. , dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora" Volume 1 1 , Number 4 CALENDAR July 17-19 - North Park and the Park Range Field Trip: Dr. Dieter Wilkin and Sue Galatowitsch August 22-23 - Mesa de Maya Field Trip: Dr. Ivo Lin- dauer Sept. 12 - Rampart Range Field Trip: Frank Hawksworth October 1? - ANNUAL MEETING Arapaho Community College Littleton Theme: Our Public Lands Xerophytie Fern Workshop On May 2, a group of CONPS members met at the Foothills Nature Center in Boulder for Peter Root’s workshop on xerophytie ferns and fern allies. The workshop began with a review of the fern life cycle and some of the adaptations ferns have made to live in dry habitats. Colorado as a fern habitat and present distribution of ferns in relation to past climates were also discussed. Primary emphasis was on -ueilanthes . Notholaena . Pellaea . and Selaglnella , all genera that July 1987 are common in dry habitats. Many of the participants were surprised at the variety of leaf shapes and the scales and waxey coatings which ferns have developed in dry environments. We found that Selaginella is one of those groups whose members really do all look alike, but were fascinated by S. leDldoDhvlla . the resurrection plant, which unrolls from a dry ball to a flat green rosette when it becomes moist. While we hadn’t been very aware of the ferns and similar plants that live in dry environments, the workshop showed us some of the forms that can be found and aroused our interest in looking for some of them in the future . Mesa de Mava Sat, to Sun,, August 22 and 23 Leader; Dr, Ivo Lindauer Meet: at 8:30 am at the Willard Lauden Ranch House, 63+ miles SE of Trinidad (see map). Limit; 18 Cost: $50 to be paid two weeks prior to the trip. If you plan to arrive Friday night for dinner, please include an additional $10.00 to cover dinner. This region is a classical example of ecotonal vegetation be- tween the upper and lower Sonoran vegetation zone. Colorado’s Pro- gopis sp. (mesquite) and Nolina sp, (bear grass) will be seen on this trip. Archeological and geological points of interest will also be identified , Travel will be by ranch vehi- cles over some 50 miles with per- iodic stops at areas of interest. We will camp Saturday evening on top of Mesa de Maya for a ranch bar-b-que. Those wishing to hike off the Mesa down a pristine canyon (3 hours and difficult terrain) may do SOI others will return by vehi- cle to ranch for Sunday lunch and final wrap-up. Come prepared for sunny days and cool evenings. Bring a good jacket and raingear. Water will be available at camp site, REMEMBER: Registration fee must be received no later than two weeks before trip. No registra- tions without payment. Register with Nevin BeBee, 733-1038. r I* s £ « I -o -tl 0 5- o 3 -I K# * 0- a 0- Rampart Range Saturday, Sept, 12 Leader: Frank Hawksworth Heet: at 10:00 am in Colorado Springs (call tievin BeBee for final location) The tour will go up the old Gold Camp Road for a short dis- tance, back to the Springs, then up the Rampart Range Road to Woodland Park and return again to the Springs. This trip will enable us to see 4 species of dwarf mistletoe and at least 11 conifers (lodge- pole, limber, bristlecone, pondero- sa, and pinyon pine; blue and En- glemann spruce; white and subalpine firs; Douglas-fir; and Rooky Moun- tain juniper. Register with Nevin BeBee, 733-1038. Editor’s Note: We have included the CONPS Field Trip Policies again in this issue because of a concern we have about collecting plant specimens on CONPS field trips. Often our field trips are to visit rare or endangered plants. Please re-read the policy on collecting. Only the field trip leader or per- sons with collecting permits should collect plant specimens. This col- lecting should be done discretly so that others on the field trip do not feel it is alright to pick plants. FIELD TRIP PLANT LISTS WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER THE FIELD TRIP SEASON Requests should include self -addressed , stamped envelop (appropriate for size and weight of requested lists) . Send requests for plant lists to Meg Van Ness, Secretary, 124 Arapahoe St., Golden 80401. 4 COLOMBO NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY FIELD TRIP POLICIES The Society wishes to remind field trip participants of the guidelines for participation in Society trips* By joining a CONPS field trip you indicate acceptance of these policies, 1, Plant collecting is forbidden on CONPS field trips, with two exceptions; (1) Collecting is permissible for scientific study (with the appropriate collecting permit, if one is required for the area in question). ’’Scientific study" means, for the purposes of this policy, study by a trained botanical scientist with an expectation that the study results will lead to published information; collected specimens will be deposited in a recognized, publicly-accessible herbarium. (2) A trip leader or other person whose responsibility is to instruct trip participants may collect plants for immediate