. . dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora” Volume 22 N umber 4 July- -August 1998 A new type of key has been created for the computer, and is now available in our area. Over the past four years, I have used XID Systems software, developed by Richard Old, Ph.D. Of Pullman, Washington, to cre- ate keys for all of the vascular plants of southern British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and now Colorado. The following is a descrip- tion of how the program works. To identify a plant, the user first selects from a menu of types of plant characters (leaf, stem, inflorescence, flower, or fruit, for example). The user then selects those characters that best describe the plant to be identified. The computer eliminates from consideration all plants that do not match those characters, and also eliminates all menu choices that would not help to dis- tinguish between the remaining species. The user then goes to another menu and makes another selection, and so on. At any point in this process, the user may ask the computer to analyze the remaining species and provide a list of the characters that are easiest to discern and will most effectively separate among the remaining species. The user may select from that list or go to a dif- ferent menu. In addition, the user may call up an alphabetized list of the remaining species (either common or scientific names), including the page numbers in ref- erences describing the plants (such as Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope, Intermountain Flora, or Flora of the Great A New Type of Taxonomic Key Bruce Barnes, Flora ID Northwest Plains, for example). When all species are eliminated but one, the plant has been identified. The user may check it against the references listed on the screen, as well as check for errors by calling up a list of these characters that the user entered. With a little practice, identifying a plant takes one or two minutes. Furthermore, it usually takes only four to six entries to identify a species. This speed and simplic- ity results from the computer’s ability to identify the species with a particular com- bination of characteristics. The traditional dichotomous keys with which we have all struggled are a very ingenious system, given the limitations of pen and paper with large volumes of data. These keys also demand great skill to cre- ate, and much practice and patience to use. A frequently frustrating experience with dichotomous keys results from being expected to make a choice when the neces- sary part of the plant (such as fruit or flower, for example) is missing. In an expert system key, the user is simply asked to describe those features that are most obvious. If a character cannot clearly be defined, such as whether leaf shape is best described as lanceolate or linear, the user may tell the computer to include all species that have either character state. These keys include comprehensive data on each species, thereby providing the user with the widest possible range of charac- ters from which to choose. Furthermore, these keys contain all vascular plants known to occur in the regions listed, including all trees, showy flowering plants, grasses and grass-like plants, and spore- bearing plants. Plant names are based pri- marily on the NRCS Plants Database. Technical botanical terms are kept to a minimum, and help screens with defini- tions are provided for all menu items. “New Key ” continues on page 2 Contents Articles .1,4,6 Announcements . ... 2, 3, 5 Chapter and Society News . . . . 3 Field Trips . . . .4 Native Plant Art Contest 5 Page 2 Aquilegia Vol. 22 No. 4 1998 ANNUAL CoNPS MEETING! September 18-20, 1998, Gunnison, Colorado The Plateau Chapter encourages you to join us this fall for the Annual Meeting of the Colorado Native Plant Society! Sagebrush Ecology will be the topic of this year’s meeting, which will take place in a semi-rural setting on the east edge of Gunnison at the Aspinall-Wilson Conference Center, adjacent to the Western State College campus. Mark down these dates on your calendar and “come on over!” For the detailed description, agenda, directions, and reservation form, please see Volume 22, Number 3 of Aquilegia or contact Paula Lehr at (970) 641-0671 (H), Gay Austin at (970) 641-6264 (H) or (970) 641-0471 (W), Kathy Warren at (970) 349-0743 (H), or Gretchen Van Reyper at (970) 835-3268 (H). And remember, registration is required by August 20, 1998 for those requesting a sack lunch or wishing to participate on Sunday’s field trip. “New Key ” continued from page 1 Graphics with line drawings to accompany the definitions of terms ’ (such as leaf shapes and inflorescence types) are available and are a great help in clarifying definitions. Help screens also pro- vide a description of the habitat and geographic Asclepias uncialis range for each species. Artist: Carolyn Crawford The keys are sold by geographic areas, such as SW Colorado. Software is available in DOS, Windows, or MAC format. For prices and ordering information, contact Bruce Barnes of Flora ID Northwest at (541) 278-2222 (W), (541) 276-5547 (H), (541) 276-8405 (Fax), or flora@ucinet.com. Check out our WWW site at http://www.pullman.com/Business/xid/fidnw.html Colorado Native Plant Society The Colorado Native Plant Society is a non- profit organization dedicated to the apprecia- tion and conservation of the Colorado native flora. Membership is open to all with an inter- est 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, work- shops, and other activities through local chap- ters and statewide. Contact the Society, a chap- ter 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 application, renewals, and address changes to the Membership Chairperson, Colorado Native Plant Society, P.O. Box 200, Fort Collins, CO 80522. Please direct all other inquiries regarding the Society to the Secretary at the same address. Aquilegia is published four to six times per 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 for Aquilegia may be used by other native plant societies or non- profit groups if fully cited to author and attrib- uted to Aquilegia. Newsletter Contributions Please direct all contributions to the newsletter to: Leo P. Bruederle Department of Biology Campus Box 171 - Uitiiversity of Colorado at Denver P.O. Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217-3364 E-Mail: lbrueder@carbon.cudenver.edu 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 via e-mail or on disks (MAC preferably, or IBM) are appreciat- ed. Please indicate word processing software and version. Officers President Jeff Dawson .... 303-722-6758 Vice-President . . Dave Buckner . . 303-494-3231 Secretary ....... Alice Guthrie . . . 303-651-3127 Treasurer Denise Culver . . 970-225-1930 Board of Directors Bill Jennings (99). Louisville 303-666-8348 Andy Kratz (99). . Lakewood . ... . 303-914-8291 Eric Lane (99) . . . Lakewood ..... 303-239-4182 Paula Lehr (99) . . Gunnison ...... 970-641-0671 Don Parker (99) . . Golden. ....... 303-279-4549 Leo Bruederle (98) Denver. ....... 303-556-3419 Kathy Carsey (98) Boulder 303-443-6736 Chris Pague (98) . Boulder . 303-444-2985 ext 105 Carol Spurrier (98) Lakewood 303-274-6905 Chapter Presidents Boulder Carolyn Crawford303-666-8348 Metro-Den ver . . . Denise Larson . . 303-733 4338 Fort Collins Don Hazlett .... 970-834-1493 Yamparika Reed Kelley. . . . 970-878-4666 Plateau Gretchen Van Reyper . . . 970-835-3268 Southwest ...... Sandy Friedley . . 970-884-9245 Communications . and . Conservation Education . . and . Field Trips Field Studies Hort/Restoration. . Legislative Affairs Membership and . Publicity . Workshops ...... Committees Leo P. Bruederle 303-556-3419 Jeff Dawson ... 303-722-6758 Bob Clarke 303-449-3041 Rob Reinsvold. . 970-351-2716 Joyce Gellhom . 303-442-8123 Rick Brune. ... 303-238-5078 Loraine Yeatts . . 303-279-3427 Lisa Tasker .... 303-447-943 1 VACANT Myma Steinkamp Sue Martin. . . . .970-226-3371 VACANT Bill Jennings . . . 303-666-8348 & Vol. 22 No. 4 Aquilegia Page 3 ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS r WANTED! VOLUNTEER BOTANIST Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge is looking for a vol- unteer botanist(s) to collect, press, mount, and label plant specimens for a new herbarium. All supplies would be pro- vided, as well as a stipend, and possibly housing. Experience with both plant identification and assembly of herbarium specimens is essential. Please contact Mike Bryant at (970) 365-3613 if interested. REQUEST FOR HELP We are a Forest Service research unit located in Bozeman that works on biological control of weeds. However, before we can release a biological control agent, we must do extensive testing to determine which plant species may be at risk of attack. We like to include as many closely related native species in our host specificity tests as possible. We are cur- rently trying to collect species for host specificity tests of bio- logical agents for Chondrilla juncea (rush skeleton weed), a common weed in Idaho that has begun to invade Northwest Montana. We solicit your help in collecting the following plants/seeds: Crepis nana, Taraxacum ceratophorum (horned dandelion). Taraxacum eriophorum (Rocky Mountain dande- lion), Taraxacum lyratum (dwarf alpine dandelion), Malacothrix torreyi (Torrey malacothrix), Microseris nutans. If you could collect any of the above, know of any sites where we could collect, or would like more information about our program, please write Wendy Bergstrom or Jennifer Birdsall at the USDA Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 1648 S. 7th Ave., Bozeman, MT 59717 or call (406) 994-1784. AQUILEGIA CONTRIBUTIONS NEEDED At this time, we are soliciting articles