COLORADO NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER AquU«gia coemlea "DEDICATED TO THE APPRECIATION AND CONSERVATION OF THE COLORADO NATIVE FLORA" Volume I Number 2 March- April 1977 MAILING ADDRESS MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING c/o Dr. Dieter H. Milken Department of Botany and Plant Pathology Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 OFFICERS President: Vice Presidents Secretaty : Treasurer : William A. Weber Hugo A . Ferchau Dieter H. Wilken Kimexy C. Vories Monday* December 6 , 1976, at the University of Colorado Museum* University of Colorado, Boulder. A meeting of the BOD was convened at approximately 7:30 PM, The following board members were present: Genevieve Biyant, Charles Feddema, Bill Gambill* Jon Halverson, Bill Harmon, J, Scott Peterson, Kim Vories, Bill Weber, and Dieter Wilken. Society members in attendance Included: Libby Goodwin, Karen Hollweg, Gail Evans* and Charles Olmsted. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Agenda" Steven Bissell Genevieve Bryant Gail Evans Charles Feddema Hugo Ferchau William G. Gambill, Jr. Jon Halverson William Harmon John Marr J. Scott Peterson Kimery Vories William Weber Dieter Wilken SOCIETY COMMITTEES Endangered Species Education Environmental Documents Field Trips Funding Horticulture 6 Rehabilitation Legislative Membership Publications Publicity Barry Johnston Bill Harmon Hugo Ferchau Dexter Hess Kimery Vories Karen Hollweg Lois Webster Sue Martin J. Scott Peterson Steven Blsaell SCHEDULE OF MEMBERSHIP DUES 1. A petition, signed by 22 CoNPS menbers, to form a Ft, Collins Chapter of the CoNPS* was accepted and approved by the BOD. Gail Evans, President of the newly formed chapter, was welcomed as a member of the BOD. 2. Kim Vories presented a suHsnary of the finaiicial status of the Society Treasury, indicating that fmds were sufficient to support a newsletter at a rate of six issues per year with the potential for an animal journal- type publication, 3. The partial retum of funds to chapters, as they are organized, was discussed. The following guideline was approved by the BOD: - A maximum of 15% of dues paid by CoNPS members shall be returned to the chapter with which the member affiliates. - Beginning in 1977, members may declare a chapter affiliation with the payii^nt of annual dues. Life Supporting Society Family Individual Student 6 Retired $ 250.00 50.00 25.00 12.00 8.00 il.OO It was recommended that future membership applica- tions have a space for declaration of chapter affiliation if desired. n. Jon Halverson gave a brief report concerning the legal status of the CoNPS. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Name: Address ; City: State: Zip: Chapter Affiliation (optional): A. An application for tax-exempt status will be filed in early 1977. B. Gifts to the CoNPS may be considered as tax-deductible. C. The CoNPS may spend up to 20% of its total assets on legislative lobbying. 5. Robert Heapes declined to serve as Field Trip Committee chairperson. It was recommended that Dexter Hess be offered the position. 6. Because of the large size of the Horticulture £ Rehabilitation Committee, the BOD authorized the expenditure of $25,00 to Karen Hollweg, Chairwoman, to cover mailing and telephone costs. 7. Barry Johnston, Chairman of the Threatened £ Endangered Species Committee, gave a report on tentative plans for the January 29 meeting of the CoNPS. A general outline for presentations was discussed including potential items of interest to members of the Society. 8. J. Scott Peterson was appointed as Editor of the newsletter. A discussion concerning a po- tential journal resulted in the decision to main- tain a six issues /annum Newsletter without the need for additional publications for the time being. 9. Jon Halverson gave a brief presentation on the legal status of the Hoosier Pass region. Areas which include certain critical plants are under the jurisdiction of the USFS, both Pike and Arapahoe National Forests. The area of interest to the CoNPS could be protected either through legislation or upon direct appeal by the CoNPS to the USFS. 10. Meeting adjourned ca. 9:30 PM, REVIEW OF GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING The CoNPS General Membership Meeting of January 29, 1977 was held at CSU in Fort Collins. The after- noon provided an opportunity to visit the Herbarium and RAPIC Lab, which proved to be very interesting and informative. Also, several committee meetings were convened. Prior to the meeting, everyone dispersed in search of the gastronomic delights of Northern Colorado. The meeting began with short reports from the committee chairpersons on the activities of their groups. This information has been included in other portions of the Newsletter. The main presentation, by the TEE Species Committee, began with a summary of legislation