The Newsletter
of the Wyoming
Native Plant Society

October 1999
Volume 18, No. 3

In this issue:

WNPS News 2

Field Trip Reports 2

Blowout Penstemon, Wyoming's First

Endangered Plant 4

Growing Echinacea 5

Botanist's Bookshelf 6

The Plant that Knocked the Socks off of Socrates 6

Noteworthy Discoveries 7

Blowout penstemon tPenstemon haydenO)

was thought to be Nebraska's only endemic plant,
until Frank Blomquist of the BLM Rawlins Field
Office recently discovered a population in northern
Carbon County, Wyoming. P, haydemcm be
recognized by its large, milky-la vender flowers that
have a faint vanilla-like odor, and its dimorphic,
glaucous leaves. Flowering plants have broad-
based leaves that taper abruptly to a narrow point,
while vegetative branches have uniformly narrow,
grass-like leaves. Blowout penstemon grows in
sparsely vegetated, shifting sand dunes or wind-
carved depressions fblowouts"). The species was
listed as Endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife
Service in 1987, making this Wyoming's first listed
Endangered plant. For more on the discovery and
natural history of blowout penstemon, see page
Illustration by Bellamy Parks Jansen.

WNPS NEWS

Wyoming Native Plant Society
PO Box 3452, Laramie, WY 82071

1999 Annual Meeting : The Society's annua! meeting
was held in the parking lot of the Green River campus of
Western Wyoming College on 19 June. Approximately
20 people and 1 dog were on hand for a brief business
meeting, highlighted by the election of new officers.
Those elected for the 1999/2000 term are: President -
Jim Ozenberger (Jackson), Vice President - Amy Roderick
(Laramie), Secretary-Trea surer - Laura Welp (Laramie),
2-year board member - Steve Laster (Ptnedale). Nina
Haas remains as the carry-over Board member. Thanks
were extended to out-going officers, Charmaine
Delmatier, Jennifer Whipple, and Walt Fertig.

Meeting attendees also voted on two sites for next
year's field trips. The Shirley Basin was selected for the
annuai meeting/field trip and the Black Hills were chosen
for a second trip. Look for more details on these outings
in a future issue of the newsletter.

Y2K Student Scholarship : Thanks to generous
contributions by WNPS members, the society's annual
student scholarship is available once again for qualified
junior college or university undergraduate or graduate
students. One to three scholarships will be awarded in
the amount of $300-500. Interested students should
contact the Secretary of the Society for an application
form. Applications are due by 18 February 2000.

Winners will be announced by the Board in March.

New Mailing Address^ Please note that the Society
has changed its mailing address to PO Box 3452, Laramie
WY, 82071.

New Members : Please welcome the following new
members of WNPS: Jerry Bigelow (Lander), Annie Martin
Beauvais (Laramie), Shelley Ellis (Jelm), James Glennon
(Rock Springs), Kelly Hughes (Laramie), Gretchen Hurley
(Thermopolis), Seeds of the Plains (Belvidere, SD), and
Shari Sellars (Ririe, ID).

WeVe looking for new members : Do you know
someone who would be interested in joining WNPS?

Send their name or encourage them to contact the
Society for a complimentary newsletter.

Attention Readers : We are always looking for
articles and illustrations for the newsletter. Items for the
December issue are needed by 3 December 1999.

Treasurer's Report : Balance as of 1 October 1999:
General Fund $803.20; 1999-2000 Student Scholarship
Fund $802.50; Total funds: $1650,70.

President: Jim Ozenberger (Jackson)

Vice President: Amy Roderick (Laramie)
Secretary-Treasurer: Laura Welp (Laramie)

Board Members: Nina Haas (Cheyenne)

Steve Laster (Pinedale)

Newsletter Editor: Walter Fertig (307) 766-3020 (wk)/e-

mail: clyde@uwYo.edu .

Teton Chapter; PO Box 82, Wilson, WY 83014 (Joan

Lucas, Treasurer).

Contributors to this issue: John Baxter, Walter Fertig
(WF), Linda Iverson, Bellamy Parks Jansen, Stuart
Markow, and Norma Reiners.