for upcoming issues of Aquilegia. Topics may include conservation, field studies, natural history, restoration, horticulture, etc. Please submit all contributions for Volume 22 of Aquilegia to Leo P. Bruederle (see page 2 for details). V J CELEBRATING WILDFLOWERS A "Celebrating Wildflowers" web site is available from the US Forest Service on the internet. It can be reached from the Nature Watch web page at . The site is still under development, but it already has enough information to be worthwhile, including Celebrating Wildflowers events, links to other sites, downloadable wildflower coloring book pictures, and more. From the CoNPS Board of Directors Summary of Minutes from the April 11, 1998 Meeting. The Board held it's April meeting at the Meadows Branch Library in Boulder. Alice Guthrie was elected Board Secretary, replacing Bev Johnson. Leo Bruederle reported that the Communications Committee is developing a web site that will be designed this summer and subsequently installed in phases. Rob Reinsvold was elected co-chair of the Education Committee, along with Joyce Gellhorn. He is past chair of the Botanical Teaching Society of America and works at the K-12 level to stimulate interest in plants. Rob is particularly interested in outreach for pre-college level children. The Education Committee will work with the Horticulture and Restoration Committee to review arid revise the "Suggested Native Plant List" that CoNPS developed for native plant landscaping and gardens. Shelli Bischoff of Conservation Impact, a company that consults with conservation organizations on strategic planning, was present and explained their process and answered questions. The Board requested a proposal for a strate- gic planning session, and will review it and vote at the May meet- ing. The proposal will include 2-3 focus groups of 8-20 people. It may also include interviews with agency people. If the decision is to proceed, background work could be done over summer with the board session held before the annual meeting, so that results could be communicated to members at that time. Carolyn Crawford is spearheading plans for the 1999 Annual Meeting for which the tentative topic is the ethical uses of plants. The Board approved funding of $560 for Kevin Taylor for his project, "A General Floristic Survey of the Northern Gunnison Basin, Colorado." Summary of Minutes from the May 2, 1998 Meeting. Bob Clarke was elected Chair of the Conservation Committee. The Board discussed details of the 1998 Annual Meeting and approved providing air fare for one speaker, as well as the production and sale of t-shirts. A Lifetime Membership Award nomination was approved and will be announced at the Annual Meeting. The Board discussed at length the strategic planning proposal submit- ted by Conservation Impact in April. The cost of the proposal whuld be approximately $2500 and would entail five focus groups involving members and interviews with related agency staff with which CoNPS might interact or impact. The Board unanimously passed a motion to accept the proposal with minor modifications, and approved spending no more than $2900, contingent upon notification of the membership in the newsletter. The focus groups will be conducted during the summer and the Board, Chapter Presidents, and Committee Chairs will meet on August 29 for the strategic planning session. Suggestions were solicited for new Board members with Eric Lane agreeing to send out a letter to Chapter Presidents explaining the process and commitment (see page 4). The Workshop Committee reported that CoNPS made a profit on the Weed Workshop held this spring, which was very well received and attended. Plans are under way for the 1998- 1999 workshops; suggestions for topics are welcome. The sched- ule will be published in the newsletter in early fall. Page 4 Like other CoNPS members, I have long been aware of the problem of invasive weeds on public and private land. And, when I moved into a house in unincorpo- rated Boulder County, I became unfortu- nately very familiar with Canada Thistle (■ Cirsium arvense). However, I was sur- prised to find this invader at an altitude of 10,800 feet in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. After spotting a large stand near Jasper Lake (five miles west of Hesse), I accom- panied U.S. Forest Service staffers to sur- vey the infestation last September. Fortunately, it appears to be confined to a few hundred square feet on disturbed ground near the remains of a cabin adja- cent to the trail. We were able to prune and pull all the plants before they set seed, but this area will require monitoring and con- trol over several years. While I had assumed that the seed may have been brought into the area when the privately-owned Jasper Lake dam was reconstructed a few years ago, the USFS naturalist hypothesized that it may have been