4.5-6 m.) high
and 3-6 in. (7.5-15 em,) in di-
ameter. Leaves with slender peti-
oles :14-% in. (6-10 mm.) long.
Leaf blades elliptic to diamond-
shaped, 1-1:14 in. (2.5-3 em.) long,
%-1:14 in. (2-3 em.) wide, short-
pointed or rounded at both ends,
with rounded teeth on edges, thick,
becoming hairless. Twigs often
densely covered with gland dots.
Bark reddish black, smooth and not
peeling. Fruits conelike % in. (2
em.) long. Alaska, Yukon Terri-
tory, and Alberta.
The hybrid between dwarf arctic
birch and paper birch has been
named Horne birch (Betula nana
X papyrifera; Betula Xhornei ·
Butler, B. Xbeeniana A. Nels.).
The tree parent in central Alaska
is Alaska paper birch and in south-
ern Alaska, Kenai birch.
50. PAPER BIRCH
(Betula papyrifera Marsh.)
Other names: white birch, canoe
birch.
The general description and
range of this species are summa-
rized here, followed by similar notes
for the three varieties in Alaska.
Small to medium-sized deciduous
tree usually 20-60 ft. ( 6-18 m.)
high and 4-12 in. (10-30 em.) in
trunk diameter, becoming 80ft. (24
m.) tall and 24 iri. ( 60 em.) in
134
diameter. Leaves with slender pet-
ioles Yz-1 in. (1.2-2.5 em.) long.
Leaf blades ovate, 1 :Y2-3Yz in. ( 4-
9 em.) iong, 1-2Yz in. (2.5-6 em.)
wide, long-pointed or short-pointed
at apex, wedge-shaped or rounded
at base, coarsely and usually doubly
toothed, mostly dull dark green and
hairless above, light yellow green
and hairless or slightly hairy be-
neath. Twigs slender, hairless, red-
dish brown with many small whit-
ish dots, with short side twigs
(spur shoots) covered by many
raised half-rounded leaf-scars, be-
coming reddish black. Winter
buds conic, :14 in. ( 6 mm.) long,
long-pointed, dark brown, slightly
resinous, covered by 3 overlapping
scales. Bark smooth, with long
horizontal lines (lenticels), thin,
separating into papery striJ?S and
peeling off, from white to pmkish,
coppery brown, or purplish brown
in the different varieties; inner bark
orange. Wood of wide white sap-
wood and light reddish brown
heartwood, fine-textured, moder-
ately hard, and moderately heavy
(the densest of Alaska cominercial
woods).
Flowers male and female on same
twig, tiny, in groups of 3 above a
scale (bract). Male flowers in nar-
row catkins partly developed the
preceding summer, 1-4 in. (2.5-10
em.) long composed of calyx and 2
stamoos; female flowers in shorter
clusters %-1 in. (1-2.5 em.) long,
composed of ovary and 2 styles.
Fruits conelike, cylindric, 1-2 in.
(2.5-5 em.) long and% in. (1 em.)
wide, slender-stalked and hanging
down. Nutlets ("seeds") many, lft 6
in. ( 1.5 mm.) long, brown, with 2
broad wings. Flowering in May-
June, bef9re the leaves, fruit shed-
ding gradually into winter.
Paper birch is one of the most
widespread tree species in northern
North America and is composed of
6 or fewer intergrading geograph-
ical varieties. Widely distributed
Figure 50a.-Western paper birch (Betula papyri/era var. commutata), natural
size. Winter twig with old fruits at left; leafy twig with fruits in center; winter
twig with buds of male catkins at right.
from northwestern Alaska east
across Canada to Labrador and
Newfoundland, south in Northeast-
ern States to Pennsylvania and
Iowa and in Western States to
Montana and northeastern Oregon
(locally south to Nebraska and in
mountains to North Carolina,
South Dakota (Black Hills), and
Colorado).
Paper birch is a characteristic
species of the interior forests of
135
Alaska, designated as spruce-birch
forests, and is associated with white
spruce and aspen. In the upper
Cook Inlet area, extensive pap~r
birch forests occupy the rolling
benchland above the bottoms and
extend up the slopes of the foothills
to about 800 ft. ( 244 m.) . Growth
is .moderate to fast. On the more
favorable sites, trees 80 to 100 years
old attain a height of 60-70 ft.
( 18-21 m.) and a trunk diameter of
12-14 in. ( 30-35 em.) Average di-
ameter is 8-10 in. (20-25 em.) and
maximum about 29 in. (73 em.).
Maximum age recorded is about 230
years.
Near cities and villages in In-
terior Alaska, paper birch has been
used primarily for fuel, mainly
fireplace wood. It has served loc-
ally for mine props. A small
amount of lumber is cut and mar-
keted locally in Interior Alaska.
However, attempts to develop ex-
port markets have not yet been
successful because of high costs and
transportation problems. The wood
has been made into cabinets and
wall paneling.
The wood of paper birch varie-
ties growing in Alaska is suitable
for pulping and papermaking by
several processes. It is satisfactory
also for furniture, cabinetmaking,
veneer and plywood, handles, boxes
and crates, clothes pins, spools, and
bobpins. Other uses of paper birch
southward are turned and carved
articles, tooth picks, and toys. The
wood works easilyand takes finishes
and stains satisfactorily. The uni-
formity of grain is a distinct ad-
vantage in the manufacture of ve-
neers and plywoods.
Northern Indians made canoes
and various small articles from the
smooth thin bark. Because of its
durability and ease of working,
bark was used as sheeting under sod
on cabin roofs. Birch trees are
planted also as ornamentals to dis-
play their attractive bark. ·
136
50a. WESTERN PAPER
BIRCH
(Betula papyri/era var.
commutata (Reg.) Fern.)
Other names: paper birch; Be-
tula papyrifera var. oooidentalis
auth. and ssp. oooidentalis auth.,
not B. oooidentalis Hook.
Small to medium-sized tree 20-
60 ft. (6-18 m.) high and 4-16 in.
(10-40 em.) in trunk diameter.
Trunks often clustered, having
originated from sprouts at base of
old trees. Leaf blades ovate, 1lf2-
31f2 in. (4-9 em.) long, 1-2¥2 in.
(2.5-6 em.) wide, mostly long-
pointed or short-pointed at apex,
rounded at base, coarsely doubly
toothed, dark green and hairless
above, beneath slightly hairy, espe-
cially in angles of veins; peti-
oles slightly hairy and glandular.
Twigs orange brown, with few hairs
and whitish dots when young.
Bark on small trunks smooth and
usually reddish (coppery or pur-
plish) brown, sometimes blackish,
on larger trunks becoming papery
and pinkish brown, pinkish, or
sometimes whitish.
M;le flower catkins 3-4 in. (7.5-
10 em.) long, narrow. Fruits cone-
like 1-1¥2 in. (2.5-5 em.) long,
finefy hairy, spreading; nutlets with
wings broader than body; bracts
with long middle lobe and 2 short
lobes, hairy on edges.
Western paper birch is local and
uncommon along the mainland
coastal river drainages and lakes in
the northern part of southeast
Alaska, separated from the other
Alaska tree birches. It occurs on
thin, rocky soils, usually below 1500
feet ( 457 m.) elevation, often with
lodgepole pine, following fire and
on poor sites. The wood is not used
locally.
Vicinity of Lynn Canal, from
Figure SOb.-Alaska paper birch (Betula papyri/era var. humilis), natural size.
Winter twig at lower left.
137
Taku River and Juneau to Skag-
way. North Tongass National For-
est. Southern Yukon Territory
east to District of Mackenzie and
Saskatchewan and south to Mon-
tana and Washington. Also in
northern Ontario and in North-
east from Labrador and Quebec
south to northern New York and
Massachusetts.
50b. ALASKA PAPER
BIRCH
(Betula papyri/era var.
humilis (Reg.) Fern. & Raup)
Other names: Alaska white
birch, Alaska birch, canoe birch,
paper birch, white birch; Betula
papyrifera ssp. humilis (Reg.)
Hult., B. papyrifera var. neo-
alaskana (Sarg.) Raup,B. alaskana
Sarg., B. neoalaskana Sarg., B.
resinifera auth., not (Reg.) Britton.
Small to medium-sized tree 20-80
ft. (6-24 m.) high and 4-24 in. (10-
61 em.) in trunk diameter. Leaf
blades ovate, 11;2-3 in. (4-7.5 em.)
long, 1-2 in. (2.5-5 em.) wide,
rather long-pointed, sharply to
broadly wedge-shaped at base,
coarsely toothed, dark green or
yellow green and hairless above, be-
neath pale yellow green, dotted
with glands and usually with
angles of lower veins hairy;
petioles becoming hairless. Twigs
with many raised resinous dots.
Bark white, or pinkish white, some-
times grayish white or yellowish
white, papery.
Male flower catkin short, 1-1 Y2
in. ( 2.5-4 em.) long, thick, greenish
brown. Fruits conelike, 1-1% in.
( 2.5-3.5 em.) long, hairless, hang-
ing down or spreading. Nutlets
with wings broader than body;
bracts with middle lobe usually
longer than the blunt, diamond-
shaped lateral lobes, hairy on edges.
Alaska paper birch is the variety
138
common through the interior up to
tree line. It is best developed on
warm slopes with moist porous soils
but is also common on cold north
slopes and poorly drained lowlands
following fires. Birch is generally
in a mixture with white or black
spruce, which replace it in the suc-
cessional sequence after fire. At
Cook Inlet there are important
birch forests. Here paper birch
has its best development on the
rolling benchlands and lower foot-
hill slopes up to an altitude of about
800ft. (244m.).
Common in spruce-birch forests
throughout most of interior Alaska
but not. in southeast. North to
south slopes of Brooks Range and
northwest to Kobuk and Noatak
Rivers and to coast along south side
of Seward Peninsula; south to
Unalakleet and Russian Mission on
Yukon River. South of Alaska
Range in Susitna Valley, Kenai
Peninsula, and Copper River val-
ley. Chugach National Forest, Mt.
McKinley National Park. East to
Yukon Territory and District of
Mackenzie and south to Saskatche-
wan and British Columbia.
50c. KENAI BIRCH
( f!etula papyri Jera var.
kenaica (W. H. Evans) Henry)
;
Other names: Kenai paper
birch,_ black birch, red birch; Be-
tula kenaica W. H. Evans, B.
kamtschatica var. kenaica (W. H.
Evans) Jansson.
Small to medium-sized tree 20-80
ft. ( 6-24 m.) high and 4-12 in.
(10-30 em.) in trunk diameter,
rarely 18 in. ( 46 em.) . Leaf blades
ovate or nearly triangular, 11;2-2
in. (4-5 em.) long, 1-1% in. (2.5-
4.5 em.) wide, relatively thick, usu-
ally short-pointed, broadly wedge-
shaped or rounded at base, margin
coarsely and often doubly toothed
with white hairs, dull dark green
and often slightly hairy above, be-
neath pale yellow green and dotted
with glands and hairy on veins;
petioles usually hairless. Twigs
reddish brown hairy, and often
with resin dots when young, be-
coming blackish and hairless.
Bark usually dark brown, often
blackish or reddish brown, some-
times becoming pinkish or grayish
white, papery.
Male Hower catkins short; about
1 in. (2.5 em.) long, narrow, dark
brown. Fruits conelike, about 1 in.
Figure 50e.-Kenai birch (Betula papy-
rifera var. kenaica), natural size.
(2.5 em.) long, erect or spreading.
Nutlets with wings slightly nar-
rower than body; bracts, with lobes
o:f about equal length, rounded at
apex, side bracts slightly diamond-
shaped.
Kenai birch, named :from Kenai
Peninsula and known only :from
Alaska, is :found in the southern
part o:f the spruce-birch interior
:forests but not southeast. Cook
Inlet, Kenai Peninsula area, and
west to Kodiak Island and base o:f
Alaska Peninsula at Kaguyak and
139
Brooks River. Chugach National
Forest, Katmai National Monu-
ment, Kenai National Moose Range,
Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
Northward this variety inter-
grades or hybridizes with Alaska
paper birch. Specimens apparently
nearer Kenai birch have been re-
ported from interior Alaska along
the Tanana, Yukon, and Kuskok-
wim Rivers, at Unalakleet, and on
Seward Peninsula.
ALDER (Alnus)
Alaska has 4 kinds of alders, 3
of which reach tree size. All are
treated here as separate species,
though 2 intergrade and have been
united as varieties of same species.
Alders are easily recognized by
their smooth gray bark with hori-
zontal lines (lenticels) and the
clusters of 3-9 slender-stalked old
dead, hard, blackish or dark brown
conelike elliptic fruits generally
present. Male flowers in narrow
catkins, 3 above a scale, composed of
4 sepals and usually 4 stamens.
Female catkins short, about ¥2 in.
( 12 mm.) long; flowers 2 above a
scale, composed of ovary and 2
styles. Alder roots, like those of
legumes, often have root nodules,
swellings that fix nitrogen from the
air and enrich the soil.
Key to the 4 Alaska Species
Leaves yellow green above, shiny on both sides and especially beneath,
sticky when young, edges with relatively long-pointed teeth; stalks
about as long as conelike fruits; nutlets with 2 broad wings; winter
buds of overlapping scales.
Leaves not lobed on edges; conelike fruits%-% in. (10-15 mm.) long;
shrub of interior Alaska ------------------------------------
----------------------51. American green alder (Alnus crispa)
Leaves wavy lobed on edges; conelike fruits ¥2-% in. (12--20 mm.)
long; shrub or small tree of southern and southeast Alaska _____ _
------------------------------52. Sitka alder (Alnus sinuata)
Leaves dark green above, dull, not sticky when young, edges with short-
pointed teeth; stalks shorter than conelike fruits; nutlets with 2
narrow wings or none; winter buds of 3 exposed scales meeting at
edges. __.
Leaves thick with edges curled under slightly, with rusty hairs along
veins beneath; conelike fruits ¥2-1 tn. ( 12--25 mm.) long; nutlets
with 2 narrow wings --------------53. red alder (Alnus rubra)
Leaves thin with edges flat, finely hairy or nearly hairless beneath;
conelike fruits%-% in. (10-15 mm.) long; nutlets almost wingless
------------------------54. thinleaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia)
51. AMERICAN GREEN
ALDER
(Alnus crispa (Ait.) Pursh)
Other names: green alder,
mountain alder; Alnus viridis Viii.
ssp. crispa (Ait.) LOve & Love.
140
Spreading shrub 3-13 ft. (1-4
m.) tall. Leaves with short slender
dark red brown petioles ~-¥2 in.
( 6--12 mm.) long. Blades ovate or
broadly elliptic, mostly 1¥2-3 in.
(4-'7.5 em.) long, 1-2 in. (2.5-5
em.) wide, sometimes larger, rela-
tively thick, short-pointed at apex,
rounded or broadly wedge-shaped
Figure 51.:--American green alder (Al-
nus crispa), natural size. Winter
twigs with buds of male catkins and
old fruits at lower left; female and
male catkins at lower right.
141
at base, edges sharply and finely
toothed with long-pointed nearly
egpal or even teeth and not lobed
slightly sticky resinous on both
surfaces, above shiny yellow green
and h~irless, beneath pale green
and with tufts of whitish hairs in
vein angles. Twigs hairless, smooth
dark brownish red, with many light
dots (lenticels), becoming dark
gray. Buds long-pointed, :14-% in.
(6-10 mm.) long, red-brown, with
scales hairy on edges.
Male flower clusters (catkins)
~,4-3 in. (2--7.? em.) long, about %
m. ( 1 em.) wide, of many reddish
brown sticky scales and many yel-
low stamens. Female flower clus-
ters 1-7,:14-% in. (6-10 mm.) long.
Fruits conelike, %-% in. (10--15
m:m.) long, %6 -% in. (8-10 mm.)
wide, brown to dark brown with
slender stalk :!4 -¥2 in. ( 6--12 mm.)
long. N~tlets elliptic, flattened, al-
most Ys m. (3 mm.) long, with 2
broad wings. Flowering May-
June, fruit maturing in July.
. Alder twigs and buds make up an
Important part of the winter food
of the white-tailed ptarmigan. In
the fall and winter the "seeds" (nut-
lets) are eaten by many songbirds.
Common, often forming thickets
on gravelly slopes and flood plains.
Widely distributed in interior of
central and northern Alaska north
to Colville River, north slopes of
~rooks Range, Firth River, Porcu-
pme, Yukon, and Koyukuk Rivers
and west to Bering Strait. Mt:
McKinley National Park, Katmai
~ ational Monument, Kenai N a-
tlonal Moose Range, Arctic N a-
tional Wildlife Range. Alaska and
Yukon Territory across Canada
to Labrador, Newfoundland, and
Greenland, south to New York
N <;>rtl?-Carolina (high mountains):
Michigan, and Oregon. Also across
northern Asia.
Toward the southern coast this
species intergrades with Sitka alder
which is regarded by some author~
as a variety or subspecies.
142
52. SITKA ALDER
(Alnus sinuata (Reg.) Rydh.)
Other names: Alnus crispa (Ait.)
Pursh ssp. sinuata (Reg.) Hult., A.
fruticosa Rupr. var. sinuata (Reg.)
Hult., A. sitchensis (Reg.) Sarg.
Deciduous shrub 5-15ft. ~1.5-4.5
m.) high or a small tree to 30 ft.
(9 m.) tall and 8 in. (20 em.) in
trunk diameter. Leaf blades ovate
2¥2-5 in. (6-12.5 em.) long, 1¥2-3
in. ( 4--7.5 em.) wide, short-pointed,
rounded at base, shallowly wavy
lobed and doubly toothed with long-
pointed teeth of 2 sizes, sticky when
yo:ung, speckled yellow green and
shmy above, beneath lighter, shiny,
and hairless or nearly so; petioles
¥2-% in. (12--20 mm.) long. Twigs
sticky, finely hairy, and orange
brown when young, becoming light
gray. Winter buds short-stalked
~o stalkless on young twigs, to ¥2
m. (12 mm.) long, of overlapping
scales. Bark gray to light gray
smooth and thin. '
Male flowers in narrow catkins
3-5 in. (7.5-12.5 em.) long. Fruits
~~-%in. (12--20 mm.) long, on long
slender spreading stalks %-% in.
(~0--20 mm.) long, nutlets elliptic,
with 2 broad wings. Flowering in
May-June.
Sitka alder often is a spreading
shrub; common to abundant, with
many stems, forming thickets in
marshes, along streams, on land-
slides, and in clearings, from sea
level to the alpine zone above the
timberline. It also becomes a small
tree, often with many trunks.
This pioneer species follows dis-
t~rbances s~ch as landslides, log-
gmg, or glacial retreat. It requires
mi~eral soil s~ed~ed and develops
rapidly on mOist sites but grows on
s01ls too sterile for other trees.
Sitka spruce often becomes estab-
lished at the same time. Alder acts
as a nurse tree, improving soil con-
ditions, and adding organic mat-
ter and nitrogen. It thrives with
Figure 52.-Sitka alder (Alnus sinuata),
natural size. Winter twig with buds
of male catkins at right.
143
overhead light but is intolerant of
shade and disappears from the stand
when overtopped by Sitka spruce.
Being smaller and hence more
quickly overtopped, Sitka alder is
probably not such a serious com-
petitor as red alder on logged areas.
The wood produces good fuel and
is usp.d for smoking fish.
Southeast and southern Alaska
along the Pacific coast. Through-
out southeast Alaska northwest to
head of Lynn Canal at Skagway
and Yakutat Bay, west along coast
to Afognak and Kodiak Islands,
Alaska Peninsula, and eastern Aleu-
tian Islands. Also local in western
Alaska on Bering Sea ( N ushagak
and N orne). South Tongass, North
Tongass, and Chugach National
Forests, Glacier Bay and Katmai
National Monuments, Kenai N a-
tiona! Moose Range, Kodiak Island
and Aleutian Islands National
Wildlife Refuges. Alaska and
Yukon Territory southeast to south-
western Alberta, western Mon-
tana, and northern California.
Also in northeastern Asia.
Intergrades with American green
alder (Alnus crispa (Ait.) Pursh),
especially northward in interior,
and often treated as a variety or
subspecies of that species. Sitka
alder reaches larger size than
American green alder, becoming a
small tree, and has mostly larger
leaves with margins wavy lobed ·as
well as toothed, also larger, longer
stalked cones.
53. RED ALDER
(Alnus rubra Bong.)
Other names : western alder;
Alnus oregona N utt.
Small to medium-sized deciduous
tree 20-40 ft. ( 6-12 m.) tall, with
straight trunk 4-16 in. (10-40 em.)
in diameter. Leaf blades ovate or
elliptic, 3-5 in. (7.5-12.5 em.) long,
1%-3 in. (4.5-7.5 em.) wide, short
144
pointed at both ends, shallowly
wavy lobed and doubly toothed
with both large and small teeth,
thick, edges curled under slightly,
dark green and nearly hairless
above, beneath pale with rusty
hairs along veins; petioles%-% in.
( 6-20 mm.) long. Twigs hairy
when young, becoming dark red
with light dots. Winter buds
stalked, to % in. ( 1 em.) long, dark
red. Bark gray, splotched with
white, smooth or becoming slightly
scaly, thin. Wood nearly white
when freshly cut,· soon turning to
light reddish brown, fine-textured,
moderately lightweight, soft.
Male flowers in narrow catkins
3-6 in. (7.5-15 em.) long. Fruits
on short stalks %-¥2 in. ( 6-12 mm.)
conelike, lh-1 in. ( 12--25 mm.)
long; nutlets elliptic, with 2 narrow
wings. Flowering in April-May.
Red alder is common throughout
southeast Alaska on stream bottoms
with rich, rocky, moist soils and
along beaches where creeks enter
the sea. On landslides it forms al-
most impenetrable thickets, often
with Sitka alder.
Red alder is a pioneer species on
mineral soil, thriving on moist sites.
It is common below 1,000 feet ele-
vation and absent at higher eleva-
tions, where Sitka alder IS frequent.
Being-Iarger, red alder is more com-
petitive and requires more time for
overttopping. Both species come in
along roadsides and where ground
is disturbed after logging. They
are a I?roblem in road maintenance,
requirmg continual clearing of
shoulders and side slopes. Seeds
of both species are produced within
five years and being tiny are blown
great distances.
Of little economic importance in
Alaska at present, red alder is the
leading hardwood southward in the
Pacific Northwest, where it is a
larger tree and is made into furni-
ture. The wood is used also in
smoking meat and fish and for wood
carving.
Throughout southeast Alaska
northwest to Yakutat Bay. South
Tongass and North Tongass N a-
tional Forests, Glacier Bay N a-
tional Monument. Pacific coast re-
gion from southeast Alaska south-
east to southern California; also
locally east to northern Idaho.
Figure 53.-Red alder (Alnus rubra),
natural size. Male and female cat-
kins at upper right.
145
54. TIDNLEAF ALDER
(Alnus tenuifolia Nutt.)
Other names: Alnus incana (L.)
Moench ssp. tenufolia (Nutt.)
Breitung, A. incana ssp. rugosa var.
occidentalis (Dippel) C. L. Hitchc.
Deciduous large shrub or small
tree 15-30 ft. (4.5-9 m.) high, com-
monly forming clumps with trunks
to 8 in. (20 em.) in diameter. Leaf
blades ovate or elliptic, 2--6 in. (5-
15 em.) long, 1%-2¥2 in. (3-6 em.)
wide, short-pointed, rounded at
base, shallowly wavy lobed and
doubly toothed with both large and
small teeth, thin, dark green and
becoming hairless above, beneath
pale green and hairy or nearly hair-
less; petioles %-1 in. (6-25 rom.)
loJlg. Twigs reddish and hairy
when young, becoming gray. Bark
gray to dark gray, smooth, becom-
ing reddish gray, thin and scaly.
Wood light brown.
Male flowers in narrow catkins
1¥2-3 in. (4-7.5 em.) long. Fruits
on short stalks less than % in. ( 6
rom.) long, conelike %-%in. (1-1.5
em.) long; nutlets elliptic, almost
wingless. Flowering in May-June.
Large trunks have been cut £or
poles. The wood is used £or smok-
ing salmon. Thinlea£ alder with
the larger willows commonly forms
thickP.ts along streams in central
and southern Alaska. Interior
Alaska £rom Yukon River valley
south to base o£ Alaska Peninsula
at Katmai, Kenai Peninsula, and
Copper River valley. Also north end
o£ southeast Alaska £rom vicinity
o£ Juneau to Glacier Bay. North
Tongass and Chugach National
Forests. Glacier Bay and Katmai
National Monuments. Alaska and
Yukon Territory southeast to south-
western Saskatchewan and south in
mountains to New Mexico and Cali-
fornia.
By some authors this alder o£
western North America is treated
146
as a variety or subspecies o£ Euro-
pean speckled alder (Alnus incana
(L.) Moench), o£ Eurasia. It is
closely related also to speckled al-
der (A. rugosa (Du Roi) Spreng.),
o£ eastern Canada and Northeast-
ern United States, which also has
been united with the Old World
species.
MISTLETOE FAMILY
(Loranthaceae)
Parasitic dwar£ shrubs on woody
plants, with jointed brittle stems,
brown, yellow, or green. Leaves
opposite, small or reduced to scales.
Flowers small, male and female on
different plants ( dioecious) , calyx
2--6-parted, corolla none, stamens
as many as parts o£ calyx, pistil
with 1-celled inferior ovary and
stigma. Fruit a berry, often sticky.
Only 1 species in Alaska.
55. HEMLOCK
DWARF-MISTLETOE
( Arceuthobium tsugense
(Rosend.) G. N. Jones)
Other names: dwarf -mistletoe;
Arceuthobium campylopodum En-
gel:gt. £. tsugense (Rosen d.) Gill.
Parasitic dwarf shrub on twigs,
lower branches, and trunks o£ hem-
lock trees, greenish to reddish or
brownish, usually inconspicuous,
hairless. Stems slightly fleshy, o£
short thick angled joints enlarged
at nodes, brittle. Male plants 1¥2-
4 in. (4-10 em.) h1gh, much
branched; female plants smaller,
less branched. Leaves reduced to
paired brownish scales 7{6 in. (1.5
mm.) long, joined at base in ring
around twig.
Flowers minute, paired and stalk-
less or nearly so at sides o£ twig;
male flowers less than Ys in. ( 3
mm.) broad, yellowish, with 3-4
Figure 54.-Thinleaf alder (Alnus te-
nui/olia), natural size. Male and fe-
male catkins at upper right.
147
sepals and 3-4 stamens; female
flowers about Yl_6 in. (1.5 mm.)
broad, with 2 persistent sepals and
pistil with inferior ovary and style.
Fruit an elliptic· flattened bluish
berry Ys-%6 ·in~ (3-5 mm.) long
on curved stalk,. with mucilaginous
or stickyc flesh, discharging or
shooting the sticky seed suddenly
with force to about 20 ft. ( 6' m.)
distance. Flowering in August-
September, fruit maturing the fol-
lo'Ying September. .
"The deformed branches of in-
fected trees, including witches-
brooms (dense broomlike masses),
swollen limbs, and swollen twigs,
aid in recognition. However,
these symptoms may have other
causes. Also, there are cup scars
after the limbs die back. Large
burls or swellings are formed by
trunk infections.
Hemlock dwarf-mistletoe is
Alaska's only parasitic woody plant
and sole example of the mistletoe
family. Largely confined to hem~
locks, as the scientific name sug-
gests. Western hemlock (Tsuga
heterophylla) is the commonest
host. However, this species occurs
also on mountain hemlock (Tsuga
mertensiana) and very rarely on
Sitka spruce ( Picea sitchensis).
Southward it has been found on
pines, firs, and other kinds of
spruces.
This parasite is of considerable
economic importance in southeast
Alaska, though estimates of the
damage are not available. Growth
of hemlocks is slowed somewhat,
but the trees are not killed. Many
old -growth stands are infected,
while others are not. Control
measures have been undertaken
on the National Forests. Prac-
tical control is by clearcutting in-
fected stands. To remove the seed
source of the parasite and to be
effective, the infected understory
plants down to about 6 ft. (2 m.)
high must be cut. Elsewhere, the
slash is sometimes burned.
148
Generally distributed through
coastal forests of southeast Alaska,
common but seldom noticed or
collected. On mainland and is-
lands north to Juneau and Haines
at altitudes up to about 500 ft. ( 152
m.), to 1,100 ft. (335 m.) on Chi-
chagof Island. South Tongass
and North Tongass National For-
ests. Southeast Alaska south in
coastal forests to Oregon and to
Sierra Nevada in central Cali-
fornia. Haines (latitude 59° 13'
N.) is the northernmost known lo-
cality of the mistletoe family not
only in North America but appar-
ently in the world.
GOOSEBERRY FAMILY
( Grossulariaceae)
One genus, Ribes, occurs in Alas-
ka, containing both gooseberries (2
species) and currants ( 5 species).
Shrubs with erect, spreading, or
prostrate branches. Leaves alter-
nate, palmately veined and palm-
ately lobed, frequently with gland-
ular hairs. Twigs with or without
prickles and spines, angled, with
papecy shedding bark; pith po-
rous or spongy. Flowers usually in
racep1es, but occasionally solitary,
borne on side shoots with 1 or 2
leaves at base, small; tubular base
with 5 sepals larger and more con-
spicuous than the 5 scalelike petals;
stamens 5 ; pistil with inferiqr 1-
celled ovary and 2 styles. Fruit a
many-seeded berry with dried re-
mains of flower at tip.
Species with spines or prickles
on their stems are usually called
gooseberries and those with un-
armed branches, currants. Both
groups are utilized for making
jams and jellies. The gooseberry
family is sometimes included in
the closely related saxifrage fam-
ily ( Saxifragaceae).
Figure 55.-Hemlock dwarf-mistletoe
(Arceuthobium tsugense), natural
size. Plant with male flowers at Jeft;
plant with female flowers in center;
plant with fruits at right.
Key to the Alaska Species
A. Stems armed with spines and prickles; leaves small, less than 2 in. (5
em.) long ------------56. swamp gooseberry (Ribes laoustre)
AA. Stems unarmed; leaves larger, more than 2 in. (5 em.) long.
B. Ovary and fruit with resin dots.
C. Racemes 6-12 in. (15-30 em.) long, with 20-40 flowers; sepals
greenish, fruit with white to bluish bloom; twigs coarse,
YsJ,4 in. (3-6 mm.) in diameter, brownish, sheddmg bark;
leaves longer than broad, underside with resin glands ___ _
------------------57. stink currant. (Ribes braoteosum)
CC. Racemes 3 in. ( 8 em.) long, 6-12 flowered; sepals whitish; fruit
black without bluish bloom; twigs slender, :14 in. (6 mm.) or
less in diameter, gray with black spots, smooth; leaves
broader than long, underside without resin glands _____ _
--------58. northern black currant. (Ribes hudsonianum)
BB. Ovary and fruit without resin dots, often with stalked glands.
D. Berries with stalked glands, red or black to dark blue; sepals
green, white, or light pink; flower racemes ascending; leaves
5-lobed, divided to middle.
149
E. Berries red, sepals white to pink, without hairs; twigs fine,
less than lh in. (3 rom.) in diameter------------------
--------------59. skunk currant (Ribes glandulosum)
EE. Berries black to dark blue; sepals green to white, with hairs
on back; twigs coarse, more than lh in. ( 3 rom.) in
diameter ___ 60. trailing black currant (Ribeslawiflorum)
DD. Berries smooth, without stalked glands, red; sepals reddish;
flower racemes dropping, leaves mostly 3-lobed, occasionally
with pair of smaller lobes at base, not divided to middle
----------------61. .American red currant (Ribes triste)
56. SWAMP GOOSEBERRY
. (Ribes lacustre (Pers.) Poir.)
Other names : prickly currant,
swamp currant, swamp black cur-
rant, bristly black currant, Ribes
owycanthoides var. lacustre Pers.,
R. echinatum Dougl.
Usually a spreading shrub some-
times erect, 2-4 ft. ( 3-12 dm.)
tall, with spiny twigs and deeply
dissected leaves with skunklike
odor. Blades 1¥2-2 in. ( 3.5-5 em.)
long and 1¥2-2 in. ( 4-5 em.) wide,
5-lobed and divided %-% to mid-
rib, the lower pair of lobes smaller,
each lobe again dissected into sev-
eral rounded teeth. Petioles %-
1¥2 in. (2-4 em.) long, with bristly
hairs. Twigs yellowish brown,
densely to sparsely covered with
sharp spines, lh-%6 in. (3-5 mm.)
long with a few larger spines at
nodes.
Flowers 6-15 on a drooping ra-
ceme, sepals light green to purplish,
oval, lh in. (2.5-3 mm.) long, cov-
ered with gland-tipped hairs.
Fruit a berry 14-%6 in. ( 6-8 mm.)
in diameter, black to dark purple,
bristly with gland tipped hairs.
Flowering in June, fruit ripening
in August.
Swamp gooseberry is an occa-.
sional shrub with white spruce and
Sitka spruce in the interior and
coastal forests. Because of the oc-
currence in isolated clumps and
commonly low production and the
skunklike odor, the bristly berries
are infrequently used for making
jellies and jams.
150
Along rivers of the interior, in
the Cook Inlet-Kenai Peninsula
area as far west as Naknek Lake in
Katmai National Monument, and
along the coast of southeastern
Alaska. South Tongass, North
Tongass, and Chugach National
Forests, Glacier Bay and Katmai
National Monuments. Alaska,
eastward to James Bay, southern
Labrador, and Newfoundland,
south to Pennsylvania, Tennessee,
Minnesota, Colorado, and Califor-
nia. Also in isolated locations in
eastern Asia and northern Japan.
Canada gooseberry ( Ribes oxy-
canthoides L.) has been recorded
from 2 localities in south-central
Alaska. This spiny shrub resem-
bles swamp gooseberry somewhat
but has flowers and fruits single or
paired along the stem. The berries
are edible but sour. Also from Yu-
kon 'Thrritory to Hudson Bay,
south to Michigan and Montana.
57. STINK CURRANT
( Ribes bracteosum Dougl.)
Other name : blue currant.
Erect to spreading shrub, 3-8 ft.
(1-2.5 m.) tall, with large leaves
and long racemes of flowers and
fruits, and sweet, rather disagree-
able odor. Leaf blades 3-8 in.
(7.5-20 em.) long and slightly
broader, 5-7 lobed, lobes toothed
at edge and short-pointed at tip,
underside dotted with tiny resm
Figure 56.-Swamp gooseberry (Ribes lacustre), one-bali natural size. Fruits at
center; winter twigs at right.
glands. Petioles variable in
length, from shorter to much
longer than blade. Twigs coarse,
those of previous year to ~ in. ( 6
mm.) in diameter, brown to gray-
ish, often with shredded bark;
buds large and red.
Flowers in long erect to ascend-
ing racemes 6-12 in. ( 15-30 em.)
long with 20-40 flowers; stalks
slender, to% in. (1 em.) long, with
leaflike bract at base often exceed-
ing the stalk, sepals white or green-
ish, often with purple tinge,
spreading, Ys in. (3-4 mm.) long;
ovary conspicuously glandular.
Fruit a spherical berry % in. ( 1
em.) in diameter, glandular, with
white to bluish bloom and fetid
odor. Flowering in May and June,
fruit ripening in late July and
August. .
Stink currant occurs commonly ·
with alder in openings in coastal
spruce hemlock forests and in dis-
turbed wet places along roadsides.
In spite of the strong odor, Indians
along the coast consume the fruits
after mixing with salmon roe and
storing for the winter.
151
Coastal Alaska as far north as
Prince William Sound. South
Tongass, North Tongass, and Chu-
gach National Forests, Glacier
Bay National Monument. From
Alaska south along the coast to
northwestern California.
152
Figure 57.-Stink currant (Ribe11 brac-
teo§J'm), one-half natnral size.
58. NORTHERN BLACK
CURRANT
( Ribes hudsonianum
Richards.)
