Mimulus Memo California Native Plant Society — Kern County Chapter March 2011 President’s Musings Hello again! This is an exciting time of year. As I write this, the sun has been shining for a few days, and it feels like we might get to enjoy springtime. The fiddle-necks (Amsinckia) and blue dicks ( Dichelostemma ) are blooming along Round Mountain Road, and the grass is tall. I know they aren’t native, but it makes me smile when I see the first flowers of the plum tree opening. I am really looking forward to getting into the hills to see what plants I can learn about this year. Check out the Field Trip section in this newsletter. I think we have more trips scheduled this year than in the past couple of years. If you are interested in going along on field trips, call to let us know when you are available to go, and if you have a particular place you think we should see, be sure to let us know that too. We can get a list going of your availability, phone numbers and email addresses, so that if a field trip comes up suddenly, we can let you know as early as possible, (email Done) Our Chapter is also working hard in the planning phase of getting ready for California Native Plant Week. Just in case you have been away and haven’t heard, the State Legislature passed a Resolution declaring the third week in April to be California Native Plant Week. This year we are celebrating from April 16 th to April 24 th . For more information, see the CNPS website, www.cnps.org . about 2/3 or the way down, on the right side, has the text of the Resolution. It is a couple of pages, and fun to read what we accomplished. We have scheduled our CNPS Native Flower Show for April 16 th , the first day of California Natiave Plant Week, at Beale Library in their Atrium. We are going to need lots of helpers. No, don’t move on to something else. Resolve to read the article about the Plant show further down in the newsletter, and see (continued on page 2) Wildflower Show at the Maturarujo Museum April 15-17, Fri & Sat, 10AM to 8PM & Sun 10AM to 5PM. Wildflower Show at the Maturango Museum, 100 E. Las Flores, Ridgecrest, 760-375- 6900. Come see what wildflower treasures have been uncovered within a 50-mile radius of Ridgecrest. Volunteer teams with BLM permits will search for flora on the east-facing slopes & in the canyons of the Sierra Nevada, in the Coso and El Paso Mountains, as well as the Indian Wells Valley itself. No matter what the weather has been each year there will be wild- flowers to enjoy. On average over 200 species representing over 40 plant families are displayed. On Sat. April 16 at 2:30 pm Kahlee Brighton, will present "Capturing Ephemeral Beauty: A Celebration of California's Wildflowers." As an educator, writer, photographer and recent founder of the Wildflower Conservancy, Kahlee Brighton is deeply passionate about nature — especially wild-flowers. She will share how all lovers of California's floral beauty can enjoy our floral trasures without destroying them. This program will feature Kahlee's beautiful images as well as tips for finding and photographing wildflowers. Also In This Issue Chapter Election Nominating List 2 Welcome New Member 2 Contact Info 2 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 3 FIELD TRIPS 3-4 Oaks of California 5 Our First Wildflower Show 7 Chapter Council Meeting 8 Wildflower Show Collecting Trip 8 VISIT OUR WEBSITE: Kbr/vCWPS.o/hj 1 President’s Musings (continued from page 1) which job would be suited to your interests. Check into the chapter’s website for further updates about what is happening that week. There will be field trips, a meeting on April 19 th at the Superintendent of Schools Office, downtown at 1300 17 th Street, between “K” and “L.” Parking is on the north side of the building, on 18 th . Gathering begins at 6:00 for Keying and socializing. The General Meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. I believe we will be able to have CNPS Posters and some Plant Books for sale. I will also bring our chapter’s (my) Plant Book List. If you wish to look at one or more, let me know, and I will get it to you, or you