Aquilegia Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society . . dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora’' 2009/2010 WORKSHOPS by Ann Henson Colorado Native Plant Society Workshops are designed for plant enthusiasts of all levels, from novices to experts. Workshops are designed to provide you with an enjoyable learning experi- ence. We hope you will join us. Workshops usually begin at 9 AM and end between 2 and 3 PM. Where applicable, choose between identical Sessions I or II. Driving directions are sent to each participant a few weeks before each workshop. Individual chapters may offer workshops. See the chapter web pages for information. Workshop Hosts Needed A free workshop is available for a friendly person who volunteers to host a weekend workshop. This wonderful person opens the building, greets members, has brought the scopes, made sure a name tag is available, plugged in the tea pot, and brought some treats. There is a budget for snacks. Our host will make sure materials are secure for the night and will repeat this service for the second session. Would you like to be a host? Call Ann Henson (303-772-8962) to volunteer. Registration Information Registration is mail-in only and requires payment at the time of registration. The fee for attending a workshop is $25/session for members. Non-members must join CoNPS to register for a work- shop. We hope you will join us and enjoy these workshops with us. “Workshops” continues on page 2 Contents About the Society 15 Announcements 4, 11-14 Articles 6 Book Review 7 Calendar 16 Conservation Corner. 8-9 Who’s in that Name? 10-11 Workshops 1-4 Volume 33 Number 4 Aquilegia Fall 2009 “Workshops” continued from page 1 The registration fee is non-refundable. If you register and then need to cancel, we appreciate your $25 contribution to CoNPS and ask that you call (970-663-4085) or E-mail Linda (conpsoffice(a)aol.com) so she has the opportunity to fill your spot. 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 what you desire. If you are interested in registering for a workshop, please call (970-663-4085) or send an E-mail to Linda Smith (conpsoffice(a)aol.com) to make sure there is room available before mailing in your registration form and check. To register, please mail your check payable to CoNPS for $25 per workshop along with the enclosed Registration Eorm. Or you may mail your check with the following information: • Title and date of the workshop(s) you would like to attend • Your name • Address • Telephone number • E-mail address • Permission to share your contact information for carpool- ing: Y/N Registration can only be processed with all of this informa- tion. Please use the registration form. Mail completed registration to: CoNPS, Linda Smith, 4057 Cottonwood Dr., Loveland, CO 80538. Chenopodium botrys 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. 2: 14. Schedule of 2009-2010 Workshops in Northern Colorado "Chenopods"- The Common Species Leader: Craig Freeman Location: CSU Extension Service, Community Room of the Natural Resources Building, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO Time: 9 AM to 3 PM Session 1: Saturday, 24 October, 2009 Session 2: Sunday, 25 October, 2009 Nondescript plants may be difficult to key but can become favorites once you know them. The tiny green flowers, hairs, leaf characteristics, and fruits make the goosefoots a chal- lenge. The workshop will begin with a quick overview of Amaranthaceae (including Chenopodiaceae). Then, Craig will give us an in-depth look at the genus, Chenopodium and the glandular goosefoots now placed in the genus Dysphania. He will help us appreciate the "Chenopods". Craig Lreeman is the Curator of the McGregor Herbarium at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. His primary interest is floristic studies of vascular plants in the grassland biome. He fre- quently does field work in Colorado and other places in the West. 80 + Ferns and Fern Allies of Colorado Leader: Scott F. Smith Location: CSU Extension Service, Community Room of the Natural Resources Building, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO Time: 9 AM to 3 PM Session 1: Saturday, 7 November 2009 Session 2: Sunday, 8 November 2009 Scott will use his photographs in a Power Point Program to illustrate the different ferns and fern allies of Colorado Plains and Mountains. Pressed specimens of most types have been collected for show and tell. He will describe how to tell them apart from each other. Keys will be available. Bring your hand lens with pen and paper and questions. Scott L. Smith is a plumber by trade and a Botanist at heart. Scott drives around Colorado during the spring, summer and fall looking for the ferns of Colorado to photograph and catalog. In addition, he looks for the Cacti and Orchids of Colorado. Page 2 Aquilegia Volume 33 Number 4 Solanum USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database Early Old Men- Fleabanes (Erigeron) of the Foothills Leader: Carla Vik and David Buckner Location: CSU Extension Service, Community Room of the Natural Resources Building, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO Time: 9 AM to 3 PM Session 1: Saturday, 23 January 2010 Session 2: Sunday, 24 January 2010 The Colorado Flora Eastern Slope, introduces Erigeron as Greek for early old man: eri, early + geron, old man. The early blooming hairy Fleabanes or Daisies in the foothills are small and beautiful but hard to