Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society . dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora” Volume 25 Number 6 WORKSHOP EDITION September - October 2001 2001 - 2002 COLORADO NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY WORKSHOP PROGRAM CoNPS Workshop Committee, Bill Jennings Chair The Colorado Native Plant Society is proud to present the sched- ule for workshops to be held on the East Slope, from November, 2001, through March, 2002, Gay Austin is organiz- ing a suite of workshops to be held on the West Slope. Be sure to check elsewhere in Aquilegia for West Slope workshops and activities. "^or 18 seasons, workshops have brought native ^"'-^lant lovers together with a well-informed instnic- tor, who may have herbarium specimens, live plants, photographs, identification keys, and other materials available for hands-on study. Tlie oppor- tunity to receive one-on-one instruction and hear informative lectures has made the workshop series one of the most popular Native Plant Society pro- grams.’ Attendees need no special skills or back- ground — a love of plants and a desire to learn are the only prerequisites. There are no exams, grades, or homework; and working togeth^ is encouraged. The goal is to demystify plant identification and to fenstemon gibbensu „ . , , Artist: Janet Wingate enhance m all ol us our enjoyment and understand- ing of Colorado’s native flora. All East Slope workshops described below are one-day only, usually from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. If multiple sessions have been scheduled, the same material will be presented each session for different groups of attendees. To register for East Slope workshops, please call (303) 665-6903 and leave a message on the answering Registration begins 21 September 2001 ! About 10 days prior to the workshop, registrants will receive notice by mail regarding location, time, lunch, references, and supplies, with a list of other registrants to encour- age carpooling. The fee for each workshop is $12 for CoNPS members and $27 for non-members ($12 to cover the costs of the workshop and $15 to join the Society). Members of the native plant soci- eties of neighboring states are considered members of CoNPS for purposes of workshop registration. Payment is made on the day of the workshop. Workshops have been very' popular in the past, with multiple sessions frequently scheduled to meet demand, or with long waiting lists for the seats available. However, no-shows have been a prob- lem. There are only so many seats available in the classrooms and labs in which these workshops are held, and we are holding a seat for you. If you find that you cannot attend a workshop for which you are registered, PLEASE call and cancel your regis- tration as soon as possible! It takes considerable time and effort for instructors to plan and develop workshops and field trips. Please let us know how you like the activities offered by CoNPS — we appreciate feedback. “Workshops” continues on page 2 machine. You may also register by writing to: Bill Jennings, P.O. Box 952, Louisville, CO 80027. However you register, be sure to provide your name, address, telephone number (including rea code!), and those workshops you wish to attend. If multiple N-.^essions are scheduled, be sure to indicate preference — Saturday sessions usually fill first. Receipt of your registration request will be acknowledged within a few days. Contents About the Society . . . .. .7 Announcements .1-2, 3, 4, 5-6 Articles 1-2,3 Calendar . . . 8 Membership in the Society . . . .. . . .7 Workshops . .1-2 Aquilegia Vol. 25 No. 6 Page 2 “Workshops” continued from page 1 MILKWEEDS OF COLORADO Leader: Carblyn Crawford Location: Foothills Nature Center, Boulder First session: Saturday, November 10, 2001 Second session: Sunday, November 11, 2001 Carolyn Crawford, best known as a botanical artist, has been studying tlie Colorado milkweeds (Asclepiadaceae) for many years. Tliis workshop, last taught in 1992, will cover all of the Colorado milkweeds, including Asclepias rushyi, recently identi- fied for Colorado’s western slope. In addition to photographs, keys, and specimens, Carolyn will discuss the pollination of milk- weeds and otlier plant. insect interactions, including those of the the monai'ch and queen butterflies, obhgate feeders on milkweeds. The queen, a butterfly of the southwestern deserts, occasionally reaches Colorado. Carolyn and her family foimd a queen larva on milkweeds in their backyard in Louisville, and watched it pupate and emerge in July, 2001 . PROBLEM WEEDS OF THE FRONT RANGE URBAN CORRIDOR Leaders: Eric Lane and Alicia Doran Location: Jefferson County Open Space, Golden First session: Saturday, December 8, 2001 Second session: Sunday, December 9, 2001 Eric Lane (Weed Coordinator, Colorado Department of Agriculture) and Alicia Doran (Weed and Pest Management Specialist, Jefferson County) will present