Vol. 18 No. 2 Long Island Botanical Society The Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2008 Platanthera pallida, Fifteen Years of Comparisons Paul Martin Brown Reprinted from the North American Native Orchid Journal 14(20): 123-134. 2008. When I first saw plants of the pale- flowered Platanthera cristata (Michaux) Lindley growing in eastern Long Island, New York, in 1989 I admittedly had seen very few populations of the species but knew that these distinctive plants were noticeably different. On that day we had just been guided to a small population of typical P. cristata , P. blephariglottis (Willdenow) Lindley, and several excellent plants of P. Xcanbyi (Ames) Luer (P. blephariglottis X P. cristata). Having the opportunity to see all of these taxa in the span of a few hours provided the basis for compari- sons. Repeated visits in subsequent years to addi- tional eastern Long Island sites, as well as viewing plants growing in New Jersey and Massachusetts only reinforced my original opinion as to the uniqueness of the Montauk peninsula plants. In preparation for publication of Vlatan- thera pallida P.M. Brown as a new species (Brown, 1992) 327 herbarium specimens and several hun- dred living plants in a variety of habitats were ex- amined and special attention was paid to those described as ‘pale yellow’ ‘yellow’ or ‘lemon col- ored’. For the most part these pale-colored plants of P. cristata , designated as P. cristata forma stra- minea P.M. Brown, occurred as scattered individu- als in populations of typical orange-colored P. cristata. Only in a few instances were plants of P. Xcanbyi found. In the ensuing years many more plants of P. cristata and P. Xcanbyi (and within the southeastern coastal plain P. Xbeckneri P.M. Brown (2002) [P. cristata X P. conspicua\ ) were examined both in the herbarium and in situ. have Quite simply put, none of the above taxa the distinctive combination of characters bolded below in a modification of the original de- scription of P. pallida. Plants of Platanthera pallida grow from (20-)29 to 65(-84) cm tall, are glabrous and distinctly glau- cous; the 2-3 lower leaves are sheathed, strongly keeled, and conduplicate, growing to 25(-30) cm long and 3(-5) cm wide when flattened; the upper leaves are reduced to 3 to 5 linear bracts below the inflorescence. The racemose inflorescence of (18-) 24 to 80(-1 1 2) flowers is (5-) 10 to 20(-27) cm long and 2.5 to 4.0 cm in diameter and densely flowered except in very tall individuals; the lower floral bracts are usually equal to or often exceeding the pedicel- late ovary and decreasing in length upwards, about 2.2 cm long. The perianth is very pale orange- yellow in bud opening to pale cream, the petals and lip often aging to a deeper creamy yellow or fading to a dull white; the lateral sepals are 3 mm long by 3 mm wide, reflexed, widest at the middle and tapering to a rounded apex and truncated base; the dorsal sepal is 3 mm long by 3 mm wide, concave, entire and arching forward to partially enclose the fringed petals; the petals are obovate, 3.25 mm long by 2 mm wide, fringed at the tip, with the fimbriae usually forked and clearly visible to the sides of the dorsal sepal; the up is ligulate, 3 mm long by 2 mm wide (exclusive of fringe); recurved or, rarely, descending, the margin with forked fimbriae up to 3 mm long, with the fimbriae near the base perpendicular to the lip; the spur is 5--6 mm long, tubular, strongly curved, and either obtuse or bulbous at the tip; the nectary orifice is T-shaped; the column, with the viscidia, is 2.5-3 mm apart, and the fruit a cap- sule, 1 .0 to 1 .6 cm long. JJ (continued on page 11) Page 10 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 18 No. 2 Long Island Botanical Society Founded: 1986 Incorporated: 1989 The Long Island Botanical Society is dedi- cated to the promotion of field botany and a greater understanding of the plants that grow wild on Long Island, New York. Visit the Society’s Web site www.libotanical.orq Executive Board President Eric Lamont 631-722-5542 Vice President Andrew Greller 516-364-9377 Treasurer Carol Johnston 516-676-6648 Recording Secretary Barbara Conolly 516-922-5935 Corresponding Secretary John Potente 631-361-6756 Committee Chairpersons Local Flora Steven Clemants 718-623-7309 Field Trips David Laby 631-751-0366 Programs Rich Kelly 516-354-6506 Membership Lois Lindberg 516-022-0903 Conservation Bill Titus 516-671-7351 