SHORTIA NEWSLETTER OE THE WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB SPRING 2007 Shortia galacifolia Oconee Bells WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB President Jenny Lellinger Vice President Helen Smith Secretary Juanita Lambert Treasurer Larry Avery Recorder Ken Borgfeldt Historian Lucy Prim oooooooooocooooooooooo From the President Jenny Lellinger I am sure that many of you have wondered, as I did when I first started learning about plants, why so many plant names are associated with the human body. As I suspected, I found that ancient cultures and various sources ascribed curative properties to plants that bore characteristics that suggested what its healing use might be. One such source is the “Doctrine of Signatures” . Its author, Jakob Bbhme, a German master shoemaker and devout Christian from Gorlitz, claimed to receive visions from an early age. These mystical experiences led to a large body of writings, including “De Signature Rerum”, anglicized as the Doctrine of Signatures, published in the early 1600s. These revelations inspired him to believe that God had placed healing plants on earth for the benefit of humankind and that if one looked carefully, one could find the “signature”, or visual cue, that indicated their intended curative property. For example, plants with yellow sap were thought to cure jaundice. The red sap in Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) purportedly healed diseases of the blood. The fused leaves of Boneset {Eupatorium perfoliatum) were thought to help in healing broken bones. Bbhme’s philosophy garnered a following among the nobility and learned people of his time. Others further developed his doctrine during the European Renaissance. An example of this comes from the botanist and herbalist William Coles, who believed that walnuts cured ailments of the head because “they have the perfect Signatures of the Head.” The names of some of the plants thought to have medicinal properties often ended in “wort”, from the Anglo-Saxon meaning “plant” or “herb”. Some familiar examples are: • Lousewort (Pedicularis) - used for repelling lice • Spleenwort {Asplenium) - used in treating the spleen • Toothwort (Dentaria) - used in treating tooth ailments • Liverwort - used in treating diseases of the liver Many cultures throughout the world have had similar beliefs, variously inspired. Some drugs in use today are extracted from plants. However, I don’t know of any plant with medicinal properties attributable to its “signature”. Cover: The flower on the cover is Shortia galacifolia, Oconee Bells. Our newsletter is named for this southern endemic which is now rare in the wild. P.1 Member News New Members Rebecca Armstrong. Hendersonville. Becky moved here from Mt. Holly 2 1/2 years ago. She went on hikes with the Catawba Land Conservancy led by Charlie Williams who was our speaker on February 2. Judy Bunting. Hendersonville. Judy is interested in identifying wildflowers. She lived previously in Houston. Texas and is a native of Illinois. Virginia Huckabee. Brevard. Virginia has been here for 3 years, coming from Aiken, S.C. She is a Master Gardener and likes to hike and learn about native plants. Kathy Johnson. Pisgah Forest. Kathy has lived here for over 2 years, having come from Washington, D.C. where she was a software engineer. Erna Prickett. Travelers Rest, S.C. Erna learned to love wildflowers when her Grandfather took her on walks in Wisconsin. She learned about the Botany Club from a class given at the Bullington Center. A gift in memory of long time Botany Club Member, Ivan Kuster, was donated to the Bullington Center for purchase of royal ferns for the newly established Rain Garden. The memorial gift was from Millie Blaha. A William Bertram Symposium will be held in Cashiers May 31-June 2. There will be a full-day bus tour of Bertram travel sites in Cherokee County, tours and hikes highlighting Bertram’s species, and many speakers. Check the website; http;//www. cashiershistoricalsociety.org/ Member Information Any change of address, e-mail or telephone number please inform Larry Avery at 4 Windrush Lane, Flat Rock, N.C. 28731, Tel. 692-2679, e-mail: alavery@cytechusa.com. “Happy is the man to whom every tree is a friend.” John Muir “The beginning of wisdom is calling things by their right names” Ancient Chinese proverb. P.2 Ramblings 2007 Ken Borgfeldt We had a very successful walk season in 2006 as we completed 33 outings with very few cancellations. In addition to visiting some of our favorite wildflower spots, we walked seven new locations. We walked the Pulliam Creek Trail early in the season as the area worked at recovering from a controlled burn the previous fall. Dan Pittillo invited us to walk his property and to enjoy the plants in his Nodding Trillium Garden. Jan and Hap Fishback entertained us with a walk around their property at Cold Mountain. We visited the Craggy Gardens area and spent an enjoyable day on the Craggy Pinnacle Trail. The day at the old Hendersonville Reservoir was voted the hottest walk of the year by the group who attended. One of the highlights for the year was the overnight trip to Buck Creek near Waynesville to see the Serpentine Barrens. Gary Kaufman of the Forest Service led us through an enjoyable two days, the highlight of which was Rhiannon's Aster {Symphyotrichum rhiannon), a species only found at the barrens. We had a special focus location for 2006 - Cedar Rock Mountain at DuPont State Forest. We visited there once every 4-6 weeks through the walk season for a total of six visits. The compilation of the data from the visits will provide an inventory of the plants on this trail and a chance to see the progression of the growing season for each of the species. A copy of the inventory has been sent to a member of the forest staff. Now we look forward to 2007 and what I am sure will be another plant filled experience for us all. Toward that end in looking through our database I have found 509 species that we have never entered on a Walk Recorder Sheet. Betty Jones used Dick Smith's book, “Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains”, to build much of the database when she first started it. Jeanne Smith has graciously agreed to search through Dick's field notes to see if she can find where some of these "missing" plants might be found. In the walks during the coming year, we will use that information to put special emphasis on trying to locate the “missing” plants. Thanks to the Botanical Club members who served as recorders on our field trips in 2006: Bonnie Arbuckle, Elisabeth Feil, Jan Fishback, Ruth Anne Gordon, Sheila Goldthwaite, Alan Graham, Dana Herrman, Suzanne Huie, Nancy lha, Betty Jones, Juanita Lambert, Jenny Lellinger, Cynthia McCurdy, Lucy Prim, Helen Smith and Anne Ulinski. And special thanks to Ken Borgfeldt who provides the plant lists for each field trip, maintains the data base, and writes the “Ramblings” column for Shortia. -Ed. P.3 A BOOK REVIEW of "THE BOTANY OF DESIRE" A plant's Eye-view of the World by Michael Pollan Every school child learns about the mutually beneficial dance of honeybees and flowers. The bee collects nectar and pollen to make honey and, in the process, spreads the flower's genes far and wide. YES BUT! In the BOTANY OF DESIRE, the author (please note the ironic surname) demonstrates how people and domesticated plants have formed a similarly reciprocal relationship. He links four fundamental human desires - sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control - with the plants that satisfy them: the apple, the tulip, marijuana and the potato. In telling the stories of four familiar species. Pollan illustrates how plants have evolved to satisfy humankind's most basic yearnings. And just as we've benefitted from these plants, the plants have also benefitted at least as much from their association with us. So who is really domesticating whom? For the apple/sweetness story, the author delves into the travels of Johnny Appleseed whose real name was John Chapman. It seems the American grape was not sweet enough to ferment well to make good wine, so the American apple became the American grape, cider the American wine. Up until Prohibition, an apple grown in America was far less likely to be eaten than to wind up in a barrel of cider. Chapman by planting his millions of seeds