can just look at the different assortment I bring to meetings each month. I hope to see many of you in the next couple of months. If we haven’t met yet, please come up and introduce yourself to me. Dorie G. Chapter Board and Committee People Nominating List for Upcoming Election The Kern Chapter will be having elections in the middle of June, 2011. The people listed below have agreed to accept the positions as listed. As you can see, there are several positions still available for you. Please consider volunteering for one or more of the tasks. If you need a partner in the job, let us know. We are willing to help you get going, or at the very least, back seat drive! Contact Dorie (before I contact you, or just nominate you.) Just Kidding. Please sign up. Also, if you find something you want to do, we will let you start right away! Yeah!!! President: Dorie Giragosian Vice-President: Open Past President: Lucy Clark Chapter Council Alternate Delegate: Open Secretary: Open Treasurer: Don Turkel Conservation: Lucy Clark Membership Chairs: Clyde Golden Stephen Cooley Dorie Giragosian Education/Outreach: Open Field Trips: Lucy Clark Clyde Golden Rich Spjut Denis Keams Hospitality: Sasha Honig Newsletter Editor: Stephen Cooley Programs: Dorie Giragosian Horticulture/Plant Sales: Open Plant sale, 2 nd team: Dorie Giragosian Jesus Rosendo Plant Science: Denis Keams Rich Spjut Rare Plant Co-ordinator: Open WELCOME NEW MEMBER] Lisa Pracchia Do you know someone who might like to become a member? They can come to One of Our Meetings, or Contact an Officer, or visit http://cnps.org/cnps/join/ or contact Stacey Flowerdew: (916) 447-2677, ext. 204 CONTACT INFO president: Dorie Giragosian dorenairaaosian@peoplepc.com past-president: Lucy Clark Iucyg391 @gmail.com newsletter/website: Stephen Cooley mimulusmemo@bak.rr.com 2 CALENDAR OF EVENTS March 12 - Carrizo Plain Field Trip (see below) March 1 5 - Member Meeting and Plant ID Superintendent of Schools Office, at 1300 17 th Street, between “K” & “L.” Parking is on the north side, on 18 th . Gather at 6:00 PM for Keying and socializing. The General Meeting begins at 7:00PM. I believe we will be able to have CNPS Posters and some Plant Books for sale. I will also bring our chapter’s Plant Book List. If you wish to look at one or more, let me know, and I will get it to you, or you can just look at the different assortment I bring to meetings each month. March 26 - Field Trip: Kern River Valley/Fay Ranch (see below) March 27 - Field Trip: Tejon Ranch, Old Headquarters Area (see below) April 2 - Field Trip: Natives of the San Joaquin Valley (see page 4) April 14/15 - Collecting Trips for our Wildflower Show (see page 8) April 1 5-1 7 - Wildflower Show at the Maturango Museum (see page 1 ) April 16 - Kern CNPS 1 st Annual Wildflower Show (see page 7) April 23 - Field Trip: Indian Wells Canyon burn area (see page 4) June 3-5 Chapter Council Meeting, Bakersfield, CA (see page 8) May 3 - Mimulus Memo Deadline for Next Issue Submit anything you think appropriate for our members to Stephen Cooley: mimulusmemo@bak.rr.com July 3-9 - Golden Trout Wilderness Botanical Workshop (see www.KemCNPS.org or the January newsletter) FIELD TRIPS The Field Trip Committee is looking for more ideas! Please offer your thoughts, or offer to lead a trip. Contact Lucy at lucyq391 @amail.com with trip specifics. Thank you! Saturday, March 12 - Carrizo Plain Join Denis Kearns, PhD (Kern CNPS member and BLM Botanist) on a tour of the Carrizo Plain National Monument's botanical hot spots (20 people maximum). We will meet at 8:00am at the BLM Parking lot at 3801 Pegasus Drive. This is off Merle Haggard Drive (formerly 7th Standard Rd.), the first street east of HWY 65. Bring your lunch, camera, snacks, water, hat, layers, sun screen, Flora of Kern County or Jepson, loop, and a full tank of gas! This will be a day long event. Car pooling encouraged and 4- wheel drive vehicles preferred (then we can get to more remote spots). Please contact Denis if you plan to go or if you have questions: dkearns@blm.gov Saturday, March 26 - Kern River Valley/Fay Ranch The Creosote Ring