information on problem weeds in this part of the state. In addition to providing hand- outs, specimens, and photos, other topics will be addressed. Eric will discuss tlie state weed law’ and what you can do to help, from both identi- fication and control perspectives. Alicia will discuss weed control mea- sures (integrated pest management) used in Jefferson County. Weed con- trol is a very important topic for Colorado native plants, without which much land has been and continues to be lost, as weeds dis- place the desirable native vegetation, and consequently food and habitat for our native fauna. This workshop will be held in the Jefferson County Open Space Ponderosa Room at 7(X) Jefferson Coimty Parkway in Golden, Colorado. Linaria genistifolia ssp. dalmatica GRASSES: THE TRIBE FESTUC AE Leader: Dr. David L. Buckner Location: Foothills Nature Center, Boulder First session: Saturday, January 12, 2002 Second session: Sunday, January 13, 2002 Dave Buckner continues his excursions into the tribes of the grass family, tliis time with the Festucae. This is a group with a large number of genera and species in Colorado, including Festuca, Poa, and Bromus. In recent years, there has been some taxonom- ic reshuffling, and new generic boundaries have greatly compli- cated the nomenclature, especially for those who learned the names years ago. This is a widely distributed group, including number of weedy species and species used for revegetation of diss.^ turbed areas. A review of the structure and names of tlie parts of tlie grass plant will be presented first, witli the characteristics of different tribes discussed before focusing on tlie Festucae. ECOLOGY AND IDENTIFICATION OF WILLOWS Leader: Gwen Kittel Location: Foothills Nature Center, Boulder First session: Saturday, February 9, 2002 Second session: Sunday, February 10, 2002 Gwen Kittel, ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, will present a workshop on the willows, with a focus on their ecology. Willow identification can be greafly aided if one knows the ecology of the willows; what occurs where and with what. Gwen has worked with the willows for many years and will present her observations ill tliis unique w orkshop. A key to the willow s based on vegetative characters has been developed and will be distributed at the work- shop. This is not a repeat of Bob Dorn’s willow s workshop from January, 2000, but a different perspective on a difficult subject. SENECIO, WITH A FOCUS ON THE PLAINS Leader: Dr. Craig Freeman Location: Lookout Mountain Nature Center, Golden First Session: Saturday, February 23, 2002 Second Session: Sunday, February 24, 2002 Dr. Craig Freeman, with the LTniversity of Kansas, will be our ou'"'^ of-state workshop leader this year. A specialist in the botany of thfc— Great Plains, he will cover genus Sejiecio in the broad sense, including related genera such as Packera. The primary focus will be on those species that occur on the Plains of eastern Colorado. .Although headquartered in Lawrence, Kansas, his continuing research into the flora of the Great Plains has led him into eastern Colorado numerous times. The Colorado Natural Areas Program funded his specimen collection program for several counties in eastern Colorado during 2000. VEGETATIVE CHARACTERS FOR PLANT IDENTIFICATION Leader: Dr. Miriam Denham Location: Foothills Nature Center, Boulder First session: Saturday, March 16, 2002 Second s^sion: Sunday March 17, 2002 Plants are not just their flowers! Learning about the vegetative characteristics of plants can help you to identify plants with or without flowers. While most of us are familiar with leaf shapes, did you know that plant hairs, called trichomes, can vary greatly from species to species? Have you ever wondered why plants have hairs at all? Have you ever considered that root arrangement and rhizome structure is quite varied according to the nature of the plant ? Explore these and other questions (or bring your own) to this workshop, which may change the way you look at plants. Chapters VI through X of Harrington’s How to Identify Plants wiy ^ provide a basis. Registration begins 21 September 2001 ! Vol. 25 No. 6 PHOTOS OF COLORADO PLANT SPECIES NEEDED Would you like to contribute to an important new tecluiology in systematics that is destined to become one of the most important in the last 50 years, while helping to promote die study and appreci- ation of Colorado’s native plants? Dr. Neil Snow, plant taxonomist at the University of Northern Colorado, is laying die groundwork for the production of an on-line, interactive identification key to the vascular fiora of Colorado. The project is entided the Colorado Interactive Flora (CIF). When .finished, the CIF wid enable users to identify any species from Colorado on-line by selecting appropri- ate vegetative and fertile characters visible on the unknown. A goal of the CIF is to have at least one liigh-quality photographic