Spring 2010

Vol. 29, No.2
ISSN 1085-9632

www.vnps.org

A publication of the VIRGINIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

Conserving wild flowers and wild places

One lump or two:

How many wild gingers
inhabit North America ?

D epending on which source one consults, the
answer is either one (Asarum), or two {Asarum +
Hexastylis). It is a classic lump-or-split situation. To
mention just a few sources, Fernald (1950) and
Gleason & Cronquist (1991) lump all the wild gin¬
gers into a single genus, whereas Radford et al.
(1968), the Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora (Vir¬
ginia Botanical Associates 2010), and the Flora of
North America (Whitmore & Gaddy 1997; Whitmore
et al. 1997) spdit Asarum and Hexastylis apart. Defer¬
ence to authority is a poor way to assess any scien¬
tific question, and for these wild gingers, the authori¬
ties are deeply split. To understand the case at hand,
one needs to dig a little deeper.

Let's consider morphology first. There is a long
tradition in botany that genera should be distin¬
guished from each other based on qualitative differ¬
ences in the plants' flowers and fruits, whereas spe¬
cies within a genus should be distinguished by non¬
floral characters or quantitative aspects of the repro¬
ductive structures, i.e., mere dimensions, not basic
morphology of flowers and fruits. Oaks provide an
excellent example: fruits of any oak species are
readily recognized as some sort of acorn, but acorns
of different species of oak come in different sizes, the
ratios of cap to nut also vary, as do many aspects of
the leaves and bark.

On first impression, all the wild gingers share a
similar morphological aspect: all are herbaceous
(See Wild ginger, page 5)

'.^lijoscrcrm

- fJcf-cr-D tf Qpo

Simplified cladogram of wild gingers, after Kelly (1998). Genera at
branch tips represent narrow (split) taxonomic concepts and contain from
one to several dozen species each; asterisk marks the common ancestor to
Hexastylis and Heterotropa.

Annual Meeting to focus on flora
at Shenandoah National Park

An Annual Meeting filled with spectacular surroundings,
informative speakers and great field trips is in the final plan¬
ning stages as the Piedmont Chapter prepares for VNPS mem¬
bers to meet at Shenandoah National Park (SNP) September 10-
12. Piedmont Chapter members hope to offer a meeting not to be
missed. On Friday, September 10, SNP botanist Wendy Cass,
will offer an overview of the park flora and efforts to protect it.
The speaker at Saturday's dinner will be a valued friend of
VNPS, Gary Fleming, whose in-depth knowledge of Virginia's
plant communities, including those of the park, is rivaled only
by his artistic skill in photographing them. Gary is Vegetation
Ecologist for the Virginia Natural Heritage Program.

(See Annual Meeting, page 6)

- Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society

From the president .

Happy Spring! Get outside and play!

I went out a few days ago and
found a single bloodroot. Two
days later the woods were speck¬
led with them. It's hard to keep up when it seems like
you can almost see things growing.

Once again, the first Saturday of May has been
chosen for the statewide Invasive Plant Removal Day,
jointly sponsored by VNPS and Virginia Master Natu¬
ralists. I know lots of us will be pulling weeds before
then, but I hope we can use this date as a day of educat¬
ing people in a local setting. Concerns have been
brought up about disturbing nesting birds at this time of
year, so please take that into consideration when you
plan, and 1 hope you will try to make this event a reality
in your area. You can find the website at
www.virginiamasternaturalist.org/invasives/index.html
or use a web search, and register your event.

Our winter workshop was a delight and, as a
result, speaker Dot Field will lead a field trip for us
to Savage Neck Dunes on the Eastern Shore this
fall. Two other state field trips are also scheduled,
the first in June at the Smithsonian Conservation
Biology Institute in Front Royal, and the other also
in the fall at the New Kent Forestry Center between
Richmond and Williamsburg. The details can be
found in this newsletter.

The week-long trip to Southwest Virginia is full,
and a waiting list is being kept. 1 hope those of you
who did not sign up in time or cannot go this year
will check back with us next year. I expect that we
will continue to offer this trip in the future.

And now, go outside and play!

Your president,

Sally Anderson

VNPS 2010 State Field Trips

$10 donation per trip. Please register with the VNPS Office at 400 Blandy Farm Lane #2, Boyce, VA 22620, vnpsofc@shentel.net
or phone 540-837-1600. More details are coming on the October trips in a future issue or on the web.

June 26 (rain date June 27), 10 a.m.-l p.m. (register by June 14)

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA [formerly Smithsonian Conservation Research Center]

Norm Bourg, Plant Ecologist and Ecological Research Programs Manager, will give a highlights tour of the center. We
will visit a 25 ha plot that is being used to study carbon sequestration. Within this plot is a 4 ha deer exclosure where you
can see the effects of limiting deer herbivory on sapling growth, native wildflowers and invasive plants. Also visit an
American chestnut orchard and, if time permits, look at a pasture restoration site. Bring a picnic lunch, as we will end
the trip at a high hill with great views. Bring water and a hat, and be prepared for the usual insects and ticks.