made it possible for the apple to change itself since each seed is a generic original. (If you want more than one tree to produce the same variety, you must clone the tree.) Thus Chapman is responsible for the golden age of American apples in many, many varieties. This has changed with the availability of cheap sugar. Apples now compete with every other kind of sugary snack food, and so the Red and Golden Delicious with their exceptional sweetness have come to dominate the grafted monoculture that the American apple orchard has become. Monoculture - who gives monoculture much thought? Well, you most certainly will after reading the section on potato/control. Everyone knows about the potato famine and how it changed not only Ireland's history but also our own. The whole tragedy was due to monoculture of the potato - a nutritionally complete food when supplemented with cow's milk. The fungus which destroyed all the potatoes in Ireland would never have gotten hold if all the different varieties of that plant had been allowed to flourish as they have in the Andes for centuries. And today here in the USA you have a choice between a genetically patented- by-Monsanto potato named NewLeaf concocted to resist the potato beetle OR the Russet Burbank as demanded by the french fry processors which is treated with toxic chemicals so strong no laborers can go into the fields for four or five days after spraying. No more french fries for me! As for marijuana/intoxication, you can grow all the opium poppies you want in your garden but legally marijuana is a no. The legal interest in what is grown in our gardens for what purpose has driven the marijuana plant indoors where it has thrived spectacularly improving its psychoactive compound THC. The drug war provided a great opportunity for cannabis to expand its range and its potency. For the tulip/beauty section. Pollan explores the tulip trade bubble of 17th century Holland comparing it to "the carnival" of capitalism where rules of logic are repealed. P.4 (over) Things appear absurd in the cold light of morning but oh the glory of owning an Internet stock or a Semper Augustus bulb. The tulip is not the author's favorite flower but he writes about it in a new perspective for the avid gardener. Michael Pollan is a gardener who combines history, philosophy and journalism with a touch of humor to view the world of plants in YOUR garden. Well worth reading. -Jeanne M. Smith Botanical Highlights of the Transylvania County Inventory By Ed Schwartzman (Inventory Biologist) Since its inception in 1977, The North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP) has carried out systematic county natural area inventories from the Outer Banks to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Eighty four counties have already been surveyed or are currently being inventoried by NCNHP biologists. The Transylvania County inventory is currently underway and will be completed by spring 2008. With its wide range of elevation from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Lake Jocassee, complex topography and geology, Transylvania harbors a wealth of biodiversity and unique natural features. The first year of the county inventory has already yielded some interesting finds, particularly in the realm of botany, which is a strong focus of the inventory work. Transylvania County is home to 54 species of vascular plants considered rare, threatened, or endangered by federal or state agencies. Of these plants, nine were newly discovered during the first year of the inventory. In addition, two species historically known from the county were rediscovered during the course of fieldwork. Some of the recent discoveries and rediscovered species are described below. Several species of interest are associated with wetland habitats, including bogs and alluvial slough forests. Small-flowered meadow-rue {Thalictrum macrostylum) was found growing in alluvial wetlands along the Little River and in the vicinity of Hooker Falls. This species has characteristically small leaves for the genus, which are simply lobed and slightly lanceolate in shape. When growing in full sun, it can reach two meters in stature and form large patches. Growing nearby, long-stalk starwort {Stellaria alsine) can be found growing on sandy alluvial deposits and in beaver impounded wetlands. This species is more common to the north and was infrequently reported in North Carolina until recent years. Along the South Fork of the Mills River, two wetland species were rediscovered after many years of going unobserved. Lax mannagrass {Glyceria laxa) was initially reported from the Pink Beds in 1935 and was recently rediscovered growing in an herbaceous opening on the south-side of the wetland complex. This species was also found downstream in an oxbow bog not far from the Henderson County line. P.5 Glyceria laxa Lax Mannagrass In this same general vicinity, marsh bellwort {Campanula aparinoides), was found growing on a rocky bar in the middle of the river. Both of these species are on the edge of their range in the Southern Appalachians, where they seek refuge in our mountain bogs with other disjunct Ice Age relic species. Given the historic records of these plants in the Pink Beds and their rediscovery several kilometers downstream, it is likely that these plants use the river as a dispersal corridor. Not too far from the Pink Beds in the South Fork of the Mills River watershed, a Montane Mafic Cliff (a unique natural community in the county) was explored and found to harbor two county record species. Appalachian cliff fern {Woodsia appalachiana) is restricted to outcrops of circumneutral or basic rock and has only been reported from three other mountain counties. It is distinguished from the more common blunt-lobed cliff fern by the presence of septate cilia on the underside of the frond. In a seepage area within the same cliff complex, sweet white trillium {Trillium simile) can be found. This beautiful trillium artificially resembles the large-flowered trillium {Trillium grandiflorum), though it is distinguished from the latter by having a maroon ovary and by growing in moister locations such as seeps and spray zones of waterfalls. This species is more widespread than the Appalachian cliff fern, ranging as far west as Cherokee County and east to the South Mountains in Burke and Rutherford Counties. Other new species for the county associated with circumneutral or basic substrates have popped up during the course of the inventory thus far. Carex leptonervia is a rare wood sedge in the mountains of NC. Though it is known from areas with an abundance of circumneutral rock, the geology of Transylvania County is predominantly acidic in nature and this species is scarce. Two populations were found this past season growing with other species indicative of more basic substrate in Rich Cove Forest and Boulderfield Forests respectively. Identification of this sedge is difficult and requires that mature fruit are present. When fruit are present, the distinguishing trait is two strongly raised nerves along the perigynium (the sack that contains the seed in sedges). Looking Glass Rock is home to a host of interesting species. A previously unreported population of bleeding hearts {Dicentra eximia) was found growing at the base of the rock this past year. This species is associated with rock outcrops in our mountain counties but was not known from Transylvania County until now. The plant grows in a very open, rocky ledge at the cliff base along with grasses and forbs of open habitats, such as big bluestem {Andropogon gerardii) and blazing star {Liatris spicata). If botanical club members know of additional natural populations of bleeding hearts or any of the other species described in this article, they are encouraged to report these occurrences to NCNHP. The Transylvania County Inventory is entering its second field season, and it is hoped that further work will yield additional botanical finds for the county. For a comprehensive perspective on the natural diversity of the county, keep an eye out for the completed inventory report, which will be out by spring of 2008 and will be available for purchase through the NCNHP website (www.ncnhp.oraL Ed Swartzman is a wetland biologist with the N.C. Natural Heritage Program. On February 9 of this year, he gave a program for the