“...dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora” Volume 16 Number 4 July/August 1992 Colorado Peat Fens in Trouble Jim Borland Although horticultural experts have long known that mountain peat is an inferior product when compared to other organic materials, it is only recently that we have gleamed that the mining of this mountain peat is directly responsible for the disappearance of not only several very rare plants, but entire habitats upon which these and other plants depend. The fate of these plants and their environment rests entirely in the hands of caretakers and providers of landscape plants as they continue to buy and use products such as mountain peat, mountain soil, mountain topsoil, sheep and peat, certain prepackaged soils and other products containing mountain peat. The Origins of Mountain Peat Peat naturally occurs as an accumulation of undecomposed organic matter. in places where the soil remains saturated with water for very long periods. Unlike peat-producing bogs in other parts of the world, all the mountain peat produced in Colorado is the product of a unique habitat called a fen. Fens in Colorado and other western states V are found between elevations of 8,000' and 12,000' in low-lying drainage ways which are fed by mineral-rich ground and surface waters, in addition to rain and snow. In contrast to nutrient-poor bogs which support only acid tolerant plants, fens support a wide diversity of plant species consistent with the nutrient-rich chemistry of then- water supply. Peat found in these habitats is the result of thousands of years of accumulation of the undecomposed roots of sedges, grasses, willows and other wetland plants. Accumulating at a rate of only 8 to 1 1 inches per 1,000 years in these cold environments, peat found in Colorado varies in thickness from only a few inches to several feet deep. Mountain peatlands and their associated plants are credited with the ability to clean water supplies ofheavy metals entering from upstream sources and to trap, store and gradually release peak water flows. Thus peatlands abate downstream erosion problems while recharging ground water systems. Although estimates are only approximate, it is believed that only three tenths of one percent of the lands in Colorado support the rich biological community found in peatlands. Undoubtedly because of their wet nature, peatlands are not thought of as - continued on page 4 Contents CONPS Annual Meeting Fall Workshops 6-7 WET 4& WILD! 2 Chapter Activities 7 Announcements 3 Notes From the Field 8 Pawnee Grassland Letter 3 Celestial Symbols 10 Field Trip Report Book Review 11 South Park 5 Calendar 12 Page 2 Aquilegia Volume 16 Vice President’s Report Tina Jones Set aside Saturday, October 3rd for the Colorado Native Plant Society Annual Meeting! The Denver Museum of Natural History is a co-sponsor again this year for the program, entitled WET & WILD: A Colorado Wetlands Conference. Estimates of the number of Colorado wetlands that have been filled or drained since Euro-American settlement range as high as 50%. Explore the facets of this loss of our natural heritage with an exciting slate of speakers, including Dr. David Cooper, wetlands ecologist; Dr. Ron Ryder, Professor Emeritus of wildlife biology; Bill Jennings, wildflower photographer and orchid specialist; Janet Coles, ecologist with the Colorado Natural Areas Program; Dr. John Windell, CU professor and consultant in riparian and wetland restoration; Dr. Gene Reetz, chief of wetlands protection for the Denver office of the Environmental Protection Agency; and Mark Gershman, wetlands and wildlife coordinator for the City of Boulder Planning and Open Space Departments. A brochure containing an agenda and information about the speakers was mailed to CONPS members in early September. Contact a board member if you did not receive one. The conference will be held in the Rickettson Auditorium at the Denver Museum of Natural History, 2001 Colorado Boulevard, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Parking will be a problem for those arriving later in the morning due to unusually high visitation expected for the Aztec exhibit, featured at the Museum until February 1993. Instmctions for alternative parking or shuttle service will be available in the parking ar on the day of the conference. A variety of native plants and native plant publications will be available (usually at a substantial discount) on the day of the meeting, so bring money! If you did not sign up for a box lunch (order form was attached to the mailing to CONPS members), be sure to bring a lunch. You will have a difficult time findinga parkingplace in the afternoon, and you may encounter long lines in the museum cafeteria due to the expected popularity of the Aztec exhibit. There is NO CHARGE for the annual meeting, and no preregistration is required. Just bring yourself and enjoy a WET and WILD day with your fellow native plant enthusiasts! Aquilegia is published six times a year by the Colorado Native Plant Society. This newsletter is available to members of the Society and to others with an interest in native plants. Contact the Society for subscription information. Articles from Aquilegia may be used by other native plant societies or non-profit groups if fully cited to author and attributed to Aquilegia. The Colorado Native Plant Society is a non- profit organization dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora. Membership is open to all with an interest in our native plants, and is composed of plant enthusiasts both professional and non- professional. Please join us in helping to encourage interest in enjoying and protecting Colorado's native plants. The Society sponsors field trips, workshops and other activities through local chapters and statewide. Contact the Society, a chapter representative, or committee chair for more information. Schedule of Membership Fees Life $250 Supporting $50 Organization $30 Family or Dual $15 Individual $ 12 Student or Senior $ 8 Membership Renewal/Information Please direct all membership applications, renewals and address changes to the Membership chairperson, in care of the Society's mailing address. Please direct all otherinquiiies regardingthe Society to the Secretary in care of the Society's mailing address. Newsletter Contributions Please direct all contributions to the newsletter to: Tamara Naumann 940 Quinn Street Boulder, GO 80303 Deadlines for newsletter materials are Febmary 15, April 1 5 , June 1 5 , August 1 5 , October 1 5 , and December 15. Short items such as unusual information about a plant, a little known botanical term, etc. are especially welcome. Camera-ready line art or other illustrations are also solicited. Please include author's name and address, although items will be printed anonymously if requested. Articles submitted on disks (IBM or Mac) are appreciated. Please indicate word processing software and version. Officers President Carol Dawson 722-6758 Vice-President Tina Jones 759-9701 Secretary Rob Udall 482-9826 Treasurer Myma Steinkamp ... 226-3371 Board of Directors Betsy Neely (92) Jan Wingate (92) .. Boulder .. Denver ....443-8094 ....989-2137 Jeff Dawson (93) ..Denver ....722-6758 Peter Henson (92) .. Denver ....671-8858 Gary Finstad (93) .. Denver ....791-3790 Tamara Naumann (93) ..Boulder ....440-8933 Sally White (92) ..Morrison ....697-5439 Velma Richards (92) .... .. Engelwood ... ....794-5432 Bill Jennings (93) ..Louisville ....666-8348 Vicky Trammel (93) .... .. Littleton .... 333-3024 Chapter Presidents Boulder Betsy Neely 443-8094 Denver-Metro Ron Abbott 333-6 1 5 1 Fort Collins Brian Ceils 482-8607 Yamparika Reed Kelley 878-4666 San Juan Peggy Lyon 626-5526 Committees Conservation Sally White 697-5439 Editorial Tamara Naumann ...440-8933 Education Gary Finstad 791-3790 Field Trips Jeff Dawson..., 722-6758 Field Studies Maiy Edwards 233-8133 Hort/Restoration Dorothy Udall 482-9826 Membership Myma Steinkamp ...226-3371 Publicity Julia Carlson 752-2738 Workshops Bill Jennings 666-8348 Number 4 Aquilegia ANNOUNCEMENTS Page 3 A great selection of publications will be available at the annual meeting! Alpine plant lovers... V elma Richards has put together a selection ofbooks and publications for sale at the annual meeting. Here is your chance to avoid postage costs! Bring money. Selections will include Rare Plants of Colorado, The Prairie Garden by Rick Brune, Sagebrush Country by Ronald Taylor, How to Identify Plants by H.D. Harrington, Rocky Mountain Flower Finder by Janet Wingate, and many others. For more details on the annual meeting, read the Vice President's Report on page 2. Acfuilegia is printed on 100% recycled paper Field trip guides with knowledge of alpine plants are needed for the annual meeting of the American Rock Garden Society which will take place in Vail, June 24-25, 1993. Special mountain buses will take groups from Vail to various locations to view tundra and montane plants. Training sessions will be held at Denver Botanic Gardens throughout the year to help prepare the guides. This is a wonderful opportunity to increase your skills in identifying these exquisite, hardy specimens of native plant life, and to share your knowledge and enthusiasm with guests from all over the U.S. and abroad. For information, please call Sissy Gibson (333) 333-3744 or Shirley Nelson (303) 837-1410. LETTERS to the EPITOR PAWNEE GRASSLANDS I am responding to the article written by Sally White in the May/June (Vol. 16, no. 3) of Aquilegia concerning the Pawnee Grasslands. Generally, the article was very interesting and informative. There was one mistake, however. Grazing leases on public land are NOT a property right. Some ranchers claim they are, but a recent Federal District Court case in Nevada upheld efforts of the Forest Service to reduce grazing. Ms. White’s point here is that the Forest Service is not likely to reduce grazing to increase plant and animal diversity because the ranchers would be very upset. She is absolutely right about this. One other problem I have with the article is that it does not express sufficient concern for the damage that oil and gas exploration and production could do to plover habitat and general biological diversity. Almost the entire Pawnee Grasslands is under lease for oil and gas, as are much of the surrounding and intermingled private lands. Production and exploration on the public land leases has been held up because of concern about the plover. Extensive oil and gas development could harm the plover by taking up land (for pumps, pipelines, roads and ancillary facilities) now used by the plover. The oil and gas industry has been putting tremendous pressure on the Forest Service to open as much land as possible to oil and gas operations before the plover is listed under the Endangered Species