Aquilegia

Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society

. . dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora”

Volume 31 Number 1 Spring 2007

Rare Plant, Rare Fly?

Ronald Abbott

After more than a decade’s wait, the identity of a principal pro-
tagonist in the life history of a rare Colorado alpine plant has
finally been revealed.

Saussurea weberi Hulten (Asteraceae) is one of a suite of rare
calciphilic alpine plants found in Colorado in association with the
Leadville and Manitou dolomites and dolomitic limestones.
CoNPS members have had the opportunity to observe S. weberi
on past field trips to Hoosier Ridge (1994) and Horseshoe Cirque
(1992).

As early as the 1980’s, botanists had noted a high rate of preda-
tion within inflorescences of S. weberi by maggots of a then-
unknown species of fly (Peterson et. al. 1981). During one study
of the pollination biology of the plant at Horseshoe Cirque in the
1990’s, 70% of fruit and seeds was found to have been destroyed
in that population while still in the flowering head (Abbott, 1998).
Such a high rate of pre-dispersal predation raised fears at that time
that the rate of sexual reproduction within populations of S.
weberi might become so depressed as to jeopardize population
continuance. While quantitative measurement of the phenomenon
has not been made at Horseshoe Cirque since 1994, maggot pre-
dation of fruit and seeds seems to have fallen dramatically there
the last three growing seasons (...perhaps because of natural fly
population fluctuation?).

As an adjunct to the previously mentioned pollination study, 121
maggots were collected from inflorescences of S. weberi for rear-
ing to adulthood (Abbott, 2002). The resulting five adult male and
seven adult female specimens were submitted in 1996 to the pre-
eminent Canadian dipterist Dr. Graham C. D. Griffiths (now pro-
fessor emeritus) at University of Alberta, Edmonton. Dr. Griffiths
(pers. com.) immediately identified the fly as belonging to genus
Botanophila in Anthomyiidae, a family closely allied to house and
stable flies (Muscidae). This determination was something of a

Denver Botanic Gardens Discount Membership

Contact Denver Chapter President Naomi Nigro for details
and coupon.

surprise, as a fruit fly (Tephritidae) was considered a more likely
candidate at first.

In the mid 1990’s Dr. Griffiths began a revision of Anthomyi-
idae, and by late 2004 had finally proceeded to Botanophila and
the Horseshoe Cirque specimens. After inspecting some 15,000
Canadian specimens of the genus, and basing identification large-
ly upon male terminalia morphology. Dr. Griffiths (pers. comm.)
determined the fly predator of Saussurea weberi to be Botanophi-
la furcula (Huckett), a species based upon a single male specimen
collected by H.C. Huckett near Baker Lake, Nunavut, Canada,
some 1800 miles distant from Colorado. In his characteristically
reserved manner. Dr. Griffiths depicts B. furcula as “apparently
little-collected” - an understatement, as the Horseshoe Cirque
specimens, purposely reared in captivity, represent the only other
known specimens in the world. While he cautions that he has yet
to view thousands of U.S. anthomyiid specimens as part of his
revision of the family, he believes his determination will remain
valid, although understanding of the rarity and geographic distrib-
ution of the fly may change. Dr. Griffiths will be publishing his
findings on B. furcula as part of the continuation of his revision
Flies of the Nearctic Region: Anthomyiidae, in 2006 or later.

The long-coming identification of Botanophila furcula as the fly
predator of Saussurea weberi raises tantalizing questions about
both fly and plant. For instance, insect larvae often exibit taxon-
specific food requirements. How narrow are the food reqirements
of maggots of B. furculal Do maggots prey exclusively upon the
fruit and seeds of S. weberil (Such specificity would suggest a
“Rare Plant... ” continues on page 2

Contents

Year in Review 2

Biography: Parry 3

Conservation Corner 4

Book Reviews 5

New Membership and Donations 6

Marr Grant Recipient Article 7-8

Announcements 9-10

About the Society 11

Calendar 12

Aquilegia

Vol. 31 No. 1.

Page 2

“Rare Plant ...” continued from page 1
long-standing, tightly co-evolved relationship between fly and plant.)
If exclusive, is S. weberi then also found around Baker Lake,
Nunavut? Or do maggots feed upon fruit and seeds of any Saussurea
species, even upon other Asteraeeae as well? (A distribution map in
Hulten (1968) suggests that S. angustifolia may be found in the region
of Baker Lake.) What precisely is the impact of B.furcula maggot pre-
dation upon the population dynamics of S. weberi in Colorado, and
throughout its geographic range; and conversely, how does the rare
alpine calciphile affect the population dynamics of the fly? Is prey
swamping of fly maggot predators one of the driving forces of the
almost flawless biennial fluctuation in flowering shoot production in
S. weberi at Horseshoe Cirque? Perhaps an ambitious young graduate
student or other researcher will someday pursue answers to these and
other such queries.

One fully expects to discover ecological relationships between rare
species within the riotous biodiversity of the tropical rainforest. The
predatory association between Botanophila furcula and Saussurea
weberi, however, may illustrate that relationships between rare
species might also be found within the sparing biodiversity of the Col-
orado alpine.

References:

Abbott, Jr., R.E. 1998. Aspects of the pollination biology of a rare alpine cal-
ciphile, Saussurea weberi Hulten (Asteraeeae). Greeley, CO: University of
Northern Colorado, pp 1-61.

Abbott, R.E. 2002. A successful method for maturing phytophagus alpine
flies (Diptera: An thorny iidae). Entomological News. 113(2):141-3.

Hulten, E. 1968. Elora of Alaska and neighboring territories - a manual of
the vascular plants. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, p 936.

Peterson, J.S.; Harmon, W.; Kennison, J.C. 1981. Unpublished status report
on Saussurea weberi Hulten to the Colorado Natural Areas Program. 1313
Sherman street. Room 618, Denver, CO, 80203.

Saussurea weberi

WEBER SAUSSUREA

Long plumose pappus bristles

Disk flowers purple,
ray flowers absent

Involucre 8-10 mm
high, purplish with
long white hairs

Upper leaves
sessile, lower
peiioled

III. by ianel Wingace

Ring in the New, The Year in Review

Leo Bruederle

During the past year, CoNPS has witnessed several extremely
dedicated members handing over their societal responsibilities to
enthusiastic volunteers who are in the process of moving the Soci-
ety in new directions, while building upon our considerable
strengths and past successes. Herein, I would like to acknowledge
the contributions of some of these individuals.

