Aquilegia Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society . dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora” 2008/2009 WORKSHOPS by Ann Henson Colorado Native Plant Society workshops are designed for plant enthusiasts of all levels, from novice to expert. During these sessions there is usually plenty of time for learning and fun! REGISTRATION INFORMATION Workshops are for Society members only. Nonmembers must join CONPS in order to be able to register for a workshop. Non- members may use the registration form (enclosed) to join. Registration is mail-in only and requires payment at the time of registration. For each workshop, choose either session one or two, as they are typically more-or-less the same. The registration fee for each is $20. This fee is non-refundable. Furthermore, schedule changes cannot be accommodated because of time and space limitations. Participation is often limited and registration is processed in the order received. If the workshop has already been filled, you will be notified, your check will not be deposited, and you will be added to the waiting list, if that is your desire. To register, please mail your check payable to CONPS for $20 per workshop along with the registration order form provided in this newsletter and on our website. Or send your check with the following information: title and date of the workshop(s) you would like to attend, your name, address, telephone number, and email address. Registration can only be processed with all of this information. Mail to: CONPS c/o Linda Smith 6822 Mission Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80915 Registrations will not be accepted until after September 15, 2008. For those who need to cancel at the last minute, please con- tact Linda Smith at 719-574-6250 or conpsoffice@aol.com so she has the opportunity to fill your spot. WORKSHOP HOSTS NEEDED Arriving at a CONPS workshop means that a friendly face will greet you. This wonderful person has opened the building, brought the microscopes, made sure a name tag is available, plugged in the tea pot, and provided some treat to feast upon. Our host will make sure that materials are secure for the night and repeats this for the second session. Could you be a host? If you are willing to be a host at a workshop you will attend or just over a weekend contact Ann Henson at 303-772-8962. “Workshops” continues on page 2 Contents Workshops 1-3 Articles 4-7, 14 Who’s in that name? 8-9 Conservation Corner 10 Branching Out 12-13 Book Reviews 11 Announcements 15-18 About the Society 19 Calendar 20 Volume 32 Number 3 Aquilegia Fall 2008 Workshops” continued from page 1 COLORADO WILLOW IDENTIFICATION DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT... GRASSES Leaders: Lynn Riedel and Ann Henson Location: CSU Extension Service, Community Room Natural Resources Building 9595 Nelson Rd. Longmont, CO Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Session One: Saturday, 4 October 2008 Session Two: Sunday, 5 October 2008 Afraid of grass identification? Know it’s too hard?! In this beginner’s workshop, participants will gain a working knowledge of the terminology used in grass identification. Using Illustrated Keys to the Grasses of Colorado by Janet Wingate, along with dried grasses, photographs, and herbarium specimens, we will get you comfortable. Visit CONPS on-line bookstore where you can buy Illustrated Keys to the Grasses of Colorado by Janet Wingate. Look under the pink box for members’ only books. Books will also be avail- able at the workshop. COLORADO ETHNOBOTANY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON GREAT PLAINS AND HISPANIC PLANT LORE Leader: Donald Hazlett Location: CSU Extension Service, Community Room Natural Resources Building 9595 Nelson Rd. Eongmont, CO Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Session One: Saturday, 1 November 2008 Session Two: Sunday, 2 November 2008 Botanists often focus on rare plants, while ethnobotanists focus more on the common plants. This makes sense since, when Native Americans or early settlers became ill, a readily available or common plant would be a much better choice for a medicine than a rare one that grows only in a distant canyon. Indeed, many of the eastern Colorado plants are widespread, which makes them more available as medicines when needed. This ethnobotany workshop will focus on the folklore, com- mon names, Nahuatl (Aztec) names, and uses for native Colorado plants, especially those on the eastern plains and those sold in Hispanic boticas (drug stores). Some native plant uses have been well documented as effective medicines, while others have yet to be widely recognized as useful. In this workshop, we will look both at herbarium specimens and at herbals that have been pack- aged for sale to the public. Eeader: Gwen Kittel Eocation: CSU Extension Service, Community Room Natural Resources Building 9595 Nelson Rd. Eongmont, CO Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Session One: Saturday, 15 November 2008 Session Two: Sunday, 16 November 2008. Gwen Kittel, Regional Vegetation Ecologist with NatureServe, will present a workshop on willows, with a focus on summer and winter identification and ecology. Willow identification can be greatly aided by understanding species distribution and ecology, including which species occur where and with what other species. We will learn: a) terms specific to the Salicaceae or willow fami- ly, b) to tell young cottonwoods from willows, c) to identify wil- lows with floral parts, d) to identify willows by only vegetative characteristics, and e) to differentiate the 12 most common wil- lows. Gwen has worked with willows for many years and can identify all 25 willows in Colorado based on vegetative character- istics alone. A dichotomous key based on vegetative characters of Colorado Willows will be distributed at the workshop. WETLAND COMMUNITIES AND THEIR COMMON SPEICES Leader: Barry Johnston Location: Longmont, CO (location to be determined) Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Session One: Friday, 23 January 2009 Session Two: Saturday, 24 January 2009 Various “wetlands” exist in Colorado. Getting your feet wet is not required to become familiar with the most common types in this workshop. What are they, where do they occur, and what species are common members of each community will be explored. How wet- lands are classified or defined will be explained. Tour examples of these interesting plant communities via photographs and specimens. Sahx discolor Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1989. Midwest wetland flora; Field office illustrated guide to plant species. Midwest National Technical Center, Lincoln. Page 2 Aquilegia Volume 32 Number 3 ASTOVNDmG ASTRAGALUS IN COLORAD Leader: Jennifer Ackerfield Location; Colorado State University E-005, Plant Sciences Building Fort Collins, CO Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Session One: Saturday, 7 February^ 2009 Session Two: Sunday, 8 February 2009 Explore Astragalus, as a group, with CSU Herbarium speci- mens and guidance from Jennifer Ackerfield, Collections Manager. Gain knowledge of characteristics, such as flowers and pods, using keys for this amazing group of plants. HELP! THERE’S A GAMETOPHYTE IN MY ENGLISH IVY! THE STRANGE LIFE OF MOSSES, FERNS, AND HORSETAILS Deader: Vickey Trammell Location: Arapahoe Community College Biology Lab Optional; Denver Botanical Gardens Time: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Optional: DBG Tropical Observatory Sessions: Late February or early March Contact Ann Henson at 2henson@kwabena.us or 303-772- 8962 for details after 1 October 2008. Attendance limited to 24 per session. Do your ferns have brown spots on the backs of their leaves? Have you ever wondered what that brown thing is on top of moss? If someone asks you to join them gathering Smooth Scouring Rush seeds, should you go? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you might enjoy a beginner’s experience with the life cycles, biology, and ecology of lower plants. Subjects covered will include: results of cell division by mitosis and meiosis, alternation of generation between gametophyte and sporophyte generations, habitat and adaptations of lower plants, their place in the ecosystem and in evolution of the plant king- dom, and where to find one for a pet! We will learn important ter- minology and anatomical details. Although we will not identify the specimens to species, you will be ready to take the next step. Each attendee will get to use a compound microscope and dis- secting scope. We will have live green plants to work with. Bring a sack lunch. Those who still want more experience can go with Vickey to the Denver Botanic Gardens tropical conservatory and seai'ch for eveiything we saw in lab! Be advised that you will need to pay an entrance fee at the gate, if you aren’t a member of DBG. “INTERESTING” GRASS GENERA Deader: Robert Shaw Location: Fort Collins, CO (location to be determined) Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Session One: Saturday, 25 April 2009 Session Two: Sunday, 26 April 26 2009 There are several interesting grass genera that members find difficult to identify. Dr. Robert Shaw (author of Colorado Grasses) will help us with Festuca, Elymus and Muhlenhergia. He will identify and teach other “interesting” species using unknowns from participants. What a wonderful opportunity to get expert help in your identification questions! Also, get updated on new ideas in grass taxonomy, This workshop is geared to those individuals with intermediate to advanced level of grass identification skills. Copies of Colorado Grasses will be available for purchase. BASIC MTLDFLOWER IDENTIFICATION Leader: Mary Ann Bonnell Location; Morrison Nature Center at Star K Ranch 16002 E Smith Rd. Aurora, CO Time: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Session One: Saturday, 2 May 2009 Session Two: Sunday, 3 May 2009 .Tumpstart your 2009 wildflower season with a primer on plant parts, family characteristics, and the use of a botanical key. In addi- tion to covering the basics, we’ll help you overcome your fear of composites and the pea key, This class will be indoors. Bring a sack lunch and a hand lens. Attendance is limited to 15 per session. Ann Henson is Chair of the Workshop Committee and Society Secretary. MICROSCOPE FUND Members continue to pay off the purchase of the dissecting microscopes with $8 of the $20 workshop registration fee going directly to the Microscope Fund. We have collected approxi- mately 50% of die total purchase price in the past two seasons. You can also contribute directly to the Microscope Fund. Mail contributions with note of the fund payable to CONPS at P.O. Box 200, Ft. Collins, CO 80522. Volume 32 Number 3 Aquilegia Page 3 MARR AND S^EINKAMP GRANT REPORTS Willow {Salix spp.) Clipping in Breckeiiridge, CO for Cross-country Ski Trails by Catherine Kleier, Christy Carello, and Audrey Hoff a Introduction Willows {Salix spp.) are dominant shrubs in western ecosystems, particularly riparian areas, and Colorado has 29 species within genus Salix (Dorn & Dorn, 1997). Since the disappearance of wolves from Colorado, willows have shown a decline in growth and fitness due to heavier grazing from elk and deer (Hebblewhite et al, 1995). If willows are being grazed more heavily, then understanding their response to grazing is an important management question. Additionally, willows are a pri- maiy food source for beaver {Castor fiber)', thus, when there is a willow decline, beaver populations also fall (Nolet, 2005). Beavers keep water tables high, so a lack of beavers could present willow with water stress, Alternatively, herbivory decreases leaf area, which in turn reduces transpira- tional water loss and increases shoot water potential (Johnston et al., 2007). Willows also occur in areas of high recreational traffic. Cucumber Gulch is a wildlife preserve located between the town of Breckenridge and the Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado. The wetlands within this preserve represent an endangered habitat and have been designated an ARNI (Aquatic Resource of National Importance) by the Environmental Protection Agency. Because of its ecolog- ical significance, the Town of Breckenridge has consistently supported conseiwation monitoring of the preseiwe. However, these conservation activities are balanced by recreation, and the willow community surrounding the wetland has been altered for winter-time cross-country ski paths. Willows within the path of cer- tain cross-country ski trails have been trimmed after substantial snow fall to maintain trails that are free of shrub tips emerging from the snow. In this study, the management activity of clipping willow presented an opportuni- ty to investigate the role of selective clip- ping on the growth, reproduction, and water status of willow. Clipping of willow in this experiment serves as a proxy for elk grazmg and provides an opportunity to determine willow responses in growth and fitness to grazing. We hypothesized that willow would show a decrease in growth rate due to clipping and that the clipping would reduce above-ground biomass; thus, transpiration would be decreased and shoot water potential would be greater. To test these hypotheses, we measured growth, number of catkins, and water potential in clipped and undipped quadrats. Understanding the effects of such clipping are important in a management context and also to further our understanding of willow ecology in general. Materials and Methods Cucumber Gulch is a preserve of 77 acres, and it contains several vegetation types; however, our work took place in the shrub-wetland habitat. These habitats are dominated by willows {Salix spp.). The altitude is approximately 10,000 feet and our sites were located between 39° 29’ 496.099” N and 106° 03’ 889.595” W. In May 2006, we designated ten 1 vc? quadrats in two drainages in and near Cucumber Gulch. The test drainage had been mowed every November for seven years to clear willow and enable cross- country ski trails through the open willow area; thus, this treatment is called “clipped.” The control drainage had never been mowed, and it was called “undipped.” The quadrats were located roughly ten meters apart through each of the drainages. Although a random place- ment may be more statistically robust, this was not possible, due to the five meter wide path that was mowed through the clipped site, hi order to remain consistent, our test plots had to be within this mowed area, and so we chose to place our undipped plots along a transect, as well. Within each quadrat, we placed ‘A inch diameter aluminum tags on all willow plants. Because we could not determine ramets from genets, we did our best to tag all plants that were potentially separate individuals. Tags were placed in the node of a branch, to ensure that branch length would be consistently measured each month. We tagged 76 plants in the ten undipped plots and 99 plants in the ten clipped plots. Density in the plots varied from three to 1 4 stems per square meter. At the end of May, June, July, and August we sampled all plots in both clipped and undipped sites. We measured overall plant height as distance from the ground to the tallest tip, and branch length as the distance from the node where we placed the aluminum tag to the tip of the branch. We also counted any catkins that we found on the plant. Each time we sam- pled the plots, we measured water potential of one individual from each plot at each site. All water potential measurements were made between 10; 00 AM and 12:00 PM on sunny to partly-sunny days. We clipped one branch from each plot and then measured it using a Scholander-type pres- sure chamber. Page 4 Aquilegia Volume 32 Number 3 Results Through all months, there were clear differences between the clipped and unclipped plots in terms of overall growth. Unclipped plots had taller plants May through August, and these plants also showed longer branch lengths; however, the plants in the clipped plots started smaller, thus we measured growth rate from one month to the next. We measured three growth intervals: May to June, June to July, and July to August. For plant height, there was no dif- ference in growth from the May to June interval, but unclipped plants had a much higher growth rate for the June to July and July to August intervals (Figure 1). For branch length, the unclipped plants showed a higher growth rate for the May to June and June to July interval, but the clipped plants showed less of a negative growth rate for the July to August interval than did the unclipped plants (Figure 2). For both plant height and branch length, the greatest difference in growth was seen in the greater growth rate of the unclipped plants for the June to July interval. Reproduction and water potential showed some differences between sites as well. Catkin number was always greater in the unclipped plants than in the clipped plants, and the highest catkin numbers for both groups were seen in May (Figure 3). Shoot water potential was higher (less neg- ative) in the clipped plots in May and August, though in June unclipped plots showed higher (less negative) shoot water potentials than clipped (Figure 4). There was no difference between clipped and unclipped plots in July. Later in the summer, we observed that we had tagged two different species: Salix geyeriana and Salix planifolia. These species were indistinguishable to us when we placed the tags, and it may be possible Growth interval □ Clipped □ Undipped Figure 1 . Difference in growth rate of overall plant height during three intervals of the 2006 growing season between clipped and undipped willow shrubs {Salix spp.), where N = 76 for undipped and 99 for clipped. Bars show standard error of the mean. % 2 G) £ G) C n -r =T= I T T 1 1—^ May - June June - July July - August □ Clipped □ Undipped Growth interval Figure 2. Difference in growth rate of overall branch length during three intervals of the 