Education Mary Laura Lamont 631-722-5542 Hospitality Kathleen Gaffney 516-742-4019 Zu Proly 516-676-4023 Dorothy Titus 516-671-7351 Newsletter Editor Margaret Conover 631-357-3065 Webmaster Donald House hbsweb@yahoo.com Society News Conservation Report: On 10 March 2008, LIBS conservation committee chair. Bill Titus, represented LIBS at a Nassau County meeting in Mineola concerning the purchase of the environmentally sensitive Smithers property in Mill Neck. The 25 acre site includes Upper and Lower Francis Pond and is part of the headwaters of Shu Swamp Preserve that flows into Beaver Lake. The County voted to purchase the property and the Smithers Foundation will be responsible for m ai ntai ni ng the buildings on the former estate. New LIBS publication in preparation: “Tidal Marshes of Long Island, New York” is currently being laid out and formatted by editor John Potente. We have received high quality articles by experts in the field along with funding for this project. The Andrew Sabin Family Foundation has already donated $1000 and New York State Assemblyman Steven Englebright has submitted a $2500 request to the New York State Legislature for additional funding. If any LIBS members know how to obtain additional funds for this project please contact president Eric Lamont. LIBS partners with New York State: LIBS has accepted an invitation from Gary Lawton to conduct a botanical inventory and provide input in the Sunken Meadow Creek project. Sunken Meadow Creek within Sunken Meadow State Park is one of the largest tributaries of the Nissequogue River and was once a healthy tidally dominated river system. During the 1940s, a dike was constructed across the creek and fitted with two culverts to carry the flows. These culverts were inadequate to transfer the water and over time tidal exchange became se- verely limited resulting in a reduction in tides, a reduction in salts, and a subse- quent change in the system from tidally dominated to unidirectionally flowing. The goal of the project is to restore tidal flow, restore tidal wetlands by re- connecting 73 acres of vegetated wetlands and 38 acres of underwater lands, and enhance passage for fish. LIBS refuses to join Coalition: A coalition of environmental groups and local government agencies has asked LIBS to sign onto a project that would enhance existing hiking trails and create new bicycle “roadways” through Moores Woods in Greenport on the North Fork. After discussing some of the specifics of the plan, it became evident that the coalition had no appreciation of the extreme en- vironmental sensitivity of Moores Woods. No one knew that Moores Woods supports one of the highest concentrations of rare plants on the North Fork. The region also has a history of being rich in salamander diversity. The plan pro- posed construction of a new bike “roadway” near the border of the former KOA Kampground, but no one was aware that this area supports New York’s only population of the rare cranefly orchid ( Tipularia discolor). LIBS is trying to edu- cate the coalition and we have asked for assistance from NY Natural Heritage Program. LIBS supports Coalition to Save the Calverton Grasslands: LIBS has agreed to join the TNC-spearheaded coalition to dramatically scale back the proposed $1.5 billion Riverhead Resorts development project. The project is located at the former Navy property in Riverhead Township where Grumman once built and tested F-14s. The project’s centerpiece includes construction of a 350-foot high snow mountain that would provide an indoor, year-round ski slope. The snow mountain would be, by far, the tallest structure on LI and would require FAA approval. The project also calls for the creation of a 90-acre lake for water ski- ing, surrounded by a seaport-style village, 8 separate hotel resorts including 2200 rooms, 2000 time share units, a water park, a sports complex, equestrian center, etc., etc. Trish Pelkowski, site director of the pine barrens for The Nature Con- servancy, said the 755 acres of grassland, the largest remaining such habitat on Long Island, supports the island’s largest population of wintering short-eared owls and also provides habitat for other rare plants and animals. Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 18 No. 2 Page 11 (continued from pg. 9) Key to the orange, yellow, and white- fringed orchids of North America la. Spur less than 10 mm long; shorter than ovary.. .2 lb. Spur greater then 10 mm long; exceeding ovary.. .3 2a. Lip recurved, lateral sepals reflexed, dorsal sepal entire, spur 5-6 mm long, obtuse; perianth cream-colored.. Platanthera pallida (Figs. 1, 2a) 2b. Lip projecting forward, lateral sepals porrect, dor- sal sepal emarginate, spur 7-8 mm long, acute; perianth orange to yellow ...Platanthera cristata (Fig. 2b) i. Flowers pale yellow... Platanthera cristata forma straminea 3a. Flowers white ... 4 3b. Flowers otherwise. . .5 4a. Lip narrowed to a slender isthmus (1:3) at the base i. Lip margin delicately fringed; plants restricted to the southeastern and Gulf coastal plains P. conspicua ii. Lip margin merely erose; plants of the Cum- berland Plateau. . P. integrilabia 4b. Lip with a broadened isthmus (1:1) at the base; plants widespread in eastern North Amer- ica... P. blephariglottis 5a. Spur 10-15 mm long, exceeding ovary; flowers may be white, cream, pale yellow, yellow, or orange i. Plants intermediate in morphology between P. blephariglottis and P. cristata ; isthmus of lip 1:1... Platanthera X canbyi ii. Plants intermediate in morphology between P. conspicua and P. cristata ; isthmus of lip 1:3... Platanthera Xbeckneri 5b. Spur greater than 15 mm long; greatly exceeding the ovary. . . 6 6a. Flowers bright orange or yellow. . P. ciliaris 6b. Flowers may be cream, pale yellow, yellow, coffee- colored, or bicolored; raceme usually 3 cm or more in diameter i. Plants intermediate in morphology between P. blephariglottis and P. ciliaris; isthmus of lip 1:1... Platanthera X bicolor ii. Plants intermediate in morphology between P. conspicua and P. ciliaris ; isthmus of lip 1:3... Platanthera Xlueri Couplets 5 and 6 have attempted to provide a key to the hybrids in this group. Unfortunately it is not always as clear-cut as this. Perhaps it is best said that hybrids usually occur as random individuals within or adjacent to colonies of either or both parents. Observ- ing plants that appear to be intermediate in color and morphology is the first clue to detecting hybrids. Color is highly variable as one colony with Platanthera Xcanbyi on Long Island has, in a single sea- son, provided hybrid plants from deep orange to pure white! Because the ranges of P. blephariglottis and P. con- spicua have virtually no overlap, although they are ap- proximate in one area of eastern North Carolina, the respective hybrids with P. cristata are also well sepa- rated geographically. The relative size and shape of the isthmus at the base of the lip on the white- flowering species is always evident in the hybrids. The hybrid between P. ciliaris and P. cristata . , P. Xchannellii has a spur that is equal in length to the ovary and lip and although color does not aid in identifying this hybrid as the plants of both parents and hybrids are shades of orange, the size of the raceme in P. Xchannellii is intermediate between that of the parents (Brown & Folsom, 2008). Figure 1. Platanthera pallida P.M. Brown. — A. Habit - B. Perianth; front/side view - C. Petal - D. Lip - E. - Column; side view - F. Dorsal Sepal - G. Lateral Sepal Drawn by Stan Folsom It is very important to remember that any de- scription of Platanthera cristata prior to 1992, and those after that date that do not recognize P. pallida or are based upon earlier descriptions, may include some of the same characters that so typify P. pallida , i.e. short spur, recurved lip, etc. This problem is an often over- looked aspect of taxonomy, especially by the local na- tive enthusiast, and may lead to unneeded confusion when comparing the "old’ broadly defined species and the New 5 narrowly defined species. Page 12 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 18 No. 2 Figure 2a. Platanthera pallida (left), 2b. Platanthera cristata (right). During the past twenty-five years many new species have been described that were segregated from more widespread and familiar species. If the morpho- logical descriptions of those traditional species are still relied upon they usually are found to contain criteria that are distinctive to the more recently described spe- cies, e.g. Platanthera pallida within P. cristata. Some ex- cellent examples are cited below. Calopogon oklahomensis D.I I. Goldman 1995 from Cahpogon tuberosus (Linnaeus) BSP/ C. barbatus (Walter) Ames Cypripedium kentuckiense C.F. Reed 1981 from Cypripedium parviflorum Salisbury complex E pidendrum floridense Hagsater 1993 from Epidendmm