Botany Club, “Botanical Highlights of the Transylvania County Natural Areas Inventory”. P.6 Pehr Kalm Paula Ivaska Robbins May 2007 will mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Carl Linnaeus, the originator of the binomial system of classification and one of the founders of modern botany. Linnaeus sent his best students, his “apostles,” from Sweden all over the world to collect specimens for classification. A celebration is planned for his mother country, Sweden, and commemorations will take place throughout the world, for example, at the renowned Linnean Society in London. In Philadelphia, the American-Swedish Historical Museum will present an exhibition entitled “Come into a New World, Linnaeus and America.” The link between Linnaeus and America was his student, Pehr Kalm, whom he sent here in 1748 to collect specimens of American plants and animals that might be brought back to improve the Swedish economy. Linnaeus Kalm arrived in Philadelphia in 1748 and was befriended by Benjamin Franklin and John Bartram. In the summers of 1749 and 1750, Kalm traveled north up the Hudson to Montreal and Quebec and west to Niagara Falls as a guest of the French king. The description of Niagara that he sent back to Franklin was the first scientific description of that famous landmark to be published. Linnaeus’s most important work. Species plantarum, was published in 1753, soon after Kalm’s return. Some seven hundred North American species are listed, of which seventy-five were new to science. Kalm was mentioned as the discoverer of ninety of them, of which sixty were new to science. Linnaeus named Kalmia latifolia, mountain laurel, in honor of Kalm. It is the state flower of Pennsylvania and Connecticut. After his return to Sweden, Kalm became a professor at Abo Akademi in Finland. There he wrote a several-volume account of his travels that was translated into German, Dutch, French, and, in English, as Peter Kalm’s Travels in North America. This book, in diary form, has long been an important source of information about not only the flora and fauna of the English and French colonies, but the way the colonists ate, farmed, built their homes and public buildings, worshipped, and earned their living. It was a much-studied sourcebook for Henry David Thoreau. Unfortunately, few people read Kalm’s Travels from cover to cover. But within, one can find fascinating nuggets of Kalm’s observations about the relations of Americans with England, of their misuse of the environment, and of Native Americans and the role they played in the competition between France and England just before the French and Indian War. P.7 Kalm could be considered an early environmentalist. He deplored the wasteful practices of the Pennsylvania farmers. “Their eyes are fixed upon the present gain, and they are blind to the future.” He also presented favorable views of the Iroquois, among whom he traveled. Kalm, as a citizen of a neutral nation, was able to view the competing French and English more clearly than did most of the American colonists. He noted that, during their skirmishes, the English colonies, because they were largely self- governing with deliberative assemblies that held the purse strings, did not work in concert against the French, who, in contrast, had tight centra! control from the Governor-General of Canada. Kalm gave much thought to the likelihood that the English colonies would soon become wealthy and populous enough to break away from England. Surprisingly, however, there has never been an American biography of Kalm. My book, The Travels of Peter Kalm, Finnish-Swedish Naturalist, through Colonial North America, will be published by Purple Mountain Press this spring. In 2005, Paula Robbins received a grant from the Finlandia Foundation to write a biography of Pehr Kalm. During a research trip to Finland and England she took photographs of Linnaeus’ garden and the Uppsala Garden in Sweden as well as The Apthocahes’ Garden and Kew Gardens in London. On January 12 of this year she presented an indoor program to the Botany Club showing photographs of several of these historical gardens. She has promised to come back next year with her book. Paula is a member of the Botanical Club. Kalmia latifolia Mountain Laurel This painting of Kalmia latifolia is by Bernadette Wolf. It will appear on the cover of Paula’s book. P.8 SHORTIA c/o Anne Ulinski 1212 Chanteloupe Drive Hendersonville, N.C. 28739 FIRST CLASS I.uIvS'I'HER T MERTZ LIBRARY MAR U 8 Z007 NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN ^ Library *Att: Dr. Buck New York Botanical Garden Bronx, N.Y. 10458-5126 SHORTIA Vol. XXIX. No. 1 Spring 2007 A quarterly publication of the Western Carolina Botanical Club Editor: Anne Ulinski Editorial Assistants: Pat Arnett and Jean Lenhart Member News: Ruth Anne Gibson Please submit contributions for the next issue by May, 2007 to: Anne Ulinski 1212 Chanteloup Drive, Hendersonville, N.C. 28739 The purpose of the Club is to study the plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the Southeast through field trips and indoor meetings. Membership is open to all. Individual/family memberships are $15. New members joining from the period July 1 -December 31, pay $8. All memberships are renewable on January first of each year. Send dues to: Larry Avery, 4 Windrush Lane, Flat Rock, N.C. 28731 SHORTIA NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB SUMMER 2007 Shortia galacifolia Oconee Bells WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB President Jenny Lellinger Vice President Helen Smith Secretary Juanita Lambert Treasurer Larry Avery Recorder Ken Borgfeldt Historian Lucy Prim From the President Jenny Lellinger I’ve just recently discovered a wonderfully feature-rich botanical website that will likely be of interest to our members. It is called “Plant Information Center” and is sponsored by the UNC at Chapel Hill in conjunction with the North Carolina Botanical Garden, the UNC Herbarium, and the School of Information and Library Science. It is a work in progress intended to cover plants from North Carolina and the Southeast. Currently it includes mostly trees and shrubs (link: http://www.ibiblio.orQ/Dic/index.htm ). The about section on the website states that the “intent of the Plant Information Center (PIC) is to connect the research community and the general public (including school children) so that primary research materials owned by the University can be made available to these new audiences and that expert knowledge may also be shared.” If you click on “Resources, followed by “Common Forest Trees of North Carolina”, and then click on any tree name, you get a drawing, a range map, and a description of its characteristics and habitat. If you go back to the home page and click on “Virtual Herbarium”, followed by “North Carolina Trees”, you may browse by scientific or common name. Once you select a species, the site will display, whenever available, scientific name, common names, synonyms, a brief description, and scanned copies of representative herbarium specimens. If from the home page, you click on "Virtual Herbarium", "North Carolina Trees", "Trees of NC Scientific Checklist", you may click on a family and get a table arranged by genus/species followed by authority references. Under “Services”, the “Frequently Asked Questions” section contains information about gardening with native plants, soils, pests, tree care, pruning, and more. These are just some of the website’s features; I hope you find it useful. Cover: The flower on the cover is Shortia galacifolia, Oconee Bells. Our newsletter is named for this southern endemic which is now rare in the wild. New Members Booth. Anne. Hendersonville. Anne came here from Florida four years ago. She has a long interest in gardening and plants and has been a master gardener about three years. Drake. James P.. Suwanee, Ga. Jim is the owner of Breath of Spring, Inc., a company promoting the appreciation of wildflowers. He often writes a column on plants for the Hendersonville Times-News. Stallard. Ned and Laura. Hendersonville. The Stallards moved here from Spartanburg, S.C. about 6 years ago. They both are Interested in the outdoors and look forward to the botany field trips and learning about wildflowers. Annual Meeting and Book Sale Friday, July 13 at the Bullington Center 9:00 Book sale opens 