Group of the Bristlecone Pine Chapter Invites us! Leader: Alison Sheehey. The Kern River Valley sits at the intersection of three of our nation's ten floristic provinces; within a few miles one can encounter desert, grassland, forest fit riparian ecosystems. As with ail trips, All’s scouting just before the trip will tell us where the best places are to go. If coming from the south or west, meet at the Sprague Ranch by the hay barn at 9:15 am (7901 Fay Ranch Road - a dirt road on the left 1.6 miles up Fay Ranch Road from Hwy 178). Restrooms will be available. Bring lunch, ample water, sunscreen, hat, camera, binoculars if you’re interested in birds or anything else in nature. Hiking will be minimal but those looking for a slightly more adventurous hike, we might find the Fay Canyon population of crowned muilla in bloom. Contact Ali Sheehey for details at natureali@gmail.com (Ali offers her home for those with sleeping bags if you want to come up the day before). Sunday, March 27 - Tejon Ranch, Old Headquarters Area Join Mike White, PhD, Conservation Science Director, the Tejon Ranch Conservancy, for a day of Citizen Science, helping to identify plants in the area of the Old Headquarters. 3 (We will need to play this by ear, depending on rain and the state of the roads.) We will meet at the Sebastian Road entrance at 8:45am. To get there from HWY 99, exit at Copus/ David Road, and turn east. Travel to Wheeler Ridge Road, and turn right or south, until reaching Sebastian Road. At Sebastian, turn left, or east again, and proceed until the gate is reached. There is a dirt parking area next to the hunter check-in station just inside the gate (on your right as you pass the gate). The road is paved to the parking area, but from that point we will want to consolidate into as few high-clearance vehicles (preferably 4WD) as possible. Be sure to bring lunch, water, hat, sun block, dress in layers, and wear sturdy boots. Pets and smoking are not allowed on Tejon Ranch. You may want to bring along copies of Plant Lists for Tejon Ranch available from their website, www.tejonconservancy.ora/science/other-resources/index.htnnl . from near- by areas, such as Wind Wolves, found on our website, www.KernCNPS.org as well as your Flora of Kern County, Jepson Manual, and any other references that would be appropriate. Please notify Lucy Clark at Iucyg391 @g mail .com if you plan to attend, by the previous Saturday noon. We need to inform Mike of the number attending. Also, the meeting place may have changed. If it does change, Lucy will email all who have sent an RSVP. Saturday, APRIL 2 - Natives of the San Joaquin Valley Join Pam Williams, PhD and Stephen Laymon, PhD in visiting the natives of the San Joaquin Valley you may have never seen in our vanishing natural world. Pam is Biologist at the Kern and Pixley WLRs, and Steve is the BLM-Atwell Island Project Manager. This is an exciting three part trip, and you are welcome to start with us, and finish when you need to. We will visit the Pixley NWR’s little explored eastern half. We will meet Pam and Stephen at the Pixley Refuge's parking lot on Rd 88, 2 miles north of Avenue 56 between Earlimart and Alpaugh at 9am. We hope to see, among others, Collinsia bartsii folia (White Blue- Eyed Mary), Eremalche parryi (Parry’s Mallow), and 6 species of Thfolium (Clover). Lunch will be at Alpaugh's finest, Ceci's Mexican Restaurant, and recommended by Steve and Pam, then on to Atwell Island, and its sand ridge area, never farmed. There we may see CastiUejabrevistyla (Short-style Owl's Clover), Unanthus liniflorus (Flax- flowered Linanthus), and Eriastrum hooveri (Hoover's Woolystar). We will conclude with stops at the Semitropic Preserve, west of the Wasco-Delano area, hoping to see Delphinium recurvatum (Recurved Larkspur), Salvia carduacea (Thistle Sage), and Sporobolusairoiodes (Alkali Sacaton). Meet at 8:00am on the outer edge of the Denny's parking lot, at the corner of HWY 65 and Merle Haggard/ 7thStandard for carpooling. Bring water, your flora, snacks if you wish, and dress in layers. Please join us for this opportunity to see listed plants, with