Other name: Hudson Bay cur-
rant.
Usually an erec~ shrub 3-6 ft.
(1-2 m.) tall but northward often
prostrate and spreading, 1-3 ft.
( 3-9 dm.) tall, with strong, rather
unpleasant odor when leaves or
berries are crushed. Leaf blades
3-4 in. (8-10 em.) wide and 2-3
• t
in. (5-8 em.) long, broadly 3-lobed
about Ya to midvein, lobes sharply
toothed at edge, with resin dots
and scattered hairs on lower sur-
face; petioles about % as long as
blade. Twigs gray and shmy,
scattered with small black glands
or short black hairs. Buds red,
Ys-14 in. ( 3-6 mm.) long hairless,
on short stalks.
Flowers 6-12 in short racemes
2-3 in. (5-8 em.) long; sepals
white, triangular, elongate, Ys-%6
in. ( 3-5 mm.) long; ovary resin
dotted. Fruit an oval berry, black,
usually with resin dots but without
bloom, bitter. Flowering in June
and July, fruits ripening in July
and August.
Northern black currant is a
common shrub of boreal forests
Figure 58.-Northern black currant
(Ribes hudsonianum), one-half nat·
ural size. Flowers at upper left; win-
ter twig center.
in spruce, birch, and aspen types.
Near treeline it grows with alders.
The berries are not utilized be-
cause of their bitter taste.
Primarily an interior species but
reaching the coast at Seward,
Prince William Sound, and in the
vicinity of Haines and Juneau.·
One collection has been made at
Hyder, an inland location in ex-
treme southeastern Alaska. North
to south slopes of the Brooks Range
and west to lower Yukon and
Kuskokwim Rivers. North Ton-
gass, South Tongass, and Chugach
National Forests, Mt. McKinley
National Park, Kenai National
Moose Range. Alaska east to Hud-
son Bay, south to Minnesota, Utah,
and Oregon. A closely related
species occurs in eastern Asia.
153
59. SKUNK CURRANT
( Ribes glandulosum Grauer)
Other names : fetid currant,
Ribes prostratum I..'Her ..
Low shrub 2--3 ft. ( 0.6-0.9 m.)
high with sprawling or reclining
branches and strong fetid odor.
Leaf blades 1-3 in. (2.5-'7 em.)
long and slightly broader, divided
154
Figure 59.-Skunk currant (Ribes
glandulosum), one-half natural size.
Winter twig at left.
nearly-"to middle into 5 lobes, the
lower pair smaller. Petioles about
equal to blade, with a few bristle-
like hairs near base. Twigs smooth
and grayish, becoming brown and
with shredded bark with age. Buds
14-% in. (6-10 mm.) long, red-
dish, with fine white hairs at tip
of scales.
Flowers 10-20 in erect racemes,
3-4 in. ('7.5-10 em.) long that droop
when the fruit ripens, individual
flower and fruit stalks (pedicels)
%6-%6 in. (5-8 mm.) long with
gland-tipped hairs; sepals spread-
mg, white to pinkish, rounded, ~6
in. (2 mm.) long; ovary with
gland-tipped hairs. Fruits bristly
red berries 14 in. ( 6 mm.) in diam-
Figure 60.-Traillng black currant (Ri-
bes laxiflorum), one-half natural size.
Fruits and winter twig at upper right.
eter, with gland-tipped hairs.
Flowering in June, berries ripen-
ing in late July and early August.
Skunk currant has a scattered
distribution in interior Alaska,
most commonly in disturbed areas
beside roads and adjacent to
cleared fields. In spite of its
strong "odor, it makes excellent
jelly.
Locally abundant in interior
Alaska at Fairbanks and Manley
Hot Springs, south to Bristol Bay
and Kenai Peninsula. Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park. Alaska to
southern British Columbia and
east across Canada to Hudson Bay,
Labrador, and Newfoundland,
south in mountains to North Caro-
lina and to Wisconsin and Minne-
sota.
60. TRAILING BLACK
CURRANT
(Ribes laxiflorum Pursh)
Usually a low spreading shrub
with branches running along the
ground but sometimes vinelike and
climbing on erect shrubs. Leaf
blades 2¥2-3 in. ( 6-8 em.) long
and 3-4 in. (7-10 em.) across, di-
vided into 5 deep, triangular lobes
doubly toothed along ·edge with
sharp or rounded teeth, lower sur-
face light ·green with small yellow
glands near base. Petiole 2-3 in.
(5-7.5 em.) long. Twigs yellow
brown and hairy when young,
stout, Ys-%6 (3-5 mm.) in diam-
eter, becoming dark brown and
155
slightly fissured. Buds 14-%6 in.
(6-8 mm.) long, light to dark red,
hairy on surface and edges.
Flowers 10-20 in a raceme 4-6
in. (10-14 em.) long; sepals ¥s in.
(3 mm.) long, greenish white, red
or dark purple, broadly triangular
and rounded at tip; with gland-
tipped hairs on ovary and pedicel
14 in. (6-8 mm.) long. Fruits
black berries ¥2-% in. ( 12-15 mm.)
in diameter with bluish bloom and
gland-tipped hairs on surface, with
fetid odor when crushed. Flower-
ing in early to late May at the time
of leafing, fruits ripening in late
July to early August.
Trailing black currant is pri-
marily a low spreading shrub of
disturbed ground, open meadows,
cutover forest land, and dense
spruce-hemlock forests of coastal
Alaska. In Oregon and Washing-
ton, this shrub may become vine-
like and reach heights of 20 ft. ( 6
m.) , but in Alaska it is seldom
more than 4 ft. ( 1.2 m.) high.
From Susitna Valley and Kenai
Peninsula southwest along coast.
South Tongass, North Tongass,
and Chugach National Forests,
Glacier Bay National Monument,
Kenai National Moose Range. East
to Alberta and Idaho and south to
California.
61. AMERICAN RED
CURRANT
( Ribes triste Pall.)
Other name: northern red cur-
rant.
Low spreading shrub with
bright red berries, branches pros-
trate and frequently rooting at
nodes, sometimes erect to 2-3 ft.
( 6-9 dm.) high. Leaf blades 4 in.
(10 em.) long and 2-3 in. (5-8
em.) broad but along coast becom-
156
ing somewhat larger (10 x 4 in.
or 25 x 10 em.), usually 3-lobed
but often with pair of small lobes
near base, lobes broadly triangu-
lar and coarsely toothed along
edges. Petiole ¥2-% as long as
blade. Young twigs smooth and
light brown but soon becoming
shredded and reddish brown, a
characteristic feature in winter.
Buds dark red, %6 -14 in. (5-6
mm.) long.
Flowers 6-20 on a drooping
raceme 2-4 in. (5-10 em.) long;
sepals rounded, 7{ 6 in. ( 2 mm.)
long, purplish, inconspicuous.
Fruit a translucent red berry 14-
% in. (6-10 mm.) in diameter,
smooth, sour. Flowering in May
and early June before or with the
leaves, fruit ripening in August.
American red currant is a rather
common shrub in the white spruce
and paper birch forests of the in-
terior of Alaska. North and west
of the treeline, it is found in wil-
low and alder thickets in protected
ravines. In southeast Alaska, it
grows only at the heads of some
of the fiords usually in association
with alder thickets. American red
currant closely resembles the com-
mercially grown currants and is
widely_..used in Alaska for jellies
and jams as well as eaten raw.
Motltly within the boreal forests
of Alaska but occasionally grow-
ing beyond the treeline as at Umiat
on the north slope of the Brooks
Range, extending to the 'Bering
Sea at Norton Sound. In south-
east Alaska at head of Lynn Canal
in the vicinity of Haines and
Skagway. Chugach National For-
est, Katmai National Monument,
Mt. McKinley National Park,
Kenai National Moose Range.
East across Canada to Labrador
and Newfoundland, south to West
Virginia, Minnesota, South Da-
kota, and Oregon. Also in north-
eastern Asia.
Figure 61.-American red currant (Ribes triste), one-half natural size. Flowering
twig at upper left; winter twig at right.
ROSE FAMILY
(Rosaceae)
The rose family (Rosaceae) is
well represented in Alaska by 22
species and 10 genera of woody
plants among the State's 65 native
species. Distinguishing characters
are as follows: ( 1) leaves alter-
nate, simple or pinnately or palm-
ately compound, with paired stip-
ules; (2) flowers regular, often
large and showy or small and
many, with cuplike base, 5 sepals
mostly persistent, 5 petals mostly
white or less commonly pink, pur-
ple, or yellow, many stamens, and
usually 1 pistil with 2-5-celled
ovary (often inferior) and 2-5
styles (sometimes many simple
pistils); and (3) fruit variable,
like an apple (pome) or plum
(drupe), aggregate of many 1-
seeded fruits ("berry"), or many
separate fruits. Numerous wild
and cultivated fruits and orna-
mental plants belong to this family.
Several native genera produce
fruits edible to mankind as well as
157
wildlife, for example, service-
berry ( Amelanohier), crab apple
(Malus) , raspberry (Rubus), and
strawberry (Fragaria). Others,
such as mountain -ash ( S O'J'bus) ,
mountain-avens (Dryas), and spi-
rea (Spiraea) are ornamentals.
Rose (Rosa) is both ornamental
and edible, rose hips being a good
source of vitamin C.
Four native species of the rose
family and another naturalized
species become small trees in
Alaska. All belong to the apple
sub-family and have juicy or mealy
fruits resembling small apples.
These species are Pacific service-
berry (Amelanohier florida), Ore-
gon crab apple (Malus diversi-
folia), Greene mountain-ash (Sor-
bus soopulina), Sitka mountain-
ash ( S or bus sitohensis) , and the
naturalized European mountain-
ash ( Sorbus auouparia) .
62. PACIFIC NINEBARK
(Physocarpus capitatus
(Pursh) Kuntze)
Other name: Physooarpus opuli-
folius (L.) Maxim. var. tomentellus
(Ser.) Boivin.
Spreading to erect deciduous
shrub 3-16 ft. (1-5 m.) high.
Leaves alternate, with narrow
paired sti pules less than 14 in. ( 6
mm.) long, shedding early, and
slender petioles ¥2-114 in. (1.2-3
em.) long. Blades ovate to heart-
shaped, 114-3 in. (3-7.5 em.) long
and wide, palmatelY," 3-5 lobed
about half to midrib, the lobes
short-pointed and irregularly or
double toothed, above dark green
with sparse star-shaped hairs or
hairless, beneath paler and often
with star-shaped hairs. Twigs
angled, hairless or with minute
star-shaped hairs. Bark peeling
and shedding in long strips (hence
the common name) , exposing the
orange-brown inner bark.
158
Flower clusters ( corymbs) ter-
minal, much-branched, flattened,
1¥2-2 in. ( 4--5 em.) across. Flow-
ers white, nearly Y2 in. (12 mm.)
across, composed of greenish cup-
shaped base (hypanthium), 5 long-
pointed light green persistent sepals
¥s in. ( 3 mm.) long, with star-
shaped hairs, 5 white rounded pet-
als about %6 in. (5 mm.) long,
about 30 stamens as long as petals
or longer and 3-5 pistils slightly
united at base with 1-celled ovary
hairless or nearly so, 2--4 ovules,
and slender style. Fruits 3-5 pod-
like (follicles) , 14-% in. ( 6-10
mm.) long, egg-shaped, swollen,
ending in long-pointed style, light
brown, opening on 2 lines, persist-
ent in winter. Seeds 2--4, more
than 7{6 in. (2 mm.) long, pear-
shaped, shiny, light brown. Col-
lected with flowers and fruit in
July and August.
Moist soil, streambanks, near
coast, probably uncommon and
local. Extreme southeast Alaska,
collected at Kazan, Nawashy, and
Le Conte Bay. South Tongass
National Forest. Southeast Alaska
south in lower mountain slopes to
western Washington, western Ore-
gon, and central and southern Cali-
fornia, also in northern Idaho.
Plants of related species are
grown lis ornamentals.
~SPIREA (Spiraea)
Deciduous shrubs with alternate
simple small leaves, short petioles,
and blades with toothed edges,
without stipules. Flowers many
in much-branched terminal clusters,
small, with cup-shaped base (hy-
panthium), 5 persistent sepals, 5
rounded white or pink petals,
many stamens, and mostly 5 dis-
tinct pistils . composed of 1-celled
ovary, 2-several ovules, and slender
persistent style. Fruits mostly 5
podlike (follicles), splitting open
on 1 line, containing 2-several mi-
nute seeds.
Figure 62.-Pacifi.c ninebark (Physo-
. carpus capitatus), one-half natural
size.
Key to the 2 Alaska Species
Flower clusters flat-topped to half round, petals white; leaves rounded
at both ends, with edges mostly toothed nearly to base ------------
----------------------63. Beauverd spirea (Spiraea beawverrlia'IUt)
Flower clusters conic, much longer than broad, petals pink to rose; leaves
short-pointed to rounded at both ends, with edges toothed in upper
half ----------------------64. Douglas spirea (Spiraea aouglasii)
63. BEAUVERD SPIREA
(Spiraea beauverdiana
Schneid.)
Other name: Alaska spirea.
Small much-branched deciduous
shrub 1-2 (4) ft. (3-6 (12) dm.)
high. Leaves with short petioles
lf1 6 in. (2 mm.) long. Blades ellip-
tic to ovate, %-2 in. ( 1.5-5 . em.)
long, %-1:14 in. (1-3 em.) wide,
rounded at both ends, edges sharp-
ly toothed nearly to base (some-
times almost without teeth) , above
dull green and hairless or nearly so,
beneath paler and often finely
hairy. Twigs slender, purplish
brown, hairy when young, after-
wards outer bark shedding in long
thin strips. Buds about lf1 6 in. (2
mm.) long, of few slightly hairy
scales.
Flower clusters ( corymbs or
headlike) terminal, flattened to half
round, %, -1¥2 in. ( 2--4 em.) across.
Flowers many, crowded, short-
stalked, small, about 1,4, in. ( 6 mm.)
across, with 5 triangular sepals
bent down, 5 white petals (or rose-
tinged in center, pink in bud) lf1 6
in. (2 mm.) long, many white sta-
mens more than twice as long as
petals, and 5 pistils. Fruits usu-
ally 5 podlike (follicles) less than
Ys in. ( 3 mm.) Ion~, shiny brown,
finely hairy, con taming 2-several
narrow seeds, persistent in winter.
Flowering June-August, with ma-
ture fruits July-September.
A variable spemes. Plants at
high altitudes are dwarfed (often
less than 8 in. (2 dm.) high) with
small leaves and were named a
separate variety ( var. stevenii
Schneid.; S. stevenii (Schneid.)
Rydb.) This species honors Gus-
tave Beauverd (186'7-1942), Swiss
botanist.
Common in tundra, swamps,
black spruce muskegs, and forests,
from lowland to alpine. Almost
159
throughout Alaska except extreme
north, Aleutian Islands, and south-
east part. Chugach and North
Tongass National Forests, Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park, Katmai
National Monument, Kenai Na-
160
Figure §.3.-Beauverd spirea (Spiraea
beau11erdiana), natural size. Winter
twig with old fruits at right.
t
tional Moose Range, Kodiak. N a-
tiona! Wildlife Refuge, Arctic
National Wildlife Range. Also
Yukon Territory, District of Mac-
kenzie, and northeastern Asia.
64. DOUGLAS SPIREA
(Spiraea douglasii Hook.)
Other names : Menzies spirea;
Spiraea menziesii Hook., S. doug-
lasii var. menziesii (Hook.) Presl
and ssp. menziesii (Hook.) Calder
& Taylor.
Erect deciduous shrub 3-5 ft.
( 1-1.5 m.) high. Leaves with
short hairy petioles about Ys in.
(3 mm.) long. Blades elliptic to
oblong, 1~-3 in. (3-7.5 em.) long
and %-1 ~ in. ( 1-3 em.) wide,
Figure 64.-Douglas spirea (Spiraea
douglasii), natural size.
short-pointed to rounded at both
ends, edges sharply toothed in
upper half, above dark green and
usually hairless, beneath pale green
and sometimes hairy. Twigs slen-
der, reddish brown, with fine soft
hairs when young, sometimes near-
ly hairless, becoming dark brown
and hairless. Buds lft 6 in. (2
mm.) long, scaly, white hairy to-
ward apex.
161
Flower clusters (panicles) ter-
minal, 11;2-6 in. ( 4-15 em.) long,
conic, several times as long as
broad, mostly finely hairy. Flow-
ers many, crowded, short-stalked,
small, ~ in. ( 6 mm.) across, with
5 triangular sepals bent down, 5
pink to rose petals, round to obo-
vate, YI_6 in. (2 mm.) long, many
pink to rose stamens, and 5 pistils.
Fruits 5 podlike (follicles) Ys in.
(3 mm.) long, shiny brown, hair-
less or nearly so, containing 2 to
several narrow seeds, persistent in
winter. Collected in flower in July
and August, with mature fruits in
September.
Moist soil, especially borders of
streams and lakes. Ketchikan and
elsewhere in extreme southeastern
Alaska. South Tongass National
Forest. Southeast Alaska alon,g
coast and inland to northern Cali-
fornia, eastern Oregon, and central
Idaho.
Named for the discoverer, David
Douglas (1798-1834), Scotch bo-
tanical explorer. Plants of Alaska
and adjacent coast of British Co-
lumbia have been accepted also as
a separate species, Menzies spirea
(Spiraea menziesii Hook.), later
reduced to a variety.
65. LUETKEA
(Luetkea pectinata (Pursh}
Kuntze}
Other names: partridge-foot,
meadow -spirea.
Creeping and mat-forming her-
baceous undershrub with prostrate
stems and erect leafy stems 2-6 in.
(5-15 em.) high. Leaves crowded
at base, alternate above, bright
green, hairless, less than 1 in. (2.5
em.) long, twice divided into 3 nar-
row pointed divisions.
Flower clusters (racemes) at top
of erect leafy stems, to 2 in. ( 5 em.)
long, bearing many small short-
162
stalked flowers %6 in. ( 8 mm.)
across. Flowers composed of half-
round base, 5 pointed sepals, 5
rounded spreading white petals,
about 20 stamens united at base,
and usually 5 pistils. Fruits 5
podlike (follicles) with several
minute seeds. Flowering J nne-
September, fruit maturing July-
September.
Common, forming mats or car-
pets in alpine meadows near snow
in mountains. On rocky peaks to
4,900 ft. ( 1,500 m.) altitude in
Juneau Ice Field. Reported to be
suitable for planting in rock
gardens.
Through southeast and southern
Alaska west to Kodiak Island and
Alaska Peninsula and north to
Alaska Range. South Tongass,
North Tongass, and Chugach
National Forests, Glacier Bay
and Katmai National Monuments.
Alaska and Yukon Territory south
in mountains to Alberta, Idaho, and
California.
This genus of a single species was
dedicated to Friedrich P. Llitke
(1797-1882), Russian admiral and
geographer who visited Alaska in
1827 on his voyage around the
world.
66. OREGON CRAB APPLE
(MI.llus diversifolia (Bong.}
Roem.)
Other names: western crab ap-
ple, wild crab apple, Malus fusca
(Raf.) Schneid., M. rivularis
(Dougl.) Roem., Pyrus diversifolia
Bong., Pyrus fusca Raf.
Deciduous small tree to 25ft. (7.5
m.) high, with usually several
trunks to 5 in. ( 12.5 em.) in di-
ameter, much branched, or a shrub
forming thickets. Leaves with
slender petioles 1-2 in. (2.5-5 em.)
long, ovate, elliptic, or lance-shaped,
11;2-4 in. (4-10 em.) long, short-
Figure 65.-Luetkea (Luetlcea pectinata), natural size.
pointed, sharply toothed and some-
times slightly 3-lobed toward apex,
shiny green and becoming hairless
above, beneath pale and usually
slightly hairy. Twigs hairy when
young, becoming red and shmy and
later brown or gray, the side twigs
or spurs short and spinelike. Win-
ter buds very small, 7i 6 in. ( 1.5
mm.) long, rounded, brown, com-
posed of many scales. Bark gray,
smooth to slightly scaly, thin.
Wood light brown, heavy, hard,
fine-textured.
Flower clusters (cymes) with
slender stalks bearing several to
many flowers% inch (2 em.) broad,
composed of 5 pointed hairy sepals,
5 rounded white or pink petals, 20
stamens, and pistil with inferior
2-4-celled ovary and 2-4 styles.
Fruit oblong, like a small apple
( pome) ; ¥2-% in. ( 12-20 mm.)
long, yellow or red, with thin sour
flesh and 2-4 papery lined cells,
each with 1 or 2large seeds. Flow-
ering in June, fruit maturing
August-October.
163
Figure 66.-0regon crab apple (Malus
diversifolia), natural size. Winter
twigs at right.
Where the trees are sufficiently
large, the wood is suitable for tool
. handles. It is also used for smoking
salmon but less commonly than
alder wood. The crab apples were
eaten by the Indians and are used
in jellies and preserves.
Commonly a shrub forming
thickets or a slow-growing small
tree scattered to plentiful on beach
meadow and muskeg fringes, river
164
bottoms, low slopes, and heavy wet
soils along the Pacific coast of
southeast and southern Alaska.
From southern end north to Haines
and Skagway at Lynn Canal, also
at Yakutat and from Prince Wil-
liam Sound southwest to end of
Kenai Peninsula. South Tongass,
North Tongass, and Chugach Na-
tional Forests. Alaska and south-
ward near coast to Washing-
ton, Oregon, and northwestern
California.
MOUNTAIN-ASH (Sorbus)
Deciduous shrubs and small trees
with stout twigs and large buds
with overlapping scales. Leaves
Figure 67 .-Greene mountain-ash (Sor-
bus scopulina), one-half natural size.
Winter twig at right.
alternate, with paired stipules at-
tached to petiole, pinnate with 7-
17 toothed leaflets paired except at
end. Flower clusters ( corymbs)
terminal, much branched, showy.
Flowers many, small, white, com-
posed of calyx of 5 triangular per-
sistent sepals, 5 white mostly
rounded petals, 15-20 stamens, and
pistil with inferior 2-5-celled ovary,
2 ovules in each cell, and 2-5 styles.
Fruits like a small red apple
(pome) with calyx at apex, 2-4-
celled with 1-2 flattened seeds in
each cell. Alaska has 3 native
species, 2 of which become sma:ll
trees, and 1 introduced and natural-
ized tree species.
165
Key to the 4 Alaska Species
Leaflets 9 or 11 or more, oblong or elliptic, short-pointed or rounded at
apex.
Leaflets mostly 11-15, oblong, short-pointed, edges toothed nearly to
base. ·
Leaflets becoming hairless; shrub or rarely small tree --------------
-------~--------67. Greene mountain-ash (Sorbus soopulina)
Leaflets white-hairy beneath; naturalized tree --------------------
--------------68. European mountain-ash (Sorbus auouparia)
Leaflets mostly 9 or 11, elliptic, rounded or short-pointed at apex, edges
not toothed in lowest third --------------------------------
------------------69. Sitka mountain-ash (Sorbus sitohensis)
Leaflets mostly 7 or 9, lance-shaped, long-pointed (westernmost Aleutian
Islands) --------70. Siberian mountain-ash (Sorbus sambuoifolia)
67. GREENE
MOUNTAIN-ASH
(Sorbus scopulina Greene)
Other names: western mountain-
ash; Sorbus alaska;na G. N. Jones
not Hollick, S. andersonii G. N.
Jones, Pyrus soopulina (Greene)
Longyear.
Deciduous shrub 3-13 ft. (1-4
m.) high, rarely becoming a small
tree to 20 ft. ( 6 m.) high and 4 in.
(10 em.) d.b.h. Leaves pinnate, 4-9
in. (10-23 em.) long, with paired,
very narrow hairless stipules ~-%
in. (6-10 rom.) long. Leaflets 11-
15, stalkless, oblong-lanceolate, 1~-
2¥2 in. ( 3-6 em.) long and %-%
in. ( 1-2 em.) wide, unequal and
rounded at base, short-or long-
pointed at apex, edges sharply
toothed almost to base, becoming
hairless, above shiny dark green,
beneath slightly paler. Twigs with
whitish hairs when young, with
scattered elliptic dots (lenticels).
Buds conical, dark reddish brown,
inner scales with whitish hairs.
Bark gray, smooth.
Flower clusters ( corymbs) ter-
166
minal, rounded, 1~-3 in. (3-7.5
em.) broad, bearing on whitish
hairy stalks many fragrant flowers
% in. (1 em.) across, composed of
5 minute triangular sepals, 5 elliptic
petals %6 in. (5 rom.) long, many
stamens, and pistil with inferior
hairy 3-4-celled ovary and 3-4
styles. Fruits fewer than 25, like
a small apple (pome), round, less
than % in. (10 rom.) in diameter,
bright shiny red, bitter, with few
elliptk.brown seeds more than ¥s
in. (3 rom.) long, persistent in win-
ter. Flowering June-July, matur-
ing ftuits in July.
Openings and clearings in forests.
Central interior Alaska from cen-
tral Yukon River and Bering Sea
south to Katmai, southern, and
southeast Alaska. South Tongass,
North Tongass, and Chugach N a-
tiona! Forests, Katmai National
Monument. Alaska and British
Columbia southeast to Alberta,
South Dakota, New Mexico, and
California.
This shrubby species was ob-
served at Haines as a small tree 20
ft. ( 6 m.) high and can be added
to Alaska's list of trees.
Figure 68.-European mountain-ash
(Sorbus aucuparia), one-half natural
size. Fruits at upper left; winter
twigs at right.
68. EUROPEAN
MOUNTAIN-ASH
( Sorbus aucuparia L.)
Other name: Rowan-tree.
Deciduous small to medium tree
planted as an ornamental in south-
east Alaska and sparingly natural-
ized, 20-40 ft. ( 6-12 m.) tall and 1
ft. (30 em.) in trunk diameter,
with symmetrical rounded crown.
LeavesJ?innate, 4-8 in. (10-20 em.)
long, with paired 3-angled stip-
ules. Leaflets 9-17, oblong or
lance-shaped, 1-2 in. ( 2.5-5 em.)
long, short-pointed, with edges
coarsely toothed except near un-
equal rounded base, dull green and
becoming hairless above, pale and
white-hairy beneath. Young twigs
and winter buds densely white-
hairy or woolly, winter buds con-
ical, %6 -% in. (5-10 mm.) long.
Bark dark gray, smooth, with hori-
zontal lines ( lenticels) , aromatic.
F1ower clusters ( corymbs) ter-
minal rounded, 4-6 in. (10-15 em.)
across, bearing 75-100 flowers on
densely white-hairy stalks. Flowers
% in. (10 mm.) across, composed
of 5 triangular white-hairy sepals,
5 white rounded petals %6 in. (4
mm.) long, many stamens, and
pistil with inferior hairy ovary and
3-4 styles. Fruits many, hke a
small apple (pome), round, % in.
(10 mm.) in diameter, bright red;
167
seeds elliptic, light brown, %6 in.
( 4 nun.) long. Fruits maturing in
August-September.
Planted as an ornamental tree
at Wrangell, Ketchikan, Sitka,
Juneau, and probably other towns
along the coast of southeast Alaska,
where it spreads rapidly from cul-
tivation. Sparingly naturalized
along roads and forming thickets.
The fruits persist into late fall and
early winter and provide food for
birds, such as crossbills, grosbeaks,
and cedar waxwings, which prob-
ably spread the seeds. Numerous
crows can be seen eating the fruits
in trees of southeastern towns also.
Not a true ash, European moun-
tain-ash is the only introduced or
exotic tree to become established
in Alaska and grow as if wild. Its
specific name, meaning to catch
birds, refers to the use of the muci-
laginous fruits by fowlers in mak-
ing birdlime.
Naturalized in southeast Alaska.
Native of Europe and Asia but
widely planted and naturalized in
many places across Canada and
northern contiguous United States.
69. SITKA MOUNTAIN-ASH
(Sorb us sitchensis Roem.)
Other names: western moun-
tain-ash, Pacific mountain-ash.
Deciduous shrub 4-8 ft. (1.2-
2.5 m.) high, or a small tree to 15-
20 ft. ( 4.5-6 m.) high and 6 in. ( 15
em.) in trunk diameter, with hand-
some, round-topped head. In rocky
alpine situations at higher altitudes
it is a low shrub often only 1-2 ft.
( 30-61 em.) high. Leaves pinnate,
4-8 in. (10-20 em.) long, with
paired narrow rusty-hairy sti pules.
Leaflets usually 9 or 11 (sometimes
7 to 13) , elliptic or oblong, 114-
2% in. ( 3-6 em.) long, rounded or
blunt-pointed at apex, with edges
coarsely and sharply toothed above
the middle, dull blue green and
168
hairless above, pale and hairless or
nearly so beneath. Twigs stout,
rusty hairy when young, becoming
gray, with few elliptic dots (lenti-
cels) , with odor and bitter taste of
cherry. Buds oblong, to% in. (12
mm.) long, dull reddish brown,
densely rusty hairy. Bark gray,
smooth. Wood pale brown, light-
weight, fine-textured.
Flower clusters ( corymbs) ter-
minal, rounded, 2-4 in. (5-10 em.)
across, bearing 15-60 flowers on
rusty-hairy stalks. Flowers small,
14 in. ( 6 nun.) across, fragrant,
composed of 5 broadly triangular
hairless sepals, 5 white rounded
petals 14 in. ( 5 mm.) long, many
stamens, and pistil with inferior
hairy ovary and 3--4 styles. Fruits
several to many, like a small apple
(pome), round, %-% in. (10-12
nun.) in diameter, red but becoming
orange and purple, with few elliptic
brown seeds ¥s in. ( 3 nun.) long.
Flowering June-August, fruits ma-
turing in August-September.
Uncommon to rare in forests
from sea level to timberline, Pacific
coast of southeast and southern
Alaska. Throughout southeast
Alaska from Ketchikan and Hyder
north to head of Lynn Canal at
Skagway, west along coast to
Glacier Bay, Yakutat, Prince Wil-
liam -Sound, Cook Inlet, Katmai
Region at base of Alaska Peninsula,
and 'Afognak and Kodiak Islands.
South Tongass, North Tongass, and
Chugach National Forests. Glacier
Bay and Katmai National Monu-
ments. Kenai National Moose
Range. Alaska southeast along
coast to southern British Columbia
and in mountains to Washington,
central California, Nevada, and
northwestern Montana. Reported
from Yukon Territory.
Often cultivated as an orna-
mental north to Anchorage but with
less regular form than European
mountain-ash. Birds eat the fruits.
Sitka mountain-ash is named for
Figure 69.-Sitka mountain-ash (Sor-
bus sitchensis), one-haH natnral size.
Fruits at upper left; winter twig at
upper right.
Sitka, Alaska, where it was dis-
covered. Hybrids with Greene
mountain-ash (Sorbus scopulina
Greene) have heen reported.
70. SIBERIAN
MOUNTAIN-ASH
(Sorbus sambucifolia
(Cham. & Schlecht.) Roem.)
Other names: elder-leaf moun-
tain-ash; Pyrus sambucifolia Cham.
& Schlecht.
Deciduous shrub 2-5 ft. ( 0.6-1.5
m.) high. Leaves pinnate, 2%-5
in. ( 6-12.5 em.) long, with paired
rusty hairy lance-shaped stipules
~in. (3 mm.) long. Leaflets 7 or
9 (11), lance-shaped, 1-1%, in. (2.5-
4.5 em,) long and %-% in. (1-2
em.) wide, usually broadest near
unequal rounded base, gradually
narrowed to long-pointed apex,
edges sharply toothed almost to
base, becoming hairless,. above shiny
green, beneath dull and paler.
Twigs rusty hairy when young, be-
coming gray, with few elliptic whit-
ish dots (lenticels). Buds shiny
reddish brown, sticky, slightly rusty
hairy.
Flower clusters ( corymbs) ter-
minal, rounded, 11M, -2 in. ( 3--5 em.)
wide, bearing 8-15 flowers on
slightly rusty hairy stalks. FJ.ow·
ers %-% in. ( 1-1.5 em.) across,
composed of 5 triangular sepals
hairy on edges, 5 white
rounded petals %6 in. ( 5 mm.)
long, many stamens, and pistil with
inferior hairy 5-celled ovary and 5
styles. Fruits few, like a small
169
Figure 70.-Siberian mountain·ash
(Sorbus sambucifolia), one-half nat-
ural size. Fruits at upper left.
apple (pome), elliptic, %-% in.
(10-15 mm.) in diameter, reddish
with a bloom, with calyx at apex,
containing £ew dark brown seeds
more than Ys in. ( 3 mm.) long.
Flowering in July, £ruits maturing
in August.
The £ruits are described as not
very acid and suitable £or jam.
In Alaska only in 4 o£ western-
most Aleutian Islands (Attu, Bul-
dir, Alaid, Agattu). Aleutian
Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
Asia £rom Kamchatka to Korea
and Japan.
SERVICEBERRY
( Amelanchier)
Deciduous shrubs or small trees.
Leaves alternate, simple, with
paired narrow stipules soon shed-
ding, short petioles, and mostly
small elliptic to oblong blades
mostly rounded at both ends and
coarsely toothed on edges. Buds
oblong or conical, long and narrow,
covered by several overlapping
scales. Flowers several in small
terminal clusters (racemes) appear-
ing with or be£ore the leaves, com-
posed o£ bell-shaped base (hy-
panthium), calyx o£ 5 persistent
lobes-Ur sepals, 5 showy narrow
white petals, 10-20 stamens, and
pistil~ith inferior 2-5-celled ovary
with 2 ovules in each cell and 2-5
styles mostly united at base. Fruit
like a small apple (pome), round,
dark blue or purple, with calyx at
apex, juicy and sweet, containing
4-10 seeds and cells.
Key to the 2 Alaska Species
Leaves nearly round, thick, about as broad as long, hairy beneath when
young; calyx densely hairy when young ------------------------
--------------71. saskatoon serviceberry (.Amelanohier alnifolia)
Leaves elliptic, longer than broad, thin, hairless or nearly so beneath;
calyx hairless or nearly so ------------------------------------
------------------72. Pacific serviceberry (.Amelanchier florida)
170
71. SASKATOON
SERVICEBERRY
(Amelanchier alnijolia
(Nutt.) Nutt.)
Other name: northwestern serv-
iceberry.
Shrub 3-6 ft. (1-2 m.) high
Figure 71.-Saskatoon serviceberry
(Amelanchier alnifolia), one-half nat-
ural size. Winter twig at left.
(small tree to 13 ft. (4 m.) south-
ward). Leaves with slender peti-
oles%-% in. (1-2 em.) long, hairy
when young. Blades nearly round,
%-flh in. (1-4 em.) long, %-114
in. ( 1.5-3 em.) wide, rounded at
both ends with teeth toward apex,
thick and firm, above dark green
and hairless, beneath paler and
hairy when young.
Flower clusters (racemes) 1:14-
2% in. ( 3-6 em.) long. Flowers
5-15, fragrant, %-% in. ( 1.2-2 em.)
broad, composed of calyx of 5 nar-
row lobes, densely woolly when
young, 5 white oblong petals % in.
171
(1 em.) long, about 20 short sta-
mens, and pistil with inferior hairy
5-celled ovary and 5 styles. Fruit
like an apple (pome), rounded,%-
% in. ( 1-1.5 em.) in diameter, pur-
ple or nearly black and covered
with a bloom, sweet, juicy, and
edible, containing several elliptic
flattened brown seeds %6 in. ( 5
mm.) long. Flowering in June,
maturing fruit in July.
A rare shrub in Alaska, growing
on steep dry south-facing bluffs,
usually with aspen and common
juniJ?er. Not abundant enough to
be significant as a wildlife food.
Listed as suitable for ornamental
planting in interior Alaska for the
white flowers and attractive fruits,
spreading freely and forming
thickets.
Interior Alaska along Chitina
and Copper Rivers and the head of
Cook Inlet. Also along Tanana and
central Yukon Rivers as far west
as Galena and it Chilkat River at
northern end of southeast Alaska.