dijforme Jacquin Galeandra bicarinata G.A. Romero & P.M. Brown 2000 from Galeandra beyrichii Reichenbach f. Platanthera aquilonis Sheviak 1999 from Platanthera hyperborea (Linnaeus) Lindley Platanthera conspicua (Nash) P.M. Brown revalidated 2004 from Platanthera blephariglottis (Willdenow) Lindley (originally published as Habenaria conspicua Nash) Platanthera praeclara Sheviak & M.L. Bowles 1986 from Pla- tanthera leucophaea (Nuttall) Lindley Platanthera purpurascens (Rydberg) Sheviak & W.F. Jennings revalidated 1997 from Platanthera hyperborea var. purpu- rascens (Rydberg) Luer originally published as Umnor- chis purpurascens Rydberg in 1901 Platanthera tescamnis Sheviak & W.F. Jennings 2006 from Pla- tanthera sparsiflora (S. Watson) Schlechter Platanthera \ othecina (L.C. Higgins & S.L. Welsh) Gandhi & Kartesz 1986 from Platanthera sparsiflora (S. Watson) Schlechter Spiranthes magnicamporum Sheviak 1973 from Spiranthes cemua (Linnaeus) L.C. Richard Spiranthes ochroleuca (Rydberg) Rydberg and S. odorata (Nut- tall) Lindley were both described as species much ear- lier but merged within L. cemua and not revalidated until 1976 and 1980 Spiranthes stellata P.M. Brown, L.A. Dueck & K.M. Cameron 2008 from Spiranthes romangoffiana Chamisso Spiranthes sylvatica P.M. Brown 2002 from Spiranthes praecox (Walter) S. Watson These recently published or revalidated species should be compared with descriptions in Fernald (1950), Correll (1950), Gleason (1978), Gleason and Cronquist (1991) and, although to a lesser extent, Luer (1972, 1975). It is important to remember that contri- butions to the Orchidaceae in Flora of North America north of Mexico (2002) do not necessarily reflect re- search through that date. At best, the research that in- fluenced species treatments concluded in 2000 with minor revisions in 2001. Many of the treatments were completed up to 10 years earlier and were not substan- tially revised. The following discussion is taken from my original paper published in Novon 2: 308-311, 1992 and is included here for those who do not have easy access to that publication. Growing among Pinus rigida in dry interdunal hollows on eastern Long Island, New York, is a Platanthera with small flowers, short spur and superficial resemblance to P. cristata. The most obvious difference at first encounter is the uniform pale cream color of the small flowers. Unlike typical P. cristata in the north, the plants are locally abundant. Detailed examination and observations of P. cristata throughout its range, including all known populations from Long Island, have been made to see if they reveal morphological differences. Measurements were taken of the critical characters, i.e. petals, sepals, lip, spur, cilia and column, of 327 herbarium specimens and 128 living specimens, including 78 plants growing on Long Island. Numerous photographs and drawings, published and unpublished, were also reviewed (Rickett, 1966). Special attention was given to those designated as light yellow or pale' in coloration. With the exception of the plants in question all specimens and living material examined fell well within the criteria for typical P. cristata (Correll, 1950; Luer, 1975). Herbarium specimens and living plants of the northern hybrids, P. xcanbyi, P. xbicolor, and P. ciliaris x P. blephariglottis, (reported from Michigan) were also exam- ined to see if they might be similar to the Long Island plants. They were found to be distinct in all respects. Platanthera pallida shows insufficient features to assume its par- entage is the same as P. xcanbyi. Although the small flower size and pale coloration can be found in many plants of P. xcanbyi the longer spur so characteristic of that hybrid is lacking in P. pallida. The reflexed sepals and recurved lip which are critical features of P. pallida are also present in P. blephariglottis. Comparison with plants from Michigan appearing to be the cross between P. ciliaris and P. blephariglottis showed no similarities, as the putative hybrids are much larger than P. pallida and the spur much longer, as it is in both parents. One of the remarkable aspects of P. pallida is the uniformity of its floral morphol- ogy. All the critical floral characters, i.e. perianth dimensions, color, positioning of floral parts etc., have little, if any, variation throughout all populations. Platanthera pallida occurs as three populations in two sites in the Town of East Hampton, eastern Long Island. The plants appear to have been first discovered by Roy Latham in 1926 (Latham, 1940). By 1948 and subsequent years the stations were visited by several botanists and orchid enthusiasts (Lamont, Beitel, and Zaremba, 1988). Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 18 No. 2 Page 13 Latham's initial site near Montauk supports two distinct current populations. They are separated by nearly 1/4 mile of duneland. In each of these populations the plants are widespread and somewhat scattered, but retain their habitat preference. Adjacent to the areas that support Platanthera pallida are numerous swales and bogs. Typical P. cristata, if present, would be found in these wetter areas, as it is in the Pinelands of New Jersey, a region of similar topography. Careful searches have revealed no other species of Platanthera in either the immediate area or for some miles around. The other population is lo- cated west of Napeague Harbor. Several specimens collected by Latham (NYS) in 1928-29 and simply labeled "Napeague" may be from this site. It was not until 1975 that G.E. Lotowycz found the current site and collected her first specimen - as P. cristata - from there. In contrast to the Montauk site, where the plants are widely scattered, here P. pal- lida is concentrated in a much smaller area and in larger numbers. Again there are adjacent swales and small bogs, but no other Platan- thera species to be found. Companion plants are essentially the same in both locales. Platanthera pallida is consistently observed to be re- stricted to the oldest, most stable Pinus rigida stands within the dunes. An interesting side note is that all the flowers on any given Platanthera pallida inflorescence always set seed. This may account for the large, but local, colo- nies. Also the near-xeric habitat of P. pallida is so unlike that of P. cristata found elsewhere in the North- east. Platanthera cristata colonies observed in Massachu- setts, New York (Long Island), New Jersey, and Delaware are all in considerable moister habitats with companion plants more typical of coastal Atlantic white cedar, Chamaecyparis thyoides (Atlantic white ce- dar), wetlands and open trailside ditches often with Drosera filiformis (threadleaf sundew), Xyris spp. (yellow- eyed grass), Pachnanthes caroliniana (redroot), lycopodiella spp. (clubmoss), Pogonia ophioglossoides (rose pogonia) and Platanthera blephariglottis (white fringed orchid). The lack of these typical moisture loving species in the P. pallida sites is notable, although many of these and ad- ditional wetland species are found nearby in moister interdunal hollows, but never plants of P. pallida. After fifteen years of reviewing and searching for more colonies of Platanthera pallida and plants that indicate any intermediacy with other species of Platan- thera , especially in southern New England, Long Is- land, and coastal New Jersey, the only populations remain those near Montauk, Long Island, New York. These plants are currently treated at the species level in several publications (Brown and Folsom, 1997; 2007; Chapman, 1997; Lamont, 1996; McGrath, 2008). Re- gardless if one chooses to recognize them at the spe- cies level or as a cline within P. cristata (Sheviak, 2002) they remain a group of distinctive and unique plants among the orchids of North America. Acknowledgements: I wish to especially thank Eric Lamont for suggesting that I write a fifteen-year update on Platan- thera pallida and his valuable comments and sugges- tions. Observations over the years from many friends have contributed to or reinforced information in this paper; for those observations I am most grateful. Literature Cited: Brown, P. M. 1992. Platanthera pallida (Orchidaceae), a new species of frin g ed orchis from Long Island, New York, U. S. A. Novon 2: 308-311. . 2002. Revalidation of Platanthera conspicua. N. Amer. Native Orchid J. 8: 3-14. Brown, P. M. & S. N. Folsom. 1997. Wild Orchids of the Northeastern United States. Cornell University Press, Ithaca. . 2007. Wild Orchids of the Northeast: New Eng- land, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Uni- versity Press of Florida, Gainesville. . 2008. Field Guide to the Wild Orchids of Texas. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Chapman, W. 1997. Orchids of the Northeast. Syracuse University Press, Syracuse. Cornell, D. S. 1950. Native Orchids of North America North of Mexico. Chronica Botanica, Waltham, Mas- sachusetts. Fernald, M. L. 1950. Gray’s Manual of Botany 8 th edition. American Book Company, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Gleason, H. A. 1978. The New Britton and Brown Illus- trated Flora of the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. 3 volumes. Hafner Press, New York. Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada, 2 nd edition. New York Botanical Garden, New York. Lamont, E. E. 1996. Atlas of the orchids of Long Island, New York. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 123: 157-166. Lamont, E. E., J. M. Beitel & R. E. Zaremba. 1988. Current status of orchids on Long Island, New York. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 115: 113—121. Latham, R. A. 1940. Distribution of wild orchids on Long Island. Long Island Forum 3: 103—107. Luer, C. A. 1972. Native Orchids of Florida. New York Bo- tanical Garden, Bronx, New York. . 1975. Native Orchids of the United States and Canada (excluding Florida). New York Botanical Gar- den, Bronx, New York. McGrath, R. 2008. Contributions to the status and mor- phology of Platanthera pallida, , Pale Fringed Orchis. Newslett. Long Island Bot. Soc. 18:1-6. Rickett, H. W. 1966. Wild Flowers of the United States 1:1. New York Botanical Garden/ McGraw-Hill, New York. Sheviak, C. J. 2002. Platanthera, , pp. 511-571. In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (editors), Magno- liophyta: Iiliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Flora of North America North of Mexico, vol. 26. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Paul Martin Brown is a Research Associate at the Florida Museum of Natural History-University of Florida Herbarium and founder and editor of the North American Native Orchid Journal. Page 14 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 18 No. 2 Plant Sightings On 24 November 2007, Eric Lamont and Tom Nel- son found at least 24 winter plants of the cranefly or- chid ( Tipularia discolor) at Moores Woods in Greenport on the North Fork. Only the distinctive leaves are visible during this season, and the edges of several leaves had been eaten, probably by a small mammal. They also searched in vain for the basal leaves of an- other orchid, the downy rattlesnake plantain ( Goodyera pubescens)-, populations of this orchid have drastically declined on Long Island during the past 20 years. In January 2008, Eric Lamont located two plants of cut-leaved grape fern, Botrychium dissectum, growing side-by-side along a woodland trail in the newly estab- lished Jamesport State Park overlooking the Long Is- land Sound on the North Fork. The leaves of both plants were in their typical winter bronze coloration. One plant had extremely lacerated (dissected) leaves and represented B. dissectum forma dissectum , the other plant had blunt (oblique) leaves and represented B. dis- sectum forma obliquum. In the 1800s, these two differ- ent taxonomic forms were thought to represent two distinct species ( B . dissectum and B. obliquum ), and as recently as the 1950s (The New Britton <& Brown Illus- trated Flora by H. A. Gleason, 1952) they were classi- fied as two distinct taxonomic varieties of B. dissectum. David Papayanopulos from Planting Fields Arboretum reported Ipomoea hederacea (ivy-leaved morning-glory) from his back yard in Huntington in 2006. He pulled the plant out in the fall but it came back again in 2007. Specimens from both years are in the Planting Fields Herbarium. In 2007, Guy Tudor had reported this non-native, potentially invasive species from the vicinity of Wading River in eastern Suffolk Co. (see LIBS Newsletter vol. 18(1), p. 6). Invasive plant spe- cialists need to keep an eye on this invader before it becomes a problem. You’re Invited! The Joint Field Meeting of the Northeast Section of the Bo- tanical Society of America, Torrey Botanical Society & Philadelphia Botanical Club will be held from June 1-5 in Waretown, NJ. Register by April 21. Contact Ted Gordon, 609-859-3566 or PBlTGordon@aol.com Invasive Species Committee Formed LIBS members will serve an important role on the newly formed Scientific Review Committee of the Long Island Invasive Species Management Area. This committee will meet regularly to produce a scientifically valid assessment of the invasiveness of 140 plant species presently on the Do Not Sell/Manage lists for Suffolk and Nassau Counties. The committee consists of 