identify. Carla, with David's assistance, will guide us through many of the species. Carla Vik has 7 years experience with ESCO Associates as a plant ecologist and geographic information system specialist. She studied Erigeron strigosus. Prairie Erigeron, for her master's the- sis. She also studied it in TX and the SE US. David Buckner, president of ESCO Associates for 32 years, is well experienced in the Asteraceae and has presented many workshops on this family. The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful: The Solanaceae in Colorado Leader: Rich Scully Location: CSU Extension Service, Community Room of the Natural Resources Building, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO Time: 9 AM to 3 PM Session 1: Saturday, 6 February 2010 Session 2: Sunday, 7 February 2010 Nine genera of the notorious nightshade family grow wild in Colorado. Cultivated petunia, potato, tomato and peppers, are also nightshades. Rich will use photos and pressed plants to show us the identifying characteristics of the genera and its' members. Richard Scully is a serious "amateur" botanist, who loves a road trip in Colorado to search out uncommon species, admiring the geology along the way. He says the best way to learn more about a group of plants is to give a workshop! The Invaders: Noxious Weeds Present and Not Yet In Colorado Leader: Tim D 'Amato Location: CSU Extension Service, Community Room of the Natural Resources Building, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont, CO Time: 9 AM to 3 PM Session 1: Saturday, 6 March 2010 Session 2: Sunday, 7 March 2010 Noxious weeds classified by law as List A plants must be eradicated on all County, State, Eederal and Private lands. Of the 18 on the list, nine are not known to exist in Colorado- yet. Tim will show us these plants so we can recognize any early threat to our State. He will share the likely routes of invasion. Other species of concern will be discussed. Stories of weed control suc- cesses and failures will also be told. Tim D' Amato has been involved with weeds since 1986 con- ducting research or IWM- integrated weed management. He is currently Weed Coordinator for Larimer County. Wilderness camping and fishing are serious hobbies. He has a personal inter- est in protecting the State from the invading hordes! “Workshops” continues on page 4 Volume 33 Number 4 Aquilegia Page 3 “Workshops” continued from page 3 Nyctaginaceae of Colorado Leader: Jennifer Ackerfield Location: Colorado State University, Yates Building (details pending), Fort Collins, CO Time: 9 AM to 3 PM Session 1: Saturday, 27 March 2010 Session 2: Sunday, 28 March 2010 The small family of plants called Four-O'clock is most attrac- tive when in flower. But, the flowers wilt quickly, making identi- fication puzzling when you get home with a disintegrated plant! Recently, Jennifer has studied the five genera of Colorado. She will share her secret that critical characters for "Ncytags" identifi- cation are on the fruits. Jennifer Ackerfield is the Collections Manager at the Colorado State University Herbarium. Last year she presented a workshop on the Astragalus. Fossil Plants and Insects from Cenozoic Colorado Leader: Dena Smith Location: University of Colorado, Museum Collections Building (aka Bruce Curtis Building), Rm E280, Boulder, CO Time: 9 AM to 3 PM Session 1: Saturday, 10 April 2010 Session 2: Sunday, 11 April 2010 Colorado has had many climates over geologic history. Which plants and insects have been present during the Cenozoic Era? Remember this Era is from the end of the Cretaceous and the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs to the present. The diversity of angiosperms in this Era exploded. Dena will have many speci- mens for us to see. Fossil plants help us understand climate change with her explanations. She will talk a bit about change during the Eocene through the Oligocene periods. (Don't' worry she will keep us on geologic time.) Dena Smith is the Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology at the University of Colorado. Her research focuses on the interaction between fossil plants and insects. Field studies are on-going in CO, NV and Costa Rica. Ann Henson is the Chair of the Workshop Committee and Society Secretary. Society Announcements Aquilegia Deadline Approaches Submit Contributions by 15 October Announcements, news, articles, book reviews, poems, botan- ical illustrations, and other contributions are requested for publi- cation. Articles of 750 to 1500 words in length are especially wel- come. Please consider contributing to a column or submitting a book review that would be of interest to Society members. Include your name, address, and affiliation, as well as credit for images. Previously-published articles submitted for reprinting require permission. Please refer to a previous edition of Aquilegia for guidelines. However, you need not be overly precise about format as text will be formatted during editing and layout for consistency of style. Dr. William A. Weber's nomenclature for the scientific names of plants should be followed, italicized and capitalized properly. Please proofread all material carefully and use "spell check". All contributions are subject to editing for brevity and consis- tency, with final approval of material changes by the author. All contributions should be submitted as Word® attachments to prairieink(a)aol.com. Changes in Field Trips and Workshops Life sometimes changes the most