Field Trip Reports

Annual Meeting - Flaming Gorge Country: At

the conclusion of the business meeting, our intrepid
throng of botanists proceeded to Logan Draw, a dissected
plateau region of weathered Green River shale on the
west bank of Flaming Gorge south of the city of Green
River. We encountered a variety of desert wildflowers
and shrubs in full bloom, including such regional
endemics as Sphaeromeria argentea, Tetradymia nuttafUi,
Efymus saftnus, and Phacelia gianduiosa. The real prize,
however, was the Green River greenthread {Thefesperma
caespitosum), a localized endemic known from only one
other site in Wyoming and 2-3 locations in northeastern
Utah. The greenthread was formerly a candidate for
listing under the Endangered Species Act and is still
highly vulnerable to disturbances from off-road vehicles
and mineral exploration.

From Logan Draw, we proceeded south on
Sweetwater County Road 1 to the Cedar Mountain Road
to have lunch and search for another endemic, the Opal
phlox {Phbx opalensis). We located a healthy colony of
phlox in full bloom on a gravelly, clay ridgetop, along with
Chamaechaenactis scaposa, Astragalus ffavus, A.
chamaeleuce, and other desert wildflowers. Opal phlox
was recognized as a new species in 1992, based on
collections by Bob Dorn in the vicinity of Opal, Wyoming.
It has since been found in abundance throughout much
of southwestern Wyoming and near Manila, Utah and is
no longer considered a species of high conservation
concern.

Our next stop was along the bluffs north of
McKinnon, where we encountered one of the few known
colonies of the Precocious milkvetch, named because of
its early lowering time. Unfortunately, the pinkish-white
pea-like flowers had already withered by the time we
arrived. An extensive population of this mat-forming,
grayish forb occurs on this and an adjacent ridge to the
east, representing the entire known world population of
the species.

2

We made an additional stop just a few miles south to
search for one of the few remaining populations of
stemless beardtongue {Penstemon acaulisv^r. acauHs), a
regional endemic that appears to be declining due to
habitat loss in the McKinnon area and adjacent NE Utah.
One tiny patch was discovered along a bladed road
embankment amid numerous weeds. While searching for
the penstemon, we also discovered a small population of
Moab milkvetch {Astragalus coitoniiMBX. moabensis).

This handsome plant can be recognized by its tall, leafy
stems, and dark purple, drooping, pea-like flowers.

After a refreshment break in Manila, the group
continued on to our campsite in the Ashley National
Forest. En route, we followed the scenic, geological
"byway" through a spectacular canyon of early Paleozoic
and Precambrian formations.

The following morning we continued to enjoy geology
and scenery, with stops at Flaming Gorge Dam and
pullouts along the east side of the reservoir (see group
photo on page 8). We finally returned to Wyoming soil,
where we stopped to explore "The Glades", a sandstone
hogback along the state line. Much of the vegetation of
the glades consists of thick Utah juniper woods,
interspersed with occasional pinyon pine, curl-leaf
mountain mahogany, and sagebrush. A number of rare
or endemic plants occur on the mountain, including
Cryptantha stricta, Penstemon pachyphyllus, Phifadelphus
microphylius, and Physocarpus altemans.

Our final stop was a small Utah juniper thicket on the
east shoulder of a steep, clay and sandstone mesa along
the Little Firehote Canyon Road, While eating lunch and
swatting no-see-ems, we enjoyed several unusual plants,
including greasebush ( Glossopetahn splnescens var.
meionandrum), and brickell-bush {Brlckeffia microphylfa).
As cooling rain clouds moved in, the group parted ways,
hopefully with a greater appreciation for the botanical
and geological splendors of Flaming Gorge country. WF

Larannie Range: Approximately 25 nature lovers
turned out for a sunny morning of wildflower watching
with Walt Fertig on Saturday, June 26, The group
observed over 40 wildflower and grass species in three-
tip sagebrush/cushion plant and lodgepole pine/limber
pine communities along the Headquarters Trail, east of
the Lincoln Head monument off Interstate 80 on Medicine
Bow National Forest. Among the noteworthy finds was
Mountain-loving sedge {Carex oreocharis), a regional
endemic of SE Wyoming, C Colorado, and N New Mexico,
known from less than 6 sites in the state. We also
located a population of Bitoothed cinquefoil {PotentlHa
condnna var. bicrenata), a low-growing, yellow-flowered
forb that until last year had not been collected In
Wyoming since the 1930s. In addition to the rarities, we
also observed a variety of onions, fleabanes, umbels, and
loco weeds, WF

