Ezra Henry Moss, 1892-1963

Full text

46
THE
BLUE
JAY
Vol.
XXI,
No.
Ezra
Henry
Moss,
1892-1963
by
C.
D.
Bird,
University
of
Alberta,
Calgary
Canadian
botanists
have
lost
a
friend
and
a
truly
great
pioneer
with
the
passing
of
Dr.
E.
H.
Moss
of
Edmonton
on
February
7,.
1963.
Bom
in
1892
at
Thorndale,
Ontario,
Dr.
Moss
earned
the
Military
Medal
for
service
in
the
First
World
War.
After
obtaining
his
Ph.D.
degree
at
the
University
of
Toronto
in
1925
he
joined
the
staff
of
the
Department
of
Botany
at
the
University
of
Alberta,
Edmonton,
in
1929.
In
1938
he
was
elevated
to
the
rank
of
full
Professor
and
became
head
of
the
Department.
He
retired
in
1957
and
at
that
time
was
further
elevated
to
the
rank
of
Professor
Emeritus.
Prior
to
his
arrival
on
the
Alberta
scene
little
botanical
work
had
been
done
in
the
province.
A
few
workers
in
the
nineteenth
century,
namely
Thomas
Drummond,
Eugene
Bourg-
eau
and
John
Macoun,
had
made
scattered
collections,
buti'j
their
work
was
only
ex-f
ij
ploratory
in
nature.
Thelj
first
organized
attempt
jI
to
describe
the
vegetation
!s
j
of
the
region
was
initiated!
by
F.
J.
Lewis
the
first!!
Head
of
the
Department!
|
of
Botany
of
the
Univer-j
sity
of
Alberta,
who!
started
a
series
of
papers!
entitled
“The
Vegetation!
of
Alberta.”
The
seconds
part
of
this
project,
on
the;
swamp,
moor
and
bog!
forest
vegetation
of
cen¬
tral
Alberta,
was
pub¬
lished
in
1928
with
E.
S.
Dowding
and
E.
H.
Moss
as
co-authors.
The
fourth!
part,
with
E.
H.
Moss
asl
sole
author,
was
devoted
to
the
poplar
association
of
central
Alberta
and!
appeared
in
1932.
Further
installments,
all
by
Dr.
I
Moss,
were
on
the
prairie
i
region
of
southwestern
i<
Alberta
(1944),
the
vege¬
tation
of
the
Peace
River*
region
(1952),
and
that
of
northwestern
Alberta
(1953).
All
Alberta
vege-;
tational
studies
were
summarized
in
1955
in
a
paper
that
appeared
in
the
Botanical)
Review.
Along
with
his
vegetational
studies
Dr.
Moss
collected,
and
was
interested:
in,
the
vascular
plants.
Over
10,000:
sheets
of
his
material
are
represented
L
in
the
.University
Herbarium
in
Ed-^
monton.
These
specimens
and
those!
of
other
botanists
who
had
worked'
in
the
area
formed
the
basis
of
his
i
:
“Flora
of
Alberta,”
the
first
flora
ever
to
have
been
written
for
the
province.
This
work
has
been
very
favorably
received
and
the
following
review
from
The
American
Midland
Naturalist
is
typical:
“The
publica¬
tion
of
Flora
of
Alberta
is
a
major
event
in
North
American
floristic
botany
...
a
highly
valuable,
taxo-
nomically
up-to-date,
and
much
needed
work.”
Although
Dr.
Moss’s
interests
were
mainly
in
vegetational
description
and
f