well-laid plans. In spite of their best efforts, field trip and workshop leaders must sometimes change the arrangements and other details for a field trip or work- shop. Efforts are made to contact participants, if changes occur. Updates are posted on our web site, which is www.conps.org, so remember to check there. Page 4 Aquilegia Volume 33 Number 4 COLORADO NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY WORKSHOP REGISTRATION FORM 2009-2010 NAME: STREET: CITY: STATE: ZIP: PHONE th): PHONE (w): PHONE tcell): E-MAIE: I am a member of CoNPS _ Yes No. (If not, you must add the annual membership fee to your payment.) Please register me for the following workshops at $25 per session: Workshop Title Session Date Fee $ Workshop Title Session Date Fee $ Workshop Title Session Date Fee $ Workshop Title Session Date Fee $ Workshop Title Session Date Fee $ Workshop Title Session Date Fee $ Total Registration Fees $ Membership fee (if applicable) $ Individual $20 Family $30 Senior $12 Student $12 Organization $30 Supporting $50 Lifetime $300 Please circle an affiliate Chapter (all members may attend any chapter event): Boulder Denver/Metro Northern SE SW Plateau San Luis Valley Total amount of check made payable to CoNPS $ To encourage carpooling, are you willing to share your contact information with others in the same workshop? Yes No Mail Workshop Registration to: CoNPS, Linda Smith, 4057 Cottonwood Dr., Loveland CO 80538 Volume 33 Number 4 Aquilegia Page 5 CoNPS Education and Outreach Committee What are we and where are we going? by Megan Bowes The core mission of the Colorado Native Plant Society includes disseminating information about Colorado's natural land- scapes and plant species as well as information on the Society itself. While CoNPS fulfills this objective in a number of ways, activities sponsored by the Education and Outreach (E & O) Committee are especially focused on this goal. The E & O Committee specializes in staffing outreach booths, presenting a variety of educational slide programs, and leading interpretive hikes that focus on plant identification and general plant ecology. We advertise upcoming Society meetings, workshops, and the like, and we provide the public with educational materials and membership brochures. Traditionally, the committee's outreach booth has been a part of special events at nature centers, environmental festivals, flower shows, and trade shows and conventions aimed at plant nurseries and others in the "green" industry. As such, we've worked closely with the Horticulture and Restoration Committee to revise and distribute informational brochures and other guides appropriate for home gardeners and professional landscapers. More recently. Committee Chair Megan Bowes has developed three new slide programs which have been given to metro-Denver garden clubs and the general public at a variety of different festivals. The com- mittee has partnered with the Denver Botanic Gardens and offered an annual hike during Celebrating Wildflowers week, and it organized more educational plant ID trainings with the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Boulder County Extension's Native Plant Master Program. Not surprisingly, these efforts come at the cost of significant volunteer support from members of the E & O Committee and the general CoNPS membership. Therefore, we are planning to "decentralize" the specific outreach efforts and ask that Chapters continue their local efforts and, when appropriate, expand their reach. Megan is willing to work with the individual Chapters to provide them with brochures and other handouts to get their own localized outreach efforts going. This includes developing seed mixes for new complementary seed packets that will be more appropriate to hand out around the State than the Eront Range mix we currently distribute. Ideally, this will allow us to try a new approach to our educa- tional efforts this year-creating presentations or organizing ses- sions at conferences and symposia for professional societies and other groups with overlapping interests. John Vickery is heading up this endeavor, with the goal of making the Society's education and outreach efforts with environmental educators and land man- agers (such as restoration ecologists and weed coordinators) more effective. The forums we are considering are largely in-state, but occasionally we will target national conferences. Thus far this year, John has organized two presentations: one at the 6th International Integrated Pest Management Conference in Portland, OR and one at the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education's annual "Teaching Outside the Box" conference in Winter Park. Soon, we hope to post documents related to these presentations on the CoNPS website and encourage your com- ments. Eurther, John is hoping to organize some type of an online "working document group" process via a wiki or Google-type group to allow our membership and the larger community help us develop these documents. Please contact him at jvickery(a)mcg.net or 719-359-6491 if you have interest in assist- ing with any of these activities. The E & O Committee welcomes your ideas and assistance as a committee member, presenter, symposia organizer, or in any other manner. Please contact Committee Chair Megan Bowes (bowesm(a)bouldercolorado.gov or 303-561-4883) if you would like to become involved in any of the above activities. She and John are especially interested in hearing