10:00 Landscape Designer, Kathy Johnson, will present a program on rain gardens followed by a visit to the Bullington rain garden 1 1 :00 Annual meeting with reports by the present officers followed by election of new officers 12:00 Lunch After lunch, the book sale will reopen. Come with a covered dish to share and a good appetite; the food is always delicious. More information and directions will be in the next schedule. oooooooooooooooo Books Needed for the Book Sale Books for the club book sale will be collected on field trips. Please give them to Jeanne Smith or Bonnie Arbuckle. oooooooooooooooo Western Carolina Botanical Club Financial Report - 2006 Income Dues $1481 Gifts 130 Total income $1611 Expenses Printing 663 Postage 292 Programs 100 Donations 185 Other 39 Total Expenses 1279 Income over expenses $ 332 Respectfully submitted, Larry Avery, Treasurer P.2 Ramblings 2007 Ken Borgfeldt The year started nicely with a successful Hardy Souls Hike on the Palmetto Trail. While the weather was chilly, everyone had a nice walk in the woods. We were too early for any blooming plants. Wilder Forest marked the first walk of the season. The day was hot (80°) and sunny. Noteworthy plants observed included Toadshade {Trillium cuneatum), Bloodroot {Sanguinaria canadensis), and Green Violet {Hybanthus concolor). The day at Pearson Falls was cloudy and cool which seems to be normal for that walk, but at least it didn’t rain!. The trail was dry and the food was good! The visit to Paw Paw Cove was a first for the club. The walk presented a unique opportunity for members to view an area of rare geologic formations. Tom Goforth led the walk combining soil chemistry with geology to provide a background for the plants observed. The day was cloudy at Glassy Mountain. Many of the blooming plants were probably affected by recent unseasonably low temperatures. Dry conditions on the rock faces made for fewer clumps of Elf Orpine {Diamorpha smallii). However, the endangered Divided-leaf Groundsel {Packera millefolium) was found. The walk at Station Cove started with two groups sitting on opposite sides of a parking lot waiting for each other to arrive! After the travel logistics were straightened out the day was upbeat with many blooming plants including Hound's Tongue {Cynoglossum officinale) and Stone Root {Colli nsonia verticil lata). As if the freezing temperatures were deterrent enough to the early spring flowers, extremely high winds caused cancellation of the Mouse Creek Falls walk. The trip to Holmes State Forest seemed to be between seasons - too late for the Trout Lilies {Erythronium umbilicatum) and Blood Root {Sanguinaria canadensis) and too early for the May Apples {Podophyllum peltatum) and Trilliums. Trail conditions were good and everyone had a good time. The day at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville was warm and sunny. The plants seemed to be recovering from the early freeze that had left many blooms damaged on previous walks. In addition to the many blooming plants, Elisabeth Feil provided many interesting tidbits to the walk. We have had requests from some members for new field trips to add to our schedule. If you know of a new site, please pass the word on to Alan Graham (884-3947) or Ken Borgfeldt (696-8657). Some of the criteria to consider: Public access or permission from an owner, a walkable trail or road to follow, the site within reasonable driving distance from our usual starting places in Hendersonville and Brevard, and botanical species of interest. We will visit a new site in October, an overnight trip to visit prairie restorations near Charlotte. See the next schedule for details. -Jenny Lellinger P.3 Western Asheville, N.C. Beyer, Patsy Conway, Rachel M. Durpo, Wilma Hankins, Diane Hansens, Aline Kolton, Marilyn Lackey, Charlotte Middleton, Dave & Milly Probst, Cindy Reed, John Robbins, Paula Balsam, N.C. Chattaway, J.R. & Pat Houghton, Ann Black Mountain, N.C. Fell, Elisabeth Verduin, Bill & Evelyn Brevard, N.C. Blaha, Millie Farrar, W. Edmund & Carver Graham, Alan Huckabee, Virginia Hudson, Jack & Dorothy lha, Nancy j Jones, Betty Lellinger, Jenny & Dave Moore, Eric & Peggy Schifeling, Daniel & Annalee Smith, Jeanne Walls, Harriet Campobello, S.C. Ashburn,Carolyn/Hearon, Chuck Candler, N.C. Carlson, Betty Canton, N.C. IFishback, H.D. and Jan I Cedar Mountain, N.C. Steinberg, Aleen j Charlotte, N.C. Woods, Jean Columbus, N.C. Smoke, Henry & Therese ‘^Some members are summer visitors Carolina Botanical Club Etowah, N.C. Barnes, Christine Charlebois, Joy Hart, Pierre Flat Rock,N.C. Arbuckle, Bonnie Avery, Larry Blackwell, Rusty Gibson, Ruth Anne & John Jones, Frances McCurdy, Mike & Cynthia Younkin, Florence Fletcher, N.C. Bachand, Bob & Kathy Hendersonville, N.C. Anderson, Kenneth & Jane Armstrong, Rebecca Bakken, Mary Ann Bockoven, Paul & Elizabeth Booth, Anne Borgfeldt, Ken & Chris Bunting, Judy Collins, Ed Dice, Bill & Ann Fouts, Greg & Carol Herrman, Don & Dana Kotch, Joel & Sharon Lambert, Larason & Juanita Lenhart, Jean Mizeras, Alan Montgomery, Bob and Elaine Pearson, Bud & Laverne Petteway, Jo Polchow, Peggy Prim, Lucy and Bob Repici, Carole Sidoti, Marjorie Sinish, Bessie Stallard, Ned Ulinski, Anne Highlands, N.C. Davis, Charlton & Patricia Landwehr, Barbara Poole, Kay & Edwin Hilton Head, S.C. Strayer, Lucie A. Membership * Horse Shoe, N.C. Hudelson, Francis Lake Toxaway, N.C. Allen, Barbara D. Dziedzic, Betty Lexington, N.C. Fisher, Don Marion, N.C. Goldsmith, James W. Norcross, Ga. Arrington, Daisy Ormond Beach, FI. McDaniel, Lois Pisgah Forest, N.C. Goldthwaite, John & Sheila Hauschild, Linda Johnson, Kathy Smith, Helen M. Spencer, Kim Rutherfordton, N.C. Mitchell, Patsy Rosman, N.C. Miller, Dori Sapphire, N.C. Bigelow, Dawn Pearson, Millie Spruce Pine, N.C. Gray, Gussie Stone Mt., Ga. Lennox, Susan & David Suwanee, Ga. Drake, James, P. (Jim) Sylva, N.C. Harris, Mary Helen Horne, Ann and Lynn Miller, Earl & Bettye Stenger, Raymond & Gloria Tampa, Fla. Center, Dan and Barbara Travelers Rest, S.C. Prickett, Erna Tryon, N.C. Galda, Odessa Waynesville, N.C. Brinson, Beth Couric, Elrose/Hollinger, Sue Thomas, Jane and George \A Did You Know? • Linville Gorge is the deepest gorge in the Eastern United States. • The New River, which originates in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is the oldest river in the U.S., believed to be 320 million years old. • Mount Mitchell, rising to an elevation of 6,684 feet, is the highest mountain east of the Rockies. • Grandfather Mountain is considered one of the oldest mountains in North America. CO 00 00 00 00 00 00 There is a tree called the Miracle Tree [Morgina olifera] which is truly miraculous. It can be grown in hot, drought-ridden, tropical climates where most crops fail and where conventional agriculture Is prohibitively expensive. It provides abundant nutritious food, especially in parts of Africa where it is much needed to prevent starvation and diseases caused by nutritional deficiency. One hectare (2.5 acres) can supply the vitamin A requirements for 15,000 children a year, thus preventing blindness. It typically grows at the phenomenal rate of 4 m or 13 feet in its first year, tolerates drought, resists disease, provides a wide range of useful products, can be cultivated with primitive equipment and its leaves can be used to purify water. If this is not enough of a miracle, it is also a crop that has relatively little negative impact on biodiversity and environment. (E. Small and P.M. Catling, Agri-Food Canada). OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Some flowers are cleistogamous which means they can produce seeds without obvious flowers. This is true of many of the violets (except birdfoot). The violets produce seeds normally in the spring but have cleistogamous flowers later in the season. Look for these flowers under the leaves, especially in autumn. cooooooooooooooo Of the 16 azalea species native to the U.S., 14 are native to the Southeastern states, and 13 can be seen at the North Carolina Arboretum. (See page 7 of this Shortia issue for more information on the Arboretum collection.) 