October 1,10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Walk the boardwalk through a swamp at what was formerly the New Kent Porestry Center near Providence Porge.
Trip will be led by College of William and Mary botanist Donna Ware.

October 2,10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

See a 50-foot sand dune, many plant communities, and a beach that is home to rare tiger beetles at Savage Neck
Dunes Natural Area Preserve. Led by Natural Heritage botanist Dot Pield.

I would like to attend the following trips:

_$10 Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

_$10 New Kent Porestry Center

_$10 Savage Neck Dunes

_Total

Enclose check with this information or call the office
to register with credit card.

NAME _

VNPS CHAPTER
ADDRESS _

PHONE

EMAIL

Page 2

Spring 2010

— Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society :

Virginia Wildflower Celebration 2010

The 13 chapters of the Virginia Native Plant Society celebrate the rich diversity of the native flora of the common¬
wealth each spring. Society members will share their enthusiasm for wild plants and wild places on field trips and
wildflower walks, and during garden tours, plant sales, and a variety of other programs throughout the state.

You are cordially invited to any of the activities listed below; they are all open to the public. As some events require
reservations, fees or additional instructions, use the contacts provided to obtain further information. Plants propa¬
gated by members will be available at chapter plant sales.

As you travel about the state, watch for the 2010 VNPS Wildflower of the Year, wild ginger {Asarum canadense). It occurs
throughout much of the northeastern U.S. and has been documented in all of Virginia's mountain and piedmont counties
and half of the coastal plain counties. Perhaps you can add to that list of documented sites. The reward of finding wild ginger
blooms goes to those who push the spreading plant leaves aside to glimpse the jug-like spring flowers.

Wildflower Calendar of Events

Bluebells and Bloodroot: Spring Wild-
flowers of the Floodplain (Fairfax
County) - Saturday April 17,10-11:30 a.m.
Identify Riverbend Park's beautiful spring
ephemerals and learn their associated folk¬
lore as we walk along the banks of the
Potomac River. Canceled if rain. $5/per-
son, 703-759-9018.

Spring Notable Wildflowers Field
Trip to Reddish Knob and Flagpole
Knob, W.Va. - Saturday April 17, 8 a.m.
- 5 p.m., sponsored by James Madison
University's Edith Carrier Arboretum.
Departure at 8 a.m. from the Frances
Flecker Education Center parking lot; re¬
turn about 5 p.m. See wildflowers like lu¬
pine and bloodroot. Walk and interact with
trip lecturer Dr. Conley McMullen along
mountain trails. This mountain ecosystem
is a northern plant paradise. $30 per per¬
son, pre-registration required at
www.jmu.edu/arboretum/forms/
wildflowers_fieldtrip_april_17_2010.doc

Buffalo Creek Field Trip (Blue Ridge
Wildflower Society) - Saturday April 17.
Rich Crites will lead a group to a VNPS Reg¬
istry sites. Look for bluebells, dwarf gin¬
seng, walking fern and more. Bring a lunch.
Call Crites at 540-774-4518 for details.

Upper James River Chapter April
Wildflower Walk - Saturday April 17,9:30
a.m.-noon. Explore Brushy Hills, the
Chessie Trail, Washington & Lee campus
and more in Rockbridge County and Lex¬
ington. For more information call Peggy
Dyson-Cobb at 540-464-3511.

A Spring Morning Along the River -
Sunday April 18, 7:30 a.m.-noon. Join
Leader Stephanie Mason for this early
spring exploration of the Potomac River
bottomland woods above Great Falls, Md.
Mason leads this search for spring wild¬
flowers, swelling buds, and early spring
wildlife, including birds, butterflies, and
amphibians. The natural surface trail is
mostly level, but can be muddy. Audubon

Spring 2010 =

members $23; nonmembers: $32. For in¬
formation or to register call 301-652-9188 xl6
or visit www.audubonnaturalist.org/.

Earth Day Festival in Staunton, Va.
(Shenandoah Chapter plant sale) - Sun¬
day April 18, 9 a.m.-noon. Celebrate the
40th anniversary of Earth Day and visit
the Shenandoah Chapter Plant sale booth
at the Earth Day Festival in downtown
Staunton across from Sunspots (near the
Farmer's Market) on the wharf.

Wildflower Walk at James Madison
University's Edith Carrier Arboretum -
Sunday April 18, 2 p.m., beginning in
the Pavilion, a walk presented by the
VNPS Shenandoah Chapter. Visit
www.jmu.edu/arboretum/ for direc¬
tions or more information.