Just as incoming Treasurer Denise Culver and longtime Vice
President Dave Anderson were helping to negotiate the exciting
purchase of new dissecting microscopes for CoNPS workshops,
Dave handed over his executive responsibilities to Alice Guthrie,
who will now oversee Society awards, elections, and planning the
annual meeting. And just as Alice stepped in as Vice President, the
baton was handed to Kim Regier who is our new Editor of Aquile-
gia. It is our goal to move Aquilegia in a new direction, from
newsletter to magazine format. This is only possible due to the
efforts of A1 Schneider, webmaster extraordinaire, who has built a
website that is timely, informative, and attractive.

In order to accommodate Kim in her new position as Editor,
the Board recently split the position of Secretary, in which Kim
has ably served for several years, into two executive positions:
Corresponding Secretary and Recording Secretary. Eortunately,
Kim has agreed to continue in her role as Corresponding Secre-
tary, answering correspondence and communicating to the
board and membership. Denise Wilson is not only stepping into
the new executive position of Recording Secretary, but is also
co-chairing Sales along with Mary Ellen Eord. Denise and May
Ellen are stepping into the hard-to-fill shoes of former Sales
Chair April Wasson. In a short period of time, the Sales Com-
mittee has streamlined the stock, emphasizing books showcas-
ing Colorado natives, while Sue Kamal has been working with
A1 Schneider to facilitate the process whereby members and
other visitors to our website can purchase books and other mer-
chandise through Amazon.com, thereby providing an addition-
al source of revenue to the Society.

More recently, the Southeast Chapter set a new standard with the
Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the Rare Plant Technical
Committee Symposium on the CU Colorado Springs Campus. This
effort, spearheaded by Eiz Klein, was undoubtedly one of the most
well attended meetings in CoNPS history. Others — too many to
mention — have contributed their time and efforts to advance the
mission of the Society. Many thanks to all of our past and present
Board members, executive officers, committee chairs, and chapter
presidents (see page 11).

When I eagerly agreed to lead the Society, I did so with an eye
toward further solidifying support for the benefits of membership
— informative workshops, diverse field trips, discounted book
sales, grants-in-aid-of-research, and an exciting annual meeting —
while increasing membership, a goal the Society set for itself sever-
al years ago following strategic planning. Unfortunately, while the
population of Colorado soars, our rolls have not. In fact, they have
declined. As such, I would like to challenge each of you to identify
one new member and encourage them to join the Society in 2007.
Or give a gift of membership. Heaven knows there are budding
young botanists, dedicated biology teachers, and 'wildflower
enthusiasts who would enjoy the many benefits of membership in
the Society.

Vol. 31 No. 1

Who's In That Name?

Biographies of Coiorado Botanists

Al Scheider

Charles Christopher Parry
Primula parryi, Lomatium parryi, Oreochrysum parryi, Pedicu-
laris parryi, Pneumonanthe parryi, Trifolium parryi. Campanula
parryi. Arnica parryi

Charles Christopher Parry, 1823-1890, was a highly respected
and loved doctor, explorer, and naturalist; the first botanist in the
United States Department of Agriculture (1869-1871); and an
acclaimed botanical collector and taxonomist in the mid-west,
Colorado, and many other western states for forty-eight years.
Parry collected not only for his own pleasure and the advance-
ment of science but also to encourage horticulture and the settling
of the new lands he had explored.

Parry was born in England, came to the United States in 1832,
earned a medical degree at Columbia, and practiced medicine in
Davenport, Iowa, where he had moved with his family in 1846.
His love of plants and travel led him just a few years later to join
the Mexican Boundary Survey as both surgeon and botanist and
for the rest of his life. Parry avidly botanized in the West. He died
in Davenport, where he had maintained a home with his first wife,
Sarah, who died in child birth after five years of marriage, and
with his second wife, Emily, from 1859 until his death in 1890.

Parry was at the forefront of 19th century botany and main-
tained relationships with many great botanists: In 1845 at college.
Parry studied under John Torrey, the foremost American botanist
of his time. In 1848 Parry spent time with George Engelmann
learning the botanical trade. (Engelmann was an eminent doctor,
botanist, and teacher, and the founding botanist of the Missouri
Botanical Garden). In 1870 in England he met Sir Joseph Dalton
Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (It was
Hooker who in 1878 called Parry, "King of Colorado Botany".) In
1872 he led Asa Gray (John Torrey 's student and the second giant
of 19th century American botany) to the top of Gray's Peak to for-
malize the name Parry had given it.

Parry's joy in botanical collecting actually began in the Daven-
port area soon after he arrived there; but it was in 1861 that he
found his foremost love: the alpine flora of Colorado. He devoted
all of the summer of 1861 to collecting in Colorado, amassing a
collection of over 417 species. In the summer of 1862 he led east-
ern farmers and sometimes collectors, Elihu Hall and J. P. Har-
bour, on a Colorado collecting expedition which gathered ten sets
of over 700 species. This remains, according to William Weber,
"the largest [collection ever] made in Colorado in a single sea-
son". Asa Gray, who described the collection, said, "[it] is full,
excellent, and of great interest".

Parry was "the first resident Colorado botanist" (Weber's
words). On and off for twenty years Parry collected voraciously
from his summer cabin at the base of Gray and Torrey's peaks,
which he named - along with many other peaks, including Mount
Eva Peak (for his wife). Mount Engelmann, James Peak, Mount
Guyot, Mount Elora, and Parry's Peak. Weber says, "Through the
distribution of his botanical collections he introduced the Col-
orado flora to the world".

As was true of many in his time. Parry was a believer in Mani-

Page 3

fest Destiny. He wanted his discoveries to be put to practical use
in the continuing westward expansion. He wanted his discoveries
of the beauties of Colorado to entice others to come to Colorado
and "build a mountain empire". Many other explorers (for exam-
ple, John Eremont), politicians (for example. Senator Thomas
Hart Benton — whose daughter married Eremont), and ordinary
American citizens unwaveringly accepted the doctrine of Mani-
fest Destiny. To further this doctrine. Parry wrote of his travels
and discoveries not only in scientific publications but even more
often in newspapers and popular magazines.

Parry's personal collection of over 18,000 specimens came from
numerous trips: early and later years in the north-central U.S.,
many years in California, railroad surveys, Utah and Wyoming
expeditions, trips along the U.S. -Mexican border, and, of course,
numerous trips collecting in Colorado. His collection is now
housed in the Ada Hayden Herbarium at Iowa State University
which also houses his papers.

See http://www.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/manuscripts/MS290.html

Parry collected over 30,000 specimens during his lifetime; he
authored numerous articles, and he provided important material
for Watson, Brewer, and Gray's Botany of California, the first
such scientific botanical endeavor for that state. In Colorado,
Parry collected about one hundred species new to science. Seven-
teen of these species are shown on the Colorado Native Plant
Society web page, www.conps.org/botanical_slide_shows.html .
Dozens of species outside of Colorado and seventy-six species in
Colorado were named for the King.