Alaska and Y tlkon Territory east
to western Ontario and Minnesota,
south to Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado,
Utah, and Oregon.
72. PACIFIC SERVICEBERRY
( Amelanchier florida Lindl.)
Other names : western service-
berry, juneberry.
Deciduous shrub or small tree to
16 ft. (5 m.) high and 5 in. (12.5
em.) in trunk diameter. Leaves
longer than broad, elliptic or ob-
long, 1-2 in. (2.5-5 em.) long, %-
1l4 in. ~2-3 em.) wide, rounded at
both ends, coarsely toothed above
middle, thin, dark green and becom-
ing hairless above, pale green and
hairless or nearly so beneath, peti-
oles slender, %-1 in. (1-2.5 em.)
long. Young twigs reddish brown,
becoming hairless. Winter buds
narrow, purplish, of several scales.
172
Bark gray or brown, thin, smooth
or slightly fissured. Wood light
brown, heavy hard, fine-textured.
Flower clusters (racemes) 1%-3
in. (4-7.5 em.) long, erect. Flowers
several, fragrant, about 1 in. (2.5
em.) across, composed of 5 pointed
persistent sepals hairless or nearly
so, 5 white oblong petals %-% in.
(12-15 mm.) long, about 20 sta-
mens, and pistil with inferior hairy
ovary and 5 styles. Fruit like an
apple (pome), rounded, %-% in.
(10-12 mm.) in diameter, purple
and covered with a bloom, sweet,
juicy, and edible, with few dark
brown seeds l4 in. ( 5 mm.) long.
Flowering June-July, maturing
fruit August-September.
The fruits of the 2 native species
of serviceberry are eaten fresh or
prepared in puddings, pies, and
muffins. The dried berries are used
like raisins and currants. Birds
are fond of the fruits.
Forests and openings, Pacific
coast of southeast and southern
Alaska in four separate areas:
Extreme southeastern Alaska north
to Wrangell; northern part of
southeast Alaska from Taku River
to Haines and Skagway at head of
Lyrin Canal; Kenai Peninsula and
Cook Inlet area; and base of Alaska
Peninsula to Wood River Lakes
area nm-th of Dillingham. South
Tongass, North Tongass, and Chu-
gach ; National Forests, Katmai
National Monument, Kenai N a-
tiona! Moose Range. Alaska and
western British Columbia and sou~,h
along coast from western Wash-
ington to northwestern California.
73. BLACK HAWTHORN
( Crataegus douglasii Lindl.)
Deciduous shrub collected in
Alaska only at Hyder at southeast
border, and in the Prince William
Sound area, southward becoming a
:.
Figure 72.-Pacific serviceberry (Amelanchier florida), one-half natural size. Win-
ter twig at right.
small spreading tree 25--40 ft. (7.5-
12 m.) high and 1lh ft. ( 45 em.)
d.b.h. Leaves alternate, with
paired broad, toothed stipules,
slender petioles lh-% in. ( 1.2-2
em.) long, and obovate to ovate thin
blades 1-3 in. ( 2.5-7.5 em.) long
and %-2 in. ( 1.5-5 em.) wide,
broadest toward the short-pointed
apex, base short-pointed sharply
toothed and often slightly lobed,
becoming hairless, above shiny dark
green, paler beneath. Twigs slen-
der hairless shiny reddish, often
with straight or slightly curved
stout red to gray spmes %-1 in.
(1-2.5 em.) long. Bark gray,
smoothish.
Flower clusters ( corymbs) ter-
minal, broad with several flowers
lh in. ( 1.2 em.) across on slender
stalks, composed of greenish base
(hypanthium), 5 long-pointed se-
pals reddish at end, 5 white rounded
spreading petals % in. ( 6 mm.)
long, 10-20 stamens, and pistil with
inferior 2-5-celled ovary and 2-5
styles. Fruits like small apple
( pome) , many in drooping clusters
on long stalks, rounded, lh in. ( 12
mm.) in diameter, shiny black with
calyx persistent at apex, thick light
yellow flesh, sweetish and mealy but
somewhat insipid and usually 5
nutlets % in. ( 6 mm.) long.
Rare and very local in Alaska,
173
collected only at Hyder at southeast
border and in the Prince William
Sound area. Southern and south-
east Alaska and British Colum-
bia and south to Montana, Wy-
oming, Nevada, and California;
also in southwestern Ontario and
Michigan.
RASPBERRY (Rubus}
Shrubs with perennial or bien-
nial stems, perennial herbs, and
trailing vines, mostly with prickles
174
Figure 73.-Biaek hawthorn (Crataegus
douglasii), natural size. Winter twig
and old fruits at left.
or spines on stems and leaves.
Leaves~.alternate, simple and pal-
mately lobed or pinnately or pal-
mately compound with 3-5 toothed
leafletS, with paired stipules at-
tached to base of petiole. Flowers
clustered, often large, composed of
saucerlike to conic base (hypan-
thium), calyx of 5 persistent sepals,
5 white to red petals, many stamens,
and many pistils with 1-celled
ovary, 2 ovules, and style. Fruits
aggregate, composed of usually
many separate drupelets, fleshy,
mostly edible, 1-seeded. Repre-
sented in Alaska by 4 species of
shrubs 2-7 ft. (0.3-2.2 m.) high
and by 3 species of low herbs less
than 1 ft. ( 0.3 m.) , which are
described briefly.
Figure 7 4.-Ameriean red raspberry
(Rubus idaeus var. strigosus), one-
baH natural size. Winter twig at
right.
Key to the 4 Alaska Shrub Species
Leaves compound, with 3 or 5 leaflets; stems often spreading, spiny or
prickly; fruit rounded.
Twigs covered with bristles and prickles; fruit a red raspberry _____ _
------74. American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus var. strigosus)
Twigs with spines or prickles.
Twigs light brown, zigzag, with weak straight rounded prickles;
petals pink to purple; fruit yellow to dark red, edible, almost
tasteless ----------------75. salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)
Twigs whitish, with sto•.1t hooked flattened prickles or spines; petals
white; fruit reddish to black raspberry --------------------
------------76. western black raspberry (Rubus le1.woaermis)
Leaves simple, palmately 3-7 lobed; stems erect, without spines or
prickles; fruit red, half round, edible --------------------------
------------------77. western thimbleberry (Rubus parviflor"U8)
74. AMERICAN RED
RASPBERRY
(Rubus idaeus L. var. strigosus
(Michx.) Maxim.)
Other names: red raspberry,
raspberry; Rubus idaeus ssp. mel-
anolasius (Dieck) Focke, R. idaeus
var. canadensis Richards., R. strig-
osusMichx.
Deciduous bristly shrub 2--4 ft.
(0.6-1.2 m.) high with biennial
stems. Leaves pinnately compound,
2%-7 in. (6-18 em.) long, with very
narrow paired sti pules less than
% in. ( 1 em.) long. Leaflets 3 or
5, paired except at end, ovate, 1%-
3% in. (4-9 em.) long, %,-2 in. (2-
175
5 em.) wide, long-pointed at apex,
rounded at base, irregularly toothed
and shallowly lobed, above green
and mostly hairless, beneath gray
green and usually hairy. Twigs
reddish brown, covered with bristles
and prickles, often hairy. Bark
yellow brown, shreddy.
Flower~ 1-4 lateral, small, %-lh
in. (10-12 mm.) across, composed
of calyx of 5 narrow hairy sepals
about % in. ( 6 mm.) long, 5 white
oblong petals about % in. ( 6 mm.)
long erect or slightly spreading,
many (75-100) stamens, and many
pistils. Fruit aggregate, a red
raspberry, rounded, % in. (2 em.)
long and broad, of many hairy
drupelets, separating from base.
Flowering June-July, fruits ma-
turing July-September.
Red raspberries are eaten fresh
or in jams and jellies.
Common to abundant in openings
and borders of forests, forming
thickets, also a roadside weed.
Across Alaska from interior to
southeast, but not in far north,
Alaska Peninsula, or Aleutian
Islands. Chugach, North Tongass,
and South Tongass National For-
ests. Mt. McKinley National Park,
Kenai National Moose Range.
Alaska across Canada to New-
foundland, south to North Carolina,
Iowa, Arizona, California, and
northern Mexico.
A variable species with geograph-
ical varieties, this one also in north-
ern Asia. The typical variety ex-
tends across northern Europe to
northwestern Asia.
75. SALMONBERRY
(Rubus spectabilis Pursh)
Large or small thicket-forming
deciduous shrub 2-7 ft. (0.6-2 m.)
high, with erect and curved biennial
stems. Leaves compound, 2-5 in.
(5-12 em.) long, slender hairy axis
and paired very narrow needlelike
hairy persistent stipules %-% in.
176
( 6-10 mm.) long. Leaflets 3, ovate,
mostly 1-2lh in. (2.5-6 em.) long
and %-2 in. ( 1.5-2.5 em.) wide, the
terminal one larger than the lateral
pair, thin, long-pointed at apex and
short-pointed at base, sharply and
irregularly toothed and shallowly
lobed, above green and nearly hair-
less, beneath paler and slightly
hairy. Twigs zigzag, light brown,
becoming hairless, often with scat-
tered sharp weak spines or prickles
¥!6 -Ys in. (2-3 mm.) which break
off easily. Bum Ys-% in. (3-10
mm.) long, light brown, of over-
lapping scales, white hairy at
pointed apex with 2 needlelike stip-
ules at base. Bark light brown,
becoming shreddy.
Flowers 1 or 2 lateral on long
slender stalks, large and showy, 1lh
in. ( 4 em.) across, composed of
calyx of 5 spreading long-pointed
hairy greenish sepals%-% in. (10-
15 mm.) long, 5 spreading elliptic
pink to reddish purple petals %-%
in. (15-22 mm.) long, many (75-
100) purplish stamens, and many
( 20-40) pistils. Fruit aggregate,
separating from base and persistent
calyx like a raspberry, orange to
dark red, conelike, %-1 in. ( 1.5-
2.5 em.) long and broad, juicy, of
many small drupes, edible, taste
mil.d. _Flo~ering April-July, ma-
turmg frmt by early July near
Ketchikan but not until August on
~odi~k and Afognak Islands and
at higher altitudes.
The fruits make good jelly but
are rather seedy for jam. They are
eaten by bears in the fall. New
leaves and twigs are browsed in the
spring by deer, moose, and moun-
tain goats.
Salmonberry is scattered to com-
mon or abundant in moist soil,
forming dense thickets in openings
in low land forests, clearings, and
along streams. It spreads quickly
after clearcutting and can be a seri-
ous competitor of conifer regenera-
tion on moist valley bottom sites.
Figure 75.-Salmonberry (Rubus spec-
tabilis), one-half natui-al size. Winter
twig at right.
Southeast and southern Alaska
to Aleutian Islands. South Tongass,
North Tongass, and Chugach N a-
tiona! Forests, Glacier Bay and
Katmai National Monuments, Ke-
nai National Moose Range, Kodiak
Island and Aleutian Islands N a-
tional Wildlife Refuges. Alaska
south to northwestern California.
Also a variety in Japan. Hybrids
with nagoon-berry (Rubus arotious
L.), a herbaceous species, have been
recorded from southern and south-
east Alaska (Alaska bramble, R.
X alMkensis Bailey).
76. WESTERN BLACK
RASPBERRY
(Rubus leucodermis Dougl.)
Other name: whitebark rasp-
berry.
Deciduous spiny shrub 3-6 ft.
(1-2m.) high, with biennial stems.
Leaves compound, 3-5 in. (7.5-12.5
em.) long, with very narrow paired
sti pules less than lA, in. ( 6 mm.)
long. Leaflets 3, ovate, %-3 in.
(2-7.5 em.) long, %-2 in. (1-5 em.)
wide, short to long-pointed at apex,
rounded at base, edges irregularly
toothed to shallowly lobed, above
green and hairless or nearly so,
beneath whitish hairy. Twigs whit-
ish, with many stout hooked flat-
tened prickles or spines to lA, in,
( 6 mm.) long.
Flower clusters (racemes) of 2-
7 flowers close together at leaf base,
less than lf2 in. ( 12 mm.) across,
composed of calyx of 5 narrow
hairy sepals lA, -lh in. ( 6-12 mm.)
long and bent downward, 5 white
petals shorter than sepals, many
(70-100) stamens, and many pistils.
Fruit aggregate, a reddish to black
raspberry with whitish bloom,
rounded, to lf2 in. ( 12 mm.) broad,
. of many hairy drupes, edible, sep-
177
arating from base. Collected with
fruit in August and September.
Rare in southeast Alaska, possi-
bly introduced. Recorded from
abandoned Tongass Village, Sitka,
and Haines, also along railroad at
Indian Creek southeast of Anchor-
age. South Tongass and North
Tongass National Forests. Alaska
and British Columbia south to
southern California, east to Utah,
Wyoming, and Montana.
77. WESTERN
TIDMBLEBERRY
(Rubus parviflorus Nutt.}
Other names: thimble berry; R.
nutkanus Moe.
Deciduous erect shrub 2-5 ft.
(0.6-1.5 m.) high, with erect peren-
nial stems, without spines. Leaves
simple, with paired lance-shaped
stipules ~-lh in. (6-12 mm.) long
and slender petioles 1-4 in. (2.5-
10 em.) long with stalked gland
178
Figure 76.-Western black raspberry
(Rubus leucodermis) one-half natural
size. Fruits at upper left.
hairs. Blades rounded or 5-angled,
2lf2-6 in. ( 6-15 em.) long and
broad, thin, palmately lobed with
mostly 5 (sometimes 3 or 7) shal-
low short-pointed lobes, heart-
shaped at base, edges sharply
doubly toothed with gland teeth,
with 5 main veins from base, above
dull g~;een and nearly hairless, be-
neath. paler, slightly hairy and with
stalked gland hairs along veins.
Twigs greenish, finely hairy and
with stalked gland hairs. Bark
gray, shreddy or flaky.
Flower clusters ( corymbs or pan-
icles) terminal and flat-topped.
Flowers mostly 3-7, 1lf2-2 in. (4-5
em.) across, composed of calyx of
5 spreading narrow hairy greenish
sepals%-% in. (10-15 mm.) long,
5 white obovate spreading petals
%-1 in. (20-25 mm.) long, many
stamens, and many pistils. Fruit
aggregate, thimblelike, half round
and flattened, lf2 in. ( 12 mm.)
across, juicy and edible, composed
of many small hairy red drupelets
7{6 in. (2 mm.) long. Flowering
~-
Figure 77.-Winter thimbleberry (Ru-
bus parviflorus), one-haH natural
size. Winter twig at right.
179
June-July, with mature fruits
August-September.
The fruits are excellent for jelly
but too seedy for jam.
Common in moist soil in thickets
a_nd openings of forests, along road-
Sides, and on cutover land, south-
east Alaska north to Lynn Canal
and Yakutat. South Tongass and
North Tongass National Forests.
Southeast Alaska east to Ontario
and Minnesota, south in mountains
to New Mexico, California, and
northern Mexico.
Besides the 4 shrubby species
with woody stems described here,
3 additional native species of this
genus are herbs with creeping stems
or erect herbaceous stems usually
less than 1 ft. ( 30 em.) high. These
are summarized below.
Five-leaf bramble (Rubus peda-
tus Sm.). Slender trailing herba-
ceous vine rooting at nodes and
forming mats, flowering twigs less
than 1 in. ( 2.5 em.) high. Leaves
2-4, palmately compound, with
slender petiole 1-3 in. (2.5-7.5 em.)
long and 5 nearly stalkless obovate
irregularly toothed leaflets %-1%
in. (1-3 em.) long. Flower 1, erect
white, ¥2-% in. (1.2-1.5 em.)
across, with petals and sepals about
equal. Fruit of 1-6 red drupelets
% in. long (1 em.), juicy, edible,
used for jam. Forests in southern
and southeast Alaska, southeast to
Alberta, Montana, and Oregon.
Also in Japan.
Cloudberry (Rubus chamae-
morus L.; baked-apple berry).
Erect herb 2-8 in. (5-20 em.) high
from creeping rootstock. Leaves 2
or 3 with slender petioles lh-1 in.
( 1.2-2.5 em.) long and rounded
blades 1-2 in. (2.5-5 em.) across,
with 3 or 5 rounded lobes and finely
toothed border. Flower 1 erect
white, lh-1 in. ( 1.2-2.5 em.) across.
Fruit lh-% in. ( 1.2-2 em.) in di-
ameter, edible, composed of 6-18
large pink drupelets the color of a
baked apple. In bogs almost
180
throughout Alaska, across Canada
to Labrador and Greenland, south
to New York. Also across northern
Eurasia. The edible berries are
collected in quantities in late Aug-
ust and early September and are
stored frozen by the Eskimos for
winter use. Rich in vitamin C,
even when frozen soon after pick-
ing, the berries are eaten fresh· and
in jam, shortcake, and pie.
Nagoon-berry (Rubus arcticus
L.; other names: wineberry, Arctic
bramble, kneshenada; R. aeaulis
Michx., R. stellatus Sm., R. arotious
ssp. aoaulis (Michx.) Focke, R.
arotious ssp. stellatus (Sm.) Boi-
vin). Herbs 2-10 in. (5-25 em.)
high from spreading rootstock.
Leaves with slender petioles 1-2 in.
( 2.5-5 em.) long and 3 almost stalk-
less elliptic toothed leaflets o/s-1%
in. (1.5-3 em.) long; a variation
with simple rounded leaves 1-2 in.
(2.5-5 em.) long and broad, deeply
3-lobed. Flowers 1-3, pink or red,
%-1% in. ( 2-3 em.) across. Fruit
red, lh-% in. ( 1.2-2 em.) across,
of 15-40 drupelets not separating
from calyx, edible. The berries are
a favorite for jam, jelly, and wine,
because of their excellent flavor.
Common in sedge meadows and
bogs, interior, western, southern,
and sootheast Alaska and through
Aleutian Islands. This widespread
varil).ble species has intergrades and
hybrids among its races. Across
Canada to Labrador and New-
foundland, south to Minnesota and
Colorado. Also across northern
Eurasia.
78. BUSH CINQUEFOIL
(Potentilla jruticosa L.)
Other names: shrubby cinque-
foil, yellow-rose; Dasiphora fruti-
oosa (L.) Rydb.
Much branched deciduous shrub
1-5lh ft. (0.3-1.7 m.) high. Leaves
alternate, pinnate, %-1% in. (2-3.5
em.) long, with paired clasping,
Figure 78.-Bush cinquefoil (Potentilla
fruticosa), natural size. Winter twig
at right.
ovate, light brown membranous
hairy persistent stipules 1,4-¥2 in.
( 6-12 mm.) long, w1th very slender
light brown hairy axis. Leaflets
5, stalkless, close together near end
of axis and paired except at end,
narrowly oblong or oblanceolate,
%-%in. (6-20mm.) long and ¥!6 -
% in. (2-6 mm.) wide, short-
pointed at both ends, edges turned
under, above dull green with in-
conspicuous pressed hairs, beneath
whitish green with silky hairs.
TWigs slender, light brown, with
long silky hairs, becoming hair-
less. Bark brown gray, shreddy.
Flowers borne singly at leaf bases
or 3-7 in small terminal clusters
(cymes) , erect on slender silky
hairy stalks, large and showy %-
1% in. (2-3 em.) across, composed
of saucer-shaped hairy base (hy-
panthium), 5 narrow green bracts
% in. ( 6 mm.) long, 5 spreading
ovate hairy sepals 1,4 in. ( 6 mm.)
long, 5 rounded spreading yellow
petals%-% in. (10-15 mm.) long,
20-30 short stamens, and many
pistils with very hairy 1-celled
ovary, 1 ovule, and short persistent
style attached on side. Fruits
(akenes) many, egg-shaped, ¥!6 in.
(2 mm.) long, light brown and cov-
ered with whitish hairs, 1-seeded.
Flowering June-August, fruits
maturing July -September and
persistent.
Wild plants tested in interior
Alaska as ornamentals have scrag-
gly growth. Several horticultural
varieties including dwarf and large-
flowered are cultivated elsewhere.
It is reported that the leaves have
been used for tea by the Eskimos
at Nome.
Common to abundant in moist
soil of swamps and borders of
streams and lakes and on dry
rocky hillsides. Almost through-
out Alaska except western Alaska
Peninsula, Aleutian Islands, and
most of southeast. Chugach Na-
tional Forest, Mt. McKinley N a-
tional Park, Katmai National Mon-
ument, Kenai National Moose
Range, Arctic National Wildlife
Range. Alaska across Canada
to Labrador, Newfoundland, and
Greenland, south to New Jersey,
Iowa, New Mexico, and California.
Also across northern Eurasia.
181
MOUNTAIN-A VENS (Dryas)
Evergreen densely tufted, herba-
ceous dwarf shrubs with pros-
trate stems woody at base, branch-
ing, rooting, often forming large
rounded mats or clumps. Leaves
crowded but alternate, with 2 nar-
row long-pointed stipules attached
to slender petiole. Blade mostly
oblong, leathery, with wavy toothed
or straight edges, dark green above
and densely white-hairy beneath.
Flowers many and showy, solitary
on erect stalks, %-1 in. ( 2-2.5 em.)
across, composed of saucerlike or
convex base (hypanthium), calyx
of 8-10 persistent sepals, 8-10
widely spreading white petals (pale
yellow and slightly spreading in
Drummond mountain-avens, Dryas
drwrrvmondii), many stamens, and
many pistils with 1-celled ovary
with 1 ovule and slender hairy styles
forming feathery plumes.
Besides the 3 species generally ac-
cepted and illustrated here, varia-
tions and hybrids have been de-
scribed. Also 2-5 additional species
or subdivisions listed under other
names are sometimes accepted in
Alaska.
Key to the 3 Alaska Species
Leaves short-pointed (wedge-shaped) at base; flowers nodding with
pale yellow, slightly spreading petals --------------------------
------------79. Drummond mountain-avens (Dryas drummondii)
Leaves straight or notched (heart-shaped) at base; flowers erect with
white, widely spreading petals.
Leaves with edges wavy-toothed from apex to base, very rough on
upper surface, with glands and scales on midvein beneath --------
----------------80. white mountain-avens (Dryas ootopetala)
Leaves with edges straight (entire) or slightly wavy in lower half, not
rough or slightly rough on upper surface, without glands and
scales on midvein beneath ----------------------------------
------------81. entire-leaf mountain-avens (Dryas integrifolia)
79. DRUMMOND
MOUNTAIN-AVENS
(Dryas drummondii
Richards.)
Other name: yellow dryas.
Evergreen herbaceous dwarf
shrub with prostrate stems, form-
ing large mats. Leaves crowded,
with long slender petiole. Blades
elliptic, %-1~ in. (1.5-3 em.) long,
%-% in. ( 1-2 em.) wide, thick,
rounded at apex and short-pointed
at base, edges wavy-toothed and
turned under, above dark green and
182
-·
usuall~ slightly hairy with sunken
veins, beneath densely white hairy.
Flowers solitary, nodding on
whitish hairy stalks 2-8 in. ( 5-20
em.) high, yellow, %-1 in. (2-2.5
em.) across, with saucer-like base,
8-10 ovate short-pointed, blackish,
gland hairy sepals nearly ~ in. ( 6
mm.) long, and 8-10 yellow petals
nearly lf2 in. (12 mm.) long. Fruits
headlike of many akenes %6 in. ( 4
mm.) long with persist~nt long
hairy styles forming feathery
plumes 1-1¥2 in. (2.5-3.5 em.) long
in mass 1-2¥2 in. ( 2.5-6 em.) in
diameter. Flowering June-July,
fruits maturing July-August.
Figure. 79.-Drummond mountain-avens (Dryas drummondii), natUI'Ial size.
Arctic-alpine to lowland areas
especially as a pioneer on gravel
bars of flood plains. Interior
Alaska in eastern Brooks Range
and from Alaska Range south to
Kenai Peninsula and to north end
of southeast Alaska. North Ton-
gass National Forest, Mt. McKinley
National Park, Glacier Bay Na-
tional Monument, Kenai National
Moose Range, Arctic National
Wildlife Range. Alaska and Yu-
kon Territory east to Great Slave
Lake, south to Montana, and local
in Washington and Oregon; local
on north shore of Lake Superior
and in Gaspe Peninsula region.
The scientific name honors the
discoverer, Thomas Drummond
( 1780-1835), Scotch botanical ex-
plorer in North America.
183
80. WHITE
MOUNTAIN-AVENS
(Dryas octopetala L.)
Other names : eight-petal moun-
tain-avens; Dryas octopetala ssp.
alaskensis (Porsild) Hult. ssp.
hookeriana (Juz.) Hult., var. hook-
eriana . ( Juz.) Breit., var. kam-
tschatica (Juz.) Hult., var. viscida
Hult. ; D. alaskensis Porsild, D.
crenulata Juz., D. kamtschatica
Juz., D. punctata Juz.
Evergreen tufted herbaceous
dwarf shrub with prostrate stems.
Leaves crowded, with slender peti-
ole. Blades oblong, %-114 in. (1-
3 em.) long, %6 -% in. ( 0.5-1 em.)
wide, rounded at apex and short-
pointed, rounded, or notched at
base, edges coarsely wavy toothed
and turned under, above shiny
green, hairless and rough with veins
deeply sunken, beneath densely
white hairy and with glands and
scales on mid vein.
Flowers solitary on erect hairy
stalks 1-5 in. ( 2.5-12.5 em.) high,
white, 1-114 in. (2.5-3 em.) across,
with convex base, 8-10 narrow,
gland hairy sepals 14 in. ( 6 mm.)
long, and · 8-10 widely spreading
white petals%-% in. (10-12 mm.)
long. Fruits headlike, of many
akenes ¥s in. ( 3 mm.) long with
persistent elongate hairy styles
forming feathery plumes more than
1 in. (2.5 em.) long. Flowering
May-June, fruits maturing July-
August.
Arctic-alpine areas through most
of Alaska except northern coastal
plain, Aleutian and Kodiak Islands,
and south central and southeastern
coastal areas. Southeast to Glacier
Bay and head of Lynn Canal.
Chugach National Forest, Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park, Glacier Bay
and Katmai National Monuments,
Kenai National Moose Range,
184
Arctic National Wildlife Range
Alaska and Yukon Territory east
to Mackenzie Delta and south in
Rocky Mountains to Colorado,
Utah, and Oregon. Also Greenland
and Iceland and across northern
Eurasia.
One variation (Dryas octopetala
ssp. alaskensis (Porsild) Hult.) has
the leaves broadest above middle
and more numerous teeth deeply
divided nearly half way to mid vein.
Interior Alaska, especially above
tree line, except far north, south-
west, and southeast, also in Yukon
Territory and Mackenzie Delta.
This species is widely grown in
rock gardens and is rated as ex-
cellent for interior Alaska. Plants
of this and the other Alaska species
can be propagated by layering or
by cuttings.
81. ENTIRE-LEAF
MOUNTAIN-AVENS
(Dryas integrifolia Vahl)
Other names: Dryas chamis-
sonis Spreng. ex J uz., D. integri-
folia var. sylvatica Hult. and ssp.
sylva~ica (Hult.) Hult., D. sylvat-
ica (Hult.) Porsild) .
Evergreen herbaceous dwarf
shrhb with prostrate stems. Leaves
crowded with slender hairy petiole
14 in. ( 6 mm.) long. Blades nar-
rowly oblong or lanceolate, %-1
(1%) in. (1-2.5 (3.5) em.) long,
lfs-% in. ( 0.3-1 em.) wide, thick
with blunt apex, broadest near
rounded or notched base, edges
mostly turned under and without
teeth or with few wavy teeth to-
ward base, above shiny dark green,
smooth, and usually hairless, be-
neath densely white hairy.
Flowers solitary on erect stalks
1-4 (8) in. (2.5-10 (20) em.) high,
hairy, and usually with blackish
Figure 80.-White mouiltain-avens (Dryas octopetala), natural size.
gland hairs, %-1 in. (2-2.5 em.)
across with convex base, 8-9 nar-
row, gland hairy sepals nearly ~
in. ( 5 mm.) long, and 8-9 spreading
white petals%-% in. (10-12 mm.)
long. Fruits headlike, of many
akenes Ys in. ( 3 mm:) long with
persistent long hairy styles forming
whitish feathery twisted plumes
%-1 ~ in. ( 2-3 em.) long in mass
1-1% in. (2.5--3.5 em.) in diameter.
Flowering May-August, fruits ma-
turing June-August.
Common and widespread in low-
land and alpine tundra, on gravel
bars and rocky slopes, in muskegs,
also in open spruce stands near
timberline. Arctic-alpine areas
nearly throughout Alaska from
Bering Strait to Canadian border
but not found in the Aleutians,
southwest, and extreme southeast.
Chugach and North Tongass N a-
tiona! Forests, Mt. McKinley N a-
tiona! Park, Glacier Bay National
Monument, Kenai National Moose
Range, Arctic National Wildlife
Range. Alaska across northern
Canada to Greenland, Labrador,
and Newfoundland, and south to
Gaspe Peninsula, north of Lake
Superior, and southeastern British
185
Figure 81.-Entire-lea:f mountain-avens
(Dryas integrifolia), natural size.
Columbia (reported £rom Mon-
tana and long ago £rom New
Hampshire).
A variation at low altitudes in
interior Alaska (Dryas integrifolia
var. sylvatica Hult.) has leaves
long-stalked, long, thin, flat, with
round apex, base rounded or short-
186
pointed, and edges mostly without
teeth, and taller flower stalks. It
is £ound in bogs and spruce forests
on gravel and limestone in interior
Alaska except £ar north, southwest,
and southeast, also in Yukon Terri-
tory and northwest District o£
Mackenzie.
ROSE (Rosa)
Deciduous shrubs, sometimes
climbing, with prickly or spiny
twigs. Leaves alternate, with
paired stipules attached to base of
petiole, pinnate with leaflets paired
except at end, toothed on edges.
Flowers few or single; large, fra-
grant, composed of rounded base
(hypanthium) narrowed at apex,
5 narrow sepals mostly persistent,
5 large spreading commonly pink
petals broad and notched at apex,
many stamens, and within the hairy
base many pistils with 1-celled hairy
ovary, 1 ovule, and style. Fruit
berrylike, a rounded reddish fleshy
hip containing several to many
"seeds" ( akenes) .
Key to the· 3 Alaska Species
Leaflets simply toothed; stipules long-pointed, not toothed; twigs with
slender round prickles or spines, many or scattered (interior Alaska) .
Leaflets pale green and slightly hairy beneath; stipules mostly broad;
prickles many; flowers 1 to few, about 2 in. (5 em.) across------
----------------------------82. prickly rose (Rosa acioularis)
Leaflets whitish green and mostly hairless beneath; stipules narrow;
prickles few, scattered; flowers several in clusters, about 1 in. (2.5
em.) across --------------------83. Woods rose (Rosa woodsii)
Leaflets mostly doubly toothed with teeth of 2 sizes; stipules short-
pointed, with gland teeth; twigs with few flattened prickles or spines
paired at base of leaves or twigs (nodes); flowers mostly 1, more
than 2 in. (5 em.) across (southeast and southern Alaska) ----------
--------------------------------84. ~utka rose (Rosa nutkana)
82. PRICKLY ROSE
(Rosa acicularis Limll.)
Other name : wild rose.
Spiny much branched shrub 1-4
( 7) ft. ( 0.3-2.2 m.) high. Leaves
alternate, pinnate, 2-3% in. (5-9
em.) long, with hairy glandular
axis and paired broad pointed stip-
ules %-1 in. (1-2.5 em.) long.
Leaflets mostly 5 (3-9), paired ex-
cept at end, stalkless, elliptic,
mostly o/s-2* in. (1.5-6 em.) long
and *-1* in. (0.5-3 em.) wide,
rounded at both ends, edges toothed,
the teeth often gland-tipped, above
dull green and usually hairless,
beneath pale green and slightly
hairy. Twigs light green when
young, becoming dark red purple
to gray, bristly with many straight
slender gray sharp spines or
prickles~-* in. (3-6 mm.) long,
unequal and round (not flattened) .
Buds YI 6 -~ in. (2-3 mm.) long,
blunt, dark red, with few hairless
scales.
Flowers 1, sometimes 2 or 3, at
end of short mostly lateral twigs,
on slender curved hairless stalk 1-
1% in. (2.5-4 em.) long, large, 1%-
2* in. ( 4-6 em.) across, with hair-
less greenish base (hypanthium)
pear-shaped, elliptic or rounded
and narrowed into neck at apex, 5
narrow leaflike greenish sepals o/s-
1* in. (1.5-3 em.) long, narrowest
in middle, hairy and with gland
hairs, and 5 pink to rose petals
%,-114 in. ( 2-3 em.) long. Fruit
187
Figure 82.-Priekly rose (Rosa acicu·
laris), one-half natural size. Winter
twigs at right.
berrylike, pearlike, elliptic or
rounded hip%-% in. (15-20 mm.)
long and ~-% in. (6-15 mm.)
in diameter, dark red or pur-
plish, fleshy and edible, becoming
shrunken ~nd wrinkled, curved
downward and bearing at apex
the persistent long sepals mostly
pressed together, containing few
light brown hairy "seeds" ( akenes)
nearly %6 in. (5 mm.) long, per-
sistent through winter. Flowering
June-July, fruits turning red in
August.
The reddish edible fruits of this
and related species, known as rose
hips or rose haws, are very rich in
vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and serve
as a winter source. They are gath-
ered in the fall when hard but
persist through the winter, be-
coming soft. The juice extracted by
boiling is mixed with other fruit
juices or used in jellies or syrups.
Jams, marmalades, and catchup are
188
prepared from the pulp after seeds
and skins are removed by sieving.
Flavor is improved by combining
with a tart fruit or juice such as
cranberry or high bushcranberry.
It is reported that a tea has been
made _from the leaves. Rose hips
are eaten by grouse and other birds
duripg fall and winter.
Wild rose bushes make attractive
ornamentals when transplanted in
interior Alaska but need careful
pruning.
Locally common in shaded under-
growth of deciduous and spruce
forests, with aspen on old burns,
also thickets, roadsides, and bogs.
Almost throughout central Alaska
except extreme north, southwest,
Aleutian and Kodiak Islands, and
southeast. Collected north of
Brooks Range at Umiat and Sadler-
ochit Hot Springs. Chugach Na-
tional Forest, Mt. McKinley N a-
tiona} Park, Kenai National Moose
Range, Arctic National Wildlife
Range. Alaska east across Canada
to Labrador and Anticosti south
to West Virginia, Minnesota, New
Mexico, Idaho, and British Co-
lumbia. Also widespread across
northern Eurasia.
A variable species. Hybrids with
Figure 83.-Woods rose (Rosa woodsii),
one-half natural size. Winter twig
at right.
N ootka rose (Rosa nutkana Presl)
intermediate between the parents
occur in southern Alaska where the
ranges meet.
83. WOODS ROSE
(Rosa woodsii Lindl.)
Spiny deciduous shrub 2-5 ft.
(0.6-1.5 m.) high. Leaves alter-
nate, pinnate, 2-4 in. (5-10 em.)
long, with paired narrow pointed
stipules %-% in. (1-2 em.) long.
Leaflets 5-9, paired except at end,
rounded at apex, short-pointed at
189
base, edges toothed, above green
and hairless, beneath whitish green
and hairless or .finely hairy. Twigs
greenish, becoming reddish brown,
hairless, with £ew scattered straight
or curved spines or prickles Ys-~
in. (3-6mm.) long.
Flowers mostly several in lateral
clusters (cymes) , sometimes £ew or
1, 1-1¥2 in. ( 2.5--4 em.) across, with
rounded base (hypanthium) %6 in.
( 5 mm.) wide, 5 narrow persistent
sepals %-% in. (10--20 mm.) long,
mostly not glandular, and 5 light
pink to rose petals lh-% in. ( 12-
20 mm.) long. Fruit berrylike,
rounded or elliptic hip ~-lh in.