2006 growing season between clipped and undipped willow shrubs {Salix spp.), where N = 76 for undipped and 99 for clipped. Bars show standard error of the mean 0.45 0.4 o a. 0.35 G a. 0.3 in c 0.25 £ flj 0.2 u G 0.15 G) g 0.1 1 0.05 0 ri U^l May June July August □ Clipped □ Undipped Month Figure 3. Mean number of catkins found on willow shrubs {Saiix spp.) throughout the 2006 growing season between clipped and undipped treatments, where N = 76 for undipped and 99 for clipped. Bars show standard error of the mean. “Willows” continues on page 8 Volume 32 Number 3 Aquilegia Page 5 May June July August □ Clipped □ Undipped Figure 4. Mean difference in water potential between clipped and undipped willow shrubs (N = 10) throughout the 2006 growing sea- son. Bars show standard error of the mean. “Willows” continued from page 7 that they hybridize. In August, we were able to distinguish the species, and retroac- tively investigated differences in growth. In the unclipped control plot, there were 42 S. geyeriana, 29 S. planifolia, and four that were marked as potential hybrids. For the clipped treatment plot, there were 26 S. geyeriana, 67 S. planifolia, and four again, that were potentially labeled as hybrids. Because there were differences in species numbers between the two sites, it was imperative to determine if growth rates were different. Within the unclipped site, there was no difference in either total plant height or branch length. Within the clipped site, there was no difference in plant height, but branch length did differ, with S. planifoUa having a mean branch length of 15.87 inches and S. geyeriana having a mean branch length of 21.12 inches. To determine if the difference was due to a random difference in branches that were selected or to real differences in growth, we compared the amount of growth from July to August between the different species at the clipped site. Between July and August, S. geyeriana had a mean growth of -0.019 inches and S. planifoUa showed a mean growth of - 0.92inches. A two-tailed t-test for unequal variance reported a p-value of 0.14, indi- cating that there was no difference in growth between the two species. Discussion The compensatory growth hypothesis was not supported by these data with wil- low in a subalpine wet meadow. The com- pensatory growth hypothesis would sug- gest that the clipped shrubs would com- pensate for being clipped and thus show a greater rate of growth or fitness, but this was not the case. On the contrary, the unclipped shrubs showed greater growth during the peak growing season (June to July) than did the clipped shrubs. The compensatory growth hypothesis may not be acting here because willows are peren- nial plants, and because the grazing pres- sure on this area is less than the prairies ,where the compensatory growth hypothe- sis was first determined (Crawley, 1997). Additionally, the subalpine climate may be too severe to support compensatory growth in that the growing season may be too short to enable plants to catch up. Reproductive output also failed to show any sort of compensatory response. Clipped plants showed lower fitness than unclipped plants. At the height of the repro- ductive season (May), the undipped plants showed nearly six times the number of catkins as the clipped plants. In June, when undipped plants had lost over half of their catkins, the average numbers were still well above the average high for the dipped plants. This is significant because it shows the dipped plants have a much harder time reproducing than the undipped plants. Water relations were less dear between dipped and undipped willow. Early in the growing season, we observed standing water in many of the plots, so it’s surpris- ing that there was any difference between the two treatments. However, in both May and August, dipped plants showed a high- er (less negative) shoot water potential. This trend was reduced in June, when shoot water potentials were lower (more negative) for dipped plants. This result may be due to warmer ground tempera- tures during this month before leaves had fully emerged in the dipped plants, though this was not tested. Although these results are interesting and point to possible diminishing willow numbers in Cucumber Gulch over time, there were some errors with this pilot proj- ect that should be highlighted before man- agement decisions are made. First, we were unable to completely identify willow shrubs to species early in the growing sea- son; therefore, there are two species in this study. There could be interspecies differ- ences in physiology that would interfere with our overall findings. Second, the con- trol plots for this study were located in a different drainage, and conditions there could have attributed to the differences found between treatments. Last, due to the nature of the experimental plots all being located within a swath of clipped willow, there is a certain degree of pseudoreplica- tion in the design that could not be avoid- Page 6 Aquilegia Volume 32 Number 3 ed, but should be pointed out nevertheless. In a previous study, areas with willow showed greater diversity than those with- out willow, and diversity was greater in areas of unclipped versus clipped stands (Kleier et al, 2006). Because willow is such an important part of this community and because the present study certainly shows that there are potential effects from clipping willow for cross-country ski trails, further monitoring is planned. Literature Cited Crawley, M. J. 1997. Plant-herbivore dynamics. In M. J. Crawley (Ed.), Plant Ecology (pp. 401-474). Oxford, England: Blackwell Science, Etd. Dom, R. D., and J. E. Dorn. 1997. Rocky Mountain region willow identification field guide. Golden, CO: U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region. Hebblewhite, M., C.A. White, C. G. Nietvelt, J. A. McKenzie, T. E. Hurd, J. M. Fryxell, S. E. Bayley, and PC. Paquet. 2005. Human activity mediates a trophic cascade caused by wolves. Ecology 86: 2135-2144. Kleier, C. C., C. Carello, and A. Hoffa. 2006. Willow (Salix spp.) disturbance in a subalpine forest. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Memphis, TN. Nolet, B. A., E. Broftova, I. M. A. Heitkonig, A. Vorel, and V. Kostkan. 2005. Slow growth of a translocated beaver population partly due to a climatic shift in food quality. Oikos, UP. 632-640. Strauss, S. Y, and A. A. Agrawal. 1999. The ecology and evolution of plant tol- erance to herbivory. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 14\ 179-185. Weber, W. A. 1976. Rocky Mountain Flora. Boulder, CO: Colorado Associated University Press. Catherine Kleieris is associated with the Department of Biology, D-8, Regis University, 3333 Regis Blvd., Denver, CO 80221. Christy Carello and Audrey Hoffa are from the Department of Biology, Metropolitan State College of Denver, Campus Box 53, P.O. Box 173362, Denver, CO. 80217-3362. 2008 CONPS Grant Recipients Steinkamp Awards Dr. Eara Kueppers and Dr. Ramona Butz. University of California, Merced. Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments (GEORIA) at the Rocky Mountain Biological Eaboratory (RMBE) $1,000 Krissa A. Skogen (Doctoral student). University of Connecticut. Primroses, pollinators and practicality: Identifying land use prior- ities by the effect of habitat fragmentation on pollinator declines and plant reproduction. $800 Marr Awards Denise Wilson (MIS student). University of Colorado, Denver. Epipactis gigantea - Pollination Syndromes at three Colorado elevations. $600 Genevieve Walden (MS student). San Francisco State University. Phylogenetic analysis of section- al and species level relationships within Phacelia (Boraginaceae) inferred from chloroplast ndhF and nuclear rITS sequence data. $500. Ben R. Grady (Doctoral student). University of Wisconsin. Speciation and Edaphic Endemism in Eriogonum (Polygonaceae): A Molecular Systematic Approach. $500. Congratulations to Linda Kothera! Einda’s research on Physaria bellii, funded in part by a CONPS research grant, has resulted in a publication in a scholarly jour- nal. “Assessing the threat from hybridization to the rare endemic Physaria bellii Mulligan (Brassicaceae)” by Einda Kothera, Sara M. Ward, and Shanna E. Carney was published in the prestigious Journal, Biological Conservation (Volume 140, pgs. 110-118). A summary can be viewed at: http://conps.org/research%20grant%20reports/research_grant_report_Einda_Kothera.html. Thank you to all who have contributed to the Marr and Steinkamp funds. As you can see, your donations make a difference. CONPS Research Grants Committee Phacelia congesta Clarence A. Rechenthin @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database Volume 32 Number 3 Aquilegia Page 7 WHO ’S IN THAT NAME? William Weber by Al Schneider Dr. Weber, who is Due? Due was my male papillon and my field companion for 12 years until he died on January 8, 2000. Having had the best, I don’t need another, but I do have seven Border collies through my daughter Heather; they give me all