“...dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Coiorado native fiora”

Volume 16 Numbers September/October 1992

Hoosier Ridge Research Natural Area in Jeopardy

Nina Williams

Colorado Natural Areas Program

When word came from Washington in
October of 1 99 1 that the decision to designate
a Research Natural Area (RNA) at Hoosier
Ridge had been made by the U.S. Forest
Service, Colorado Natural Areas Program
staff and the botanical community began to
celebrate. After more than a decade of
work, Colorado could finally designate its
forty-seventh state natural area in
cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service.

Establishment of the Hoosier Ridge RNA
would protect an incredible wealth of
botanical diversity, including several of
Colorado’s rarest alpine plants. The
celebration ended abruptly, however, when
less than three months after publication of
the decision, U.S. Forest Service Chief, F.
Dale Robertson, withdrew the action. His
reason? Appeals from the mining
community.

Straddling the Continental Divide in central
Colorado’ s Mosquito Range, Hoosier Ridge
has long been known for its diversity of rare
plants and high quality examples of
Colorado alpine plant communities.

Deschampsia caespitosa Acomastylis
rossii ssp. turbinata dominate the north-
facing mesic alpine meadows; the alpine
avens creates the autumn tundra’s deep red

glow. On the more xeric windblown ridges
and sites of early snowmelt, Kobresia
myosuroides takes root. Salix glauca and S.
brachycarpa characterize the alpine scrub
communities.

While these tundra communities are fairly
common in the southern Rocky Mountains,
the assemblage of rare, endemic and disjunct
species found on Hoosier Ridge is unique.
Saussarea weberi is known only from the
Hoosier Ridge area, Montana’s Belt
Mountains, and the Beartooth Mountains in
northwestern Wyoming; its closest relative,
S. viscida var. yukonensis, occurs in
Saskatchewan. Armeria scabra ssp. sibirica
is another extremely rare arctic disjunct,
found again in Mongolia and the Northwest
Territories. Ipomopsis globularis is endemic
to the Mosquito Range. Astragalus
molybdenus, Braya humilis ssp. ventosa,

- continued on page 4

Contents

President's Report

2

Field Trip Report

9

Announcements

3

News From Florissant

10

Letters to the Editor

3

Chapter Activities

10

Winter-Spring

Book Review

11

Workshops

6-7

For Your Library

11

Field Notes

8

Calendar

12

Page 2

Aquilegia

Volume 16

President’s Report
Carol Dawson

If you were able to attend the Annual
Meeting of the Colorado Native Plant Society
on October 3'**, I’m sure you will agree that
it was one of the most successful meetings
ever! Comments from attendees indicate
that the program was both informative and
exciting. Tina Jones, who served as our
1991-92 vice president and program
committee chair, deserves special thanks
for her incredible effort in coordinating this
conference.

I would like to welcome the following new
Board Members:

Mark Gershman, Wetlands and Wildlife
Coordinator with the City of Boulder
Planning and Open Space Departments,
Chris Pague, Coordinator for the Colorado

Aquilegia

Aquilegia is published six times a year by the
Colorado Native Plant Society . This newsletter
is available to members of the Society and to
others with an interest in native plants. Contact
the Society for subscription information.

Articles from Aquilegia may be used by other
native plant societies or non-profit groups if
fully cited to author and attributed to Aquilegia.

The Colorado Native Plant Society is a non-
profit organization dedicated to the appreciation
and conservation of the Colorado native flora.
Membership is open to all with an interest in
our native plants, and is composed of plant
enthusiasts both professional and non-
professional.

Please join us in helping to encourage interest
in enjoying and protecting Colorado's native
plants. The Society sponsors field trips,
workshops and other activities through local
chapters and statewide. Contact the Society, a
chapter representative, or committee chair for
more information.

Natural Heritage Program, Tom Ranker,
Curator of the University of Colorado
Boulder Herbarium (COLO) at Boulder,
Velma Richards, Volunteer in the
Herbarium at the Denver Botanic Gardens,
and Nina Williams, Botanist with the
Colorado Natural Areas Program,

At the board of Directors meeting, the
following officers were elected:

Tamara Naumann as vice president, Myma
Steinkamp as treasurer, and Mark Gershman
as secretary.

Finally, I would like to thank the following
retiring Board members for their hard work
during the last two years: Peter Henson,
Tina Jones, Betsy Neely (who is the new

Boulder Chapterpresident), RobUdall, Sally
White (who will continue as conservation
committee chair), and Janet Wingate. Your
committment to tlie goals of the Colorado
Native Plant Society is sincerely appreciated.

Aquilegia

is printed on
100% recycled paper

Schedule of Membership Fees

Life

$250

Supporting

$

50

Organization

$

30

Family or Dual

$

15

Individual

$

12

Student or Senior

$

8

Membership Renewal/Information

Please direct all membership applications, renewals
and address changes to the Membership chairperson,
in care of the Society's mailing address. Please direct

all other inquiries regarding the vSociety to the Secretary
in care of the Society's mailing address.

Newsletter Contributions

Please direct all contributions to the newsletter
to:

Tamara Naumann
940 Quinn Street
Boulder, CO 80303

Deadlines for newsletter materials are February 15,
Apr il 1 5 , Ju ne 1 5, August 1 5 , Octob er 1 5 , and December
15.