(6-12 mm.) long and wide, contain-
ing many hairy "seeds" ( akenes)
more than Ys in. (3 mm.) long.
Flowering in July.
Apparently rare and local in
Alaska, collected only at Circle Hot
Springs and Tok. Yukon Terri-
tory and District o£ Mackenzie east
to Saskatchewan and Wisconsin,
and south to Kansas and Colorado.
Named £or Joseph Woods ( 1776-
1864) , English botanist and spe-
cialist on roses.
84. NOOTKA ROSE
(Rosa nutkana Presl)
Spiny deciduous shrub 5-8 ft.
(1.5-2.5 m.) high, sometimes only
2 ft. ( 0.6 m.). Leaves alternate,
pinnate, 2lf2--4 in. (6--10 em.) long,
with hairy· glandular axis and
paired short-pointed stipules %-
% in. ( 1-2 em.) long with gland
teeth. Leaflets mostly 5-7 ( 9),
paired except at end, stalkless,
elliptic or ovate, lh-2 in. ( 1.2-5
em.) long, ~-1¥2 in. (0.6--4 em.)
wide, rounded at both ends, edges
mostly doubly toothed with gland
teeth, above dull green and hair-
less, beneath paler and mostly hairy
along viens. Twigs pink brown,
hairless, with £ew mostly paired
stout flattened whitish spines Ys-~
190
in. ( 3-6 mm.) long, straight or
slightly curved at base o£ leaves or
twigs (nodes) or nearly spineless.
Buds ¥s in. (3 mm.) long, blunt,
dark red, with £ew hairless scales.
Flowers mostly 1, sometimes 2
or more, at end o£ short lateral
twigs, on stout erect stalk %-1 in.
(2-2.5 em.) long, large, 2-2¥2 in.
(5-6 em.) across, with rounded
mostly hairless base (hypanthium)
.%-% in. (6-10 mm.) broad, 5
narrow leaflike persistent sepals
%-1~ in. (15-30 mm.) long, nar-
rowest in middle, hairy and with
gland hairs, and 5 ;eink to rose
petals %-1~ in. (20--30 mm.)
long. Fruit berrylike, rounded
red or purplish hip :lh-% in. ( 12-
20 mm.) in diameter, without neck,
with long sepals at apex, hairless,
fleshy, containing several to many
hairy shiny brown "seeds" ( akenes)
%6__14 in. (5-6 mm.) long, be-
coming wrinkled and persistent
through winter. Flowering June-
August, with mature fruits in
August.
Rose hips o£ this species are
utilized £or jelly, preserves, and
catchup and as a source o£ vita-
min C as noted under prickly rose.
Forming thickets along beaches,
coastal areas o£ southeastern and
south~rn Alaska, Kodiak Island,
and -Aleutian Islands (collected
only at Unalaska). Common
arodnd Haines and Skagway at
head o£ Lynn Canal and on Kodiak
Island but uncommon elsewhere.
South Tongass, North Tongass,
and Chugach National Forests,
Kenai National Moose Range, Ko-
diak National Wildlife Refuge,
Aleutian Islands National Wild-
life Refuge. Southeast along coast
£rom Aleutian and Kodiak Islands
to northwestern California and in-
land in mountains to eastern Ore-
gon, Utah, and Colorado.
As indicated by the names, this
species was discovered at N ootka
Sound, Vancouver Island, British
Columbia.
(Rosa nut-N otka rose • Winter 8 4-
0
l size.
F luure • h lf natura ..., )one-a kana • . ht
twigs at rig •
191
MAPLE FAMILY
(Aceraceae)
The maple family composed of
deciduous trees is represented in
Alaska by Douglas maple in the
southeast part. Maples have the
following characteristics for rec-
ognition: (1) leaves paired ( op-
posite), long-stalked, broad, 3-
lobed or 5-lobed and toothed; (2)
flowers male and female on the
same or different trees, small, in
clusters appearing with the leaves;
and (3) fruits, distinctive paired
winged, 1-seeded keys. In winter
the paired (opposite) 0-shaped
leaf-scars aid in recognition.
85. DOUGLAS MAPLE
(A.cer glabrum Torr. var.
douglasii (Hook.) Dipp.)
Other names: dwarf maple,
Douglas Rocky Mountain maple;
Acer glabrum ssp. douglasii
(Hook.) Wesmael, A. douglasii
Hook.; variety of Rocky Moun-
tain maple, A. glabrum Torr.
Deciduous small tree of south-
east Alaska becoming 20--30 ft. ( 6-
9 m.) tall and 6-12 in. (15-30 em.)
in trunk diameter but often a sev-
eral-stemmed shrub 4-6 ft. (1.2--
1.8 m.) high. Leaves paired ( op-
posite) , ovate, 2-4 in. (5-1 0 em.)
long and broad, slightly heart-
shaped at base, shallowly 3-lobed
with the lobes long-pointed, deep-
ly, sharply, and irregularly or
doubly toothed, hairless, shiny
dark green above, pale beneath with
yellowish veins. Petioles 1%-4
in. (4-10 em.) long, slender, red-
dish tinged. Twigs paired ( oppo-
site), reddish, hairless, with U-
shaped leaf scars. Winter buds
192
short-pointed, Ys-~ in. (3-6 mm.)
long, dark red, the side buds paired
(opposite). Bark gray, smooth.
Wood light brown, heavy, hard,
fine-textured.
Flower clusters ( corymbs) ter-
minal, appearing with the leaves,
with several flowers on slender
spreading or drooping stalks.
Flowers mostly male and female
on different trees ( dioecious),
about Ys in. (3 mm.) long, com-
posed of 4 narrow yellow green
sepals as long as the narrow yel-
low green petals, 7-8 stamens, and
in female flowers very short sta-
mens and pistil with 2-celled ovary
and 2 styles. Fruit of paired,
winged, 1-seeded keys (samaras)
%-1 in. (2--2.5 em.) long, usually
red until shed, then turning to
light brown. Flowering in May,
fruit maturing July-August.
Common along shores in south-
east Alaska, sometimes fringing
tidal meadows or bogs. Occasional
in rich moist soils on forested
slopes. The trees are seldom large
enough for commercial purposes.
Southeast Alaska, common along
the coast north to the head of Lynn
Canal at Skagway. South Tongass
and North Tongass National For-
ests. Southeast Alaska, southeast
to western and southern British
Columbia, southern Alberta, west-
ern ;Montana, and northwestern
Wyoming, and west to Idaho,
Washington, and Oregon. Rocky
Mountain maple (Acer glabrum
Torr., including this and other
varieties) extends southward to
northwestern Nebraska and in
mountains to southern New Mexico
and southern California.
Douglas maple is the only mem-
ber of the maple family ( Acera-
ceae) native in Alaska. Named for
its discoverer, David Douglas
( 1798-1834) , Scotch botanical ex-
plorer, who introduced many
trees from western North America
to Europe.
Bigleaf maple (AceT macTo-
phyllum Pursh) has been reported
from the southern end of south-
eastern Alaska, apparently in
error. It was not found in a spe-
cial search along Portland Canal
at the border with British Colum-
bia. However, it extends north-
Figure 85.-Douglas maple (Acer gla-
brum var. douglasii), one-half nat-
ural size. Winter twigs at left.
ward nearly to the boundary (not
to Queen Charlotte Islands) and
southward in the Pacific coast
region to southern California.
Bigleaf maple is readily distin-
guished by the paired (opposite)
long-stalked, very large leaves 5-
14 in. (12.5-35.5 em.) long and
broad, which are heart-shaped,
deeply 5-lobed with additional
smaller lobes, and with few teeth.
The clustered fruits are paired,
winged 1-seeded keys 1 * -2 in.
( 3-5 em.) long and 1f2 in. ( 1.2
em.) wide, bristly hairy at base.
193
ELAEAGNUS FAMILY
(Elaeagnaceae)
Deciduous shrubs (elsewhere also
small trees and also evergreen),
covered with scurfy or star-shaped
silvery or brown scales. Leaves
alternate or opposite, simple, with-
out stipules, not toothed on edges.
Flowers small, lateral, single or
few with both stamens and pistil
(bisexual) or male and female,
without petals, composed of tube
(hypanthium), 4-lobed calyx, 4 or
8 stamens, and pistil with 1-celled
ovary, 1 ovule, and style. Fruit
drupelike, consisting of fleshy tube
and 1-seeded nutlet.
Key to the 2 Alaska Species
Leaves opposite, green above and brownish scaly beneath; flowers male
and female on different plants ----------------------------------
------------------------86. buffalo berry (Shepherdia canadensis)
Leaves alternate, silvery scaly on both surfaces; flowers bisexual ------
------------------------87. silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata)
86. BUFFALOBERRY
(Shepherdia canadensis
(L.) Nutt.)
Other names: soap berry, so-
opolallie; Lepargyraea canadensis
(L.) Greene, Elaeagnus canadensis
(L.) A. Nels.
Deciduous shrub 2-6 ft. ( 0.6-2
m.) high, with silvery or reddish
brown minute scales. Leaves op-
posite, wth short scaly petioles less
than ¥s in. (3 mm.) long, without
stipules. Blades ovate, lh-2 in.
(1.2-5 em.) long, %-1 in. (0.6-
2.5 em.) wide, rounded or blunt
at both ends, not toothed on edges,
above green and slightly hairy
with scattered star-shaped hairs,
beneath densely covered with red-
dish brown scales and silvery star-
shaped hairs. Twigs gray, scaly,
194
with paired branches, young twigs
and buds covered with reddish
brown scales. Buds flattened,
composed of pair of small leaves
(scales).
Flowers small, about 7i 6 in. ( 5
mm.)_-wide, yellowish or brownish,
male and female on different
pla~ts ( dioecious) , in short lateral
spikes in spring before the leaves,
from round buds Ji 6 in. (1.5 mm.)
in diameter formed in previous
summer. Male flowers with calyx
of 4 spreading scaly lobes and 8
stamens alternate with lobes of
disk. Female flowers with scaly
cup bearing at apex 8-lobed disk
with 4 lobed calyx, and pistil with
1-celled ovary, 1 ovule, and short
style. Fruit elliptic, red or yel-
lowish, % in . .( 6 mm.) long, nearly
transparent, drupelike with calyx
at apex, fleshy and edible but al-
most tasteless or bitter, and 1 nut-
let. One of the earliest flowering
Figure 86.-Buft'aloberry (Sherpherdia canadensis), natural size. Flowering twig at
upper right; winter twig at left.
195
plants in the interior, blooming in
early May as soon as the snow has
melted; fruits maturing in July.
The fruits were gathered in
quantities and eaten by the In-
dians. Fruits were pressed into
cakes, which were smoked and
eaten, the taste sweet at first then
replaced by a bitter taste (sap-
onin) like quinine. Also the fruits
were mixed with sugar and water
and beat into an edible foam or
froth, which was used on deserts
like whipped cream. The berries
are eaten in the fall by grouse and
bears. Plants are sometimes grown
for ornament.
Uncommon or locally common in
openings and forests of dry up-
lands and in aspen forests on old
burns. Forming dense thickets on
gravel bars of rivers near tree
line. Widespread across eastern
interior Alaska to north slope
Brooks Range and Firth River,
south to Skagway and Homer.
Reaching the Chukchi Sea coast at
Kotzebue. North Tongass N a-
tiona! Forest, Mt. McKinley N a-
tional Park, Glacier Bay National
Monument. Kenai National Moose
Range, Arctic National Wildlife
Range. Arctic America from Alas-
ka and Yukon Territory to Great
Bear Lake, James Bay and New-
foundland, south in mountains to
Maine, New York, Michigan, New
Mexico, and Oregon.
87. SILVERBERRY
( Elaeagnus commutata
Bernh.)
Other name: E. argentea
Pursh, not Calla.
Deciduous shrub 3-12 ft. (1-3.7
196
m.) high, sometimes treelike,
spreading from rootstocks, much
branched. Leaves alternate, with
short petiole less than ~ in. ( 6
mm.) long, without stipules.
Blades elliptic to ovate, 1-2¥2 in.
(2.5-6 em.) long, %-1 in. (1-2.5
em.) wide, blunt or short-pointed
at both ends, not toothed on edges,
densely silvery scaly on both sur-
faces, paler beneath. Twigs cov-
ered with rusty brown scales when
young becoming silvery. Buds
Ys-~ in. (3-6 em.) long, covered
by 2 long scales or small leaves.
Flowers 1-3 at base of leaves,
short-stalked and turned down,
¥2-% in. (12-15 mm.) long, ex-
ceptionally fragrant, silvery, fun-
nel-shaped, composed of tube with
calyx of 4 yellow lobes at apex, 4
short stamens alternate and in-
serted in tube which is yellowish
within, and pistil with 1-celled
ovary, 1 ovule, and long style.
Fruit elliptic, lh-% in. (12-15
mm.) long, silvery, drupelike, com-
posed of dry mealy, edible tube and
1 narrow slightly 8-angled nutlet.
Flowering mid-June, fruit ripening
in August.
The fruits are eaten raw or
cooked in moosefat, especially by
the Ip.dians. Plants are grown as
ornamentals in interior Alaska,
spreading from roots. Elsewhere
the; plants are used sometimes as
a windbreak.
Common locally on rocky south-
facing slopes and forming thickets
on sandbars of major rivers in the
interior. Central Alaska from
Yukon and Porcupine Rivers
south to Matanuska and west to
upper Kuskokwim River. Mt.
McKinley National Park. Alaska
and Yukon Territory east to Great
Slave Lake, James Bay and Gaspe
Peninsula, south to Minnesota,
South Dakota, Colorado, and
Utah.
Figure 87 .-Silverberry (Elaeagnus
commutata), one·half natural size.
Winter twigs at right.
GINSENG FAMILY
( Araliaceae)
Mostly tropical trees and shrubs,
represented in Alaska by 1 species
of herb and the following spiny
shrub. Leaves various but often
palmately lobed or compound and
large, with stipules often forming
sheathlike base. Flowers small, in-
~
\1 ~"'
fll
\
tl
.
. .
~N
;l ~~
w
conspicuous, greenish, in spread-
ing rounded clusters (umbels), 5-
parted, with inferior ovary. Fruit
a berry; often flattened and 2-
celled.
88. DEVILSCLUB
( Oplopanax horridus
(Sm.) Miq.)
Other names: E chinopanaw
horridus (Sm.) Decne. & Planch.,
F atsia horrida (Sm.) Benth. &
Hook. f.
Large deciduous spiny shrub
3-10 ft. (1-3 m.) high, with few
or several thick stems and very
few branches. Leaves few, alter-
nate, very large, with long stout
spiny hairy petiole 6-12 in. (15-
30 em.) long. Blades rounded, 6-
14 in. (15-35 em.) or more in
diameter, thin, palmately 5-9-lobed,
lobes sharp pointed and irregularly
197
sharply toothed, heart-shaped at
base, with spines along veins, above
dull green and hai:r;less, bene.ath
light green and shghtly hairy.
Stems, petioles, and veins densely
covered with many sharp slender
yellowish spines or bristly prickles
14-% in. (6-10 rom.) long. Stems
thick, lh-1 in. ( 1.2--2.5 em.) in
diameter, light brown, with very
large white pith. Buds large, ¥2
in. (12 rom.) long, elliptic, blunt
pointed, brownish tinged, of large,
nearly hairless, overlapping scales.
Flower clusters (umbels in a
raceme or panicle) terminal, erect,
4-12 in. (10--30 em.) long, nearly
stalkless. Flowers many, greenish
white, 14 in. ( 6 rom.) long, fra-
grant, composed of calyx of 5
teeth, 5 petals% in. (3 rom.) long,
5 alternate stamens longer than
petals, and pistil with inferior 2-
celled ovary and 2 spreading styles.
Fruits numerous bright red berries
14-% in. (6-10 rom.) long, rounded
but slightly flattened, with 2 styles
at apex, 2-seeded, not edible.
Flowering in June, fruits persistent
over winter.
Common in ravines and open-
ings, moist well-drained soil, char-
acteristic of undergrowth and form-
ing impenetrable thickets in coastal
and flood plain forests, especially
under alder and on good Sitka
spruce sites. Plants grow best un-
der partial shade and decline in
vigor after clearcutting and ex-
posure to full sunlight.
In spite of their spiny nature,
the young shoots are browsed by
deer and elk in spring and early
summer. The Indians sometimes
brew tea from the very bitter bark
as a tonic or may strip off the
thorns and eat the green bark as
a tonic. Years ago the stalks were
used by Indians for beating sus-
pected witches to obtain confes-
sions. Even today old people will
nail the devilsclub stalk over their
198
door or window to protect the
house from witches, evil influences,
and bad luck.
The numerous sharp spines are
painful and fester when imbedded
in the skin, making this shrub
dangerous and to be avoided. How-
ever, the plants are handsome be-
cause of the bright red berries and
beautiful mosaic of large leaves ar-
ranged to catch the maximum
amount of filtered sunlight at the
forest edge.
Devilsclub is sometimes used as
an ornamental in southeast Alaska
and southward. It can be planted
where seen but not touched, such
as in corners and fences. In the
fall the foliage provides a prom-
inent splash of yellow.
Southeast Alaska north to south
central Alaska, eastern part of
Alaska Peninusla, and Kodiak
Island. South Tongass, North
Tongass, and Chugach National
Forests Glacier Bay National
Monum'ent, Kenai National Moose
Range, Kodiak National Wildlife
Refuge. South central Alaska east
to Manitoba, Montana, southern
Oregon, and Idaho; also local in
Isle Royale, Mich., and Ontario.
A closely related species or va-
riety!~ found in .Tapan.
DOGWOOD FAMILY
( Cornaceae)
Shrubs and trees but represented
in Alaska by 1 species of shrubs
and 2 of low herbs. Leaves in the
Alaska species paired, elliptic,
without teeth or lobes, with long
curved side veins, without stipules.
Flowers small but often crowded
and bordered by showy petallike
bracts, 4-or 5-parted, with in-
ferior ovary. Fruit a drupe.
Figure 88.-Devilsclub ( Oplopanax
horridus), one-half natural size.
Winter twig at right.
89. RED-OSIER DOGWOOD
( Cornus stolonifera Michx.)
Other names: American dog-
wood; Oornus ~tolonifera f .. in:
terior (Rydb.) Rickett, var. badey~
( Coult. & Evans) Drescher; 0.
instolonea A. Nels.
Deciduous shrub 3-12 ft. (1-3.5
m.) high, with several stems, re-
ported to beco!lle 15 ft. ( 4.5 .m~)
high and treehke. Leaves paired
(opposite), with hairy petioles
~-%in. (6-12 mm.)_ lo.ng, without
stipules. Blades elliptic to ovate,
199
1%-3% in. ( 4-9 em.) long and
%-2 in. ( 1.5-5 em.) broad, short-
or long-pointed at apex, short-
pointed or rounded at base, edges
not toothed, 5-7 long curved,
sunken veins on each side of mid-
rib, dull green and nearly hair-
less above, finely hairy and whitish
green beneath. Twigs dark red,
mostly finely hairy when young,
with rings at nodes, whitish dots
(lenticels), and large white pith.
Bark gray, smooth to slightly fur-
rowed into flat thick plates.
Flower clusters (cymes) termin-
al, flat, 1JU-2JU in. (3-5.5 em.)
across, the branches persistent in
winter. Flowers many, crowded,
short-stalked, about :!U in. ( 6 mm.)
long and broad, finely hairy, com-
posed of calyx of 4 minute sepals
united at base, 4 white petals %
in. (3 mm.) long, 4 alternate sta-
mens, and pistil with inferior 2-
celled ovary and short style. Fruit
(drupe) round, JU-% in. (6-10
mm.) in diameter, whitish or light
blue, with 1 nutlet %6 in. (5 mm.)
long. Flowering June-July,
fruits maturing July-September.
Native plants are often used as
ornamentals .and are easily propa-
gated by stem cuttings. Young
twigs are a preferred browse of
moose during fall and winter. The
lower branches root at tip, as in-
dicated by the scientific name, at
least in some parts of the broad
range.
Common in moist soil in clear-
ings and in open understory of
forests, especially on flood plains
of major rivers. Central interior
Alaska from lower and central
Yukon River to southeast Alaska.
South Tongass and North Tongass
National Forests. Alaska and·
Yukon Territory east to Labrador
and Newfoundland, south in the
east to Virginia and Kansas and in
the west to New Mexico, California,
and northern Mexico.
Two related species of dwarf
dogwoods are low herbs from
200
?reeping woody stems, with flowers· •.
m sho.wy heads bordered by 4 white
petallike bracts. They hybridize·
where their ranges overlap.
Bunchberry ( Cornus canadensis .
L., dwarf cornel, Jacob-berry,
Canadian dwarf cornel) has erect
stems 4-8 in. (10-20 em.) high
leaves 1 pair small and at summit
4-6 large leaves (whorled), short-
stalked, elliptic, 1%-2% in. (4-
6 em.) long and %,-1% in. (2-4 em.)
wide. Flowers many, minute
whitish or yellowish, in a head
%,-1 :!U in. (2-3 em.) across the 4
white elliptic petallike bracts.
Fruit a cluster of 10 or fewer
orange-red round drupes %6 in. (8
mm.) in diameter. Very common
in Alaska except extreme north and
to Unalaska Island inAleutian Is-
lands. Forming ground cover in
interior spruce forests. Alaska
across Canada to Labrador and
Greenland, south in mountains
to Kentucky and New Mexico; also
in northeastern Asia. In south-
east Alaska utilized during all sea-
sons as browse by blacktail deer. _
Propagated as an ornamental
ground cover in interior Alaska
for its showy flowers and fruits
and fall coloring. ,It is reported
that the berries are sometimes
used for jelly and pies.
Lapland cornel ( Cornus suecica
L., Swedish dwarf cornel) has
erect stems 2-8 in. ( 5-20 em.) high,
bearing 2-8 paired leaves ( oppo-
site), %,-1JU in. (2-3 em.) long
and %-1 in. (1.5-2.5 em.) wide,
stalkless, lanceolate to elliptic.
Flowers many, minute, dark pur-
ple, in a head %,-1 in. (2-2.5 em.)
across the 4 white elliptic petallike
bracts. Fruit a cluster of 3-10
rose-red round drupes %6 in. ( 8
mm.) in diameter. Western, south
central, southern, and southeast
Alaska and Aleutian Islands.
Alaska, also Labrador and New-
foundland to Greenland and in
northern Europe and northeastern
Asia.
CROWBERRY FAMILY
(Empetraceae)
Evergreen small heathlike shrubs
with crowded narrow leaves
grooved beneath, without stipules.
Flowers small, mostly 3-parted,
partly male and female; fruit
berrylike, containing few nutlets.
This small family has a single spe-
cies in Alaska.
Figure 89.-Red-osier dogwood (Cornus
stolonifera), one-half natural size.
Winter twigs at left; fruits at upper
right.
90. CROWBERRY
(Empetrum nigrum L.)
Other names : moss berry, black-
berry, curlewberry; Empetrum
hermaphroditum (Lange) Hage-
rup, E. nigrum ssp. hermaphrodi-
tum (Lange) Bocher.
Low, creeping or spreading ever-
green heatherlike shrub to 6 in.
( 15 em.) high, forming dense mats,
with horizontal, much branched
stems. Leaves crowded, 4 in a
whorl or sometimes alternate,
201
Figure 90.-Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), natural size.
without .. stipules, with minute
petiole, linear or needlelike, Ys-:14
in. (3-6 mm.) long, shiny yellow
green, with groove on lower sur-
face formed by curved margins,
hairless. Twigs curving upward
2-6 in. (5-15 em.) long, very
slender, brown, finely hairy, be-
coming shreddy.
Flowers single, inconspicuous,
stalkless at base of leaves, small,
Ys-:14 in. (3-6 mm.) long, purplish,
composed of 3 bracts, 3 sepals, 3
spreading petals, 3 stamens much
longer than petals, and pistil with
6-9-celled ovary and flat stigma
with 6-9 narrow lobes; also some
plants with male flowers and others
with female flowers. Fruit round,
berrylike, %6 -% in. (5-10 mm.)
or more in diameter, shiny dark
blue black or purple, very jmcy and
sweet, containing 6-9 reddish
brown nutlets. Flowering in June,
fruits ripening in August and per-
sisting under the snow throughout
the winter.
The edible berries are consumed
in quantities locally, usually mixed
with other berries and reported to
be excellent in pies. In winter
Eskimos gather the fruits under
the snow. The berries serve also
as fall and winter food of grouse,
ptarmigan, and bear. Some plants
bear fruits in abundance, but male
plants have none.
202
Crowberry is used as a ground
cover in rough low areas in interior
Alaska. Plants can be grown
from cuttings.
Common and widespread in arc-
tic-alpine tundra, moist rocky
slopes, and muskegs, also in spruce
forests, almost throughout Alaska
including Aleutian Islands. One
of the commonest species in heath
mats to 5,600 ft. (1,700 m.) alti-
tude on the rocky cliffs or nunataks
of the Juneau Ice Field. In in-
terior mostly in mountains, also
along southern coast. South Ton-
gass, North Tongass, and Chugach
National Forests, Mt. McKinley
National Park, Glacier Bay N a-
tional_.Monument, Kenai National
Moose Range, Kodiak National
Wildlife Refuge, Arctic National
Wikflife Range. Alaska east across
northern Canada to northern
Greenland, south to Labrador and
Newfoundland, and south along
coast and in high mountains to
Maine, New York, Michigan, and
California. Also widespread across
Eurasia.
PYROLA FAMILY
(Pyrolaceae)
Low evergreen perennials, mostly
herbs, but occasionally shrubs.
Leaves thick and leathery, usually
Figure 91.-Pipsissewa (Chimaphila
umbellata), natural size. Flowers at
right; fruits at left.
basal but occasionally alternate or
whorled along the stem. Flowers of
4 or 5 nearly separate sepals and
petals, usually pmk to white· sta-. ' mens tWice as many as the petals.
Fruit a 5-parted dry capsule with
many small seeds. In Alaska, the
family includes the herbaceous
wintergreens ( Pyrola) and one
half -shrub.
203
91. PIPSISSEWA
( Chimaphila umbellata
(L.) Barton)
Other names: princes-pine, win-
tergreen, waxflower; Ohimaphua
umbellata ssp. occidentalis (Rydb.)
Hult. and var. occidentalis (Rydb.)
Blake; 0. occidentalis Rydb.
A low evergreen half-shrub,
clumped or matlike, with creeping
branches that ascend to 4--12 in.
· (10-30 em.). Leaves thick, shiny,
%,-2¥2 in. (3-7 em.) long, %6-1
in. ( 0.5-2.5 em.) wide, broadest
near tip, tapering toward base into
a short petiole Ys-%6 in. (3-8
mm.) long, sharply toothed, alter-
nate or whorled on the stem.
Twigs slender, only semiwoody,
yellow or green.
Flowers 4 to 15, nodding in a
cluster at the end of the twigs, on
a stalk 2-4 in. (5-10 em.) long,
saucer shaped; petals separate,
reddish to pink, %6-%6 in. ( 5-
8 em.) long, sepals hairy, fringed
at tip. Fruit a spherical dry, 5-
parted, many seeded capsule 111,-
%6 in. (6-8 mm.) in diameter.
Pipsessewa is a rare shrub in
southeastern Alaska growing un-
der Sitka spruce and hemlock.
Northern part of southeastern
Alaska from Juneau north to
Haines and Skagway at the head
of Lynn Canal. North Tongass
National Forest. With a gap of
several hundred miles between the
Alaska location and southern Brit-
ish Columbia; from British Co-
lumbia south in the Rocky Moun-
tains to Colorado and along the
coast to southern California. Also
in Eastern Canada and United
States south in mountains to
Georgia and with a scattered dis-
tribution in northern Europe and
Asia.
204
HEATH FAMILY
(Ericaceae)
A large family of shrubs in
Alaska elsewhere also trees and
herbs, ~sually growing in wet, acid
soil. Leaves mostly alternate,
simple leathery, evergreen or oc-casion~lly deciduous. Flowers
usually with funnel-shaped or urn-
shaped corolla with 4 or !5 lob~s,
occasionally with 5 spreadmg dis-
tinct petals; sepals 4 or 5, partly
united at base; stamens equal to
or twice as many as petals; and
pistil with ovary ~sually 5:c~lled,
superior (except m V acmn~um)
and 1 style. Fruit a capsule, berry,
or drupe.
This family is well represented
in Alaska by 13 genera and 30
species, all shrubs. It i~cludes the
blueberries, huckleberr:Ies, cran-
berries and such beautiful showy
shrubs' as Labrador-tea, rhodo-
dendrons, and mountain-heaths.
It also has a number of less con-
spicuous forest and. ~og shrubs,
such as rusty menziesia, leather-
leaf and bog rosemary. Some ex-
amp'les such as mountain-heaths, ' . Labraqor-teas, and mountam-cran-
berries are evergreen, but many
are dediduous. The foliage of sev-
eral • species is . repor~ed to be
poisonous to grazmg ammals.
92. COPPERBUSH
( Cladothamnus pyrolaeflorus
Bong.)
Other name: copper-flower.
Erect shrub 1 lf2-4lf2 ft. ( 0.5-1.5
m.) tall, with clustered long
leaves and showy copper-colored
Figure 92.-Copperbush (Cladotham·
nus pyrolaeflorus), natural size. Win-
ter twig at lower left.
flowers. Leaves ovate to oblan-
ceolate, %-llh in. (20-40 mm.)
long, %6 -~ in. (5-12 mm.)
wide, with rounded to abruptly
pointed (mucronate) tip, pale green
and somewhat whitish (glaucous)
on underside, appearing in whorls.
First year twigs light brown and
shiny, stiff, 7{6 inch (1.5 mm.) in
diameter, with minute hairs, older
twigs with shredding bark. Buds
asymmetrical, short-pointed, or-
ange, shiny, of 2 keeled scales.
Flowers 1 to several at ends of
twigs, about 1 in. (25 mm.) across;
sepals 5, narrow; 5 spreading oval
copper-colored petals%-% in. (10-
15 mm.) long; stamens 10, % inch
(10 mm.) long, hooked near tip;
style long, curved. Fruit a round
capsule Vs-* in. ( 3-6 mm.) in
diameter, dark reddish brown.
Flowering from late June through
middle of August, fruits ripening
August and September.
Copperbush forms dense clumps
several yards (meters) across in
meadows at and just above tree-
line and in openings and along
streambanks within the coastal
205
forests. The unusual color of the
flowers makes this shrub desirable
for cultivation. It is often planted
in southeastern Alaskan towns.
Along the coast from Prince Wil-
liam Sound to southern tip of
Alaska. South Tongass, North
Tongass, and Chugach National
Forests, Glacier Bay National
Monument. Coastal Alaska south
to northwestern Oregon.
LABRADOR-TEA (Ledum)
Low, much branched, resinous,
evergreen shrubs. Leaves alternate,
thick and leathery, densely woolly
beneath and with margins rolled
under. Flowers white, with 5
spreading petals and 5-lobed calyx,
5-10 stamens, and 5-celled ovary
with 5-lobed stigma. Fruit a 5-
parted capsule, opening from base.
Key to the 2 Alaska Species
Leaves nearly linear, tightly rolled under, Ys 2 -Yl_6 in. (0.8-1.5 mm.)
wide; stalks of flower and fruit abruptly bent just below apex _____ _
----------------93. narrow-leaf Labrador-tea (Ledum decumbens)
Leaves wider, 7i 6 __1h in. ( 5-12 mm.) , edges slightly rolled under, flower
stalks evenly curved ____ 94. Labrador-tea (Ledum groenlandicum)
93. NARROW-LEAF
LABRADOR-TEA
(Ledum decumbens
(Ait.) Small)
Other names: Hudson-Bay-
tea, Ledum palustre L. ssp. de-
cumbens (Ait.) Hult. and var.
decumbens Ait.
Evergreen shrub 1-2 ft. (3-6
dm.) tall, similar to the more com-
mon Labrador-tea but smaller and
with narrower leaves rolled under
at edges. Leaves linear, o/1_6 -% in.
( 8-15 mm.) long, ¥1 6 __1/s in. ( 1.5-
3 mn'.) wide, leathery, rolled un-
der at edges, upper surface shiny,
dark green, lower surface with
reddish-brown woolly hairs.
Young twigs hairy, light brown,
older twigs gray.
Flowers numerous, in clusters at
tips of twigs, about~ in. (12 mm.)
broad; petals 5, white, spreading
7{6-%6 in. (5-8 mm.) long; sta-
mens mostly 10; flower stalks %-
206
%, in. (12--20 mm.) long, sharply
and abruptly bent just below apex.
Fruit a capsule Ys--1;4 in. (3-6 mm.)
long, oval, finely hairy, maturing in
July and August, opening from
base in autumn and persistent most
of winter.
Narrow-leaf Labrador-tea is a
common shrub in arctic and alpine
tundra-in sedge tussocks and wet
depressions. In the boreal forest
it is; common in sphagnum bogs
and wet black spruce types. Its
large white, fragrant flower clus-
ters are conspicuous during June
and early July.
A palatable tea can be made by
boiling the aromatic leaves of
either species of Labrador-tea.
However, if used in large quanti-
ties, it may have a carthartic
effect.
From mountains at head of
Lynn Canal northward across most
of Alaska except Aleutian Islands.
Chugach National Forest, Katmai
National Monument, Mt. McKinley
National Park. Kenai National
Moose Range, Kodiak National
Wildlife Refuge, Arctic National
Wildlife Range. Eastward across
the Canadian Arctic to Labrador
and Greenland, south to Hudson
Bay and Lake Athabaska District.
Also in northern Europe and Asia.
94. LABRADOR-TEA
( Ledum groenlandicum
Oeder)
Other names : Ledum palrustre
Figure 93.-Narrow-Ieaf Labrador-tea
(Ledum decumbens), natural size,
L. ssp. groenlandioum ( Oeder)
Hult., L. paoifioum Small.
Evergr:een shrub 3 feet ( 1 m.)
tall, With upright or prostrate
branches. Leaves narrowly oblong,
1-2 in. (25-50 mm.) long, o/i 6 -~
in. ( 5-12 mm.) Wide, with fra-
grant odor, leathery, margins
strongly rolled under, underside
covered with reddish brown woolly
hairs, upper surface dark green
and roughened. Young twigs
hairy, light brown, older twigs
gray.
Flowers numerous, conspicuous,
white, fragrant, in clusters at end
of twigs, % in. ( 15 mm.) across;
petals 5, spreading o/i 6 -%6 in. (5-
8 mm.) long; stamens mostly 8 ;
flower stalks %-% in. (10-20
mm.) long, evenly curved. Fruit
a hairy, oblong capsule ~ in. (6
mm.) long, opening from base in
autumn and persistent most of
winter.
Labrador-tea is a common shrub
of black spruce and birch forests
207
Figure 94.-Labrador-tea (Ledum
groenlandicum), natural size. Fruits
at lower right.
and bogs. It comes in abundantly
after fire in the black spruce type.
It is also abundant near treeline
in open white spruce stands where
it blooms profusely from mid-June
208
~:
~· to mid-July. In southeast Alaska
~·· it grows in open bogs at low ele-
,. vations. As with narrow-leaf Lab-F rador-tea, a tea can be made by
both Alaskan species have been
united as subspecies.
boiling the aromatic dried leaves,
though seldom used today.
Southeast Alaska northward
throughout most of the boreal for-
est but not in the extreme north-
ern or western parts. South Ton-
gass, North Tongass, and Chu-
gach National Forests, Glacier
Bay National Monument, Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park, Kenai N a-
tional Moose Range. East across
Canada to Newfoundland and
Greenland, south to New Jersey,
Ohio, Minnesota, and Washington.
Closely related to Ledum palu8tre
L. of Europe and Asia, to which
RHODODENDRON
(Rhododendron)
Low evergreen shrubs or sub-
shrubs in Alaska (elsewhere also
tall shrubs and small trees) .