concerning threatened and endangered plant species by Chuck Feddema, and progressed into a slide and verbal presentation of critical habitat areas of Colorado by Barry Johnston and Bill Weber. The T £ E Species Committee also presented two resolutions for general membership consideration. The first: Resolved that the efforts of the CoNPS be directed towards the establishment of an ongoing Botanical Survey of Colorado, The second: Resolved that the efforts of the CoNPS be directed towards the passage of a Colorado state law pro- tecting the natural areas where endangered plants grow, as a means of cooperating with the Federal Endangered Species Act, and also as a means of protecting species not protected by Federal law. Those persons present voted affirmatively to support these two resolutions. After the meeting was adjourned, the BOD set the next meeting of the BOD for March 7, 1977, at 6:30 PM at the University Mimeum in Boulder. Those interested persons wishing to attend are welcome. NATURAL AREAS The following information has been abstracted from a paper produced by the Denver Audiibon Society on a Colorado Natural Areas Program. Colorado is very fortunate to have areas of land and water which still support diverse biological communities or unusual geologic features in their natural state. These areas are dwindling in number and quality. They must have recog- nition and protection as important parts of our natural heritage. With increased population growth and resource development, the remaining pieces of natural habitat outside of state and federal reserves are In jeopardy. Even key areas within the public lands are often endangered by inappropri- ate use and development, or simply by the lack of recogniztion of their importance. A comnunity of native wild plants and animals that has existed undisturbed since the last glacial retreat can be forever lost in an instant by an action of today’s civilization. However, by choice of that same civilization, such areas can be managed to preserve their natural attributes for present and future generations. The benefits of a system of protected natural areas would include their serving as: baseline reference points, out- door classrooms , habitat sanctuaries for endangered species , reservoirs of genetic material, and areas of natural beauty. At present, Colorado has no comprehensive mechanism by which such areas can be identified and pTOtected. A solution is the establishment of a comprehensive natural areas program similar to those existing In 22 other states. Such a program would create statewide awareness of the existence and importance of natural areas, and would coordinate and encourage cooperative effort at private, local, state and federal levels toward Identification and protection of natural areas . A bill is ciirrently being submitted to the Colorado legislature that would establish a Natural "Areas Program 'within the Department of Natural Resources. The administration of this proposed program would be entrusted to a Natural Areas Council. Among the powers and duties of this proposed Council would be: 1) to establish a systematic inventory of natural areas of the state, 2) to establish criteria by which inventoried natural areas can be evaluated and selected for formal inclusion in a designated natural areas system, 3) produce management plans for the specific areas, and 4) to submit to the Director of DNR every two years a report of the status and condition of each designated natural area. This program appears to be especially of concern to CoNPS because it provides a means of protecting threatened and endangered plant species by including areas of unique habitat within the proposed system. Additional information can be obtained by con- tracting the Legislative Committee Chairperson. THE NEWSLETTER LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE The Colorado Native Plant Society Newsletter is published on a bimonthly basis* The contents consist primarily of a calender of events, notes of interest, editorials, listings of new members, conservation news, and short articles. The dead- line for material to be included in the Newsletter is one month prior to its release. For the May- June issue, that would be April 1, 1977. Items should be sent to J. Scott Peterson, BLM Bldg. 50, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO. 80225, (234-2394), Any short articles or comments concerning this newsletter would be greatly appreciated. Send in your ideas. The Legislative Committee has outlined its func- tion as follows : 1 ) to review introduced Federal and State Legislation, which might be pertinent to the purposes of the CoNPS and, if appropriate following review, to make i^commendations to the BOD for actions; and 2) to discuss ideas for needed legislation, and recoimnend same to the iOD for action. The Coiranittee has disclosed