Officers

President Carol Dawson 722-6758

Vice-President Tamara Naumann ... 440-8933

Secretary Mark Gershman 443-9365

Treasurer Myrna Steinkamp ... 226-337 1

Board of Directors

Jeff Dawson (93) Denver 722-6758

Gary Finstad (93) Denver 791-3790

Mark Gershman (94) Boulder 443-9365

Bill Jennings (93) Louisville 666-8348

Tamara Naumann (93) .. Boulder 440-8933

Chris Pague (94) Lyons 492-4719

Tom Ranker (94) Boulder 794-5432

Velma Richards (94) Englewood 794-5432

Vicky Trammell (93) Littleton 795-5843

Nina Williams (94) Gold Hill 443-8079

Chapter Presidents

Boulder Betsy Neely 443-8094

Denver-Metro Ron Abbott 333-6151

Fort Collins Mike Scott 490-1788

Yamparika Reed Kelley 878-4666

San Juan Peggy Lyon 626-5526

Committees

Short items such as unusual information about a plant,
a little known botanical term, etc. are especially
welcome. Camera-ready line art or other illustrations
are also solicited.

Please include author's name and address, although
items will be printed anonymously, if requested.
Articles submitted on disks (IBM or Mac) are
appreciated. Please indicate word processing software
and version.

Conservation Sally White 697-5439

Editorial Tamara Naumann ... 440-8933

Education Gary Finstad 791-3790

Field Trips Jeff Dawson ;... 722-6758

Field Studies Mary Edwards 233-8133

Hort/Restoration ....Dorothy Udall 482-9826

Membership Myrna Steinkamp ...226-3371

Publicity Julia Carlson ...752-2738

Workshops Bill Jennings 666-8348

Number 5

Aquilegia

Page 3

ANNOUNCEMENTS

W e recently received a sin.^1 , but significant
contributionj^gjpe ,iiewsil!|tter. Artist Jan
North::. Bishop g=ent us a tfcawing of an
Aqiiil^gia fip\^er to pii#^ii®|^pu know
when youVe reached the end of ^ article.
Her oi^piis h

you se||^ebai^^^3here/dur.i®sii(lent
Conipilpr Wizard^ Mai^G$ralmiaa*sc
Jan’s irpage into ^e compute and we shrunk
it down so itloiofc^ like this,,.,.....

Thanks Jan' We plan, to use

alot of these little col^bines.

Chapters Getting Organized After the Summer Field Season...

The Boulder Chapter held an organizational potluck in October. The food was great
and the company was even better. New officers "volunteered." Betsy Neely is
president; Elaine Hill is vice president; Anne Maley and Elaine Smithare refreshment
coordinators; and Lynn Riedel handles publicity. It's a real team effort!

The Metro-Denver Chapter is up-and-nmning! Ron Abbott was re-elected president;
Chris Hartung is vice president; Virginia Knowlton is secretary- treasurer.
Congratulations to the Metro-Denver team!

We'll look for news from Fort Collins, San Juan, and Yamparika next time!

LETTERS to the EPITOR

COLLECTING ETHICS

Okay, maybe getting one’s introduction to
Colorado botany in Rocky Mountain
National Park isn’ t the best approach. But if
it warped me for life, it also taught me
V respect for the plants and environments we
'^a study. Twenty-odd years later, I still can’t
cross the tundra without tip-toeing. Our
state and local parks go to great lengths to
indoctrinate visitors with the same ethic as
do national parks: Take only pictures. Can
we afford a different standard for the Society?

One reason for carefully evaluating our
stance on this question is the fundamental
difficulty of mmntaining a double standard.
To do so, we must establish that we, as
botanists or Society members, are somehow
different and more privileged than other
people interested in plants, whether
wildflower lovers, herbalists, interior
decorators, or home gardeners, whose
depredations on local floras we often lament.
When we are out with plant enthusiasts who
have absorbed park standards, their ethics
regarding casually pulling, picking, or
snipping plants or plant parts for more
convenient observatioii far exceed ours-in
fact, they’re apt to be horrified at our
behavior.

I’m not comfortable in the field with people
who are horrified at my behavior or that of
my companions, and I was chagrined
recently to have the discrepancy in our
ethical stance pointed out to me by sorne
folks with whom I was botanizing. Apart

from the question of collecting true voucher
specimens (when appropriate and
necessary), they raised the concern of
gratuitous plucking and its effects. The
“scientific” fraction of my brain quickly
pointed out that most plants aren’ t seriously
damaged by such minor losses, but that’s
not the point. Even if no lasting harm is done
to a plant, a harmful message is sent: Those
who know, and presumably appreciate
plants best, find this practice acceptable
beyond question - or even notice. Those
who ought to be setting the best example for
others are in fact setting the worst example,
and are undermining the good results park
naturalists every where are trying to achieve.

The number of people out on our dwindling
natural lands has become far too large for
the cumulative effects of minor damages to
remain unnoticeable. Most folks perhaps
have good intentions but short attention
spans. We’ve all had the experience of
finding wilted flowers discarded on the
trail. How is our thoughtless grazing any
different? We need to learn to recognize and
correct the destructive side of our interest in
plants.

I’m reminded of the tum-of-the-century
expeditions to what is now Rocky Mountain
National Park, and the folks who collected
wildflowers literally by the bushel to adorn
their dark Victorian parlors in Denver. A
plant doesn’t need to be rare to succumb to
such treatment, and the effects of historic
wildflower picking on park ecology are real

and lasting. Park rangers have good reason
for promoting a stronger ethic.