Beartooth Botanizing: 16 people and 2 dogs spent
the weekend of July 30-August 1 enjoying the wild-
flowers of the Beartooth and Absaroka ranges. The
weekend began with a Friday night campout on Bald
Ridge on the east flank of the Absaroka Range in
Shoshone National Forest. Here, we found small colonies
of Absaroka goldenweed {Pyrrocoma carthamoldes var.
subsquarrosa) ax\6 Hail's fescue {Festuca halfh), both
listed as Sensitive by the US Forest Service. Other plants
of note Included spike-oat {Helictotnchon hookeri),
Gunnison's mariposa {Caiochortus gunnisonis), and
Indian-blanket (ija/Z/artf/a an'stata). Animal lovers in the
group were treated to the rare sight of a young grizzly
bear being chased off a carcass by a hungry adult black
bear (fortunately, at a safe distance away).

The following morning, the group proceeded to
Swamp Lake for a morning of rare plant hunting In the
state's most famous calcareous wetland. While skirting
the south bank of the fen, we found colonies of
Eriophorum vlndicarinatum, Safix Candida, 5.
pseudomonticofa, Kobresia simpliduscufa, Carex livida, C
fimosa, Aster borealis, and Primula egaliksensls. A crowd
favorite was tiny Sdrpus pumllus {S. rollandll), which
resembles a diminutive green matchstick, only harder to
find among the floating mats. Along the edge of the
white spruce woods we also encountered dense colonies
of Petasltes saglttatus and Arctostaphylos {Arctous)
rubra. The latter species is a boreal shrub found typically
in Alaska and northern Canada. Swamp Lake is the only
known location for this species in the lower 48 states.

We were disappointed to find only one fruiting plant of
Amerorchls rotundifolia, a lovely pink-spotted orchid
found on mossy hummocks and rootmounds under white
spruce.

From Swamp Lake, we traveled past the "Top of the
Worid" to the east rim of Twin Lakes on the Beartooth
Plateau (passing a herd of mountain goats along the
way). Here, we observed a number of arctic-alpine
disjuncts, including Pedlcularls oederl, Eriophorum
callitrlx, Phippsia afglda, Seneclo fuscatus, and tiny
Koenlgla islandica. In addition, we completed the "grand
slam" of Wyoming Kobresia, by finding K schoenoides
and K myosuroides {formev\i K macrocarpa and K
beliafdii, respectively). The Kobresias resemble members
of the genus Carex, but differ in having a slit, rather than
fused perigynium (a subtle feature, but one that was not
lost upon those who completed the /f-slam).

On Sunday, the remaining botanists explored Clay
Butte, also known as " Dr3ba-\and' for its rich assortment
of rare and endemic mustards. Other interesting alpine
species included tiny Erigeron humilis, and 3 mat-forming
willows: Saiix arctica, 5. reticulata, and 5. rotundifolia.

For die-hards, the day ended with mucking through the
swamp south of the Clay Butte turnoff, where we found 5
rare sedges and Ledum glanduiosum. WF

3

Blowout Penstemon: Wyoming's First
Endangered Plant

By Walter Ferttg

Blowout penstemon {Penstemon haydenii) is a milky-
lavender flowered, aromatic, perennial plant restricted to
shifting, sparsely vegetated sand dunes. For years, it
was thought to occur only in the Sand Hills of Nebraska,
where it was listed as Endangered under the Endangered
Species Act. Now thanks to the keen eye of a Bureau of
Land Management range conservationist, this plant is
also known from central Wyoming.

Frank Blomquist of the BLM Rawlins Field Office first
discovered blowout penstemon in 1996 while conducting
iparian surveys on public lands south of the Ferris
Mountains in northwestern Carbon County. Frank found
the plants while taking a lunch break on high sand dunes
overlooking a remote wetland area. Uncertain about the
identity of the plant, he sought help from Amy Roderick,
a graduate student at the University of Wyoming, who
was studying the flora of the local area. Blomquist and
Roderick revisited the dune site in June 1998 and
collected a sample of the mystery plant in bud and eariy
flower. Unfortunately, the plants were too immature to
positively identify, although Roderick and other botanists
at the University suspected it was either blowout
penstemon or an undescribed species.

In July 1999, Blomquist led Roderick and UW
botanists Ernie Nelson, Walter Fertig, and Courtney
Laden burger back to the site. This time, the plants were
in full bloom and could be positively Identified as blowout
penstemon. To be certain, samples were sent to Drs,
Noel and Pat Holmgren at the New York Botanical Garden
and Dr. James Stubbendieck of the University of
Nebraska, for positive confirmation. With this discovery,
Wyoming now has its first listed Endangered plant!