the "Natural Areas" bill, and has sent it to the BOD asking that CoNPS support it. Additional Committee members are welcome, and the plan is to be action- oriented. Those interested should contact Chairwoman Libby Goodwin (449-6227) or Jon Halverson (377-0526). A RARE BEARD-TONGUE by Jim Ratzloff Illustration by Janet Ratzloff Penstemon retrorsus is a native Colorado "Beard- tongue" which is included on the list of proposed endangered plants in the Federal Register (Vol* 41, No. 117, June 1976), It is a perennial, with woody underground stems that grow just beneath the soil in tight, usually circular clumps. The leaves are mostly basal and are crowded on the underground stems, giving the plant a mat-like appearance. Numerous flowering stems arise from the basal leaves, growing from 5 to 20 centimeters ta.ll (2 to 8 inches), Penstemon retrorsus * blue-purple bloom is a typical tubular penstemon flower and is usually visible in May or early June, The leaves and stem are covered with dense hairs that give the plant an ash-gray color, Penstemon retrorsus gets its name from the thick pubescence of hairs on its leaves. Each hair points towards the base of the leaf, which is contrary to the more common condition in plants where the hairs point towards the apex, or tip of the leaf. This unique backward, or "retrorse" alignment of the hairs is responsible for the specific name of this penstemon - "retrorsus". This rare penstemon has a very limited range » being present only in the extremely alkaline Mancos shale hills, or ’^adobes”, east of Montrose, It occurs where there is a relatively high amount of moisture - in drainage areas, or on the north sides of Mancos hills. In some areas, Penstemon retrorsus is very abundant. A plant may be locally abundant, but if such a restricted range that It is considered endangered (see Federal Register, Vol. 41, No. 117, page 24524, June 16, 1976) The most serious danger to Penstemon retrorsus is by exploitation of Mancos shale bills by motor- cycles or dunebuggies. These desert rolling hills with loose soil and few rocks are favored by off-the-^road enthusiasts. Similar topography in the deserts of California has I'eceived extremely heavy and detrimental use of this type. At present, the disturbance of Penstemon retrorsus habitat by off-the-road vehicles is not serious, primarily because the area around Montrose is sparsely populated. As more people move into the Uncorapahgre Valley this exploitation will likely increase. It could be prevented, as neraly all of the populations of Penstemon retrorsus are on public land. FINANCIAL REPORT ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS COMMITTEE As of the end of January, 1977, CoNPS has had an income of $1202, and expenses of $295, for the balance of $908. Recent expenses were the pro- duction of the last newsletter ($54) and invitations to join the Society ($27), which were sent out by the Funding Committee. It may seem as though we have a considerable amount of funds on hand, but one must remember that this must provide for our needs to January 1978. We have before us enormous opportunities in public education, natural resource conservation, and botanical and horticultural research concern- ing Colorado’s native plants and vegetation. But all of these activities require financial as well as human resources. Any suggestions of possible sources of funding for the Society as a whole or for specific pro- jects would be very helpful. If you have any ideas, or any ways you could help find such fund- ing, please contact Kim Vories (P. 0. Box 89, Fort Collins, Colorado 80522; telephone 491-6542). HORTICULTURE 6 REHABILITATION COMMITTEE This committee has begun work on several projects. During the next six months, it will: 1) gather information on seed collection and culture of native species to be published regularly in the Newsletter (see the Easter Daisy article in this issue); 2) compile a list of sources of native seeds and plants; and 3) work with the Education and Publicity committees to develop programs that emphasize responsiblle collecting and that illus- trate the attractiveness and benefits of using native species. Whether you have a rock garden of natives, are planning to landscape your whole yard with native species, or work on revegetation projects, this information should be of interest to you. Any CoNPS members who have interest and/or expertise to contribute to these efforts are encouraged to become involved with this committee. New ideas are also welcome. The next meeting will be held the afternoon of March 6 in Boulder, and will include a tour of Paul Mas low’s rock garden. Contact Karen Hollweg, 4440 Greenbriar Blvd, Boulder, CO. 80303 or Ann Morrison, 1015 W, Mountain, Ft. Collins, CO. 80 5 21, to obtain additional information or to offer suggestions. The Committee on Environmental Documents has met , and wishes to inform the general membership of the policies it proposes to put before the BOD. These are as follows : I, The release of a particular Environmental Impact Statement would be made in the Newsletter, though the committee chair- man cannot guarantee that the Society would receive all pertinent documents. The review would encompass only that portion of the document affecting veg- etation. Three weeks prior to comment deadline, the committee would compile member comments, and prepare a CoNPS posi- tion paper for eventual forwarding to the particular agency. II. Factors assessed during the document review would include: A . Inventory . 