two excellent Botanists (and Birders)! Please contact Lucy Clark at Iucyg391 @gmail.com if you plan to attend, so we know how many to expect, and so we don't have to wait unnecessarily at the carpooling site. Saturday, APRIL 23 - Indian Wells Canyon Burn Area Leader: Shelley Ellis, BLM Biologist. Indian Wells Canyon was struck by lightning July 18, 2010. A major fire flared up and burned a long stretch of the riparian area, as well as Joshua tree woodlands on the hillsides and conifer forests in the higher elevations. Elevations that burned ranged from 4,000 to 8,000 feet. The conifer forest consisted primarily of pinyon pine, but graded into Jeffery pine, sugar pine and white fir at higher elevations on north-facing slopes. The fire burned about 1800 acres. Approximately 75% of the fire was within the Owens Peak Wilderness Area and included 2 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. The field trip will explore the various species that have come in following fire. Many of the shrubs in the riparian area are root sprouting, including coffee berry (Rhamnus californica) and grape soda lupine ( Lupinus excubitus). Joshua trees are also sprouting from the roots. Flannel bush and lavender wand mallow are some of the species that follow fires. Annual flowers should be abundant if rainfall and temperatures are favorable in the next few months. Bring ample water, snacks, hat, sunscreen, camera. We will meet at the Inyokern Post Office at 8:30 am to carpool to the site. High clearance vehicles needed. We will be finished by noon but anyone who wants to explore longer can bring a lunch and be on their own. For further information, please contact Kathy LaShure desert _encelia@verizon.net 4 OAKS OF CALIFORNIA BY Don Turkal Oaks belong to the Fagaceae Family in the Genus Quercus (Latin: ancient name for oak). 60 species are native to the U.S.A. and 500-600 species worldwide. This piece will focus on eight of the nineteen native oaks of California. Most are found in valleys, foothills, and mountain ranges to middle elevations. California has nine oak species that are trees, seven that are scrubs, and three that are usually shrubs but can also be treelike. One only needs an acorn and leaf to key an oak. Sound simple? Quercus agrifolia — Coast live oak Height: 30-80 ft. Acorn: Slender. Cup turbinate and encloses about 25% of the nut Leaves: Wide with edges turned under with spiny teeth. Shiny dark green upper surface, yellow- green and often hairy under surface. Remarks: Evergreen. Slow growing. Lives to be more than 250 years old. Drought and shade tolerant. Distribution: Valleys, slopes, coast ranges, from Mendocino to Baja Did you know that the coast live oak is often confused with Interior live oak? The difference is the Coast live oak has rounded and cupped leaves. Quercus berberidifolia — Scrub oak Height: 3-15 ft. Acorn: Egg shaped. Cup is bowl shaped & encloses about 33% of nut Leaves: Waxy dark-green upper surface with dull under surface. Margins may have teeth or spines and have rounded tips. Remarks: Evergreen. Shade tolerant, quickly dominates after a fire. Distribution: Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, and southern California mountains. Chaparral and woodlands at elevations of 1000-5000 ft. Tehachapi Mountain Area. Did you know that in some of the older publications, scrub oak was named Quercus dumosa, which is now a name for a rare southern California species? Quercus wislizeni - Interior live oak Height: 25-75 ft. Acorn: Slender, conical to egg shaped. Cups have thin papery scales. Leaves: Upper surface shiny dark green, lower surface shiny with light yellowish green. Margins are spiny toothed to entire. Remarks: Evergreen. Can live to be more than 200 years old. Distribution: Interior canyons, slopes, valleys, chaparral, pine/oak woodlands, foothills of the Central Valley. Near sea level to 6500 ft. Did you know that there is a Q. wislizeni near Stockton, California that measures 90 ft. tall and 85 inches in diameter? 