Leaves alternate, entire on margins,
. with short petioles. Flowers with
showy corolla with 5 large spread-
ing lobes, calyx 5-parted and small,
stamens 10, and long slender per-
sistent style. Fruit an oblong
capsule mostly 5-parted.
Key to the 2 Alaska Species
Leaves oval, mostly less than lf2 in. (12 mm.) in length, with resin dots
on both sides, not hairy on the margins; flowers several in terminal
cluster; corolla less than %in. (20 mm.) across ------------------
----------------95. Lapland rosebay (Rhododendron lapponicum)
Leaves spatula-shaped to obovate, mostly more than lf2 in. (12 mm.) long,
without resin dots, hairy on margins; flowers 1-3 at tips of twigs,
corolla more than 1:14 in. (32 mm.) across ---=------------------
----96. Kamchatka rhododendron (Rhododendron camtschaticum)
95. LAPLAND ROSEBAY
(Rhododendron lapponicum
(L.) Wahlenh.)
Other name : alpine rhodo-
dendron.
Matted to erect, much branched
evergreen shrub, 4-16 in. (1--4
dm.) tall, with showy purple
flowers. Leaves oval, %6 -%6 in.
(5-15 mm.) long, Ys-:14 in.· (3-6
mm.) wide, blunt at apex, some-
what rolled down on margins,
leathery, crowded at ends of twigs,
both surfaces with greenish to
brown resin dots, new leaves light
green, old leaves dark green to
brown. Twigs stout, much
branched, scurfy with resin dots.
Flowers 1 to several in terminal
clusters, fragrant, corolla SJ?read-
ing and slightly irregular, pmkish
to deep purple, %-% in. (15-20
mm.) across; stalks %-¥2 in. ( 6-
12 mm.) long, scurfy, curved or
straight. Fruit a dry capsule
%6 --% in. (5-6 mm.) long, open-
ing from tip, persisting through
most of winter.
209
Lapland rosebay is an occasional
to rare, early-flowering shrub of
tundra and open spruce forests at
treeline. Its fragrance becomes
noticeable in late May to mid-
June, the period of flowering.
Individual shrubs and flowers are
.showy, but the shrub is rarely
abundant enough to become con-
spicuous.
From mountains of south-cen-
tral Alaska northward and west-
ward to the Arctic coast and north
slope of Brooks Range but absent
on northern coastal plain. Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park, Arctic N a-
tional Wildlife Range. ,Eastward
across the Canadian Arctic to
Ellesmere Island, Baffin Island
and Labrador, south in the moun-
tains to New York and British
Columbia. Also m northern
Europe and Asia.
210
Figure 95.-Lapland rosebay (Rhodo-
de~dron lapponicum), natural size.
96. KAMCHATKA
RHODODENDRON
(Rhododendron
camtschaticum Pall.)
Evergreen subshrub 2-6 in.
(5-15 em..) tall with large showy
flowers. Leaves obovate, lh-1%,
in. ( 12-45 mm.) long and %-% in.
(10-20 mm.) wide, tapering to
base, with conspicuous stiff hairs
on margins and prominent net-
work of veins on underside; petiole
lacking. Twigs coarse, much-•
branched, gray brown to reddish,
with shredding bark.
Flowers 1 to several on erect
leafy stalks %-1 ~ in. ( 2-3 em.)
long at ends of twigs; corolla rose-
purple to deep red, spreading, 1~-
1% in. ( 32-45 mm.) across, style
conspicuous,~-% in. (12-20 mm.)
long, curved. Fruit a capsule ~
% in. (6-10 mm.) long on a long
stalk.
Figure 96.-Kamehatka rhododendron
(Rhododendron camtschaticum), nat·
uml size.
This low, showy shrub is com-
mon in some areas of the Aleutian
Islands on dry rocky tundra char-
acterized by the heath family. In
forested regions it is a low shrub
of the alpine zone.
There are 2 distinct forms in
Alaska. The typical subspecies
(Rhododendron camtschaticum ssp.
camtschaticum) has the corolla
hairy on outside and on margins
of lobes and the leaf margins
mostly with nonglandular hairs.
The other subspecies (R. camtschat-
icum ssp. glandulosum (Standi.)
Hult.) has the corolla without
hairs on outside and margins and
the leaf margins with glandular
hairs.
211
I
The typical form or subspecies
is found from Prince William
Sound westward along the coast to
western tip of Aleutians. It has
been collected also near the north-
ern end of southeast Alaska. Sub-
species glandulosum is on Seward
Peninsula and lower Yukon River.
Chugach National Forest, Kodiak
and Aleutian Islands National
Wildlife Refuges. Also in eastern
Asia and Japan.
97. RUSTY MENZIESIA
(Menziesia ferruginea Sm.)
Other names : skunk brush, fools-
huckleberry.
Loose-spreading, odorous, decid-
uous shrub to 6-10 ft. (2-3 m.)
high, with slender, widely forking
paired branches and small yellow-
ish red flowers. Leaves obovate to
elliptic, 1lfil,-2% in. (3-6 em.)
long and %-% in. ( 1.2-2 em.)
wide, short-pointed usually with
abrupt (mucronate) tip, edges
minutely toothed with gland-tipped
hairs, upper side gray green with
scattered brown hairs, under side
whitish (glaucous) with glandular
("sticky") hairs; petioles Ys in. (3
mm.) with gland-tipped hairs.
Young twigs glandular, with odor
when crushed, older twigs reddish
brown to gray, smooth to peeling
in thin layers. Buds of 2 sizes,
the larger with many scales de-
veloping into flower cluster.
Flowers several to many at ends
of twigs on glandular stalks %-
%in. (1-2 em.) long; corolla urn-
shaped, yellowish red (sometimes
described as coppery-pink), lfil,-%
in. (6-12 mm.) long, with 4 shal-
low lobes; calyx 4-lobed, with long
glandular hairs; stamens 8; stigma
4-lobed .. Fruit an ovid 4-parted
capsule %6 -o/1.6 in. (5-8 mm.)
212
long, green to reddish brown, often
persistent through the winter.
Flowering from late May through
July, capsules maturing July and
August.
Rusty menziesia is a common
shrub in undergrowth of the coastal
spruce-hemlock forest, often under
a dense canopy, also in openings,
and on cutover forest land, espe-
cially on well drained slopes in
association with blueberries. It
also grows in the southern part of
the boreal forest in white spruce
and white spruce-paper birch
stands. Because of the leaf and
flower size and shape, menziesia
is sometimes confused with the
huckleberries, but its fruit is not
a berry.
Coastal forests of southeast
Alaska and the Cook Inlet area
and reaching inland along the
Susitna River to the south_ slope
of the Alaska Range. South Ton-
gass, North Tongass, and Chugach
National Forests, Glacier Bay
National Monument, Kenai N a-
tional Moose Range. Coastal
Alaska south to northern Califor-
nia and eastward to eastern Wash-
ington.
This genus was dedicated to
Archibald Menzies (1754-1842),
Scotch physician and naturalist
with Vancouver's voyage of 1793-
94 tp the Northwest coast.
98. ALPINE-AZALEA
( Loiseleuria procumbens
(L.) Desv.)
Matted or trailing evergreen
subshrub 1-2 in. (25-50 mm.) tall.
Leaves opposite, elliptic, small,
Ys-lfil, in. ( 3-6 mm.) long and 1ft 6
in. ( 1.5 mm.) wide, leathery, with
margins rolled under, upper side
hairless, lower side with dense short
Figure 97.-Rusty menzieSIR (Men:rie-
sia ferruginea), natural size. Winter
twig with fruits at lower left.
white hairs and a prominent
ridge. Twigs much branched,
nearly totally concealed by the
persistent leaves.
Flowers 1 to several at ends of
twigs, erect on stalks Ys-:14 in.
( 3-6 nun.) long; corolla bell-
shaped, pink or sometimes white,
Ys-%6 in. (3-5 mm.) long, divided
nearly to the middle into 5 lobes;
calyx deeply divided into 5 red-
dish-purple lanceolate lobes; sta-
mens 5. Fruit an erect, round 2-3-
parted dark red capsule Ys-%6 in.
(3-5 nun.) in diameter. Flowering
from late May through July, fruits
maturing in July and August.
Alpine-azalea is occasiOnal to
common on well drained rocky sites
in arctic and alpine tundra. It
frequently forms pure mats, usually
4-12 in. ( 1-3 dm.) in diameter,
213
Figure 98.-Alpine-azalea (Loiseleuria
procumbens), natural size.
but as wide as 1 yard ( 1 m.) with
a large number of flowers for the
size of the plant.
In mountains and arctic tundra
throughout Alaska except north-
ern coastal plain. To 5,000 ft.
(1,524 m.) altitude on rocky cliffs
or nunataks of Juneau Ice Field.
South Tongass, North Tongass,
and Chugach National Forests,
Glacier Bay and Katmai National
Monuments, Mt. McKinley N a-
tiona! Park, Kenai National Moose
Range, Kodiak and Aleutian Is-
lands National Wildlife Refuges,
Arctic National Wildlife Range.
Eastward across the Canadian Arc-
tic to Baffin Island, Labrador, and
Newfoundland, south to New Eng-
land, Hudson Bay, and Alberta.
Also in northern Europe and Asia.
99. BOG KALMIA
(Kalmia polifolia Wang.)
Other names: swamp-laurel,
bog-laurel, pale-laurel.
Evergreen spreading shrub of
bogs and mountain meadows, 4-20
in. (1-5 dm.) tall, with showy rose
to purple flowers. Leaves oppo-
site, stalkless, oblong to linear %-
1% in. (2--4 em.) long, Ys-%6 in.
214
( 3-8 mm.) wide, flat or with edges
rolled under, dark green above and
whitish (glaucous) beneath; peti-
oles short, 7{6 -%6 in. (1.5-5 mm.)
long. Twigs slightly 2-angled.
Flowers several in cymes at ends
of twjgs on stalks %-fl~ in. ( 1-3
em.)~ long; corolla saucer-shaped,
%-% in. (1-2 em.) across, with 5
loMs and 10 ridges (keels), rose
to purple; sepals 5, thick; stamens
10. Fruit a 5-parted capsule about
%6 in. (5 mm.) long. Flowering
from late May to early July, fruits
maturing in August.
Bog kalmia occurs occasionally
in wet open habitats of mountains
and lowlands throughout south-
east Alaska.
Along the coast of southeast
Alaska as far north as head of
Lynn Canal. South Tongass and
North Tongass National Forests.
From Alaska east to Hudson Bay
and Newfoundland, south to New
Jersey, Minnesota, and California.
Figure 99.-Bog kalmia (Kalmia poli-
folia), three-fourths natural size.
MOUNTAIN-HEATH
(Phyllodoce)
Low clump or mat-forming ever-
green shrubs of alpine tundra.
Leaves crowded, small, needle-
like, linear, blunt-pointed. Twigs
with conspicuous peglike leaf-
scars. Flowers in terminal clusters
( corymbs); corolla bell-shaped or
urn-shaped with 5 small lobes;
sepals 5, persistent; stamens 10,
short. Fruit a 5-parted rounded
capsule.
Key to the 3 Alaska Species
Corolla bell-shaped, flowers pink to red ----------------------------
. ------------100. red mountain-heath (Phyllodoee empetriformis)
Corolla urn-shaped, flowers yellow or blue.
· Corolla purple to blue -------------------------------------------
---------------101. blue mountain-heath (Phyllodoee eoerulea)
Corolla yellow __ 102. Aleutian mountain-heath (Phyllodoee aleutiea)
100. RED MOUNTAIN-
HEATH
(Phyllodoce empetriformis
(Sm.) D. Don)
Other names : red mountain-
heather, red heather, purple
. heather.
Low matted evergreen shrub
4-8 in. ( 1-2 dm.) tall, with pink
to red flowers. Leaves needlelike,
linear, 14-% in. (6-12 mm.) long
and lf1 6 in. (1.5 mm.) wide, crowd-
ed on the upper 2-4 inches (5-10
em.) of stem, edges with minute
glandular teeth, with 2 deep
grooves on lower surface. Stems
slender, gray, with conspicuous
peg like leaf -scars .
Flowers 5-15 at tips of stems
on slightly nodding to upright
215
Figure 100.-Red mountain-heath
(Phyllodoce empetriformis), natural
size.
glandular-haired stalks %-% in.
( 15-20 mm.) long; corolla pink to
red, bell-shaped, *6 -:JU in. (5-6
mm.) long, divided :JU into 5 lobes
which are rolled outwards; sepals
5, ~ivided nearly to base, dark red,
persistent. Fruit an erect capsule, *6 -:JU in. (5-6 mm.) long. Col-
lected in flower in early and late
August. ·
216
Red mountain-heath is a rare'
alpine or subalpine shrub of pro.:
tected snow deposition areas where
it usually occurs with one or more·
of the other mountain-heaths. In
Alaska only in mountains at head;
of Lynn Canal. Eastward to Yu-;~
kon Territory, south in mountains ;'
to California and Wyoming.
101. BLUE MOUNTAIN-
HEATH
(Phyllodoce coerulea
(L.) Bah.}
Other name: blue mountain-
heather.
Low matted evergreen shrub 2-
6 in. ( 5-15 em.) high, with purple
or blue flowers. Leaves scattered,
needlelike, linear, ¥s-:JU in. (3-6
mm.) long, 'li 6 -*6 in. (1.5-5 mm.)
wide, rounded at tip, . shiny dark
green, hairless, grooved on under
surface. Stems much branched,
slender, with conspicuous peglike
leaf -scars and shredded bark.
Flowers 3-4 at tips of stems on
erect to curved glandular stalks
%-% in. (1-1.5 em.) long; corolla
urn-shaped with 5 small lobes,
%6 -% in. (8-10 mm.) long, pur-
ple to blue. Fruit an oval capsule,
'li 6 -¥s in (1.5-3 mm.) long, erect
on stalk elongating in frmt to 1
in. (2.5 em.). Flowering in July
and August, fruits maturing in
August and September.
Blue mountain-heath is a rare
shrub of the coastal and mountain
tundra of central and western
Alaska, usually in depressions
where the snow remains late in the
spring. Western Alaska Range
and mountains of the western coast
of Alaska from the Kuskokwim
River to the Seward Peninsula.
Common in the southern parts of
the Canadian Arctic but absent
from western Alaska to Great
Slave Lake. Eastward to Hudson
Bay, Labrador, Newfoundland,
and Greenland, south to moun-
tains of New England. Also in
northern Europe and Asia.
102. ALEUTIAN
MOUNTAIN-HEATH
(Phyllodoce aleutica
(Spreng.) Heller)
Other names: Aleutian moun-
tain-heather, Aleutian heather,
cream mountain-heather, yellow
mountain-heather, yellow heather.
Figure 101.-Blue mountain-heath
(Phyllodoce coerulea), natural size.
Low much branched, yellow-
flowered evergreen shrub, 2-6 in.
( 5-15 em.) tall. Leaves needlelike,
linear, thick, 14-% in. (6-12 mm.)
long, Yl_6 in. (1.5 mm.) wide, with
minute glandular teeth on edge,
yellow green, grooved, hairy on
lower surface, crowded in upper
2--4 in. (5-10 em.) of stem. Stems
much branched, slender, with con-
spicuous peglike leaf-scars.
Flowers 5-15 at tips of erect or
nodding stems, glandular hairy
stalks, %-% in. ( 12-15 mm.) long;
corolla yellow-green, urn-shaped,
14 in. ( 6 mm.) long, with 5 small
lobes, hairless or with glandular
hairs (ssp. glanduliflora), calyx
with short-pointed lobes divided
nearly to base, hairless or glandu-
lar hairy. Fruit a capsule o/!6 -%
in. (8-10 mm.) long, oval, split-
ting into 5 parts.
Aleutian mountain-heath can
commonly be found blooming from
early June until late August in
protected depressions and adjacent
to snow fields in the mountains of
217
southeastern and western Alaska,
both above and below timberline.
It forms pure mats several yards
(meters) in diameter, especially at
the head of snow field slopes. In
the mountains near Juneau, it
forms extensive heath mats to ele-
vations of 5,400 ft. (1,646 m.), also
on fresh moraine and outwash at
sea level.
Mountains along coast of south-
eastern Alaska westward to western
Aleutians, and along the west
coast as far north as Yukon River.
One collection in Alaska Range in
mountains near Tonzona River. A
subspecies (Phyllodoae aleutiaa
ssp. glanduliflora (Hook.) Hult.,
formerly also a species, P. gland-
uliflora (Hook.) Cov.) , character-
ized by glandular corolla and fila-
ments hairy at base, is found in
southeast Alaska and as far west
218
Figure 102.-Aieutian mountain-heath
(Phyllodoce aleutica), natural size.
as Prince William Sound. South
Tongass, North Tongass, and Chu-
gach National Forests, Katmai
National Monument, Kenai N a-
tional Moose Range, Kodiak and
Aleutian Islands National Wild-
life Refuges. Eastward in Canada
to Yukon Territory and south in
mountains to Wyoming and Ore-
gon. Also in eastern Asia.
CASSIOPE ( Cassiope)
The members of the genus Oas-
siope are often called mountain-
heathers, but to distinguish them
from the mountain-heaths or
mountain-heathers of the genus
Phyllodoae, it is preferable to re-
fer to them as cassiopes.
The cassiopes are a group of
white-flowered, low, prostrate,
mosslike evergreen shrubs of the
alpine and arctic tundra. Leaves
scalelike or needlelike, closely
pressed to stem (spreading in 1
species). Flowers with pink to
white bell-shaped corolla with usu-
ally 5 (sometimes 4) short lobes;
sepals usually 5 (sometimes 4),
nearly separate, persistent; sta-
mens usually 10, short. Fruit a 5-
parted round capsule. There are
Figure 103.-Four·angled cassiope (Cas·
siopfJ tetragona), natural size.
4 species in Alaska. Four-angled
cassiope is primarily of northern
and central Alaska, but the other
3 are restricted to mountains of
Alaska Range and southward.
Key to the 4 Alaska Species
Leaves alternate, spreading; flower 1 on short stout stalk at end of stem
----------------------105. starry cassiope ( Oassiope stelleriana)
Leaves opposite, pressed to stem, flowers usually 2 or more on long stalks
from sides of stem.
Leaves deeply grooved on back ----------------------------------
-----------------103. four-angled cassiope ( Oassiope tetragona)
Leaves not grooved on back.
Leafy stems lj8 in. (3 mm.) or more in diameter -----------------
----------------104. Mertens cassiope ( Oassiope mertensiana)
Leafy stems about 7{6 in. (1.5-2 mm.) in diameter --------------
______________ 106. Alaska cassiope ( Oassiope lycopodioides)
103. FOUR-ANGLED
CASSIOPE
( Cassiope tetragona
(L.) D. Don)
Other names: firemoss cassiope,
four-angled mountain-heather,
Lapland cassiope.
Low, creeping, evergreen, moss-
like mat-forming shrub with stems
4-8 in. ( 1-2 dm.) tall. Leaves op-
posite in 4 rows, thick, lance-
shaped, Ys-o/J.6 in. (3-5 mm.) long,
deeply grooved, with short fine
hairs along edge. Stems covered
by leaves except at base, 4-angled,
including leaves nearly o/J.6 in. (5
mm.) in diameter.
Flowers about :14 in. ( 6 mm.)
long, nodding on slender stalks ¥2-
1 in. ( 12--25 mm.) from sides of
upper 1¥2 in. ( 4 em.) of stem;
corolla bell-shaped, white, with
lobes about half as long as tube;
sepals separate nearly to base,
rounded and reddish. Fruit an
erect round capsule Ys in. (3 mm.)
long. Flowering from late May
219
through August, fruit maturing
August and September.
Four-angled cassiope is one of
the prettiest and most common of
the cassiopes on the alpine and arc-
tic tundra of central and north-
ern Alaska. It forms rather dense
mats in protected areas that are
snow covered during the winter
and that have snow remaining into
the summer. It is sometimes called
firemoss because even in the green
condition it burns rather well and
has been used by mountain climb-
ers and arctic travelers as a source
of fuel in areas where no larger
woody plants are available.
In mountains in the northern
end of southeastern Alaska, north
and west across central and north-
ern Alaska, but lacking in south-
western part and Aleutian Islands.
To 5,400 ft. (1,650 m.) on rocky
cliffs or nunataks of Juneau Ice
Field. Chugach National Forest,
Mt. McKinley National Park, Arc-
tic National Wildlife Range. East
across northern Canada to Elles-
mere Island, Baffin Islands, and
Greenland and south in mountains
to New England, Montana, and
Washington. Northern Europe
and Asia.
104. MERTENS CASSIOPE
( Cassiope mertensiana
(Bong.) D. Don)
Other names: Mertens moun-
tain-heather, white heather.
Prostrate, mosslike, evergreen,
mat-forming shrub with upturned
branches 2-12 in. ( 5-30 em.) tall.
Leaves opposite in 4 rows and
pressed to stem, scalelike, ovate-
lanceolate, 7{6 -~ in. (1.5-3 mm.)
long, rounded on back and grooved
at base, hairless or with small
glandular hairs along edge. Stems
covered by leaves except at base,
220
including leaves about Yt
(1.5-3 mm.) in diameter,
or square in cross sectiQn.
Flowers several about % in. ( 6
mm.) long on slender erect stalks
%-1 in. (6-25 mm.) long, from
sides of stems; corolla bell-shaped
white to pink, with 5 lobes about
half as long as tube; sepals 5
rounded, reddish. Fruit an erect
round capsule ~ in. (3 mm.) in
diameter. Flowering from late
June through August, fruits ma-
turing August and September. ·
Mertens cassiope is a common
mat-forming shrub in seepage
areas, protected slopes, mountam
meadows, and slopes adjacent to
snowfields in southeastern Alaska
to 5,000 ft. (1,525 m.) altitude,
where ·it is usually associated with
related species.
Mountaj_ns of southeastern
Alaska as far west as Glacier Bay.
South Tongass and North Tongass
National Forests, Glacier Bay Na-
tional Monument. East to south-
ern Yukon Territory and south to
western Montana, Nevada, and
California.
This species honors Carl Hein-
rich Mertens ( 1 '796-1830) , German
naturalist, who discovered it at
Sitka in 182'7.
105. STARRY CASSIOPE
( Cassiope stelleriana
(Pall.) DC.)
Other names: moss heather,
Alaska heather, Alaska moss heath;
Harrimanella stelleriana (Pall.)
Cov.
Low spreading, mat-forming
evergreen shrub, the upright stems
from 2-4 in. (5-10 em.) tall.
Leaves alternate, spreading, linear-
lanceolate, ~-%6 in. (3-5 mm.)
long, keeled on lower surface, hair-
less or with hairs along edge.
Figure 104.-Mertens eassiope (Cass-
iope mertensiana), slightly enlarged.
Stems slender, reddish, with scat-
tered short stiff hairs.
Flowers usually 1, about ;i in.
( 6 mm.) long, erect to nodding at
end of stem on stout stalk Ys-%
in. (3-10 mm.) long; corolla bell-
shaped, white to pink; sepals
rounded, reddish, united in lower
half. Fruit an erect round capsule
about ¥sin. (3 mm.) long. Flow-
ering late May through July, fruits
maturing late July and August.
221
Figure 105.-Starry cassiope (Cassiope
stelleriana), natural size.
Starry cassiope is a trailing mat-
forming shrub of protected slopes,
snow deposition areas, and moist
seepage areas in the alpine area
of southeastern and south central
Alaska. It is common in south~
eastern Alaskan mountains, usually
associated with mountain-heaths, to
5,400 ft. (1,650 m.) on rocky cliffs
of Juneau Ice Field. It is rare
in the Alaska Range, growing with
four-angled cassiope.
Coastal mountains of Alaska
from southeastern tip north and
westward to the Aleutians, in Alas-
ka Range on both north and south
slopes as far west as Tonzona River.
Also one isolated collection from
the Seward Peninsula. South Ton-
gass, North Tongass, and Chugach
National Forests, Glacier Bay and
Katmai National Monuments, Mt.
McKinley National Park, Kenai
National Moose Range, Kodiak
and Aleutian Islands National
Wildlife Ranges. South in coastal
mountains to Washington. Also
in eastern Asia.
222
The scientific name commemo-
rates Georg Wilhelm Steller ( 1708-
46), German naturalist with Ber-
ing's expedition, who in 1741 made
the first plant collections in
Alaska.
106. ALASKA CASSIOPE
( Cassiope lycopodioides
(Pall.) D. Don)
Other name: clubmoss moun-
tain-heather.
Delicate low creeping mosslike
evergreen shrub with erect branches
only 1-2 in. (2.5-5 em.) tall.
Leaves tiny, pressed to stem, scale-
like, ){6 -:Ys in. (1.5-3 mm.) long,
edges with short fine hairs. Stems
completely obscured by leaves,
about ){6 in. (1.5-2 mm.) in di-
ameter, including leaves.
Flowers nodding on long slender
stalks %-% in. ( 12--20 mm.) back
from tip of stem, about * in. (6
mm.) long; corolla bell-shaped,
white, with usually 5 lobes nearly
as long as tube; sepals rounded,
reddish, transparent at edges.
Fruit an erect round capsule about
1;8 in. ( 3 mm.) long. Flowering
in June and July, fruit ripening
in August.
106.-Alask.a cassiope (Cassiope
b·coplmi•rJides), natural size.
Alaska cassiope, the smallest of
4 cassiopes in Alaska, is more
·:.~nn~'rn than the others and does
. not extensive mats. It occurs
·.·.at edges of exposed ridges in moun-
··· tains of the southern coast, to 5,400
.··ft. (1,650 m.) altitude in Juneau
• Ice Field .
. · From the mountains of northern
··. half of southeast Alaska west along
the coast to western end of Aleu-
, tians and north along western coast
to Kuskokwim River. North Ton-
gass and Cht~gach N a~io~al Forests,
Kodiak N atwnal W1ldhfe Range.
.;.<Ueutian Islands National Wild-
life Refuge. Also in northwestern
British Columbia and northeast-
ern Asia.
107. BOG-ROSEMARY
(Andromeda polifolia L.)
Small delicate, spreading, ever-
green shrub, usually 1-2 ft. (30-
60 em.) tall, occasionally to 3 ft.
(1 m.) often prostrate and root-
ing along nodes. Leaves narrow:Jy
elliptic to nearly linear, lh-1 m.
(12-25 mm.) long, Ys--l4 in. (3-
6 mm.) wide, thick, strongly in·
rolled along edges, with small pro-
jection at tip, hairless; upper sur-
face dark green with sunken veins,
lower surface whitish (glaucous) ;
petioles short.
Flowers 1-4 at ends of twigs,
nodding on thin reddish-purple
stalks ~ -lh in. ( 6-12 mm.) long;
sepals 5, short, bluntly trian~lar,
reddish-purple; corolla pmk,
broadly urn-shaped, with 5 minute
lobes· stamens 10. Fruit a spher-
ical, 5-parted capsule, lfs-~ in. (3-
6 mm.) in diameter, becoming
erect, often persisting into winter.
Flowering in June and early July,
fruits maturing July and August.
Bog-rosemary is an early flower-
ing shrub, common in bogs of the
coastal and boreal forests of Alaska
and in the wet sedge tundra of the
northern and western parts of the
State .
The plants contain a strong
poison, andromedotoxin (from the
generic name), which causes vom-
iting, dizziness, low blood pressure,
breathing difficulty, diarrhea, and
cramps. However, it is unlikely
that the bitter leaves would be
eaten by humans or browsed in
quantity by wildlife.
Throughout southeastern· Alaska,
northward nearly to the Arctic
Ocean near Point Barrow, west-
ward throughout western Alaska
except tip of Alaska Peninsula
and Aleutian Islands. South Ton-
gass, North Tongass, and Chugach
223
Figure 107 .-Bog-rosemary (Androme-
da poli/olia), natural size.
National Forests, Glacier Bay and
Katmai National Monuments, Mt.
McKinley National Park, Kenai
National Moose Range, Kodiak
National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic
National Wildlife Range. East
across Canada to northern Labra-
dor and south Greenland, south to
New Jersey, Minnesota, and Wash-
ington. Northern Europe and
Asia.
108. LEATHERLEAF
( Chamaedaphne calyculata
(L.) Moench)
Other names: cassandra, 0 as-
sandra oalyoulata (L.) D. Don.
224
Prostrate to erect evergreen
shrub, rooting at nodes, usually 2-
3 ft. (6-10 dm.) tall. Leaves alter-
nate, oblong to elliptic, ~-1;i in.
( 12-30 mm.) long and %-~ in.
(6-12 mm.) wide, thi,ck, leathery,
and slightly rolled downward on
edges, surfaces dark green with
scurfy scales often appearing as
white dots; petioles short. Twigs
with fine short white hairs when
young but becoming hairless with
age, light to dark brown.
Flowers several to many in a
row on short stalks, hanging down
from lower side of stem (a leafy
raceme) about % in. ( 6 mm.) long,
Figure 108.-Leatherleaf (Chamaeda-
phne calyculata), natural size.
corolla white, cylindrical and
slightly constricted just below the
5 short triangular lobes; sepals 5,
thick, green ovate to lanceolate,
with dense hairs on margins; sta-
mens 10, short. Fruit a round 5-
parted capsule about lj8 in. (3 mm.)
m diameter, longer than sepals
with slender style persistent.
Leatherleaf is one of the earliest
flowering plants in the interior of
Alaska, flowering in early to late
May, usually before leaves of most
plants have developed. In fall,
winter, and spring the leaves have
a reddish color, giving many bogs
this hue when viewed from a dis-
tance. Leatherleaf is an abundant
shrub in bogs and open black spruce
stands throughout the boreal for-
est. North of the treeline, it is
rare and occurs primarily in wet
sites along river terraces.
Lowlands of central Alaska from
Cook inlet area to south slope of
Brooks Range, also local on north
slope including Umiat. Along
the western coast, it occurs pri-
marily where the spruce forests
reach the coast. Mt. McKinley
National Park. E~tward to south-
ern Hudson Bay and Newfound-
land, south to Georgia, Minnesota,
and northern British Columbia.
Northern Europe and Asia.
225
WINTERGREEN
(Gaultheria)
Low evergreen shrubs. Leaves
alternate, evergreen, ovate to ellip-
tic, toothed on edges. Flowers
urn-to bell-shaped pink
with 5 short lobes; calyx: w1
short glandular hairy lobes.
mens 10, short. Fruit a '
fleshy 5-celled capsule
by the enlarged fleshy calyx:.
Key to the 2 Alaska Speci~
Leaves 2--4: in. ( 5-10 em.) long, sharply toothed; flowers many· fruit ·
purplish; low shrub of southeast Alaska _________ ---------~----
---------------------------------109. salal (Gaultheria shallon )'
I.-eaves %-1% in. (15-35 mm.) long, finely wavy toothed; flowers 1-6·
fruit white; prostrate shrub of Kiska Island in eastern Aleutian~
----------------110. Miquel wintergreen (Gaultheria miqueliana)
109. SALAL
(Gaultheria shallon Pursh)
Stiff, creeping to erect evergreen
shrub, 2-3 ft. (0.6-1 m.) tall.
Leaves alternate, short-stalked,
large, thick, ovate to elliptic, 2--4:
in. (5-10 em.) long, 1-2 in. (2.5-5
em.) wide, stiff and leathery, short-
pointed at apex, sharply toothed
on edges, with occasional long
reddish hairs, upper surface shiny
green with raised veins, lower sur-
face lighter green. Twigs with
scattered long, often gland-tipped
hairs, hairless with age, reddish-
brown, with shredding bark.
Flowers 5-15 in long glandular
hairy racemes, usually at tips of
twigs, % in. ( 1 em.) long; corolla
urn-to bell-shaped, %6 -% in. (8-
10 mm.) long, pink, with stiff
reddish brown hairs, and 5 short
triangular lobes; calyx lobes red-
dish-brown, glandular haired,
about Ya as long as corolla; stamens
10 short. Fruit a round capsule
enclosed by fleshy calyx, berrylike,
purplish, 14-lh in. (6-12 mm.) in
diameter. Collected in flower m
May and June.
226
Salal is a common undershrub
of poor scrub timber sites of west-
ern redcedar, Alaska-cedar, spruce
and hemlock forests in the south-
ern parts of southeastern Alaska
where it forms a nearly continu-
ous cover in some stands. The stiff
evergreen leaves and densely hairy
flowers and twigs make this shrub
easily recognized. The spicy ber-
ries are eaten by grouse and other
birds but seldom by humans. It
is reported that Indians in the
Northwest gathered the fruits.
Southeast Alaska as far north as
Sitka. South Tongass and North
Tongass National Forests. South
along coast to California.
110. MIQUEL
WINTERGREEN
(Gaultheria' miqueliana
Takeda)
Low, prostrate evergreen shrub
to 16 in. ( 41 em.) high. Leaves
oval, %-1% in. (15--35 mm.) long,
and %-% in. (10-15 mm.) wide,
wavy toothed, rounded· at tip.
Figure 109.-Salal (Gaultheria shallon), natural size.
227
Figure 110.-Miquel wintergreen (Gaul-
theria miqueliana), natural size.
Flowers 1-6, about 1;4 in. ( 6 mm.)
long, in glandular hairy racemes;
corolla urn-shaped, pink; calyx
lobes triangular, glan~ular hairy
on back. Fruit a fleshy white
berrylike capsule.
Miquel wintergreen, · a small
Asiatic shrub, has been collected
only on Kiska Island in the west-
ern Aleutians. It illustrates the
close relationship between the flora
of eastern Asia and western Alaska.
228
Kiska Island. Aleutian Islands
National Wildlife Refuge. East-
ern Asia and Japan.
Named for Frederick Anton
Willem Miquel (1811-71), Dutch
botanist.
BEARBERRY
(Arctostaphylos)
In Alaska low prostrate trailing
or matted shrubs, although in Cali-
fornia becoming tall shrubs and an
important element in the chaparral
vegetation. Leaves alternate, ev-
ergreen or deciduous, usually thick
and leathery. Flowers in few-
flowered racemes at the tip of
stems, sepals 4 or 5 nearly separate,
corolla white to pink, urn-shaped,
with 4 or 5 recurved lobes, sta-
mens 10 (sometimes 8), ovary su-
perior, mostly 4-5-celled. Fruit
a mealy or juicy "berry" (drupe)
containing 4-5 stony nutlets.
Figure 111.-Bearberry (Arctostaphr·
los uva-ursi), natural size.
Key to the 3 Alaska Species
Leaves evergreen, margin entire; twigs hairy; berries red and mealy
----------------------111. bearberry (Arctostaphylos WIJa-ursi)
Leaves turning red in fall, margin toothed; twigs hairless; berries
red or blue-black, juicy.
Leaves or partly skeletonized leaves persistent several years, leathery;
berries blue-black __ 112. alpine bearberry (Arctostaphylos alpina)
Leaves dropping the first winter, thinner; berries red --------------
----------------113. red-fruit bearberry (Arctostaphylos rubra)
229
Ill. BEARBERRY
(Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
(L.) Spreng.)
Other names : kinnikinnik,
mealberry.
Prostrate evergreen shrub 3--4
in. (7.5-10 em.) tall, forming mats
by rooting along the stems. Leaves
obovate, %-% in. (15-20 mm.)
long, persistent, leathery, light
green, prominently net-veined, ta-
pering to petiole ¥s in. (3 mm.)
long. Twigs slender and creeping,
brown, with shredding bark.
Flowers, 1 to several in a raceme
at ends of twigs, nodding; corolla
urn-shaped, Ys-* in. ( 3-6 mm.)
long, white to pink; stalks short,
Yl_6 -¥s inch (1.5-3 mm.). Fruit a
red berry*-% in. (6-15 mm.) in
diameter, dry and seedy, persistent
in winter. Flowering in May and
June, fruits ripening in August.