Times have changed, thank goodness.
Collecting an armful of wildflowers is no
longer in vogue. Times have changed for
botanists, too. We’re no longer documenting
an entirely new flora, as Nuttall, Gray and
others were. We, too, have good reason for
promoting stronger ethics.

I’m writing this in hopes of correcting any
role I may have played in giving a bad
impression of the Society, because I know
this is a good group of people. I hope those
who are doing formal plant collections will
read and follow tlie Society’s Guidelines
(Vol. 16, No. 3, pages 9-11) and their own
consciences. I hope the rest of us will think
more conscientiously about whether the
casual snipping we are doing is the thing to
do, whether we are willing to have others
witness us doing it— and whether we’d be
willing to have others (especially those with
less ability to distinguish rare from common
plants) imitate our behavior. Read the line
on page one under the Society ’ s logo again.
As members, we claim a special
responsibility to Colorado’s flora. We need
to cultivate better field habits.

Sally White

CONPS Conservation Committee

Page 4

AquHegia

Volume 16

Hoosier Ridge, continued from front page

Draba borealis, D. porsildii, Papaver
kluanense, Phippsia algida, and Townsendia
rothrockii are rare plants also growing in the
Hoosier Ridge area.

The main source of controversy between
the mining and conservation communities
is the endeniic Pleistocene relict, Eutrema
penlandii (syn. = Eutrema edwardsii ssp.
penlandii). First collected in 1935 near
Hoosier Pass by C. William T. Penland,
Penland’ s alpine fen mustard is known only
from fourteen scattered populations within
its narrow range, approximately seventeen
miles long and one mile wide, along the
crest of the Mosquito Range. Numerous
searches have failed to extend the species’
range. Eutrema’ s closest relative, and only
other North American member of the genus
is Eutrema edwardsii, acircumboreal species
of arctic North America and Siberia.

Penland’ s eutrema is very narrowly restricted
to certain perennially saturated moss-
covered peatlands above 12,000 feet.
Permanent snowfields provide the
continuous water source for substrate
saturation. Field reports from this summer
reveal a tendency for Eutrema to grow
along eutrophic waters, often evidenced by
filamentous blue-green algae. Additional
questions remain unanswered about the role
of geologic substrate, soil pH, and water
quality in defining Eutrema’ s distribution.

Rhodiola integrifolia
Artist: Janet Wingate

Eutrema is tiny
and easily overlooked.

It is a glabrous, tap-rooted perennial with
inflorescences sometimes reaching 7
centimeters in height. Its ovate to cordate,
long-petioled basal leaves range from 5 to
10 millimeters in length, although moss
sometimes obscures the petioles, giving
them a false sessile appearance. Cauline
leaves are sessile and narrowly oblong. The
microscopic white petals measure less than
1 millimeter wide, 2-3.5 millimeter long
and the quadrangular siliques are strongly
ribbed. Rowering occurs in early to mid
July, and fruiting lasts through August.

Eutrema penlandii was proposed for
endangered species status in 1975 and 1976.
It was not until 1 988 tliat a detailed inventory

Sibbaldia prbcumbens

Artist: Janet Wingate

and status report
recommended threatened
status. Following this recommendation, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published its
intention tohst Eutremain October of 1990.
Two years later, the fen mustard remains
unlisted, placing the Service in violation of
the Endangered Species Act, which requires
a listing action on species within 365 days
following publication of intent.

Factors influencing the decision to list
Eutrema include the “high degree of habitat
specificity” of the species (evidenced by its
absence from seemingly suitable habitat
elsewhere in the Rocky Mountains), the
fragile and critical hydrologic regime in
which the species is found, and multiple
threats to the species’ habitat.

Alpine ecosystems are extremely
susceptible to prolonged trampling and
disturbance. Annual burro races
^ from Fairplay to Leadville
follow a route over Mosquito
Pass through a population of
Eutrema. Off-road vehicle use
is popular in this area. Proponents
of the Colorado Divide Trail
(CDT) want the trail to bisect
the natural area, which straddles
the Continental Divide. Routing
the CDT on the divide through
the natural area was abandoned
^ U as a suitable alternative when

\jtr RNA establishment appeared

imminent. Since Chief Robertson’s
withdrawal, however, rumors suggest
tliat the Hoosier Ridge route is back
on the drawing table. Nature herself might
prove Eutrema’ s best ally; this summer the
Forest Service indicated that lightning-
related safety issues may force tlie trail off
the divide.

Eutrema’ s worst enemy is tiie mining tliat
made Leadville and Alma famous. Ditching
associated witli mining activities alters the
hydrology and can desiccate peat habitat.
Acid run-off may alter tlie water quality
beyond tlie range of Eutrema’ s tolerance.
Exotic species used in state-required
reclamation could present a new source of
potentially detrimental competition for tlie
native flora.

Mining issues form the basis of the appeals
resulting in the withdrawal of the Hoosier
Ridge RNA. Appellants accuse the Forest
Service of failing to assess the area’ s high
mineral content and list the seven active
(patented) mining claims within the RNA
boundaries. This summer the entire natural
area was found staked in what appeared to
be mining claim patterns.