deposited in horse dung — apparent- Aquilegia Invaders in the High Country Pat Butler iy horses will nibble thistle flowers. Although Wilderness area rules require weed seed-free horse feed, this standard is difficult to enforce; furthermore, there's no way to monitor what horses eat before entering the wilderness. By coincidence, public land managers of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland are currently developing an invasive weed management policy to identify and control these pests. As a frequent hiker in these high country forests, I volunteered to help look for other populations so that they can be identified and controlled before they get out of hand, as they have in areas of the foothills and eastern plains. Because the miles of back country trails are difficult for the USFS to survey, it would be useful for CoNPS members and other volunteers to keep an eye out for invasive thistles (Cirsium arvense and Carduus nutans), knapweeds (Centaurea maculosc ind C. diffusa, as well as Acroptilon repens), spurge ( Euphorbia esula), and toadflax (. Linaria genistifolia and L. vulgaris) Vol. 22 No. 4 when hiking even far into the back country, and report their location and population size to Bev Baker, naturalist at the local USFS office (541-2517). We should also be careful to clean our boots between hikes to avoid spreading seeds! Because trails heavily used by hikers and horses are more likely to have these weeds introduced, I have agreed to concentrate on such areas. I am leading two “weed sur- vey” outings this summer, with the support of the USFS and the sponsorship of the Colorado Mountain Club, for which I have led trips for almost 20 years. On August 22-23, 1998 we will backpack five miles to Red Deer Lake in the Peaceful Valley area and hike surrounding trails. Anyone will- ing to drive four miles of bad 4WD road could join us for either day's hike. On August 29, 1998 we will do a moderate six mile (round-trip) hike near the road to Fourth of July Campground. One need not be a CMC member to attend, but it is nec- essary to sign up in advance. Please call me at (303) 440-0586 to discuss these issues or learn more about the trips. r CoNPS Launches Strategic Planning Initiative Eric Lane, CoNPS Board of Directors For the past several months, the CoNPS Board of Directors and elected Society and Chapter officers have discussed the need to engage the Society's members, Chapters, and outside organizations in a strategic planning process designed to guide the future direction and initiatives of the Society. In the coming months, Conservation Impact, a small firm that specializes in assisting envi- ronmental non-profits, will be working with the Society to assure an efficient and productive strategic planning process at a cost of approximately $2,800. The purpose of this process is to: 1 . Provide a framework for effective decision-making, 2. Set short and long-range goals for the Society, and 3. Align our organization's efforts with our strategic priorities. The result of this process will be a strategic plan that assures that the Society's limited resources, both dollars and people, are max- imized to achieve our goals. To help the Board and elected officers prepare a strategic plan that meets the needs of the organiza- tion and its members, Conservation Impact will be conducting several focus groups with a randomly selected set of members on the West Slope and Front Range. Selected members will be contacted by board members to solicit your participation in this impor- tant process. We hope that you will be able to participate in these short focus group meetings. The Board of Directors and elected officers believe that it is in the best interest of the Society to undergo this process so that we meet the needs of the members and can effectively pursue goals necessary to encourage the appreciation and conservation of the native plants and ecosystems of Colorado. With a modest expenditure of Society's funds, we believe a successful strategic plan- ning will help to focus the resources of the Society in the most productive and efficient means possible for years to come. Vol. 22 No. 4 Aquilegia Page 5 Native Plant Art Contest $$$ Cash Award $$$ The Fort Collins Chapter of the Colorado Native Plant Society is sponsoring the Native Plant Art Competition. The top five to tea entries in each category will be selected (by unbiased judges) and taken to the CoNPS Annual Meeting in Gunnison, Colorado to be held September 19-20, 1998. Who can enter: All students (grades 7-12) and all adults are eligible. NOTE: There are two competitions and two sets of entry requirements. Student requirements: There is no entry fee for students. Students must be in grades 7-12 or may be recent graduates. Simply fill out the form at the bottom of this page and send in your entry. Adult requirements: Adults must be members of CoNPS. Don’t worry, if you are not now a member, simply enclose your annual dues ($12.00 payable to CoNPS) with your completed entry form. You will then be entered in the contest and be able to enjoy the benefits (newsletters, field trips, workshops, annual meeting, etc.) of membership for an entire year, as well. Rules for all entries: 1) Submit a photograph (black and white, or color), sketch, or line drawing of a native plant that occurs in the vicinity of Fort Collins. Select plants from the foothills and plains below 7000 ft. 2) Cultivated, agricultural, and exotic ornamental plants are excluded as subject matter. 