Bearberry is a common shrub of
dry sites in the boreal forest, usu-
ally under aspen but sometimes in
open spruce stands or on open dry
rocky bluffs. It often forms pure
mats several yards (meters) in
diameter. The mealy and dry
berries are rather tasteless when
raw but palatable when cooked.
230
Figure ll2.-Alpine bearberry (Arcto.
staphylos alpina), natural size.
According to reports, the dry leaves
were occasionally used as a substi-
tute for tobacco. As the name in-
dicates, the berries are commonly
eaten by bears.
Common in the boreal forest re-
gion of Alaska and occasional on
the north slope of the Brooks Range
and Aleutian and Kodiak Islands,
in southeast Alaska, in the vicinity
of Glacier Bay and Lynn Canal.
North Tongass and Chugach Na-
tional Forests, Glacier Bay and
Katmai National Monuments, Mt.
McKinley National Park, Kodiak
and Aleutian Islands National
Wildlife Refuges, Arctic National
Wildlife Range. Alaska to New-
foundland,' south in mountains to
Georgia and California. Also m
northern Europe and Asiil::
112. ALPINE BEARBERRY
(Arctostaphylos alpina
(L.) Spreng.)
Other names : ptarmigan berry,
al_Pine ptarmiganberry, Arotous al-
p~nus (L.) Niedenzu. .
Matted or trailing shrub 2%--4
in. (6-10 em.) tall. Leaves obo-
vate or oblanceolate, %-1% in. (15-
40 mm.) long and %-% in. (10-
mm.) wide tapering to short
~W•IJ'""~'u"' leathery, prominently net-
on both sides, upper side
under side light green,
(glaucous), edges with
skeletonized leaves re-
several years. Twigs
~mros:tratte, brown, hairless, with
bark.
few clustered at tips of
nodding; corolla :14-%6
mm.) long, yellowish
white, or tinged with pink.
a juicy berry, %-%in. (10-
12 mm.) in diameter, black when
"pe. Flowering mid-May and
and June before the leaves de-
velop, fruit ripening in August.
· Alpine beatberry is a common
'matted shrub of dry, wind exposed
of the arctic and alpine tundra,
: and the treeless regions of Kodiak
',Island and the Aleutians. It also
··occurs in open black spruce stands
and dry sites in bogs at lower ele-
'' · In the fall the leaves
; turn a deep red and add conspicu-
~· ously to the color of the tundra
~'. landscape.
l · The berries are edible but seedy
, . and of a rather poor taste. In poor
;. berry years, they are often picked i and mixed with blueberries. Large
t ~" ~.·
Figure 113.-Red-fruit bearberry (Arc-
tostaphylos rubra), natural size.
quantities are eaten by both bears
and ptarmigan.
Through most of central, west-
ern, and northern Alaska, but ab-
sent along the coast from Cook
Inlet southeastward. Katmai N a-
tiona! Monument, Mt. McKinley
National Park, Kodiak and Aleu-
tian Islands National Wildlife
Refuges, Arctic National Wildlife
Range. Eastward across the Ca-
nadian Arctic to Greenland. South
to Newfoundland, New Hampshire,
James Bay, and northern British
Columbia. Also in tundra and
mountains of Europe and Asia.
113. RED-FRUIT
BEARBERRY
(Arctostaphylos rubra
(Rehd. & Wilson) Fern.)
Other names : ptarmigan berry,
Arctostaphylos alpina ssp. mber
(Rehd. & Wilson) Hult., Arctous
mbra (Rehd. & Wilson) Nakai.
Similar to alpine bearberry in
general appearance but somewhat
taller, to 6 in. (15 em.) with red
fruits, and groWing more common-
ly at lower elevations in s:pruce
forests and bogs. Leaves thinner
and not as deeply wrinkled as in
231
alpine bearberry, dropping the first
winter. Fruit bright red when
ripe, edible but seedy, with in-
sipid taste.
Throughout northern Alaska and
in southeastern Alaska at the head
of the Lynn Canal and in Glacier
Bay, not in southwestern Alaska
and Aleutian Islands. Chugach
National Forest, Mt. McKinley N a-
tional Park, Glacier Bay National
Monument, Kenai National Moose
Range, Arctic National Wildlife
Range. Across North America to
Baffin Island and south to St. Law-
rence Bay, James Bay, and south-
ern British Columbia. Also east-
ern Asia.
BLUEBERRY (Vaccinium)
Other names: huckleberry, moun-
tain -cranberry, cranberry.
Low creeping or tall asc:encful
shrubs, mostly deciduous
times evergreen. Leaves ~~UVHJL<:tLe
often leathery.
Flowers 1 to several at base
leaves or at ends of twigs;
urn-shaped or bell-shaped
·4-5 lobes or of 4 petals
b.ackward; calyx of 4-~ per-
SIStent teeth or lobes on mferior
ovary; stamens 8-10, within corolla.
Fruit a blue or red round juicy
berry.
All 6 species in this genus in
Alaska are sources of edible fruit.
Only 3, bog blueberry mountain-
cranberry, and bog cranherry, reach
northern Alaska, the rest are pri-
marily species of the coastal for-
est. This genus is often separated
·in the blueberry family (Vaccini-
aceae) ' and true cranberry is also
placed in its own genus ( Owyaoa-
CU8).
Key to the Alaska Species
A. Leaves evergreen, thick; low trailing shrubs.
B. Leaves oval; corolla bell-shaped -------------------------------
----------114. mountain-cranberry ( V acainium vitis-idaea)
BB. Leaves lance-shaped; corolla of 4 petals bent backward _______ _
----------------120. bog cranberry ( Vaacinium owycoacos)
AA. Leaves deciduous, corolla urn-shaped; usually upright shrubs,
though occasionally rooting at nodes.
C. Twigs round; plants usually less than 16 in. ( 40 em.) . tall.
D. Leaves entire on margins; flowers 1-4 from scaly buds on old
twigs ______ 119. bog blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum)
DD. Leaves finely toothed on margins; flower 1 on new twig ___ _
----------115. dwarf blueberry ( V aacinium caespitosttm)
CC. Twigs angled; plants usually more than 2 ft. ( 6 em.) tall.
E. Fruit red; leaves usually less than 1 in. (2.5 em.) long; twigs
green, strongly angled --------------------------------
-------------116. huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium)
EE. Fruit blue or black; leaves commonly more than 1 in. (2.5
em.) long; twigs reddish to brown, weakly angled.
232
F. Flowering with or before the leaves; corolla longer than
broad; stalk not enlarged below fruit; leaves without
hairs on midrib beneath ------------------------------
----------117. early blueberry ( Vaccinium O'tJalifolium)
FF. Flowering after the leaves; corolla as broad or broader than
long; stalk enlarged just below fruit; leaves with fine
hairs on midrib beneath ------------------------------
--------118. Alaska blueberry (V accinium alaskaense)
114. MOUNfAIN-
CRANBERRY
( V accinium vitis-idaea L.)
Other names : lingenberry, ling-
berry, lowbush cranberry, par-
tridgeberry, cowberry.
Evergreen creeping, mat-form-
ing subshrub 2--6 in. { 5-15 em.)
tall, with shiny leaves and. bright
red berries. Leaves oval, %-%
in. (10-20 mm.) long and 1M-%
in. (6-10 mm.) wide, thick, green,
and shiny above, light green be-
neath and spotted with short stiff
brown hairs, edges slightly rolled
under. Stems slender and trail-
ing, rooting at nodes, light brown
to yellow:
Flowers 1 to several, nodding on
short stalks 7{6 in. (1-2 mm.) long
at ends of twigs, corolla pink, bell-
shaped, about %6 in. (5 mm.) long,
with 4 short lobes. Fruit a bright
red, sour berry, :JU-%6 in. (6-8
mm.) in diameter. Flowering in
mid-to late June and July, ber-
ries ripening in August.
Figure 114.-Mountain-cranberry (J'ac-
cinium vitis-idaea), natural size.
Mountain-cranberry is common
in spruce and birch woods of the
boreal forest, in bogs and alpine
types in most of Alaska, and in the
tundra of the north and western
sections. It usually forms a loose
mat in moist mossy situations but
also forms dense mats in dry rocky
slopes in arctic and alpine areas.
The berries are abundant and
usually picked in the fall after the
first frost but may remain under
the snow during the winter and
become available in the spring
when the snow melts. They are
commonly used for jams, jellies,
relishes, and beverages. Although
sour, they have a better. flavor
than the commercial cranberry.
The berries also provide a source
of food for ptarmigan, grouse,
and bears. The foliage is reported
to be of some value as winter
browse for reindeer and caribou.
North American plants are
smaller in leaf and berry size than
those in the Old World and have
been named a variety ( V aooinium
vitis-idaea var. minus Lodd. or ssp.
minu8 (Lodd.) Hult.).
Throughout Alaska. South
Tongass, North Tongass, and Chu-
gach National Forests, Glacier
Bay and Katmai National Monu-
ments, Mt. McKinley National
Park, Kenai National Moose
Range, Kodiak and Aleutian Is-
lands National Wildlife Refuges,
233
Arctic National Wildlife Range.
Eastward across the Canadian Arc-
tic to Baffin Island and western
Greenland, south to Massachusetts,
Great Lakes, and Vancouver Is-
land. Also in northern Europe
and Asia.
115. DWARF BLUEBERRY
( V accinium caespitosum
Michx.)
Other names : swamp blueber-
ry, dwarf bilberry, dwarf huckle-
berry, Vaocinium oae8pitosum var.
priludioolum (Camp) Hult., V.
paludioolum Camp, V. arbu8oulum
Gorman.
234
Figure U5.-Dwarf blueberry (Vacci.
nium caespitosum), natural size.
Winter twig at right.
Low spreading shrub forming
mats to 16 in. (40 em.) high:.
Leaves elliptic to oblanceolate,
%-1 in. (10-25 mm.) long and
%6-% in. (5-10 mm.) wide,
rounded to short-pointed at apex,
edges with fine teeth usually gland-
tipped, netted veins conspicuous
in some leaves but obscure on
others; upper surface green, lower
surface lighter; both hairless or
with scattered short stiff hairs.
Twigs much branched, often root-
ing at nodes, young twigs slender,
green, with short hairs, round or
sometimes angled, older twigs
brown to gray, bark usually
shredding. Buds small, red or
green with 2 even scales, which
meet at the edge.
Flowers single, at base of leaves,
nodding on stalks Vs in. ( 3 mm.)
long, corolla white or pink, urn-
shaped ~-%6 in. (6-8 mm.) long,
with 5 small rolled Jobes. Fruit a
blue berry ~-%6 in. (6-8 mm.) in
diameter, with a bluish bloom,
Figure 116.-Red huckleberry (Vacci-
nium parvifolium), natural size.
Winter twig at lower left.
235
sweet. Flowering from late May
through mid-July, fruit ripening
in August.
Dwarf blueberry is a common
shrub of bogs, subalpine meadows,
and open spruce-hemlock stands in
the coastal forest and is occasional in
white spruce and paper birch stands
in the southern parts of the boreal
forest. It also occurs above tree-
line in the coastal mountains to
elevations of 3,800 feet (1200 m.).
The fruits, which ripen early in
August, are eaten raw or made into
jams and jellies.
From the south slopes of the
Alaska Range to the Kenai Penin-
sula and southward throughout all
of southeastern Alaska. South
Tongass, North Tongass, and Chu-
gach National Forests, Glacier Bay
National Monument, Kenai N a-
tional Moose Range. East to New-
foundland and south in moun-
tains to New England, New York,
Minnesota, Colorado, and Cali-
fornia.
116. RED HUCKLEBERRY
(Vaccinium parvifolium Sm.)
Other name: red whortleberry.
Erect shrub 3-10 ft. (1-3 m.)
tall, with small leaves and red
berries. Leaves deciduous, often
persisting on twigs into early
winter, oval to elliptic, %-1% in.
(1-3 em.) long and %-% in. (6-
10 mm.) wide, entire, green on
upper surface and grayish beneath;
petioles short, lfa 2 in. (1 mm.)
long. Twigs slender, green, shiny,
strongly angled or ridged, ending
in narrow stub. Buds light green,
lh-%6 in. (3-5 mm.) long, cov-
ered by 2 scales, end bud lacking.
Flowers single at base of leaves
on stalks %-% in. (6-10 mm.),
nodding, corolla broadly urn-
shaped with 5 small lobes, waxy,
236
yellowish pink to red, lh-* in.
6 mm.) long. Fruit a bright
round berry,%-% in. (6-10
in diameter. Flowering in
and June, berries ripening mid-
late August.
Red huckleberry is an
sional to common shrub in
ings along roadsides, and in
over forest land, in the coastal
spruce-hemlock forests. The her-.
ries are sour but with good ·
an~ are used for jelly. The green·.
twigs are commonly browsed by
deer, elk, and goats in fall and
winter, and the berries are eaten
by blue grouse and bears. · ·
Southeastern Alaska north to
Yakutat Bay. South Tongass and
North Tongass National Forests
Glacier Bay National Monument:
South along coast to central Cali-
fornia.
117. EARLY BLUEBERRY
(Vaccinium ovalifolium Sm.)
Other names : blue huckleberry,
ovalleaf whortleberry, blue whor-
tleberry.
Early flowering, spreading shrub
to 5. ft. ( 1.5 m.) tall. Leaves oval,
rounded at tip and base, %-2 in.
(2-5 em.) long and %-1 in. (1-
2.5 em.) wide, thin, entire to shal-
lowly toothed on edges, hairless,
green on upper surfaces, whitish
(glaucous) beneath, leaves at tips of
twigs usually largest. Twigs slender,
¥1 6 in. (1.5-2 mm.) in diameter,
yellowish green to reddish, shiny,
weakly angled, becoming gray the
2d or 3d year, ending in narrow
stub. Buds green or red, 1h in.
( 3 mm.) long-, with 2 even scales,
end bud lackmg.
Flowers in spring before the
leaves, single on sides of twig, nod-
ding on stalks %6 -* in. (5-6 mm.)
long; corolla pink, urn-shaped,
Figure 117 .-Early blueberry ( V acci-
nium ovalifolium), natural size.
Winter twig at lower left; flowering
twig at left.
o/i6-%6 (5-8 mm.) long, broadest
below the middle and usually
longer than broad. Fruit a round
blue to bluish black berry, with a
bluish bloom; stalk usually less
than % in. (1 em.) long, curved,
not enlarged below fruit. Flower-
ing in April and May, berries rip-
ening in mid-July to August.
237
Early blueberry is the most com-
mon blueberry of the coastal for-
est, where it may form a nearly
continuous shrub layer under an
open tree canopy and on cutover
forest land. This species and
Alaska blueberry ( V aooinium alas-
kaense) provide most of the blue-
berries picked in coastal Alaska
where they are made into jellies
and jams and frozen for use in
winter. The shrub is also used as
winter browse by deer, mountain-
goat, and elk.
Early blueberry and Alaska
blueberry are very similar in ap-
pearance and upon detailed study
might be united. The following
may help to differentiate between
the two during various stages of
development.
Early blueberry
( Vaccinium ovalifolium)
Leaves hairless.
Flowering before or with the
leaves.
Corolla usually longer than broad,
pink, style included.
Berry bluish or blue-black, with
whitish bloom.
Fruit stalks usually less than %
in. (1 em.), curved, not enlarged
just below the fruit.
Alaska blueberry
(Vaccinium alaskaense)
Leaves with few short glandular
hairs along midvein on lower
_ surface.
Flowering after the leaves are half
developed.
Corolla usually broader than long,
bronzy pink, style exserted.
Berry blue-black, without whitish
bloom.
Fruit stalks often more than % in.
( 1 em.) , straight or nearly so,
somewhat enlarged just below
fruit.
Southeastern Alaska north to
south slopes of Alaska Range and
west to tip of Aleutians but ab-
sent between Attu and Unalaska,
also 2 collections along Kuskokwim
238
River. South Tongass, N
Tongass and Chugach N
Forests, Glacier Bay and
National Monuments, Kenai
tiona! Moose Range, Kodiak
Aleutian Islands National
life Refuges. East to British Co-
lumbia and south to southern Ore-
gon. Isolated populations at Lake
Superior, Gaspe Peninsula, Lab-
rador, and Newfoundland. A
closely related species occurs in
eastern Asia.
118. ALASKA BLUEBERRY
( V accinium alaskaense
Howell)
Spreading to erect shrub to 6 ft.
(2m.) high. Leaves %-2 in. (2-
5 em.) long and %-1 in. (1-2.5
em.) wide, thin, entire or shallowly
toothed on edges, upper surface
green, lower surface whitish (glau-
cous), with few short glandular
hairs on midvein. Twigs thin,
%2 in. (1-1.5 mm.) in diameter,
weakly angled, yellow green, be-
coming gray with age, ending in
narrow stub. Buds green or red,
Ys in. (3-4 mm.) long, with 2 even
scales, end bud lacking.
Flowers single at base of leaves
after leaves are partially devel-
oped, on straight stalks %-% in.
(6-10 mm.) long; corolla bronzy
pink, rounded urn-shaped, %-%6
in. (6-8 mm.) long, widest just
above base, usually broader than
long. Fruit a berry, bluish black
to purple, variable in shape, usu-
ally without a bloom, %6 -% in.
(8-15 mm.) in diameter, on a
stalk often more than % in. (1
em.) long, straight, or nearly so,
enlarged just below fruit. Flower-
ing in April and May, berries rip-
ening from mid-July to mid-
August.
Alaska blueberry is common in
Fignre 118.-Alaska blueberry (Vaccinium alaskaense), natural size.
the spruce-hemlock forests of the
coast (especially in forest openings
and cutover land) . The berries of
this species and of early blueberry
are usually picked together, as the
shrubs occur in similar habitats.
Used widely for jam and jelly and
frozen for winter use. The berries
are eaten by bears; the twigs are
browsed by goat, elk, and deer.
For differences between Alaska
blueberry ( V accinium alaskaense)
239
and early blueberry (V. ovalifol-
ium) , see the latter.
Coastal Alaska from Prince Wil-
liam Sound south to southern tip
of the State. South Tongass,
North Tongass, and Chugach Na-
tional Forests, Glacier Bay N a-
tional Monument. From Alaska
south along coast to northern Ore-
gon.
119. BOG BLUEBERRY
(V accinium uliginosum L.)
Other names : bog bilberry,
great bilberry, whortleberry.
Much branched low shrub, erect
or prostrate, 8-16 in. (20-40 em.)
high, often rooting along branches.
Leaves oval ( obovate) to elliptic,
%-% in. (1-2 em.) long, dark
green on upper surface, lighter be-
low, with conspicuous veins. Twigs
slender, round, Ya 2 in. (1 mm.) in
diameter, brown, minutely hairy,
older twigs much branched, yellow-
brown to gray with shredding bark.
B-uds small, Ya 2 i:ri. (1 mm.) long,
several scales with scattered short
hairs.
Flowers 1-4 from ends or side
branches, nodding on stalk 7{6Jfs
in. ( 1.5-3 mm.) long; corolla pink,
urn-shaped, Ys-%6 in. (3-5 mm.)
long with 4 short lobes. Fruit a
blue to black berry with bluish
bloom, ovoid %6 -% in. (5-10 mm.)
in diameter. Flowering in June,
berries ripening in late July and
August.
Bog blueberry is a very common
shrub of bog, open forest, and
tundra of all of Alaska except for
the extreme northern coastal plain.
In southeastern Alaska it grows in
the alpine tundra to elevations of
5,600 ft. (1,710 m). The berries
are picked in large quantities in
north, central, and western Alaska,
240
but not used extensiVely in south,
east~rn Alaska wher~ other blue~ ~
berries are more readily available.~,
The berries are also e~ten by bears: .
grouse, and ptarnngan. Blue~ ··•
berries of this and related species
are eaten raw or cooked in pies
puddings, and muffins and may b~ ·.
frozen or canned. They are a fair
source of vitamin C.
Throughout Alaska except· ex-
treme northern coastal plain.
South Tongass, North Tongass
and Chugach National Forests'
Glacier Bay and Katmai :National
Monuments, Mt. McKinley N a-
tional Park, Kenai National Moose
Range, Kodiak and Aleutian Is-
lands National Wildlife Refuges,
Arctic National Wildlife Range.
Alaska, across Canada to Labra-
dor and Greenland, south to New
England, New York, and Minne-
sota. Also across Europe and
Asia. The New World plants be-
long to a variety ( V aocinium
uliginosum var. alpinum Bigel. or
ssp. alpinum (Bigel.) Hult.).
120. BOG CRANBERRY
(V accinium oxycoccos L.)
Other names: swamp cran-
berry, wild cranberry, small cran-
berry, V aooinium oxyooooos L. var.
miorooarpus (Turcz.) Fedtsch. &
Flerov. Oxyoooous miorooarpus
Turcz.
Evergreen shrub with very
slender stems, creeping vinelike
through moss and rooting at nodes.
Leaves persistent, small, lance-
shaped, Ys-% in. (3-10 mm.) long,
Ya2-Ys in. (1-3 mm.) wide, short-
pointed, leathery, edges strongly
rolled under; shiny dark green on
upper surface, gray or whitish be-
neath with conspicuous midrib.
Stems yellow to reddish brown,
trailing, very slender, Ya 2-7{6 in.
( 1-1.5 mm.) in diameter, hairless
when young.
Flowers 1-4 at ends of stems,
nodding on erect slender stalks
%-1% in. (2--4 em.) long with 2
tiny bractlets below middle; petals
4, red to pink, bent backward, ~
in. ( 6 mm.) long; 8 stamens Ys in.
(3 mm.) long, yellow, pointing for-
ward. Because the petals are bent
backward, the cranberry flower re-
sembles that of a miniature shoot-
ingstar. Fruit a red, juicy, round
berry ~-% in. (6-10 mm.) in
diameter. Flowering in June, ber-
ries ripening in August.
Bog cranberry occurs in most
sphagnum bogs and peat hummocks
in the coastal and boreal forests
but is seldom abundant. Because
Figure ll9.-Bog blueberry (Vaccini-
um uliginosum), natural size. Win-
ter twig at right.
it is so tiny, the plant is often
overlooked until the berries turn
red in the fall. The berries are
good tasting and can be eaten raw
or prepared as jelly or jam in the
same manner as the closely related
commercial cranberries. How-
ever, the bog cranberry seldom is
abundant enough to be gathered in
large quantities.
Coastal forests north to south
slopes of Brooks Range, with 2
collections from Umiat area on
north slope, westward to Bering
Strait and tip of Aleutians, though
absent from many of those islands.
South 'fongass, North Tongass,
and Chugach National Forests,
Glacier Bay and Katmai National
Monuments, Mt. McKinley N a-
tiona! Park, Kenai National Moose
Range, Kodiak and Aleutian Is-
lands National Wildlife Refuges.
241
Figure 120.-Bog cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos), natural size.
Eastward to Hudson Bay and
south to southern British Columbia
and Alberta. Also in northern
Europe and Asia.
The closely related small cran-
berry ( V accinium palustre Salish. ;
Owycoccus palustris Pers., 0. quad-
ripe talus Gilib.) has been reported
from Prince of Wales Island. It
has thicker stems hairy when
young, slightly larger oblong
leaves, and larger flowers and
fruits.
DIAPENSIA FAMILY
(Diapensiaceae)
Evergreen low shrubs with
crowded or alternate leaves with-
out stipules. Flowers with 5-lobed
corolla and 5 stamens; fruit a 3-
parted capsule. This small family
related to the heath family has a
single species in Alaska.
121. DIAPENSIA
(Diapensia lapponica L.)
Other names: arctic diapensia,
Diapensia lapponica ssp. obovata
242
(Fr. Schm.) Hult. and var. obovata
Fr. Schm.
Low, creeping, cushionlike ever-
green shrub with stems horizontal
or 1-3 in. (2.5-7.5 em.) high, much
branched, with dense mat of dead
leaves beneath. Leaves densely
crowded and overlapping like ro-
settes or alternate, without stip-
ules, narrowly oblong or spoon-
shaped, 1;8-% in .. (3-10 mm.) long,
7{6 in. (1.5 mm.) wide, rounded at
apex, edges turned under, thick
and fleshy, stiff, hairless, dark green
on upper surface, light green be-
neath. Twigs slender, hairless,
concealed by leaves.
Flowers single, erect on stalks
1-2 in. (2.5-5 em.) high, %-%in.
(15-20 mm.) across, composed of
1-3 bracts, 5 persistent yellow
green sepals, bell-shaped corolla
with 5 rounded spreading lobes
white or rarely pink to red, 5 alter-
nate stamens inserted in notches of
corolla, and pistil with 3-celled
ovary, long slender style, and 3-
lobed stigma. Fruit an erect ellip-
tic or egg-shaped capsule nearly
l;i in. ( 6 mm.) long, 3-celled, with
sev~al seeds. Flowering from
late May often into July.
The many large flowers make
diapensia showy and suitable for
alpine rock gardens in spite of its
small size. Compact mats to 2 ft.
( 60 em.) in diameter are common
in dry rocky and gravelly upland
slopes in arctic and alpine tundra.
Arctic-alpine nearly throughout
interior Alaska except on arctic
coastal plain near Pt. Bartow,
south to Kodiak Island and Alaska
Peninsula. Also Amchitka Island
in southwestern Aleutian Islands.
In southeast Alaska only in moun-
tains above Haines and Skagway.
Chugach National Forest, Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park, Katmai N a-
tional Monument, Kenai National
Moose Range, Kodiak Island and
Aleutian Islands National Wild-
life Refuges, Arctic National Wild-
life Range. Alaska, east across
northern Canada to Hudson Bay,
Greenland, Labrador, and New-
foundland, south in mountains to
New England and New York.
Also in northern Eurasia.
HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY
( Caprifoliaceae)
Deciduous or evergreen shrubs,
sometimes small trees, woody vines,
and herbs. Leaves opposite, simple
or pinnately compound, without
stipules (present in Sambucus).
Figure 121.-Diapensia (Diapensia lap-
ponica), natural size.
Flowers mostly small, regular or
irregular, composed of calyx of
4-5 teeth, tubular corolla with 4-5
lobes, 4-5 stamens inserted on tube
and alternate with lobes, and pistil
with inferior ovary of 2--5 cells
and usually 1 ovule in each and 1
style or none. Fruit mostly a
berry or berrylike drupe. Five
genera in Alaska, each with a
single native species.
122. PACIFIC RED ELDER
(Sambucus callicarpa
Greene)
Other names : scarlet elder, red-
berry elder, stinking elder, elder-
berry; Sambucus racemosa L. var.
arborescens (Torr. & Gray) Gray.
Deciduous clump-forming shrub
6-12ft. (2--3.5 m.) high1 sometimes
large and treelike, With several
stems to 2--4 in. (5-10 em.) d.b.h.,
rarely a small tree to 20 ft. ( 6 m.)
high and 5 in. (12.5 em.) d.b.h.
Leaves opposite, compound, pin-
nate, 5-10 in. (12.5-25 em.) long,
with small narrow stipules about
Ys in. (3 mm.) long soon shedding
and leaving ring scar on twig, with
243
unpleasant odor. Leaflets 5 or 7,
paired except at end, short-stalked.
Blades lanceolate or elliptic, 2-5 in.
(5-12.5 em.) long and 1-2 in. (2.5-
5 em.) wide, long-pointed at apex
and short-pointed and often un-
equal at base, finely and sharply
toothed on edges, thin, above green
and nearly hairless, beneath paler
and hairy. Twigs stout, finely
hairy when young, !Vay, with
raised brown dots (lentiCels), with
rings at nodes. Buds paired, large,
egg-shaped, ~-% in. (6-12 mm.)
long, gray, covered by several
slightly hairy overlapping scales
often persistent around twig. Bark
light to dark gray or brown,
smoothish, becoming cracked or
furrowed into small scaly or
shaggy plates. Pith thick, whit-
ish on youngest twigs, becoming
deep yellow-orange or brown.
Wood soft, whitish.
Flower clusters (compound
cymes) terminal, erect, longer than
broad, 2--4 in. (5-10 em.) long and
1%-2 in. ( 4--5 em.) wide, with
many small whitish flowers with
unpleasant odor, turning brown on
drying. Flower composed of mi-
nute 5-toothed calyx, white spread-
ing 5-lobed corolla %6 -~ in. (5-
6 mm.) across, 5 stamens inserted
at base of corolla and alternate
with lobes, and pistil with in-.
ferior 3-celled ovary with 1 ovule
in each cell, short style, and 3 stig-
mas. Fruit many berrylike drupes
about %6 in. ( 5 mm.) in diameter
with calyx persistent at apex,
bright red or scarlet, sometimes
orange, containing 3 1-seeded
poisonous nutlets. Flowering May-
July, fruit maturing July-August.
Elders are easily detected by a
strong odor when leaves or stems
are crushed. The red fruits are
classed as not edible, at least when
raw, but are sometimes made into
wine. They are eaten by some
birds, especially robins and thrush-
es. The "seeds" (nutlets) are re-
ported to be poisonous, causing
244
diarrhea and vomiting.
can be grown as ornamentals
in the interior only in moist
ations.
Common locally in moist
especially open areas and -..an.n-'-'-
cutover land in coastal
Unimak Island in
Pacific coast regions of
ern, southern, and southeast
ka. Chugach, North Tongass,
South Tongass National Forests
Katmai and Glacier Bay Nationai
Monuments, Kenai National Moose
Range, Kodiak and Aleutian Is-
lands National Wildlife Refuges.
Pacific coast region from southwest
Alaska southeast to western Ore-.
gon and mountains of central and.
southern California.
This elder is added here to the'
list of native trees in Alaska, rarely
reaching the minimum size. Small·
trees were observed to 20 ft. in
height and 5 in. in trunk diameter
at Myers Chuck on Cleveland
Peninsula northwest of Ketchikan.
Southward in the Pacific States
heights of 25-30 ft. and trunk
diameters to 1 ft. have been re-
corded.
The plants of northwestern
North America from Alaska to
California have been treated also
as a variety of European red elder
( S. Taeemo8a L.)
123. ffiGH
BUSH CRANBERRY
(Viburnum edule (Michx.)
Raf.)
Other names: squashberry,
mooseberry, Vibumum pauciflo-
rom La Py laie.
Deciduous shrub 2-12 ft. (0.6-
3.5 m.) high with several to many
stems to 1% in. ( 4 em.) d.b.h.,
sometimes larger and treelike.
Leaves opposite, with petioles
~-%in. (6-20 mm.) long, slightly
hairy when young, without stip-
. ules. Blades rounded, thin, mostly
shallowly and palmately 3-lobed,
1-4 in. (2.5-10 em.) long and wide,
with 3 main veins from rounded
base which usually has 2 glands,
edges sharply toothed and lobes
short-pointed, above dull green and
hairless, beneath light green and
often hairy, especially on veins.
Twigs light gray, hairless, stout,
with rings at nodes and thick white
pith. Buds narrowly elliptic, %-
¥2 in. ( 3-12 mm.) long, covered by
Figure 122.-Paeifie red elder (Sambu-
cus callicarpa), one-half natural size.
Winter twig at right.
2 dark red brown, partly united
hairless scales, the side buds paired.
Bark gray, smooth.
Flower clusters (cymes) termi-
nal on short lateral twigs bearing
only 2 leaves, with persistent
stalks lh-1 in. ( 1.2--2.5 em.) long,
small, lh-1 in. ( 1.2--2.5 em.) wide,
with many or several short-stalked
whitish flowers ~ in. ( 6 mm.) long
and wide. Flower buds white or
tinged with pink. Flowers com-
posed of short 5-toothed calyx,
whitish corolla ~ in. (6 mm.)
across the 5 nearly equal spreading
lobes, 5 short stamens inserted on
corolla and alternate with lobes,
and pistil with inferior 3-celled
ovary, 1 ovule, and minute stigma.
Fruit· an elliptic red or orange
drupe %_lh in. (10-12 mm.) long,
with calyx at apex, sour and edible,
containing 1 rounded flat stone %6
in. ( 5 mm.) long. Flowering
May-July, fruit maturing July-:-
September. ·
245
Figure 123.-High bushcranherry (Vi-
burnum edule),,one-half natural size.
Winter twig at upper right.
The fruits are edible, as the sci-
entific name indicates. They make
excellent jelly or juice, especially
if picked before mature. Later the
flavor may be musty. The flavor
of the jelly is improved if the juice
is mixed with rose hip puree. The
overripe berries give a musty odor
to many areas of interior Alaska in
late fall. Wildlife browse the
foliage, and numerous birds eat
the berries. This species has been
recommended for cultivation for
its brilliant red autumnal foliage.
Scattered to common, sometimes
abundant, in thickets, forest open-
ings, and along streams. Through
most of Alaska except northern
border, western Alaska Peninsula,
and Aleutian Islands. South Ton-
gass, North Tongass, and Chugach
National Forests, Mt. McKinley
National Park, Katmai and Glacier
246
Bay National Monuments, Kodiak
National Wildlife Refuge. Alaska
and Yukon Territory to mouth of
Mackenzie River, Great Bear Lake,
Hudson Bay, Ungava Bay, and
Newfoundland, south to Pennsyl-
vania, Michigan, Minnesota, Col-
orado, and Oregon.
124. SNOWBERRY
(Symphoricarpos albus
(L.) Blake)
Other names: Symphorioarpos
rivularis Suksd., S. albus ssp.
laevigatus (Fern.) Hult. and var.
laevigatus (Fern.) Blake.
Deciduous, much branched shrub
1-4 ft. ( 3-12 dm.) high sometimes
taller. Leaves opposite, with slen-
der petioles about Ys in. ( 3 rom.)
long, without stipules. Blades
elliptic to ovate, %-llh in. (1.5-4
em.) long, l!z-1 in. ( 1.2-2.5 em.)
wide, blunt at both ends, on vigor-
ous twigs larger and often with a
few irregular teeth or lobes, thin,
above dark green and hairless or
nearly so, beneath often whitish
green and hairy. Twigs slender,
Figure 124.-Snowberry (Symphoricar-
pos albus), natural size. Winter twig
at right.
reddish brown, hairless or mi-
nutely hairy, ringed at nodes, older
twigs gray with shreddy bark.
Buds 7{6 in. (1.5 rom.) long, scaly.
Flowers mostly few in short clus-
ters (racemes) at ends of twigs or
also at bases of upper leaves, about
14 in. ( 6 mm.) long, pink, com-
posed of 5-toothed calyx, pink tubu-
lar bell-shaped corolla 14 in. (6
mm.) long and nearly as wide, 5-
lobed, hairy within, with 5 sta-
mens inserted in tube alternate
with lobes, and pistil with elliptic
inferior 4-celled ovary with 2
ovules and short hairless style.
Fruits 1 to few, round white berry-
like drupes 14-% in. (6-15 rom.)
long, with calyx at apex, containing
2 hght brown nutlets or stones
247
Figure 125.-Twin-:flower (Linnaea bo-
realis), natural size.
%6 in. ( 5 mm.) long. Collected
in flower in July.
Local in southeast Alaska,
known only from Haines and
Chilkat Valley, and the vicinity
of Juneau. North Tongass N a-
tiona! Forest. Southeast Alaska,
Queen Charlotte Islands, and Brit-
ish Columbia, across Canada to
Quebec, south to Virginia, Michi-
gan, Nebraska, Colorado, and Cal-
ifornia.
Cultivated elsewhere as an orna-
mental.
125. TWIN-FLOWER
( Linnaea borealis L.)
Other names : Linnaea ameri-
cana Forbes, L. bo'f'ealis ssp. bo'f'e-
ali<J, ssp. americana (Forbes) Hult.
and var. americana (Forbes) Rehd.,
L. boreali<J ssp. longiflom (Torr.)
Hult.
248
Creeping evergreen dwarf shrub
or herbaceous, forming loose mats,
with long slender, slightly hairy,
woody horizontal stems rooting at
nodes and many erect twigs to 4
in. (10 em.) high .. Leaves oppo-
site, with slender petioles less than
~ in. (3 mm.) long, with stipules.