5 Quercus chrysolepis - Canyon live oak Height: 15-70 ft. Acorn: Light brown, egg shaped. Cup saucer shaped & covers about % of nut Leaves: Elliptical to egg shaped. Entire and spiny-toothed margins on same tree. Upper surface dark green with lower surface greyish green to yellow green. Remarks: Evergreen. Highly variable oak. Shade and drought tolerant and can live over 300 years. Distribution: Grows west of the Sierra Nevada on canyon walls, cliffs, and rocky outcroppings. 300-9000 ft. elevation. Black Mountain in the Greenhorn range and at the southwest end of the Kern Plateau and in the canyons of the Tehachapi Mountains. Often found near creeks and moist marshy land. Did you know that the largest Canyon live oak grows in Idyllwild, California and is 77 ft. tall and 105 inches in diameter? Quercus douglasii — Blue oak Height: 20-60 ft. Acorn: Egg shaped. Cup is saucer shaped and encloses the base of the nut. Leaves: Oblong to obovate, tip rounded, margin entire or slightly lobed. Upper surface dull bluish green, lower surface puberculent, pale bluish green. Remarks: Deciduous. Can live to be 400 years old. Distribution: Woodlands and valleys of the foothills of western California mountains. Well represented in the Central Valley. Species is endemic to California. Did you know that the Tehachapi Mountains have semi-deciduous, scrubby trees (Quercus xalvordiana)? These oaks are considered hybrids between Quercus douglasii and Quercus john-tuckeri. Quercus engelmannii - Engelmann oak Height: 16-60 ft. Acorn: Cylindrical to egg shaped. Cup is cup to bowl shaped and encloses less than 40% of the nut. Leaves: Grey- green with shallow lobes and no bristles. Remarks: Evergreen. Can live to be over 350 years. Distribution: Woodlands on dry foothill slopes and mesas between coast and mountains of southwestern California below 4200 ft. Did you know one of the better Engelmann oak landscapes is at Nature Conservancy’s Santa Rosa Plateau in southwestern Riverside County? Quercus kelloggii - California black oak Height: 30-80 ft. Acorn: Oblong to egg shaped. Cups are deep and cup shaped and encloses about 50% of the nut. Leaves: Elliptical to round. Margins generally deeply lobed. 6-10 lobes are pointed and bristle tipped. Upper surface smooth bright green without hairs, lower surface is tomentose when young, becoming plus or minus glabrous, pale green. Remarks: Deciduous. Can live to be 500 years old. Distribution: Woodlands and coniferous forests from western 6 Oregon to Baja, California at elevations from 200-8000 ft. Neighbor white fir, incense cedar, and sugar pine. Did you know that leaves on young shoots at higher elevations tend to be reddish in the early spring and turn yellow to almost bright red in the fall? f raw Quercus lobata - Valley oak w Height: 40-125 ft. Acorn: Narrow and conical. Cups are deep and bowl shaped and encloses only the base of the nut. Acorns take 1 8 months to 2 years to mature Leaves: Upper surface is shiny dark green, lower surface is pale green with yellowish veins. 6-10 lobes are round to egg shaped. Lobe sinuses are deep. Remarks: Deciduous. Can live to be 400-600 years old. Distribution: Valley and foothill woodlands in the Central Valley, foothills of the Sierra and Coast Ranges. Near sea level to 5500 ft. In Kern County it is common in the foothills around Glennville, in the Tehachapi Mountains, and at Lebec. Species is endemic to California. Did you know that this species is the fastest growing and largest of the California oaks? The largest grows near Covelo and is 163 ft. tall and is 110 inches in diameter. Did you know squirrels eat approximately 825 acorns per year? The lifespan of a lucky squirrel is 6 years. If my math is correct a lucky 6 year old squirrel will have consumed 4,950 acorns in its lifetime. Our Chapter is working hard in the organizing phase getting ready for California Native Plant Week. Just in case you have been away and haven’t heard, the State Legislature passed a Resolution declaring the third week in April to be California Native Plant Week. This year we are celebrating from April 16 th to April 24 th . We have scheduled a California Native Flower Show for the 16 th , at Beale Library in their Atrium. Several of us