Act. When and if that happens, recovery of this species will have to be the basis for management on the Pawnee. This might mean even more restrictions on oil and gas operations, and also on some recreational activities. It is my understanding that District Ranger Jeff Losche is very sympathetic to the oil and gas industry. Thus the plover, prairie dogs, burrowing owls and other species native to the Pawnee face an uncertain future. On another subject, your readers will be pleased to know that the Forest Service has issued a new draft sensitive species list. The new list contains all but one of the plant species found by The Nature Conservancy ’ s Heritage Task Force to be in some danger of eventually becoming threatened or endangered if current downward population trends are not reversed. There is no word on when (or even if) this list will become final. The last word from the Forest Service was that final issuance of the list was held up because of President Bush’s moratorium on the issuance of new regulations that might negatively affect the economy. Also, a new Regional Forester, Elizabeth Estill, will be in office as of August 1 . Perhaps she will act more favorably toward the concept of sensitive species that her predecessor, Gaiy Cargill, did. Rocky Smith Forest Management Coordinator Colorado Environmental Coalition Page 4 Aquilegia Volume 16 Peat Fens, continued from front page enjoyable places to spend an afternoon hunting plants and thus have become by default areas about which we know the least regarding their ecological characteristics. In comparison with other drier, more easily researched areas of the state, research in peatlands is only now beginning to reveal their contents and some of their mysteries. With only a few of the estimated 183,000 acres of Colorado peatlands investigated, we know that several species of willow {Salix myrtillifolia and Salix Candida), a primula {Primula egaliksensis), a senecio {Packera pauciflora), a blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium pallidum), and several species of grass, cotton- sedge, and other sedges are found in these places, and in the case of several, nowhere else in Colorado or the world. The extraction of peat from these areas is an unusually destructive process typically involving first the construction of a series of drainage ditches in and around the area to be mined. This initial process dooms many plant species by altering forever the hydrologic features of the groundwater so necessary for their survival. The actual extraction process, although varied, usually entails the use of draglines and buckets which first scrape away all the living plant material and underlying layers of peat. This is then piled for drying and later removed by tracked earth movers and large dump trucks which transport the peat to, typically, metropolitan areas where it is used in the landscape, greenhouse and nursery industries. Peat deposits are generally scraped down to bedrock or until layers of rocks or gravel make the operation economically unfeasible, forcing the operator to move on to a new site. Every 8 to 1 1 inch layer ofpeat removed also removes 1 ,000 years of history; a history which began approximately at the same time the last glaciers left the region - 8,000 to 12,000 years ago. Most important, we now know that Colorado peat is not a renewable resource. Although several re vegetation methods have been applied to some of the scarred and denuded sites left by peat mining, none are known to even assist the natural vegetation in its ability to reclaim the site in some fashion akin to its original splendor. Efforts to get anything to grow at these sites have failed in many cases. Even if successful revegetation methods were known, there are no existing laws or regulations which mandate that these methods be used after peat is extracted. Compounding the problems associated with these destructive mining methods is the effect that peat mining can have on water quality. Physically, it is immediately apparent that the ability of the peatlands to regulate stream flow and thereby reduce downstream erosion is impaired if not destroyed. Chemically, water flowing through the peatland system is altered from a relatively high pH status to low pH status. This low pH, or increased acidity, causes the release of metals into the very water supplies that ultimately you and I drink. At least some of these releases exceed the state standards of water quality and place peatland mines among other high country mine-types also known to detrimentally affect water quality. Horticultural Quality of Mountain Peat Should you somehow not be concerned about the ecological consequences brought about by motmtain peat mining, then please give pause to consider the horticultural merits of mountain peat. After careful investigation and long considered thought regarding the merits of mountain peat, I have concluded that the best thing that can be said for the product is that it is dark brown in color. Unfortunately and mistakenly, we have associated this dark brown color with positive horticultural attributes. Because peat is derived from several different mountain sources, each with its own set of unique physical and chemical characteristics, no uniform statement can be made regarding any of the individual qualities of the product. Although one should be able to'obtain from the purveyor of mountain