NEWSLETTER OF THE

TENNESSEE NATIVE
PLANT SOCIETY

Volume 37, Number 4 December 2013

Edward Schell Named
to Botanist Hall of Fame

Four Nominated
for Board Seats,
Please Vote

I inducted long-time TNPS member Ed Schell into its Hall of

JL Fame, during the annual meeting in September, a meeting held

jointly with the Kentucky Native Plant Society at Lake Barkley State Park.

Schell is widely
known as a photogra-
pher, accomplished
amateur botanist, and
champion of Roan
Mountain, the popular
preserve in East Ten-

nessee.

He joins other
revered botanists in the
Hall of Fame, includ-
ing Andre Michaux,
eighteenth century
French botanist who
identified some 260
species found in Ten-
nessee, including three
which bear his name;

Augustin Gattinger,
often called the father
of Tennessee botany

for his field work in the mid and late 1 800s; Elsie Quarterman, professor
emerita of biology at Vanderbilt University, who, among her other accom-
plishments, rediscovered the Tennessee coneflower, which had been consid-
ered extinct; Jack Sharp, who taught at the University of Tennessee for 44
years and received numerous honors for his contribution to the field of
botany; and Robert Krai, emeritus professor at Vanderbilt, whose research
and contributions to botanical literature are unsurpassed.

Ed Schell was a physicist professionally but acquired an abiding interest
in nature. His book Potomac: The Nation's River was published in 1976.
Later he came to Tennessee and settled in Johnson City and in spare time
studied birds and later the plants that attracted the birds, focusing much of

Ed Schell, scouting in his favorite place, among the rho-
dodendrons and grassy balds of Roan Mountain.

Continued on hack page

Deadline Dec. 3 1

F or the first time in recent mem-
ory and, perhaps, for the first
time ever, TNPS members are
asked to vote for specific nominees
to the Board of Directors.

We have four excellent candi-
dates for the three open positions
on the board. Please select three of
the candidates and send your vote
to TNPS, PO Box 159274,

Nashville, TN 37215 or vote
through the website.

The nominees are Susan
Sweetser, Alice Jensen, Michelle
Haynes, and Bertha Chrietzberg.

Bertha is a charter member of
TNPS and has served many years
as a director. She was the first
recipient of the TNPS Conserva-
tion Award and has received many
other awards from the state and
various organizations. Bertha hails
from Murfreesboro.

Continued on page 3

Merry Christmas
& Happy
New Year

2

TNPS Newsletter

A Letter from the President

December 2013 Vol. 37, No. 4

This newsletter is a publication of the
Tennessee Native Plant Society and is
published four times a year, generally in
February, June, August, and November.

The Tennessee Native Plant Society
(TNPS) was founded in 1978. Its pur-
poses are to assist in the exchange of in-
formation and encourage fellowship
among Tennessee’s botanists, both ama-
teur and professional; to promote public
education about Tennessee flora and
wild plants in general; to provide,
through publication of a newsletter or
journal, a formal means of documenting
information on Tennessee flora and of
informing the public about wild plants;
and to promote the protection and en-
hancement of Tennessee’s wild plant
communities.

Dues for each calendar year are:

Regular: $20
Student: Complimentary
Institution: $50
Life: $250

Dues may be sent to:

Tennessee Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 159274
Nashville, TN 37215

Officers

Bart Jones, President
Todd Crabtree, Vice-President
Margie Hunter, Secretary
Darel Hess, Treasurer

Directors

Bertha Chrietzburg
Lorie Emens
Michelle Haynes
Dennis Horn
Larry Pounds
Mary Priestley
Susan Sweetser

Latham Davis, Editor
Please send comments or material for
the newsletter to TNPS Newsletter, P.O.
Box 856, Sewanee, TN 37375 or
lathamdavis@bellsouth.net

TNPS Website:
www.tnps.org/

Chelone glabra, photographed on annual meeting trip

I t is really hard to believe that it is November and another year is quickly
approaching its end. 2013 was another excellent year for TNPS. With the
emergence of our new website and Facebook pages came a resurgence in new
memberships. We thank each of you and hope your experience with TNPS has
been positive. If we didn’t get a chance to meet you this year, I hope you will
attend one of our field trips or the annual meeting next year. I want to also thank
Karen Ripple for the
great job of maintaining
our website and Joanna
Brichetto and Lorie
Emens for the fantastic
Facebook page. Please
check them out if you
haven’t lately as they are
constantly being updated
with new photos and
comments.