image of each species. Text boxes accompanying each taxon will give additional information, such as habitats and counties of occur- rence, elevation, ethnobotanical uses, common name(s), and syn- onomy. The CIF will have enormous educational value and be of great use to those who manage the State’s public and private lands, not to mention wildflower enthusiasts and students. When finished, the CIF will be available on the UNC Herbarium website. We are seeking high quahty photos (35 mm or color print) of all native and introduced species. Relatively close-up images of flow- ers are preferable, although fruiting material will be considered (particularly in taxa such as Cyperaceae, Brassicaceae, Astragalus, Saiix, and others where fruits are essential for identification). Habitat photos will not generally be considered. The more uncom- mon the species, the liigher the likehhood the photo will be includ- ^'^^ed. Photos of vouchered specimens placed in a Colorado herbari- um will be given the highest priority. All photographers will be acknowledged for each photo contributed! Pursuant to llmversity policy, authors of photographs will need to sign an agreement giv- ing permission for used in the CIF. TINC will not use the photos for any other purpose and will eventually return them to tlie submitter. If you ^re interested in contributing photos, please contact Dr. Snow' for additional details at nsnow@unco.edu. Working togeth- er, Colorado plant entliusiasts can actively contribute to tliis important new tecluiology and help make the state a leader in the production of on-line, interactive identification keys to its flora. WORKGROUP FORMING TO STUDY VEGETATIVE CHARACTERS Miriam Denham, CoNPS Vegetative characters of plants can be used to identify plants. The purpose of tliis group is to catalogue and to depict (in photographs or line-drawings) the vegetative characters, particularly plant hairs, of Colorado plants. Much of the work to date has been in Boulder and Jefferson Counties, but persons in other areas could contribute immeasurably. It is anticipated tliat this work will make it easier to identify plants without making numerous trips to the field for plant inventories. Additionally, it is expected that this information will be used to ^^help combat “plant blindness.” Please contact Miriam L. Denham, Ph.D. at 10353 N. 65th St., Longmont, CO 80503-9018 or via e- mail at denham@spot.colorado.edu. Page 3 MOONWORTS IN THE INDIAN PEAKS David Steinmann, CoNPS In the past three summers I have looked for moonworts {Botrychium subgenus Botrychiwn) in the Indian Peaks aiea of Boulder County, Colorado. Moonworts are tiny ferns that are from one half to a few inches tall. Their single leaf consists of two parts — a leafy trophophore and a sporophore that looks like small grape clusters. They are peremtial and grow in association with a mycor- rluzal fungus. Like muslirooms tiiey may not come up in dry years. I began looking for moonworts in the Indian Peaks after working with Peter Root at Pikes Peak and taking his fern workshop spon- sored by CoNPS. Most moonworts are considered rare in Colorado. Some species are really very rare, but others are just hard to see. They grow in meadows and shrublands from just below 10,000 feet up to tree line. Locations \yhere I have found them in the Indian Peaks include Brainard Lake, Mt. Audubon, Pawnee Pass trail. Devil’s Thumb trail. Rainbow' Lakes, Meadow Mountain, Coney Flats, Fourth of Jifly trailhead, and Caribou. 1 have found at least seven species including B, echo, B. hesperium, B. lanceolatiim, B. lunaria, B. minganense, B. pallidum, B. situ - plex, and possibly B. pinnatum. Moonworts are most likely to be found in old disturbed areas such as mines or town sites, or along trails and roads. Associated plants include subalpine goldenrod, wild strawberry, yarrow, clover, and willowherb. The presence of small spruce and fir trees often indi- cates that the area is old enough for a moonwort population to develop. Moonworts are easier to see late in the summer, when their sporophores ripen. Why look for moonworts? They are an important part of our fern flora and tlie presence of rare species could impact land use deci- sions. They are also mysterious little plants and looking for them is both fim and interesting. NEW EDITIONS OF COLORADO FLORA NOW AVAILABLE Rick Brune and Velma Richards, Sales The new editions of W.A. Weber’s Colorado Flora: East Slope and Colorado Flora: West Slope are now available to members at a discounted price. They are $22.00 each, plus tax; postage is an additional $2.50 per book (see below). If you order 10 or more books (any combination), postage is only $1.00 per book — order with your friends and save. The floras will also be available at workshops, Denver and Boulder Chapter meetings, and the Annual Meeting in September in Fort Collins. Pat Murphy cur- rently has a supply for the Boulder area members. They