about any speakers who you could recommend for a presentation at the annual meeting of a professional society, but they will gladly accept any form of membership collaboration. Megan Bowes is Chair of the Education and ^ Outreach Committee. Page 6 Aquilegia Volume 33 Number 4 BOOK REVIEW by Jan Loechell Turner Meyer, Susan E., Roger K. Kjelgren, Darrel G. Morrison, William A. Varga. Landscaping on the New Frontier: Waterwise Design for the Intermountain West. Logan, UT: Utah State University Press, 2009. $29.95. Published by the Utah State University Press, Landscaping on the New Frontier focuses on the use of native plants of the intermountain West to create a landscape that reflects the region. Although geared to Utah, the ideas that are provided translate well to the Colorado landscape and include many that will inspire Colorado gardeners. The large (8 V 2 x 11"), nicely illustrated book begins with descriptions of the plant communities of the intermountain West, which include desert, semi-desert, foothill, and mountain plant communities. This is followed by chapters on the design, water- ing, installation, and care of native landscapes. Seven "native landscape pioneers" then recount their successes and challenges designing, implementing, and maintaining native plant landscapes in various life zones in Utah. Their experiences are instructive and relevant to Colorado native plant gardening. A number of land- scape designs with suggested plants are provided. The Plant Palette is a section over 50 pages long that features appropriate plant choices for intermountain landscapes. Each page is devoted to two plants with 3" x 31/2" color photos of each plant. The pho- tos are large enough to get a feeling for what the plants looks like. Icons under the photos indicate the plants' requirements in terms of sun, water, and soil and also indicate bloom time, size, and growth rate. The plants are divided into perennials and woody plants and then grouped by water use and size. As would be expected from a university press publication, the book contains a large section of references and resources (Colorado Native Plant Society is one of them), tables of perennial and woody plants ranked by water zone and height, and a plants name index that includes scientific (from the USD A Plants database, plants.usda.gov) and common names (oakleaf sumac for Rhus trilobata was one that I was not familiar with ). For the gardener with little or no experience planning a land- scape, this book will provide basic instructions. The approach and plans in the book seem fairly traditional for xeriscape design. Their suggestions do not always coincide with my experiences, but they supply ideas and a starting point and through trial and error you can determine what works and what doesn't in your yard. This book complements other native plant gardening books that have been reviewed in Aquilegia (http://conps.org/pdf/Aquilegia/2009%20Spring.pdf, page 5, Spring 2009) but has a greater emphasis on the process of land- scape design. With the publication of this book, Utah State University has demonstrated their interest in encouraging people to incorporate native plants into their yards and to strive to create a distinctive western garden style that does not mirror that of the Eastern United States. The team of authors includes Dr. Susan Meyer, a research ecologist with the USES in Provo; Dr. Roger Kjelgren, Professor of Eandscape Horticulture at Utah State University; landscape architect Darrrel Morrison; William Varga, Extension Horticulturist at Utah State University; and artist, Bettina Schultz. If you wish to purchase Landscaping on the New Frontier or other books or items, please link to Amazon through the CoNPS online bookstore, http://conps.org/bookstore.html. Click on any book in our store to link to the Amazon site and any purchase you make will benefit CONPS. Jan Loechell Turner is Associate Professor at the Regis University Library and a Director on the CoNPS Board. Rhus trilobata USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Herman, D.E., et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck. Volume 33 Number 4 Aquilegia Page 7 CONSERVATION CORNER Mountain Mahogany Communities in the Laramie Foothills by Bob Henry Widespread throughout the foothills of the Rocky Mountain region, mountain mahogany (genus Cercocarpus) dominates large areas. As other common flora, it may be overlooked or taken for granted, but it is both an interesting plant and valuable for wildlife habitat and winter browse. It is a crucial element of several rare plant communities now conserved in the Laramie Foothill Mountains to Plains Project in northern Colorado. Two species of Cercocarpus are common in the West: C. montanus. True Mountain Mahogany, and C. led- ifolius or Curlleaf mountain- mahogany. Both species occur in the foothills transition from grasslands to mountains, at elevations to 2400 m. In both range and appearance, they differ significantly, C. ledifolius being an evergreen and occurring on the west- ern side of the Rockies. This article will generally concern C. montanus, the True mountain-mahogany, which occurs from northern Montana to well into Mexico. Description Mountain mahogany occurs in the dry, rocky slopes of the foothills, its roots well-adapted to penetrating rock fissures to obtain water. Although it may grow to nine feet in favorable situa- tions, it is commonly four to six feet. Its branches are rigid, and