are already working toward that day. We will still need more volunteers. There are about a “bazillion” ways to help. If you like typing, you can type up plant facts and descriptions for the labels. We will help you get started. Like to talk? You can sit at one of our tables, greeting people and talking about all the things CNPS as a whole does, what direction our chapter is heading, and what the benefits of CNPS membership can be. You don’t need to know lots of botany to talk to people about how much fun it is to see pretty little plants on a walk, or in your yard! Bring a friend and a smile, and get to talk about plants. We have a meeting on Tues., April 19th. Our meetings show us places we haven’t been yet, and plants that we haven‘t yet found. They can inspire us to go looking for that plant in nature, maybe buy something (not rare) similar at a plant sale, or look for seeds online. [There are many online sources for plants and seeds. You can find some links at www.cnps.ora ] If you don’t have time or energy to come to the plant show, maybe you have natives in your yard. You can call to invite us trim a small branch from it, or a little cluster of its flowers and leaves, to be put into a small vase, so we can celebrate it at the show. Even if it is just one species, it might be just the one that we are still looking for to show. There are also the perennial jobs involved with getting ready for the public. We need help transporting, setting up, placing plants with their info cards, and the ever popular taking down the show. Taking time to circulate with the visitors and talking about the plants is always needed, too. Giving someone even a little bit of information could be the spark that ignites someone’s interest in native plants. Please call/email us if you have plants to offer, or want to participate in collection, or want to help in any way. You don’t have to commit to the whole day. Even an hour or two will help out, and if you have fun, and want to stay longer, so much the better! Dorie: dorenairaaosian@peoplepc.conn OUR FIRST EVER WILDFLOWER SHOW APRIL 16, 2011 7 Chapter Council Meeting June 3-5, 2011 Bakersfield, CA It is a chance to show off our Kern local plants and diverse field trips, as well as letting the State representatives know that we are more than just a hot spot on the freeway, with lots of oil wells. Chapter Council is made up of the Presidents or Chapter Representatives for the thirty-plus different State Chapters. There will be a banquet, with guest speaker, as well as awards and great food. The whole community is welcome to attend the banquet, (as well as Chapter Members are welcome to sit-in on the meetings) and I hope we can use the event to celebrate together our Kern Chapter. Please mark the dates on your calendars. The meeting is June 3 rd thru 5 th , with the banquet on June 4 th . Field trips will also be scheduled around that time, and all are welcome to attend those, too. The only event which has a cost will be the banquet, and the cost has not yet been established, but we will work hard to make if affordable. We accepted the responsibility for hosting this event last June, and have begun the planning process. If you are interested in working on one of the many committees needed for this to turn out a great event, please email me (Dork, again). Hours and depth of participation are flexible. Please give it a try! Collection Trips for our Wildflower Show Thursday/Friday, April 14/15 Please email Lucy Clark at Iucyg391 @gmail.com if you would like to help collect and key plants for display at our Wildflower Show at the Beale Memorial Library on April 16 th . We will need as many people as possible to help on this project. We are hoping that you working Botanists can collect on the job, and bring the plants to us late in the day. The mission of the California Native Plant Society is to conserve California native plants and their natural habitats, and increase understanding, appreciation, and horticultural use of native plants. • • NOIlLIQH lLHNHHlLNI 8 moo ur:>[Bq@ oiuoiusqniuiiu jojipg 4 Xojoo 3 uoqdois % ■isjdmo uunoo ili3>i - sdND