00 00 00 CX? 00 00 00 One of our members, Larason Lambert, is proficient in identifying birds by their songs. At a recent visit to the Velma Haag property, Larason used this knowledge to identify ten birds: Cardinal, downy woodpecker, hooded warbler, Louisiana water thrush, kingfisher, ovenbird, pileated woodpecker, song sparrow, towhee and tufted titmouse. P.5 The Tree Planter This is a story about a man who, for no reason but his own, began planting oak trees in the south of France. Jean Giono tells the story. About forty years ago I was taking a long trip on foot over mountain heights quite unknown to tourists in that ancient region where the Alps thrust down into Provence. All this, at the time, was barren and colorless land. Nothing grew there but wild lavender. There were few trees and fewer men in that desolate area. But a solitary shepherd had an idea. He began carrying with him a bag of acorns and a heavy iron rod. As he tended his sheep, he poked the iron bar into the ground and dropped an acorn into the hole. This he did for decades. There was no reforestry program, no government grants. There were no park commissions, no botanists, no taxes, no fees. There was just a lone shepherd, aged 55. His name was Elzeard Bouffier. He had only the company of his sheep and his dog. He had never studied environmental science, nor perhaps had ever gone to school. But he could see that the land had changed since his youth. The area had been rich in grass and trees.. animals . and human beings. But the land had been overgrazed, overworked and overcut. Of the twisted oaks that used to provide shade and hold the moisture close to the ground only a few remained. Bouffier asked no one’s permission. He put no Issues to referendums on the ballot. He rallied no citizens and spoke to no town meetings. As far as we know his name never appeared in the paper until after he was dead. He planted thousands of oak trees, many of which died at first. And for the rest too, progress was as slow as an oak. But gradually, more and more took root. And each one provided more shade.. more moisture.. and a more hospitable place for other life to take root. Animals returned.. and then hunters.. and then game wardens. In 1933 Bouffier received a visit from a forest ranger who notified him of an order against lighting fires out of doors for fear of endangering the growth of this natural forest. It was the first time, the man said naively, that he had heard of a forest growing of its own accord. In 1935 a government delegation came to examine it. They didn’t know what to make of it but they placed it under government protection. By now the oaks were 20 to 25 feet tall. The slopes were covered with them. And the old man was still at work, planting his stealth forest. Giono writes how everything changed. On the site of the ruins he had seen in 1913, were farms, streams, and people who had settled from the plains where land was costly. Along the road he met hearty men and women, boys and girls who understood laughter and have recovered a taste for picnics. More than 10,000 people owe their happiness to the solitary shepherd. Elzeard Bouffier died peacefully in 1947 at the hospice in Banon. Excerpted from an article, “More Real Heroes”, written by Bill Bonner. It appeared In the e-zine, “The Daily Reckoning”, 16 February 2007. Thanks to Jenny Lellinger for sending us this article. The National Native Azalea Repository “...We were alarmed with apprehension of the hill being set on fire. This is certainly the most gay and brilliant shrub yet known.” This is what William Bartram, an early botanical explorer of the region, wrote when he first saw the flame azalea {Rhododendron calendulaceum). We often see flame azaleas in the spring and if we are lucky we may see the rare pinkshell azalea {A. vaseyi) which is endemic to the mountains of North Carolina. There is in our area a 7.5 acres streamside garden covered with azaleas representing almost every species native to the United States. Add to that an array of cultivated varieties and hybrids. This is the National Native Azalea Repository which can be seen nestled along the banks of Bent Creek and within easy walking distance of the Visitor’s Center at the North Carolina Arboretum. The Repository was established for the purpose of maintaining a germplasm collection of native azalea species. It is a “conservation reservoir” or storage center that holds the hereditary material for each of the native species as well as hybrids and cultivated varieties. All seed is collected from documented wild origins and is propagated in the Repository nursery. The collection currently holds more than 100 accessions of 13 different native species as well as cultivars and hybrids. The North Carolina Arboretum is ideally located for such a repository. Ten of the azalea species are found in the Southern Appalachians, nine in North Carolina and five in Buncombe County. The majority of the species are found within 100 miles of the Arboretum. The garden has an overhang canopy of pines and hardwood trees and an understory of dogwood, native rhododendrons. New York fern, doghobble and other wildflowers. Peak flowering times are early to mid-May. Of the sixteen azalea species native to the U.S.,14 are native to the Southeastern states and 1 3 can be found at the Repository. They are: Native Azalea Species List Bloom Season* Alabama Azalea, Rhododendron alabamense Mid Sweet Azalea, R. arborescens Late Coastal Azalea, R. alanticum Mid Florida Flame Azalea, R. austrinum Early Flame Azalea, R. calendulaceum Mid Hoary Azalea, R. canescens Early Cumberland Azalea, R. cumberlandense Late Oconee Azalea, R. flammeum Mid Pinxterbloom Azalea, R. periclymenoides Early Roseshell Azalea, R. prinophyllum Mid Plumleaf Azalea, R. prunifolium Very Late Pinkshell Azalea, R. vaseyi Early Swamp Azalea, R. viscosum Late *Bloom season is for the Asheville area Early = mid April Mid = late April-early May Late = May-early June Very late = July-September P,7 In September 2004 the garden was closed when 10 to 15 inches of rain from Hurricanes Francis and Ivan caused Bent Creek to overflow and carry with it portions of the Repository. Now the garden is open again. Watch for a Botany Club field trip in the Spring of 2008 when you can see the garden and learn about azaleas from an expert, Botany Club member, Ed Collins. Based on an article from the Repository website and one from the Spring 2007 Arboretum newsletter written by Alison Arnold, Director of Horticulture and Glenn Palmer, volunteer and member. oooooooooooooooooooooooooo Don't Walk Past Me We often walk past small yellow flowers with five leaflets unless Betty Jones is with us The flowers are the potentillas. They are in the rose family and have the common name cinquefoil or five fingers. Two that we often see are P. simplex, common cinquefoil and P. canadensis, dwarf cinquefoil. How does Betty identify these two? Here is her explanation: The definitive distinction is whether the first flower arises from the axil of the second leaflet as it does with Potentilla simplex (think, second = simplex) or the axil of the first leaflet, as it does with P. canadensis. There are four other characteristics that are usually present, but can’t be used for positive identification due to the variation in individual plants. They are: 1 . Potentilla simplex Is usually larger than P. canadensis. 2. Though both are trailing and root at the nodes, Potentilla simplex usually stands more upright. 