1. Species list, utilizing scientific nomenclature 6 authority, 2. Notations of any threatened or endangered species. 3. Vegetation typing. a. How data was obtained-methods . b. Distribution of types-how data was assembled. B. Impact Analysis . 1. Affects of proposed project on species listed. 2. Affects of proposed project on vegetative types. 3. How vegetative types /management will be altered by the proposed project. C. Rehabilitation 1. Specific considerations of ecolog- ical implication of revegetation and reclamation. 2. Species used (are native species used? ) . 3. Affects of species used on veg- etation composition in a3T«a, i.e. , introduction of exotic Species or genotypes . The Chairman (943-2144) desires feedback and constructive criticism from the membership and interested parties prior to March 7, 1977. At that time, the committee proposes to bring their parameters before the BOD, so that they may begin functioning in the review process - EASTER DAISIES IM THE GARDEN by Panayoti Callas When I was a young and plant-loving punster I had almost convinced myself that Townsendias were called that because my favorite patch of Easter Daisies grew at the town's end. In reading-up for this article I was saddened to discover that this rather euphonious name is actually derived (as is the case with so many unique and endemic western genera) from the name of an obscure, nineteenth century amateur botanist, George Townsend. If the Easter Daisy is obscure, it is only because of the cultural immaturity of the West. What greater proof of this than that such a striking, abundant and unusual plant should remain so little known. Would anyone really doubt that Coloradoans would recognize the East- ern Hepatica or Eurasiam crocus than our own endemic harbinger? There are over twenty species recognized in the genus altogether, and all are confined to the western half of America. One or another of a half dozen species can be found over much of Colorado — right up to the boundaries of the latest subdivisions and condo- miniums ringing Denver. I’ve seen them growing abundantly at nine thousand feet on the Western slope, several species carpet the mesas and prairies of the Eastern slope, and one rare and endangered species ( Townsendia rothrockii A. Gray) is recorded from a few peaks in between. March is the month for the Easter Daisy, Townsendia hookeri Beaman. This and the closely allied Town- sendia excapa (Rich.) Porter can even occasionally be found blooming in late January or February over much of the eastern slope of the Rockies. Like most of the early blooming Townsendias , our local plant grows in dense tufts from a crown of numerous very narrow, blue-green leaves that are evergreen. These tufts emerge from a short root- stalk that sends down a dense mass of elastic roots. The white, or pink-tinged flowers are formed the previous year, and appear stemless when they finally open. They will cover the whole bun for the better part of two months - and can offer this advice. Collected plants establish easily, but they are emphatically not border plants. They look and grow best in a gravelly rock garden that is not over- watered once the plants establish. I've never consciously tried growing them from seed, since a few plants will produce enough seed In June to cover acres. The seed germinates promptly when fresh and within a month the ground around the mother plants is peppered with minute replicas of their parents. The seedlings will not stand competition, and if they are over-watered in the summer they Invariably rot away. It takes at least two years from seed to flower when they are grown in this fashion. Easter Daisies will never become widely grown as long as Colorado gardeners insist on pouring an inch and a half of artificial precipitation on their gardens every week to keep theii' blue- grass brown. But in the increasing number of dryland, native gardens, Easter Daisies are once again coming back into town. Drawing by Margy Lanham. Reprinted with permis- sion from The Enchanted Mesa, Ure Lanham, 1974, Pruett Press, ftculder. FIELD TRIP Both of these early blooming daisies form wide colonies on exposed, gravelly and well-drained sites where