I want to recognize all
those who were field trip
leaders this year: Todd
Crabtree, Allan Trently,

Dennis Horn, Margie
Hunter, Larry Pounds,

Jon Evans, and Susan and
Allen Sweetser (along with yours truly). As I can attest, it takes quite a bit of
planning and scouting to put on a successful field trip (not to mention the ensu-
ing fretting about weather and attendance). In a few weeks the field trip planning
committee will be meeting to begin fleshing out next year’s schedule. Any sug-
gestions on possible sites are always welcome, so please let us know if there is a
special place that you know of or would like to
visit again. I’m sure we’ll have another tremen-
dous series of trips for 2014.

I so appreciate the excellent job Latham
Davis does with our newsletter. I know every-
one thoroughly enjoys reading about our
goings-on and viewing the nice photos of the
flowers that illustrate the field trip reports.

Thanks to all who contributed articles and pic-
tures this year. 2013 saw the initiation of our
color electronic newsletter, so if you aren’t cur-
rently receiving the newsletter via email and
want to enjoy the photos in color, please indi-
cate that when you renew your dues. And
remember, you can renew through PayPal on
the website or the traditional route by mail to
our P.O. box.

Our annual meeting, which was a joint affair
with the Kentucky Native Plant Society, was a
great success. Over 60 people were in atten-
dance with Lake Barkley State Park providing a
spectacular backdrop. We were treated to two

Dr. Edward Chester at TNPS
annual meeting

3

Board Election Attracts Four Candidates

— Continued

Michelle is currently serving her second two-year term on the Board of Direc-
tors and also serves as the TNPS representative to the Tennessee Conservation
Voters. Michelle resides in Gallatin.

Alice is a long time member of TNPS, as well as several other botanical organi-
zations. She has operated an ornamental horticulture business for many years at
her home in Shelbyville.

Susan has been involved with TNPS since its early years as both an officer and
in her present position as a director. A regular field trip leader, Susan calls Powell
home.

Vote for three of these candidates

□ Bertha Chrietzberg □ Alice Jensen

□ Michelle Haynes □ Susan Sweetser

Please return ballots by December 31 , 2013 , to:

TNPS, PO Box 159274 , Nashville, TN 37215

Or vote at the TNPS website

Presidents Letter — continued

wonderful talks, with Dr. Ed Chester speaking Friday evening and Dr. Ron Jones
presenting Saturday night. For those who chose not to go on the field trip Satur-
day, Rita Venable led two discussions on butterflies and butterfly gardening. A
visit to Hematite Lake in Land Between the Lakes highlighted Saturday’s field
trip (see page 7 ). This hike and a stop at the Nature Center on Sunday were
organized and led by Tara Littlefield and Julian Campbell of KNPS. Thanks go
to all these folks, and a big round of applause is due Lorie Emens who once again
did an excellent job organizing the meeting. It’s not too early to start making
your plans for next year’s meeting when we will return to the Beersheba Springs
Assembly. This is always a favorite and I’m sure we’ll have an enjoyable weekend
together on the Cumberland Plateau September 19—21.

For the first time since I joined TNPS, we will have a contested election of
three directors. See the biographies of the four nominees to help inform you
about your choices and send in your ballot. All four are worthy candidates and
are dedicated to the continued growth of TNPS, so you can’t go wrong.

The first of the three new books TNPS has been involved with is out! Woody
Plants of Kentucky and Tennessee: the Complete Winter Guide to Their Identifi-
cation and Use by Eugene Wofford and Ron Jones is available on Amazon, or
you can pick one up from either Dennis Horn or myself when you see us. The
cost is $3 5 if you get one from Dennis or me and slightly higher from Amazon.
The other two books are awaiting publication. Rita Venable’s Butterflies of Ten-
nessee should be available in the very near future and the Manual of Tennessee
Vascular Plants coordinated by Dr. Chester is on schedule for a fall 2014 release.