demonstration, explanation, or keying for full identification. Such collecting should be done inconspicuously (so that persons not with the trip group are not offended or motivated to do likewise) and with reasoned regard for any possible effect on the plant population. However, collecting of rare, threatened, endangered, or sensitive species should never be done for instructional purposes, 2. Rides and Cost-Sharing Policy: Car-pooling and ride-sharing is encouraged on CONPS trips. All drivers who provide rides to others will graciously accept payment from passengers according to the following scale: 1 passenger (in addition to driver) 5 ^ile 2 passengers 4 3 " 3 4 " 2 Passengers should pay the driver at the trip’s conclusion, without being asked, 3. No pets are permitted on CONPS field trips. Pets trample plants, disturb wildlife, and annoy other trip participants. If pets must be brought along (although this is strongly discouraged), they must remain in or restrained to the owner's vehicle (i-e,, walking about on a leash is not acceptable). 4, Field trips are designed primarily for adults, unless the trip description specifically states otherwise. Parents should consider the appropriateness of a given trip to a child. If a child is brought, the parent assumes full responsibility for keeping the child under strict control to prevent his/her damaging or disturbing the flora or fauna, or becoming a burden to the group. No child unaccompanied ty 4 . parent is permitted. CONPS’ s expressed purpose is to promote appreciation and preservation of our flora. Use it lightly. Take care not to damage the very features you have come to see and enjoy. Take photographs, sketches, or other means of recording the plants you see, and do not pick plants or plant parts. 5. 5 EPHEDRA VIRIDIS Haking a dramatically differ- ent but colorful landscape state- ment from a virtually leafless shrub may sound like a bit of hy- perbole from a mail order catalog, but this is entirely possible if the genus Ephedra is considered. Over 25 species of the genus are spread over South America, Europe ' and Asia, with 15 or more species native to the southwestern US. Similar to all the other E^ phedras . Green Mormon tea (|U. virl- iis) bears paired or whorled leaves only a few millimeters long which, under droughty conditions, either fall from the plant or shrivel and dry becoming nearly invisible. Even when in full leaf, the green stems carry on the major task of making food from sunlight, not unlike many other desert plants of the world, A typical height is from 3 to 4 feet with a similar spread, with many examples of individuals at- taining heights over 10 feet in areas where, apparently, environ- mental conditions permit. The ol- ive green stems are held stiffly upright and in spring are complete- ly covered with either curious male or female blossoms. The primitive female cone is surrounded with bright yellow, regularly spaced bracts, while the male cone is similarly surrounded with yellow calyx-like parts. Its natural habitat includes dry rocky places in western Colora^"^ do, throughout Utah, Nevada, Oregou and southwestern Wyoming at eleva- tions of 4,000 to 7,500 feet. Tem- perature hardiness has been proven to at least -20oF. Reports of winter death in the low elevations of eastern Colorado are probably due to some factor(s) other than temperature . Soils of its native habitat generally range well above pH 7*5, typical for desert soils worldwide, but this alkalinity in no way re- stricts its growth to soils similar in reaction. Excellent growth can be attained in pots or containers filled with any number of soil types and pH as low as 5.8. The propagation of all Ephed- ras is accomplished by seed since its rooting ability is very low using traditional methods. E phedra vlridis seed germinates somewhat erratically at day temperatures of 60o to 75oF alternated with .night_TF-\ time temperatures 15o to 20o cooler. Intolerant of much shade in the landscape, it is probably best displayed in full sunlight as an accent plant. Only well-aerated soils should be considered as growth in oxygen -poor, water imper- meable clays will undoubtedly inhi- bit good root growth. Poorly sit- uated or established plants are probably the cause of reports of winter death. After supplying es- tablishment irrigation for a year or two, only 6 to 10 inches of annual precipitation are necessary to maintain healthy growth. Al- though additional water appropri- ately applied may result in extra annual growth, particular attention must be paid to insuring adequate soil aeration. Be the first on your block to display a ’leafless* evergreen and blooming plant. That hot, dry, sunny and desolate spot need not be"^ covered with only junipers. 