bark gray, giving the slopes where it is dominant a grayish cast. In early summer, it flowers with light white-to-yellow flowers. It is in later summer, in August, that mountain mahogany comes into its glory. with the ripening of its fruit. The fruit has a single seed and a long (two-plus inches) feathery style. It is from these that the genus gets its scientific name: Greek kerkos ("tail") and carpos ("fruit"), thus "tailed fruit". Seen against the morning sun, the thousands of fruit shine like silver, not unlike ice crystals, and make the mountain mahogany stand out all the more on the slopes it shares with rabbitbrush, currants, or other less showy shrubs. Its dazzling appearance in late August is in contrast to its otherwise plain appearance at most other times. At maturity, the fruit needs only the wind to carry it off, buoyed by the long feathery style. Dispersion may be up to 450 feet, according to one study. Then it drifts, seed-down, and - with luck - sticks tenuously into the surface. As the styles absorb moisture from the soil, they tend to straighten; as they lose moisture, they curl spirally, and screw themselves into the ground in a "self-planting" adaptation. Past and Present Value Native Americans prized the mountain mahogany for its wood, which is heavy, hard, tight- grained, and not apt to splinter. (Another common name of the species is "Palo duro" Carter: 326). It was carved into tool and weapon handles. The bark was used (by the Hopi in par- ticular) to make a reddish-brown dye for leather, or could be com- bined with other plant material to produce different or lighter shades. Finally, the plants were used for fuel when available in sufficient quantities. Today, mountain mahogany provides some forage value for livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats). Aside from human uses, mountain mahogany provides winter browse for deer and big horn (though likely with limited nutritional value). Browsing pro- duces something of a self-defense response, in that new growth is produced laterally from the ends of the branches. The effect is to expose more of the older, more spiny branches, and to discourage further browsing. The effectiveness of this, however, is likely limited to the wildlife's determination based on the Mountain mahogany styles, late August Photo by Bob Henry Page 8 Aquilegia Volume 33 Number 4 severity of the season, as over-browsing can occur. Laramie Foothills: Mountains to Plains Project A number of partners including the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, Legacy Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Federal and state agencies, and private parties have combined their efforts and resources to conserve a nearly 200,000-acre corridor of protected lands linking the Front Range and the High Plains. In June, two adjoining components of this project were opened to limited (on- trail) public enjoyment: the nearly 19,000 acre City of Fort Collins Soapstone Prairie Natural Area and Larimer County's Red Mountain Open Space of about 13,500 acres. These areas are square in the ecolog- ical transition zone between mountains and plains, and are rich in biodiversity. Attendees at the Annual CoNPS Meeting had the opportunity to visit Soapstone Prairie on Sunday, September 13. The north trailhead at Soapstone Prairie is at about 6,600 feet, and moun- tain mahogany stands stretch up the slopes, along with rabbitbrush and cur- rants. The current favors the same dry soil and is likely to be seen alongside the mountain mahogany, or even crowd- ing under the edges of the mahogany as a sort of understory. Six rare plant communities have been identified within the foothills shrublands system. In five of these. Mountain mahogany is a crucial element. These are: • Mountain mahogany / New Mexico feathergrass (imperiled globally and in Colorado) • Mountain mahogany / needle-and- thread grass (imperiled globally and in Colorado) • Mountain mahogany / Scribner's needlegrass (vulnerable throughout its range, both globally and in Colorado) • Mountain mahogany / mountain muhly (imperiled in Colorado) • Mountain mahogany / streamside wild rye (unknown vulnerability world- wide, vulnerable in Colorado) Soapstone Prairie Natural Area and Red Mountain Open Space conserve irre- placeable habitat on a scale that that is becoming no longer possible to acquire. These areas includes habitat for a number of other threatened or imperiled plant species (Colorado butterfly plant. Rocky Mountain blazing star, and Pale blue-eyed grass) and mammals (swift fox), and birds (Mountain plover. Burrowing owl, and a number of others). To see the mountain mahogany is not as so spectacular as some of these others might be. But there it stands, right before our eyes and so easily passed by — one line in a greater conservation story. Bob Henry is the incoming editor of Aquilegia, and a Volunteer Master Naturalist with the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program. Ah Sunflower by William Blake Ah Sunflower, weary of time. Who countest the steps of the sun; Seeking after that sweet golden clime Where the traveller's journey is done; Where the Youth pined away with desire. And the pale virgin shrouded in snow. Arise from their graves, and aspire Where my Sunflower wishes to go! Volume 33 Number 4 Aquilegia Page 9 WHO’S IN THAT NAME? Thomas Nuttall by Al Schneider Thomas Nuttall (1786-1859) was an avid, expert, and intrep- id collector, plant taxonomist, botanical