One appeal cites the 1991 Alma American
Mining Corporation study that documented
an increase in the number of known Eutrema
individuals from approximately 6,000 plants
to 16,000. Mr. Gregory Hahn, Vice-
President of St. Mary ’ s Minerals and author
of tlie appeal, concludes from this “evidence”
that Eutrema does not warrant threatened
status. Hahn fails to acknowledge that the
Alma report did not significantly extend the
rangeof the diminutive mustard. Janet Coles,
Colorado Natural Areas Program ecologist,
is wary of using annual population numbers
to predict species status. “Viability of the
species can not be judged accurately by
population number counts because of the
wide fluctuation of individuals from year to
year,” she says.

Appellants also argue that the Forest Service
established the RNA for preservation of
rare plants, and not for research. They
quote the following federal regulations:
“When appropriate, the Chief shall establish
a series of research natural areas^ ..to illustrate
adequately or typify for research or
educational purposes, the important forest
and range types in each forest region, as
well as other plant communities that have
special or unique characteristics of scientific
interest or importance.” The Forest Service
Manual, however, lists preservation of
pristine representative alpine habitats with
unique attributes and preservation of genetic
diversity as valid objectives of RNA
establishment. Finally, the appellants object
to withdrawing the 695 acre parcel from
multiple use, a withdrawal that was .
“entlmsiastically endorsed” by the Park
County Commissioners in 1988. Unlike j
these appeals from mining interests, most
conservation-based appeals of federal
actions are routinely denied, and rarely
cause a decision to be rescinded.

Number 5 ,

Aquilegia

Page 5

Hoosier Ridge, continued from page 4

The fate of Hoosier Ridge remains unclear and I am certainly not optimistic. The White
River and Pike-San Isabel National Forests jointly manage the area and are reevaluating
tlie RNA in light of the recent appeals. A Botanical Special Management Area would be
a weak compromise, affording no protection from development. If proposed mining
activities involve filling wetlands, projects could be postponed or denied under Section 404
of the Clean Water Act. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection
Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service would all be involved in
the decision-making. Listing Eutrema penlandii as threatened would provide the most
protection for its habitat, but will not directly affect other rare species and communities.
No alternative action can duplicate the level of protection afforded Eutrema and its fragile
ecosystem. Research opportunities in the unique and richly diverse botanical habitat found
on Hoosier Ridge could be forever lost.

What You Can Do

1 . Write to Regional Forester, Elizabeth Estill; express your concerns or opinions about
management of Hoosier Ridge. Ask her to continue to work toward designation of this
outstanding Research Natural Area. Encourage placement of the Continental Divide
Trail outside the boundaries of the proposed RNA. Suggest placement of interpretive
signs near the RNA boundary to infonn hikers of its important botanical value, and of
the fragile nature of the habitat.

Elizabeth Estill, Regional Forester
U.S.D.A. Forest Service
Rocky Mountain Regional Office
P.O. Box 25127
Lakewood, Colorado 80225

2. Send copies of your letter to the Forest Supervisors on the Pike-San Isabel (south slope
of Hoosier Ridge) and White River (north slope) National Forests.

Forest Supervisor
Pike-San Isabel National Forest
1920 Valley Drive
Pueblo, Colorado 81008

Forest Supervisor
White River National Forest
P.O. Box 948

Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81602

3. Write to the Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requesting
immediate action on the proposed listing of Eutrema penlandii as a threatened species.

Regional Director

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

P.O. 25486

Denver Federal Center
Denver, Colorado 80225

4. Send a copy of your letter to the Colorado State Office Supervisor, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.

Supervisor, Colorado State Office
U.S'. Fish and Wildlife Service
730 Simms Street, Room 292
Golden, Colorado 80401

Botanical Esoterica

or [ifctle known facts about plants...

Did you know that wasabi
(Japanese horseradish) is
actually a speaes of Eutrema .
and thus related to one of our
rarest native cruafers^ (See
Nina \A/illiams' article on page 1.)
Think about that the next time
you eat sushi!

Page 6

AquHegia

Volume 16

Workshops - Winter 1992 & Spring 1993

The Colorado Native Plant Society workshop series was established in 1985 to
provide members with winter-time activities when field trips are impossible.
CONPS members have attended more than 79 workshops over the years. Workshops
bring native plant lovers together with a well-informed instructor who may have
photographs, herbarium specimens, live plants, or other materials for hands-on
study. The opportunity to receive one-on-one instruction and informative lectures,
has made the workshop series one of the most popular Native Plant Society
programs. Attendees need no special skills or background; a love of plants and a
desire to learn are tlie only prerequisites. The goal is to demystify plant
identification and to enhance in all of us our enjoyment and understanding of
Colorado's native flora.

Please mail your registration toBill Jennings, P.O. Box 952, Louisville, CO 80027.
Indicate the workshops for which you would like to register, and include your
name, address, and telephone number. Phone registrations will also be accepted
(666-8348). Register promptly, as workshops tend to fill up quickly. The fee for
each full-day workshop is $10for CONPS members and $22 for non-members ($10
for the workshop and $12 to join the Society). Payment is made on the day of the
workshop. About two weeks prior to tlie workshop, registrants will receive
information by mail about location, time, lunch, and suggested references or
materials to bring to the workshop.

It takes considerable time and effort for the instructors to plan and develop
workshops and field trips. Please let us know how you like the activities offered
by CONPS. We need your suggestions for future workshops and trips. We also
appreciate feedback on whether you find them informative and exciting or dull
and uninteresting. We'd like your opinion on how well we are serving you, our
membership.