peat information regarding the specific chemical and physical characteristics of the product, amarathon of phone calls to peat dealers throughout Colorado revealed that very few knew even one physical or chemical detail regarding their product. Of the few dealers who had details at hand, it was clear that the available analytical test did not necessarily reflect the qualities of the product currently on hand. At least one supplier has given up on testing peat due to the inconsistencies of test results which were directly related to the inconsistencies of the product that is mined. It should be remembered that one man’s moxmtain peat is not the same as another’s mountain peat. The product is so inconsistent that it can vary greatly not only from one mine to the next but from different sectioi or from different depths of the same min^^ site. The one characteristic most important to horticulture is the organic matter content of the peat product. It is the organic matter content of soil amendments that help most in loosening the soil and as a result help provide adequate air supplies and water storage for the growth of plant roots. While the organic matter content of relatively expensive but popular sphagnum* peat moss is above 90 percent, peat mined m Colorado may contain as little as 21 percent organic matter. What this means is that when you buy mountain peat, you may be acquiring as much as 79 percent mineral matter (finely pulverized mountain rock). Colorado mountain peat is not peat moss nor is it sphagnum peat. It contains neither significant quantities of any moss and, if - continued on page 8 * sphagnum: a specific genus {Sphagnum) of moss of which only a few species aiM^ horticulturally important. Most sphagnum peat moss is mined from bogs found in Canada and the upper mid- western region of the United States. The sphagnum is dried, pulverized, screened and compressed for sale, usually in bales, occasionally loose. Although often referred to as peat moss or moss peat, no regulations govern the use of these terms. Number 4 Aquilegia Page 5 Field Trip Report South Park: From Fen to Fellfield lead by Alan Carpenter & Barbara Siems Report by Ruth Carol Cushman On the weekend of July 11-12, CONPS members saw rare plants and spectacular scenery at two unique areas in South Park; the High Creek Fen at about 9300 feet and Horseshoe Cirque above timberline. Alan Carpenter, who directs The Nature Conservancy’s stewardship program, led the Fen trip, and Barbara Siems, who is writing her PhD dissertation on the subject of plant conununity composition in relation to soils, led the Horseshoe Cirque trip. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) purchased High Creek Fen in 1990. Although most of the funding came from Department of Highway mitigation funds, $10,000 was raised by Deer Creek school children who collected pennies to see what one million looked like and then donated the one million pennies to TNC. Restoration of the fen began in 1991. The earthmoving portion of the restoration will be completed this year, and reseeding and planting of cuttings native to the fen will be finished by the end of next year. TNC plans to set up groundwater monitoring wells and is looking for a graduate student to do a groundwater study. Monitoring ofthe project will continue for five years. “It will be interesting to come out in three to five years and see what it looks like then, ’ ’ says Alan. What Alan would really like to know is what it looked like before 1 850 when bison grazed here instead of cattle and fires were not suppressed. He thinks cattle grazing may have destroyed tall grasses that once could have grown here and would like someone to do a pollen study to estabhsh a pre-settlement vegetation profile of the area. In addition to a variety of sedges that Alan delighted in keying, some of the plants seen on the trip were Sisyrinchium pallidum, the only globally rare plant in the fen; Salix Candida, known from only two other Colorado locations; Salix myrtillifolia; Primula egaliksensis, rare in Colorado; Habenaria hyperborea, a small bog orchid which smells like carnations; Chondrophylla aquatica, a tiny white gentian; and Pedicularis hallii^ which painted the South Park meadows a vivid magenta. High Creek Fen is open to the public and is located 8.3 miles south of Fairplay, Turn south off US 285 onto an unmarked gravel road just east of milepost 174. Horseshoe Cirque, 13 miles up Fourmile Creek Valley, is the site where Barbara Siems is comparing plant communities that grow on two substrates: sedimentary and igneous. She says that only recently have scientists in theU. S. recognized that bedrock chemistry influences the growth of some plant species. Soils overlying limestone are more alkaline (pH value of 6.5 to 8) than soils over non-calcareous bedrock (pH between 5 and 6.5.). In an informative handout and plant list given to trip participants, Barbara gave several reasons for the apparent control of plant communities by the underlying bedrock: “...differences in chemistry and therefore availability of nutrients to the plants, differences in pH (which controls, among other processes, the ability of legumes to form nodules), differences in temperature associated with different reflectivities of the rocks, differences in availability of moisture because of different soil permeabilities, and differences in stability of substrates