I wish everyone a joyous holiday season and. . .

See you on the trail!

TVC Releases New
Legislative Scores

T ennessee Conservation Vot-
ers has just released its
eleventh annual Legislative
Scorecard.

The Scorecard helps bring
accountability to the state legislators
for actions on important conserva-
tion issues. If you have not received
one and want one please call 615-
269-9090 or email info@tnconserva-
tionvoters.org. You can also view the
Scorecard on our website,
www.tnconservationvoters.org.
Many issues of importance to the
environment generally and some to
native plants specifically are
included.

Also, if you want to receive
weekly updates during the legislative
session from TCV, let us know and
we will add you to our list.

On behalf of our board, our
members, and our other member
groups, we thank the Native Plant
Society for your steadfast support
for the last several years! Please
mark the evening of February 28 for
the always entertaining and informa-
tive Nature Votes fundraising event.
Details later.

Stewart Clifton
Registered lobbyist for TCV

Aster oblongifolius

photo by Bart Jones

4

On a Tennessee Waltz for Orchids

Ohio Enthusiasts Find Treasures in Tennessee Meadows

by Tom Sampliner

O ut of state contacts willing to act as plant spot-
ters and then guides are a treasure worth their
weight in gold.

One of my favorite and most valu-
able contacts has to be the most
remarkable Dennis Horn of Tullahoma,

Tennessee. During the summer I kept in
email contact with Dennis who had
agreed to watch the seasonal floral pro-
gression especially with an eye to cer-
tain target orchid species. Dennis is
perhaps the primary of the four con-
tributing authors to the Tennessee
Native Plant Society’s excellent book,

Wildflowers of Tennessee , the Ohio
Valley and the Southern Appalachi-
ans. I heartily recommend this work
to any native plant/ wildf lower enthu-
siast.

Dennis and some of his local
cronies would monitor the progress
of various species on my hit list so as
to determine the prime blooming
window for a whirlwind trip down
there to photograph. Middle Ten-
nessee has some noteworthy plant §
species and habitats. As time passed, the
exact time window or predictions as to
when we could come down to see most of what we
wanted waffled back and forth by days or even a week or
two. Finally, in early August, the exact dates for the trip
were established.

I have never been a fan of hot humid weather. August
in Middle Tennessee conjures up images of the type of
weather I abhor. At least it would provide an in-the-field
test for my newly acquired wardrobe of outdoor wear
meant to be insect proof and sun proof, with wicking
action to keep the toasty human inside semi-dry. My
French legionnaire style baseball cap with rear and side
flaps made me look very “sheik”, if you will excuse the
word play.

It takes ten plus hours to drive from Cleveland, Ohio,
to Manchester, Tennessee. There my friend, Dick Gold,
and I would overnight and be ready for the 8 AM plant-
hunting start to the day. For quite some time prior to
departure, the region had been inundated by steady hot,

humid stormy weather carrying so much rain that storm
sewers and rivers could not contain the flow. Places like

Nashville were making the news due to
flooding. Our drive down involved
going through storms. The overnight
saw a concert of thunder, lightning, and
some heavy downpours that would be
repeated periodically during our outing.

Refreshed by sleep we awoke, break-
fasted and were ready for Dennis and
his friend, Darel Hess. We took two
cars and headed slightly eastward
toward a state natural and scientific pre-
serve known as May Prairie. This is a
346 acre preserve in Coffee County
within the municipality of Manchester,
on the Eastern Highland Rim, a part of
the Interior Low Plateau.

The preserve adjoins Hickory Flat
Wood Wildlife Management Area
adding up to about 1000 acres of total
public land. The prairie is a grassland
community dominated by tall grass and
occasional sedge meadows in wet
depressions. It is the only state site for
snowy orchid ( Platanthera nivea ), one
of our primary goals. I had never previ-
ously seen this species.

We entered via the rear. This requires fording a wet ditch
converted by the storms into a raging current. Next was
the perimeter to the woods guarded by robust well-armed
greenbriers in the family Smilacaceae. A machete is called
for. After somehow surviving and penetrating into the
woods one finally enters the prairie.