MONTANE and SUBALPINE GRASSES

Location; Foothills Nature Center, Boulder

Ptilagrostis porteri
Artist: Sue Galatowitsch

First Session: Saturday December 5, 1992
Leader; Dr. Alan Carpenter

COLORADO CONIFERS

leader; Vickey Trammell
location; Arapahoe Community College,
Littleton

first session; Saturday, January 16, 1993
second session: Sunday, January 17, 1993

Is a Douglas-fir tree a fir tree? Is Spruce Tree
House at Mesa Verde National Park named
because of the spruce trees growing there? Are
there cedar trees in Colorado? Learning to
recognize the native conifer trees of Colorado
will be the subject of this workshop. Participants
will leani simple field characteristics of the
leaves (needles) and the cones to aid in tree
identification. Interesting facts and stories of
the natural history of native conifer trees will
also be discussed. This will be a half-day class
(10 a.m. - 2 p.m.) at Arapahoe Community
College in Littleton with a field trip afterward
to see tfees at Chatfield Arboretum, weather
permitting.

Second Session: Sunday, December 6, 1992
Leader; Dr. David Buckner

Drs. Carpenter and Buckner will take us tlirough tlie fascinating and
confusing world of the grasses of the mountains. After covering tlie
terminology necessary to study the grasses, tliey will distribute
numerous specimens for us to dissect and identify. This will be an
unique and rewarding workshop, continuing our series on identification
of this important group. Every Colorado botanist should have a
working knowledge of the grasses.

Number 5

Aquilegia

Page 7

CENTURY PLANTS (AGAVES)
of the SOUTHWEST

Leader: Dr. Wendy Hodgson
Location: University of Colorado, Boulder
First session: Saturday, February 6, 1993
Second session: Sunday, February 7, 1993

Although Colorado has no native species of genus Agave, any
person who has travelled to the deserts of the Southwest cannot
help but notice these striking succulent plants, with the tall stalk
of tubular flowers and the huge rosette of spine-tipped leaves.
Native Americans used tliese plants in a variety of ways, and
Aztec uses of agaves are mentioned in the Denver Museum of
Natural History’s current Aztec exhibit. The species Agave
utahensis is winter hardy in Colorado and has bloomed in the
Denver Botanic Garden’s Rock & Alpine Garden. Some
smaller species are suitable as house plants. The Colorado
Native Plant Society is pleased to present tliis workshop to be
led by Dr. Wendy Hodgson, curator of the herbarium at tlie
Desert Botanical Gardenin Phoenix. Dr. Hodgson will focus on
identification of the fewer than two dozen species native north
of the Mexican border and on the problems of species limits in
la complex genus.

Dr. Hodgson will give a special lecture on century plants
Friday evening, February 5, possibly in conjunction with the

American Rock Garden Society and the Cactus and Succulent
Society,

WEEDS of COLORADO

Leader: Dr. Richard Old
Location: Univ. of Colorado, Boulder
First session: Saturday, February 27, 1993
Second session: Sunday, February 28, 1993

Aggressive plants tliat crowd out the natural vegetation are a
serious botanical problem, not to mention economic and
aesthetic disasters as well. The weed situation is particularly
bad where urbanization and agricultural practices have
significantly disturbed tiie natural vegetation, such as in die
Front Range Urban Corridor. Following a thorough
indoctrination of “What is a Weed?,” workshop participants
vC^ill be introduced to the species currently on the Colorado
Noxious Weed List. Biological and identificational
characteristics of tliese and a few others will be discussed. Dr
Richard Old is a weed specialist affiliated with Washington
State University in Pullman, Washington, who consults on
weed problems all over the West.

In addition to the workshops. Dr. Old will present a special
lecture Friday night, February 26, on current methodologies for
computerized identification of plants, a technology that seems
destined to replace tlie dichotomous keys currently in use in
virtually all botanical manuals.

ASTRAGALI of the COLORADO FRONT RANGE

Leader: Loraine Yeatts

Location: Lookout Mountain Nature Center, Golden (tentative)

Saturday, March 20, 1993

The milkvetches (genus Astragalus) comprise a very large group of plants in a large
family (Fabaceae). WiUi such a large number of species, many of which are
differentiated on technical characteristics, idenUficatibn can be daunUng
for die wildflower lover. Many of these species are showy and attract
attention at roadside in the spring and summer. Loraine Yeatts
has agreed to tackle the Front Range species and will present
her observations in tliis workshop. You will learn
tlie important parts of tlie pea family flower
and how to key tlie Front Range species.

Astragalus shortianus
Artist: Ann Cooper

Page 8

AquHegia

Volume 16

FIELP NOTES

William A. Weber and Ronald C. Wittman
University of Colorado Herbarium

Dicentra uniflora: In AquHegia 15, No. 2,
p. 11, Michael L. Peterson, a retired Soil
Conservation Service employee, reported
finding and photographing this species in
Garfield, Mesa, and Rio Blanco counties. In
correspondence with Mr. Peterson we
learned that he saw the plant at three
localities: GARFIELD CO.: West Divide
Creek drainage, off road to Uncle Bob Mt.,
before USFS boundary, T7S R91W S32,
Gibson Gulch Quad., 7 May 1975; under
sagebrush, gravelly surface, in soils derived
from aeolian loess mixed with basaltic
stones, slope 12-15%; plants 5 cm tall.
GARFIELD CO.: Northwest Creek area on
Naval Oil Shale Reserve on BLM property,
1 5S R94WS7, Anvil Points and Rio Bianco
Quads, (access is shown on Anvil Points
Quad.), E-facing slope 6%, soils deep silty
loess, 16May 1975. MESA CO.: T8SR91W
S20, Flatiron Mountain Quad., S-facing
slope, 10%, in sagebrush; soils loess with a
few gravels, over basalt, some Mahonia
nearby, 15 May 1975. Mr. Peterson furnished
the herbarium with a splendid color print of
the plant.