6 Jim Borland Limestone Ridge, Vermillion Bluffs, and Raven Ridge Fieldtrip ^ Whatever happened to Ed Horn? sphere is Bonanza, Utah? Although everyone on Steve 0 ’ Kane ’3 field trip to northwest Colorado may not be able to answer these questions, everyone knows the rock garden of wildflowers Steve showed us on Lookout Mountain in the Vermillion Bluffs. Lookout Mountain proposed Area of Critical Environmental Con- cern (ACEC) in places was nearly a complete carpet of Astragalus soa- tulatus in full bloom. Crvptantha caespitosa . rare in Colorado, was seen here plus many other species, including Astrag^lMs pur shii > Jl*. me ga^arpa , B a.l^,m^ rhi .ga h.0jp k .g..£i. v. hi^ p M u„l .a, Peo . 3 te m pi pachyp h yl lM p , PMpx ^ r y oM fe s., austromontana . etc. Unfortunately, Crvptantha caespitosa and other rare plants on Lookout Mountain are threatened by both a four-wheel drive and motor- cycle race the Bureau of Land Man- agement (BLM) may permit directly over the rare plants in the pro- posed ACEC. (Editor’s note: The ^LM has just approved this race. Environmental groups throughout the state are planning to try to stop it. Stay tuned.) At the Limestone Ridge - Irish Canyon proposed ACEC, we found the t'are Penstemon vampaensis blooming and more specimens of Crvptantha We also saw Astragalus c^vallarius . Penstemon humllus . P t tr gp M t uni fi iei lAt osum , and others. Although all the areas we visited were in bloom with wild- flowers new to first time visitors like myself, the Raven Ridge ACEC west of Rangely had the greatest concentration of rare plants. We found Erl og.aaum e o. h , ^drQid e s begin- ning to bloom; Penstemon grah_amll in full bloom; Parthenium ligula- t]M, and Cm^.antM rolliisii . Other interesting plants included Caui^ntM s ,g. rassicauli§ .> EHmm Mira billa a lip ea., st aaMr integrifolla . and L y£.Q.( | e a ffl.l a grandifolia . Steve’s field trip was a great introduction to the flora of north- west Colorado. Unfortunately, CONPS and the Colorado Natural Areas Program are losing this hard- working, well-informed botanist to graduate school in Missouri this fall. Rick Brune BOOI R g VIIW Wild Orchids Qt £M Middle Atlantic States by Oscar W. Gupton and Fred C. Swope, both professors of biology at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, was recent- ly released by the University of Tennessee Press. Covering the states of Delaware, Kentucky, Mary- land, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Vir- ginia, the authors take the reader on a nature walk through the for- est, describing fifty-two species of the rarest of wildflowers usual- ly detected only by botanists and amateur naturalists. Gupton and Swope describe the plants in non-technical language and provide an alphabetical list of both common and scientific names of each species. Each orchid des- cribed is illustrated by a color photograph taken in the field under natural light. The book is available from local bookstores or directly from the University of Tennessee Press, 293 Communications Building, Knox- ville, TN 37996-0325 for $ 12 . 50 . 7 OFFICERS President Eleanor Von Bargen 756-1400 Vice-President Steve O’Kane 477-0183 Secretary Meg Van Ness 279-2569 Treasurer Myrna P. Steinkamp 226-3371 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jim Borland (88) Denver 329-9198 Carol Brandt (87) Ft, Collins 484-9251 Virginia Crosby (87) Lafayette 666-5303 Miriam Denham (87) Boulder 442-1020 Mark Galatowitsch (88) Berthoud 532-4635 Elizabeth Otto (88) Idaho Springs 567-2384 Velma Richards (88) Englewood 794-5432 Les Shader (87) Ft. Collins 484-0107 Eleanor Von Bargen (87) Denver 756-1400 Chapter Presidents (Members of Board) Boulder Virginia Crosby 666-5303 Denver Metro Peter Root 433-9340 Ft, Collins Carol Brandt 484-9251 Conservation COMMITTEES Sue Martin 226-3371 Editorial Peter Root 433-9340 Education Miriam Denham 442-1020 Field Trips Nevin BeBee 733-1038 Florissant Mary Edwards 233-8133 Horticulture & Gayle Weinstein 333-3024 Rehabilitation Membership Myrna Steinkamp 226-3371 Publicity Workshops Bill Jennings 494-5159 SCHEDULE OF MEMBERSHIP FEES Life $250.00 Family or Dual $12.00 Supporting 50,00 Individual 8.00 Organization 25,00 Student or Senior NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTIONS Please direct all contributions to the newslet- ter to Peter Root 4915 West 31st Avenue Denver, CO 80212 Deadlines for newsletter materials are February 15, April 15, June 15, August 15, October 15 and December 15. There is a special need for short items such as some unusual information about a plant, a little known botanical term, etc. Please include au- thor’s name and address, but items will be printed anonymously if requested, MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS AND INFORMATION Please direct all membership applications, re- newals and address changes to the MEMBERSHIP chairperson, in care of the Society’s mailing address. Please direct all other inquiries regarding the Society to the SECRETARY in car© of the Soc- iety’s mailing address. Colorado Native Plant Society P , 0 # Box 200 Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 Time Value Material - Mailed on or about July 14 Non-profit Organ I station U.S. Postage PAID Permit #14?5 Denver. Colorado DR. DEXTER W. HESS 2202 SANTA FE AVE„ LA JUNTA CO 8:1.050