3. The leaflets of Potentilla simplex are usually 3 to 4 times as long as they are wide: P. canadense leaflets are wedge shaped and only about twice as long as wide. 4. The teeth of Potentilla simplex usually extend all of the way down the leaflet; on P. canadense they go only about half way down. Potentilla simplex Potentilla canadensis There are three other potentillas that we have recorded on our walks; P. argentea (silvery cinquefoil) - Roan Mountain (listed as rare) P. norvegica (rough cinquefoil) -Bee Tree Gap, Buck Springs Nature Trail, Craggy Pinnacle, Laurel River Gorge, Flat Laurel Creek and Frying Pan Gap (uncommon in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain) P. recta (sulphur cinquefoil) -Laurel River Gorge, Cabin Cove and Heintooga Spur (common) /P.8 Drawings from “A Field Guide to Wildflowers” by Peterson/McKinney '■ ■-! SHORTIA c/o Anne Ulinski 1212 Chanteloup Drive Hendersonville, N.C. 28739 ASH EiVI LLE NC Z8’0’ 04 2.007' PM 1 L FIRST CIJ\SS Library *Att: Dr. Buck New York Botanical Garden Bronx, N.Y. 10458-5126 SHORTIA Vol.XXVIX. No. 2 Summer 2007 A quarterly publication of the Western Carolina Botanical Club Editor; Anne Ulinski Editorial Assistants: Pat Arnett and Jean Lenhart Member News: Ruth Anne Gibson Please submit contributions for the next issue by September 15, 2007 to: Anne Ulinski 1212 .. Chanteloup Drive, Hendersonville, N.C. 28739 The purpose of the Club is to study the plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the Southeast through field trips and indoor meetings. Membership is open to all. Individual/family memberships are $15. New members joining from the period July 1 -December 31, pay $8. All memberships are renewable on January first of each year. Send dues to: Larry Avery, 4 Windrush Lane, Flat Rock, N.C. 28731 SHORTIA NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB FALL 2007 Shortia galacifolia Oconee Bells Contents P.1 President’s Message P.2 Member News P.3 Ramblings P.4. Did You Know? P.6. Schweinitz’s Sunflower P.6 More Prairie Plants P.7 A Saturday Morning Foray in Manhattan P.8 From the President’s Desk -1988 LuESTHER T. MERTZ LIBR.ARY SEP U 7 2007 NEW’ YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB President Jenny Lellinger Vice President Helen Smith Secretary Juanita Lambert Treasurer Larry Avery Recorder Ken Borgfeldt Historian Lucy Prim oooooooooooooooooooooo From the President Jenny Lellinger Shrouded in varying shades and textures of green at a diminutive scale, mosses have reproductive structures and morphological characteristics that result in a descriptive vocabulary that sets them apart from other plants. Dave and I plan to establish a moss garden as part of the native landscape that we envision for our new home. That is why I was delighted when, earlier this year, while at the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Smokies, I discovered two great books on mosses that complement each other. Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses, written by Robin Wall Kimmerer and published by Oregon State University Press in 2003, is a winner of the John Burroughs Medal, an award for natural history writing. The author is a Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology at the State University of New York, State College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Line drawings illustrate this book that is comprised of a series of essays through which the author enchantingly takes you along on her personal journey of discovery through the Lilliputian world of mosses. She even provides a “moss- milkshake” recipe for moss-gardening enthusiasts. I highly recommend this book for anyone that is curious about the lifestyle of these much-overlooked members of the plant kingdom. Outstanding Mosses & Liverworts of Pennsylvania & Nearby States, written by Susan Munch, was published by Albright College in 2006. The author has a Ph. D in botany from the University of Washington and has taught botany for many years In Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland. During a Wildflower Pilgrimage walk, I had the privilege of meeting the author, who stated that one of her goals in writing this field guide was to enable beginners to identify the most common mosses and liverworts without the use of a microscope. This she accomplishes admirably. Otherwise Illustrated by color photographs, introductory side-by-side line drawings illustrate basic terminology for mosses and liverworts. This book opens the door for those who might dare to take moss ID to the next level. A cursory inspection leads me to believe that I’ve found three moss genera new to me growing just outside the house: Atrichum, Mnium, and Entodon. I think that I just caught the moss bug!! Cover; The flower on the cover is Shortia galacifolia, Oconee Bells. Our newsletter is named for this southern endemic which is now rare in the wild. P.1 MEMBER NEWS New Members Christine Barnes. Etowah. Christine moved to our area about 1 8 months ago from a small town in New York State near the Pennsylvania border. She belonged to a naturalist club and was also a volunteer for a water conservation education center. Patsy Mitchell. Rutherfordton. Patsy learned about the Botanical Club during a visit to the Bullington Center. This spring she landscaped her yard with native plants and rocks. She has lived in the Rutherfordton area all her life. She enjoys wild flowers which she paints and uses on her pottery. Gail Wilcox. Cedar Mountain. Gail and her husband came to this area from Wisconsin after living there for 27 years. In Wisconsin, they naturalized their city yard. She learned about the club from Jenny Lellinger. Kathy Johnson is helping her plan a native plant yard for their new home in Cedar Mountain. Fall Overnight Trip Piedmont Prairie Restoration Sites Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29 and 30. Our fall overnight trip will be a visit to two prairie restoration sites located north of Gastonia and west of Charlotte. We will leave early Saturday morning and go directly to the Latta Plantation where we will spend the day for a guided tour of the restoration site. The Carolina Raptor Center Is also at the Latta Plantation and can be visited after the prairie tour. The many birds which can be seen at the Raptor Center have been injured and can no longer live in the wild. Sunday morning we will go to a private estate to view a different type of prairie restoration. Botany Club member, Jean Woods, will be our guide both days. Overnight accommodations will be at the Comfort Suites In Gastonia. Ten rooms have been reserved at a special rate of $79 plus taxes until Sept. 22. Members are responsible for their own reservations. Call Comfort Suites at 704-865-6688 and identify yourself as a member of the Botanical Club to get the special rate. Please register with Bonnie Arbuckle (696-2077) or Anne Ulinski (697-9527) so we can send driving directions and other information as needed. P.2 Recorder Ramblings 2007 Ken Borgfeldt We had only one cancelled field trip - the one to Wayah Bald due to possible thunder showers. The trip to Pacolet Falls was highlighted by an abundance of Trilliums, particularly Catesby’s Trillium {Trillium catesbaei), and Canada Violets {Viola canadensis). The day was overcast and cool for the walk around Jones Farm. Botanizing was excellent as 125 species were identified including 54 “bloomers”. The scheduled walk to Coleman Boundary had to be changed as the rangers were busy fighting fires in the Smokies and the road was closed. We walked the trail from Tanbark Tunnel to Rattlesnake Lodge. Instead of returning as we had come, we continued to Bull Gap. An abundance of flowering plants were found including Flame Azalea {Rhododendron calendulaceum), Whorled Pogonia {Isotria verticillata), and Dwarf Larkspur {Delphinium tricorne). We took our first walk on Buck Spring Nature Trail which is our repeat location for this year. We found many spring favorites including Painted Trillium {Trillium undulatum), Wild Lily-of-the-Valley {Convallaria majuscule), and Cream-colored Wake Robin {Trillium erectum (cream)). The day was cool and windy at Falling Creek Camp. We were treated to a nice display of Pitcher Plants, including Sweet Pitcher Plant {Sarracenia rubra ssp. Jonesii) and Green Pitcher Plant {Sarracenia oreophila). The Fairy Wands {Chamaelirium luteum) were a shov/y addition to much of the trail. Hexastylis species were the subject of the trip to Ashmore Preserve. It seems that a number were observed and specific identification was brought Into question. Other species of note included Grass Pink {Calopogon tuberosus) and Horned Bladderwort {Utricularia cornuta). It was a pleasant sunny day at Bee Tree Gap. We were earlier than usual so many of our favorites were not in bloom this year but the Glaucous Honeysuckle {Lonicera dioica) did not disappoint. We visited Pink Beds for the first time since checklist records were kept. Despite a couple of hairy water crossings, the trail was relatively easy. The walk proved challenging to several of our died-in- the-wool botanists who found three species that remain unidentified. Others in abundance included Smooth Southern Bush Honeysuckle {Diervilla sessilifolia) and Large-flowered Heartleaf {Hexastylis shuttleworthii). Several years ago the club prepared a nature brochure for the Buck Spring Nature Trail. Our second trip allowed us to confirm that several “nature posts” need repair