there is little competition from grasses and other plants. At blooming time, at the right spot, it's hard to walk without stepping on them. Like the buffalo their numbers seem infinite, but they may fare better, since as long as the prairie soils remains unplowed, Townsendias seem to persist. The plants are so low that cattAe seem to have a hard time browsing them, so a some- what over-grazed meadow is a fine place to view Easter Daisies. With the rampant development taking place over much of their range, it is not too difficult for a conservation-minded gardener to find doomed colonies. I have grown them for several years. A field trip has been proposed at the Invitation of the Society for Range Management, This trip would be made in conjimction with the Colorado Section of the SRM Spring Tour, The tour will visit Fort Carson and the Air Force Academy, reviewing land use planning and multiple uses, and would allow to view "relict" areas. The tour will occur on May 6 and 7, 1977, Head- quartei-'S for the tour will be the Soil Conser- vation Work Unit Office, 3345 E, Platte Ave., Colorado Springs. Organizations participating in this field trip besides SRM and CoNPS, are the Colorado Wildlife Society , The Soil Conser- vation Society, and the Conservation Library, Additional information concerning this field trip will be publicized in the next newsletter, though the Field Trip Chairman can be contacted for further details. THOUGHTS ON PLANT COLLECTING AND FIELDTRIPS A Perspective of the Factors Threatening the Native Plants of Colorado - William Harmon Collecting native plants by individuals, whether for sale, scientific research, educational devel- opnvent or personal enjoyment is placing severe pressure on many species of Colorado native plants . It is imparative that the membership of CoNPS adopt guidelines similar in scope (and hopefully impact) to those established by the California Native Plant Society. Such actions would inform the members of their responsibilities to reduce their personal impact on our native flora. It would also begin to serve notice to the people of Colorado that there is serious concern about our native flora. However, if the integrity of Colorado’s flora is to be maintained, the citizens of Colorado must come to appreciate the values so readily accepted by the menfl^ers of the Society. The responsibility surely rests with us to Initiate this process. Our efforts to save our threatened and endangered species doesn’t rest entirely with the nuDdiflca- tion of the behavior of individuals. While the extinction of several species of plants by over- zealous taxonomists , teachers , nurserymen and gardners could never be sanctioned by a failure to respond to their impact, it must be realized that, by far, the greatest threat to our native plant species (both the rare and not so rare) is through the wholesale destruction of habitat. The examples of habitat destruction in Colorado are far too numerous to list here. All too familiar are the impacts of large housing develop- ments, highway construction and other types of human activities. Less obvious is the threat created by the incredibly large and rapidly increas- ing demand on Colorado's water resource in the dense, urban areas along the front range. The iti4>act of transmountain water diversion and the construction which acconfianies it , may potentially do more harm to the Integrity of our mountain habitats, and thus, many native plants, than all other areas of Impact combined. A major effort must be made to seek ways of protecting the diver- sity of habitats suitable to our flora, Including possible legislative action. The challenge to protect our floras tic heritage becomes more difficult every year. It will require the talents and energy of professionals and laymen alike to achieve this goal, and everyone is en- couraged to join in the eff^ort. With the coordin- ated efforts of all those interested in Colorado’s native plants, we will achieve a more thorough knowledge of Colorado's flora. However, the sensitization of Colorado’s citizenry to the value of protecting our plant resources will ultimately determine its fate. PLANT COLLECTING AND FIELD TRIP GUIDELINES : There has been considerable discussion among our members on the ethics of plant collecting, how to reduce the harassment of the plant life on field trips, and the position that we as a Society should take on these points. In the hope that we may benefit from the experiences of others, the California Native Plant Society has graciously permitted us to reproduce a portion of their policy statement regarding these topics . GUIDELINES FOR CHAPTERS 1. Familiarize yourselves with the rare and endangered plants, the fragile environments, and the unique biotic communities in your area so that they may be given maximum protection. Be alert to threats ; work with persons who make land use decisions for voluntary protec- tion where possible and for legislative protec- tion where needed. Appoint "watch -dog" committees to attend public meetings and hearings on issues that will have an impact on plant resources in order to assess and make recoironendations to your chapter. 