because of different types of weathering.” Although many species thrive in soils overlying either sedimentaiy or igneous rocks, other species seem to be restricted. For instance, in the alpine, legumes (except for clovers) are associated with calcareous substrates. Oxytropis viscida, which is restricted to limestone, is plentiful in the basin. Other limestone-loving species seen on the field trip included Physaria alpina (double bladderpod), which is an indicator species for limestone, and the rare Braya humilis. Barbara says that before she discovered one particularly good stand of double bladderpod, she parked her car over it. However, it likes disturbed areas and thrived in the tire tracks. Barbara also pointed out differing micro- climates in the alpine. A little hill, a fellfield, or a stand of willow or krummholz creates a different plant community. The weekend’s wet weather was brightened by Velma Richards’ rain slicker that read: ‘ ‘ Slippery When Wet. ’ ’ Underlying the fen is a layer of peat that is 8000 years old and two feet deep, some of which was mined in the 1970s and 80s. However, with time and protection, the fen should be able to re''peat" itself Page 6 Aquilegia Volume 16 Workshops - Fall 1992 The Colorado Native Plant Society workshop series was established in 1985 with the objective of having something to do during the winter when field trips are impossible. CONPS members have attended more than 70 workshops over the years. Workshops bring plant lovers together with a well-informed instructor who may have photographs, herbarium specimens, live plants, or other materials for hands-on study. The opportunity to receive one-on-one instruction and informative lectures has made the workshop series one of the most popular Native Plant Society programs. Attendees need no special skills or backgroimd; a love of plants and a desire to learn are the only prerequisites. The goal is to demystify plant identification and to enhance in all of us our enjoyment and understanding of Colorado's native flora. Please register promptly, as workshops tend to fill up quickly. The fee for each fiill-day workshop is $ 1 0 for CONPS members and $22 for non-members. Payment is made on the day of the workshop. About two weeks prior to the workshop, registrants will receive information by mail about location, time, lunch, and suggested references or materials to bring to the workshop. Drop apostcard or letter to Bill Jennings, P.O. Box 952, Louisville, CO 80027 indicating the workshops for which you would like to register. Be sure to include your name, address, and telephone numeber. You may also register by calling Bill at 303- 666-8348. It takes considerable time and effort for the instructors to plan and develop workshops and field trips. Please let us know how you like the activities offered by CONPS. We need your suggestions for future workshops and trips. We also appreciate feedback on whether you find them informative and exciting or dull and uninteresting. We'd like your opinion on how well we are serving you, our membership. Lloydia serotina Artist: Janet Wingate Minuartia obtusiloba Artist: Janet Wingate leader: Dr. Ronald L. Hartman Rocky Mountain Herbarium, University of Wyoming, Laramie Saturday, September 26, 1992 Dr. Hartman will explain identification of plants in the problem genera of the Caryophyllaceae (including the Alsinaceae). Genera to be covered include Silene, Paronychia, Cerastium, Sagina, Stellaria, Arenaria, and Minuartia in Colorado and Wyoming. Dr. Hartman is an excellent teacher and this workshop also provides an opportunity to see the facilities of the Rocky Mountain Herbarium, the largest herbarium between the Missouri Botanic Gardens (St. Louis) and University of California at Berkeley. Paronychia pulvinata Artist; Janet Wingate Number 4 Aquilegia Page 7 THE MILKWEEDS (ASCLEPIADACEAE) leader; Carolyn Crawford Foothills Nature Center, Boulder First Session: Saturday, October 24, 1992 Second Session: Sunday, October 25, 1992 There are nineteen species in two genera in this family in Colorado. In addition, some species that almost reach Colorado will be covered and the related family, Apocynaceae, will be discussed (two species in one genus). Carolyn has been researching and drawing plants in this family for several years and in the past year has taken pains to collect as many species as possible. In addition to the usual pressed specimens, Carolyn has preserved whole flowers in alcohol, so that participants can dissect the flowers and study the structure and unique pollination mechanism. SHOWY MONOCOTS I leader: Bill Jennings Denver Botanic Gardens Herbarium First Session: Saturday, November 14, 1992 Second Session: Sunday, November 15, 1992 In addition to his interest in the Orchidaceae, Bill also likes the lilies and closely related families. There are too many species to cover conveniently in one workshop, so half will be deferred to 1993. This year, we will cover the following genera: Lilium, Erythronium, Fritillaria. Leucocrinum, Lloydia, Maianthemum (Smilacina), Calochortus, Anticlea (Zygadenus), Toxicoscordion (Zygadenus), Veratrum. Disponim, Streptopus, Hypoxis, and Smilax. In addition, a few species that approach Colorado will also be covered. Most of these genera have only one species representative in Colorado, thus identification is usually straightforward. This will be a fun and easy workshop. For