and some rewording in the brochure is necessary. Meanwhile, Starry Campion {Silene stellata) was blooming profusely. On our annual visit to Sky Valley Road, the Yellow Fringed Orchid {Platanthera ciliaris) was not as showy as usual. However, Nuttall’s Lobelia {Lobelia nuttallii) and Fern-leaved False Foxglove {Aureolaria pedicularia) were blooming profusely. The walk on Shut-in Trail to Mills River Overlook was climaxed by an incredible show of Turk’s Cap Lilies {Lilium superbum). We apparently hit the plants at the peak of bloom. In addition, we found the Fringed Campion {Silene ovate), a candidate for federal listing as an endangered plant. P.3 DID YOU KNOW? Witch’s Broom Witch’s Broom is a disease or deformity in a woody plant, typically a tree, where the natural structure of the plant is changed. A dense mass of shoots grows from a single point, with the resulting structure resembling a broom or a bird’s nest. They may last several years and can be caused by many types of organisms, such as fungi, insects, mistletoe, mites, nematodes and viruses. Human activity such as a tree pruned improperly may leave the tree susceptible to disease. Brooms have, long been connected with witchcraft, almost universally portrayed as medieval-style round brooms and associated with female witches. Despite the association with women, the first known case of claiming to have flown on a broomstick was confessed in 1453 by the male witch, Guillaume Edelin. This summer the Club saw a large witch’s broom on a willow oak at Holmes Educational State Forest. 00 oo oo oo oo oo oo In the 1600’s many species of native plants traveled from Virginia to Europe. Some of these were: Sassafras {Sassafras albidum) 1608 Evening Primrose {Oenothera biennis) 1621 Staghorn Sumac {Rhus typhina) 1629 Canada Lily {Lilium canadense) 1620’s Persimmon {Diospyros virginiana) 1629 Spiderwort {Tradescantia virginiana) 1629 Wild Columbine {Aquilegia canadensis) 1640 Poison Ivy {Rhus radicans) 1640 Trumpet Vine {Campsis radicans) 1640 Black Locust {Robinia psuedoacacia) 1656 Tulip Poplar {Liriodendron tulipifera) mid 1600s Bee Balm {Monarda didyma) 1656 Red Maple {Acer rubrum) mid 1600s Goldenrod {Solidago canadensis) mid 1600s Coral Honeysuckle {Lonicera sempervirens) mid 1600s New York Aster {Symphyotrichum novi-belgii) 1661 Sycamore {Plantanus occidentalis) 1636 Cardinal Flower {Lobelia cardinalis) 1670s Magnolia spp {Magnolia virginiana) 1688 Sweet Gum( Liquidambar styraciflua) 1 687 -Marion Lobstein, Biology Dept., No. Va. Community College P.4 Schweinitz’s sunflower {Helianthus schweinitzii) Schweinitz’s sunflower is a remnant plant of old Piedmont prairies and is listed as rare (US Endangered, NC Endangered, SC Rare). It blooms in late August to October and its range is limited to the Piedmont of N.C. and S.C., primarily within 100 km of Charlotte, N.C. In Mecklenberg county, one discovery of the sunflower was found at Redlair Farm, a Catawba Lands Conservation (CLC) property. It was found by Lisa Gaffney, a botanist and CLC member. She discovered it while leading a nature walk through the area. “It’s the most exciting discovery I’ve made since I’ve been working with plants”, she said. The sunflower grows In clayey soils of woodlands and roadsides, formerly in post oak-blackjack oak savannas and xeric oak-pine woodlands. On our fall overnight trip we will see the sunflower at two prairie remnant sites: the Latta Plantation and Redlair Farm. Originally not found at the Latta restoration site, it has been introduced there and is thriving. Schweinitz's sunflower is a rhizomatous perennial plant which grows from 4-5 feet tall. The stems are solitary, branching at or above mid-height. They can be pubescent or glabrous and are often purple. The leaves are opposite, wider near their bases, variable In size but generally larger on the lower stem. Leaf margins are usually entire and the leaves themselves are rather thick and stiff. The lower surface is densely pubescent, with soft white hairs obscuring the leaf surface. It blooms from September to frost and both its ray and disk flowers are yellow. The specific epithet honors Lewis David von Schweinitz, 1780-1834, a North American botanist whose work on fungi established him as “the patron saint of North American mycology.” Schweinitz’s sunflower can be removed from the endangered list if 10 recovery sites are developed. There are currently 6 such sites in North Carolina. A recovery site is defined as a legally protected property with a thriving population of the endangered plant. Schweinitz’s Sunflower with beetle Rhizomatous. having underground stems, usually horizontal and rooting at the nodes. Glabrous, without hairs. Pubescent, with hairs, downy. Entire, denoting a continuous, unbroken leaf margin without teeth, lobes, etc. Sources: NC Native Plant Society newsletter, Weakley’s 2006 Draft, and “ A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina” More Prairie Plants Georgia Aster {Symphthchium georgianum) was seen in bloom at the Latta site last fall by three of our members. It has composite flowers about two inches wide with deep purple ray flowers, pale white disk flowers and clasping alternate leaves. It is listed as S2 - imperiled, as well as threatened in N.C., and is a Federal candidate for endangered status. This is a beautiful plant and hopefully it will be in bloom for our fall visit. Pale or Striped Gentian, {Gentiana villosa), is another species seen at restoration sites. It is a perennial herb with erect smooth stems. The leaves are opposite and sessile. There are several dark green shiny leaves at the base of the inflorescence. The flowers are 1-2 inches long, greenish white, often striped, the five lobes partially open, and borne in terminal clusters with a few in the leaf axis itself. Prairie Dock, Silphium terebinthinaceum, Is a perennial plant growing from a taproot, with leaves very large and mostly basal. The blades are heart-shaped at the base and the flowering stems are often 7-10 feet tall. The flowers are numerous, with yellow rays and disk flowers. Prairie Dock blooms from July to September. It is restricted to the Carolinas and is listed as significantly rare in North Carolina. Jean Woods, our leader for our trip, says it is on the Latta list and suggests we look for it at Redlair. Indian Grass, Sorghastrum nutans, is a native perennial and is one of the dominant species of the tall-gass prairie. In the east it is not common but we should find it in bloom at both prairie sites. During flowering, the inflorescence is tall and narrow; golden brown and shining. It can grow as tall as nine feet. i Striped Gentian {Gentiana villosa) Indian Grass (Sorghastmm nutans) Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum) P.6 A Saturday Morning Foray in Manhattan “There is no end to the odd things that New Yorkers do on Saturday mornings. This, at least, is what drivers must have thought when they had to slow down to avoid a line of a dozen people flattened against the enormous embankment of the Park Avenue railroad trestle, peering with magnifying glasses and monoculars Into tiny crevices in the stone.” Police officers stopped their patrol cars and watched with suspicion until they caught sight of the T-shirts most of the group were wearing which had the name “American Fern Society” or “Ferns are Ferntastic”. It was a group from the American Fern Society and the Torrey Botanical Club. These forays, which have been going on for more than a century, usually are to more bucolic sites but today it was the Park Avenue viaduct with its crevices and crumbling mortar which is a perfect place for the chink-finding, xerophytic ferns - ferns that can stand long periods drying out and come to life again after a good rain. The Torrey Botanical Society was founded in the eighteen-sixties, and The Fern Society a few years later. This Saturday the group was about equally divided by gender with ages varying from twenty to eighty. Besides the pteridophiles were two bryophiles from the Torrey Society, “slumming” among the fern people. The bryophiles are more interested in mosses, liverworts and lichens. Ferns are a bit too modern, too evolutionary advanced for them. The leader for the day was Michael Sundue, a young botanist and fern expert from the New York Botanical Garden. Michael pointed out the first ferns on a wall where