can also be ordered from: Velma Richards at 3125 W. Monmouth Ave., Englewood, CO 80110 or (303) 794-5432. Please include sales tax at the follow ing rates NOTE: There is no tax on out-of-state sales: Boulder @ 7.36% All other Boulder County @4.1% City and County of Denver @ 7.20% Ft. Collins @ 6.70% All other Larimer County @ 3.70% Adams, Arapahoe, and Jefferson County @ 3.70% All other Colorado @ 2.90% Aquilegia Page 4 Aqidlegia WHAT TO DO ABOUT SALTCEDAR Symposium Coming to Grand Junction Kacey Conway, Tamarisk Research Committee Tamarisk, or saltcedar, is a liiglily invasive woody plant intro- duced from central Asia and the eastern Mediterranean, which has taken over more than 1.5 million acres of valuable riparian habi- tat diroughoiit the West. Not only is it out-competing native veg- etation and threatening wildlife, but also creating salty soils and drying out riparian ecosystems wherever it is established. Tlie Tamarisk Symposium will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, September 26 and 27, 2001 , at the Holiday Inn in Grand Junction, Colorado to explore the problem of tamarisk and some possible solutions. Topics will include the nature of the tamarisk invasion, tamarisk’s impact on water and wildlife, tamarisk con- trol and management, tlie promising area of bio-controls, re-veg- etation scenarios, and funding for tamarisk control projects. Field trips to two project sites in the Grand Junction vicinity will round out the conference. The cost for the two day event is $50.00, plus $10.00 each day for lunch. Discounted rooms are available at the Holiday Inn. Sponsored by the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Tamarisk Coalition, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Eco-Team, and the Colorado Weed Management Association, the Tamarisk Symi3oSium is also partially funded by a grant from tlie National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Pulling Together Initiative. Please con- tact Susan Rose at (970) 244-1834 or srose@co.mesa.co.us, or visit our website at http://w ww.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/tamarisksym- posium.html to obtain a symposium agenda and registration form. ILLUSTRATED KEYS NOW AVAILABLE Bruce S. Barnes, Flora ID Northwest Interactive keys for computer produced by Flora ID Northwest are now available, with color images for virtually all species. Many folks from around the northwest deserve thanks for allowing their slides to be copied, thereby making this possible. Coincidentally, the Windows software in which the keys nm has been completely rewritten, resulting in much easier use. Prices have also been low- ered, so that keys for an entire state are $100, or $300 for the entire northwest. Keys are available (province or statewide only) for Southern British Columbia, \ ^ Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The distributor is The W New York Botanical Garden Press / (nybgpress@nybg.org), located at f 200th Street and Kazimiroff Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458;-5126 or call (718) 817-8842. For more informa- tion, you may also contact Bruce S. W Barnes by: mail at Flora ID ^ Northwest, 73 1 NW 5th, Pendleton, OR 97801; phone at (541) 276- ^ 5547; FAX (541) 276-8405; or e- .f mailataora@iicinet.com. penk,„du Artist: Carolyn Crawford Vol. 25 No. 6 GRADUATE STUDY IN FLORISTICS Position Available Dr. Ronald L Hartman, Rocky Mountain Herbariun'.^ The Rocky Mountain Herbarium, University of Wyoming, seeks students interested in pursuing an M.S. degree in broad- scale floristics. The successful applicants are expected to be energetic, higlily motivated individuals capable of working with limited supervision for extended periods of time. A member of the staff will spend two to four weeks each summer assisting with collect- ing. Beginning Spring 2002, the Santa Fe National Forest, includ- ing Valles Caldera National Preserve (2,600 mi^ over parts of Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, San Miguel, and Santa Fe Counties in north-central New Mexico) will fund two summers of fieldwork, provide housing, and provide space for the processing of specimens. Likewise, the Medicine Bow National Forest will fund work on the Thunder Basin National Grassland and vicinity (1,500 mi^ over parts of Campbell, Crook, Niobrara, and Weston Counties in northeastern Wyoming). Recipients must compete suc- cessfully for a teaching assistantship in the Department of Botany. Other inventories planned include the western Rio Grande and adjacent San Juan National Forest; BLM lands - Montrose District; southeastern Colorado (Comanche National Grasslands and vicinity); Buffalo Gap National Grassland in South Dakota; and the eastern slope of the Wind River Range in Wyoming. Current projects include the southern Gunnison National Forest, Upper Arkansas Drainage to Gore Range (San Isabel White River National Forests), Routt National Forest, Canyon