the dog love I need. What are your favorite plants? I don’t play favorites. This tends to blunt ones interest in the rest. What plants do you think are the most difficult to identify? The ones that you know least about. Probably for the amateur, it depends on one’s equipment. For bryophytes, for example, you need two microscopes and the ability to hand section a single moss leaf Difficulty in identification usually is a matter of not having looked closely enough to recognize small differences. Why do so many different scientific names exist for the same plant? What should we do when faced with a number of sci- entific names for the same plant? Would you favor the estab- lishment of an international body to arbitrate botanical names? This question is, in most instances, moot. As amateurs, you must come and meet the professional half way. To do this you have to understand some things about nomenclature and its histo- ry. I recommend first that you Google “International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Saint Louis Code) Electronic Version.” Names must be recognized as representing points of view of the persons using them. Names will continue to be various and con- fusing to people who don’t understand that in science no one is required to accept a name frozen by some board. Concepts con- stantly change as information is added. No thinking scientist will tolerate being forced to accept some else’s opinions. Amateur botanists should go to one of the older standard taxo- nomic texts that do not confuse you with cladistics, numerical tax- onomy, chemotaxonomy, DNA, bar-coding of species names, and other fads that are sometimes half-baked and premature, but cap- ture the imagination of folks who are vulnerable. I recommend highly the book from which I taught in the 1950s: Taxonomy of Vascular Plants by George H. M. Lawrence (1951). His chapter on Plant Nomenclature is priceless today. Here is a paragraph: “Today [1951 mind you!] there is unity, but not harmony, as concerns nomenclatural legislation, trends, and prac- tices among plant taxonomists. . . Those lacking scientific perspective, and concerned about temporarily discomfort- ing changes in plant names, would freeze the nomencla- ture of plants as it now stands and allow no further name changes; others, in the ‘interest of stability,’ would advo- cate nomina specifica conservanda. . . There is no unifor- mity in practice in the delimitation and choice of subspe- cific categories, and while not a part per se of plant nomenclature, the vacillations and fluctuations in concept of these categories as encountered in the literature do affect the stability of plant names. It has been urged that application of the rules be tempered by judgment (Gleason, 1947). The entire question of the influence of the experimental method in taxonomy on the nomencla- ture of the future is replete with dynamic potentials and is responsible in part for the introduction into the Rules of the categories nothomorph, apomict, and clone. The influence of increasing cytological and genetical findings surely will be reflected to a greater extent in future nomenclatural regulations and practices.” As amateurs, you are perfectly entitled to use the names you please, provided that they are legitimate according to the rules. If you are old, you grew up with names that for reasons you may not be aware of do not reflect the latest understanding of profession- als. These may be right or wrong, but the fact is that we profes- sionals (I have also been an amateur spiritually all my life) use the Rules as our guides. The species are relatively well understood Selaginella selaginoides USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the north- ern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 1 : 49. Page 8 Aquilegia Volume 32 Number 3 and their specific epithets may remain stable, but we are free to use the generic category to reflect our understanding of the groups. If you think that the vascular plants are undergoing some revolutionary changes (Scrophulariaceae, for example), the FNA treatment of the buttercups has not changed since Benson’s mono- graph m the forties. What is a subgenus if not a genus in disguise that happens to be ignored or ‘lost’ in the detail of the new treat- ment. I will have a lot more to say about FNA later. Why do you emphasize chromosome numbers? Because dif- ferences in chromosome numbers are one way of many by which barriers to interbreeding are developed between populations. Why do you seem to favor the ideas of Europeans? Because so much of our flora turns out to be Middle Asiatic, and because the Europeans have been involved for centuries with the taxa found in the soutliem Rockies, either in tlie Holarctic or the mountains of Middle and Southwest Asia. No American botanists have been as deeply involved with the flora of Colorado as I have, for I have been free to study not only the flowering plants, but the lichens and bryophytes. If I had another life to live, I would probably tackle the fungi and the algae. How did these Eurasian plants get here? They didn’t. They were here in habitats they occupy that existed here before the sep- aration of the continents. There are remnants of our flora that are relictual in northern Michigan, Quebec, and the northern Appalachians. Fernald wondered how they got to these eastern outposts. They didn’t have to. They were there. Literature Cited Gleason, H.A. 1935. Plants of the vicinity’ of New York (1st ed.). Hafner Publishing Co., New York, New York, USA. Lawrence, GH.M. 1951. Taxonomy of Vascular Plants. MacMillan, New York, New York, USA. Bill is revising his Colorado Floras and welcomes comments on past editions. Send to bill .weber@colorado.ediL Deadline Approaches Swhmit Aquilegia Contributions by 15 October Articles not exceeding 750-1500 words in length are espe- cially welcome. Previously published articles submitted for reprinting require permission. Include author’s name, address, and affiliation; anonymity may be requested. Follow the format from previous issues closely. Spell check. ^Dem Pawnee Medicinal Herbs by Donald Hazlett For many things that ail ya, there’s a Pawnee herb out there. One can kill Streptococcus^ and one can strengthen hair^. Some are also used in Mexico: ayer and hoy en dia^. Examples are poleo^ and mucilaginous chia^. The wisdom of cultures now subdued, are still in the souls herbs we use. The stewards of Pawnee public lands, now have trendy tasks at hand. Like kill or at least to control ‘dem weeds. Or protect raptors and meet prairie dog needs. At the same time 4-wheelers roam siltstone hills. And cattle drink at squeaky windmills. With a focus on multiple use, raptors and critters, we ignore or don't yet care. That for many things that ‘ail ya, there’s a Pawnee herb out there. ^ Argemone polyanthemos (Fedde) Ownbey ^ Sphaeralcea coccinia (Nutt.) Rydb. ^ translation note: ayer = yesterday, hoy en dia = nowadays ^ Mentha ajwensis L. ^ Salvia reflexa Hornem. Volume 32 Number 3 Aquilegia Page 9 CONSERVATION CORNER Colorado and Southern Rocky Mountain Online Herbarium Collaboration by Sarada Krishnan and Cindy Tejral Newlander The Denver Botanic Gardens, partner- ing with CSU, the University of Wyoming, and CU, received a planning grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for the development of an integrat- ed, online herbarium of plants of Colorado and the Southern Rocky Mountain region. Through this project, herbarium specimen information will be shared and made avail- able to a wider audience. The online herbarium will include spec- imen data with associated images, distribu- tion maps, and associated literature. The creation of this digital herbarium will serve as a model for other institutions that wish to combine shared resources and physical specimens into an online tool. This online herbarium will significantly improve access to desired information about speci- mens to diverse audiences ranging from scientists to hobbyists, with the ability to access several herbarium databases at once. The ultimate goal of this project is to document biodiversity within the region by providing a platform and opportunity for museums and other institutions to present their own collections data and to make these data available for public use. To start off the project, an online survey was completed by more than 450 people, including professionals in the fields of botany and horticulture, curators, taxono- mists, conservationists, scientists, ecolo- gists, educators, amateur botanists, botani- cal illustrators, volunteers, teachers, stu- dents, faculty, and gardeners. Listed below are some of the findings: • Most of the respondents used herbaria in the past six months. • Top three uses of herbaria were for iden- tification, to view morphological fea- tures, and to see location data. • Only slightly fewer than 50 percent had used an online herbarium before. • Almost 75 percent of the respondents stated that they would use an online herbarium of Colorado and