Siliceous Mosses of the Sunshine Meadows-Egypt Lake Region of Banff National Park

Abstract

Large areas with siliceous bedrock exposures are limited in Alberta where they are known to harbor a rich bryophyte flora with a significant diversity of rare mosses. This paper is the first targeted survey for siliceous mosses in the Sunshine Meadows-Egypt Lake alpine area. An annotated list is presented for 78 species of moss found in siliceous alpine areas of the Sunshine Meadows-Egypt Lake region of Banff National Park. Nine species are reported new to Banff National Park and an additional 53 species are new to the Sunshine Meadows-Egypt Lake region. Twenty-four species are associated with siliceous substrate and 15 species are rare in Alberta.