Blowout penstemon can be recognized by its large,
milky-lavender flowers that smell faintly of vanilla and its
biue-green, waxy foliage. Flowering plants have broad-
based, clasping leaves that taper abruptly to a narrow tip,
white vegetative plants have slender, grass-like leaves.
Individual plants produce multiple stems that can survive
burial in shifting, wind-blown sand. The plants occur only
in sites with little competing vegetation or where strong
winds have created depressions in the sand called
"blowouts".

Early naturalists in Nebraska reported that blowout
penstemon was relatively common. In the past, this
species depended on prairie wildfires and free-ranging
bison to keep vegetation off the shifting dunes. The
removal of fire, leveling of dunes, reduction of grazing,
and cultivation of stabilizing cover crops drastically
reduced the amount of habitat available for this species.
Loss of habitat, coupled with impacts from insect
outbreaks, drought, inbreeding, and potential
overcollection, prompted the US Fish and Wildlife Service

to list blowout penstemon as Endangered in 1987. Only
3,500-5,000 plants are currently found in Nebraska at
about a dozen sites.

Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), blowout
penstemon is protected from malicious harm or collection
on public lands. Federal land management agencies are
required to consult with the US Fish and Wildlife Sen/ice
before undertaking projects within known or likely
potential habitat to ensure that their actions do not harm
the species. Under the ESA, protection is far less
stringent on private lands, although the plants are
protected from harm by trespassers and from the use of
certain chemical herbicides.

The Wyoming population is limited to an area of
about 20 acres and contains 300-500 plants. The site is
on public lands managed primarily for grazing. Studies in
NelDraska have found that livestock grazing is rarely a
threat to blowout penstemon, although the flowering
stalks may be eaten occasionally. Grazing could be a
management tool to promote blowouts by reducing sand
dune vegetation.

Blowout penstemon is only the second Wyoming plant
to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. Ute
ladies-tresses {Spiranthes diluviatis) was listed as
Threatened in 1992 and discovered in Wyoming in 1993.
Two other plants, the Colorado butterfly plant {Gaura
neomexicana ssp, coloradensis) and desert yellow head
C Yermo xanthocephaius) have been proposed for listing
since 1998, but no final decision has been made by the
US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Below: Penstemon haydenii by Bellamy Parks Jansen. *

4

Growing Echinacea

By Linda Iverson

(Reprinted from the Spring 1999 issue of Kefseya, the
newsletter of the Montana Native Plant Society)

We all know that our native populations of Echinacea
angustifoUa dive diminishing due to unscrupulous col-
lecting to meet the needs of the medicinal industry (see
December 1998 issue of Castiifeja), What can you do to
help save this plant? Think about raising a patch of
Echinacea ior your home pharmacy, or if you're more
ambitious, try commercial growing.

The genus Echinacea (Asteraceae) includes nine
species that are indigenous to North America. Echinacea
angustifoiia E. purpurea used for medicinal
purposes. Marketed plant parts include wet and dry roots,
leaves, and flowers. In general, roots are the most
sought after. Flowers, rather than leaves, usually contain
greater quantities of media naily-active ingredients.

Moisture and Light Requirements: Echinacea is
known to be exceptionally drought tolerant. In most
production areas, ambient rainfall may be sufficient after
the establishment year, £ angustifoHa usually responds
negatively to excess irrigation. Soil around plants should
surface dry before water is added. Drip irrigation syst-
ems are best, but overhead sprinkler irrigation can also
be used as long as over-watering is avoided. Both
species do best in full sun,

Soil Preference: Echinacea angustifoHa does well in
gravelly, clay-type soils with good drainage. It will not
tolerate wet feet, and does best at an alkaline pH. All
species do well in raised beds because of enhanced
drainage and aeration. They grow on relatively poor soil
without fertilizer. Nutrient requirements have not yet
been established, but most reports indicate that £ pur-
purea responds to nitrogen fertilization more aggressively
than E. angustifoHa. However, high nitrogen fertilizer is
not recommended, especially when growing Echinacea
for root harvest.