a big challenge, wait till next year when we go through the onions {Allium). MONTANE & SUBALPBVE GRASSES Foothills Nature Center, Boulder First Session: Saturday December 5, 1992 - leader: Dr. Alan Carpenter Second Session: Sunday, December 6, 1992 - leader: Dr. David Buckner Drs. Carpenter and Buckner will take us through the fascinating and confusing world of the grasses of the mountains. After covering the terminology necessary to study the grasses, they will distribute numerous specimens for us to dissect and identify. This will be an unique and rewarding workshop, continuing our series on identification of this important group. Every Colorado botanist should have a working knowledge of the grasses. Chapter News Boulder Chapter October 13: Organizational Potluck Bring your ideas for future meeting topics, projects and/or speakers to Betsy Neely's house along with a dish to share . If you have 5 or 10 slides from your sxunmer plant- hunting season, bring those to share over dessert! Betsy has lined up some speakers for the winter months and wants our help in planning the rest. We'll have fun getting reacquainted and organized for the coming year. When: 6:30 p.m. Where: 2941 20th Street, Boulder Phone: 443-8094 Denver Chapter October 28: Colorado Wetlands Bob Powell will present a pictorial tour of Colorado wetlands. It's time for election of Denver Chapter officers, so be there to cast your vote! The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Classroom C at the Denver Botanic Gardens. December 9: Colorado Riparian Areas Gwen Kittel, riparian ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, will present her work on classification and modeling of Colorado's riparian plant communities. Note: this combined November/December meeting will be held on the 2nd Wednesday of December in the Morrison Center at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Monthlymeetings are held from September through May on the 4th Wednesday of the month 7:30 p.m. at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 909 Y ork Street, unless otherwise noted. For more information, call Ron Abbott at 333-6151. Page 8 Aquilegia Volume 16 FIELP NOTES A handwntten note from Jim Locklear arrived in the mail early in the field season. Jim's search for Asclepias uncialis is partially fimded by the Colorado Native Plant Society (see Aquilegia Vol. 1 5 No.2 for a report on Jim's earlier \vork with this rare native milkweed). The Colorado Native Plant Society plays an important role in encouraging inventory and research on native flora. la May 1992 Pear Tamara, Just a quick report on my search for Asclepias uncialis last week. I spent fwe days searching for it along the forks of the Republican Ri^er and near Julesburg. In all that searching I located only one population along the South Fork of the Republican north of Rethune. This was in the general area of a collection made by Merritt Cary in 1909. 1 found a total of 14 plants in an area about one square yard in size. I collected one specimen which I will deposit at COLO, The plants were in fruit and probably had finished blooming by early May. I also found a couple of new localities for Cryptantha cana and Astragalus hyaiinus south of Flagler. Other than that, not much else to report. I'll begin a formal write-up of my field work in the near future. Thanks again for the opportunity to do some additional work in Colorado. Sincerely, Jim Peat Fens, continued from page 4 present at all, the moss is not sphagnum moss. The individual particles of organic matter present in Colorado mountain peat are typically so small that they can act as glue and actually hinder soil drainage and aeration rather that improve it. Unlike sphagnum peats which are typically low in pH and calcium, mountain peats are generally relatively high in pH (as high as 8.5) and usually heavily laden with calcium. Neither high pH nor high concentrations of calcium favor the use of mountain peat as a soil amendment for soils typical to the lower elevations along the base ofthe Rocky Mountains. Not surprising, considering the physical attributes of mountain peat, a study conducted at Colorado State University found that greenhouse potting soils containing mountain peat produced inferior plants when compared to other soil mixes. Most growers of greenhouse plants have since learned of the dubious quality moimtainpeat andhave switched to products which help them produce superior plants. Nursery growers, on the other hand, continue to use huge quantities even though other organic materials are available fortheiruse. Even larger quantities of mountain peat are incorporated into the soils of landscape sites in the mistaken belief that it improves soil conditions and thus the performance of subsequently planted turfgrass and ornamental plants. Another major use of moimtain peat which generally goes undetected is through the - continued on page 9 Number 4 AquHegia Page 9 Peat Fens, continued from page 8 sales of pre-packaged potting soils. Individual garden centers, nurseries and greenhouses often mix mountain peat with other ingredients, package and tag these mixes with their own brand name and sell them for use as potting soils for a variety of plants. The sale oftwo widely available pre- packaged soils, Hyponex™ and Permagreen"^^, may be responsible for as much as 40% or more of all the mountain peat mined in Colorado. In fairness