the Southern Rocky Mountain Region that featured specimen label data, images, and geo- referenced map points. • Most respondents believed that the most important features to be included in an online herbarium, excluding images were maps, species descriptions, and the abili- ty to query multiple items at one time. • Images were more important to respon- dents than geo-referenced map points. • Respondents favor having dynamic images and the ability to down- load images over other image choices. The feedback gained from this survey will help guide the design of this virtual herbarium. As this project progresses, institu- tions and individuals will be encour- aged to contribute specimen-based data, including images of preserved specimens and of voucher specimens living in their natural habitat as well as other resources and expertise to this online repository. Once estab- lished, this project will have great implications for research, education, resource management, and conserva- tion by organizing a large amount of data in a single location. Currently, funding for this project is for the planning phase and, once the model is established, it will take some time to get the digital herbarium up and running. It will take significant efforts from the institutions involved, as well as professionals and volunteers from the botanical community, to make this project a reality. For more information about this collaborative project, please contact Cindy Newlander at TejralC@botanicgardens.org. Sarada Krishnan is Chair of the Conservation Committee for CONPS and Director of Horticulture at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Cindy Tejral Newlander is Plant Records Manager at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Page 10 Aquilegia Volume 32 Number 3 BOOK REVIEWS Reviewed by Jan Loechell Turner Mountain WiUlflowers of the Southern Rockies; Revealing Their Natural History. Carolyn Dodson and William Dnnmire. 2007. University of New Mexico Press, Albnquerque. $17.95. Carolyn Dodson has a fascination with pollination, which is reflected in her book. Mountain Wildflowers of the Southern Rockies, co-autliored with William Dnnmire. Color photographs by Dodson and Dnnmire, accompa- nied by the illnstrations of artist Walter Graf, contribute to the visnal appeal of the book, which is brimming with the kind of natnral history and plant dis- covery information that plant enthusiasts crave. Readers will enjoy learning about the leaf movement of Inpines and the change in color of the spots on the petals after pollination, the insect thief protection strategy of fringed gen- tian, the ability of bees to see ultraviolet patterns displayed on petals, and the relationship between the grizzly bear and the fawn lily. Human interactions with plants tliat occur in the region are not ignored. AMiough 1 had lived in Arizona and enjoyed hiking at Mt. Lemmon, 1 had not realized, until reading this book, that the mountain was named after Sara Lemmon, who collected plants in the Tucson area with her husband, John. The Lemmons discovered mountain parsley [ Cymopteris lemmonii) and numerous other plants bearing their surname, Economic uses of milkweed fibers, Native American uses of Scarlet Gilia and Rock>' Mountain Beeplant, and the history^ of the iris as the emblem of King Louis VII of France are examples of informative tidbits included in this entertaining book. Seventy- five plants are arranged by family, not in alphabetical order, but from less to more highly derived. Within families, plants are found alpha- betically by scientific name. Two-page entries include the common and sci- entific species and family names, a description of the plant, close-up color photos of the flowers, and often a photograph or line drawing of the entire plant. Following this are the biological and historical information that read- ers will find so absorbing, and although the book is presented as a field guide, die latter information is where the appeal of tiiis book really lies. This would be an enjoyable book to curl up with at home on a rainy day. Carolyn Dodson, who received a Masters in botany from SUNY, is a retired librarian (University of New Mexico library faculty) and taught wildflower identification classes through the UNM Department of Continuing Education. Bill Dunmire, who co-authored Wild Plants of the Pueblo Province, Wild Plants and Native Peoples of the Four Corners, and authored Gardens of New Spain, was a park naturalist with die National Park Service for 28 years and is currently an associate in biology at the University of New Mexico. Ancient Pinon-Juniper Woodlands: A Natural History of Mesa Verde Country. M. Lisa Floyd (ed.). 2003. University Press of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA. $29.95 (paper cloth). The natural history of the pihon-juniper woodlands of the Mesa Verde area is the focus of this scholarly, readable book edited by M. Lisa Floyd of Prescott College with the assistance of David Hanna, William Romme, and Marilyn Colyer. Floyd has done a remarkable job of consolidating information from a variety of fields, providing a “big picture” view of an ecosystem that has not been necessarily well under- stood or valued. Possessing both breadth and depth, the book contains chapters on a myriad of topics including “gnarly old trees,” understory plants, fungi and mosses, geolog}^, water resources, biological soil crusts, bats, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphib- ians, fire history, management concerns, and even ethnobotany. Invasion by non-native plants after some of the more recent fires is one of the topics dis- cussed in a chapter by Romme, 01 ivia, and Floyd on “Threats to the Pinon-Juniper Woodlands.” Marilyn Colyer, who spent much of her adult life working at the park, first as an archeologist and later as a natural resources manager, co-authored a number of the chapters. By documenting Colyer’s unique, first hand observations, covering decades in the park, as well as those of other experts, this book makes an important contribution to the literature. Each chapter contains references and supporting information, such as plant lists, tables and charts, and black-and-white drawings and photos. Anyone interested in the Mesa Verde area will find this book to be a valuable addi- tion to his or her book collection. Jan Loechell Turner is Co-President of CONPS and an Associate Professor at the Regis University Library. Volume 32 Number 3 Aquilegia Page 1 1 BRANCHING OUT Phyllotaxis II By Dick Yeatts We should make things as simple as possible, but not simpler. A. Einstein Phyllotaxis (literally “leaf arrangemenf’) refers to the quantitative description of the architecture of plants. For example, the terms “adjacenf’ and “opposite” applied to branching belie the three-dimensional character of branching. The angle about the stem between neighboring branches (divergence) and the number of branches at a node (jugacy) are basic measures of plant form, and can be used as characteristics in plant classification. The constancy of divergence, best noted in new growth where environmental effects have not yet corrupted the structure, often persists throughout a plant from basal leaves through infloresence. Indeed, the simple condition of constant divergence is sufficient to explain many of the remarkable attributes of flowers such as the placement of petals on a rose, the spirals of florets on a sunflower head, and the helical arrangement of bracts on a pinecone. In temperate climes, for a large majority of species, the divergence is found to be “Fibonacian;” that is, the divergence is about 137.5 degrees, which is an approxima- tion of the so-called “golden angle.” (The golden angle, often denoted by the Greek letter phi, “ 0 ,” is the product of the “golden ratio,” times 360 degrees. The golden ratio, in turn, equals (3-square root of 5)/2, which is approximately 0.382). Genetically based, divergence is established in the growing shoot. Meristem cells (unspecified plant cells. . . like “stem” cells in animals) in the shoot apex differentiate into specific plant parts by the action of phytochemicals, such as the growth hormone auxin. The specific plant part begins life as a “bump” (technically, primordium or initial) on the side of the shoot just below the apex (Fig. 1); henceforth, each primordium continues to develop in its own way while the shoot grows longitudinally. For plants exhibiting Fibonaccian phyllotaxis, the primordia appear consecutively at the golden angle around the shoot. Whether the second primordium occurs to the right or to the left of the first determines the “handedness” of the phyllotaxis, usually with equal probability. If a primordium is to develop into a branch or stem leaf, the shoot continues to elongate as the new plant part develops in its own way at its place on the stem. If, say, the primordium is to develop into a terminal infloresence, such as a sunflower head, growth becomes lateral as well as longitudinal. The Asteraceae, with their