Once into the open prairie an astonishing view awaits
the visitor. Loads of bright pink coastal meadow beauty
(Rhexia mariana ), orange-yellow coppery St. John’s wort
( Hypericum denticulatum J, tall cut-leaf prairie dock (Sil-
phium pinnatifidum) and the silvery haired ashy sunflower
(. Helianthus mollis) among many other attractive flowers
and grasses were putting on a show. We however, were pri-
marily here for the orchids. Soon our guides were taking us
to the bright white flowering stalks of our primary target,
the snowy orchid ( Platanthera nivea). For photographic
purposes we would have preferred that our timing had
been better to catch the racemes in prime full bloom. These

Snowy orchid (Platanthera nivea)

5

caught in prime condition. Here we met our third local guide, Chuck
Wilson, who had been keeping track of these orchids for Dennis. Chuck
is a talented guy who follows orchids in his home state of Tennessee but
also helps out several times a year with orchid tracking and research in
the famous Fakahatchee in Florida.

I had seen these orchids about six or seven years prior, but my equip-
ment and techniques then left much to be desired. So I was anxious to
rephotograph. Lens fogging, of both equipment and eyeglasses, was
somewhat of a barrier to the task at hand. Stimulated by these long
spurred white orchids with delicate fringing along part margins, I was
bound to give it my best effort. Water and mud created some treacherous
footing as well as difficulty in setting up tripods. Stately yellow fringed
orchids also demanded some of my time. All too soon it was time to put
away equipment and head on down the road to a second site on Welch-
land Rd. which was ten miles north of the first stop. Here we added to
our orchid repertoire with some ladies’ tresses. We encountered both
Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis and Spiranthes vernalis. Here, we left one
member, Dick Gold, while the rest of us drove on to private property
where we would walk a low wet area then turn into a forest to, we
hoped, scout up some crested orchid (Platanthera cristata). Chuck did
not understate the difficulty of this last site’s walk as if to put a whole

were all showing signs of browning at some point along
each raceme. Nevertheless, portions of some were photo-
genic.

The high heat and humidity were a distraction from the
task of trying to control one’s camera gear. I could have
used several head sweatbands as the flow from my head
kept dripping into and stinging my eyes. Towards mid-day,
the occasional showers added thunder and lightning com-
ponent as well as heavier downpours. This caused us to
perform the two step shuffle hurriedly trying to put away
and protect camera equipment. This occurred several times
and I became quite adept at it. At least the showers kept
down the insect pests. My every step became part of a rinse
cycle.

The hot white racemes of the orchids provided plenty of
photo ops. So too did the stately bright orange colored
orchid stalks of the so-called yellow fringed orchid ( Pla-
tanthera ciliaris ); all orchid aficionados wonder why this is
not called the orange-fringed orchid. We would see more
of these later in the day.

By this time not only had thunder shows dampened our
equipment and enthusiasm, but we were quite hungry. So
we headed for a late lunch break before heading up into the
Cumberland Plateau. Apparently the humidity was not
taking any lunch break. Nonetheless we traveled perhaps
one hour and ended up somewhere along Route 111 per-
haps two miles north of a small town called Cagle. Here a
wide deep roadside ditch descended from the highway,
widened into a wetland and then abruptly rose to meet a
woods. In the wettest areas we found our first monkey-
faced orchids ( Platanthera integrilabia). Unlike their
smaller cousin the snowy orchids, these specimens were

new meaning to the concept of the Tennessee two step or
a waltz. In order to make any progress in the woods it
was mandatory you lift one leg high and stomp down on
greenbriers on steroids that seemed to block any pathway.
These shrubs were down-right grabby. We found the tar-
gets and they became ours, photographically that is. They
were small but quite prime specimens. They are the same
bright orange of the ciliaris and smaller in flower size. We
obtained our images and left content. On our way out we
found and had to take at least a couple of images of the
cranefly orchid ( Tipularia discolor).