18 appointed botanical and hor- ticultural experts. LIBS member Marilyn Jordan chairs the committee and Gerry Moore co-chairs. Margaret Conover and Bill Titus have been appointed to represent LIBS on the committee. Other LIBS members involved are Steve Clemants, Andrew Greller, Gary Lawton, A1 Lindberg, Andy Senesac, and Steve Young. Ludwigia in the Peconic Last summer’s efforts to eradicate this invasive aquatic weed from the Peconic River were largely successful, but we don’t dare turn our backs for a moment. Please participate in this summer’s eradication events on June 21-22, and/or July 12- 13. Contact Lama Stephenson: lbstphe@gw.dec.state.ny.us or 631-444-0871 Help Wanted The Tudwigia project (above) offers a salaried position for an Intern. Contact Theresa Goergen at 631-852-5750 Prospect Park seeks a Forestry Technician (seasonal) send cover letter and resume to Job060@prospectpark.org . DEC is looking to hire 8 people to manually control giant hogweed plants throughout the state. Contact Naja Kraus at n e k r au s @gw. d e c . s ta te . ny .u s Has Phrag Finally Met Its Match? Last September, following up on an article in a local newspaper, I visited a homeowner who has property on Goose Creek in Southold. The property is situated on land that supports wetlands plants and meets the creek di- rectly without a bulkhead. The water is brackish and phragmites grows abundantly on this and adjacent properties. The homeowner has been battling the encroachment of phragmites in an interesting way. He has been nur- turing the growth and spread of the native perennial herb Hibiscus moscheutos L. (Crimsoneyed rosemallow). This attractive plant has large cream-colored flowers with dark red centers and a long flowering period from August to October. The large seeds are retained in the seedpods long after maturity. Several years ago the owner began promoting the growth of the hibiscus by pushing ripened seed pods 3 to 4 inches into the marshy soil in the fall and early spring. Many seedlings have resulted. These plants have competed very well with phragmites over the years and established themselves in several areas of the property. The seeds are very viable and easily germinated. I have grown more than 100 seedlings from seeds I col- lected at the site last fall. These seedlings can be made available for research purposes if there is an appropriate site available. For more information contact: Andy Senesac afs2@cornell.edu Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 18 No. 2 Page 15 FIELD TRIPS April 19, 2008 (Saturday) 10 am Alley Pond Park, Bellerose, Queens, NY Trip Leader: Andy Greller A walk to look for spring wildflowers in the upland area of Alley Park. Bring lunch, liquid, sturdy shoes; (optional) camera, handlens, field guides to wild- flowers. (This is a walk arranged for by the Alley Pond Environmental Center and co-listed with the Torrey Botanical Society.) Directions: Meet at the south end of the B allfield Parking lot of Alley Pond Park. It is off Winchester Blvd., 100 yds N of Union Tpke., Bellerose, Queens. Eastbound Grand Central Parkway (GCP) to Union Turnpike exit. Follow Union Tpke. east to Winches- ter Blvd. Make a left and park as directed above. Car: Westbound GCP to Cross Island Parkway South. Exit at Union Tpke. Make sharp right at exit to Union Tpke. Left at light onto Union Tpke head- ing west; make right after about 300 yds onto Win- chester Blvd. ♦ ♦ ♦ June 14, 2008 (Saturday) 10 am Pine Trail Preserve, Ridge/ Calverton, Suffolk Co, NY Trip Leader: David Laby Pine Trail Preserve is a Suffolk County Parks hiking trail designated on an unbuilt highway right-of-way. It is part of the Paumanok Path, extending from Rocky Point to the Shinnecock Canal and beyond. This will be a bit of a walk in Pine Barrens woods possibly to several ponds that are 3 or 4 miles out, which are headwaters of the Peconic River. Afterwards, we may be able to see and smell some mature probable hybrid chestnuts in bloom at a nearby farmstand. Bring water, snacks, field guides, insect and tick repellent. Directions: Meet at Pine Trail Preserve parking lot on the south side of State Rte 25 in Ridge, a little east of William Floyd Parkway/Rte 25 intersection. ♦ ♦ ♦ J une 26, 2008 (Thursday) 1 0 am Flushing Meadows, Queens, NY Trip Leader: Andy Greller A general botany walk, lasting about 2 hours. Wear water-resistant shoes in case we hit some wet spots. Bring water, hat, long sleeves, long pants, insect repel- lant, camera, hand lens and field guide to wildflowers. (This walk is organized by the Queens Botanical Gar- den and co-listed here with LIBS.) Directions: Meet at Queens Botanical Garden Ad- ministration Building. 