THE
BLUE
JAY
47
June,
1963
floristic
taxonomy
he
has
also
pub¬
lished
significant
studies
on
the
fungi,
the
bryophytes,
and
on
plant
anatomy.
His
personal
collections
of
fungi
and
part
of
his
collections
of
the
bryophytes
will
be
deposited
at
the
University
Herbarium
in
Edmon¬
ton.
The
remainder
of
the
bryo¬
phytes
will
go
to
the
University
of
Alberta,
Calgary.
1944
Lilaea
scillioides
in
southeastern
Alberta.
Rhodora
46:
205-206.
1946
E.
H.
Moss
and
W.
C.
McCalla.
Alfred
Henry
Brinkman,
1837-1945.
Can.
Field-
Nat.
60:
107-108.
1947
E.
H.
Moss
and
J.
H.
Campbell.
The
fescue
grassland
of
Alberta.
Can.
J.
Res.
C.
25:
209-227.
1949
Natural
pine
hybrids
in
Alberta.
Can.
J.
Res.
C.
27:
218-229.
1952
Rusts
on
Adoxa
in
Alberta.
Mycologia
43:
99-102.
Not
the
least
of
his
contributions
was
the
encouragement
and
ready
lelp
that
he
gave
to
his
colleagues,
imateur
and
professional
alike.
Among
those
that
blossomed
with
his
aid
were
such
non-professionals
is
A.
H.
Brinkman,
W.
C.
McCalla,
.
H.
Turner
and
George
Pegg,
all
)f
whom
have
made
important
con-
ributions.
Long
to
be
remembered
are
the
lany
stimulating
talks
and
educa¬
tional
field
trips
I
have
had
with
dm.
The
last
excursion
we
made
to¬
gether
was
a
two-day
trip
in
July,
[962,
into
the
Sunshine
area
and
>now
Creek
Pass
of
Banff
National
>ark.
He
was
still
remarkably
agile
tnd
was
making
extensive
collections
nth
the
view
in
mind
of
revising
and
Enlarging
his
flora.
Dr.
Moss
is
survived
by
his
wife
iargaret,
and
by
two
married
daugh-
2
rs,
Eleanor
and
Marion.
A
list
of
his
publications,
which
is
Learly
complete,
follows:
PUBLICATIONS
OF
E.
H.
MOSS
928
Lewis,
F.
J.,
E.
S.
Dowding
and
E.
H.
J
Moss.
The
vegetation
of
Alberta.
II.
The
[1
swamp,
moor
and
bog
forest
vegetation
of
J|
central
Alberta.
Jour.
Ecol.
16:
19-70.
>32
The
vegetation
of
Alberta.
IV.
The
poplar
association
and
related
vegetation
jl
of
central
Alberta.
J.
Ecol.
20:
380-415.
i|934.
Rings
of
cork
in
the
wood
of
herbaceous
perennials.
Nature
133:
689-690.
>36
The
ecology
of
Epilobium
angustifolium
with
particular
reference
to
rings
of
peri¬
derm
in
the
wood.
Amer.
J.
Bot.
23:
114-
120
.
>38
Longevity
of
seed
and
establishment
of
seedlings
in
species
of
Populus.
Bot.
Gaz.
99:
529-542.
>40
Overwintered
Giant
Puff-Balls
in
Alberta.
Mycologia
32:
271-273.
>40
Interxylory
cork
in
Artemisia
with
a
reference
to
its
taxonomical
significance.
Amer.
J.
Bot.
27:
762-768.
>44
The
prairie
and
associated
vegetation
of
southwestern
Alberta.
Can.
J.
Res.
C.
22:
11-31.
1952
Grassland
of
the
Peace
River
region,
western
Canada.
Can.
J.
Bot.
30:
98-.124.
1953
E.
H.
Moss
and
A.
L.
Gorham.
Interxy-
lary
cork
and
fission
of
stems
and
roots.
Phytomorphology
3:
285-294.
1953
Forest
communities
in
northwestern
Alberta.
Can.
J.
Bot.
31:
212-252.
1953
Marsh
and
bog
vegetation
in
north¬
western
Alberta.
Can.
J.
Bot.
31:
448-470.
1955
The
vegetation
of
Alberta.
Bot.
Rev.
21:
493-567.
1956
Francis
John
Lewis.
Proc.
and
Trans
of
the
Roy.
Soc.
Canada.
Third
Series
50:
103-104.
1956
Ragweed
in
southeastern
Alberta.
Can.
J.
Bot.
34:
763-767.
1959
Flora
of
Alberta.
Univ.
Toronto
Press.
1961
Large-flowered
Hemp
Nettle,
Galeopsis
speciosa.
Blue
Jay
19:
33-34.
1961
E.
H.
Moss
and
G.
H.
Turner.
Bryophytes
from
the
Edmonton
region,
Alberta.
Can.
J.
Bot.
39:
1177-1193.
Death
Leads
to
New-born
Life
by
E.
A.
Dowson
in
memory
of
his
wife
As
death
strikes
home
at
one
we
loved
We
sink
prostrate
with
grief,
And
kindly
words
of
dearest
friends
Bring
no
heartfelt
relief.
But
as
time
eases
death’s
sharp
sting
Our
hallowed
thoughts
remain,
And
with
undying
faith
we
know
Death
leads
to
life
again
Just
as
we
know
that
Winter
months
When
leaf
and
flower
decay
Are
prelude
to
the
flush
of
Spring
And
beauty’s
new-born
day.