to these two brands, it should be noted that their respective producers do not include mountain peat in all of their products. Unfortunately, the gardener cannot always determine which of these products contain mountain peat by reading the label. There are no laws or regulations regarding the labeling of ingredients in pre-packaged soil mixes. Informed gardeners who have respect for their environment, even as it extends to wild mountain places, and who are concerned for the health and well-being of their own plants will select materials other than mountain peat for their gardening purposes. Although local supplies may vary considerably in availability, composted materials such as manures of all types, municipal leaves and grass clippings, mushroom compost and mixtures of these with such woody products as bark, sawdust, conifer cones, wood chips, ground up Christmas trees and others give the gardener a wealth of materials from which to make an environmentally sound selection. There is really no reason to continue the mass destruction of our natural heritage and irreplaceable treasures for the sake of growing petunias or any other landscape or garden plant. Literature References Agut, Aurelio and David E. Hartley. 1981. Plant growth in greenhouse media containing Colorado peat.Colorado Greenhouse Growers Association, Inc. Research Bulletin No. 378. Cooper, David J. 1990. An evaluation of the effects of peat mining on wetlands in Park County, Colorado. Prepared for Park County, Colorado. Feucht, James R. and Jack D. Butler. 1988. Landscape management: planting and maintenance of trees, shrubs, and turfgrasses. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York. Stevens, Joseph E., John T. Doerfer, and Bruce Humphries. 1990. A characterization of the status and impacts of peat excavation in the state of Colorado. Prepared for Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division, Department of Natural Resources, Denver, Colorado. Note: This article first appeared in the fall 199 1 issue of Rocky Mountain Gardener Vol. 1 , No.4, pages 6-7, and is reprinted here with permission of the author. Jim Borland is a past president of CONPS. ( ^ ~ ^ What You Can Do 1 . Stop using mountain peat, mountain soil, and mixtures containing mountain peat. 2. Stop using all Permagreen^" and Hyponex'^^ products not labeled with ingredients and their sources. 3. Stop buying nursery and greenhouse plants grown in soils containing moimtain peat. 4. Write or call the following people or agencies and request a stop to all mountain peat mining activities. a. your state representative or senator, b. Colorado State Land Board 1313 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203-2273 (some state owned peatlands are leased for peat mining), c. Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203-2273, d. County Commissioners of the following counties: Archuleta, Boulder, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer, Mesa, Park, & Teller, 5. Ask The Nature Conservancy how you can help them protect High Creek Fen, one of the biologically richest fens in Colorado. The Nature Conservancy 1244 Pine Street Boulder, Colorado 80302 Page 10 Aquilegia Volume 16 Celestial Symbols in Botanical Books Mark Gershman Wetlands & Wildlife Coordinator City of Boulder Grasses have never been easy for me to identify, and yet they are of extraordinary importance to any biologist working in the Front Range. Fortunately, I have had a number of patient teachers and I am at the point where I can at least find a key to confirm my best guess with a description and an illustration. In eastern Colorado, this is usually A.S. Hitchcock's A Manual of the Grasses of North America. While working withthis worthy volume , I stumbled onto a symbol that I little expected to see in a botanical work-the astronomical symbol for the planet Jupiter. And then, as I looked further, I found the symbol for the sun. Was Hitchcock suggesting with these symbols that western wheatgrass was not a native of the Earth, but rather was endemic to Jupiter? And was I to understand that cheatgrass was to be foun,^ growing on the surface of the sun? I didnt think so, but the introduction, preface, appendices gave no further clue, I had picked up a copy of B.D. Jackson's 1 905 A Glossary of Botanic Terms, but found no help there either. It was late evening, I was perplexed so I called a few friends— the sort of people who might know and wouldn’t mind the asking-still no thin g conclusive. I surmised that whatever the symbols for Jupiter and the sun meant, they were once so commonplace, that they warranted no special definition. Fortunately, my dictionary saved me the disgrace of having to ask someone who knew. Jupiter, it seems, is the symbol for a perennial herb, while the symbol for the sun (or an empty circle, or a circle with the number 1 within— see figure) indicates an annual herb. The symbol for a biennial is either a circle with two dots, or the number 2 or the male symbol which also happens to stand for Mars, Although I haven't seen them in use, the symbols in the fi^e to the left are also listed in my dictionary as biological symbols. Saturn means shrub or tree. I would be interested in speaking with anyone who knows how such symbols became associated with their meanings. Mark can be reached at (303) 441-3272. Hermaphrodite X Cweeed with, hybrid b I U Tree or 5hrub 0 Radially symmetrical Bilaterally symmetrical New World ^ 0\d World ^ Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere G ^ Annual plant v_ T A Biennial plant Perennial herb Number 4 Aquitegia Page 1 1 w Jfm Borland Seeds of Woody Plants of North America: revised and enlarged edition. 