many infloresence types, exhibit characteristics common to many other taxa, and thus serve as archetypical examples. The most striking feature of the sunflower head is the apparent spiral arrange- ment of the florets (and ultimately, the fruits). First explained by the Bravais brothers, Auguste (crystallographer) and Louis (biologist), in 1839, the pattern does not result from spiral growth: it is merely an artifact of phyllotaxis. In Figure 2, the black squares centered more or less on the florets of Erigeron divergens were computed following a simple mathematical model described below. Figure 3 is a mathematical model for the arrangement of disk flowers at matu- rity of an Asteraceae type flower head, such as E. divergens. The circles repre- sent the disk florets. Each “floret” is numbered according to its relative age, i.e., in reverse of its birth order. The model is constructed as follows: The center of floret one is placed at a point a distance, say, 1 cm (one centimeter) from the dia- gram center; the center of floret two is then placed at a distance of about 1 .4 cm (the square root of two) from the diagram center and at a angle of 137.5 degrees - ■ . “ " ■ f Fig. 2. The central region of a head of Erigeron divergens. The small squares positioned near the disk florets are theoretically determined loca- tions for those florets. Fig. 1. Sketch of the apical meristem of a plant shoot with two primordia budding on the side. Page 12 Aquilegia Volume 32 Number 3 from floret one; floret three is at a distance of about 1.7 cm (square root of three) and an angle of 137.5 degrees from floret two; etc. The model does not require circular florets, but drawing circles shows the uniformity of packing. Of all possible floret arrangements, golden-angle phyllotaxis with square root distance dependence provides the most compact packing possible on a flat receptacle. Thus, minimum plant tissue is required. Mother nature discovered all of this long before mathematicians. The spiral arrangements of florets are called parastichies (literally “side row”); the curved lines in Figure 3 identify two parastichies, one clockwise, one counter-clockwise. Notice that there are 21 clockwise parastichies in all, and 13 counter-clockwise parastichies. Moreover, notice that floret numbers in the clockwise parastichy differ by 21, while the numbers in the counter-clockwise parastichy differ by 13. In the case of golden-angle phyllotaxis, the number of parastichies is always a Fibonacci number, and the difference between neighboring floret numbers is always that same Fibonacci number. (Recall the Fibonacci sequence: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21..., where each number equals the sum of the preceding two numbers, starting with 1 and 2). In Figure 2, the number of clockwise parasticies visible in the outer margins of E. divergens is 34. The reader might check whether the number of counter-clockwise parastichies is 21 or 55. A Fibonacci number of parastichies is prima facea evidence for golden-angle phyllotaxis. As the number of florets in an array becomes larger and larger, the num- ber of parastichies visible in the outer margins of the array becomes a larger and larger. A sunflower grower can estimate the yield of a head by merely counting the number of parastichies visible in the outer margins. A parastichy becomes visible, now, when the dis- tances between neighboring florets along the parastichy is less than the distances between neighboring florets across parastichies. As primordia grow, they require more space. And for florets to grow to maturity while maintaining close packing, the receptacle surface must expand and ultimately become rounded; the amount of roundedness depends on the number of florets and their growth rate. Figure 4 shows the longitudinal cross-section of a mature head of Helianthus annuus. The smooth curve drawn on the receptacle surface is derived from a mathematical model I developed to model the growth of such a head. (This work is published in Mathematical Biosciences 1 87, 205-221 , 2004.) Under appropriate growth parameters, but holding the divergence con- stant, the roundedness of the receptacle can become essentially cylindri- cal with the more mature florets situated on the cylindrical surface. Herbs such as coneflowers, prairie clover, and mullein exhibit cylindrical inflorescences. There are many other ways in which Fibonacci numbers are associat- ed with plants (and animals). The references cited in my previous Phyllotaxis article provide good starting points for interested readers. Also, in addition, there are applications of Fibonacci numbers to art, music, economics, psychology, and even physical science that some may find fascinating. In any case, it’s not the Fibonacci numbers that are spe- cial, it’s the plants (or animals or whatever. . . .) that are special; the num- bers just happen to quantify those special attributes. Dick Yeatts is a CONPS member. He can be contacted at 1395 Nile Street, Golden, CO 80401. Fig. 4. A longitudinal cross-section of a head Heliathus annuus. The receptacle surface is bounded by a curve derived from a theory of growth of a sunflower head. Fig. 3. A theoretical model of a reasonably flat inflores- ence with golden-angle phyllotaxis. The circles represent disk florets: the numbers indicate the relative ages of the florets. Volume 32 Number 3 Aquilegia Page 13 First Annual Metro Denver Native Plant Garden Tour by Megan Bowes Sunday, 8 June was a perfect spring day, which brought some 50 Colorado Native Plant Society members out to tour four unique native plant gardens west of Denver. Members Carol English, Jan and Charlie Turner, Jerry Morris, and Jim and Dorothy Borland graciously offered to open up their private gardens to show some of the many ways we can garden with Colorado’s remarkable native flora. While none of the four landscapes grew native plants exclusively, they all exhibited a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and perennials (also known as grasses and forbs for you botanists) native to Colorado and the greater western United States. Dave Elin and Carol English’s Garden Carol English and her husband Dave Elin began their Morison garden in 2002, after doing construction on their house. Situated on an east-facing hogback slope covered in mountain mahogony, the backyard now features various needle grasses, a collection of Penstemon species, and many other native wildflowers, all artful- ly planted amid native rocks excavated during the house construc- tion. A bubbling fountain entices visiting wildlife and a small buf- falo grass lawn makes a pleasant resting spot for their dog. Carol and Dave have done very little to change their native clay soil and, like many of the day’s hosts, they water their garden very infre- quently, relying instead on plants that tolerate those conditions. Similarly, current Society Co-Presidents Jan and Charlie Turner began a do-it-yourself landscaping project in 2004, incor- porating Colorado native plants into both their front and back yards. Using berms and large boulders as accents, the Turner’s lawn-free yard features native plants, as well as some non-native xeric plants. Alluring paths lead visitors through a back yard full of milk vetch, beard-tongue, evening primrose, and much more. Many of these plants came from local plant salvages that Jan and Charlie have assisted with over the years. And most were labeled with an accompanying photo and text — an especially nice treat for those new to native plant gardening! New CONPS member Jerry Morris is a well-known propagator of dwarf conifers and bonsai, all collected throughout the Rocky Mountain region. His unusual garden features tables and tables of little trees that he meticulously prunes and wires, shaping them into bonsai’s formal upright or weeping styles. The front and side yard also display berms of dwarf conifers, some of which he esti- mates to be hundreds of years old! Jim Borland’s “Native No Water Garden” features an estab- lished 5,000 square foot front and side yard that hasn’t seen any supplemental irrigation in 12 years. A propagator who had col- lected seed for most of the more than 80 species woody plants — plus numerous perennials, biennials and annuals — Jim has per- fected many different propagation and growing techniques and loves to let nature “choose” the location of many plants. His wife Dorothy, a turf expert, also showed us some of the grass plantings she has been assessing over the years. The Metro Denver Chapter hopes this will become an annual event and encourages members to open their native gardens up in coming years. Ideally, we’d like future tours to have 4-5 home or public gardens in close proximity to one another so that visitors can minimize the amount of driving between locations. Additionally, we hope to be able to offer different tours in all corners of the Metro Denver. Contact Megan Bowes (303-561- 4883 or bowesm@bouldercolorado.gov) if you’d like to help out in the future! Megan