[Watson, Lawrence W. ?] (post 1904) A fragment of hand—written notes, seemingly compiled in preparation for a flora or plant list for Prince Edward Island. P.E.|. PARO 2353/166

In the Prince Edward Island Public Archives there survives an undated notebook consisting of handwritten notes that appear to be a draft for a flora or plant species list for the island. It consists of a list of flowering plants arranged alphabetically by Latin name with brief comments on their distribution and abundance on the island. Unfortunately all of the early pages are missing, with the first surviving record being for Fragaria vesca and the last for Viola tricolor. It is evident that the author has gone to the trouble of searching for all previous references to the occurrence of plant species on the island. Among the works that he cites are published books such as Stewart (7806), MacGregor I 7 832), Bouchette I 7 832), Sutherland I 7 86 7), Bagster {7867) and Bain (1890) (works all extracted in this current report). He also cites unpublished sources, for example, ’Macoun 20 July 7888', the ’Baln /McSwain Lecture 78.97 '; Duncan [no date]; ’J. S. Gordon at Alberton 2.9 May 1891 ' and many others. The last date that / could find in the notes is 7904, so it may be that it was compiled shortly after that. As to who the author might be, the most likely candidate is Lawrence W. Watson of Charlottetown lb. 7 860, d. 7925) who wa active at the time in the Natural History Society. He is the person whose name appears in the notes as the source of most of the detailed information on each species, and according to D. S. Erskine, he was an active island botanist who was employed by the National Museum to collect fossils and plants on the island in 7902 and 1903. At about that time Erskine says Watson was also planning a flora for the island which included the collecting of plant material. However it was never completed. I have extracted from the notes all of the relevant material on the tree species, though it is unfortunate that the common hardwoods (beech, the map/es and birchesI, whose Latin generic names precede Fragaria in the alphabet, are missing.

REFERENCES: Erskine, D. S. (1960) The Plants of Prince Edward Island. Publication 1088, Canada Department of Agriculture. p. 7.

Wake, W. (1995) Prince Edward Island’s early Natural History Society. The Island Magazine, 37: 27-33.

Kendall, J. (1998) ’Fair Island of the Sea’. The Island Magazine, 44: 35-39.

White ash. Fraxinus Americana — Duncan: on Henry Caseley's farm at Kensington; Watson: on rich land beside fresh water courses at Campbelltown, Lot 4, 1902. Scarce.

Bl k h Fraxinus nigra — A. E. Gordon: 3 June 1894, at Montrose; Duncan: on Henry ac as ' Caseley’s farm near Kensington and at Miscouche; Watson: abundant on wet lands of Prince County, west; Not frequent in swampy lands in Queen’s County. Tamarack. Larix laricina — Duncan; Watson: rather common, especially in the low wooded growths of western Prince County, but not in great quantity or size. White Spruce Picea Canadensis — White spruce Watson: common throughout the Island in dry

land.

Black s ruce. . . . . . p Picea mar/ana — Watson: common In low lying or wet lands throughout the provmce.

Red spruce. Picea rubra - Duncan: common on Charlottetown Royalty west; Watson: common throughout the Island; seems to prefer drier land than Picea mariana but damper situations than P. Canadensis.

Red Pine- Pinus resinosa — Duncan; Watson: uncommon, some fine specimens in groves on Brudenell Road, King’s County.

Pinus strobus — Duncan; Clarkin; Watson: White Pine is fast diminishing in P. E.

White pine. . . Island. Large trees are scarce, small ones are found In woods and thickets here and there throughout the Province.

Balsam poplar. Popu/us balsamifera — Duncan; Watson: on Mrs. George Lewis' farm, near [ .7 ] shore

of North River, Charlottetown Harbour. Sometimes met with, persistent or spreading from the roots of planted trees.

Populus grandidentata — Duncan: common in woodland; Watson: on the wooded western bank of Helen's Creek, Charlottetown Royalty West. Not uncommon in

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Largetooth aspen.