We returned to pick up Dick Gold and put away
equipment for our return drive back to Manchester. We
were tired but satisfied. The only species we did not catch

up with on the
target list was
yellow fringe-
less orchid
( Platanthera
Integra). Oh
well, an excuse
for a future
visit.

Photos by
Tom Sampliner

Maryland Meadow Beauty (Rhexia mariana)

Monkey-face orchid (Platanthera integrilabia)

6

The Wild Here and Now

A new book of nature essays, The Wild Here and

Now , written by Susan Charkes and illustrated by
Mary Priestley, is just out.

Charkes, who lived in Sewanee, Tennessee, in 2006,
writes about nature where you least expect to find it: right
in front of you. Nature in The Wild Here and Now is not
something you go somewhere else to discover. It’s all
around you: a squirrel in a tree cavity, a mayfly on the
hood of a car, a turkey vulture overhead, a gnat under the
collar.

Both a poet and a writer of nonfiction (including several
books on the outdoors), Charkes has a supple style that
conveys the same quality of surprise that she finds in
nature. The Wild Here and Now inspires the reader to see,
hear and feel nature with newly sharpened senses: to dis-
cover a new world, right outside the front door.

Priestley’s pen and ink drawings throughout

capture this spirit. Charkes comments, “When I
moved to Sewanee it was Mary Priestley’s writings
about the outdoors that first drew me to the com-
munity’s unique natural wonders, and also initiated a per-
sonal relationship that is based on a shared love for the
small things in nature that Mary’s drawings convey per-
fectly.” The Wild Here and Now , published by Arboreality
Press, is sold through amazon.com. ($ 8.96 paperback)

Gardening for Biodiversity

A Review

I f you’re looking for a great Christmas gift for the gar-
dener in your life, Bringing Nature Home: How You
Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants by Douglas W.
Tallamy (2009, Timber Press) provides stimulating winter
reading and thought-provoking ideas for spring garden
planning. First published in 2007 Bringing Nature Home
was updated and expanded in 2009, but remains timely.

Tallamy begins with the observation that the native
plants on his property showed abundant signs of insect
attack, but not so the alien ornamental plants which come
from another part of the world and lack local predators, or
have long been bred to resist insects and diseases. That
resistance, however, prevents alien plants from contribut-
ing to the sustenance of native insects, birds and wildlife.
The aliens are not part of a food web. They take up space
but are not part of a balanced community nor do they sup-
port insect biodiversity which birds and wildlife depend
upon.

Tallamy reasons that if backyards and gardens were con-
verted to native plants (or at least the non-natives
removed), then a tremendous amount of wildlife food and
habitat would be provided, local biodiversity would
increase, insect invaders would be controlled by their pred-
ators, and a balanced community could take the place of
our typically labor intensive gardens. And we all have seen
native plants that easily rival the ornamentals in beauty.

Tallamy ’s arguments are supported by observations and
studies, facts and numbers. Half of the book contains sug-
gestions of what should be planted “to support a diverse
and balanced food web essential to all sustainable ecosys-
tems.”

Bringing Nature Home presents solid arguments for
planting with natives as well as reasonable suggestions of
how that can be accomplished.

Karen Ripple

TNPS FIELD TRIPS

7

Hematite Lake, Land Between the Lakes
September 21, 2013 (TNPS Annual Meeting)

Our trip around Hematite Lake at Land Between the Lakes
began with two groups going in opposite directions to loop
around the lake.

At the far end of the lake where the two groups met, we
shared the locations of interesting finds and this gave each
group a few goals. It was like a little botanical treasure hunt.

One of the treasures we found was sweet scented indian
plantain (Hasteola suaveolens). This species is on the rare
plant list in Tennessee and is found in floodplains along rivers
where the ground is periodically
disturbed. The leaves are unique
and once learned will allow you to
easily identify this plant even with-
out flowers.

We arrived too late to smell the
sweet flowers. If you happen to
notice these along a river it is well
worth a side trip to experience the
sweet smell of the flowers. The
plants are tall and the flowers are at
a convenient height to allow a per-
son to bend over just slightly to
catch the scent.