Planting: Both growers and researchers report poor
stand establishment using field sown seeds- Establish-
ment of transplants has been very successful and it Is
recommended that seeds are started in a greenhouse or
other protected structure, £ angustifoHa prefers a cold
stratification period of up to 12 weeks in moist sand.
Some researchers report a response to light quality and
quantity. Therefore, cover seeds lightly, if at all, during
germination. Germinate at 65-79° F and transplant
within 20-30 days after sowing. Sow in January or
February to ensure well-rooted transplants by May or
June. Do not let £ angustifoHa gel past first true leaf
stage before transplanting. Their deep taproot is
established early and is difficult to transplant Most
growers recommend 12 inches between plants with rows
at 2 feet.

Weed Control: Development of the first year
Echinacea plants can be slow, except for £ purpurea
which often flowers the first year if started early enough
in a greenhouse and transplanted into the field. First
year seedlings are unable to compete with weeds, so
keep them weed-free then. Straw, bark mulch or plastic
mulches can be used for weed control and moisture
management. £ angustifoHa does better with a plastic
mulch than organic. Cover crops planted in the rows also
help to smother weeds and allow for plant rotation.

Harvesting: During winter dormancy of the second
or third year, the roots may be dug. Wait until the plants
have died back and the leaves have shriveled and gone
brown. To dig the roots by hand, use a sturdy shovel
and push deeply next to the plant and lift up to reveal a
large clump of dirt enclosing the roots. The roots may be
shaken free of dirt while still attached to the crown,
resulting in a harvest of a heavy crown with numerous
taproots and root hairs not normally seen on wild
harvested Echinacea. Removal of competing weed
species and timely watering allows domesticated roots to
grow, on average, 4 times larger than their wild
counterparts. £ purpurea crowns generally must be split
and pul ted apart prior to washing to get the dirt free of
the extensive root system. £ angustifoHa roots should
be left whole and washed as is.

Dtying and Storing: Once roots are clean, they can
be dried on racks or screens in open air out of the sun.
Tops can be dried the same. This will usually take 2-4
days. Roots must be 100% dry before storage to avoid
fungal and bacterial problems. Store dried roots in
airtight containers. Maximum storage is 1 year.

Sources for Plants and Seed: The following
companies supply Echinacea -

Beauty Beyond Belief, 1730 South College Ave # 104,
Ft, Collins, CO 80525

Garden City Seeds, 778 Highway 93 North, Hamilton,
MT 59840

Western Native Seed, PO Box 1463, Salida, CO 81201

Wind River Seed, 3075 Lane 51 V 2 , Manderson, WY
82432

*:+:#*#*#**

This article is the condensed version of a 5-page guide to
growing £c/r//75cie3 compiled by Helen Atthowe, Missoula
County Extension Horticulturist and Echinacea gro^Ner. If
you are interested in the full version, send a self
addressed stamped envelope to Linda Iverson, HC 88 Box
3733, Big Timber, f^TT 59011.

For more information, consult the Echinacea qxo^N&rs
resource page:

http://WWW.egregore.com/ herb/echinacea, htm I
Or the Western Agricultural Research Center web page
WWW,Hort.AGRI.UMN.EDU\3002\Echinacea.HTM

5

Botanist's Bookshelf

The only thing better than botanizing in the field or gar-
den is reading about it! Fortunately, there are a number
of magazines and serials that focus on gardening, native
wiidflowers, and plant conservation for the armchair
botanist A small sample is discussed below:

Brooklyn Botanic Garden 21^-Centurv
Gardening Series. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 100

Washington Ave,. Brooklyn, NY 11225-1099. Mention
Brooklyn, New York, and many people get nostalgic for
the Dodgers (the team that left the city behind in 1958
for the city of Angels). The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is
working hard to restore the city's good name with its
quarterly publication, "21^ Century Gardening Series".
Each edition of the series is a full-color, handsomely
illustrated 100 + page paperback book addressing in
great detail a different aspect of gardening and botany.
Recent titles include "Ferns", "Natural Insect Control",
"Biodiversity in Backyards", "Butterfly Gardens", "Native
Perennials", "Invasive Plants", "Easy Compost", and
"Starting from Seed" (to name just a few). The most
recent volume, "Flowering Vines" includes chapters on
growing vines successfully, using vines for landscaping, a
feature on viney species of CfematisBn6 Rose, and an
illustrated "encyclopedia" of over 40 vine taxa with
information on cultivation, native habitat, and hardiness.
Individually, these books sell for $9.95, but subscribers to
the series receive 4 issues a year (and other publications
and benefits of the botanic garden) for $35. The full
catalog of available publications from the Garden can be
found on their web site (www, bbg.org/gardenemporium)
or by contacting the B8G at the address above.