writer, ornithologist, and Harvard Professor. He came to the United States from England in 1807 and in 1808 met, learned from, and began making collecting trips for famed University of Pennsylvania Professor and natural- ist, Benjamin Barton - the same Benjamin Barton who, at the behest of Thomas Jefferson, had just a few years earlier taught Meriwether Lewis . In 1810 on Nuttall's third collecting trip for Barton (this one to the Great Lakes), he learned of a John Jacob Astor Company trip up the Missouri; his adventurous spirit head- ed him to St. Louis to join the Astor Company instead of to Philadelphia to report to Barton. In the spring of 1811 Nuttall headed West with the Astor Company on a collecting journey which often followed the route of Lewis and Clark. Nuttall's companions on this Astor trip and on all his many other trips were amazed at his enthusiasm, his devotion to collecting, and his total joy in the beauty of the world they traveled through. When on the scent of new plants, he felt no pain, had no worries about privations, and occasionally wan- dered off and got lost. Nuttall amassed a considerable collection on the Astor trip and intended to take it to Barton, but when Nuttall returned to St. Louis in the fall of 1811 he, as a British citizen, felt it more pru- dent to return to England (via New Orleans) than risk being caught up in the imminent War of 1812 between Britain and the United States. Calochortus nuttallii Photo by Al Schneider Delphinium nuttalianum Photo by Al Schneider In England Nuttall began work on his collection for Barton, and he met with Lrederick Pursh to discuss and analyze their col- lections. (Pursh had been hired by Lewis to work on the descrip- tion of the original botanical specimens from the Lewis and Clark Expedition). Lriction between Nuttall and Pursh (over what we would call "intellectual rights", i.e., who should receive credit for which discoveries and which plant names were to be accepted) soon prompted frantic publishing by Nuttall and Pursh in order to gain credit. Both published a number of articles and Pursh pub- lished his two volume Flora Americae Septentrionalis in 1814. It is fairly certain that Pursh purloined many of Nuttall's descriptions. Nuttall returned to the United States, published his own two volume work. Genera of North American Plants in 1818, made many more collecting expeditions, wrote an acclaimed ornitholo- gy text book, and, as the most acclaimed naturalist in the United States, he became Harvard Professor of Natural History in 1823. Nuttall, always the iconoclast and wanderer, resigned from Harvard in 1834 when his friend Nathaniel Wyeth (Nuttall named Wyethia for him) asked him to join his 1834-1837 expedition to the Oregon coast. Nuttall suggested that his young ornithologist acquaintance, John Townsend, be on the trip and this turned out to be a fortuitous choice since Townsend was not only an excellent birder but also a very good writer, and it was Townsend who chronicled the expedition in his very interesting journal. Narrative of a Journey Across the Rocky Mountains to the Columbia River (1839). On the three year trip, Nuttall and Townsend amassed sig- nificant collections (including some from Hawaii which they vis- Page 10 Aquilegia Volume 33 Number 4 ited two winters). Townsend collected hundreds of bird specimens (many of which were included in Audubon's Birds of North America), and Nuttall collected thousands of plants which he, Torrey, and Gray described and published about six years later in Torrey and Gray's, Flora of North America. In the 1840s Nuttall published his own acclaimed two vol- umes of western North American trees as additions to Michaux's monumental The North American Sylva. In 1841 the terms of his uncle's will required Nuttall to return to live in England at least nine months out of every year if he wanted to retain the estate that his uncle left him. Nuttall com- plied with his uncle's request but continued botanizing in England, made a number of trips to the United States over the next years, and when Nuttall died in England in 1859 he was still acclaimed as one of the few most important botanists of the world. In Colorado we have a number of plants named for Thomas Nuttall. You can see some of these plants {Astragalus nuttal- lianus. Delphinium nuttallianum, Calochortus nuttallii, Monolepis nuttalliana, and Nuttallia pterosperma) at www.swcol- oradowildflowers.com Al Schneider is the Vice President of CoNPS and contributes reg- ularly to Aquilegia. Oryzopsis hymenoides (Indian rice grass) Cassondra Skinner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database Society Announcements Microscope Fund Members continue to pay off the purchase of the dissecting microscopes with $8 of the $20 workshop registration fee going directly to this Eund. We have collected approximately 50% of the purchase price in two seasons. You can also contribute directly to the Eund by mailing contributions payable to CoNPS at P.O. Box 200, Port Collins, CO 80522. Amazing Amazon Whenever you buy anything through Amazon.com, be sure to enter Amazon from our CoNPS bookstore: http://www.conps.org/bookstore.html. CoNPS will then receive 5- 7% of your purchase price. You do not pay anything extra, nor do you fill out forms - you simply enter Amazon by clicking on any book on our Bookstore page. If every member did this, the Society would receive several thousand dollars from Amazon each year. Newsletter