tiny rivulets of water would run down after a rain, dissolving the mortar and making an ideal habitat for the lime-loving Woodsia obtusa, blunt-lobed cliff fern. Fie discovered a tiny gametophyte in a bed of moss. The gametophyte is a crucial intermediate stage in the fern’s reproductive cycle. Almost at the same time the group saw high above their heads a huge Woodsia specimen, nearly six feet across, clinging to a rock. Sundue said it could be decades old, that some species are very long-lived. He explained that a fern keeps growing until it runs out of food, is outsted by competition, or probably in this case, becomes so heavy that it falls to the ground. But, he said, youth is apparent, even in ferns. He described a young Woodsia as “charming: a bright spring green; tiny, like babies’ toes; and very soft and vulnerable.” There was nothing but Woodsia between 103rd and 104th Streets, but at the next block Thelypteris palusths, a marsh fern, was seen in a very unmarshy environment. It was perched on a wall about eight feet above the ground. Between 104th and 105th Streets, the ebony spleenwort, Asplenium platyneuron, densely covered the trestle. Sundue said the spleenwort had been much rarer in this area but the rocks in New York are acidic and these alkaline-loving ferns were moving to the Park Avenue Trestle where the mortar provides the lime the plants need. Between 105th and 106th Street, the group found a sensitive fern, Onoclea sensibilis. It looked dry and someone gave it a drink from a water bottle. As they went on, they identified the last of the ferns, a bladder fern, Cystopteris tenuis and Asplenium rhizophyllum, the remarkable walking fern. Excerpts and quotations from an article by Oliver Sachs, The New Yorker. August 13, 2007 P.7 I call your attention to a paragraph from Pleasant River by Dale Rex Coleman: “The landscape is neither a fortuity nor a permanent fixture created by fiat. It is a stupendous master- piece sculptured from rock by blasting heat and icy cold, cut by the wind, molded by rain, and adorned with life. It is an unfinished masterpiece. The elements, having labored at it for millions of years, anticipate uninterrupted toil for millions more to come. It is the greatest of all privileges to behold their creation and to watch them at their work. Go out and look!” Yes, go out and look. That is just what the Botany Club will be doing all spring, summer and fall. Look at the trees — but enjoy the beauty of the forest, too. Look at the flowers — but raise your eyes often to drink in the splendor of the hillside. Look at the stream as it hurries along polishing its rocks -- but enjoy, too, the beautiful music of flowing water. Come out often and look with us — - it’s one of the privileges granted those who have eyes to see. —From “The President’s Desk”, Shortia. Spring 1988. Written by Bill Verduin P.8 SHORTIA c/o Anne Ulinski 1212 Chanteloup Drive Hendersonville, N.C. 28739 FIRST CLASS Library *Att: Dr. Buck New York Botanical Garden Bronx, N.Y. 10458-5126 iili SHORTIA A quarterly publication of the Western Carolina Botanical Club Vol. XXIX. No. 3 Fall 2007 Editor; Anne Ulinski Editorial Assistant; Jean Lenhart Member News; Ruth Anne Gibson Please submit contributions for the next issue by November 1 5. The purpose of the Club is to study the plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and the Southeast through field trips and indoor meetings. Membership is open to all. Individual/family memberships are $15. New members joining from the period July 1 -December 31 , pay $8. All memberships are renewable on January first of each year. Send dues to; Larry Avery, 4 Windrush Lane, Flat Rock, N.C. 28731 SHORTIA NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB WINTER 2007 Shortia gaiadfolia Oconee Beils WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB President: Jenny Lellinger Treasurer; Larry Avery Vice President; Helen Smith Recorder; Ken Borgfeldt Secretary: Juanita Lambert Historian; Lucy Prim From the President Jenny Lellinger Finally! A reader-friendly book about the geology of the Carolinas! Accustomed to carrying with me a volume from the Roadside Geology series in my travels through the US, a field guide to the geology of North Carolina was near the top of my list of must-have books when Dave and I moved to the area. Published in 2007 by the University of North Carolina press, Exploring the Geology of the Carolinas: A Field Guide to Favorite Places from Chimney Rock to Charleston is such a book. Authored by Kevin G. Stewart, associate professor of Geological Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Mary-Russell Roberson, a freelance science writer living in Durham, NC. the book guides the reader through field trips to thirty-one different sites. Arranged by physiographical provinces, from the Blue Ridge to the Coastal Plain, the chapter for each field trip walks the reader along geologically significant formations. Each field trip chapter includes a locator map and a section with “Location and Access” notes. To better understand the discussion for any given site, it is best to read the introductory chapters covering geologic time, current geologic concepts and thinking, geology of the Carolinas over time, and how to read rocks. Although the book is mostly illustrated in black and white with a few color plates, the diagrams illustrating geological processes are effective, and the definition of the black and white photographs depicting rock formation details is surprisingly good. The book is written in lay-language and technical terms are clearly defined when first introduced. Judging by the field trips described for the Blue Ridge physiographical province (Chimney Rock, Whiteside Mountain, Grandfather Mountain, and Linville Falls, to name a few), the authors selected sites where geological formations are clearly evident and fairly easy for the uninitiated to interpret. I find it helpful to understand the connections between the geological processes that led to the rock formations surrounding us, that in turn decomposed to form the mineral components of our soils, that subsequently resulted in the various natural communities that host the plants we observe during our field trips. Cover. The flower on the cover is Shortia galacifolia, Oconee Bells. Our newsletter is named for this southern endemic which is now rare in the wild. MEMBER NEWS Annual Dues. January 1 , 2008 is the date for all membership renewals. Enclose the green renewal form with your check. Please fill in all the information requested so we can verify our membership records. Winter Meetings will automatically be cancelled if the Henderson County Schools are closed. Check weather reports or telephone the Henderson County Office at 697- 4733. Learn and Share. This popular indoor program will be held at the Bullington Center on Friday, March 7, 2008. We need 6-8 members to volunteer to give a short (10 minute) talk on something recently learned that can be shared with others. Perhaps a book, an interesting discovery, a plant, a travel experience or a special hobby. Come and be entertained while learning. Volunteers contact Anne Ulinski who will organize the program. Tel # 697-9527. E-mail address Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge. Tennessee. Winter doldrums? Need a walk in the Smokies. ..a digital photography lesson... llama trek.. .hog calling lessons? The place to find these all-nature attractions, plus many, many more, is the Wilderness Wildlife Week from Saturday, January 12 through Sunday, January 19, 2008. All the programs are FREE. Motel rates are LOW. Stay a couple of days or the week. You are sure to meet other Botany Club members there who go every year because it is so great. Come join the fun. Google Pigeon Forge Wilderness Week for more information or call 1-800-WINTERFEST for a brochure. To talk with a member who has attended many of these Wilderness Wildlife Weeks in the past, get in touch with Wilma Durpo at *A list of suggested plants for observation in each state is available but volunteers are free to select a plant of choice. Information for this article came from the October 2007 Smithsonian , the October/November 2007 issue of the National Wildlife Federation’s, National Wildlife. and websites. P.8 SHORTIA c/o Anne Ulinski 1212 Chanteloup Drive Hendersonville, N.C. 28739 PM a \