Bowes is Co-Chair of the Metro Denver Chapter and works as a Plant Ecologist for City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. Page 14 Aquilegia Volume 32 Number 3 Society News and Announcements Membership Survey: The Final Results Thank you for your input on the survey. With a 50 percent response rate, the membership survey was informative and suc- cessful The initial and final survey results were in agreement. We will be implementing many of the suggestions in the near future. Colorado Environmental Film Festival The Colorado Environmental Film Festival (CEFF), hosted by the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, will be held 2-5 October 2008 at the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, CO. The Colorado Environmental Film Festival is an exciting, inspir- ing, and energizing event that includes world-class environmental films, an engaging exhibition hall with representatives from local and national organizations and companies, topical forums and dis- cussions, and a children’s environmental film program. True to the spirit of Colorado, this event is supported and attend- ed by people who value the natural world and share a passion for the power and beauty of film. For more information or to pur- chase tickets please visit www.ceff net. Website News Webmaster, A1 Schneider reports that Cheryl Ames (on her PC) and Julie Crawford (on her Mac) have volunteered to review the CONPS website periodically to catch errors and layout problems, while Janet Weatherby has volunteered to browse Amazon to find new titles to add to the CONPS website Bookstore. Be sure to read the Botanical News website and your chapter's page, as well, for the most up-to-date news. Thanks! CONPS would like to thank David Wright and Nancy Mead for their donation of a scanner and Ann Bartlett for her donation of a computer monitor. Welcome Linda Smith, CONPS Administrative Assistant This year, the Board of the Colorado Native Plant Society agreed to hire a part-time contract employee to assist the President, Directors, and other officers with day-to-day operations of the Society. It is with great pleasure that we introduce Einda Smith, our new Administrative Assistant. Einda has lived in Colorado Springs for 30 years, where she raised her three, now-adult children. She will be retiring from Colorado State University Extension in El Paso County this summer, after 19 years as the Administrative Assistant for the Horticulture Department, and hopes to move to the Eongmont/Eoveland area to be closer to family. During her years with Extension, Einda taught plant identification of woody plants to the Colorado Master Gardeners in El Paso County, and turned her training materials into the publication “Identification Key for Woody Plants of the Pikes Peak Region.” Prior to working with Extension, Einda was a landscape designer for three years. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, gar- dening and art projects with her partner Michael and her four grandchildren. Einda is looking forward to meeting and working with CONPS members, with whom she shares a love of the native plants of Colorado. As our Administrative Assistant, Einda will be responsible for helping with membership, answering questions about the Society, maintaining files; collecting, processing, and re-distributing mail, e-mail, and voice communications; and maintaining books for sales and filing quarterly tax reports. Four months into the posi- tion, Einda states, “Fm thoroughly enjoying working with every- one. It’s been a very smooth transition for me — from the Colorado Master Gardeners and the staff at the El Paso County Extension Office, to the Society. “Plant People” are the BEST! And I look forward to meeting all of you!” Please join us in welcoming Einda! Volume 32 Number 3 Aquilegia Page 15 Chapter News and Announcements Boulder Chapter Boulder Chapter meetings are typically held on the second Thursday of each month (October through May) at 7:00 PM. All meetings except the October 9 meeting will be held at the Community Room in the center of the Boulder REI Store at 1789 28th Street, between Canyon and Pearl. The October 9 meeting will be in the North Building of the City of Boulder's Open Space and Mountain Parks Administrative Offices, 66 S. Cherryvale Road (long entrance road approximately 1/10 of a mile south of the intersection of S. Cherryvale and S. Boulder Road). For more information, visit www.conps.org or contact Chapter Co-President Cathem Smith at smith_cathern@yahoo.com or 202-841-4016. Help make 2008 zero waste and bring your own cup and plate. 9 October 2008 Thursday at 7:00 pm Boulder OSMP North Building Conservation in an Era of Novel Ecosystems Timothy Seastedt, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder, will speak about novel ecosystems, biotic communities consisting of new combina- tions of species under new environmental conditions that are becoming common. Old management styles, focused on remov- ing undesirable species or undesirable conditions, are increasing- ly unlikely to work. The point is not to think outside the box, but to recognize that the box is moving and find ways to enhance con- servation and ecosystem services. Yucca glauca USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 1: 512. 13 November 2008 Thursday at 7:00 pm Boulder REI Community Room Edible and Medicinal Native Plants Come explore the wonderful world of edible and medicinal natives with Bill Melvin of Ecoscape Environmental Design. Bill will show how native species in the wild and in your garden can provide a wealth of beneficial resources for you and your family. 11 December 2008 Thursday at 7:00 pm Boulder REI Community Room Survey of Critical Biological Resources in Boulder County Stephanie E. Neid, an ecologist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP), will discuss survey results and trends in biodiversity status from CNHP’s comprehensive survey of rare, threatened, and endangered species and habitats in Boulder County. Until this survey was completed, Boulder County had a long history of biodiversity conservation and protection, but no comprehensive source for biodiversity information. 8 January 2009 Thursday at 7:00 pm Boulder REI Community Room Eldorado Fire at Walker Ranch - Vegetation Reestablishment Monitoring Patrick Murphy, a botanist/plant ecologist, will discuss a study that quantitatively monitored vegetation recovery after fire at 1 8 locations that were recorded with GPS, marked with survey caps and photographed to allow long-term analysis. The purposes of the study were to provide data that would quantitatively describe post-fire and post-treatment conditions, and monitor change over time. The vegetation cover data for 2002 and 2007 were collect- ed with a point-intercept scope that allows the integration of for- est canopy cover with ground cover. 12 February 2009 Thursday at 7:00 pm Boulder REI Community Room Grasslands on Ancient Soils in Boulder County: Does Plant Community Age Show? David Buckner of ESCO Associates will talk about plant commu- nities occupying surfaces of six age steps between 5000 and approxi- mately two million years old. The oldest plant communities have been “through” 20 glacial-interglacial cycles during the past two million years. The importance of conserving them for research as well as out of respect for their sheer tenacity will be discussed. Page 16 Aquilegia Volume 32 Number 3 12 March 2009 Thursday at 7:00 pm Boulder REI Community Room Botanical Illustrator, Ida Hrubesky Pemberton Carolyn Crawford of Louisville, a botanical artist for the last 27 years, will show digital slides and discuss Denver artist Ida Hrubesky Pemberton’s majestic botanical artworks of medicinal plants. Originally made with the hope that they would be pub- lished in a book on Drug Plants, today most of the original artwork resides at the University of Colorado’s Museum of Natural History. 9 April 2009 Thursday at 7:00 pm Boulder REI Community Room The Chatterbox Orchid Reveals Ws Secrets - Pollination Biology of Epipactis gigantea at Three Colorado Elevations Denise Wilson, completing her Master’s degree at the University of Colorado Denver, will discuss pollination experi- ments performed at three elevations in Colorado: 5900 ft south of Grand Junction, 6850 ft south of Carbondale, and 8950 ft south of Salida. The pollination process was observed and recorded. These are beautiful and unique ecosystems of cold seeps and hot springs, which are home to blue-eyed grass, fireflies, long-eared bats, and Brazilian free-tailed bats. Metro-Denver Chapter Monthly meetings of the Metro-Denver Chapter are typically held on the fourth Tuesday of the month (September through May, excepting November). Through December, we will meet in the Waring House, just south of the main entrance to the Denver Botanic Garden; however, the Department of Biological Sciences at DU (University of Denver) will host Chapter meetings in 2009. For more information, visit www.conps.org or contact Chapter Co-Presidents Jannette Wesley and Vickey Trammell at vickey4conps@hotmail.com or 303-795-5843. Many thanks to outgoing Co-President Megan Bowes for her energy, abilities, great ideas and bright smiles! 