Lakes Ranger District, and Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado; Payette—^ National Forest in Idaho; Umatilla National Forest in Oregon; and the Laramie Basin/Eastem Plains and Bighorn Basin in Wyoming. The Rocky Moimtain Herbarium has completed 36 intensive inven- tories in Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utali, Washington, and Wyoming over die past two decades, with the goal of producing a critical flora of the Rocky Mountain region. The areas smdied range from 1300 mi^ (extremely mountainous) to 7.000 mi^ (plains and basins); numbered vouchers average from 9.000 to 12,000, with a record of 20,585 from south-central Colorado. Emphasis has been on documenting species of conserv a- tion concern, invasives, and vascular plants, in general. Associated data are stored in a Microsoft Access database (370,000+ records) for use with GIS in predictive modeling, ground tmthing of remote- ly sensed areas, managing species of conservation concern, docu- menting invasives and noxious weeds, etc. For more information, see “The Rocky Mountain Herbarium, Associated Floristic Inventory, and the Hora of the Rocky Mountain Project” in Volume 28 of the Journal of the Idaho Academy of Sciences (Hartman, 1992); a 1996 update, the RAi Newsletter - Millennium Edition ', and other information on the program, checkhsts of Colorado and Wyoming vascular plants, and the Adas of die Vascular Plants of Wycaning at http://www.rmh.uwyo.edu. See also die Department of Botany website at http://www,uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/botany/. For details, contact Dr. Hartman at Rocky Mountain Herbarium Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming'’^?^ 82071-3165; rhartman@uwyo.edu; (307) 766-2236; FAX (307) 766- 2851. Deadline fca: Graduate Apphcadons is 15 February 2002. Vol. 25 No. 6 Aquilegia Page 5 CHAPTER NEWS ■V' Boulder Chapter Monthly meetings are held October through April. NEW FOR THIS FALL, the Chapter will meet at 7:00 pm on the second Thursday of each month at the Open Space and Mountain Parks offices at 66 S. Cherry vale Rd. From the intersection of South Boulder Road and Cherryvale, travel south on Cherryvale about 100 yards, and follow the lane West back to the offices. Meetings will be held in the north building conference room. For more infor- mation, please contact Chapter President Kathy Damas at (303) 543-1492. October 11, 2001 7:00 pm A Photographic Journey of Big Bend through Time and Space Join local botanists /photographers Bill Jennings and Carolyn Crawford on a photographic tour of Big Bend National Park, Texas. Over the last 20 years Bill an^ Carolyn have visited the park around the seasons, from the Rio Grande to the top of .be Chisos Mountains at 7500 feet. This ^'^uomises to be a floristic feast for tlie eyes! November 15, 2001 7:00 pm Endangered Fish and Threatened Orchids: A Dinosaur NM Dilemma Dinosaur National Monument Botanist Tamara Naumann has been monitoring efforts td improve rare species habitat, some of wliich conflict with one another. Manipulation of water levels of the Green River as it flows through the canyons of the Monument to improve habitat for four endangered fish species may be compro- mising habitat of the threatened IJte ladies ’ -tresses orchid (Spiranthes diluvi - alis). Tamara will discuss the balancing of multiple issues required in this complex and interesting management puzzle. December 13, 2001 7:00 pm Nebraska Sandhills, Sea of Grass The Sandhills cover one-fourth of the state of Nebraska and is the largest remaining expanse of mixed-grass and tallgrass prairie in North America. Stephen Jones, Boulder teacher, naturalist, environmental ^^^onsultant, and writer, will talk about why this largely privately owned area is becom- ing more natural as time goes by. Mixing in images and sounds that Steve has September 25, 2001 7:00 pm recorded over the years, he will focus on The World of Wildland Fires, Unique plant communities, wildlife, and Prescribed Burns, and Fire Ecology land use issues. The 2000 wildfire season was one of the biggest on record. Justin Dombrowski Fort Collins Chapter 0«ldland Hre Management Ofacer, City . 1 - AT of Boulder Fire Department) will help US Meetings are held at 7:00 pm in the Mam , , , x- ^ , , , i- VT 1 ct j understand what firefighters go through, Conlerence Room ol the National Seed , - , , , , , , « T u T /xTcoT X * ^OTT 'Tu osks thcy take, and why they do it. Storage Laboratory (NSSL) at CSU. The ^ .toot • 1 * j f .u I j Firefighters have become fire managers, as NSSL IS located just west ol the railroad , A it- j A j ^ ^ , , , . r TV t • Ifiey undertake lorest and grassland man- tracks, about one block north ol Pitkin - . ® „ . / * . j r u ij- X agement using prescnbed burning, lorest Street (enter on west side ol building). ‘7 . , , . . , ^ . , , ■ . j 1 1 r thimung, and other techmques to benefit Members are invited to join the