1 992. James A. Young and Cheryl G. Young. Dioscorides Press, Portland. 407 pages, cloth. $49.95. First, came Woody Plant Seed Manual followed in 1974 by the 883 page tome. Seeds ofWoody Plants in the United Stated Agriculture Handbook No. 450, which many consider the “Bible” of seed information and propagation. This new version, with a slight change in title and based strongly on the former edition, adds almost 200 species, mostly exotic to, the continent, and over 1000 new literature citations that reflect scientific advances and increasing interest in the subject during the 18 years. Readers and users ofthe 1974 version know It IS probably the most complete manual on seed propagation ever published in the English language. It includes a separate section of 166 pages on fruit and seed development, ripeness and dispersal, dormancy, germination, genetic improvement, seed orchards, pollen handling, harvesting, processing, storage and all-important presowing treatments. Important too is the germination information for each species, often described in detail with individual trials, successes and failures. All this information was deleted from the current edition. Deleted too are all literature references used to construct the 1 974 edition except those few that the author thought worthy of mention, even though the information from the earlier edition was included, most often in consolidated form. This means that many researchers do not get credit for their work, including the editor of the 1974 edition, C. S. Schropmeyer. The deletions further include any credit for the illustrations, all of which have been copied from the 1974 edition. Also deleted are many of the extensive tables that in this edition are “streamlined” and S>OOK REVIEW Standardized”, ehminating, inmy opinion, a good deal^f the information on variability to be expected when working with seed. This edition, like the earlier editions, is arranged alphabetically by genus. Readers will note that under a general genus name only one species is discussed; undera species name, several species may be discussed. Nativity, included for most species, is omitted forsome.Exasperatingtoallbuttheauthors, lam sure, is the intermixing ofbotanical and common names throughout the text. Suiprising perhaps, considering that the senior author is a range scientist employed by the U.S.D. A., is that several publications by the Forest Service apparently were not reviewed for this work. Including information from available works would have greatly expanded the sections on Artemisia, Ceanothus, and Chrysothamnus or added sections on Linnaea and Sarcobatus, to mention only a few. Still more information could have been added had the authors included in their review such popular or classic works as Jill Nokes’ How to Grow Native Plants of Texas, E. Belcher s Handbook on Seeds of Browse- Shrubs and Forbs, Native Shrub Production Project by the Surface Environment and Mining Program, or any number of California plant publications authored by Dara Emery. Colorado readers may be surprised to learn that there is little or no information on many woody Colorado plants, although many are readily available (e.g., Amelanchier utahensis, Artemisia arbuscula, A. cana, A. filifolia, A. frigida, A. pygmaea, A spinescens, Berberis fendleri, Ceanothus martinii, Cercocarpus intricatus, Chimaphila, Ephedra torreyana, Fendlera Fendlerella, Forsellesia, Frankenia, Fraxinus, Grayiabrandegeijamsia, Lycium pallidum, Nolina, Ostrya, Paxistima, Philadelphus, Physocarpus monogynus, Quercus gambelii, Rhamnus, many Ribes spQQiQs,Salicornia, Sarcobatus, Sorbusand Vitis). There is an intimation in this edition that the 974 edition of Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States, Agriculture Handbook No. 450; IS no longer available. In fact, it was unavailable for several years. The U S Government Printing Office reprinted it in 1989, however, and ofiers it for $41.00. For my money, I would much rather have a version with only the new information, leaving the old information alone. In many ways I find the 1974 edition much more valuable that the current edition. Note: Little of the information printed by the United States government is copyrighted. Virtually anyone can legally take information published by the federal government, print it, emblazon the cover with the same title along with their name as the author, sell it for any price, and keep all the profitsl Common courtesy requires, however, that credit be given where due. Calendar Overview ‘s^ 1992 Annual Meeting Oct 3 WET and WILD! A Colorado Wetlands Conference Denver Museum of Natural History Chapter Meetings Boulder Chapter Oct 13 Organizational Potiuck Denver Chapter Oct 28 Colorado Wetlands Dec 9 Colorado Riparian Areas 1992 Fall Workshops Sept 26 The Caryophyllaceae with Ron Hartman Oct 24-25 The Milkweeds with Carolyn Crawford Nov 14-15 Showy Monocots I with Bill Jennings Dec 5-6 Montane & Subalpine Grasses with Alan Carpenter (Dec 5) or David Buckner (Dec 6) Colorado Native Plant Society P.O. Box 200 Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit #1475 Denver, Colorado