Information in this article comes from numerous on-line sources
and William Weber's King of Colorado Botany, Charles Christo-
pher Parry. A special thank you to Dr. Weber for reviewing this
article.

Aquilegia

Page 4

CONSERVATION CORNER
Dudley Bluffs Bladderpod
Lesquerella congests

Sarada Krishnan

The Dudley Bluffs Bladderpod, Lesquerella congesta, belonging
to the mustard family (Brassicaceae) is endemic to the Piceance
Basin in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. This species was listed as
threatened under the Endangered Species Act on February 6, 1990
(Federal Register 55 F.R. 4152). They inhabit barren, white, oil
shale outcrops of the Eocene Green River and Uinta Formations at
elevations of 6,000 - 7,000 feet. A global ranking of G1 and state
ranking of S 1 (both critically imperiled) has been attributed to this
species by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP).

Lesquerella congesta is an herbaceous perennial with bright yel-
low flowers that bloom in April and May in a dense cluster. The
plants are typically 1 - 3 cm across forming a small cushion and
are hard to see. The cushion growth habit is an adaptation to
exposed, erosive badland soils. A very long, thin taproot supports
a single tight crown. The leaves are spatulate and hairy. Semi-
spherical fruits form in late May or June.

The populations of this species are naturally limited to small
existing areas of suitable habitat and only five known occurrences
are reported in the USFWS 1993 Recovery Plan for this species,
all of them within a 16 km range. Major threats include surface
disturbances, mining and potential development in their natural
range. This species' pattern of rarity (locally abundant on small
areas of specialized habitat) makes them vulnerable particularly to
surface disturbances.

In the Recovery Plan, the recommended actions for the recovery
of this species are:

1 . Inventory any remaining potential habitat.

2. Establish formal land management designations to main
tain and protect existing populations on public land.

3. Protect sites on private land with land exchanges and/or
conservation easements.

4. Conduct life history/ecology research and soil analysis.

5. Monitor trend of existing populations with permanent
plots.

As part of these recommendations, two sites have been designat-
ed as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) by the
Bureau of Eand Management (BEM) and two populations are
being monitored by the Colorado Natural Areas Program (CNAP)
and the BEM since 1996. These populations occur at Duck Creek
Area of Critical Environmental Concern owned by the BEM and
registered as a State Natural Area by CNAP. Designation of ACEC
means that the BEM develop habitat management plan, which
provides priority management for Lesquerella congesta.

To determine if populations are increasing or decreasing over a
ten-year period, the two populations were sampled in 1996, 1998,
1999, 2000, 2002, and 2006. Sampling was done within 520 sq.
meter and 750 sq. meter macroplots for population 1 and popula-
tion 2 respectively. The macroplots were subdivided into quadrats
of 1.0 sq. meter and 0.5 sq. meter for population 1 and population
2 respectively. Volunteers from Colorado Native Plant Society
(CoNPS) helped with recording population data in May 2006.

Initial findings of this study indicate a trend towards declining
populations. At this time the causes of this decline is not conclu-

Vol. 31 No. 1.

sive. Researchers involved in this study recommend continued
sampling of each population for at least another five more years
to get more conclusive data on the threats to this species. They
recommend adding additional populations in each management
area to make comparisons between management prescriptions.
One of the populations is located near a 2-track road and the rec-
ommendation is to set up a macroplot in this location to monitor
the effects on plant density in the road. Future research needs
include understanding this species reproductive biology and ecol-
ogy, habitat requirements for all life stages and population
dynamics.

Continued monitoring of this species will be very important in
determining if the decline in populations from 2002 to 2006 were
due mainly to climatic conditions or due to other factors. Partici-
pation by CoNPS volunteers will be vital in helping CNAP and
BEM monitor this rare, native, endemic species.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Brian Kurzel and Marcia Rick-
ey of Colorado Natural Areas Program for providing information
on the population monitoring project.

Aquilegia

Vol. 31 No. 1

Gardening with Altitude:
Cultivating a New Western
Style

Jan Loechell Turner

The staff of the Denver Botanic Gardens
(DBG) is to be commended for this fine
book, each chapter written by a different
horticulturist, featuring gardens that each
one created or designed. This is not a "how
to" gardening book, but is the story of the
recent years at the DBG and the evolution
of a western high plains garden style. In
the introduction, homage is paid to George
Kelly and his classic book, Rocky Moun-
tain Horticulture. Gardening with Altitude
is a different kind of book, a collection of
essays, in contrast to Kelly's hefty book
that lists plants and where they are suited
to grow, with cultural information about
the plants.

In the 1980's, there were abundant
peonies and roses at DBG and the structure
seemed somewhat linear and formal. It
reminded me of gardens in the Chicago
area. Although beginning to work on its
regional identity, DBG hadn't fully devel-
oped it. Things have changed! In recent
yeai's, DBG has incorporated native plants
and drought-tolerant plants from other
regions and has developed many new and
innovative gardens. These gardens are cel-
ebrated in Gai'dening with Altitude: Culti-
vating a New Western Style.

Panayoti Kelaides has written the first
chapter, giving an overview of the evolu-
tion of the different gardens and styles at
DBG, highlighting their triumphs and the
successful introduction of a number of
regionally adapted plants into the local or
national gardening scene. "Going Native in
the Gardens", the chapter by Dan Johnson,
is an informative, well written discussion
of native plants in DBG. Other chapters
include a discussion of the tundra gardens
at Mt. Goliath and at the Gardens by Mark
Fusco, a chapter featuring the water gar-
dens by Joe Tomocik, "Gardens under
Glass" (the tropical conservatory) by Nick
Snakenberg, and "Versailles on the Platte"
(Centennial Gardens) by Margaret Foder-
aro and Panayoti Kalaides. The book ends
with a chapter by Tom Grant and Anna
Sher, "The Public Garden as Science,"
which deals with the role of the botanic
garden and the importance of research,
public education, and ecological restora-

Aquilegia

BOOK REVIEWS

tion. The book was edited by Holly
Shrewsbury the Public Relations Manager
of the Gardens. Photographs are by Scott
Dressel-Maitin.

For more information on drought-toler-
ant plants appropriate for the Denver area
or other areas of Colorado, the following
books are useful:

Native Plants for the High Elevation
Western Gardens by Janice Busco and
Nancy Morin serves as a guide to perenni-
als and some shrubs, native to the region,
that are appropriate for gardens in the Den-
ver area. Although the book is from the
Flagstaff (Arizona) Arboretum, you will
recognize many of our local native plants
in this excellent book.

Xeriscape Garden Guide, produced by
the Denver Water Board, features a plant
on each page with de.scriptions, photos, art
work, and cultural information.