Ron Wittmann and I visited the first two
localities on 9-11 May 1992 in hopes of
finding and collecting voucher herbarium
specimens. The Uncle Bob locality is
accessible by driving the Dry Hollow Road
south from Silt. We found the road heavy
going with deep mud and had to walk the
last few miles, but although this date was
close to the anniversary of the first discovery,
we found no plants. In fact, the season was
very far along and such an early bloomer
surely had withered and disappeared. One
of the fine surprises was for us to see great
stands of Pedicularis centranthera
everywhere under the pinon and juniper.The
Anvil Points locality was reached by way of
the Cow Creek road out of Piceance Creek.
Here we were stopped by snow drifts in the
small forested patches along the crest, and
here, too, the season was much too far
advanced to find Dicentra.

When we reported our bad luck to Mr.
Peterson, he told us that the 1974-75 winter
was one of the wettest snow winters that the
Soil Conservation Service has ever
measured. Therefore, tlie season had to
have been greatly delayed. When he found
Dicentra, the early-flowering Phloxhoodii,
Hydrophyllum capitatum, and Pulsatilla
were already almost finished blooming. If
we want to find Dicentra we need to get up
into the mountain sagebrush just as soon as
tliesnow leaves, and lookbeneatli sheltering
sagebrush plants. This means abandoning
vehicles tliat can’t mitke it through tlie
greasy mud, and going on foot as far as
necessary.

I would urge Western Slope CONPS
members to establish this plant as apriority,
for until we have voucher specimens in tlie
herbarium tlierecord will remain unofficial,
despite tlie color photograph. Since tliis is a
species tliat is common in the arid areas of
the Pacific Nortliwest, east of the Cascade
Range, it is likely that we should find it on
the plateaus of Dinosaur National

Monument, where access to the high
sagebrush meadows might be a bit earlier.

Learning about the behavior of Dicentra
uniflora raises our hopes of finding
Hesperochironpurnilum (Hydrophyllaceae)
in similar sites. This little, extremely early
spring flower has a few oblong basal leaves
and a single waxy white flower about an
inch in diameter, the whole plant hardly
getting more than a centimeter above the
ground. The collector was anonymous, but
the locality is known: Montezuma National
Forest; Milk Ranch, 7,000 ft. alt., 28 April
1914, associated witli sagebrush and weeds,
west slope, dry soil. I saw this specimen in
the Forest Service Range Management
Herbarium. In 1955 I was able to find tlie
locality of the so-called Milk Ranch. It was
in Montezuma County, on House Creek,
T38N R15W S28. Like Dicentra, the
Hesperochiron grows in the same places,
blossoms at the same time, and disappears
very soon after blooming. These two plants
should be sought after by our Western Slope
members.

Number 5

Aquilegia

Page 9

w

Field Trip Report

Aiken Canyon: A Place of Beauty and Botanical Interest

led by Alan Carpenter

Report by Ron Abbott

The sky may have been gray and gloomy
just south of Colorado Springs on June 6th,
but the spirits of participants were bright
during the CONPS field trip to Aiken
Canyon, one of The Nature Conservancy’s
newest and largest preserves in Colorado
and perhaps the finest remaining example
of a relatively undisturbed foothills canyon
along the Front Range. Spanning the high
plains/lower montane ecotone, Aiken
Canyon includes vegetation types
characterized by short grasses, Gambel oak,
mountain-mahogany and coniferous trees.

Quercus gambelii is most prevalent at the
preserve, its late-spring growth appearing
especially verdant under overcast skies the
^^aday of our visit. Alan Carpenter, TNC’s
Colorado land steward and our trip guide,
explained that the extensive Gambel oak is
responsible for an abundant megafauna at
Aiken canyon, notably mule deer, elk, and
black bear; the scat of all three was, in fact,
found and identified during the day by our
widely-versed leader. Where well-fed, large
herbivores live, one expects feline predators,
and mountain lion footprints have been
found earlier this year within the bounds of
the preserve. And in addition to large
mammals, the dense oak thickets support
numerous birds, especially the rufous^sided
to whee whose calls accompanied our hiking
all day long.

While ' undeniably important to animals,
scrub oak vegetation is rather uniform,
offering few opportunities for discovery to
curious botanists. Of greater interest are
open, grassy areas within the scrub where
tlie greater species diversity includes a few
herbaceous plants. Thelesperma filifolium,
Erigeron flagellaris, Echinocereus
viridiflorus, Aphyllon fasciculatum,
Pensternon secundiflorus, and Castilleja
Integra virtually carpeted tliese areas, while
the marvelous sage fragrance of Artemisia
frigida perfumed the damp air - heady
stuff! The most common grasses at these

sites, Chondrosum gracile, for instance, are
warm-season species and were still mostly
in ^a less conspicuous vegetative growth
phase.

As often happens on CONPS field trips, our
rapid traverse of the countryside was initially
sacrificed to an engrossing, meter-by-meter
identification of plant species at the site of
the moment. Consequently, we spent most
of our time in the scrub oak/open grass
mosaic closer to the preserve’s southeast
entrance with only a quick-strike penetration
after lunch of the coniferous vegetation up-
canyon to the west. Short though our .
westward trek was, it was worth making if
only to experience the dramatically abrupt
transition to a more montane setting.