Many species in the bean family
(Fabaceae) have showy flowers but
the fruits are less often appreciated
or even seen. We saw two species
with intricately patterned beans
within plain pods. Butterfly pea
(Clitoria mariana) has an extrava-
gantly showy flower borne along
vines that scramble on and over
other plants. The oval seeds inside
the pod are a dull olive green with tiny blobs and squiggly
lines of a fuliginous red color.

Hog peanut (Amphicarpea bracteata ) has rather small
flowers of white and is a frequent inhabitant of moist woods.
It usually covers much of the ground where it is happy. The
kidney shaped seeds are pale green with speckles and blobs
of grayish purple.

Orchids always create a stir among botanists, and on this
day it was no different. We decided the first one we encoun-
tered was nodding ladies’ tresses (Spiranthes cernua). While
very beautiful this species is one of the most common and is
seen frequently in moist areas usually near rivers and
streams.

The second orchid species we saw was much less common.
October ladies’ tresses (Spiranthes ovalis) is widespread east

of the rockies but is nowhere common. The plant we saw
had numerous flowers but only a few were near to being
fully open at the base of the inflorescence. This species and
others benefit from periodic disturbance which creates
open habitat. This is contrary to the stable, untouched
habitats that most people would associate with orchids.

As the crowd began to disperse from our examination of
the orchids, we continued around the lake. After enjoying a
good selection of wetland plants from the vantage point of
a long boardwalk across the shallows of the lake, we dis-
covered a paw paw (Asimina triloba) patch. Ripe paw paws
are a rare commodity, and when I am with a group I try to

make sure that everyone
gets to sample the delicious
fruit. I was the first to see
the trees, so I collected the
first ripe fruit I saw and
passed it to the group. I
saw a few more and passed
those along, and then as I
looked around I realized
that this was one of the
best paw paw patches I had
seen, and there were plenty
of fruit for everyone. So I
grabbed a few for myself
and began to enjoy them.

If the fruit are ripe, they
will yield the sweet pud-
ding-like mesocarp when
squeezed gently. Paw paws
are in the custard apple
family ( Annonaceae ) and
the family name is an apt
one. The fruit contain what
could easily be mistaken
for sweet custard. Asimina triloba is only one species
among 1,785 in the family. Most members of the family
reside in the tropics. How many more delectable fruits are
in that group I wonder.

When the two hiking parties met again at the trail head,
we settled down to have lunch and trade experiences and
knowledge from that day and others. There is no better
venue for learning about plants than outdoors with other
botanists. When we get together we share the latest won-
ders that we have seen and sometimes a little foolproof
method to separate one species from another in the field
with a lOx lens. Much was shared on this day, including the
pleasure of eating paw paws.

Todd Crabtree

Hall of Fame— Continued

his interest on Roan Mountain
and its botanical treasures. For
years he led field trips for the
Southern Highlands Conser-
vancy, the Nature Conser-
vancy, Roan Mountain
Naturalist Rally, Smoky
Mountain Wildflower Pil-
grimage, Grayson Highlands
State Park in Virginia, as well
as TNPS.

Ed gave freely of his time
and his beautiful photographs.

He won the prestigious Ansel
Adams Award in 1990 from
the Sierra Club. He coauthored with Wilma Dykeman the
book Tennessee (1986) and contributed to other books.

His photographs can be found on the walls of the Ten-
nessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, in the introduction of
the TNPS wildflower book, and on notecards and calen-
dars of many environmental groups.

2014 Annual Meeting Set
for Beersheba Springs

N ext year’s annual meeting will be held September

19-21 at the Beersheba Springs Assembly near Sav-
age Gulf State Natural Area.

A modern lodge and meeting rooms are located within
the historic assembly and the village of anti-bellum
homes. Beersheba Springs is perched at the edge of the
Cumberland Plateau with a stunning view into the valley
and the Collins River 1,000 feet below. This location
offers numerous opportunities for botanical explorations.
Mark your calendar for this 2014 gathering.

Ed Schell Photograph

Check Your Dues Date?

Check your mailing label — the year through which you have paid dues is printed at the top. If the date’s 2012 or 2011 ,
please send a check promptly to Darel Hess, our treasurer. TNPS, P.O. Box 159274 , Nashville, TN 37215 .

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