Blades elliptic or rounded,*-% in.
(6-15 mm.) long and wide, thick
with few wavy teeth above middle,
hairless or nearly so, above dull
green, beneath whitish green.
Flowers paired at apex of very
slender erect stalks 1¥2-3 in. ( 4-
'7.5 em.) long, nodding, fragrant,
%-% in. (10-15 rom.) long, com-
posed of calyx of 5 narrow green-
ish hairy lobes, pink to purple
funnel-shaped or bell-shaped tubu-
lar corolla with 5 nearly equal
lobes, 4 stamens in pairs inserted
near base of tube and enclosed, and
pistil with inferior greenish 3-celled
ovary, 1 ovule, and slender style.
Fruit small, dry, round, 7{ 6 in. ( 1.5
rom.) in diameter, with calyx at
apex and enclosed by bracts, 1-
seeded. Flowering June-August,
fruits maturing July-August.
Twin-flower can be transplanted
into cultivation as a, spreading
Figure 126.-Bearberry honeysuckle
(Lonicera involucrata), one-half nat-
ural size. Winter twigs at right,
natural size.
evergreen ground cover m shady
places.
Scattered in open forests and tun-
dra. Widespread almost through-
out Alaska (except Arctic coastal
plain) from Aleutian Islands
249
through interior to southeast
Alaska. South Tongass, North
Tongass, and Chugach National
Forests, Mt. McKinley National
Park, Glacier Bay and Katmai N a-
tiona! Monuments, Kenai National
Moose Range, Kodiak National
Wildlife Refuge, Aleutian Islands
National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic
National Wildlife Range. Alaska
across Canada to Labrador and
Newfoundland, south especially in
mountains to New Jersey, West
Virginia, Indiana, South Dakota,
New Mexico, and California. Also
widespread across Eurasia.
Three varieties differing slightly
in shape of leaves and flowers have
been distinguished in Alaska. The
generic name honors Carolus Lin-
naeus ( 1707-78) , Swedish botanist.
126. BEARBERRY
HONEYSUCKLE
( Lonicera involucrata
(Richards.) Banks)
Other names :
black twinberry.
honeysuckle,
Deciduous shrub 3-10 ft. (1-3
m.) high. Leaves opposite, with
petioles less than % in. ( 6 mm.)
long, without stipules. Blades ellip-
tic, 2--5 in. (5-12.5 em.) long, 1-3
in. (2.5-7.5 em.) wide, long-pointed
or short-pointed at both ends,
edges hairy and not toothed, above
dull green and hairless or nearly
so, beneath pale green and hairy
on veins. Twigs 4-angled when
young, hairless, ringed at nodes.
Bark becoming gray and shreddy.
Flowers paired above 4 leaflike
green or purple bracts on stalk 1-2
in. (2.5-5 em.) long at base of
leaves, ¥2-% in. ( 12--15 mm.)
long, composed of short tubular
250
calyx, yellow funnel-shaped corolla
swollen on one side at base and
with 5 nearly equal short lobes,
5 glandular hairy stamens inserted
within tube, and pistil with in-
ferior 3-celled ovary, many ovules,
and slender style. Fruits paired
above 4 dark red bracts, 3-celled,
few-seeded black berries, round,%
in. (10 mm.) in diameter.
The bitter fruits are said to be
poisonous.
Rare and local in wet soil. Re-
stricted in Alaska to vicinity of
Portland Canal at extreme south-
ern end of southeast Alaska and at
head of Lynn Canal, at northern
end of southeast Alaska. South
Tongass National Forest. Wide-
spread across northern North
America from southeast Alaska
and British Columbia to Hudson
Bay, James Bay, Quebec, and New
Brunswick, south to Michigan and
Wisconsin, and in western moun-
tains to New Mexico, California,
and Chihuahua, Mexico.
COMPOSITE FAMILY
( Compositae)
This very large family is well
reptesented in Alaska by numerous
species of herbs and 1 genus with 2
species woody near base. Leaves
in this family are various, often
toothed or lobed, without stipules.
Flowers small, crowded and stalk-
less in heads bordered by green-
ish scales (bracts), with tubular
corolla 5-toothed or strap-shaped
(ray flowers), calyx of hairs (pap-
pus) or minute scales or none, and
inferior ovary. Fruit dry, 1-seeded
(akene).
Sagebrush or wormwood (Ar-
temisia) is the only genus of this
family with woody plants in
Alaska. Of about 20 Alaskan
Figure 127.-Fringed sagebrush (Artemisia frigida), one-half natural size.
species, only 2, fringed sagebrush
and Alaska sagebrush, can be con-
sidered as shrubs, though primarily
herbaceous and woody only near
base. Both ~row on the driest,
warmest sites m central and north-
ern Alaska, the steep rocky south-
facing river bluffs.
251
Key to the 2 Alaska Shrub Species
Basal leaves 2 to 3 times divided into linear segments ?11 2 in. (1 mm.)
wide, lea£ blade :14-¥2 in. (6-12 mm.) long ----------------------
. ----------------------127. fringed sagebrush (Artemisia frigida)
Basal leaves 2-3 times divided into spatula-shaped (spatulate or oblance-
olate) segments :X 6 _t/s in. (2-3 mm.) wide, lea£ blade 1-2 in. (2.5-5
em.) long ----------128. Alaska sagebrush (Artemisia alaskana)
127. FRINGED SAGEBRUSH
(Artemisia frigida Willd.)
Other name: prairie sagewort.
Shrubby spreading perennial,
much branched from woody base,
12-18 in. (30-45 em.) high, fra-
grant, and silvery in appearance.
Leaves densely crowded at base
and along stem, small and divided
2 or 3 times into linear segments
less than ?11 2 in. (1 mm.) wide,
total length of blade % 6 -lh in.
( 5-12 mm.) , densely silky hairy
throughout. Stems of current
year herbaceous, silvery from dense
white hairs, dying back each winter
to a few short woody stems, older
woody stems covered with dead
gray leaves, silvery in some parts
but becoming brown with age.
Flowers in small compact heads
about ¥sin. (3-4 mm.) in diameter,
on a narrow-erect leafy branch
(raceme), yellow without ray flow-
ers, the underlying bracts with
dense silvery hairs. Fruits many
tiny hairless seeds ( akenes). Flow-
ering in July-August, seeds matur-
ing August-September.
Fringed sagebrush is a common
shrub on sunny, south facing, well
drained river bluffs in central
Alaska, too dry or unstable for
252
trees. In the summer it may be
confused with other herbaceous
species of Artemisia, which have
much larger, less dissected leaves.
Along river bluffs of Matanuska,
Copper, Kuskokwim, Tanana, and
Yukon rivers of central Alaska.
Collected on a bluff on the Saddle-
rochit River and along the Col-
ville River, both north of the
Brooks Range. Mt. McKinley N a-
tiona} Park, Arctic National Wild-
life Range. Southeast across Can-
ada to Minnesota and south to
Texas and Arizona. Also in north-
ern Asia.
-·
128. ALASKA SAGEBRUSH
(Artemisia alaskana Rydb.)
Other name: Artemisia tyrellii
Rydb.
Silvery spreading shrub, 18-24
in. ( 45-60 em.) high, much
branched from woody base, fra-
grant. Basal leaves 1-2 in. (2.5-5
em.) long,divided into 3-5 segments,
each again divided into spatula-
shaped (spatulate), oblong, or
linear segments :X 6 in. (2 mm.)
wide; stem leaves becoming less di-
vided so that upper leaves may be
Figure 128.-Alaska sagebrush (Arte-
misia alaskana), one-half natural
size.
undivided and linear-shaped; pres-
ent year's leaves densely silky hairy,
past year's basal leaves usually per-
sisting, gray brown in color.
Stems herbaceous, silvery from
dense hairs, dying back each win-
ter to a few short basal woody
stems; older stems brown and cov-
ered with old dead gray leaves.
Flowers in compact heads JA-
o/t6 in. (6-8 mm.) in diameter,
often nodding, on a branched,
narrow, erect leafy twig (raceme),
yellow, and lackmg ray flowers,
the bracts with dense silvery hairs.
Fruits many tiny hairless seeds
( akenes). Flowering in July and
August, seeds maturing August
and September.
Alaska sagebrush grows on steep
south-facing, usually rocky, dry
slopes, commonly with fringed
sagebrush. The two may form a
nearly complete cover on many
river bluffs and steep south-facing
road cuts.
Common along the river bluffs of
central Alaska and occasionally
along rivers north of the Brooks
Range. One locality on the Seward
Peninsula near N orne. Mt. Mc-
Kinley National Park, Arctic N a-
tional Wildlife Range. Southeast
in Canada only to the headwaters
of Tanana and Yukon Rivers and
to Lake Kluane region. Closely
related to Artemisia krushiana
Bess., of Asia.
253
SELECTED REFERENCES
Additional information about
the trees and shrubs of Alaska,
also the forests and other vegeta-
tion, is available in many articles
and books. A selected list of these
references is included here. Some
that were especially helpful in
preparation of this handbook
cited in the introduction
and year of publication.
hensive bibliographies on
plants have been prepared
Hulten (1941--:50, 1967, 1968).
Anderson, H. E.
1953. Range of western red-
cedar (Thuja plicata) in
Alaska. USDA Forest
Serv. Alaska Forest Res.
Center Tech. Note 22, 1 p.
and map. ----
1959. Silvical characteritsics of
Alaska-cedar ( Ohamaeay-
plM'is nootkatemia) . US-
DA Forest Serv. Alaska
Forest Res. Center Sta.
Pap. 11, 10 p.
Anderson, J. P.
1939. Plants used by the Eski-
mo in the northern Ber-
ing Sea and Arctic re-
gions of Alaska. Amer.
J. Bot. 26: 714--716.
1943-52. Flora of Alaska and
adjacent parts of Canada.
Iowa State Col. J. Sci. 18:
137-175, 381-445; 19:
133-205; 20: 213-257,
297-347; 21: 363-423;
23: 137-187; 24: 219-
271; 26: 387-453.
----,
1959. Flora of Alaska and ad-
jacent parts of Canada.
543 p. Ames, Iowa: Iowa
State Univ. Press.
Anderson, James R.
1925. Trees and shrubs, food,
medicinal, and poisonous
plants of British Colum-
bia. 165 p. Victoria, B.C.
Argus, George W.
1965. The taxonomy of the
Saliw glauaa complex in
North America. Contrib.
Gray Herb. Harvard
Univ. 196, 142 p.
----.
1969. New combinations in the
Saliw of Alaska and Yu-
kon. Can. J. Bot. 47:
795-801.
1972. The systematics of the
genus Saliw in Alaska and
Yukon. Nat. Mus. Can.-
Publ. Bot. No 2. (In press)
Babb,M. F.
1959. Ornamental trees and
shrubs for Alaska. Univ.
Alaska Agr. Exp. Sta.
Bull. 24, 39 p.
Ball, Carleton, R.
1940. Dr. W. A. Setchell and
Alaska willows. Proc.
Nat. Acad. Sci. 21: 181-
186.
254
Bank, T. P.
1951. Botanical and ethnobo-
tanical studies in the Aleu-
tian Islands. I. Aleutian
vegetation and Aleut cul-
ture. Mich. Acad. Sci.
Arts Lett. Pap. 37: 13-
30.
Barney, Richard J.
1967. Buildup indexes for in-
terior Alaska 1956-65.
USDA Forest Serv. Pa-
cific Northwest Forest and
Range Exp. Sta. Inst. of
Northern Forest. Misc.
Pub!. 49 p.
1968. Fi~e danger rating spread
index and bnildup mdex
frequencies for interior
Alaska. USDA Forest
Serv. Pacific Northwest
Forest and Range Exp.
Sta. Inst. of Northern
Forest. 8 p.
1969a. Interior Alaska wildfires,
1956-65. USDA Forest
Serv. Pacific Northwest
Forest and Range Exp.
Sta. Inst. of Northern
Forest. Misc. Pub!. 47 p.
1969b. National fire-danger rat-
ing system fine fuel mois-
ture content tables-an
Alaskan adaptation. US-
DA Forest Serv. Res.
Note PNW-109, 12 p.
Baxter, Dow V., and Wadsworth,
Frank H.
1939. Forest and fungus suc-
cession in the lower Yu-
kon Valley. Univ. Mich.
Sch. Forest. Conserv. Bull.
9, 52 p.
Benninghoff, W . .S.
1952. Interaction of vegetation
and soil frost phenomena.
Arctic 5: 34--44.
Berger, Alwin.
1924. A taxonomic review of
currants and gooseberries.
N.Y. Agri. Exp. Sta.
Tech. Bull. 109: 1-118.
Bliss, L. C., and Cantlon1 J. E.
1957. Succession on nver allu-
vium in northern Alaska.
Amer. Midland Natur.
52: 452-469.
14 p.
Brayshaw, T. C.
1965. The status of the black ·
cotton wood ( Popuj,w, tri-
choaarya Torrey and -
Gray). Can. Field-Natur.
79: 91-95.
Briggs, W. R,
1953. Some plants of Mount
McKinley National Park
McGonegall Moun~
Area. Rhodora 55: 245-
252.
Britton, M. E.
1958. Vegetation of the arctic
tundra. 18th Annu. Bioi.
Colloq. Oregon State
Coli. p. 26-61.
Bruce, David, and Court, Arnold
1945. Trees for the Aleutians.
Geogr. Rev. 35: 413-423,
Bruce, Mason, B.
1960. National forests in Alas-
ka, J. Forest. 58: 437-
442.
BuckleY., John L., and Libby,
Wilbur L.
1959. The distribution in Alas-
ka of P.lant and animal
life available for survival.
Arctic Aeromedical Lab.
Tech. Rep. 58-10, 43 p.
Burns, John J.
1964. Pingos in the Yukon-
Kuskokwim Delta, Alas-
ka : Their plant succes-
sion and use by mink.
Arctic 17: 203-210.
Cahalaney, Victor H.
1959. A biological survey of
Katmai National Monu-
ment. Smithsonian Misc.
Collect. 138 ( 5) , 246 p.
Calder, James A., and Taylor,
Roy L.
1965. New taxa and nomencla-
ture changes with respect
to the flora of the Queen
) Charlotte Islands, British
Columbia. Can. J. Bot.
43: 1,387-1,400.
----., , and Mulli-
gan, Gerald A.
1968. Flora of the Queen Char-
I otte Islands. Can. Dep.
Agr. Res. Monogr. 4,
Parts 1-2.
Camp,W.H.
1942. .A: survey of the American
species of V acainium, sub·
genus Euvaccinium. Brit-
tonia: 205-247.
----.
1944. A preliminary considera-
tion of the biosystematy
of OmycocCWJ. Bull. Torr.
Bot. Club 71: 426-437.
1945. The North American blue-
berries with notes on other
groups of Vacciniaceae.
Brittonia 5: 203-275.
Canada, Department of Forestry.
1961. Native trees of Canada.
Bull. 61, ed. 6, 291 p.
Ottawa.
Churchill, E. D.
1955. Phytosociological and en-
vironmental characteris-
tics of plant communities
in the Umiat region of
Alaska. Ecology 36 : 606-
627.
Cooper, W. S.
1924. The forests of Glacier
Bay (Alaska), present,
past, and yet unborn. J.
Forest. 22( 1) : 16-23.
---
1930.
1931.
1939.
The seed plants and ferns
of the Glacier Bay Na-
tional Monument, Alaska.
Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 57:
327-338.
The layering habit in Sit-
ka spruce and the two
western hemlocks. Bot.
Gaz. 91: 441-451.
Additions to the flora of
Glacier Bay National
Monument, Alaska, 1935-
36. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club
66 : 453-456.
1942a. An isolated colony of
plants on a glacier-clad
mountain. Bull. Torr.
Bot. Club 69 : 429-433.
----
1942b. V ~getation of the Prince
William Sound Region,
Alaska; with a brief ex-
cursion into post-Pleisto--
cene climat1c history.
Ecol. Monogr. 12: 1-22.
Coville, F. V.
1900. The tree willows of Alas-
ka. Proc. Wash. Acad.
Sci. 2: 275-286.
1901. The willows of Alaska.
Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci. 3:
297-362.
----., and Funston, F.
1895. Botany of Yakutat Bay,
Alaska, with a field report
by F. Funston. Contrib.
U.S. Nat. Herb. 3: 325-
350.
Daubenmire, R. F.
1953. Notes on the vegetation of
forested regions of the far
northern Rockies and
Alaska. Northwest Sci.
27 : 125-138.
1968. S~me geographic varia-
tions in Picea sitchensis
and their ecological inter-
pretation. Can. J. Bot.
46 : 787-798.
Davidson John.
1927. Conifers, junipers, and
yew: gymnosperms of
British Columbia. 72 p.
London.
Dayton, William A.
1931. Important western browse
plants. U.S. Dep. Agr.
Misc. Pub. 101, 214 p.
Drew, J. V., and Shanks, R. E.
1965. Landscape relationships
of soils and vegetation m
frost-tundra ecotone, Up-
per Firth River Valley,
Alaska-Canada. Ecol.
Monogr. 35: 285-306.
Drury, William H., Jr.
1956. Bog flats and J?hysio-
graphic processes m the
upper Kuskokwim River
regions, Alaska. Contrib.
Gray Herb. Harvard
Univ. 178, 130 p.
Dugle, Janet R.
1966. A taxonomic study of
western Canadian species
in the genus Betula. Can.
J. Bot. 44: 929-1,007.
Eastwood, Alice.
1947. A collection of plants
from the Aleutian Islands.
Leafl. Western Bot. 5: 9-
"13.
1957. A ·list of plants from Dall
and Annette Islands, Alas-
ka. Leafl. Western Bot.
7: 102.
Eliot, Willard Ayres, and McLean,
G.B.
1938. Forest trees of the Pa-
cific coast. 565 p. New
York.
Evans, W. H.
1899. An undescribed birch
from Alaska. Bot. Gaz.
27: 481-482.
----
1900. N ~tes on the edible berries
of Alaska. Plant World
3: 17-19.
Farr, Wilbur A.
1967a. Board-foot tree volume
tables and equations for
white spruce in interior
Alaska. USDA Forest
Serv. Res. Note PNW-
59, 4 p.
----
1967b. Growth and yield of well-
stocked white spruce
stands in Alaska. USDA
Forest Serv. Res. Pap.,
PNW-53, 30 p.
Fernow, B. C.
1902. Forests of Alaska. Har-
riman Alaska Exped. Rep.
3: 235-256.
Fowells, H. A., compiler.
1965. Silvics of forest trees of
the United States. U.S.
Dep. Agr., Agr. Handb.
271, 762 p.
Funsch, Robert W.
1964. A summary of seasonal
temperature and precipi-
tation data for the inte-
rior forested area of Alas-
ka. USDA Forest Serv.
Res. Note NOR-9, 50 p.
Garman, E. H.
1963. Pocket gnide to the trees
and shrubs of British Co-
lumbia. British Columbia
Forest Serv. Pub!. B. 28,
137 p.
Gjaervoll, 0.
1958-67. Botanical investiga-
tions in central Alaska,
especially in the White
Mountains. Parts I-III.
K. N orske Vidensk. Selsk.
Skr. (Trondheim) 5, 74
p.; 4, 115 p.; 10, 63 p.
Gregory, Robert A.
1957. Some silvicultural char-
acteristics of western red-
cedar in Alaska. Ecology
38: 646-649.
1960. Identification of spruce
seedlings in interior Alas-
ka. USDA Forest Serv.
Alaska Forest. Res. Cen-
ter Tech. Note 45, 4 p.
1966. The effect of leaf litter
upon establishment of
white spruce beneath pa-
per birch. Forest. Chron.
42: 251-255.
----,and Haack, Paul M.
1964. Equations and tables for
estimating cubic-foot vol-
ume of interior Alaska
tree species. USDA For-
est Serv. Res. Note, NOR-
6, 21 p.
1965. Growth and yield of well-
stocked aspen and birch
stands in Alaska. USDA
Forest Serv. Res. Pap.
NOR-2, 28 p.
----and Wilson, Brayton F.
1967. A comparison of cambial
activity of white spruce in
Alaska and New England.
Can. J. Bot. 46: 733-734.
Griggs, R. F.
1914. Observations on the edge
of the forest in the Ko-
diak region of Alaska.
Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 41:
381-385.
1915. The effect of the eruption
of Katmai on land vege-
tation. Bull. Amer. Geogr.
Soc. 4 7 : 193-203.
1918. The recovery of vegeta-
tion at Kod1ak. Ohw J.
Sci. 19: 1-57.
1919. The be~gs of reveg-
etation m Katmai Valley.
Ohio J. Sci. 19: 318-
342.
255
Griggs, R. F.
1934. The edge of forest in Alas-
ka and the reasons for its
position. Ecology 15:
80-96.
1936. The vegetation of the Kat-
mai district. Ecology 17:
380-417.
Guthrie, John D.
1922. Alaska's interior forests.
J. Forest. 20: 363-373.
Haack, Paul M.
1963a. Aerial photo volume
tables for interior Alaska
tree species. USDA For-
est Serv. Res. Note NOR-
2, 8 p.
----
1963b. Volume tables for trees
of interior Alaska. USDA
Forest Serv. Res. Note
NOR-5, 11 p.
Hanks, Leland F., and Swanson,
Carl W.
1967. Lumber g-rade yields from
paper brrch and balsam
poplar logs in the Susitna
River Valley. USDA
Forest Serv. Res. Pap.
PNW-51, 30 p.
Hanson, H. C.
1950. Vegetation and soil pro-
files in some solifluction
and mound areas in Alas-
ka. Ecology 31: 606-
630.
1953. Vegetation types in north-
western Alaska and com-
parisons with communi-
ties in other Arctic re-
gions. Ecology 34: 111-
140.
Hardy, Charles E., and Franks,
James W.
1963. Forest fires in Alaska.
USDA Forest Serv. Res.
Pap. INT-5, 163 p.
Harris, Arland S.
1964. Sitka spruce; Alaska's
new State tree. Amer.
Forest. 70(8): 33-35.
----
1965. Subalpine fir on Harris
Ridge near Hollis, Prince
of Wales Island, Alaska.
Northwest Sci. 39: 123-
128. .
1967. Natural reforestation on
a mile-square clearcut in
southeast Alaska. USDA
Forest Serv. Res. Pap.
PNW-52, 16 p.
1969a. Alaska cedar, a bibliog-
raphy with abstracts. US-
DA Forest Serv. Res. Pap.
PNW-73, 47 p.
1969b. Ripening and dispersal
of a bumper western hem-
lock-Sitka spruce seed
cr()p in southeast Alaska.
USDA Forest Serv. Res.
Note PNW-105, 11 p.
256
1970. The loners of Alaska.
Amer. Forest. 76(5): 20-
22, 55-56.
Harshberger, J. W.
1928. Tundra vegetation of cen-
tral Alaska directly under
the Arctic Circle. Proc.
Amer. Phil. Soc. Phila.
67 : 215-234.
1929. The forests of the Pacific
coasts of British Colum-
bia and southeastern Alas-
ka. Acta Forest. Feunica
34: 1-5.
Hayes, Doris W., and Garrison,
George A.
1960. Important woody plants
of eastern Oregon and
Washington. U.S. Dep.
Agr. Handb. 148, 227 p.
Hegg, Karl M.
1966. A photo identification
guide for the land and
forest types of interior
Alaska. USDA Forest
Serv. Res. Pap .. NOR-3,
55 p.
Heintzleman, B. F.
1928. Pulp-timber resources of
southeastern Alaska. U.S.
Dep. Agr. Misc. Pub!. 41,
34 p. (Reprinted and
slightly rev. 28 p. 1937.)
1949. Forests of Alaska. Trees,
U.S. Dep. Agr. Yearb.
1949, 361-372.
Heller, Christine A.
1953. Wild edible and poisonous
plants of Alaska. Univ.
Alaska Ext. Bull. F-40,
87 p.
1966. Wild flowers of Alaska.
104 p. Portland, Oreg.
Henry, Joseph Kaye.
1915. Flora of southern British
Columbia and Vancouver
Island, with many ref-
erences to Alaska and
northern species. 363 p.
Toronto.
Heusser, C. J. _;
1954a. Alpine fir at Taku Gla-
cier with notes on its post-
glacial migration to the
Territory. Bull. Torr.
Bot. Club 81: 83-86.
1954b. Nunatak flora of the
Juneau Ice Field, Alaska.
Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 81 :
236-250.
1960. Late Pleistocene environ-
ments of Pacific North
America. 308 p. New
York: Amer. Geogr. Soc.
Hitchcock, C. Leo, Cronquist, Ar-
thur, Ownbey, Marion, and
Thompson, J. W.
1955-69. Vascular plants of the
Pacific Northwest. 5 parts.
Seattle and London:
Univ. Wash. Press.
Hulten, Eric.
1936. New or notable species
from Alaska. Contribu-
tions for the flora of Alas-
ka I. Svensk Bot. Tidskr.
30: 515-528.
1940a. History of botanical ex.
ploration in Alaska and
Y uko:n Territories from
the time of their discovery
to 1940. Bot. Notiser 1940:
289-346.
1940b. Two new species of Salix
from Alaska. Svensk
Bot. Tidskr. 34 : 373-
376.
1941-50. Flora of Alaska and
Yukon, 1-10. Lunds
Univ. Arsskr., N. F., Avd.
2, v. 37-46, 1,902 p.
----
1958. The Amphi-Atlantic
plants and therr phytogeo-
graphical connections.
Svensk V etenska pskad.
Hand!. 7(71), 340 p.
1959. Studies in the genus DryM.
Svensk Bot. Tidskr. 53:
507-542.
1960a. Contribution to the
knowl~ge. of flora and
vegetatiOn of the south-
western Alaska mainland.
Svensk Bot. Tidskr. 60 :
177-189.
1960b. Flora of the Aleutian
Islands. Ed. 2, 376 p.
Weinheim/Bergstr.
1962a. Flora and vegetation of
Scammon Bay, Bering
Sea Coast, Alaska. Svensk
Bot. Tidskr. 56: 36-54.
1962b. The circumpolar plants.
I. V ascnlar cryptograms,
conifers, monocotyledons.
Svensk Vetenskapsakad.
Hand!. 8(5), 275 p.
1967. Comments on the flora
of Alaska and Yukon.
Svensk Vetenskapsakad.
Hand!. Ser. 2, 7(1), 147 p.
1968. Flora of Alaska and neigh-
boring territories; a man-
ual of the vascular plants.
1,008 p. Stanford, Calif. :
Stanford Univ. Press.
Hutchison, 0. Keith.
1967. Alaska's forest resource.
USDA Forest Serv. Res.
Bull. PNW-19, 74 p.
Johnson, A. W., and Viereck,
Leslie A.
1962. Some new records and
range extensions of Arctic
plants from Alaska. Univ.
Alaska Bioi. Pap. 6, 32 p.
Johnson, A. W., Viereck, Leslie A.,
Johnson, E. R., and Melchior,
H.
1966. Vegetation and flora. p.
277-354. In Willomovsky,
N. J., and Wolfe, J. N.,
eds. Environment of the
Cape Thompson region,
Alaska. U.S. Atomic En-
ergy Comm. Div. Tech.
Inform. 1,250 p.
Johnson, Phillip, and Vogel, Theo-
dore C.
1966. ' Vegetation of the Yukon
Flats region, Alaska. U.S.
Army COld Reg. Res. Eng.
Lab., Hanover, N.H., Res.
Rep. 209, 53 p.
Johnson, Von J.
1964. The chronology and anal-
ysis of the Hughes Fire,
1962. USDA Forest Serv.
Res. Note NOR-3, 12 p.
Jones, George Neville.
1939. A synopsis of the North
American species of Sor-
bus. J. Arnold Arbore-
tum 20: 1-43.
1940. A monograph of the genus
Symphoricarpos. J. Ar-
nold Arboretum 21: 201-
252.
1946. American species of Ame-
lanchier. TIL Bioi.
Monogr. 20{2), 126 p.
J ordal, L. H.
1951. Plants from the vicinity
of Fairbanks, Alaska.
Rhodora 53: 156-159.
1952. Some new entities in the
flora of the Brooks Range
region, Alaska. Rhodora
54: 35-39.
Kellogg, R. S.
1910. The forests of Alaska.
USDA Forest Serv. Bull.
81, 24 p.
La Roi, George H.
1967. Ecological studies in the
boreal spruce-fir forests of
the North American taiga.
I. Analysis of the vascu-
lar flora. Ecol. Monogr.
37 : 229-253.
Laurent, T. H.
1966. Dwarfmistletoe on Sitka
spruce-a new host record.
Plant Dis. Rep. 50 : 921.
Lepage, Ernest.
1951. New and noteworth:r
plants in the flora of
Alaska. Amer. Midland
Natur. 46: 5'1'4-'1'59.
Little, Elbert L., Jr.
1953a. Check list of native and
naturalized trees of the
United States (including
Alaska). U.S. Dep. Agr.,
Agr. Handb. 41, 472 p.
1953b. A natural hybrid spruce
in Alaska. J. Forest. 51:
'1'45-'1'4'1'.
Lotspeich, Frederick B., Mueller,
Ernst W., and Frey, Paul J.
1970. Effects of large scale for-
est fires on water quality
in interior Alaska. U.S.
Dep. Interior, Fed. Water
Pollut. Contr. Admin.,
Alaska Water Lab., Col-
lege, Alaska, 115 p.
LOve, Dons, and Freedman, N. J.
1956. A, plant collection from
soutlrwest Yukon. Bot.
N otiser 109: 153-211.
Lutz, H. J.
1951. Damage to trees by black
bears m Alaska. J. Forest.
49 : 522-523.
1952. Occurrence of clefts in
the wood of living white
spruce in Alaska. J. For-
est. 50: 99-102.
1956a. Damage to paper birch
by red squirrels m Alaska.
J. Forest. 54: 31-33.
1956b. Ecological effects of for-
est fires in the interior of
Alaska. U.S. Dep. Agr.
Tech. Bull. 1,133, 121 p.
1958a. Effect of red squirrels on
crown form of black
spruce in Alaska. USDA
Forest Serv. Tech. Notes
N0-42, 3 p.
1958b. Observations on "dia-
mond willow" with par-
ticular reference to its
occurrence in Alaska.
Amer. Midland Natur.
60: 1'1'6-185.
1959. Aboriginal man and white
man as historical causes
of fires in the boreal for-
est with particular ref-
erence to Alaska. Yale
Univ. Sch. Forest. Bnll.
65, 49 p.
1963a. Early forest conditions
in the Alaska interior, an
historical account with
original sources. USDA
Forest Serv. Northern
Forest Exp. Sta. 74 p.
1963b. Sitka spruce planted in
1805 at Unalaska Island
by the Russians. USDA
Forest Serv. Northern
Forest Exp. Sta. 25 p.
----., and Caporaso, A. P.
1958. Indication of forest land
classes in airphoto inter-
pretation of the Alaska
Interior. USDA Forest
Serv. Sta. Pap. N0-10,
31 p.
McMinn, Howard E., and Maino,
Evelyn.
193'1'. An illustrated manna! of
Pacific coast trees. 409
p. Berkeley, Calif. (Re-
printed 1946.)
Markwardt, L. J.
1931. The distribution and the
mechanical properties of
Alaska woods. U.S. Dep.
Agr. Tech. Bull. 226, '1'9 p.
Massie, Michael R.
1966. Marketing hardwoods
from Alaska's Snsitna
Valley. Uuiv. Alaska,
Inst. of Social, Economic
and Government Res.
SEG Rep. 9, 162 p.
196'1'. F~rest resource utilization
in Alaska. Rev. Bus.
Econ. Cond. 4(5): 1-8.
Mitchell, William W.
1968. On the ecology of Sitka
alder in the subalpine
zone of south-central Alas-
ka. p. 45-56. In Trappe,
J. M., Franklin, J. F.,
Tarrant, R. F., and Han-
sen, G. M., editors. Biol-
ogy of alder. Proc. Symp.
Northwest Sci. Assn. 40th
Annu. Meeting, Pullman,
Wash. USDA Forest
Serv. Pacific Northwest
Forest and Range Exp.
Sta. 292 p.
Noste, Nonan V.
1969. Analysis and summary of
forest fires in coastal Alas-
ka. USDA Forest Serv.
Pacific Northwest Forest
and Range Exp. Sta. Inst.
North. Forest. Misc. Pnbl.
12 p.
Orth, Donald J.
196'1'. Dictionary of Alaska
place names. U.S. Geol.
Surv. Prof. Pap. 56'1',
1,084 p.
Ostenfeld, C. H., and Larsen, C.
Syrach.
1930. The species of the genus
Larix and their geograph-
ical distribution. 'Kgl.
Dansk. Vid. Selsk. Bioi.
Meddel. 9(2), 107 p.
Polunin, N.
1959. Circumpolar Arctic flora.
514 p. Oxford Univ. Press.
Porsild, A. E.
1938a. Flora of Little Diomede
Island in Bering Strait.
Trans. Roy. Soc. Can.
Ser. 3, Sect. 5, 32: 21-38.
1939. C~ntributions to the flora
of Alaska. Rhodora 41:
141-183, 199-254, 262-301.
1944. V ~cular plants collected
on Kiska and Great Sit-
kin Islands in the Aleu-
tians by Lt. H. R. Mc-
Carthy and Capt. N. Kel-
las, August, September,
and October 1943. Can.
Field N atur. 58: 130-
131.
257
Porsild, A. E.
194'1'. The genus Dryas in North
America. Can. Field
Natur. 61: 1'1'5-192.
1951a. Botany of southeastern
Yukon adjacent to the
Canol Road. Nat. Mus.
Can. Bull. 121, 400 p.
1951b. Plant life in the Arctic.
Can. Geogr. J. March
1951, 2'1' p.
1953. Edible plants of the Arc-
tic. Arctic 6: 15-34.
1964. lllustrated flora of the
Canadian Arctic Archi-
pelago. Ed. 2. Nat. Mus.
Can. Bull. 146: 1-218.
1965. Some new or critical vas-
cular plants of Alaska
and Yukon. Can. Field
N atur. '1'9: '1'9-90.
Potter, Louise.
1962. Roadside flowers of Alas-
ka. 590 p. Thetford
Center, Vermont: Publ.
by author.
Rauukiaer, C.
1934. The life forms of plants
and statistical plant geo-
graphy. 632 p. Oxford:
Claredon Press.
Raup, Hugh M.
1945a. Forests and gardens
along the Alaska High-
way. Geog. Rev. 35:
22-48.
1945b. Vegetation along the
Alaska Hill"hway and the
north Pacific coast. J.
N.Y.Bot.Gard.46: 1'1"1'-
191.
194'1'. The· botany of southwest-
ern Mackenzie. Sargen-
tia 6, 2'1'5 p.
1959. The willows of boreal
western America. Contrib.
Gray Herb. Harvard
Univ. 185, 95 p.
Rigg, G. B.
1914. Notes on the flora of some
Alaskan sphagnum bogs.
Plant World 1'1': 16'1'-
182.
193'1'. Some raised bogs of south-
eastern Alaska with notes
on flat bogs and muskegs.
Amer. J. Bot. 24: 194-
198.
Rowe, J. S.
1959. Forest regions of Canada.
Can. Dep. North. Afl'.
Natur. Res., Forest.
Branch Bull. 123, '1'1 p.
258
Sargent, Charles Spragne.
1926. Manual of the trees of
North America (exclusive
of Mexico). Ed. 2, re-
printed with corrections.
910 p. Boston and New
New York: Houll"hton
Mifllin Co. (Repnnted
1933, 1961.)
Saville, D. B. 0.
1969. Interrelationships of Led-
um SJ?<lCies and their rust
parasites in Western Can-
ada and Alaska. Can. J.
Bot. 4'1': 1085-1100.
Scamman, Edith.
1940. A list of plants from in-
terior Alaska. Rhodora
42: 309-349.
Shacklette, Hansford T., et al.
1969. Vegetation of Amchitka
Island, Aleutian Islands,
Alaska. U.S. Geol. Surv.