The Xeriscape Flower Gardener and
Waterwise Landscaping with Trees,
Shrubs, & Vines, both by Jim Knopf, con-
tain a wealth of information about appro-
priate plants for this region and also have
some photographs of yards that incorpo-
rate native and xeric plants in attractive
ways.

Xeriscape Colorado by Connie Ellefson
and David Winger is filled with landscap-
ing ideas for Colorado homeowners.

Wild at Heart

Jan Loechell Turner

Huggins, Jan is Lindsey. Wild at Heart: A
Natural History Guide Dedicated to Snow-
mass, Aspen, and the Maroon Bells. Pub-
lished by The Town of Snowmass Village,
CO, 2004.

Thoroughly researched. Wild at Heart is
an encyclopedic natural history guide to
the Snowmass area. It is obvious that the
author spent countless hours researching
this impressive guide. She drew on the
expertise of numerous scientists including
Ron Haitman, John Emerick, and William
Weber. Hartman served as one of the tech-
nical editors of the book. Nearly 500 pages
long, the book, filled with color photos,
includes sections on trails, geology, ecolo-
gy, plants, birds, and mammals.

Many little treasures are contained in the
book such as a list of trails detailing plants
and birds that may be encountered there, a
map of elk seasonal ranges, photos of
mountains in the area with their names and

Page 5

elevations, a plant community map, and
little side boxes containing fascinating
information (for example, "How old are
they" which gives maximum tree ages,
such as Rocky Mountain juniper -1,889
years, Gambel oak- 401 years). In this
book, you will learn the identity of the only
native North American animal that has
ever been domesticated (turkey). Also
included is a discussion of the threat of
noxious weeds and a weed list for Pitkin
County.

Huggins emphasizes plant family charac-
teristics. Plants are arranged by family,
with descriptions of plant family traits fol-
lowed by entries on species in that family.
Preceding this is a gaUery of plant thumb-
nail photos arranged by color. Rather than
giving the species name, the family and
page number are given below each plant
photo. Following the photo gallery, is a
key to plant families. Within families,
plants are arranged by a common name
(usually taken from the Flora of North
America). The scientific name for each
plant is from Ron Hartman's Checklist of
the Vascular Plants of Colorado
(www.rmh.uwyo.edu). These may be fol-
lowed, in brackets, by alternative scientific
names from Weber & Wittmann's Catalog
of the Colorado Flora. Plant entries include
color photographs, lifezone/ecosystem,
flowering dates, fruit types, and descrip-
tive information to supplement the photo-
graph, folklore, uses, and recent research.
Non-natives are indicated by an asterisk or
a special symbol for plants on the Pitkin
County weed list.

Following the arrangement in The Sibley
Guide to Bird Life and Behavior, the bird
section includes habitat and feeding, field
identification traits, and breeding and nest-
ing information as well as a photograph of
each bird. Another section of the book is
on the mammals of the area. Appendices
include endnotes, an illustrated glossary,
references, and lists of conservation and
research organizations and selected web-
sites.

Huggins moved to the Aspen/Snowmass
area in 1970. She has worked as a free-
lance botanist/naturalist in the Snowmass
area and has degrees in natural science and
clinical herbal therapy. She has produced
an excellent guide that will be of value to
anyone interested in the natural history of
the Snowmass area.

Page 6

Aquilegia

Tales from the Field

John Giordenango

I once knew a lonely field worker who, while studying willows
on horseback in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming, came across
an outfitter camp that was thoroughly destroyed by a bear(s).
Dead silence followed his trembling "hello there?", though given
the state of the camp he would have been thoroughly surprised to
hear any reply. The bear fence was torn through like gauze in front
of a semi truck. Shredded food bags, broken coolers, and dirty
pots littered the shrubbery surrounding the campsite.

Although the red hairs standing up on the back of his freckled
neck cautioned him to leave the scene promptly and find help, he
instead dismounted to investigate the incident on foot. Fortunate-
ly, he was accompanied by his trusty sidearm. As soon as he got
within 10 feet of the rotten- smelling tent. . .

TO BE CONTINUED

Welcome to "Tales from
the Field", where CoNPS
members are encouraged
to share their most unbe-
lievable tales from their
field days. The hilarious
and astonishing stories that
I continue to hear from
long-time field workers, or
just unlucky novices, never
cease to amaze and enter-
tain me. My philosophy is
"no good story should go
untold, no matter how out-
landish or embellished it
may be". So, help sustain
the lighter side of Aquilegia and send your funny, gruesome,
unbelievable, embellished, terrifying-but-hilarious-in-hindsight,
or otherwise entertaining tales from the field to John Giordanengo
at john(a)bluemountainl.net. Photos are welcome, but be advised
that the column is limited to 500 words. I look forward to hearing
your tales soon.

2006 Donations

The total donations to the Marr Fund, Steinkamp Fund and Gen-
eral Fund was $807, $2,120, and $1,721, respectively. This made
the grand total $4,648!

We would like to thank all of those who donated to CONPS this
year: Suzanne Wuerthele, Eleanor Von Bargen, Sue Martin, Dina
Clark, Sandy Righter, Charlotte Briber, Donald Parker, Janice
Appelbaum, Vicki Ray, Randall Lentz, Susan Harris, Merle
Moore, Timothy Hogan, Patrick Murphy, Megan Bowes and Billy
Schweiger, Janet Potter, Gay Austin, Elizabeth Hall, Eric Rechel,
Annette and Paul Miller, Sue Kamal, Elizabeth Otto, Joan Sapp,
Ann Young, Beverly Baker, Richard Beidleman, Janet Klemperer,
David and Sandra Buckner, Aqua-Hab, Karen Vail, Kirsten Heck-
mann, Neal Osborn, Cheryl and John Giordanengo, Dick and
Marty Fisher, Rebecca Siegle and Matthew Schweich, Melissa
Landon and Denise Culver, Steven & Kenna Yarbrough, Emily
Hartman, Elaine Hill, Jim Brink, Peter Williams and Tamara Nau-
mann, Ronald Abbott, Moras and Ernie Shubert, Susan Halabrin,
Mike Renth Eamily, Eeo Bruederle, Carol and Jeffrey Dawson,

Vol. 31 No. 1

Ted Beegle, Jean Dietemann, Peter Root, Sue Ellen Alishouse,
Subler Eamily, Janice Eorbes, Edith Davis, Edward Haenlin &
Ann Eitke, Priscilla Spears, J. T. Verbeck, Ed Haas, Eantasy
Orchid, Hazel Tuttle, Jennifer Ramp-Neale, Eee Curtis, Sarada
Krishnan, Denise Larson, Lorraine Seger, D Langdon, John
Bridges, Josh Pollock, Olin Webb, Terence Ryan, Ronald Abbott,
Erica Smith, Randy Tatroe, Priscilla Spears, Western Native Seed,
and Pawnee Buttes Seed. Additionally, there were two anonymous
donors.