speaker lor . ® i 7 /■ j. ^ ^ * 1 . • native vegetation, reduce the seventy ol dinner at Coopersmiths m Old Town, Fort , , , ■ T- ^ 11 - orT • . .u . T- wildfires, and help reduce the impacts ol Collms at 5:30 PM pnor to the meetmg. For . , , . j . ^ ^ mountain pme beetle and other distur- more mlormation, contact mtenm Chapter , , n j * A A T il wrvrrix banccs- Management also involves work- PresidentAnnette Miller at (970) 495-3240. . , mg w ith planners, homeowners, and devel- November 6, 2001 7:00 pm opers to help reduce threats to tliose who ATour of Rare Plants of El Paso County live in the wildland urban/interface. Dave Anderson (Botanist, Colorado ^ ^ XT 1 u X 11 u j October 30, 2001 7:00 pm Natural Hentage Program) will be dis- ^ ^ . ^ 1 * ri-in r- What Ever Happened to the Three Little cussing the rare plants of El Paso County. ^ Pigs? The use of botany m forensic December 4, 2001 7:00 pm investigation Purple Loosestrife in Colorado NecroSearch International is a non-profit David Weber (Noxious Weed specializing in the search of clandestine Coordinator, Colorado Division of gmvesites and evidence, involving many Wildlife) will dehver a presentation dis- disciplines. For example, recognizing and cussing purple loosestrife in Colorado, identifying the activities of wild and with some specific information about the domestic animals may help interpret a weed in Larimer County. crime scene and recover evidence. Vickey Trammell (Biology, .Arapahoe Community February 5, 2002 7:00 pm College) will speak about how she became A Photographic Journey of Big Bend a member of NecroSearch; her experiences through Time and Space assisting law enforcement in recovering Join local botanists/photographers Bill clandestine graves and finding victims; and Jennings and Carolyn Crawford on a ^ knowledge of plants can assist and photographic tour of Big Bend National present the stories of real cases, generally Park, Texas. Over the last 20 years Bill and speaking Carolyn have visited the park around the seasons, from the Rio Grande to the top of December 4, 2001 7:00 pm the Chisos Mountains at 7500 feet. This Hybridization? Are You Loco? promises to be a floristic feast for the eyes! Dr. Shanna Carney (Biology, Colorado State University) will recount the early MOtrO-DonVOr Ch3pt©r stages of her research project on the ,, . ■ ,, „ ^ Colorado locoweeds, Oxytropis sericea Monflrly meetings arched at 7.00 PM from ^ lambertu. Shanna will focus on September through Apnl m the Moinson isolation, the conditions that Center at the Denver Botamc Garden. For r u u ^ j i, ^ r lavor hybndization, and how aspects ol more information, contact Chapter the likeli- PresidentDemsel^son at (303) 733-1338 and direction of hybridization. or Leo P. Bruederle at lbruederle®’earth- ^ ^ i . u c — Expect some great photographs of locoweed, as well as a few pollinators! Page 6 Januaiy 29, 2002 7:00 pm Flora of the Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert is one of our most diverse ecosystems. Of the four major North American desert systems, the Sonoran rarely experiences freezing tem- peratures. As such, many plants of more soutliem latitudes make tlieir northernmost appearance in tliis desert. James Riser (Biology, University of Colorado at Den\ er) will present a slideshow depicting several of the six subdivisions of tlie Sonoran Desert, and will discuss adapta- tions to aridity and periodic rainfall. Comparisons with otlier North American deserts will also be made. This talk should provide a colorful respite from winter, and mav even tempt you to visit warmer climes in the spring. February 26, 2002 7:00 pm A Photographic Journey of Big Bend through Time and Space Join local botanists /photographers Bill Jennings and Carolyn Crawford on a photographic tour of Big Bend National Park, Texas. Over the last 20 years Bill and Carolyn have visited the park around the seasons, from the Rio Grande to the top of the Chisos Mountains at 7500 feet. This promises to be a floristic feast for the eyes! March 26, 2002 7:00 pm Penland Alpine Fen Mustard: To be or not to be Penland alpine fen mustard {Eutrema pen - landii) is a globally rare species restricted to Colorado’s Mosquito Range. Its closest relative is the circumboreal £■. edwardsii. In 1987, W.A, Weber subsiuned E. penlandii into its North American congener, publish- ing the name E. edwatdsii ssp. penlandii. Since then, there has been considerable interest and debate among taxonomists and conserv ation biologists regarding the sys- tematic relationship between the two taxa. Marr Fund recipient Kim Fayette Regier (Biology, University of Colorado at Denver) will present the results of her researeh — including some surprises — tliat reveal the two to be distinct. April 30, 2002 7:00 pm Floristic Survey of the Upper Arkansas Valley and Lower Gore Range Intense floristic inventories have been the focal point of the Rocky Moimtain Herbarium (RMH) at