Plant Talk. PO Box 354841. Palm Coast. FL. 32135-

4841. "Plant Talk" began publication in 1995 in England,
and has become one of the leading international voices
for plant conservation. Published quarterly, each issue
includes illustrated features on rare plant species, exotic
and highly threatened floristic regions, and profiles of
leading plant conservationists- Recent issues have
featured new topics as diverse as threats to the Florida
Everglades, rare plant conservation efforts on tropical
Pacific islands, the plight of Cambodian rain forests, the
possible effects of climate change on world forestry,
efforts to reestablish Hebe breviracemosa (a shrubby
relative of Veronica) to its native habitat in New Zealand,
tips on conducting rare plant monitoring studies, a review
of new protected areas in Africa, and a profile of
Linnaeus. Other features include book reviews and a
bulletin board of upcoming conferences and events. The
magazine has a truly international (and British) flavour!
Subscriptions are $28 per year. WF

The Plant that Knocked the Socks off of
Socrates

Or, My one-man battle with Conium macufatum
By John "the Bard of Burns" Baxter

One summer in Laramie, WY, when I was teaching a
course on edible and poisonous wild plants, my class and
I discovered a vacant lot that was full of plants of the
poisonous European hemlock( Conium macuiatum) . As
we started back towards the campus I noticed a back-
yard garden where this plant was growing in a row.

When I talked to the lady of the house she said they had
thought the plants were second year carrots. She said
her kids had used the hollow stems to make blowguns!
The next time I passed that yard the plants had
disappeared. I told the city about the hemlock jungle in
the vacant lot, and they sent a crew who sprayed them.

In May 1998, 1 moved to Ashland, Oregon and found
myself in Ftemlock Fleaven. I've seen, the plant in
planters in front of shops on Ashland's main street and in
flowerbeds at a local nursery. The girl at the nursery
looked at them and said she thought they were
anemones. I told her that if she ate them she would
encounter an enemy anemone that would make an
enema necessary, plus a lot of other treatments.

The leaves of European hemlock look like carrot
leaves. I bought a bundle of carrots with leaves attached
and photographed them beside leaves of the hemlock.
When I showed this to the people at the newspaper the
reaction was a big yawn. I guess newspapers find
botany boring!

Correction to "Non-Native Plants of Wyoming"

List: The list of non-native plant species in the Wyoming
flora published in the May, 1999 issue of CastidejaUas
two mistakes: Acernegundosiat. vioiaceum is a good
native species, although it may be planted in parts of its
range. Populations In eastern Wyoming should be
considered native. Onopordum acanthium was
mistakenly coded indicating it was Introduced from
native populations elsewhere in North America, when it
should have been tagged as a state noxious weed ($).

A revised version of this list will be maintained on the
Society's new web site when it is unveiled later this fall.
WF

6

Noteworthy Collections
from Wyoming

By Walter Fertig and Stuart Markow ■

New vascular plant species for Wyoming continue to
come to light from literature sources, reexamination of
old herbarium specimens, and ongoing field research.
Among the new species are the following:

Anthriscus caucaUs (Bur-chervil) This weedy member of
the parsley family was discovered in the Black Hills
(Crook County) by Gary Larson and James Johnson in
July 1992 (Prairie Naturalist 27:116). Bur-chervil resem-
bles Queen Anne's lace {Daucus carota), but has a
beaked fruit without prominent ribs. It has become wide-
ly established in the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and east-
ern United States, but had not previously been located in
the midwest Unfortunately, Larson and Johnson found
this species near Sand Creek, a significant botanical area
on Black Hills National Forest noted for its rich assortment
of rare plants.

Carthamus tinctorius (Safflower) Safflower is a Eur-
opean native often planted in gardens, that has
apparently escaped in the Big Hollow area of Albany
County, west of Laramie. This member of the sunflower
family resembles a knapweed {Centaurs^, but has
orange flowers, leafy outer involucre bracts, and sharp-
toothed leaves.