Prof. Pap. 648, 66 p.
Sharples, Ada White.
1938. Alaska wild flowers. 156
p. Stanford Univ. Press.
Shetler, Stanwyn.
1963 : An annotated list of vas-
cular plants from Cape
Sabine, Alaska. Rhodora
65 : 208-224.
Sigafoos, Robert S.
1958. Vegetation of northwest-
ern North America, as an
aid in interpretation of
geological data. U.S.
Geol. Surv. Bull. 1061-
E: 165-185.
Spetzman, Lloyd A.
1959. Vegetation of the Arctic
slope of Alaska. U.S.
Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap.
302-B: 19-58.
1963. Terrain study of Alaska,
Part V : vegetation [fold-
ed map, 1: 2,500,000]. In
Engineer Intelligence
Study EIS 301. . U.S.
Dep. Army, Office-Chief
Eng. Wash., D.C.
Standley, Paul C. ;
1943. Edible J?lants of the Arc-
tic regwn. U.S. Dep.
Navy, Bur. Medicine and
Surgery, Navmed 119, 49
P·
Stoeckler, E. G.
1952. Trees of interior Alaska,
their significance as soil
and permafrost indicators.
U.S. Dep. Anny, Corps
Eng. 25 p.
Suda, Y., and Argns, George W.
1969. Chromosome numbers of
some North American
Arctic and Boreal Saliw.
Can. J. Bot. 4'1': 859-
862.
Sudworth, George B.
1908. Forest trees of the Pacific
slope. USDA Forest Serv.
441 p. Wash., D.C. (Re-
printed 196'1'.)
Tatewaki, M.
1930-31. Notes on plants of the
western Aleutian Islands
collected in 1929. Parts
1-2. Trans. Sapporo
N atur. Hist. Soc. 11 : 152-
156; 12: 200-209.
----, and Kobayashi, Y.
1934. A contribution to the flora
of the Aleutian Islands.
J. Fac. Agr. Hokkaido
Imp. Univ. 36, 119 p.
Taylor, Raymond F.
1929. Pocket gnide to Alaska
trees. U.S. Dep. Agr.
Misc. Publ. 55, 39 p.
1932. The successional trend
and its relation to second-
growth forests in south-
eastern Alaska. Ecology
13: 381-391.
1934. Yield of second-growth
western hemlock-Sitka
spruce stands in south-
eastern Alaska. U.S. Dep.
Agr. Tech. Bull. 412, 30 p.
----., and Little, Elbert
L., Jr.
1950. Pocket gnide to Alaska
trees. U.S. Dep. Agr.,
Agr. Handb. 5, 63 p.
Thomas, John H.
1951. A collection of plants
from Point Lay,. Alaska.
Contrib. Dudley Herb.
Stanford Univ. 4: 53-56.
195'1'. The vascular flora of
Middleton Island, Alaska.
Contrib. Dudley Herb.
Stanford Univ. 5: 39-56.
Trigg, William M., and Noste,
Nonan V.
1969. Summary and analysis of
fire danger indexes for se-
lected coastal Alaska sta-
tions. USDA Forest Serv.
Pacific Northwest Forest
and Range Exp. Sta. Inst.
Northern Forest. Misc.
Publ. 21 p.
USDA Forest Products Labora-
tory.
1963. Characteristics of Alaska
woods. USDA Fores.t
Serv. Res. Pap. FPL-1,
64 p.
USDA Forest Service.
1940. Tongass National Forest,
Alaska. 46 p. Wash., D.C.
Viereck, Leslie A.
1966. Succession and soil devel-
opment on gravel outwash
of the Muldrow Glacier,
Alaska. Ecol. Monogr.
36: 181-199.
19'1'0. Forest succession and soil
development adjacent to
the Chena River in in-
terior Alaska. Arctic and
Alpine Res. 2: 1-26.
Viereck, Leslie A., and Foote,
JoanM.
1970. The status of Popul!us
balsamifera and P. triclw-
carpa m Alaska. Can.
Field Natur. 84: 169-
173.
Wahrhftig, Clyde.
1965. Physiographic divisions
of Alaska. U.S. Geol.
Surv. Prof. Pap. 482, 52 p.
Whitford, H. N., and Craig, R. D.
1918. Forests of British Colum-
bia. 409 p. Ottawa.
Wiggins, Ira L., and MacVicar,
D. G.
1958. Notes on the plants in the
vicinity of Chandler Lake,
Alaska. Contrib. Dudley
Herb. Stanford Univ. 5:
69-95.
----, and Thomas, J. H.
1962. A flora of the Alaskan
Arctic slope. Arct. Inst.
N. Amer. Spec. Publ. 4,
425 p.
Wight, W. F.
1908. A new larch from Alaska.
Smithsonian Institution
Misc. Collect. 50 : 17 4.
Williams, M. M.
1952. Alaska wild flower glimps-
es. 52 p. Juneau, Alaska:
The Totem Press.
Zasada, John C., and Gregory,
Robert A.
1969. Regeneration of · white
spruce (Picea glauca
(Moench) Voss) with ref-
erence to interior Alaska:
a literature review. US-
DA Forest Service Res.
Pap. PNW-79, 37 p.
259
INDEX OF COMMON AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES
The preferred common names adopted in headings and the page
numbers where the descriptions begin are in heavy (boldface) type.
Other common names appear in ordinary (roman) type. English com.
mon names are indexed under the last word.
Scientific names accepted in headings are shown in heavy (boldface)
italics, and the page numbers where the descriptions begin are il,l heary
(boldface) type. Other scientific names, including synonyms,, are in
italics. Family names, common and scientific, are shown in capitals.
Scientific names of varieties and subspecies, with few exceptions, are
not indexed.
Abies, 45, 60
Ables amabilis, 8, 11, 61
Abies lasiocarpa, 8, 11, 62
Acer douglasii, 192
Acer glabrum, 192
Acer glabrum var. doug-
lasii, 192
Acer macrophyllum, 193
ACERACEAE, 192
Alaska-cedar, 9, 14, 64, 66
alder, 6, 8, 9, 140
alder, American green, 16,
18, 19, 20, 21, 140
alder, European speckled,
9, 146
alder, gteen, 140
alder, mountain, 140
alder, red, 14, 144
alder, Sitka, 9, 14, 16, 18,
19, 20, 21, 142
alder, speckled, 146
alder, thinleaf, 9, 16, 18,
19, 20; 146
alder, western, 144
Alnus, 6, 8, 9, 140
Alnus crispa, 16, 18, 19, 20,
21, 140
Alnus crispa ssp. sinuata,
142
Alnus fruticosa var. sinu-
ata, 142
Alnusincana,9,146
Alnus incana ssp. rugosa,
146
Alnus incana ssp. tenui-
folia, 146
Alnus oregona, 144
Alnus rubra, 14, 144
Alnus rugosa, 146
Alnus sinuata, 9, 14, 16, 18,
19, 20;21, 142
Alnus sitchensis, 142
Alnus tenuifolia, 9, 16, 18,
19, 20, 146
Alnus viridis ssp. crispa,
140
260
alpine-azalea, 22, 23, 212
Amelanchier, 8, 170
Amelanchier alnifolia, 11,
171
Amelanchier florida, 172
Andromeda polifolia, 19,
22,223
apple, Oregon crab, 20,
162
apple, western crab, 162
apple, wild crab, 162
ARALIACEAE, 197
arborvitae, 64
arborvitae, giant, 64
Arceuthobium campylopo-
d.um f. tsugense, 146
Arceuthobium tsugense, 7,
146
Arctostaphylos, 228
Arctostaphylos al~na, 21,
.23, 230
Arctostaphylos alpina ssp.
ruber 231 .
Arctostaphylos rubra, 16,
17, 18, 19, 231
Arctostaphylos uva-arsi, 16,
17,230
Arctous alpinus, 230
Arctous rubra, 231
Artemisia, 250
Artemisia alaskana, 17, 252
Artemisia /rigida, 17, 252
Artemisia krushiana, 253
Artemisia tyrellii, 252
aspen, 72
aspen, American, 76
aspen, quaking, 9, 17, 76
aspen, trembling, 76
BAYBERRY FAMILY,
127
bearberry, 16, 17, 228, 230
bearberry, alpine, 21, 23,
230
bearberry, red-fruit, 16, 17,
18, 19, 231
berry, baked-apple, 180
Betula, 8, 129
Betula alaskana,l38
Betula Xbeeniana, 134
Betula xcommimta, 134
Betula xeastwoodiae, 134
Betula glandulosa, 16, 17,
18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 130
Betula glandulosa var. si-
birica, 130
Betula X hornei, 134
Betula hybrids, 132
Betula kamtschatica var.
kenaica, 138
Betula kenaica, 138
Betula nana, 18, 19, 21, 22,
23, 130
Betula neoalaskana, 138
Betula occidentalis, 134,
136
Betula papyri/era, 9, 16, 17,
18, 129, 134 .
Betula papyri/era var. com-
mutata, 11, 136
Betula papyri/era var. hu-
milis, 138
Betula papyri/era var. ken-
aica, 10, 138
Betula resinitera, 138
BETULACEAE, 128
bilberry, bog, 240
bilberry, dwarf, 234
bilberry, great, 240
birch, 8, 129
birch, Alaska, 138
birch, Alaska paper, 138
birch, Alaska white, 138
birch, black, 138
birch, bog, 130
birch, canoe, 134, 138
birch, dwarf, 130
birch, dwarf alpine, 130
birch, dwarf arctic, 18, 19,
21, 22, 23, 130
birch, grandular scrub, 130
birch, ground, 130
birch, Horne, 134
birch, hybrid, 132
birch, Kenai, 10, 138
birch, Kenai paper, 138
birch, paper, 9, 16, 17, 18,
129, 134, 136, 138
birch, red, 138
birch, resin, 16, 17, 18, 19,
21, 22, 23, 130
birch, shrub, 130
birch, western paper, 11,
136
birch, white, 134, 138
birch, Yukon, 132
BIRCH FAMILY, 128
blackberry, 201
blueberry, 6, 231
blueberry, Alaska, 15, 20,
238
blueberry, bog, 16, 17, 18,
19,21, 22, 23,240
blueberry, dwarf, 15, 16,
17,18,20,23, 234
blueberry, early, 15, 20,
236
blueberry, swamp, 234
bog-laurel, 214
bog-rosemary, 19, 22, 223
bramble, Alaska, 177
bramble, Arctic, 180
bramble, five-leaf, 180
buffaloberry, 16, 17, 18, 21,
194
bunchberry, 200
bushcranberry, high, 15,
16, 17, 18, 21, 244
CAPRIFOLIACEAE, 6,
243
cassandra, 224
Cassandra oaZyouZata, 224
Cassiope, 6, 218
cassiope, 6, 218
cassiope, Alaska, 23, 222
cassiope, firemoss, 219
cassiope, four-angled, 21,
23,219
cassiope, Lapland, 219
cassiope, Mertens, 23, 220
cassiope, starry, 23, 220
Cassiope lycopodioides, 23,
222
Cassiope mertensiana, 23,
220
Cassiope stelleriana, 23,
220
Cassiope tetragona, 21, 23,
219
cedar, canoe, 64
Chamaecyparis nootkaten-
sis, 9, 14, 64, 66
Chamaedaphne calyculata,
19,224
Ohimaphila ocoidentalis
204
Chimaphila umbellata, 11, I cypress, yellow, 66
204 CYPRESS FAMILY, 64
cinque/oil, bush, 16, 18, 19,
21, 180 Dasiphora trutioosa, 180
cinquefoil, shrubby, 180 devilsclub, 14, 17, 20, 197
Cladothamnus pyrolae-diapensia, 23, 242
florus, 204 diapensia, arctic, 242
cloudberry, 180 Diapensia lapponica, 23,
COMPOSITAE, 250 242
COMPOSITE FAMILY, DIAPENSIA FAMILY,
250 242
copperbush, 204 DIAPENSIACEAE, 242
copper-flower, 204 dogwood, 8
CORNACEAE, 199 dogwood, American, 199
cornel, Canadian dwarf, dogwood, red-osier, 20, 199
200 DOGWOOD FAMILY, 198
cornel, dwarf, 200 Douglas-fir, 60
cornel, Lapland, 200 Dryas, 182
cornel, Swedish dwarf, 200 dryas, yellow, 182
Oornus, 8 Dryas alaskensis, 184
Cornus canadensis, 200 Dryas ohamissonis, 184
Oornus instolonea, 199 Dryas orenulata, 184
Cornus stoloni/era, 20, 199 Dryas drummondii, 182
Comus suecica, 200 Dryas integrifolia, 21, 23,
cottonwood, 72, 74 ,184
cottonwood, balsam, 74 Dryas integrifolia var. syl-
cottonwood, black, 8, 9, 14, vatioa, 186
17, 74 Dryas kamtsohatica, 184
cottonwood, northern black, Dryas octopetala, 21, 23,
74 184
cowberry, 233 Dryas ootopetala ssp. alas-
cranberry, 11, 231 kensis, 184
cranberry, bog, 18, 19, 22, Dryas punotata, 184
240 Dryas sylvatioa, 184
cranberry, lowbush, 233 dwarf-mistletoe, 146
cranberry, small, 240,,242 dwarf-mistletoe, hemlock,
cranberry, swamp, 240 7, 146
cranberry, wild, 240
Crataegus douglasii, 11,
172
crowberry, 16, 17, 18, 19,
21, 23,201
CROWBERRY FAMILY,
201
CUPRESSACEAE, 64
curlewberry, 201
currant, 6, 148
currant, American red, 16,
17, 156
currant, blue, 150
currant, bristly black, 150
currant, fetid, 154
currant, Hudson Bay, 152
currant, . northern black,
17, 152
currant, northern red, 156
currant, prickly, 150
currant, skunk, 154
currant, stink, 14, 20, 150
currant, swamp, 150
currant, swamp black, 150
currant, trailing black, 7,
14, 20, 155
cypress, Alaska, 66
cypress, Sitka, 66
Eohinopanaa; horridus, 197
ELAEAGNACEAE, 194
EZaeagnus argentea, 196
EZaeagnus canadensis, 194
Elaeagnus commutata, 18,
20,196
ELAEAGNUS FAMILY,
194
elder, European red, 9, 244
elder, Pacific red, 8, 9, 15,
17, 20, 243
elder, redberry, 243
elder, scarlet, 243
elder, stinking, 243
elderberry, 243
EMPETRACEAE, 201
Empetrum hermaphrodi-
tum, 201
Empetrum nigrum, 16, 17,
18,19,21,23,201
ERICACEAE, 6, 204
false-cypress, Nootka, 66
Fatsia horrida, 197
fir, 45, 60
fir, alpine, 62
fir, Pacific· silver, 8, 11, 61
fir, silver, 61
fir, subalpine, 8, 11, 62
261
fir, white, 61, 62
fools-huckleberry, 212
Gaultheria, 226
Gaultheria miqueliana, 11,
226
Gaultheria shallon, 11, 226
GINSENG FAMILY, 197
gooseberry, Canada, 11,
150
gooseberry, swamp, 150
GOOSEBERRY FAMILY,
6,148
GROSSULARI.A.CEAE, 6,
148
hackmatack, 48
H arrimaneZZa steZZeriana,
220
hawthorn, black, 11, 172
heath, Alaska moss, 220
HEATH FAMILY, 6, 204
heather, Alaska, 220
heather, Aleutian, 217
heather, moss, 220
heather, purple, 215
heather, red, 215
heather, yellow, 217
heather, white, 220
hemlock, 45, 57
hemlock, alpine, 59
hemlock, black, 59
hemlock, mountain, 8, 14,
59
hemlock, Pacific, 58
hemlock, west coast, 58
hemlock, western, 8, 14,
58
honeysuckle, 250
honeysuckle, bearberry, 11,
250
HONEYSUCKLE,
FAMILY, 6, 243
huckleberry, 231
huclrleberry, blue, 236
huckleberry, dwarf, 234
huckleberry, red, 15, 20,
236
Hudson-Bay-tea, 206
Jacob-berry, 200
juneberry, 172
juniper, 64, 68
juniper, conimon, 17, 19,
68
juniper, creeping, 11, 69
juniper, low, 68
juniper, mountain common,
68
Juniperus, 64, 68
Juniperus communis, 17,
19,68
Juniperus horizontalis, 11,
69
Juniperus nana, 68
Juniperus sibirica, 68
262
kalmia, bog, 19, 214
Kalmia polifolia, 19, 214
kinnikinnik, 230
kneshenada, 180
Labrador-tea, 16, 17, 18, 19,
206,207
Labrador-tea, narrow-leaf,
16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23,
206
larch, 45
larch, Alaska, 48
larch, eastern, 48
Larim, 45
Larim aZaskensis, 48
Larix laricina, 9, 18, 48
leatherleaf, 19, 224
Ledum,206
Ledum decumbens, 16, 17,
18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 206
Ledum groenlandicum, 16,
17, 18, 19, 207
Leaum pacijicum, 207
Leaum paZustre, 209
Leaum paZustre ssp. aecum-
bens,206
Leaum paZustre ssp. groeii-
Zanaicum, 207
Lepargyraea canadensis,
194
lingberry, 233
lingenberry, 233
Linnaea americana, 248
Linnaea borealis, 248
Loiseleuria procumbens,
22, 23,212
Lonicera involucrata, 11,
250
LORANTHACEAE, 146
luetkea, 20, 23, 162
Luetkea pectinata, 20, 23,
162
-· Malus diversifolia, 20, 162
M aZus fusca, 162
Malus rivuZaris, 162
maple, bigleaf, 193
maple, Douglas, 192
maple, Douglas Rocky
Mountain, 192
maple, dwarf, 192
maple, Rocky Mountain,
192
MAPLE FAMILY, 192
meadow-spirea, 162
mealberry, 230
menziesia, rusty, 14, 16, 17,
18, 19, 20, 212
Menziesia ferruginea, 14,
16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 212
MISTLETOE FAMILY,
146
mossberry, 201,244
mountain-ash, 8, 165
mountain-ash, elderleaf,
169
mountain-ash, European,
167
mountain-ash, Greene, 8,
17, 166
mountain-ash, Pacific, 168
mountain-ash, Siberian, 11
169 '
mountain-ash, Sitka, 20
168 '
mountain-ash, western, 166,
168 .
mountain-avens, 182
mountain-avens, Drum-
mond, 182
mountain·avens, entire-
leaf, 21, 23, 184
mountain-avens, eightpetal,
184
mountain·avens, white, 21,
23, 184
mountain-cranberry, 16, 17,
18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 231
233 '
mountain-heath, 215
mountain-heath, Aleutian,
22, 23,217
mountain-heath, blue, 11,
23,216
mountain-heath, red, 11,
23,215
mountain-heather, Aleu-
tian, 217
mountain-heather, blue,
216
mountain-heather, club-
moss, 222 ·
mountain-heather, cream,
217
mountain-heather, four-
angled, 219
mountain-heather, Mertens,
220
mountain-heather, red, 215
mountain-heather, yellow,
217
Myrica gale, 19, 20, 128
MYRICACEAE, 127
nagoon-berry, 177, 180
ninebark, Pacific, 11, 158
Oplopanax horridus, 14, 17,
20, 197
Omycoccus microcarpus,
240
Omycoccus paZustris, 242
Omycoccus quaaripetaZus,
242
pale-laurel, 214
partridgeberry, 233
partridge-foot, 162
Phyllodoce, 215
Phyllodoce aleutica, 22, 23,
217
Phyllodoce coerulea 11 23
216 ' ' '
Phrllodoce empetriformis,
11, 23,215
PhylZodoce glanduliftora
218 '
Phrsocarpus capitatus 11
158 ' '
Physocarpus opulifolius
var. tomentelZus 158 Pic~a, 8, 45,, 50 '
Picea glar;ca, 9, 10 16 17
18,52 ' ' '
Picea glauca var. albert-
iana, 52
Picea glauca var. porsildii
52 '
Picea Xlutzii, 57
Picea mariana, 9, 17 18 51
Picea sitchensis, 8 '10 ' 14
54 ' ' '
PINACEAE, 6, 8, 44
pine, 45
pine, lodgepole, 9, 11 45
47,48 ' ,
pine, Rocky Mountain lodge-
pole, 48
pine, scrub,45,47
pine, shore, 4 7
pine, tamarack, 45, 47
PINE FAMILY 6 8 44
Pinus, 45 ' ' '
Pinus contorta, 9 '45
Pinus contorta 'var. con-
torta, 47
Pinus contorta var. lati~
folia, 11, 48
pipsissewa, 11, 204
poplar, 8, 72
poplar, balsam, 9 16 18
72 ' ' '
poplar, Pacific, 74
poplar, tacamahac, 72
popple, 76
Populus, 8, 72
Populus balsamifera 16
18,72 ' '
Populus balsamifera var.
californica, 74
Populus balsamifera ssp.
trichocarpa, 74
Populus tacamahaca, 72
Populus tremuloides, 9 17
76 ' '
Populus trichocarpa, 8 9
14, 18,74 ' '
Potentilla fruticosa, 16 18
19, 21, 180 ' '
princes-pine, 204
Pseudotsuga menziesii, 60
Pseudotsuga tamifolia 60 ptarm~ganberry, 230, 231
ptarmiganberry, alpine, 230
PYROLA FAMILY, 202
PYROLACEAE, 202
Pyrus diversifolia, 162
Pyrus fusca, 162
Pyrus sambucifolia, 169
Pyrus scopulina, 166
raspberry, 6, 8, 174, 175
raspberry, American red,
17, 20, 175
raspberry red, 175
raspberry, western black,
11, 177
raspberry, whitebark, 177
redcedar, Pacific, 64
redcedar, western, 9, 64
Rhododendron,209
rhododendron,209
rhododendron, alpine, 209
rhododendron, Kamchatka
11, 22, 23, 210 '
Rhododendron camtschati-
cum, 11, 22, 23, 210
Rhododendron camtschati-
cum ssp. camtschati-
cum,211
Rhododendron camtschati-
cum ssp. glandulosum
211 '
Rhododendron lapponi-
cum, 22, 23, 209
Ribes, 6, 148
Ribes bracteosum, 14 20
150 ' '
Ribes echinatum 150 R~bes glandulos;,m, 154
Rzbes hudsonianum 17
152 ' '
Ribes lacustre, 150
Ribes laxiflorum, 7 14 20
155 ' ' '
Ribes oxrcanthoides 11
150 ' '
Ribes omycanthoides var.
lacustre, 150
Ribes prostratum 154
Ribes triste, 16, l'l, 156
Rosa, 187
Rosa acicularis, 16 17 18
20,187 ' ' '
Rosa nutkana, 20, 189 190
Rosa woodsii, 11, 189 '
ROSACEAE, 6, 157 ·
rose, 187
rose, Nootka, 20, 189 190
rose, prickly, 16, 17, is 20
187 ' '
rose, wild, 187
rose, Woods, 11, 189
ROSE FAMILY, 6,157
rosebay, Lapland, 22 23
209 ' '
Rowan-tree, 167
Rubus, 6, 8, 174
Rubus acaulis, 180
Rubus Xalaskensis, 177
Rubus arcticus, 177, 180
Rubus chamaemorus 180
Rubus idaeus var.' stri-
gosus, 17, 20, 175
Rubus leucodermis, 11, 177
Rubus nutkanus, 178
Rubus parviflorus, 14 20
178 ' '
Rubus pedatus, 180
Rubus spectabilis, 14 20
176 ' '
Rubus stellatus, 180
Rubus strigosus, 175
sagebrush,250
sagebrush, Alaska, 17, 252
sagebrush, fringed, 17, 252
sagewort, prairie, 252
salal, 14, 226
SALICACEAE 6 8 70
Salix, 6, 8, 9, 77 ' '
Salix alaxensis, 16 18 20
112 ' ' '
Salim amplifolia, 10 106
Salim angolorum 9i
Salix arbusculoides, 16 18
20, 123 ' '
Salim arbutifolia 92
Salix arctica, 22 '23 91
Salim arctolitor~lis '94
Salix arctophila, 1i 92
Salix athabascensi~, 11 97
Salix barclayi, 14, 16,' 17,
19,20,21,22,102
Salix barrattiana, 22 110
Salix bebbiana 9 16 17
18, 20, 116 ' ' ' '
Salix brachrcarpa ssp. ni·
phoclada, 20, 97
Salix candida, 11, 115
Salix chamissonis, 22 23
108 ' '
Salix commutata, 19 20 21
22,106 ' ' '
Salim cordifolia 95
Salim coulteri, !22
Salim crassijulis 91
Salim cyclophylZ~, 94
Salim depressa ssp. rostrata
116 '
Salim desertorum 95
Salim emigua ssp. interior
126 '
Salim farrae var. walpolei
98 '
Salim ftagellaris 94
Salix fuscescen;, 19, 21 22
23;92 ' '
Salix glauca, 8, 16, 18, 19,
20, 22,95
Salim glauca ssp. nipho-
clada, 98
Salix hastata, 16 20 98
Salix hookerian~, S 10 11
106 ' ' '
Sal~x interior, 9, 20, 126
Sabx lanata ssp. richard-
sonii, 16, 20, 21, 22, 110
Salix lasiandra, 20 126
Salim longifolia, 1i6
Salim longistylis, 112
263
Salix monticola, 16, 20, 108
Salix muriei, 97
Salix myrtillifolia, 18, 19,
. 99
Salix myrtillifolia var.
pseudo-myrsinites, 101
Salix niphoclada, 97
Salix novae·angliae, 16, 18,
20, 101
Salix ovalifolia, 22, 23, 94
Salix padophylla, 108
Salix phlebophylla, 23, 89
Salix phylicifolia ssp. plan-
ifolia, 120
Salix planifolia ssp. plani-
folia, 120
Salix plani/olia ssp. pul-
chra, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23,
liS
Salix polaris ssp. pseudo-
polaris, 22, 23, 88
Salix pseudocordata, 101
Salix pseudomonticola, 108
Salix pseudo-myrsinites,
101
.Salix pseudopolaris, 88
Salix pulchra, 118
Salix reticulata, 19, 21, 22,
23,86
Salix richardsonii, 110
Salix rostrata, 116
Salix rotundifolia, 22, 23,
90
Salix scouleriana, 15, 16,
17, 18, 20, 120
Salix setchelliana, 10, 21,
87
Salix sitchensis, 15, 20, 21,
122
Salix sphenophylla, 11, 92
Salix stolonifera, 94
Salix torulosa, 91
Salix walpolei, 98
salmonberry, 14, 20, 176
Sambucus callicarpa, 8, 9,
15, 17, 20, 243
Sambucus racemosa, 9, 244
Sambucus racemosa var.
arborescens, 243
savin, creeping, 69
serviceberry, 8, 170
serviceberry, northwestern,
171
serviceberry, Pacific, 172
serviceberry, saskatoon,
11, 171
serviceberry, western, 172
Shepherdia canadensis, 16,
17, 18, 21, 194
shinglewood, 64
silverherry, 18, 20, 196
skunkbrush, 212
snowherry, 11, 246
soapberry, 194
soopalallie, 194
Sorbus, 8, 165
Sorbus alaskana, 166
264
Sorbus andersonii, 166
Sorbus aucuparia, 167
Sorbus sambucifolia, 11
169 .
Sorbus scopulina, 8, 17,
166
Sorbus sitchensis, 20, 168
Spiraea, 158
Spiraea beauverdiana, 16,
19, 21, 22, 159
Spiraea douglasii, 11, 160
Spiraea douglasii var. men-
ziesii, 160
Spiraea menziesii, 160
Spiraea stevenii, 159
spirea, 158
spirea, Alaska, 159
spirea, Beauverd, 16, 19,
21,22,159
spirea, Douglas, 11, 160
spirea, Menzies, 160
spruce, 8, 45, 50
spruce, Alberta, 52
spruce, black, 9, 17, 18, 51
spruce, bog, 51
spruce, Canadian, 52
spruce, coast, 54
spruce, Lutz, 57
spruce, Porsild, 52
spruce, silver, 54
spruce, Sitka, 8, 10, 14, 54
spruce, swamp, 51
spruce, tideland, 54
spruce, western, 54
spruce, western white, 52
spruce, white, 9, 10, 16, 17,
18,52
spruce, yellow, 54
squashberry, 244
squaws-tongue, 76
swamp-laurel, 214
sweetgale, 19, 20, 128
Symphoricarpos albus, 11,
246 -
Symphoricarpos rivularis,
246
tacamahac, 72
tamarack, 9, 18, 48
TAXACEAE, 43
Taxus brevifolia, 8, 11, 44
thimbleberry, 178
thimbleberry, western, 14,
20, 178
Thuja plicata, 9, 64
Tsuga,45, 57
Tsuga heterophylla, 8, 14,
58
Tsuga mertensiana, 9, 14,
58,59
twinberry, black, 250
twin-flower, 248
Vaccinium, 6, 231
V accinium alaskaense, 15,
20,238
V accinium arbusculum, 234
Vaccinium caespitosum, 15,
16,17,18,20,23,234
V accinium ovali/olium, 15
20,236 '
V accinium oxycoccos, 18,
19, 22,240
Vaccinium oxycoccos var.
microcarpus, 240
Vaccinium paludicolum, 234
V accinium palustre, 11, 242
V accinium parvi/olium, 15,
20,236 .·
V accinium uliginosum, 16,
17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23,
240
Vaccinium uliginosum var.
alpinum, 240
V accinium vitis-idaea, 16,
17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23,
233
Vaccinium vitis-idaea var.
minus, 233
Viburnum edule, 15, 16, 17,
18, 21,244
Viburnum pauciftorum, 244
waxflower, 204
whortleberry, 240
whortleberry, blue, 236
whortleberry, ovalleaf, 236
whortleberry, red, 236
willow, 6, 8, 9, 77
willow, Alaska hog, 19, 21,
22, 23,92
willow, Arctic, 22, 23, 91
willow, Athabasca, 11, 97
willow, Barclay, 14, 16, 17,
19,20, 21,22,102
willow, Barratt, 22, 110
willow, barren-ground, 20,
97
willow, beak, 116
willow, Behb, 9, 16, 17, 18,
20, l16
willow, bigleaf, 106
willow, black, 120
willow, Chamisso, 22, 23,
108
willow, cherry, 108
willow, diamond, 116
willow, diamondleaf, 18,
19, 21, 22, 23, us
willow, eastern arctic, 11,
92
willow, Farr, 98
willow, feltleaf, 16, 18, 20,
112
willow, fire, 120
willow, grayleaf, 8, 16, 18,
19, 20, 22, 95
willow, halberd, 16, 20, 98
willow, hoary, 115
willow, Hooker, 8, 10, 11,
106
willow, least, 22, 23, 90
willow, littletree, 16, 18,
20, 123
willow, low blueberry, 18,
19,99
willow, mountain, 120
willow, netleaf, 19, 21, 22,
23,86
willow,~ovalleaf, 22, 23, 94
willow, J>acific, 20, 126
willow, p_ark, 16, 20, 108
willow, planeleaf, 120
willow, polar, 22, 23, 88
willow, reticulate, 86
willow, Richardson, 16, 20,
21, 22, no
willow, sage, 115
willow, sandbar, 9, 20, 126
willow, Scouler, 15, 16, 17,
18, 20, 120
willow, serviceberry, 108
willow, Setchell, 10, 21, 87
willow, silky, 122
willow, silver, 11, 115
willow,. Sitka, 15, 20, 21,
122
willow, skeletonleaf, 23, 89
willow, sprouting, 94
willow, Yakutat, 10, 106
willow, yellow, 126
WILLOW FAMILY, 6, 8,
70
wineberry, 180
wintergreen, 204, 226
wintergreen, Miquel, 11,
226
willow, tall blueberry, 16, wormwood, 250
18, 20, 101
willow, thickleaf, 86
willow, undergreen, 19, 20,
21, 22, 106
willow, wedgeleaf, 11, 92
willow, western black, 126
willow, woolly, 110
yellow-cedar, 66
yellow:cedar, Alaska, 66
yellow-rose, 180
Yew, Pacific, 8, 11, 44
yew, western, 44 ,
YEW FAMILY, 43
-tf U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINnNG OFFICE: 1978 0-276-137
265
~ = Q
a.
"' a:
"' "' ,_
"' "' X "' ::E u ,_ ~ z ,.._ "' u
"'
-"' "'
o.o"'~
~~,~ ..
A L £ u \
• • II o,
'IS( -~ ~~ Atvos Of i\-\~ ,a\'.1
....
Compiled by Leslie A. Viereck,
' ...... ,.
'f..
olrQtQpJ.>
ll~o
~¥1)(17 '-'i'..-t-.v~v
Nllliihlc~~flllk
o 1~tfllr: .o~ .... ,.s-
s '-
s
~ 0
f>.
" \..
0
0 k "'in1llit~c
BRISTOL
<5il>
1•oo f I -~--
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, for . "Alaska Trees and Shrubs," Agriculture Handbook No. 410, 1972.
I Tue:i da~ I ~ .. !fa Sitkinak 1
{RINiiY IS
II I
Clli rik of 1 II I
' E l f\,'
83(\ef I
M1ddleton I
(; l r L F OF
p. c [ F I c
p
I
Attu lslannd
I <.VJ2hktn~lo{o !
N£AR I ISLANDS
lj
-'1 I_
p
£:
/i'
Ae:attu 1
u r
I 'v
I -A N
p
(
F
422-900 0-72 (In pocket)
ttefscnel I
A I \
G
'!(n Pt
~~~po~b
0 u
"' ' .
' <' ~.
)I.C ooUG_..I.\..
c~\\1
'
S K A
0
s b
s
~~·A'.
/. -~ yr ..
R '
o·
)f st.EI-" r~ss
,.,. c,o."'P"~;,:.\.
~-:~::,°Clln'~
c
'
'
OGI L\l f E
~, >~~''-~;~~~
A N
r.
\,
'\ (
I'" s~,.
\ "'
....
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
o"'
N 3 '!'1 ~1-oooz..B "'f 3 -,
ALASKA
Forest Service, U.S. De partme nt of A g ri c ulture, 1971
SCALE 1:5,000 ,000
INCH =APPROXIMATELY 8 0 MILES
so 0 60 100 l.OO M:tLES
CO 0 CO 100 100 K:ILOME'I:'ERB
VEGETATION TYPES
1. Coastal spruce-hemlock forests
Tall and dense co a stal forests of Sitka spruce,
western hemlock , locally with other conifers,
and black cononwood , often interspersed with
open treelesli bogs.
2 . Closed spruce-hardwood forests
Tall 10 moderately tall closed forests of white
and black spruce, paper birch, aspen, and bal·
sam poplar; on moderate to well drained sites;
with many new and old burns.
3. Open, low growing spruce forests
4.
Low growing, open forests primarily of black
spruce but often interspersed with tamarack ,
paper birch, and willows, locally interspersed
with treeless bog.
Treeless bogs
Wet treeless area of sedges and grasses usual-
ly with an abundance of willows, alders, and
resin birch, locally with widely spaced black
spruce and tamarack.
S. Shrub thickets
6 .
7.
8.
Dense thickets of alders , willows , and resin
birch .
Moist tundra
Tundra meadows dominated by sedges, espe·
cially in tussocks; scanered willows and
dwarf birch.
Wet tundra
Wet coastal tundra and marsh, predominantly
sedges and grasses.
Alpine tundra
Predominantly barren; local alpine tundra dom-
inated by white mountain-avens, low heath
shrubs, prostrate willows, and dwarf herbs .
9. Ice and snow
c•lltO
<
f O~e!.IO \
..
1
-ea.n~s ~
\s\ar.d -:--.. )-0••10
. a"" .. ,..~0 .llinc•"
. ll013~
?lice 1
p..ti!.\az.a'ofl\ I
\.'#ell I
Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1971. Base from U.S. Geological Survey.
a_\C-
q <Q"-(
,A <-1
~<S;''-1
1"1 7-"L-
> • ~ • ~ • 1--1 • til •