the University of Wyoming since the 1970’s. Marr Fund Aquilegia recipient Emily Holt (Botany, Thiiversity of Wyoming) will discuss her Master’s research, wliich comprised a floristic sur- vey of the Sawatch Range (including tlie Collegiate Peaks and the highest Peak in Colorado, Mount Elbert), the eastern Mosquito Range, the southern Gore Range, and a portion of the Eagle Valle} between Vml and Dotsero. lire total area covers approximately 3,000 square miles and includes seventeen of Colorado’s 54 peaks over 14,000 feet. Her research uncovered new and previously document- ed populations of over 30 of Colorado’s rare plants! METRO-DENVER CHAPTER HOLDS WEED PULL Denise Larson, CoNPS On June 2, 2001, nine members of the Metro-Denver Chapter of CoNPS spent a beautiful morning weeding City property along Cherry Creek. This small section of the Creek, part of the City of Denver Nahiral Areas, contains a remnant of native sandy grasslands. Native species found included needle-and-threadgrass (Stipa comata), blue grama {Bouteloua gracilis), three-awn {Aristida purpurea), spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis), }T.icca {Yucca glauca), and prickly pear cactus {Opuntia polyacantha). A large number of noxious and obnoxious weeds also occur in the area, including cheat- grass (Bromus tectorum), Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus), and jointed goat- grass (Aegilops cylindrica). By the end of the morning, several trash bags filled with these weeds were removed, tliereby giv- ing the native plants some breathing room. We also removed diffuse knapweed {Centaurea diffusa) from a nearby site. Plateau Chapter Chapter activities are scheduled through- out the year. For more information, contact Chapter President Jeanne Wenger at (970) 256-9227 and Bluecrow2u@aol.com or Program Chair Lori Brummer at (970) 641-3561 and lbrmiimer@gunnison com. November 10, 2001 10:00 am Fall Planning Meeting and Slide Show Join us for our annual fall planning meet- ing and potluck. We will have our planning Vol. 25 No. 6 meeting, then lunch, followed by photos and slides. We will meet at tlie Forest Service office in Delta, Colorado at lOiOt' AM. Bring ideas for field trips, activities and workshops for the year, plus lunch dishes and photos to share. If you have any questions or ideas for field trips, but can’t attend tlie meeting, contact Lori Brummer via e-mail at Ibrummer® gmmison. com or by phone at (970) 641-3561, Southeast Chapter For more information about the newly formed Soutlieast Chapter, as well as news and activities, please contact Chapter President Dan Fosha at (719) 572-6972 or danfosha@aol.com. September 25, 2001 7:00 pm Techniques of Identification: How to use a key The Southeast Chapter will meet at Beidleman Nature Center at 740 W. Caramillo St., in Colorado Springs for a presentation by George Cameron, Botany Instructor at Pikes Peak Community College. George will provide tips on how to identify plants using a key. We will focus on the new edition of Coloraa^^ Flora: Eastern Slope. For more informa- tion, please contact Chapter President Dan Fosha at (719) 572-6972 or by e-mail at danfosha@aol.com Southwest Chapter For more information about the Southwest Chapter, as well as news and activities, please contact Chapter President Sandy Friedley at (970) 884-9245 or by e-mail at friedley@frontier.net. DEADLINE APPROACHES Submit AquHegia Cpntributions on or before October 1 5, 2001 Submit contributions for Vol. 25 No. 7 of Aquilegia on or before October 15, 2001. Articles not exceeding 1000 words are especially welcome Previously published articles submitted for reprinting require permission. Include author’s name, address, and affiliation; anonymity may be requested. Follow the format from previ- ous issues closely. Spell check. Submit vi^^ e-mail or on disks — MAC, preferably — as an MS Word or rtf (rich text format) document. Aquilegia Page 7 Vol. 25 No. 6 Colorado Native Plant Society The Colorado Native Plant Society is a non- profit organization dedicated to the apprecia- tion and conservation of the Colorado native flora. Membership is open to all with an inter- est 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, work- shops, and other activities through local chap- ters and statew'ide. Contact the Society, a chap- ter representative, or committee chair for more information. Schedule of Membership Fees Life $250 Supporting .