Available by E-mail Did you know that Aquilegia is available electronically? You could receive you issue of Aquilegia as a pdf file by email. This saves the Society postage, as well as paper. The Membership Chair, not the newsletter editor, makes this possible for you. Please submit your request to change from paper to electronic delivery to Eric Pane at ericmlane(a)yahoo.com or 303-239-4182. Be sure to include your email address! Volume 33 Number 4 Aquilegia Page 1 1 Chapter News and Announcements Boulder Chapter Boulder Chapter meetings ai'e typically held on the second Thursday of each month (October through May) at 7:00 PM. All meetings will be held in the Community Room at the Boulder REI Store at 1789 28th Street, between Canyon and Pearl. For more infonnation, visit www.conps.org or contact Elizabeth Drozda- Freeman at elizabeth.wildflower(a) gmail.com or 303-586-1810. Metro-Denver Chapter Monthly meetings of the Metro-Denver Chapter are typically held on the fourth Tuesday of the month (September through May, except November). Beginning January 2009, Chapter meetings aie being hosted by the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Denver (DU), where we will meet in Olin Hall, located at 2190 E. Iliff Ave. For more information, visit www.conps.org, or contact Vickey Trammell at jrtrambo(a)q.com 01-303-795-5843. Northern Colorado Chapter Except as noted below. Chapter meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month (October through April) at 7:00 PM, at the Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., Fort Collins. Prior to meetings, member are invited to meet at 5:30 PM for din- ner with the speaker at Cafe Vino, 1200 S. College Ave. If you would like to join us for dinner, please contact Chapter President Pam Smith at 970-223-3453 or pamelas4824(a)earthlink.net. For more information, visit www.conps.org. Dragonfly Clipart courtesy FCIT http://etc.usf.edu/clipart 7 October 2009 , 7 PM "Natives in the garden: Plant Select's™ wilder side of horti- culture". Presented by Pat Hayward, Executive Director for Plant Select™. Plant Select™ is a collaborative effort among Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and nurseries and landscape professionals in the Rocky Mountain region to mti*oduce and rec- ommend beautiful and adapted plants to regional gardeners. Since 1997, more than 90 plants have become part of the program, help- ing to create a better awareness of great garden choices for more interesting, lower-water gardens and landscapes. Nearly half of these plants have native roots -learn where they came from, how to use them in the landscape, and how to get involved in bringing new selections of native plants to regional gardens. Pat Hayward, has been professionally involved in Rocky Mountain regional gar- dening for 30 years. She has presented talks and classes on a wide range of gardening topics throughout the region, and has written articles on native and adapted plants for numerous local, regional, and national publications. 4 November2009, 7 PM "Bring on the Birds!" Presented by Sue Kenney, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Program. Most places around the world have an abundance of birds and the Fort Collins area is no exception. Fort Collins has a variety of birds due to its seasonality, location and variety of habitats and ecotones. A relative abundance of city, county, state and federal public lands provide habitat for birds. Private landscapes can also attract a variety of biids. Sue Kenney, will share her favorite places to bird, how to get started birding, how to attract birds to your yard, and why birds are important. 2 December 2009, 7 PM "Dragonflies, damselflies, 'Buford', and the future of wal- nuts! Presented by David Leatherman, Naturalist and retired State Forest Service Entomologist from Fort Collins. David will present a program on dragonflies and damselflies of Colorado. In addition, David will provide updates on both the current pine beetle epidemic and a new nationwide threat to black walnuts with ties to Colorado. Page 12 Aquilegia Volume 33 Number 4 6 January 2010, 7 PM "Horticultural Therapy". Presented by Kim Ewy, master gardener, health care professional and CSU student. Join Kim Ewy to learn about a fascinating new field that com- bines the fields of medicine and gardening into a health care career option! 11 February 2010 7 PM Joint Meeting with the Audubon Society Topic to be announced. (Note: This is a Thursday evening presentation at the Lincoln Center.) 3 March 2010, 7 PM "Imperiled plants of northern Colorado". Presented by Susan Spackman Panjabi, Botanist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program at Colorado State University. Susan will be discussing some of Colorado's rarest plant species. Come learn about these threats to these interesting species, and initiatives underway to help assure their long-term survival. Colorado distribution map for Aletes humilis, only found in Northern Colorado and Wyoming. From Colorado Rare Plant Guide. 7 April 2010, 7 PM "Plant biogeography of Colorado". Presented by Lynnel Rybright, Ph.D. geographer, master gardener and master naturalist. Come enjoy an evening of exploration of the biogeography of plants in Colorado with Dr. Lynnel Rubright. Plateau Chapter Chapter activities are scheduled throughout the year. For more information, visit www.conps.org or contact Chapter President Gay Austin at austinaceae(a)frontier.net or 970-641-6244. 