New Members

CONPS would like to welcome the following new members:
Eouise Adler, Pat Aiken, Keith and Jean Anderson, Crystal
Andrews, Sheryl & John Atkinson, Karen Baud, Carlton Begeal
and Cindy Trujillo, Eisa Boary, Jeff Carter, Emily Coll, Barbara
Congdon, Terrence H Dunn, Cara Gildar, Joann Hess, Matt John-
son, Cindy Lawrence, Michael Mancusi, Lisa McDonald, Lenore
Mitchell, Donna Norton, Karl Paxton, Phil Phelan, Gail Phillips,
Josh Pollock, Holly Postmus, Gary D Redinger, Carol Roberts,
Lorraine Seger, Barbara Spagnuolo, Dale Swenarton, Dian Tor-
phy, and Ann Wickman.

A Few of My Favorite Things
(Sing to the song of the same name from The
Sound of Music)

Dave Anderson

Salix and Carex and Plagiobothrys
Primula, Pinus, and one Ptilagrostis
Rhus and Claytonia blooming in spring
These are a few of my favorite things

Digital cameras with big macro lenses
Keying out plants with a few of my friends-es
A 16 X loupe on a piece of red string
These are a few of my favorite things

When the tick bites

When the bee stings
When I've lost my hat

I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so

bad!

Weber and Wittmann and Harrington's Manual
Cronquist and Holmgren and E. Potter Daniels
Some of these books are too heavy to bring
But these are a few of my favorite things

Wingate's small brown book and Barkworth's great big one
Coulter and Nelson and Gray's 8th Edition
Rydberg wrote quite a few good offerings
These are a few of my favorite things

When my water
Eeaks all over
And I'm soaked and mad

I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so

bad!

Vol. 31 No. 1

Aquilegia

JOHN MARR FUND RECIPIENT

Page 7

Prairie Dogs and Harvester Ants
as Ecosystem Engineers on the
Coiorado Shortgrass Steppe
Chrissy Alba-Lynn

Colorado State University, Department of Biology

What do black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and
western harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis) have in
common? Cursorily, one might assume "nothing at all": compar-
ing furry, burrowing mammals to centimeter-sized insects (whose
skeletons aren't even located inside their bodies) is like compar-
ing apples to oranges, right? Not if both species act as ecosystem
engineers.

Ecosystem engineers are organisms that, by creating a distur-
bance, alter the resources available to other plants or animals liv-
ing in the same area (Jones et al. 1997). A great example of an
ecosystem engineer is the oft-described "industrious" beaver. By
actively modifying habitat to meet their needs, they alter commu-
nity composition, structure, and function, and they maintain these
changes over time. Similarly, prairie dogs and harvester ants
actively engineer and maintain their dwellings, and in the process
alter certain aspects of the plant and animal community.

Prairie dogs and harvester ants are conspicuous denizens of the
Colorado shortgrass steppe ecosystem. Prairie dog colonies can
be expansive, and the vegetation growing on colonies is often dif-
ferent from the surrounding, uncolonized grassland (Whicker and
Detling 1988). Through their continual grazing, prairie dogs
directly affect vegetation by creating closely cropped "lawns."
Depending on colony age, changes in the plant community
include replacement of mid-height grasses by grazing-tolerant
shortgrasses; greater species richness of flowering dicots (forbs);
and lower grass biomass and diversity. (As a result of these
changes, competition for forage between prairie dogs and cattle
has been the catalyst of much debate.) At the sub-colony scale,
mound-shaped entrances to prairie dog burrows dot the land-
scape, and they are a good example of how disturbances create
patchy (heterogeneous) habitat. During burrow excavation,
prairie dogs churn up soil from deeper horizons. They subse-
quently pack down and maintain this unearthed soil, resulting in
the highly disturbed, often denuded, mounds. Such microhabitat
creates niche variety, which is essential to maintaining diverse
communities over time.

Through casual observation, I
noticed that prairie dog mounds
and harvester ant nests might simi-
larly contribute to habitat hetero-
geneity. Harvester ant nests are typ-
ically composed of a central cone
of pebbly soil surrounded by a dis-
tinct disk of cleared vegetation. The
soil and vegetation of nests are
highly disturbed because ants, like
prairie dogs, excavate underground
living quarters and keep the
entrances to their subterranean
dwellings mostly cleared of vegeta-
tion.

Harvester ants' can indirectly affect vegetation growing beyond
the perimeter of nests because they are seed predators. These gen-
eralist foragers gather many types of seeds from the soil surface
and return them to the nest for immediate consumption or to be
stored in granaries. Seeds are significantly less abundant in heavi-
ly foraged areas surrounding nests, and P. occidentalis can
remove up to 100% of the seed set of preferred species (Crist and
MacMahon 1992). In other ecosystems (e.g., deserts and serpen-
tine grasslands), harvester ant seed removal has been shown to
affect plant community composition (Davidson et al. 1984, Hobbs
1985); however, there is little information available about how P.
occidentalis' seed harvesting affects shortgrass steppe vegetation
at scales beyond their highly disturbed nests.

I measured certain mound and
nest characteristics, as well as
the characteristics of associated
vegetation, to determine whether
these superficially comparable
disturbances indeed similarly
contribute to habitat patchiness.
My research addressed 1)
whether prairie dog colonies
provide suitable habitat for har-
vester ants, 2) how mounds and
nests are dispersed on the land-
scape, 3) whether mounds and
nests are similar habitat in terms
of bare ground and vegetation characteristics, and 4) whether,
beyond mounds and nests, harvester ants alter vegetation at the
sub-colony scale in a manner distinct from prairie dog-induced
changes at the colony scale.

With much- welcomed partial support from the John Marr Fund,
I collected data during the summer of 2005 on the Shortgrass
Steppe Long-Term Ecological Research Site located about 60 km
northeast of Fort Collins. I found several lines of evidence indi-
cating that prairie dog colonies provide suitable habitat for P.
occidentalis, despite possible differences in on-colony versus off-
colony vegetation. Nest densities were the same on and off
colonies (25 nests/hectare on and off colonies; Figure la), sug-
gesting that P. occidentalis populations on the shortgrass steppe
achieve similar sizes in both habitat types. In addition, on-colony
nests were significantly larger in area than off-colony nests (Fig-
ure lb). This size difference might result in part from prairie dog-
induced changes to colony vegetation. Low-growing grazing
lawns maintained by prairie dogs, as well as highly disturbed and
loosened soil on and around mounds, could facilitate ants' clip-
ping of vegetation surrounding their nests. Addtionally, despite all
of the prairie dog activity that occurs on and around mounds, 22%
of harvester ant nests located on colonies directly overlapped
prairie dog mounds. This is rather striking considering that
mounds only covered -1.2% of the study area, and suggests that
harvester ants might preferentially colonize mounds. Newly
mated ant queens look for previously disturbed bare ground in
which to begin excavating new nests (Terranella et al. 1999).

“Prairie dogs and...” continued on page 8

Page 8

Aquilegia

Vol.31 No.1.

“Prairie dogs and ...” continued from page 7

Highly denuded prairie dog mounds could serve as a visual cue,
attracting queens that prefer to excavate disturbed soil.

^ 100
I 80
1 60
.S’ 40

Ui

S 20

“ 0

Mounds Nests On Nests Off

E

■a

Q>

■a

3

c

CD

Q

(0

<

2
1.5
1

0.5

0

Mounds Nests On Nests Off

b a a

I-H

I-H

b

Figure 1 . Sunimai^ statistics of prairie dog mound and harvester ant nest
density and size, (a) Mean number (+ SE) of mounds and nests per
hectare. "Nests on" refers to nests located on colonies; "nests off refers to
nests located off colonies, (b) Mean area (± SE) denuded of vegetation by
individual mounds and nests; mound and nest size is equivalent to the
area denuded of vegetation.

Because prairie dog mounds and harvester ant nests can last on
the order of decades (Carlson and White 1987, Coffin and Lauen-
roth 1990), it is of interest to understand how these long-lasting
microhabitats are dispersed relative to one another. Nearest neigh-
bor analyses (Clark and Evans 1954), which are used to describe
the dispersion of points on a landscape, showed that mounds and
nests occur significantly closer to one another than is expected
based on chance. This highlights the fact that where populations of
prairie dogs and harvester ants co-occur, the spatial attributes of
heterogeneity are altered (versus where each species occurs
singly). This could have implications for many organisms that
exploit bare ground (e.g., ovipositing insects or weedy plants).

Conversely, nests were uniformly dispersed in relation to other
nests (i.e., nests occur farther from other nests than is expected by
chance), a pattern that has been found previously for harvester ant
nests (e.g., Ryti and Case 1986), This overdispersion results in
part from territoriality and intraspecific competition for resources,
most notably seeds. There was no difference in the dispersion pat-
tern of nests located on versus off prairie dog colonies, which indi-
cates that the factors contributing to nest spacing (e,g., resource
competition) did not differ across habitat types.

Ants on colonies remove ~36 m2/ha of vegetation, approaching
30% of the total area denuded by prairie dogs (-118 m2/ha).
Taken together, ants and prairie dogs denuded 153 m2/ha on
colonies (-1.5% of vegetation in the sampled area) versus 26.5
m2/ha (-0.27% of vegetation) denuded by ants off colonies. Ant
nests (both on and off colonies) had significantly less intact vege-
tation than did mounds. Mounds supported greater plant species

richness and diversity than on-colony nests, but not off-colony
nests. Two plants species significantly contributed to the relative-
ly high vegetation cover on mounds; the native perennial forb,
scarlet globemallow, and the exotic perennial forb, Russian this-
tle. The greater cover of Russian thistle on mounds versus nests
(both on and off colonies) suggests that mound disturbances in
particular allow establishment of this weedy exotic, possibly by
releasing it from competition with native perennial grasses. And
although scarlet globemallow is a preferred forage item of prairie
dogs, the plants seem to be relatively tolerant of prairie dog activi-
ty on and near mounds. In some cases, scarlet globemallow forms
near monocultures in areas highly disturbed by prairie dogs. In
general, prairie dogs maintain less meticulously denuded patches
of soil than do ants, and of the three patch types (mounds, and
nests on and off colonies) on-coiony nests support the lowest rich-
ness and diversity of plants.

Beyond the perimeter of mounds and nests, prairie dogs are the
main agent of vegetation change on colonies. Harvester ants' con-
tribution to vegetation heterogeneity was minimal and restricted
to nests, which cover only -1/3 of 1% of the study area. Vegeta-
tion sampled beyond the perimeter of mounds and on-colony
nests was similar in height, cover, richness, and diversity. Thus,
there is no evidence that ants alter vegetation in a manner that is
distinct from the changes brought about by prairie dogs, except
where ants are clipping nest vegetation. In contrast, there were
several differences in vegetation sampled on versus off colonies,
which supports the findings of previous researchers that prairie
dog grazing induces changes in the plant community. The data
gathered in tliis study show that prairie dogs create heterogeneity
at both the colony (via grazing) and sub-colony scales (via
mound-building), while harvester ants' contribute additional het-
erogeneity at the nest scale.

Literature Cited

Carlson, D.C., and E.M. White. 1987. Effects of prairie dogs on mound
soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 5 1:389-393.

Clark, P.J., and F.C. Evans. 1954. Distance to nearest neighbor as a
measure of spatial relationships in populations. Ecology 35:45-453.

Coffin, D.P., and W.K. Lauenroth. 1990. Vegetation associated with
nest sites of western harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Cres-
son) in a semiarid grassland. American Midland Naturalist 123:226-235.

Crist, TO., and J.A. MacMahon. 1992. Harvester ant foraging and
shrub-steppe seeds: Interaction of seed resources and seed use. Ecology
73:1768-1779.

Davidson, D.W., Inouye, R.S., Brown, J.H. 1984. Granivory in a desert
ecosystem: Experimental evidence for indirect facilitation of ants by
rodents. Ecology 65:1780-1786.

Hobbs, R.J. 1985. Harvester ant foraging and plant species distiibution
in annual grassland. Oecologia 67:5 19-523.

Jones, C.G., Lawton, J.H., and M. Shackak. 1997. Positive and negative
effects of organisms as physical ecosystem engineers. Ecology 78:1946-
1956.

Rogers, L.E. 1974. Foraging activity of the western harvester ant in the
shortgrass plains ecosystem. Environmental Entomology 3:420-424.

Ryti, R.T., and T.J. Case. 1986. Overdispersion of ant colonies: A test of
hypotheses. Oecologia 69:446-453.

Terranella, A.C.. Ganz, L., and J.J. Ebersole. 1999. Western harvester
ants prefer nests sites near roads and trails. The Southwestern Naturalist
44:382-383.

Whicker, A.D. and J.K. Detling. 1988. Ecological consequences of
prairie dog disturbances. BioScience 38:778-785.

Vol. 31 No. 1

Aquilegia

Page 9.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

www.conps.org Wild Buckwheat Conservation Fund

The newest addition to the Colorado Native Plant Society web
site is "Colorado Botanical News". Check this web page for daily
news about endangered species, recent botanical research, federal
and state botanical actions, conferences, jobs, botanical garden
happenings, books.... You will also find links to dozens of web
sites for more botanical news. On the CoNPS web site you can also
keep in touch with chapter and Society activities. Workshops and
chapter programs are listed on-line now and 2007 field trips will
soon be posted. Browse through the new slide shows on the
Botrychiums and Orchids of Colorado. Send your suggestions for
the website to webmaster(a)conps.org

CONPS Plant Lists

Colorado Native Plant Society members often keep lists of plants
observed on the Society field trips; these lists are now available on
the Society's web site at http://www.conps.org/plant_lists.html.
The lists are in easily printed PDF format. Scroll through the list to
find the plant list you are interested in and then click on the number
in either the family or genus column to obtain the plant list alpha-
betized by family or by genus . We hope you use the list to learn
about and enjoy the plants of Colorado. Please email additions to
these plant lists and your new plant lists to Loraine Yeatts
(lyeattsl(a)earthlink.net) or send the lists to her by regular mail:
1395 Nile Street, Golden, Colorado 80401.

Aquilegia y\a Email

Aquilegia is available via email as an Adobe document. File size
is typically 2-3 MB and fast internet connections are needed to
download or view it. Send your email address to Eric Lane,
eric .lane(a)ag.state.co.us.

Save the Date for CONPS 2007 Annual Meeting!

When: Weekend of September 7th to 9th

Where: University of Colorado, Boulder Campus

What: Botany Goes Buggy in Boulder: Plants and Insects!

The Boulder Chapter is pleased to host the 2007 Annual Meeting to
explore the interactions between plants and insects. The schedule
will follow the traditional format with warm-up events on Friday
evening, speakers on Saturday, and field trips on Sunday. Come get
BUGGY with BOTANY in BOULDER!

Sarada Krishnan

The clay-loving wild buckwheat (Eriogonum pelinophilum) is a
rare wildflower endemic to the adobe hills of western Colorado
growing in less than 500 acres in Montrose and Delta counties.
The buckwheat has been protected under the Endangered Species
Act since 1984, but threats to this species continue to grow due to
increased urban development and recreational use, leading to
habitat destruction.

The Center for Native Ecosystems has partnered with the Col-
orado Natural Areas Program, The Nature Conservancy, Colorado
Natural Heritage Program, Eriends of Colorado Natural Areas and
Colorado Native Plant Society to protect wild buckwheat habitat
by purchasing a private land parcel that is currently for sale. This
property is home to one of the largest surviving clay-loving wild
buckwheat populations in the world.

CoNPS had initially committed to the conservation of this
species by matching funds donated by CoNPS members 2 to 1 up
to a total of $5,000. This has now been increased to $10,000 made
possible by a generous donor to be applied to the CoNPS match.
Thanks to many CoNPS members who have generously con-
tributed to this fund. If you have not already done so, please send
your check immediately and help us meet the challenge of raising
$5,000 for conservation of one of our native plants and its habitat!

More information and contribution form are available at the
CoNPS website under Botanical News:

http://www.conps.org/pdf/Botanical%20News/Eriogonum%20Pe

linophilum%20Pund%20CoNPS_contrib%20form.pdf

Society Awards

The Board of Directors of the Colorado Native Plant Society
desires to honor contributions to Colorado botany and the Society
with the following types of awards. Nominations may be made at
the chapter or state level and submitted to Vice President Alice
Guthrie .

Recognition Gifts: non-members who provide
a one-time service to the society.

Certificate of Appreciation: members and non-
members who provide occasional services to the
society.

Certificate of Merit, members who have made
a significant contribution to the Society in a
short period of time (less than five years).

Special Merit Award: non-members for short-
term contributions to Colorado botany and/or
significant contributions to the SocietyN goals.

Honorary Lifetime Membership: CONPS
member for long-term, high quality service to
the Society (over ten years).

Lifetime Achievement Award: members and
non-members for long-term (30+ years) contri-
butions to Colorado botany.

Vol. 31 No. 1

Aquilegia

Page 10

FIELD TRIPS
Fairview Natural Area
May 5, 2007

Leader: Amanda Clement, BLM

Fairview Natural Area is located between
Montrose and Delta, adjoining the Wacker
property. Eriogonum pelinophilum will not
be blooming but many other plants will.
We will meet at the old City Market in
Montrose located South of Main on
Townsend at 10 AM. Bring lunch, sun-
screen, bug repelent etc. Easy to moderate
hike of 2-3 miles at low elevation. Contact
Jeanne at 970-256-9227 or emali STWE-
ANDJAW@ACSOL.NET. Or call Aman-
da at work 970-240-5306.

Glade Reservoir Plant Survey
May 19 and August 18, 2007
Leaders: Denise Culver
and Mark Easter

Rare Plant Survey and Species List in the
proposed areas for the Glade Reservoir
project. We will be looking for Bell's twin-
pod {Physaria bellii), Colorado butterfly
plant (Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloran-
doensis) and Ute ladies' tresses {Spiranthes
diluvialis) north of Ted's Place and the
Environmental Learning Center. For more
information on the Glade Reservoir project
see www.savethepoudre.org. If interested
in the field trip contact Denise Culver
Denise.Culver@colostate.edu or (970)
491-2998.

NE Colorado Sandhills & Sandstone
Bluffs Flora
June 19, 2007
Leader: Bruce Bosley

This field trip will be conducted in the
wide open spaces of eastern Yuma County,
so there will be an overnight option. This
summer will likely be a fantastic wild-
flower show based on the snows (and
accompanying moisture). Carpooling will
be arranged from Ft. Collins. For more
infomration contact Denise Culver (970-
491-2998) or Bruce Bosley (970-842-2120
or Bruce.Bosley@colostate.edu).

More fieldtrips will be listed in the next
issue of Aquilegia.

WORKSHOPS

Most workshops are hill or nearly full so if you Trees and Shrubs of Colorado

are hoping to register for any of the following,
please check our website to see the status of the
workshops. You can also call or email Mary
EUen to verify that there is space available. For
those who need to cancel at the last minute, we
appreciate your $20 contribution to CONPS and
ask that you call or email Mary Ellen (303-449-
7334 or Fordmaryel@aol.com) so she has the
opportunity to fill your spot. The registration
form is available from the website link and prior
newsletter issues.

Potentillas of Colorado
February 10-11 2007

This workshop is FULL.

Euphorbiaceae in Colorado
March 17-18 2007

This workshop is FULL.