3) All photographs must be a 4” x 6” print and include the negative. All sketches or line drawings may be a “high quality” photocopy of an original. Negative and sketches will be returned if you enclose a self addressed and stamped envelope with your entry. 4) With your artwork, send written comments, a poem, or story (not to exceed 200 words) about this native plant. ) 5) There is a limit of two entries and one award per person. 6) The deadline for entry is September 10, 1998. Entries will be judged in part on taxonomic accuracy. Public locations to search for plants include: Cathy Fromme Prairie, Pine Ridge Natural Area, Riverbend Ponds, Lory State Park, bike trails, and Horsetooth. Winning entries will be displayed publicly during the month of October. The Society reserves the right to include any entry in future CoNPS publications. For help with identifications, consult the library or a CoNPS member. Please call Jill at (970) 221-3460 with questions. Good luck! First place — $100.00 cash award and a year’s free membership to CoNPS. Second place — $50.00 cash award. Third place — $25.00 cash award. — —cut along this line — OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM Deadline: September 10, 1998 Name: Telephone: Address: Scientific name of plant: Entry ( circle entry status, student or adult): student Indicate grade and school: adult (Entries from adult non-members must enclose $12.00) Mail to: Native Plant Art Contest Colorado Native Plant Society P.O. Box 200 Fort Collins, CO 80522 Page 6 Aquilegia Vol. 22 No. 4 Colorado Weed Summit Denise Larson, President Denver Chapter CoNPS On April 7-8, 1998, a diverse group of individuals met to discuss the impact of weeds on Colorado, as well as strategies for manag- ing these weeds. Participants included representatives of Federal, State, and local governments; ranchers and other interested indi- viduals; and members of The Nature Conservancy, Colorado Native Plant Society, and other like-minded organizations. The goals of the summit were: 1 . To discuss the negative impacts inflicted by noxious weeds in the West and Colorado on a broad variety of features including ecological systems, agricultural productivity, and state economies. 2. To provide an opportunity for participants to exchange ideas about the direction and development of a statewide weed management effort. In the morning of August 7, discussion focused on the impacts of weeds to other states. Some of these are severe and have affected a wide segment of the ecosystems and economies of these states. The negative impacts range from those to the soil and water, bio- diversity, agricultural production, and real estate values. One example is the effect of leafy spurge on ranches in North Dakota, Colorado Native Plant Society P.O. Box 200 Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 where this noxious weed has invaded thousands of acres of native grasslands. Because cattle won’t eat leafy spurge, significant por- tions of these ranches may not be used for grazing and land val- ues can decrease by as much as 90 percent. This loss of agricul- tural land has a ripple effect on the local and state economies. The afternoon of April 7 was spent discussing the impacts of weeds in Colorado, as well as various strategies for controlling these weeds. Numerous weeds such as Canada thistle, leafy spurge, and diffuse knapweed are causing increasing problems in Colorado. However, these weeds are not currently as severe a problem as in some other states, such as North Dakota. On April 8, a round-table discussion was held during which all participants had an opportunity to discuss various problems encountered and potential strategies for controlling weeds in Colorado. Most of the participants felt that a statewide weed man- agement campaign is needed. Education, State funding and legis- lation, and mapping are several important strategies that should be pursued. The noxious management team will investigate ways to pursue these strategies. Clearly there are many opportunities for groups such as the CoNPS to become involved contributing to a solution to this increasingly serious problem. Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit #1475 Denver, Colorado