$50 Organization or Corporate $30 ’^amily or Dual $20 Individual $15 Student or Senior $8 Membership Renewal/Information Please direct all membership applications, renewals, and address changes to the Eric Lane (Chair of Membership), Colorado Native Plant Society, PO. Box 200, Fort Collins, CO 80522; Please direct all other inquiries regarding the Society to the Secretary at the same address. Aquilegia is published four or more times per 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. Articles for Aquilegia may be used by other native plant societies or non-profit groups, if fully cited to author and attributed to Aquilegia. Articles not exceeding 2000 words in length and shorter items fewer than 500 words in length, such as unusual information about a plant, are especially welcome. Previously pub- lished articles submitted for reprinting require permission. Camera-ready line art or other illustrations are also solicited. Please include author’s name and address, although anonymi- ty may be requested. Articles submitted via e- mail or on disks (MAC preferably, or IBM) are appreciated. Please indicate w’ord processing software and version; if possible, submit as an RTF (rich text format) file. Please direct all contributions to the newsletter to: Leo R Bruederle Biology, Campus Box 171 University of Colorado at Denver P.O. Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217-3364 E-Mail: lbruederle@earthlink.net Officers President Jill Handwerk . . 970-491-5857 Vice-President . . . David Anderson . 970-484-0774 Secretary ....... Alice Guthrie. . . 303-651-3127 Treasurer Georgia Doyle . . 970-491-6477 Board of Directors Jill Handwerk (01) . . Fort Collins. . 970-491-5857 Bill Jennings (01) . . . Louisville . . . 303-666-8348 Andy Kratz (01) Lakewood . . . 303-914-8291 Pat Roegsma (01). . . Strasburg. . . . 303-622-9439 Eric Lane (01) Lakewood . . . 303-239-4182 David Anderson (02) Fort Collins . . 970-484-0774 Gay Austin (02) .... Gunnison. . . . 970-641-6264 Kathy Darrow (02) . . Crested Butte. 970-349-0743 Gwen Kittel (02). . . . Boulder 303-258-0908 Laurel Potts (02). . . . Fort Collins. . 970-484-4076 Neil Snow' (02) Greeley ..... 970-330-4823 Chapter Presidents Boulder Kathy Damas. . . . 303-543-1492 Fort Collins .... Annette Miller ... 970-495-3240 Metro-Denver. . . Denise Larson . . . 3{B-733-4338 Plateau Jeanne Wenger. . . 970-256-9227 Southeast Dan Fosha 719-572-6972 Southwest Sandy Friedley. . . 970-884-9245 Standing Committees and Chairs Conservation . . . Joe Rocchio ..... 720-494-0876 Education and . . Jill Handw'erk. . . . 970-491-5857 Outreach ..... and Alice Guthrie. 303-651-3127 Field Studies . . . Neil Snow' 970-330-4823 Field Trips Gwen Kittel 303-258-0908 Finance Denise Culver . . . 970-225-1930 and Georgia Doyle 970-491-6477 Horticulture and. Kathy Damas .... 3(13-543-1492 Restoration . . . and Lisa Tasker . . 970-544-3633 Membership. . . . Eric Lane 303-239-4182 Newsletter ..... Leo P. Bruederle. . 303-556-3419 Sales Rick Brune. ..... 303-238-5078 and Velma Richards303-794-5432 Rare Plant ..... Eleanor Monograph . . . Von Bargen .... 303-756-1400 Research Grants. Neil Snow' ...... 970-330-4823 Website Bob Clarke . 970-242-6067 Workshop: East . Bill Jennings .... 303-666-8348 West Gay Austin 970-641-6264 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND RENEWAL FORM Name(s) MEMBERSHIP CLASS: Dues cover one calendar year. Address ^ Individual, $15.00 Family/ dual, $20.00 (Address) . . Senior, $8.00 Student, $8.00 City , State Zip . Corporate, $30.00 Supporting, $50.00 Phone ( ) E-mail Lifetime, $250.00 Chapter: . Boulder . Fort Collins Metro Denver Plateau . Southeast Southwest In addition to my membership, I have included $ as a contribution to the John Marr Fund (endowment in support of small grants-in-aid of research), $_____ as a contribution to he Myma P. Steinkamp Memorial Fund (endowment in support of small grants-in-aid of research), or $ as a general contribution to the Society. CoNPS IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION - D UES AND CONTRIB UTIONS ARE TAX-DED UCTIBLE CALENDAR Plateau Chapter CHAPTER EVENTS Boulder Chapter October 11 A Photographic Journey of Big Bend through Time and Space November 15 Endangered Fish and Threatened Orchids: A Dinosaur NM Dilemma December 13 Nebraska Sandhills, Sea of Grass Fort Collins Chapter November 6 A Tour of Rare Plants of El Paso County December 4 Purple Loosestrife in Colorado February 5 A Photographic Journey of Big Bend through Time and Space Metro Denver Chapter September 25 The World of Wildland Fires, Prescribed Burns, and Fire Ecology October 30 What Ever Happened to the Three Little Pigs? Botany in forensic investigation December 4 Hybridization? Are You Loco? January 29 Flora of the Sonoran Desert Colorado Native Plant Society P.O.Box 200 Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 http://www.conps.org November 10 Fall Planning Meeting and Slide Show ^ Southeast Chapter Septemba'25 Techniques of Identification: How to use a key SOCIETY EVENTS Board Meeting September 28 Fort Collins, CO (CaU CoNPS for details.) Annual Meeting Sept 28-30 Holiday Inn University Park Fort Collins, CO WORKSHOPS November 10, 11 Milkweeds of Colorado First session: Saturday Second session : Sunday December 8, 9 Problem Weeds of the Front Range Urban Corridor First session: Saturday Second session: Sunday Place Stamp Here TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL