Aquilegia Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Soeiety . dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora '' 2007/2008 WORKSHOPS The Colorado Native Plant Society workshops are designed for plant enthusiasts of all levels, from novice to expert. During these sessions there is usually plenty of time for learning and fun! Choose either session I or 11, as they are more or less the same. Plan on learning, discussing, socializing, eating and more learn- ing. Registration Information ^"^Registration is mail-in only and requires payment at the time of registration. The fee for attending a workshop is $20/session for members only. Nonmembers must join CONPS in order to be able to register for a workshop. The registration fee is non-refundable. Participation is often limited and registration is processed in the order received. If the workshop has already been filled, you will be notified, your check will not be deposited, and you will be added to the waiting list if that is what you desire. To register, please mail your check payable to CONPS for $20 per workshop along with the following information: title and date of the workshop(s) you would like to attend, your name, address, telephone number, and email address. Registration can only be processed with all of this information. Please use the registration order form provided in the newsletter and on our website. Regis- tration applications will not be accepted until September 17, 2007. Mail to; Mary Ellen Ford, 2133 13th Street, Boulder, CO 80302 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 he opportunity to fill your spot. Future Workshop Planning So many of our members are very knowledgeable and could pro- vide wonderful learning experiences for other members wishing to expand their plant horizons. Please consider leading a CONPS workshop in the 2008-2009 season. Contact Mary Ellen Ford if you are interested (Fordmaryel@aol.com or 303-449-7334). Microscope Fund Our purchase of new microscopes for CONPS workshops was successful, with Keith Anderson facilitating our purchase. We col- lected approximately 25% of the total purchase price during the 2006-2007 workshop season and hope to continue to do so each year until the microscopes are fully paid. You can contribute directly to the Microscope Fund by mailing contributions made payable to CONPS to Mary Ellen Ford (2133 13th Street, Boulder, CO 80302). Additionally, $8 of the $20 registration fee for the workshops goes directly to the Microscope Fund. “Workshops” continues on page 2 Contents Workshops 1-3 Chapter Programs 4&7 Who’s in the Name? 5 Conservation Corner 6 Article 9-11 Book Reviews 8&12-13 Announcements 14 About the Society 15 Calendar 16 Volume 3 1 Number 5 Fall 2007 2007/2008 WORKSHOPS,co,,n.^„..„. „ POTENTILLAS OF COLORADO Leader: Rich Scully Location; Foothills Nature Center, Boulder First Session; Saturday, October 13, 2007 Second Session: Sunday, October 14, 2007 Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All of the Potentilla species that are native or naturalized in Col- orado will be covered. Tips will be provided on which species are most commonly confused, and how best to separate them. An annotated key listing all of the distinguishing characteristics will be provided. Photographs of the distinguishing characteristics, from macroscopic to microscopic, will be shown. Pressed speci- mens will be available to practice your identification skills. Par- ticipants are encouraged to bring pressed or live examples of their own troublesome specimens for the group to work on. This workshop was provided in the 2006-2007 workshop season and filled immediately after it was announced. We are offering it again to provide everyone with another opportunity to benefit from Rich’s amazing knowledge of Potentilla. Potentilla plattensis William & Wilma Follette @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. 1 992. Western wetland flora: Field office guide to plant species. West Region, Sacramento, CA. TOUR OF FLOWERING PLANTS Leader: Priscilla Spears Location: Foothills Nature Center, Boulder First Session: Saturday, November 10, 2007 Second Session: Sunday, November 11, 2007 Time: 9 a.m. to noon Participants will be provided with an overview of plant families and evolutionary relationships using the modern system of angiosperm classification. This classification system is based on the work of a group of scientists organized as the Angiosperm Phytogeny Group. It considers relationships among plants in light of molecular, morphological, and other scientific evidence. Using her book, A Tour of the Flowering Plants, Dr. Spears will mak this classification system accessible to all participants. PLANTS OF THE FOUR CORNERS: CANYON DE CHELLY AND MESA VERDE Leader; Jan and Charlie Turner Location: Foothills Nature Center, Boulder First Session; Saturday, December 1, 2007 Second Session: Sunday, December 2, 2007 Time: 9 a.m. to 1 1 a.m. Escape to the warm and sunny Four Corners region for the morn- ing. Come enjoy a slide presentation on the plants of Canyon de Chelly and Mesa Verde. Learn about the parks and the plants that grow there. Forget about the cold and think sun! Jan and Charlie Turner are the authors/ photographers of Wildflowers of Canyon de Chelly and Wildflowers of Mesa Verde. INTRODUCTION TO ASTERACEAE WITH EMPHASIS ON THE SUNFLOWER TRIBE (HELIANTHEAE) Leader; David Buckner Location: Foothills Nature Center, Boulder First Session: Saturday, January 12, 2008 Second Session: Sunday, January 13, 2008 Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This basic introduction to the sunflower family will explain and illustrate nomenclature and structures. The emphasis will be to help participants past the initial family confusion and to become more familiar with this ubiquitous group of plants. Participants will have available mounted specimens for review, as well as col- lected materials for dissection. MINTS OF COLORADO Leader: Rich Scully Location: Foothills Nature Center, Boulder First Session: Saturday, February 9, 2008 Second Session; Sunday, February 10, 2008 Time; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The various genera of mints (Lamiaceae ) that are native or natu- ralized in Colorado will be covered. Photographs will illustrate the plants and their distinguishing characteristics, both large and small. Pressed specimens will be available to examine and sniff. Page 2 AquHegia Voi. 31 No. 5 2007/2008 WORKSHOPS (continued from page 2) PENSTEMONS CAREX Leaders: Andi Wolfe and Carol English Location: UCDHSC Downtown Denver Campus First Session: Saturday, April 12, 2008 Second Session: Sunday, April 13,2008 Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Penstemon, which is restricted in distribution to the new world, comprises approximately 270 species, most of which occur in western North America. The flora of Colorado comprises over 55 species alone, many of which are endemic to the state. Dr. Andi Wolfe (Ohio State University) will lead the Saturday workshop during which she will provide an overview of the beardtongues and discuss the recent break-up of the Scrophulariaceae. On Sun- day, Carol English will lead a workshop covering the more com- monly encountered Front Range Penstemon species. PLANT TERMINOLOGY Leader: Mary Ellen Ford Location: CU Greenhouses, 1380 30th Street, Boulder First Session: Saturday, May 3, 2008 Second Session: Sunday, May 4, 2008 Time: 9 a.m. to noon this workshop participants will gain a working knowledge of the terminology used in plant identification. Using the text, Plant Identification Terminology, by James G. Harris and Melinda Woolf Harris, 2nd edition (2001), and the amazing plant collec- tion at the 30th Street greenhouses, we will learn the terminology by category. The focus will be stems, surfaces, and leaves (particu- larly leaf shapes, leaf bases, leaf apices, leaf division, leaf mar- gins, leaf attachment, leaf arrangement, etc.). Participants will not identify plants - just plant parts! Penstemon cobaea Clarence A. Rechenthin @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database Leaders: Tony Reznicek Location: UCDHSC Downtown Denver Campus First Session: Friday, June 27, 2008 Tentative Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Second Session: Saturday, June 28, 2008 Tentative Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Field Trip: Sunday, June 29, 2008 With nearly 2000 species worldwide, Carex is one of the more complex genera taxonomically. Tony Reznicek, an expert on the genus, has been invited to lead a workshop and accompanying field trip emphasizing sedge identification. Participants will be given the opportunity to develop skills in the identification of sedges through a combination of short presentations and use of keys. Participants are encouraged to bring their own specimens for identification; for those unable to do so, specimens will be provid- ed. Although the field trip requires a separate registration, concur- rent registration for one of the two workshop sessions is required. nfinreir FIEDLTRIP WINTER BOTANY AT BRAINARD LAKE RECREATION AREA January 12, 2008, 1 1 :00 am Leader: Leo P. Bruederle Leo Bruederle will once again attempt to lead a trip emphasizing identification of plants in their winter condition (NOTE: a similar trip was cancelled in 2007 due to low temperatures). Brainard Lake Reereation Area is in the Roosevelt National Forest west of Ward, CO (Boulder County). As such, we will be snowshoeing through subalpine meadows, forests, and woodlands, while identi- fying the prominent shrubs and trees dominating the gently slop- ing landscape. However, we will also take advantage of our under- standing of basic botany to identify weeds and other herbaceous plants using characteristics of their growth form, inflorescence, and fruit. Why put our hand lenses and field keys away in Sep- tember with winter botany still ahead. To register for this field trip co-sponsored by the UCDHSC Department of Biology, please contact Leo at leo.bruederle(@ciidenver.edu or 303-556-3419. Vol. 31 No. 5 Aquilegia Page 3 2007/2008 CHAPTER PROGRAMS BOULDER CHAPTER Boulder Chapter meetings are on the sec- ond Thursday of each month (Autumn to early Spring) at 7 p.m. Meet at the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks offices in the north building conference room, 66 South Cherry vale Road. Contaet Deby Stabler (debystabler@yahoo.com or 303-902-4679) for more information. October 11: Fens and Fen Plants of the Rocky Mountains. .Ioanna Lemly, Wetland Ecologist, Colorado Natural Heritage Pro- gram, Colorado State University. Nestled in subalpine basins and sloping valleys, the Rocky Mountains contain thousands of permanently saturated wet- lands known as fens. These sites are groundwater fed and have water tables so stable that undecomposed organic matter accumulates over thousands of years to form thick lay- ers of organic soil, commonly referred to as peat. The saturated, organic soils of mountain fens sup- port extremely high plant diversity compared to the surrounding forest- ed landscape, including many species considered rare in our region. Come learn about how and where fens form in the Rocky Mountain landscape and which environ- mental factors influence species distribu- tion. There will be a particular focus on rare fen sedges and the wide variety of moss species found in these wet and squishy environments. The presentation will draw on four years of research in fens in Yellowstone National Park, the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, and Boulder County. Take a tour of Roeky Mountain fens, without needing to put on your boots! November 8: Medicines of Colorado Plants. Paul Bergner, Medical Herbalist, Clinical Nutritionist, and Director of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism Paul Bergner will talk about various Col- orado medicinal plants. The emphasis will be on plants that are used in contemporary medical herbalism in North America, and the focus will be on plant conservation. Plants to be discussed include Pines, wil- lows and poplars; Prunus, Osha, Baneber- ry, Aralia nudicaulis, Eupatorium niacuia- tum, Pulsatilla patens. Valerian, Oregon grape. Evening primrose, Scullcap, Uva ursi, Pipsissewa, Anemopsis, Arnica, anemopsis, and arnicas. December 13: America's Lost Landscape: The Tallgrass Prairie, FILM This award winning film tells the rich and complex story of one of the most astonish- ing alterations of nature in human history. Prior to Euro-American settlement in the 1 820s, one of the major landscape features of North America was 240 million acres of tallgrass prairie. But between 1830 and 1900 — in the span of a single lifetime — the prairie was steadily transformed to Carex scirpoidea USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. farmland. This drastic change in the land- scape brought about an enormous socir change for Native Americans. In an equally short time their cultural imprint was reduced in essence to a handful of place- names appearing on maps. The extraordi- nary cinematography of prairie remnants, original score and archival images are all delicately interwoven to create a powerful and moving viewing experience about the natural and cultural history of America. Amongst those interviewed are writer Day- ton Duncan, Wes Jackson of The Land Institute, biologist Laura Jackson, linguist Jerome Kills Small, historian Anton Treuer, landscape historian Lance Foster, writer Richard Manning, and Nina Leopold Bailey and Carol Leopold - two of Aldo Leopold's children. January 10: Adapting Native Plants for the Home Garden. Julie Artz, Native Plant Master Appren'^i^ tice. February 14: No meeting March 13: Ten Years of Restoring Boulder’s Wildlands: Volunteers Make it Happen. John Giordanen- go. Projects Director, Wildlands Restoration Volunteers A blend of restoration ecology, steward- ship, partnerships with local agencies, and the future of restoration in the Front Range. April 10: TBA May 8: Native Plant Hike and Picnic “Chapter Program” continued on page 7 Page 4 Aquilegia Voi. 31 No. 5 WHO IN THAT NAME? Augustus Fendler Fendiera rupicola A! Schneider Augustus Fendler's name is well known to Colorado plant lovers; dozens of Col- orado plant species and two genera bear his name. Surprisingly, Fendler collected in' the West for only two years. Fendler began his botanical collecting life with lessons from George Engelmann in St. Louis in 1 844. Fendler then practiced collecting in the St. Louis area for a time and his success encouraged Engelmann to lend him $ 1 00 and to join with Asa Gray in sponsoring Fendler for a collecting expedi- tion in the Southwest. In 1845 Gray arranged for Fendler to travel to Santa Fe in the company of federal troops on their way to the Mexican-American War. In 1846, after botanizing on the way to Santa Fe, Fendler began a year of avid collecting in Santa Fe and quickly became a highly spected collector. Fendler returned to St. Louis after this two year Santa Fe trip and received high praise from Gray for the quality of his col- lection: Fendler was, said Gray, a "quick and keen observer and an admirable collec- tor" (Gray's words in the American Journal of Science and Arts, 1885). Fendler began a second western collecting expedition to the Great Basin in 1 849 but early in the trip west he lost all of his gear, note- books, specimens — everything, in a flood. When he returned to St. Louis he found his posses- sions there had been destroyed in a major fire on the Mississippi River waterfront. Dejected and disgusted, he left the United States for a number of years and never returned to collecting in the Southwest. Thus we know the name Fendler because of just two years that he collected on his trip to Santa Fe. Fendler was not always an avid botanist; his enthusiasm and knowledge of botany began on an 1844 visit to Prussia, the country he had been born in but had left for the United States in 1836. In his 1844 visit he spent time with Ernst Meyer, Professor of Botany at the University at Konigsberg, and learned of the economic possibilities in botanical collecting. In his previous eight years in the United States, Fendler had wandered through various jobs from New York, to Philadelphia, to New Orleans, to St. Louis, to homesteading in Texas, to the life of a hermit on an island in the Missouri (where he was washed out by a flood), to school teaching in Illinois. He was always shy and a loner in the form ofThoreau, but by 1844 he was hungry for a productive and steady job. He found his niche as a botanical collector. The disastrous occurences at the beginning of his second western collecting trip ended his western U.S. collecting, but he remained a traveler and collector for the rest of his life. He spent over four years in Venezuela where he amassed a collection of over 2,600 plants, 223 of which were type specimens. While in Venezuela his "principle companions" were, according to Asa Gray, his thermometer and barometer, and with these he recorded detailed meteo- rological data for the Smithsonian. A I Schneider is CON PS webmaster and has generously taken the time to write our ‘Who ’s in that Name? ' Column. He can be reached at wehmaster@conps.org. Voi. 31 No. 5 Aquilegia Page 5 CONSER VA TION CORNER Oil and Gas Drilling - How Will It Affect Colorado's Flora? by Erin Robertson Whether you live in Erie or Grand Junction, Durango or Trinidad, you probably have experienced oil and gas wells pop- ping up overnight. This drilling frenzy may have real effects on Colorado's flora. But you can help - by conducting or supporting research on the impacts on native plants, by documenting drilling problem areas, or by lending your voice to the call for responsible drilling practices. Just how much drilling is happening in Colorado now? More than in the past, but not nearly as much as is projected. The Col- orado Oil and Gas Commission's website provides weekly reports on drilling activity. As of July 6th, there were 1 17 drill rigs operating in the state and 32,033 active oil and gas wells - over 9,000 more than five years ago. The boom has not peaked yet. Last year, the state approved 5,904 permits for new wells, many of which will not be drilled for years. This represents a 37% increase over the number approved the year before, more than a threefold increase from 2000. The Bureau of Land Management's projections are also enlightening. The management plan for the Piceance Basin, written in 1997, expected that 1,300 new wells would be drilled in that area over 20 years. The BLM has already run up against that limit, and announced last fall that they projected that 13,000 wells would be drilled there - they had been off by an order of magnitude. The BLM has already ratcheted that number up again, and now will plan for 22,000 wells in that Field Office alone. New wells convert habitat. The BLM estimates that an average well pad disturbs four acres and leads to another 12 acres of new roads. These disturbed sites are likely to remain altered for decades. The BLM usually has lower standards for "interim" reclamation than for "final," and the latter is only required after a well is taken out of production. Technology and economics both make formerly marginal wells profitable, so many wells continue to produce for decades. One operator in the Piceance Basin recently commented that they started drilling in 1983 and have not plugged a single well. The BLM also recently indicated that there are no examples of mature, successful oil and gas reclamation in the Piceance Basin yet. Weeds are major cause for concern, especially since effective cheatgrass control options are lacking. Even efforts to avoid weed establishment may have undesirable consequences. Two companies mentioned recently that they are using grass-only seed mixes rather than forbs, which would be killed by broadleaf herbicides anyway. Non-native sterile hybrids are also being used to create a cover crop to compete with the weeds. Reestab- lishment can take sagebrush decades and pinyon-juniper cen- turies, so even if weeds do not infest an area, we may never see it return to what it once was. We are engaging in a major experiment in Colorado now with no accompanying study design. The BLM is mostly preventing the outright destruction of rare plants, but indirect effects from drilling (dust deposition, pollinator disturbance, increased access, changes in hydrology, etc.) are not being monitored. The oil and gas industry is finally coming to terms with effects to sage-grouse now because researchers have been able to docu- ment drilling-related declines. And we need the same kind of rigorous research for plants, if we are to be effective at mitigat- ing impacts to them. Please contact our organization if you are interested in specific research suggestions. You can also help by watchdogging oil and gas activities and/or rare plant sites - the Colorado Natural Areas Program coordinates volunteer stewards who report on conditions in many special places around the state. Or sign up for our action alert email list and send in com- ments calling for the conservation of rare plants in the next BLM plan revision - the Glenwood Springs and Kremmling offices are up next. As of 2004, 4.6 million acres in Colorado were leased to the oil and gas industry, and much of this area consists of the public lands that are supposed to belong to all Coloradoans, including our native plants. Please consider how you might be able to help conserve our natural heritage by promoting responsible drilling. Erin Robertson is the Senior Staff Biologist at the Center for Native Ecosystems. She can be reached at erin @nati veecosys- tems.org Page 6 Aquilegia Vol. 31 No. 5 CHAPTER PROGRAMS (continued from page4) NORTHERN COLORADO CHAPTER rCoiitact Denise Culver (970-491-2998 or dculver@lamar.colostate.edu) for more information. the year. The meetings will be held on Tues- days at 7pm. Contact Vickey Trammell at jrtrambo@aol.com or 303-795-5843 for more information. October 3: Celastraceae and Friends from Madagascar. Dr. Mark Simmons, Curator. Mark will present a general-interest (i.e., little scientific content) 50-minute presenta- tion on his two-month plant collecting trip to Madagascar in December 2006 - January 2007. The talk is divided into eight parts: geological history of Madagascar, human history of Madagascar, Madagascar today, overview of flora and fauna, the capital - Antananarivo, collecting overview, vegeta- tion in regions visited, and conclusions. For those who would like to stay after the ques- tion session, Mark will give a quick tour of just what it means to be stuck in the mud in Madagascar during the rainy season. 7; Fens and Fen Plants of the Rocky Mountains. Joanna Lemly, Wetland Ecolo- gist, Colorado Natural Fleritage Program Colorado State University. See description under Boulder Chapter. METRO-DENVER CHAPTER Megan Bowes and Vickey Trammell have agreed to be co-presidents of the Denver Chapter. Megan will be our contact with the state organization and Vickey will preside over the meetings and take care of things at the local end. Megan works for Boulder Open space and is CONPS chairperson for Education and Outreach. Vickey is retired from Arapahoe Community College biology department (but is still teaching). She is a long time volunteer naturalist at Roxborough State Park and is a forensic botanist. Both Vickey and Megan are lining up speakers for September 25: Dan Johnson, Florticulturist at Denver Botanic Gardens will lead the group through the Gardens to visit the areas where native plants grow. Meet in the War- ing House. October 30: Pam Irwin, author of the Col- orado's Best WildfJower Hikes series will give us an inside look at what went into the creation of such a wonderful series. Waring House. December 11 January 22 February 26 March 25 April 22 May 27 TBA, Gates Hall, DBG. Topic and location TBA Topic and location TBA Topic and location TBA Topic and location TBA Topic and location TBA PLATEAU CHAPTER Contact Jeanne Wenger (970-256-9227 or stweandjaw@acsol.com) or see our website for information on chapter activities. SOUTHWEST CHAPTER Contact A1 Schneider (970-882-4647 or webmaster@conps.org) or see our website for information on chapter activies. Celastrus scandens USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L. and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 2:493. Book Announcement Wildjlowers of Mesa Verde by CoNPS members Jan Loechell Turner and Charles Turner was published in July. Book Two of the Rabbitbrush Wildflower Series, it is a full color guide to some of the most common plants found along the roads and trails of Mesa Verde National Park. A close up and distant photo of each plant allow for easy identification. Descrip- tive, ecological, and ethnobotanical information is included. Each page has a place to enter the date and location where the plant was seen, and the stur- dy spiral binding enables the user to fold the book flat to write notes. The book is available through CoNPS or directly from Rabbitbrush Publishing (www.rabbitbrushpublishing.com). In the spring of 2008, Book Three of the series, Wildjlowers of Red Rocks Park, will be published. Vol. 31 No. 5 Aquilegia Page 7 BOOKREVJEWS by Jan Loechell Turner Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification by Thomas J. Elpel Hops Press, 5th ed., 2006. $25. Founder of the Hollowtop Outdoor Prim- itive School and the 3Rivers Park organiza- tion, author Thomas Elpel has produced a book designed to accelerate the mastery of plant identification and herbology. Elpel uses the patterns method, highlighting key plant family features to enable the reader to more easily identify related plants. There are no color photos in this 8.5 x 1 1" book but, interestingly, it contains black and white illustrations that the author adopted from public domain sources published in the 1800s and early 1900s. Entries consist of a description of distinguishing charac- teristics, medicinal properties, and a num- ber of genera in the family. These are accompanied by line drawings illustrating typical family members. Elpel has created a website (http://www.wildfIowers-and- weeds.com ) containing hundreds of color photos that supplement the book. Botany in a Day is a useful guide for anyone inter- ested in becoming acquainted with the key features of plant families. Wild about Wildflowers; Extreme Botaniz- ing in Crested Butte, Wildflower Capital of Colorado by Katherine, Darrow, 2nd ed. Glendale, AZ: WildKat Publishing, 2006. 224 p. $26.95 pb. First published by Heel and Toe publisher. Fort Collins, CO 1998. In a recent issue of Aqiiilegia (Vol. 31, No. 1), the Colorado Book Award winner, Wild at Heart by Janis Huggins, was reviewed. This month let's go wild again with Wild about Wildflowers, another out- standing book. Both books concentrate on specific areas, Huggins' on the Snowmass area and Darrow's on Crested Butte. They are similar in format, though Huggins' book covers both plants and wildlife, whereas Darrow's book focuses on wild- flowers. Both have keys to families, a color photo album of flowers, and use the scien- tific names from Hartman and Nelson's Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Col- orado (2001) with those from Weber & Wittman's Colorado Flora: Western Slope (2001) noted in parentheses, when differ- ent. They also contain boxes with fascinat- ing ecological and natural history notes. Examples of side box topics covered by Darrow are albino wildflowers, pollinators, nutcrackers, and circumpolar distribution. Wild about Wildflowers begins with background information about Crested Butte, which includes geography, geology, climate, plant communities, and a section on plants and the law. The book ends with a dozen wildflower trails, a color guide to flowers (thumbnails arranged by color and family), references, family key, and index. The main part of the book is comprised of beautiful color photos of the wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees of Crested Butte arranged alphabetically by the scientific name of the family. Entries for the plants consist of the common and scientific names plus descriptive, ecological, and ethnobotanical information. Non-native species are indicated. The book is home to quotations from a variety of authors rang- ing from John Muir to Kahlil Gibran. The format and accessible style of the book are very pleasing. Bring this book along when you attend the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival (http://www.shopcrestedbutte.com/wild- flower) next July. If you get bored, you can flip the pages in the back to create a mov- ing cartoon of a flower being pollinated and going to seed. Katherine Darrow has an M.S. in botany from CSU and has worked as environmen- tal educator and a botanist. A number of photographers contributed their work to the book, which includes almost twice as many photos as the first edition. Jan Loechell Turner works at Regis Uni- versity and is the CONPS Research Grants Committee Chair. Jan is also our source for great book reviews. Page 8 AquHegia Vol. 31 No. 5 Wildflowers of Rabbit Mountain Eagle Wind Trail, Boulder County Open Space Ann Henson As soon as the soil warms in spring, flowers begin to appear on Rabbit Mountain. The "mountain" is the first hogback west from the prairie located near Lyons, CO. It has a mix of prairie, foothills and montane plants. All kinds of flowers come and go dur- ing the season. Only the frost of fall stops the show. In a five year survey from 1999 to 2004, a total of 186 species were observed with 128 seen most years. Fifty one species are seen only occa- sionally, or have been seen only once and so are not listed (data is available on request). During these years, rain- fall in each year (7-14") was below the previous 10 year average of 15.5". In spite of this, the most common species grew and bloomed. Their numbers and height may have been less. But, our native flora has evolved in drought as well as better times. So, the wildflowers of Rabbit Mountain continue to bring us j oy The most common flowering plants on Rabbit Mountain are listed here grouped by color. Within each color, blooms are listed in approximate chronological order. This project wr/.? completed by Ann Henson, 926 Yucca Ct, Longmont CO 80501. Psoralea tenuiflora USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 2: 361 *Co!or: B=Blue, G=Green, O^Orange, PI=Pink, PU^Purple “ Primary bloom time^^^J , I R=Red, W^White, Y=Yellow Occassional bloom time ! Common Name Scientific Name "Rower Color Early' Apr Mid Apr Early May Chiming bells Mertensia lanceolate ■ B Blue flax Adenolinum lewisii B Common stickseed Lappula redowskii B ■ ■ I Skullcap Scutellaria brittonii B Bluemist penstemon Penstemon virens B Western spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis B Scurf pea Psoralidium tenuiflorum B Common harebell Campanula rotundifolia B Bl oomin g ' Mid I July Early Aug ! Mid Aug Early j Sept i I Poa se cunda Anisantha tectorum Rocky mountain bluegrass Poa a gassizensis Smooth brome Bromopsis inermis Annual spurge Tithyma lus spathuiatus Junegrass l«cum off icina le Musineon divaricatum Viola nuttallii __ Carex pensylvanica ssp. h^iophila Lesquerella montana Alyssum parvi^rum _ Nothocalais cuspidata Camelina microcarpa Rhus aromatica ssp. trilobata Corydalis aurea Descurainia sophia Erysimum capitatum _ Pseudocymopterus montanus Coryphantha missouri ensis Lithospermum incisum Ther mopsis divaricarpa jjarbouria trachypleura Sisymbrium altissimum T ragopogon dub[us Drymocallis fissa _ Pinus pondero sa ss p scopujorum |Turritis_glabra Descurainia pinnata | Podospermum laciniatum Linaria genistifolia ssp. daimatica Eriogonum flavum Physalis viriginiana Oxalis dillenii Heterotheca vill^sa Gaillardia a ristata Hymenopappus filifolius var. ci nereus | Amerosedum lanceolatum Calylophus serrulatus Helianthus pun^ilus _ , Ratibida columnifera _ O punt ia ma c rorhiz a/polyacantha Tr a gia ra mosa Verbascum b l attaria Pterogonum alatum Helianthus a nnuus Grindelia squarrosa Solidago specioja var. paHida Ambrosia psilostachya Solidago nana Artemisia ludoviciana Chr ysothamnus nauseosus Artemisia frigida _ Senecio spartioides B rickellia rosmarinifoli a ssp. chlorolepi Winged buckwheat Common sunflower Curlycu p gumweed Showy goidenrod Ragweed Goidenrod White sage Rabbitbrush Fringed sage Butterweed none Broom snakeweed Dandelion Flower Color w w w w w w w Golden banner Whiskbroom parsley Tumble mustard Salsify Leafy potentilla Ponderosa pine Tower mustard Tansy mustard False salsify Dalmation toadflax Sulfur flower Tall groundcherry Yeljow wo od sorrel Golden aster Indian blanketflower Common Name Richardson's geranium Marbieseed Yucca Gunnison sego lily Showy Easter daisy Prickly poppy Porter aster Scientific Name Geranium richardsonii Onosmodium molle ssp. occidentale Yucca glauca Calochortus gunnisonii To wnsendia g randiflora Argemone polyanthemos Aster porteri none Yellow stonecrop Sundrops Bush sunflower Prairie coneflower P rickly pear catcus none Moth mullein Y Y Y-G Gutierrezia sarothrae Vol. 31 No. 5 AquHegia Page 11 by Walter Fertig Growing Native Plants of the Rocky Moun- tain Area. By Robert D. Dorn and Jane L. Dorn. 2007. 252 pages. Book version: $82.94 plus postage, available at www.lulii.com/content/76823 1 . CD-rom version: $7.50 plus postage, available at w-'ww. lulu, com/con tent/78 7924. Perhaps unique among all animals, humans have an innate need to garden. The earliest gardeners (dating back 14,000 years) were driven primarily by a need for food and fiber. Besides cereal grains, some of the earliest edible crops grown by people included showy flowers such as dahlias, sacred lotus, violets, and primros- es. These latter species eventually fell out of favor as new edible species were brought into cultivation, yet they continued to be grown into modern times. Though we may never know if our Neolithic ances- tors had an aesthetic sense, is it so far- fetched to assume that they did not also enjoy the beauty of the crop flowers that they grew? Nearly as ingrained as the need to garden is the desire to grow new and unusual plant species. Since the 15th Century, European explorers and traders have scoured the Earth for previously unknown plants to name, categorize, and introduce into horti- culture. While many introduced species have been beneficial, others have escaped to become serious pests, disrupting natural habitats, displacing vulnerable native plants, and competing with more desirable crop species for space and nutrients. The invasive species crisis has con- tributed to a renewed interest in native plants as an alternative for use in gardens and public landscaping. Natives are increasing in popularity due to their adapt- ability to local soils and climates, and because they usually require less water and less care once established. Gardeners are also increasingly learning that native species are just as attractive as introduced species. With rising demand, natives are becoming more readily available commer- cially. The surge in popularity of native plants is reflected in the growing number of books devoted to native plant cultivation and gar- den design. A new entry into this field is Growing Native Plants of the RocM Moun- tain Area, self-published by Robert and Jane Dorn. The Dorns are no strangers to members of the Wyoming Native Plant Society - Bob is author of Vascular Plants of Wyoming (the state's most current and comprehensive plant identification manu- al), and Jane and Bob have written a guide to Wyoming birds and birding areas. This foray into horticulture may seem like a new direction, but actually the Dorns have been long-time amateur native plant gardeners in eastern Wyoming. Their 30 plus years of experience growing Rocky Mountain native plants, coupled with their intimate Ratibida tagetes USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 3: 475. knowledge of the regional flora, is cap- tured in this new book. Unlike many other native gardening""^ books on the market, Growing Native Plants of the Rocky Mountain Area is geared specifically for the demanding growing conditions of the Rocky Mountain states (defined by the Dorns as all of Mon- tana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Col- orado, the NE corner of Nevada, northern New Mexico, and the western quarter of the Dakotas and Nebraska). Dorn and Dorn have recognized that the convention- al USDA hardiness zone criteria (based on the average lowest winter temperature of an area) are inadequate in predicting how well many native and non-native plants will adjust to the Rocky Mountain climate where temperature extremes (as great as 140 degrees F between summer highs to winter lows) truly dictate which plants will persist. In place of the familiar USDA sys- tem, the Dorns have developed a moix^^. appropriate, ecologically-based system for classifying the nine major plant regions of the Rocky Mountains. Each plant region has a characteristic flora shaped by differ- ences in soils, topography, and the timing and quantity of precipitation. By recogniz- ing the needs of a particular species according to its plant region preferences, the home gardener has a better chance of identifying plants that will be suited for their particular garden. Homeowners can also make better decisions about what spe- cific microsites are best suited for a partic- ular plant (such as warm, south-facing slopes for drought-hardy species), or whether they will need to ameliorate their growing conditions through seasonal irri- gation or soil treatments. For example, New Mexico locust (Robinia “Book Review” continued on page 1 3 Page 12 Aquilegia Vol. 31 No.5. BOOK REVIEW (cont. from page 12) USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database neomexicana), a common flowering shrub from the Southern Mountains Region of south-central Colorado, the Utah High Plateaus, and northern New Mexico, is adapted to the high summer precipitation this region, and thus may not thrive in otherwise similar mountainous areas that lack a monsoon unless supplemental mois- ture is provided. This kind of Rocky Moun- tain-specific gardening information is often lacking in other guides that are geared for more general, widespread audi- ences, or assume everyone has great loamy soil, adequate water, and plenty of frost free days (okay for California maybe, but not perhaps for Laramie, or Rock Springs, or where you actually live). The introductory chapters describe spe- cific environmental factors affecting plant distribution and survival (such as soils, moisture availability, topography, light, temperature, and snow cover), how these factors affect how a garden should be laid out to mimic natural habitats; how to treat weeds; plant pests; and how to attract irds. Scattered among these chapters are seven "principles" that pithily summarize the take-home lessons of gardening with native plants in the Rockies. These princi- ples all seem straight-forward (e.g., princi-- pie 5: "the major enemies of plant seedlings are not enough water, too much water, molds, animal consumers, and com- petition from other plants"), but all provide a succinct summary of the typical errors novice gardeners make when trying to grow new plants. There are books that go into greater detail on all of these topics, but the Dorns have done a nice job of condens- ing these concepts into one easy to com- prehend reference appropriate to our local conditions. Most of Growing Native Plants is devot- ed to a full color section describing over 400 native tree, shrub, grass, and wild- flower species suited for garden use in the Rocky Mountain region. The species accounts include information on which of the nine regions of the Rockies the plant is best suited for, along with a brief descrip- tion of its growth habit and appearance, habitat, cultivation, and means for propa- gation. The photos accompanying the descriptions are of high quality and large size (one of my pet peeves with many hor- ticulture books is how tiny and grainy the photos are) and show just how beautiful our native plants can be. For those who are not swayed by appeals to reduce global homogenization, save water, or reduce demands for fertilizer, the photos alone are perhaps the best promotion for going native. Plant descriptions are arranged alphabeti- cally by scientific name. This may prove a challenge for those who are squeamish about taxonomic names (especially since the nomenclature follows more recent treatments and use some unfamiliar names for asters, ricegrass, and others). Fortu- nately the index is cross-referenced by widely used common names and taxonom- ic synonyms. Besides, if a gardener can learn to recognize "common" names like Chrysanthemum, Forsythia, and Geranium (all Latin genus names too), they can expand their vocabulary with a few more native scientific names! The book con- cludes with several appendices depicting sample precipitation tables, examples of designing plant beds, and tables comparing various attributes of the species deseribed previously. Growing Native Plants of the Rocky Mountain Area is currently available in printed form for conventional bibliophiles, or as a cd-rom using Microsoft Word for the techno-savvy or bargain-hunter, requir- ing Adobe Acrobat to read. Me, I'll stick with the printed version and read it in the eomfort of a hammoek and enjoy the soli- tude of being away from the computer while I'm planning for my native garden- in-progress. Note; For a limited time, individuals inter- ested in purchasing the book version of Growing Natives can do so directly from the Dorns for $50 (postage included) through Mountain West Environmental Services (contact Bob Dorn at lin- glebird(^yahoo.com for details). Thanks to the Wyoming NPS for allowing the re-printing of this article. Vol. 31 No. 5 Aquilegia Page 13 Welcome New Members Thomas Bates Rich Stafford & Meg Bernens Sharon Bokan Kathy Brown Thomas & Anne Butler Susan Carr Sven Ceelen High Plains Environmental Center Gary Conover Jacqueline Dearborn Raymond & Marlene Feldt Rhonda Foley Dwight & Deborah Hall Bruce & Olga Howard Melissa Islam Chad Yost & Carrie Jackson Bob Stallard & Micki Kaplan Tamarisk Drawing: USDA- NRCS PLANTS Database Matthew Lopez Wendy & Steve Osterman Liam Hurlburt & Dana Price Mike & Mona Price Herb & Elaine Probasco Polly Reetz Liz Rodgers D. Jacobe Rogers James Schnelle Jr Donna Searle Melissa Smith Jim & Wilda Swift Chris Trammel & Justine Wilson Stu Wilson Nancy Mead & David Wright Tammy- Whacking Opportunity Book Announcement Weber, W. A., & R. C. Wittnmnn. July. 2007. Btyophytes of Col- orado. Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts. 238 pp., 8 plates. Pilgrims Process, Inc,, Santa Fe, New Mexico. This is the first comprehensive work on Colorado bryophytes, 401 mosses and 106 liverworts and hornworts, compared to 292 (mosses only) reported in Weber (1973), Guide to the Mosses of Colorado. This is the result of a decade of concentrated field and herbarium work, not to mention over 75 years preparatory stud- ies by the senior author and 20 by the junior. Colorado has been a blind spot in the map of North American bryophytes and, while it has no known endemic species, there are a significant number that are disjunct from the Holarctic region. Middle Asia including western China, the Russian Altai, Turkestan, and Central and South America. The book contains an introduction outlining the history of bry- ological collecting, explanation of the scientific names, notes on the people who described the species, keys to the genera and species, citations of significant collections, a glossary, index by specific epithets, bibliography, and an alphabetical catalog with lists of synonyms that have been applied in earlier papers. Since this is a fairly technical book, we now are beginning to refine our electronic Bryophyte Primer to help beginners tc become acquainted with the easily recognizable common species of Colorado. Walk in the footsteps of Kit Carson, Clay Allison, Chief Black Kettle, and Wild Bill Hickock along the old Santa Fe Trail. Pioneer life of the Old West comes alive at the Boggsville National Historic District south of Las Animas, Colorado. Founded ini 862 by Thomas O. Boggs, Boggsville is now preserved as an archeological site by the Pioneer Historical Society. Unfortunately, history is not the only thing alive and well at Boggsville. Tamarisk is a water robbing and habitat threatening invasive species that is especially prevalent along the waterways in south eastern Colorado. In fact. Bent County, where Boggsville is located, has the highest infestation of tamarisk in the state. Spend the weekend working with local conservation groups to protect the water quality and the health of this riparian habitat in historic Bent County. What: Habitat restoration project in SE Colorado When: September 29th and 30th, 2007 Where: Boggsville National Historic District Who: Families, friends, and outdoor enthusiasts Sign up or get more information at www.voc.org, by calling 303-715-1010 (800-925-2220 outside of metro Denver) or by emailing voc@voc.org. Projects fill up so sign up today. Page 14 Aquilegia Vol. 31 No. 5 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. Aquilegia Aquilegia is published four or more times per year by the Colorado Native Plant Society. This newsletter is available to members of the Soci- ety and to others with an interest in native plants. Articles iox 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 submit- ted for reprinting require permission. Digital photographs or line drawings are also solicited. Please include author’s name and address, although anonymity may be requested. Articles must be submitted electronically. 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, P.O. Box 200, Fort Collins, CO 80522. Please direct all other inquiries regarding the Society to the Secretary at the same address. 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 .lohn 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 . . . Vickey Trammel! . 303-795-5843 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 Ford . . 303-449-7334 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND RENEWAL FORM Name(s) Address (Address) City Phone State Zip E-mail MEMBERSHIP CLASS: Dues cover a 12-month period. Individual, $15.00 Family/dual, $20.00 Senior, $8.00 Student, $8.00 Corporate, $30.00 Supporting, $50.00 : 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 Fund (endowment in support of small grants-in-aid of research), $ as a contribution to the Myrna P. Steinkamp Memorial Fund (endowment in support of small grants-in-aid of research), or ^$ as a general contribution to the Society. J CONPSISA NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION — DUES AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE Vol. 31 No. 5 Aquilegia Page 15 CALENDAR 2006 - 2CG7 WORKSHOPS October 1 3& 1 4 Potentillas of Colorado November I O&l ITour of Flowering Plants December 1 &2 Plants of the Four Corners January 1 2& 1 3 Intro to Asteraceae February 9& 1 0 Mints of C olorado April 12&13 Pestemons May3&4 Plant Terminology June 27, 28,29 Carex CHAPTER PROGRAMS BOULDER CHAPTER October 1 1 Fens and Fen Plants of the Rocky Mountains November 8 Medicines of Colorado Plants December 1 3 America’s Lost Landscape January 1 0 Adapting Native Plants for the Garden Home February 14 No meeting March 1 3 Ten Years of Restoring Boulder’s Wildlands April 10 TBA May 8 Native Plant Hike and Picnic NORTHERN COLOARO CHAPTER October 3 Celastraceae and Friends from Madagascar November 7 Fens and Fen Plants of the Rocky Mountains METRO-DENVER CHAPTER September 25 October 30 December 1 1 January 22 February 26 March 25 April 22 May 27 DBG tour Colorado ’s Best Wildflower Hikes author TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA FIELDTRIPS January 12 Winter Botany See http://www.conps.org/conps.html for details. nvmaiviAi 3 aiiisn3s 3iaiii g.iO'sduoo‘A\A\A\//:dpt| ZZ^02 opmoio3 ‘sut [|03 yo j . 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