Once penetrated, tlie area revealed many
expected shrub and herbaceous species:
Oreobatus deliciosus, Physocarpus
monogynus, Jamesia americana, Rosa
woodsii, Campanula rotundifolia, Monarda
fistulosa, etc. Found nestled among the
Boulder raspberry andninebarkby ourever-
enthusiastic Linda Senser, was a crenate-
leaved shrub that no one present was able to
identify - maybe sometliing unusual? [Dr.
Weber suggests Holodiscus tisapossibility.]
Two notable plants encountered at this site
were handsome representatives of species
near tlieir nortliemmost extensions along
the Front Range: a large sapling of white fir,
Abies concolor, nearly perfectly symmetrical
and almost glistening against a background
of darker green, and an equally attractive
stand of fragrant shiny-leaved hoptree,
Ptelea trifoliata.

Alan Carpenter explained that The Nature
Conservancy’s plans for management of
Aiken Canyon, will express various aspects
of the conservation philosophy practiced by
TNC. The preserve will eventually have a
developed trail system — an acknowledge-
ment of man as part of nature, if only as
visitor. Two known infestations of ponderosa
pine mistletoe will be isolated from
surrounding healthy trees by selective
cutting, yet allowed to develop in order to
eventually provide habitat for primary and
secondary tree cavity dwellers. Preserve
management strategies attempt to include
and encourage tlie widest possible range of
natural processes in this unique canyon
ecosystem. One or more grassy areas will be
selectively burned to quell invasion by
juniper and increase populations of big and
little bluestem, sand dropseed, and other
representatives of mid- and tail-grass relict
communities, to maintain diversity of plant
community types and restore a species mix
thought to have preceded domestic livestock
grazing and fire suppression.

Perhaps most promising of all is the potential
for Aiken Canyon Preserve to serve as a
keystone for preservation over a wide area
at the ecosystem level. If TNC can secure
certain acreage surrounding the preserve,
tlie canyon will then function as a connecting
corridor between BLM’s Beaver Creek
Wilderness Study Area to tlie west and the
expanse of Fort Carson to tlie east, an
accomplishment tliat would protect the entire
drainage.

Altogetlier, it is a privilege to have explored
this relatively undisturbed footliills region,
and I am certain that we all look forward to
the possibility of future visits, and to its
continued preservation under wise
management.

Page 10

Aquilegia

Volume 16

New Information on a Florissant Fossil Plant

Sue Martin

Chapter News

Add to your store of information on Colorado
plants this tidbit: there is a fossil plant
known as Florissantial You probably can
guess the origin of the name (and some of
the fossils): the Florissant fossil beds. In a
recent paper, Dr. Steven Manchester of the
Florida Museum of Natural History,
University of Rorida, explores details of
this genus. Once placed in the genus Porana
(Convolvulaceae), then in Holmskioldia
(Verbenaceae), Florissantia, according to
Manchester’s research and interpretation,
is an extinct genus that had features found
today in the Tiliaceae, Bombacaceae, and
Sterculiaceae, families in the order Malvales.
Tentatively, Manchester places Florissantia
in the Sterculiaceae. (Here’ s a test for you:
do we have any members of this plant
family in the flora of Colorado today??)

Features of Florissantia flowers suggest
they were insect or bird pollinated, and the
samara-like fruits probably were wind-
dispersed. Manchester describes three
species of Florissantia, of which the
Colorado species is Florissantia speiriv,
fossils of this species also come from
Wyoming, Montana, and Oregon. He
believes the genus, known only from western
North America (central Colorado to southern
Alaska), was an important component of
lakeside vegetation in volcanic areas.

To learn more about this interesting
Colorado fossil plant, visit your library and
read Manchester’s article [American
Joumalof Botany 79(9): 996-1008 (1992)],
which has beautiful photographs of the fossils
and an artist’s reconstruction of the flower.

Goodyera repens (rattlesnake plantain)
Artist: Carolyn Crawford

Boulder Chapter

December 8: Yampa River Preserve

Holly Richter, from the CSURange Science
Department, will discuss her efforts to
develop an ecological model for preserve
selection, design, and stewardship planning
for one of the last relatively unregulated
tributaries in the Colorado River system.

January 12: U.S. Forest Service Report
Joan Friedlander, Coordinator for Sensitive
Species in the Region 2 office of the U.S.
Forest Service, will report on Sensitive
Species and Ecosystem Management
Initiatives in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Monthly meetings are held from September
through April on the 2nd Tuesday of the
month at 7:15 p.m. in the Boulder Public
Library meeting room, 1 1th and Arapahoe,
unless otherwise noted. For information,
call Betsy Neely at 443-8094 or Elaine Hil] j
at 494-7873.

Denver Chapter

December 9; Colorado Riparian Areas
Gwen Kittel, riparian ecologist with The
Nature Conservancy, will present her work
on classification and modeling of Colorado's
riparian plant communities. Note: this
combined November/December meeting
will be held on the 2nd Wednesday of
December in the Morrison Center at the
Denver Botanic Gardens (DBG).

January 27: Alpine Tundra Plants of
Horseshoe Cirque

Barbara Siems will present a program on the
alpine tundra plants of the Horseshoe Cirique
basin in the Mosquito Range. Whether you
attended the field trip to Horseshoe Cirque
or not, you will enjoy this program! The
meeting will be held in the Morrison Center
at DBG.