23 September 2008 Tuesday at 6:00 pm DBG at Twilight We will meet in the Waring House parking lot at 6:00 PM and tour the gardens at twilight with one of the staff. As darkness set- tles in we will have a short meeting at the picnic tables. Bring your flashlights! 28 October 2008 Tuesday 7:00 pm 9 December 2008 Tuesday 7:00 pm Plan to be entertained by speaker Mary Anne Bonnell. Penstemon cobaea Clarence A. Rechenthin @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database Northern Colorado Chapter Chapter meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month (Oct- April) at 7:00 PM. Meet at the Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., Fort Collins. Prior to meetings, members meet at 5:30 PM for dinner with the speaker at Cafe Vino, 1200 S. College Ave. Please join us. For more information, visit www.conps.org or contact Chapter President Denise Culver at 970-491-2998 or Denise.Culver@colostate.edu. The Chapter is recruiting for the office of President. 1 October 2008 Wednesday at 7:00 pm Utilizing and Growing Native Plants in Urban Landscapes Growing natives in traditional landscape conditions can prove challenging. Phil Phelan (Bath Garden Center & Nursery) will discuss how understanding landscape dynamics can help native plants survive and thrive in urban gardens. Southeast Chapter Activities for the Southeast Chapter are scheduled throughout the year and are often held in Colorado Springs at the Beidleman Environmental Center on Caramillo Street, north of Uintah, off Chestnut. For more information, visit www.conps.org; or contact Liz Klein at 719-635-5927 or elizaklein@gmail.com, Elsie Pope at 719-596-4901, or Doris Drisgill at 719-578-1091 or 719-322- 3902. The Chapter is recruiting for the office of President. Plateau Chapter Chapter activities are scheduled throughout the year. For more information, visit www.conps.org or contact Chapter President Jeanne Wenger at 970-256-9227 or stweandjaw@acsol.net. The Chapter is recruiting for the office of President. “Chapters” continues on page 18 Volume 32 Number 3 Aquilegia Page 17 Welcome New Members Bob Anderson Rosemary Moose Ken Bing Jerry Morris Bryan Brown Betty Naughton Nancy Burke Dianne Norell Susan Clasen Jan Oen Stephanie Fedewa Melanie Palmer Georgia Hart Fisa Ray Kit Mcchesney & Susan Hofer Paul Sheldon Christine Honig Faurel Starr Genie Howell Amanda Stenjem Mary Kelly Marilyn Stone Tanya Knox Grace Valdez Diana Feonard Karl Williamson Doug & Jenifer Foechell Marianne Wright Tracey Mclnerney Jin Yao Gail McMullen Veronica Zanon Vic Fopez & Whitney McPhetres Aquilegia Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society Aquilegia is published four or more 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. Articles from 750 to 1500 words in length are welcome. Previously published articles submitted for reprinting require permission. Digital photographs or line drawings are also solicited. Please include author’s name, address, and affiliation. Articles must be submitted electronically as email attachments. Articles and other contributions may be edited. Articles for Aquilegia may be used by other native plant soci- eties or non-profit groups, if fully cited to author and attributed to Aquilegia. Please direct all contributions to the newsletter to: Leo P. Bruederle, Editor leo .bruederle@cudenver. edu University of Colorado Denver Pease direct all questions or comments regarding layout, printing and distribution to: Kim Regier kimberly. regier@cudenver. edu University of Colorado Denver Chapter News San Luis Valley Chapter Chapter activities are scheduled throughout the year. For more information, visit www.conps.org or contact Chapter President Cindy (Chinle) Beaver at 719-256-5291 or beaver@fairpoint.net. Southwest Chapter Southwest Chapter explores, preserves, and enjoys the flora of the Four Corners area through activities that are scheduled throughout the year. We welcome new ideas for field trips, activities, and programs, and we especially welcome new mem- bers from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. For more information, visit www.conps.org or contact Chapter President A1 Schneider at 970-882-4647 or webmaster@conps.org. The Southwest Chapter is sponsoring numerous field trips through- out fall. See www.conps.org/southwest.html for details. All trips are free and open to everyone. The Southwest Chapter has been busy this summer with 1 5 field trips. Of great interest has been the Chapter’s field work at the new Tone Mesa State Park, where we have recorded at least ten county records and have detailed the extent of the rare and recently discovered Physaria pulvinata. In Durango, Eve Gilmore has led very successful weekly wildflower walks and in Cortez a group of wildflower guides has led similar walks at the Cortez Cultural Center’s Hawkins Preserve. We all look for- ward to walks and chapter potlucks this fall and winter. Keep in touch with activities at www.conps.org/southwest.html. Page 18 Aquilegia Volume 32 Number 3 Colorado Native Plant Society 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. OFFICERS Co-Presidents Jan Turner jlturner@regis.edu 303-458-4262 Charlie Turner turner@ rabbitbrushpubl ishing . com Vice President A1 Schneider webmaster@conps.org 970-882-4647 President Elect Boyce Drummond bdrummond3@msn.com 970-690-7455 Treasurer Denise Culver Denise . Culver@Colo State . edu 970-686-7428 Secretary Ann Henson 2henson@kwabena . us 303-772-8962 Administrative Assistant Linda Smith conpsoffice@aol.com 719-574-6250 CHAPTER PRESIDENTS Boulder Deby Stabler deby stabler@yahoo . com 303-902-4679 Northern Colorado Denise Culver Denise . Culver@Colo State . edu 970-686-7428 Metro-Denver Vickey Trammell vickey4conps@hotmail.com 303-795-5843 Plateau Jeanne Wenger stweandjaw@acsol.net 970-256-9227 Southeast Liz Klein eklein@ kio waengineeringcs .com 719- 630-7342 Southwest A1 Schneider webmaster@conps . org 970-882-4647 San Luis Valley Cindy Beaver beaver@fairpoint.net BOARD OF DIRECTORS Boyce Drummond (08) bdrummond3 @msn . com 970-690-7455 Peggy Lyon (08) peggylyon@ouraynet. com 970-626-3195 Steve Yarborough (08) steveandkenna@msn. com 303-233-6345 Leo Bruederle (09) leo . bruederle@cudenver. edu 303-556-3419 John Giordanengo (09) john@wlrv.org 303-996-260 Sarada Krishnan (09) krishnas@botanicgardens.org 303-465-4274 Jan Turner (09) jlturner@regis.edu 303-45-4262 Laurel Potts (09) kalmial27@earthlink.net 970-524-3377 Jenny Neale (10) N eale JR@gmail . com 720-865-3562 Brian Kurzel (10) Brian . Kurzel@state . co . us 303-866-3203 ex 301 STANDING COMMITTEES Conservation Sarada Krishnan kr ishnas@botanicgardens . org 303-465-4274 Education & Outreach Megan Bowes bowesm@ bouldercolorado . gov 303-561-4883 Field Studies Steve Popovich sjpopovich@fs.fed.us Field Trips Brian Kurzel Brian.Kurzel@state.co.us 303-866-3203 ex 301 Horticulture & Restoration Laural Potts kalmia 1 27@earthl ink . net 970-524-3377 Media Boyce Drummond bdrummond3 @msn. com 970-690-7455 Membership Eric Lane eric . lane@ag . state . co . us 303-239-4182 Research Grants Jan Turner jlturner@regis.edu 303-458-4262 Sales Denise Wilson denisewil@aol . com 303-642-0510 Workshops Vacant Rare Plant Monograph Eleanor VonBargen 303-756-1400 Name(s) Address City Phone Chapter: MEMBERSHIP APPEICATION AND RENEWAE FORM State Zip E-mail Boulder Metro-Denver Northern Plateau San Euis Valley Southeast Southwest DONATION General Fund MEMBERSHIP CEASS Dues cover a 12-month period Individual, $20.00 Family/dual, $30.00 Senior, $12.00 Student, $12.00 Organization, $30.00 Supporting, $50.00 Eifetime, $300.00 Endowments in support of small grants-in-aid of research: $ John Marr Fund: research on the biology and natural history of Colorado native plants. $ Myrna P. Steinkamp Memorial Fund: research and other activities that will benefit the rare plants of Colorado. Mail to: Eric Fane, PO Box 200, Ft. Collins, CO 80522 DUES AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBEE Volume 32 Number 3 Aquilegia Page 19 CALENDAR 2008 CHAPTER PROGRAMS Boulder Chapter Oct. 9 Conservation Nov. 13 Edible/Medicinal Plants Dec. 11 Bio Resources Boulder Cty Jan. 8 Eldorado Fire Feb. 12 Grasslands Boulder Cty March 12 Botanical Ilustrator April 9 Chatterbox Orchid SOCIETY WORKSHOPS Oct. 4 & 5 Nov. 1 & 2 Nov. 15& 16 Jan. 23 & 24 Feb 7 & 8 TBA April 25 & 26 Grasses ID Ethnobotany Willows Wetlands Astragalus Mosses, Ferns, Horsetails Interesting Grass Genera Metro-Denver Chapter Sept. 23 DBG at Twilight Oct. 28 TBA Dec. 9 Mary Anne Bonnell Northern Colorado Chapter Oct. 1 Native Plant Fandscapes BOARD MEETINGS Sept 5 6:00 PM Montrose Nov. 15 9:00 AM TBA See http://www.conps.org/conps.html for details. nvm^iviAi 3AI1ISN3S ^iaiii §jo • sduoo Avwn// : dnq ZZ90^ opmopo ‘su]\\oj yo j 00^ xoa od A^apog 3/\!;e|yj opejo|oy;Av