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 Ed Roland at 719-676-2179 or edwardrroland(a)gmail.com. San Luis Valley Chapter Chapter activities are scheduled thioughout the year. For more information, visit www.conps.org or contact Chapter President Hobey Dixon at 719-589-3813 or pixies@amigo.net. Southwest Chapter The Southwest Chapter explores, preserves, and enjoys the flora of the Four Comers area through activities that are scheduled throughout the year. We welcome new ideas for field trips, activ- ities, and programs, and we especially welcome new members from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. For more infor- mation, visit www.conps.org or contact Chapter President A1 Schneider at 970-882-4647 or webmaster@conps.org. All meetings and field trips are free and open to everyone. Bring a friend. We always have homemade refreshments. Volume 33 Number 4 Aquilegia Page 13 Welcome New Members Suzanne Aeverman Thomas Bath Sandy Baumann Margaret Burgess Beth Burkhart Samantha Clark Bob Gibbons Susan Guegan Pat & Joel Hayward Melissa Islam Brad Klafehn Kimberly Pease Kathy Priebe Amy Randell Margaret Seboldt Jenny A Strieker Noel Weisenbacher Aquilegia Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society Aquilegia is the newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society, and is available to members of the Society and to oth- ers with an interest in native plants. Submissions to Aquilegia are accepted throughout the year, although deadlines for publication are 15 January for the Winter edition, 15 April for the Spring edition, 15 July for the Summer edition, and 15 October for the Fall edition. 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 E-mail attach- ments. Articles and other contributions may be edited. 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. Please direct all contributions to the newsletter as Word® attachments to: Bob Henry, Editor prairieink(a)aol.com Please direct all questions or comments regarding layout and printing, to: Kim Regier kimberly.regier(a)ucdenver.edu Polystichum scopulinum (mountain hollyfern) 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: 17. Page 14 Aquilegia Volume 33 Number 4 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 President Boyce Drummond bdrummondS @msn.com 970-690-7455 Vice President A1 Schneider webmaster@conps.org 970-882-4647 Treasurer Mo Ewing moewing@q.com (303) 584-8925 Secretary Ann Henson 2henson@kwabena.us 303-772-8962 Administrative Assistant Einda Smith conpsoffice @ aol.com 719-574-6250 CHAPTER PRESIDENTS Boulder Elizabeth Drozda-Ereeman elizabeth.wildflower@ gmail.com 303-443-9460 Northern Colorado Pam Smith pamelas4824@earthlink.net 970-223-3453 Metro-Denver Vickey Trammell vjrtrambo@q.com 303-795-5843 Plateau Gay Austin austinaceae @ frontier, net 970-641-6264 Southeast Ed Roland edwardrroland@gmail.com 719-676-2179 Southwest A1 Schneider webmaster@conps.org 970-882-4647 San Luis Valley Hobie Dixon pixies @ amigo . net 719-589-3813 BOARD OE DIRECTORS John Giordanengo (09) john@wlrv.org 303-996-260 Catherine Kleier (10) ckleier@regis.edu 303-817-6814 Sarada Krishnan (09) krishnas @botanicgardens .org 303-465-4274 Brian Kurzel (10) Brian . Kurzel @ state .co . us 303-866-3203 ex 301 Jenny Neale (10) NealeJR@gmail.com 720-865-3562 Laurel Potts (09) kalmial 27 @earthlink.net 970-524-3377 Robert Powell (11) robertpowell@durango.net 970-385-8949 Jan Turner (09) jlturner@regis.edu 303-45-4262 Charlie Turner (11) tumer@ rabbitbrushpublishing.com 720-497-1093 Steve Yarborough (11) steveandkenna@msn.com 303-233-6345 STANDING COMMITTEES Conservation Tom Grant metag3 @gmail.com 720-530-5290 Education & Outreach Megan Bowes bowesm@ bouldercolorado.gov 303-561-4883 Field Studies Steve Popovich stevepopovich@hotmail.com 970-295-6641 Field Trips Brian Kurzel Brian.Kurzel@state.co.us 303-866-3203 ex 301 Horticulture & Restoration Laural Potts kalmia 1 27 @ earthlink. 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 Linda Smith conpsoffice@aol.com 719-574-6250 Workshops Ann Hensen 2henson@kwabena.us 303-772-8962 Name(s) Address City Phone Chapter: MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION AND RENEWAL EORM State Zip E-mail Boulder Metro-Denver Northern Plateau . San Luis Valley Southeast Southwest DONATION General Eund MEMBERSHIP CLASS Dues cover a 12-month period Individual, $20.00 Eamily/dual, $30.00 Senior, $12.00 Student, $12.00 Organization, $30.00 Supporting, $50.00 Lifetime, $300.00 Endowments in support of small grants-in-aid of research: $ John Marr Eund: research on the biology and natural history of Colorado native plants. $ Myrna P. Steinkamp Memorial Eund: research and other activities that will benefit the rare plants of Colorado. Mail to: Eric Lane, PO Box 200, Et. Collins, CO 80522 DUES AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE j Volume 33 Number 4 Aquilegia Page 15 Colorado Native Plant Society 7,w RO. Box 200 Fort Collins, Colorado 80522 http://www.conps.org TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL CALENDAR 2009 CHAPTER PROGRAMS Northern Colorado Chapter October 7 Natives in the Garden November 4 Bring on the Birds December 2 Dragonflies, Damselflies, "Buford", and the Future of Walnuts SOCIETY WORKSHOPS October 24 and 25 Chenopods - The Common Species November 7 and 8 80+ Ferns and Fern Allies of Colorado BOARD MEETINGS October 14 9 AM Regis University See http://www.conps.org/conps.html for details.