Heh'anthus cusickfi (Turnip-root sunflower) Another
member of the sunflower family, H. cusickiiv^QS first
discovered in Uinta County Wyoming by Duane Atwood
and Ben Franklin in 1988. It was originally determined as
Hellanthelia uni flora, (a look-alike that differs in having
flattened achenes with a persistent pappus) but was
recently annotated by William Weber. Turnip-root
sunflower gets its common name from its enormously
thickened taproot. This native species ranges from C
Washington to NE California and east to Idaho and may
be disjunct in SW Wyoming.

Hymenoxys acauiis var. epunctata (Spotless stem I ess
hymenoxys) Aven Nelson described this member of the
sunflower family from the Uinta mountains of NE Utah in
1904, but the taxon languished in synonymy for years
until it was resurrected by Arthur Cronquist in 1994,
Robert Muir collected a specimen in the eastern Wind
River Range (Fremont County) in 1938, the first (and so
far only) record known for Wyoming. Var epunctata
differs from other varieties of H, acauiis 'xn having nearly
glabrous and non-punctate leaf blades. It is a regional
endemic of eastern Utah, northwest Colorado, and west-
central Wyoming.

Penstemon haydenii (Blowout penstemon): See page 4.

Below: Sedum 5 C/'e(from Britton and Brown 1914).

Robinia neomexicana (New Mexico locust). This shrubby
or tree-sized member of the pea family is native to the
southwestern United States and Mexico, but may also
escape from cultivation. Amy Roderick discovered a
probable escapee in the Goldeneye Wildlife and
Recreation Area west of Casper (Natrona County) during
a floristic survey in 1997-98. New Mexico locust
resembles R. pseudoacacia (another alien in WY) by
having pinkish rather than white flowers, pubescent
rather than glabrous fruit pods, and a densely glandular
rather than non-glandular inflorescence axis.

Sanguisorba annua (Annual burnet): Stuart Markow
located this member of the rose family (Rosaceae) while
conducting a rare plant survey along the eastern shore of
Jackson Lake (Teton Co.) in 1999. This species
resembles S. minor \n having a dense spike of small
greenish flowers terminating each long, leafless flower
stem, but differs in having finely dissected (rather than
pinnately compound) leaves and 2 (as opposed to 10 or
more) stamens. The species is native in the southern
Great Plains and throughout the Pacific Northwest, with
known populations approaching Wyoming in eastern
Idaho and western Montana.

Sedum acre (Mossy stonecrop) This yellow-flowered,
fleshy-leaved perennial was discovered along a dry wash
on the outskirts of Laramie by Walter Fertig in July 1999.
A native of Europe, it has escaped from cultivation
throughout the US. Sedum acre resembles 5,
stenopetaium in having divergent fruit pods, but has
rounded rather than keeled leaves.

Veronica officinalis (Common speedwell): Heather Marks
first collected a specimen of this small, perennial member
of the snapdragon family (Scrophulariaceae) while con-
ducting a biodiversity study just south of Moose (Teton
Co.). V ob7cina/is most closely resembles K americana
in having short-petioled upper leaves with axillary
racemes. It differs in being densely hairy and in having
coarsely serrated leaf margins. This European species
has been widely introduced throughout much of the
eastern US and sparingly so in the Pacific Northwest.

7

The Wyoming Native Plant Society, established In
1981, is a non-profit organization dedicated to
encouraging the appreciation and conservation of the
native flora and plant communities of Wyoming. The
Society promotes education and research on native plants
of the state through its newsletter, field trips, and annual
student scholarship award. Membership is open to
individuals, families, or organizations with an interest in
Wyoming's flora. Members receive Castifleja, the
Society's quarterly newsletter, and may take part in all of
the Society's programs and projects, including the annual
meeting/field trip held each summer. Dues are $7.50
annually.

To join the Wyoming Native Plant Society, return the
membership form below to:

Wyoming Native Plant Society
PO Box 3452
Laramie, WY 82071

Name:

Address:

$7,50 Regular Membership
$15.00 Scholarship Supporting Member
($7,50 goes to the annua! scholarship
fund)

Beiow: WNPS members on the 1999 annual held trip on
the east side of Flaming Gorge, just south of the WY
state line. Standing from left; Dr. William Reiners, Walt
Fertig, Mike Evans, Joan Lucas, Nina Haas, Teresa
Prendusl. Seated from left: Claire Leon, Jean Daly, Laura
Welp, Max Welp. Photo by Norma Reiners,

Wyoming Native Plant Society
PO Box 3452
Laramie, WY 82071