2. Be prepared to salvage plants whem threatened by development. 3. Obtain the plant policy statements of the public land agencies in your area, (federal, state, coiinty, and city) that control park l^ds water sheds , and roads , and share the informa- tion with your members. Suggest to agencies where their policies should be improved. 4. Make copies and circulate our guidelines to the various groups in your area and chapter to which they pertain, e.g. plant sale, wild flower show and field trip chaiCTnen, teachers, and nurserymen. 5. Publish in your newsletter a listing of commercial sources of native plants and seeds. 6. Take and make opportunities to educate your members and the public to the importance of preserving our native plants in their habitats. 7- Initiate and support programs to irradicate particularly agressive and successful exotic plants such as gorse ( Ulex europaeus ), broom ( Cytisus spp . ) , and pampas grass ( Cortaderia j ^atal ""' Promote the use of native plants . FIELD TRIPS 1. Remind all field trip participants of the Society’s basic purpose of preservation of our native flora in its habitat - 2. Discourage the distrubance of native plant life and encourage other methods of learning, e.g. photography, drawings, and descriptive notations. 3. Know the regulations for the park lands, watersheds and roadways you are using, e.g. collecting plants without specific permit is prohibited in national and state parks or along the highway right-of-way. 4. The leader should take responsibility for the taking of specimens. Collecting should be considered only when identification cannot be made in the field. Particular care should be taken in removing flowers and/or seeds of annuals to Insure continuation of the colony. Only reasonably abundant plants should be considered for study specimens. Only the minimal portion necessary for close identification should be served. Group identification of one specimen should be encouraged, 5. Do not collect underground structures such as bulbs, corms , tubers, and rhizomes for eating or casual examination. 6. In the field, alert members to the deleterious effects of the trampling of many feet. Fragile environments should be visited with caution. Better one person advance into a fragile area to identify a plant than the whole group. EDUC/^TIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES The CNPS recognizes the educational and scientific justifications for plant collecting. However, two important questions should be considered before taking plant specimens. Will the collecting of this plant contribute to educational or scientific advancement? What will be the impact on the population of the removal of this plant? To assist in answering these questions we propose the follow- ing guidelines: 1. Educational and scientific collections should be done inconspicuoiisly . Casual observers may not understand the reasons for such activities and may feel they can do likewise. 2. The CNPS disapproves of undirected and exces- sive collecting by students in botany classes , as it often results in duplication of specimens without increase in knowledge. It may also result in unknowingly taking rare plants and thereby possibly reducing already critically small popu- lations . 3. The Society encourages all botany instructors to use common, especially weedy or garden species for demonstrating collecting techniques, struct^ ures, and taxonomic features. 4. Students in advanced botany classes should be made aware 6f the rare and endangered plants In their study areas. Of even greater importance is engendering in such students an ethic which emphasizes the impact of collecting on populations. 5. The primary justification for collecting plants for herbaria is that they contribute to increased knowledge of the California flora. Repeated col- lecting in well known areas may serve no useful purpose. While it is important to document the distribution of plants , including rare species , it is critical to evaluate the impact of collecting. NURSERIES, ARBORETUMS, AND GARDENS 1. Growers are encouraged to exercise good judgment in collecting seeds and taking cuttings of natives that have horticultural potential. Collect only enough material to est^lish a source for fiiTther propagation. Enough seed must be left behind to insure survival of the population. 2. Growers and nurserymen should not take in- dividual plants from the wild to resell on the open market. This is a practice which has led to the rapid decline of some of our more attractive plants , such as some cacti , orchids , ferns , and lilies . 