Vegetation Zones and Rare Plants of
the Colorado Front Range
Leader: Steve Popovich
Location: Arapaho-Roosevelt N.F.
Office, Ft. Collins
First Session: April 21, 2007
Second Session: April 22, 2007
Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Back by popular demand, Steve
Popovich, Botanist for the Arapaho-Roo-
sevelt National Forests and Pawnee
National Grassland has agreed to lead this
workshop again. Participants will learn
why and how plant life changes as we go
from the prairie to the peaks. Through pho-
tos and discussion, Steve will introduce
you to the basic plant communities found
in the major life zones of the Front Range,
from the shortgrass prairie to the montane
forest, subalpine forest and alpine tundra.
Learn about floristically important places
like Mt. Evans. Steve will also discuss spe-
cialized plant communities that harbor
some of Colorado's rarest plants and will
review the "new species" discovered in the
mountains west of Denver and Boulder!
Class finishes with an optional short field
trip on a bike path to see a rare plant in
early rosette in Fort
Collins open space.

May 19, 2007
Leader: Jack L. Carter
Location: Colorado College, Co. Sprgs.
Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Using the recently revised and expanded edi-
tion of Jack Carter’s Trees & Shrubs of Col-
orado, participants will learn to identify many of
the nearly 300 woody species in Colorado. From
the book’s wonderful illustrations, color pho-
tographs, clear keys, and helpful descriptions,
attendees will be provided an opportunity to put
their identification skills to work with plant mate-
rial on hand at the workshop. Please Note: The
Second Session, May 20, 2007 is FULL.

How to Identify Wildflowers
An Introductory Workshop
February 10, 2007
Time: 9am-1pm

Leaders: Al Schneider and Dick
Moseley

Location: San Juan Public Lands
Center, Durango

Are you a wildflower lover who gets frus-
trated year after year at not being able to
identify (or remember!) the gorgeous
plants you see each summer? Come to a
wildflower workshop presented by the
Colorado Native Plant Society and spon-
sored by the San Juan Mountains Associa-
tion and Durango Nature Studies. Learn
different methods to use in identifying
plants, how to use a number of different
plant keys, and characteristics of major
plant families.

Cost: $25 ($20 for members of the Col-
orado Native Plant Society, San Juan
Mountains Association, Durango Nature
Studies, or Forest Service) (The fee
includes a year membership in the Col-
orado Native Plant Society for new mem-
bers.) Make check to SJMA, indicate that it
is for the Wildflower Workshop, include
your phone number and email address, and
send your check to:

SJMA

P.O. Box 2261, Durango, Colorado 81302
Attention: Gabrielle Morey, Wildflower
Workshop

For more information see
http://www.conps.org/southwest.html , or
call or email Al: (970-882-4647) webmas-
ter@conps.org

Vol. 31 No. 1

Aquilegia

Page 11

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 statewide. 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

Family or Dual $20

Individual $15

Student or Senior $8

Membership Renewal/Information

Please direct all membership applications,
renewals and address changes to 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

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 from 500 to 1500 words in length,
such as unusual information about a plant, are
welcome. Previously published articles sub-
mitted for reprinting require permission. Digi-
tal photographs or line drawings are also
solicited. Please include author’s name and
address, although anonymity may be request-
ed. Articles must be submitted electronically.

Please direct all contributions to the newsletter to:

Kim Regier

E-Mail: kimberly.regier@cudenver.edu

Officers

President Leo Bruederle. . . 303-556-3419

Vice-President . . . Alice Guthrie .... 3036513127
Corresponding

Secretary Kim Regier 303-556-8309

Recording

Secretary Denise Wilson . . 303-642-0510

Treasurer Denise Culver . . 970-686-7428

Board of Directors

Dick Fisher (07) .... Steamboat Springs

970-276-4448

John Proctor (07). . . . Walden 970-723-8204

Boyce Drummond (08) Fort Collins. . . 970-690-7455

Denise Wilson (08) . . Golden 303-642-0510

Steve Yarbrough (08) Wheatridge . . 303-233-6345

Leo Bruederle (09) . . Denver 303-556-3419

John Giordanengo (09)Golden 303-996-2760

Sarada Krishnan (09) Denver 303-465-4274

Jan Turner (09) Golden 303-458-4262

Laurel Potts (09) .... Gypsum .... 970-524-3377

Chapter Presidents

Boulder Deby Stabler 303-902-4679

Northern CO. . . . Denise Culver. . . . 970-686-7428
Metro-Denver. . . Naomi Nigro .... 303-366-6033

Plateau Jeanne Wenger . . . 970-256-9227

Southeast vacant

Southwest A1 Schneider .... 970-882-4647

Standing Committees and Chairs

Conservation . . . Sarada Krishnan . . 303-465-4274
Education and

Outreach Megan Bowes . . . 303-561-4883

Endowment .... Vacant

Field Studies . . . John Proctor 970-723-8204

Field Trips Steve Yarbrough . . 303-233-6345

Finance Denise Culver . . . 970-686-7428

Horticulture and. Laurel Potts 970-328-8633

Restoration. . . . Lisa Tasker 970-948-4857

Media Boyce Drummond 970-690-7455

Membership. . . . Eric Lane 303-239-4182

Rare Plant Eleanor Von Bargen

Monograph 303-756-1400

Research Grants . Jan Turner 303-458-4262

Sales Denise Wilson. . . . 303-642-0510

Workshop Mary Ellen Lord . . 303-449-7334

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND RENEWAL FORM

Name(s) MEMBERSHIP CLASS:

Dues cover a 12-month period.

Address Individual, $15.00

Eamily/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 (Circle one): Boulder Northern CO Metro Denver Plateau Southeast Southwest

In addition to my membership, I have included $ as a contribution to the John Marr Eund

(endowment in support of small grants-in-aid of research), $ as a contribution to the

Myrna P. Steinkamp Memorial Eund (endowment in support of small grants-in-aid of research), or
$ as a general contribution to the Society.

CONPS IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION — DUES AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE

CALENDAR 2006 - 2007

CHAPTER EVENTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS

Boulder Chapter

February 10

Golden, CO

February 8

Local Tallgrass Prairies

April 14

Golden, CO

March 8

To be announced

SOCIETY WORKSHOPS

Metro-Denver Chapter

February lO&ll

Potentillas of Colorado

February 27

Development of Conservation Planning Tools

February 10

How to Identify Wildflowers

March 27

To be announced

March 17 & 18

Euphorbiaceae in Colorado

April 24

To be announced

Ft. Collins Chapter

April 21 & 22

Vegetation Zones and Rare Plants of the Eront
Range

May 19 & 20

Trees and Shrubs of Colorado

February 7

CNAP and Eriogonum pelinophilum

March 8

Rare Plants, Plant Communities, and Birds of
Soapstone Ranch

SOCIETY FIELDTRIPS

April 11

Ecology of Blue Grama - CO’s State Grass

May 5

Eairview Natural Area

May 19

Glade Reservoir

June 19

NE CO Sandhills and Sandstone Bluffs

August 18

Glade Reservoir

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