Monthly meetings are held from September
through May on the 4th Wednesday of the!^^
month at 7:30 p.m. at the Denver Botanic
Gardens, 909 Y ork Street, unless otherwise
noted. For information, call Ron Abbott at
333-6151.

Number 5

Aquilegia

Page 1 1

dOOK REVIEW

a

Jim Borland

The Xeriscape Flower Gardener: A
Waterwise Guide for the Rocky Mountain
Region. 1991. Jim Knopf. Johnson Books,
Boulder. 240 pages, paper. $14.95.

It’s about time. At last a gardening book
aimed at gardeners in the Rocky Mountain
West which does not merely repeat the
same tired refrain of eastern gardening.
Ostensibly covering a section of the country
which includes all of the high, cold elevations
of the west, excluding the traditional
Southwest, western California, and the
Pacific Northwest, the text reveals strongly
the author’s main area of experience,
namely Boulder and Denver, Colorado.

Between the covers, the reader will find
discussions on topics such as planning,
designing, building, and maintaining a
waterwise garden . Several pages are devoted
to meadow gardening and the inclusion and
handling of animals in the garden.

This book’s forte, at least as far as plant
people are concerned, is the extensive list of
plants recommended for this area. Included
are many Colorado Native plants, both
herbaceous and woody, some of which are
not generally available in nurseries or even
known outside the Denver metropolitan
area. This fact is not a detraction, but an
added bonus, since most nurseries currently
do not carry a wide selection of plant
materials. We Native Plant Society types
should scold them on this count, from time
to time.

Somewhat tedious, in my opinion, is the
information on determining exactly how
much water your landscape will use and just
how much this water will cost. While some
may find this information useful, I would
like to have seen more information how to
have a grand garden without the use of
supplemental water. Since Mother Nature
does it all the time, we should be able to do
it as well.

Mr. Knopf is to be congratulated for taking
professional as well as political stands on

issues. While most gardening literature
seems to speak without regard to its
relationship with (and impact upon) the rest
of the world, this author ignores tradition;
he notes the rape and pillage of mountain
peat areas [see feature article on mountain
peat in the last issue of Aquilegia-V o\.l()
No.5] and the folly of Two Forks dam, both
of which are current Colorado topics.

While I could nitpick some of the details on
propagation and what constitutes a “water-
wise” plant, this book is (and not only by
virtue of its being first) the best of its kind
on the market. Buy it!

Note:

J im Knopf .y The Xeri scape Flower Gardener
is available inmanylocalbookstores. Copies
can be ordereddirectly from Johnson Books,
1880 South 57th Court, Boulder, CO 80301,
(303)443-1679. Send $14.95 plus $2.00
shipping. Colorado residents must add 3%
sales tax.

FOR YOUR LIBRARY

Oregon State University Press has recently
reprinted Botanical Exploration of the
Trans-Mississippi West by Susan Delano
McKelvey. This classic history of the
botanical explorations of the West from
1790 to 1850 was first published in 1955 by
the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
and has been out of print for several years.
It is now back in print with a foreword and
annotated bibliographic supplement by
Joseph Ewan of the Missouri Botanical
Garden and an introduction by Stephen
Dow Beckham of Lewis and Clark College.

The accounts of the travels and collections
of botanical explorers range from the well
known-such as Lewis and Clark, Menzies,
and Douglas-to the obscure. Botanical

Exploration of the Trans-Mississippi West
describes the cultural and historical setting
for the development of natural history studies
throughout the American West. McKelvey
chronicles tlie life, labors, field work, and
publications of dozens of botanical explorers
who helped document our rich natural
history. This book is a significant reference
work for botanists, historians, cultural
resource specialists, museum workers,
interpreters, and others with an interest in
exploration, history, and botany.

The Nortliwest Reprints edition reproduces
McKelvey’ s text in its entirety, along witli
nine original maps by Erwin Raisz. A new
map, drawn especially for tliis edition and
reproduced in full color on die endsheets of

the book, shows the routes of all the journeys
discussed in the text.

The author, Susan Delano McKelvey, was a
member of New Y ork’ s elite and a cousin of
Franklin D. Roosevelt. She joined the staff
of the Arnold Arboretum as a botanist after
World War 1. Her other works include: The
Lilac: A Monograph and Yuccas of the
Southwest United States.

Botanical Exploration of the Trans-
Mississippi West (1200 pages) is available
in hardcover from Oregon State University
Press, Waldo Hall 101, Corvallis, Oregon
97331-6407, (503)737-3 166..The price is
$85.00 plus shipping.

Calendar Overview

Chapter Meetings

Boulder Chapter

Dec 8 Yampa River Preserve

Jan 12 U.S. Forest Service Report

Denver Chapter

Dec 9 Colorado Riparian Areas
Jan 27 Alpine T undra Plants of
Horseshoe Cirque

1992-93 Winter & Spring Workshops

Dec 5-6 Montane & Subalpine Grasses

with Alan Carpenter or David Buckner

Jan 16-17 Colorado Conifers

with Vickey Trammell

Feb 6-7 Century Plants (Agaves) of the
Southwest

with Wendy Hodgson

Feb 27-28 Weeds of Colorado

with Richard Old

March 20 Astragalus of the Front Range

with Loraine Yeatts

Colorado Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 200

Fort Collins, Colorado 80522

Non-profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID

Permit #1475
Denver, Colorado