43-50 Main Street, Flushing, NY 11355 From Long Island: Long Island Expressway (West) to Exit 23 Main Street. Make right turn on Main Street. Follow to Dahlia Avenue and turn left on Dahlia Avenue. Dahlia Avenue becomes Crommelin Street. The parking lot entrance is on the left. There is a $5 fee for parking. ♦ ♦ ♦ July 16, 2008 (Wednesday) 11 am (lecture/talk -NOT A FIELD TRIP) Syosset Public Library, Sy osset, Nassau Co., NY Speaker: Andy Greller An hour long talk on the flora, vegetation and fossils of Caumsett State Park. (This talk is co-listed with Sea- tuck Environmental Center) Directions: Syosset Public Library, Long Island Ex- pressway [exit 43] and South Oyster Bay Rd., north- east corner. It will be in the basement, lecture room A, enter door on South Oyster Bay Road. ♦ ♦ ♦ July 26, 2008 (Saturday) 10 am Nlley Pond environmental Center, Douglaston, Queens, NY Trip Leader: Andy Greller On this “genera jaunt”see a wide selection of botanical genera at Alley Pond Park and marsh. Bring water, in- sect and tick repellent, sturdy and/ or waterproof footwear, field guides, hand lens. (This trip is co-listed with the New York Natural fferitage Program of NYSDEC and The Nature Conservancy) Directions: Meet at Alley Pond Environmental Cen- ter, 228-06 Northern Blvd., Douglaston, Queens.. From Long Island: - Take either Southern State Park- way, Northern State Parkway (Grand Central Parkway) or the Long Island Expressway WEST to Cross Island Parkway north. Exit Cross Island Parkway at Northern Blvd. (Exit 3 IE). APEC will be on the right side as you come off the exit ramp. Join LIBS today! Annual Membership is $20 payable to: Long Island Botanical Society Mail your dues to: Lois Lindberg, Membership Chairperson 6170 Northern Blvd. East Norwich, NY 11732-1614 Long Island Botanical Society PO Box 507 Aquebogue, NY 11931 Page 16 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 18 No. 2 Upcoming Programs April 8, 2008* Tuesday, 7:30 PM Greg Edinger: "The Ecological Communi- ties of Long Island." From the nearly extirpated Hempstead Plains grassland, to the barrier dune eco- system on Fire Island, to the globally rare dwarf pine plains, to the elusive sea level fen, to the maritime for- ests and bluffs at Montauk Point, this illustrated talk will show the diversity of natural communities of Long Is- land. Greg is the Chief Ecologist with the NY Natural Heritage Program. He is the lead editor of Ecological Communities of NY State, and wrote an article for the summer LIBS 2006 LIBS newsletter that focused on the ecological communities of Long Island. Location: Bill Paterson Nature Center, Muttontown Preserve, East Norwich May 13, 2008* Tuesday, 7:30 PM Eliza Woo: "The Role of Plant-Bird Interactions on the Invasion of Bermuda Juniper ( Juniperus bermudiana) in Hawai’i." Biological invasions have played a vital role in forest community composition in the West Maui Mountains of Hawai’i over the last cen- tury. This talk will focus on how plant-bird interactions can influence invasive plant spread and, thus, have im- plications on the management and conservation of native Hawaiian plant communities. Eliza is cur- rently a graduate student at the State University of New York at Stony Brook in the Department of Ecology and Evolution. This talk will present some of her dissertation research on invasion biology and may also contain some stories of her running away from wild pigs and eating lilikoi in her field site in Hawai’i. Location: Museum of Long Island Natural Sciences, Earth and Space Science Building, Gil Hanson Room (Room 123) SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook June 10, 2008 Tuesday, 5:30 PM (please note early start time for the barbeque) Annual Barbeque: The annual barbeque, featuring Chef Eric's made-to-order hot dogs and hamburgers. Salads, deviled eggs, desserts, etc. gladly accepted. The traditional location - on the green behind the Muttontown Preserve meeting house. Location: Bill Paterson Nature Center, Muttontown Preserve, East Norwich * Refreshments and informal talk begin at 7:30. Formal meeting starts at 8:00 PM. Directions to Muttontown: 516-571-8500 Directions to Stony Brook: 516-354-6506