3. Do not purchase plants if it is suspected that they have been taken directly from the wild. Demand to know the source of plant materials, 4, Growers and nurserymen should be allowed to dig up plants to salvage them from destruction in such places as construction sites, 5. In general, CNPS favors the use of native plants over exotic species and deplores the introduction of species such as broom ( Cytisus S££_, ) and pampas grass ( Cortaderia jubata ) in areas where they can spread and replace the native vegetation. 6, Concurrence with the above code of ethics is necessary for advertising in the Society’s journal, Fremont ia. It is hoped that this information will generate some lively discussion, and that you will communicate your thought to the Board and Dexter Hess, Field Trip Chairman. Please address your comments to Dexter at Otero Junior College, La Junta, CO. 81050, We will have further disciissxons on this topic in future articles, COLORADO OPEN SPACE COUNCIL This non-profit coordinating council of environmental organisations publishes a weekly update during the 1977 legislative session on the progress of all environmental bills. It explains the legislative process , analyzes major bills, and suggests how you can partici- pate, It lists legislative meetings, actions taken by the legislature, and positions taken weekly by the environmental caucus at the capltoL Also, subscriptions and contributions help support a full-time environmental lobbyist at the capitol. This service will help keep you informed about issues affecting us and aid a good organization. It is available through: COSC, 1923 Delaware, Denver, CO. 80204 (573-9241). The price is $10 /non-member /year or $5 /member/ year. Individual memberships are $10/year. BOOKS OF INTEREST The following books should be of interest to the members of the Society in increasing their knowledge of the native flora of Colorado, Additional titles will be inducted in future newsletters. If you should have a book that you think would be of interest to our members , please contact the editor for its inclusion on future listings. Correll, Donovan S, 6 Helen B. , Aquatic and Wetland Plants of the Southwestern United States . Vol. I S II, Staford Univ. Press, Stafford, 1975. Harrington , H . D . , Manual of the Plants of Colorado. Sage Books, Denver, 1954. Hitchcock , A - S * , Manual of the Grasses of the United States , (ed. 2, revised by Agnes Chase). U.S.D.A, Misc. Publ. 200 (reprinted by Dover Publ., Inc. N.Y.), 1951. Orr, Robert T. I Margaret C. , Wildflowers of Western America . Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. N.Y. , 1974. Rickett , Harold William, Wild Flowers of the United States . Volume Six, The Central Mountains and Plains. HcGraw Kill Book Co,, N.Y., 1974. Watts , Tom , Rocky Mountain Tree Finder . Nature Study Guild Publ., Berkeley, 1972. Weber, William A. , Rocky Mountain Flora . Colorado Association Qniv, Press, Boulder, 1976. MEW MEMBERS The following list is comprised of the new members of CoNPS. You might wish to check this list to see if there are new members in your area. If there are, perhaps you should get together to organize a local chapter. Welcome to CoNPS! Bertram D. Baker Ft. Collins Mark Heifner Denver R. Mitchel Beauchamp National City, CA Barbara Hyde Longmont Richard G. Geidleman Colorado Springs Paul Kilbum Golden Jeff Bogard Denver David 6 Sandra Buckner Boulder Lorraine Chappell Denver Louis J . Charles Littleton David V. Clark Glen wood Springs Virginia Dionigi Hygiene Hobart N . Dixon Alamosa Paul F. Gilbert Hot Sulphur Springs Ron F. Lestina Denver Agnes B, Lilley Ft. Collins Clara E. Lilley Ft, Collins Paul Maxwell Boulder Doris B* Osterwald Lakewood Mrs. Ray P. Teele Ft, Collins Claudia D. Toburen Grand Junction William E, Wenk Denver ELUSIVE AMD UNUSUAL COLORADO RESIDENT by Charles Feddema Cypripedium fasciculatum . Although not showy, this exquisite slipper orchid will delight the eye of anyone fortunate enough to find a patch. It is characterized by a hairy stem, two .oversiz- ed stem leaves, and a cluster of two to four small brownish purple flowers. The plants usually occur in clusters of several plants with the stems tending to bend downward with the large brownish sepals hanging vanbrella-like around the slipper. SometiMS called the Cluster Orchid, it grows in the subalpine region usually in open, moist or dry coniferous forests , in bogs , or on reeky slopes under shrubbeiy. Although found locally In several western states, it is rare in Colorado and found only in a few places in the mountains of the northern counties . It should be considered threatened here because it tempts the uninformed to dig it for cultivation. Larry P. Gough Denver Carol Wessman Ft . Collins Mike Hansen Ft . Collins Shirley M. Wheeler Greeley Cathy A, Hartman Boulder