Bull Run Bluebell Walk - Sunday
April 18, 2-3 p.m. A spectacular show of
bluebells, spring beauties and other spring
wildflowers along a 11^-mile path. Join in
this more than 30-year tradition. No res¬
ervations required. Call the nature cen¬
ter or Bull Run Regional Park directly at
703-631-0550 for more info.

James Madison University Edith Car¬
rier Arboretum Native Plant Sale
(Harrisonburg) - Friday and Saturday
April 23-24, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit
www.jmu.edu/arboretum/ for direc¬
tions or information.

Blue Ridge Wildflower Society Great
Smoky Mountain National Park Field
Trip - Saturday and Sunday April 23-24,
chapter members meet in Gatlinburg, TN
on Friday at the Sugarlands Visitor Cen¬
ter at 6 p.m. Saturday's activities will be
planned Friday evening. Lodging on
your own. Trip coincides with the Great
Smoky Mountain Wildflower Weekend
(www. springwildf lowerpilgrimage. org).
Come prepared with layers of clothing,
sturdy shoes, rain gear, and snacks. For
more information contact Butch Kelly at
540-384-7429 or Rich Crites at 540-774-4518.

Riverfest in Waynesboro (Shenan¬
doah Chapter plant sale) - Saturday April
24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Shenandoah Chapter
Plant sale at the Waynesboro Farmers
Market in downtown Waynesboro at the
South River.

Upper James River Chapter April Wild¬
flower Walk - Saturday April 24,9:30 a.m.-
noon. Explore Brushy Hills, the Chessie
Trail, Washington & Lee University campus
and more in Rockbridge County and Lex¬
ington. For more information call Peggy
Dyson-Cobb at 540-464-3511.

Prince William Wildflower Soci¬
ety 24th Annual Garden Tour - Sun¬
day April 25, noon-5 p.m. Email
pwws.vnps@yahoo.com or call 703-
368-2898 to receive a brochure with di¬
rections to the homes on tour.

Blue Ridge Wildflower Society Gen¬
eral Membership Meeting - Monday April
26,7 p.m. "Gardening for Wildlife Enhance¬
ment" by Suzie Leslie. Roanoke Church of
Christ. Call Rich Crites at 540-774-4518
for more information.

Rock Castle Gorge-Blue Ridge Park¬
way Field Trip (Blue Ridge Wildflower
Society) - Saturday May 1,9 a.m.-early af¬
ternoon. Join trip leader Butch Kelly on a
trip to this special place below the heights
of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Look for
trillum, violets, Indian paintbrush, and
flame azalea. Bring a snack. Stop for late
lunch at Tuggles Diner. Call Kelly at 54-
384-7429 for details.

Project Learning Tree - Saturday May 1,
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Project Learning Tree (PLT) is
an interdisciplinary, award-winning environ¬
mental education program for adults de¬
signed by educators for educators. Partici¬
pants receive PLT PreK-8 Environmental
Education Activity Guide packed with 96
multidisciplinary activities. Bring a bag lunch
and drink. The facilitator is environmental
educator and Fairfax Master Naturalist Eliza-
(Continued on page 4)

Page 3

Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society

Wildflower Calendar

beth Burke. For information call 703-228-
6535. Meet at Long Branch Nature Cen¬
ter, 625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington,
VA 22204. Free. Register at
www.arlingtonva.us/calendar/
default.aspx#EventDetails_8933. (Select
Program #: 643610-04)

Wildflower Weekend Webster County,
WV (Shenandoah Chapter) - Saturday and
Sunday May 1-2. Visit Camp Caesar in West
Virginia. Contact Jay Shaner at 540-886-5763
for more information.

Spring Woods of Chapman Forest -
Sunday, May 2,10 a.m.-3 p.m. Leader Bob
Pickett will take a group to Chapman's
Landing on the Potomac River in Charles
County, Md. This extraordinary and unique
place with a diversity of old-growth trees
has been protected since 1750. Site contains
13 species with a trunk diameter of 9 feet
or more including a tulip tree and chinqua¬
pin oak over 16 feet in diameter and a 15-
foot sycamore. Hike through the various
habitats and ravines in search of these be¬
hemoths, enjoying their fresh spring foli¬

age, as well as the wildflowers that grow
beneath them. Plan to cover up to 4 miles,
mostly on natural surface trails, but with
some off-trail hiking and some steep, but
short, ascents and descents. Audubon
members: $25; nonmembers: $35. For in¬
formation or to register, call 301-652-9188
xl6 or visit www.audubonnaturalist.org/.

Trillium Trek - Sunday May 2, 8:30
a.m.-4 p.m. (Adults) Travel to Linden, Va.
to see one of the largest (millions!) Great
White Trillium displays in the world. This
area is filled with (often rare) wildflowers
and trees, including native orchids and a
variety of wildlife to observe. On the some¬
what rocky two-mile trail we'U discuss plant
folklore and ethnobotany. Before we head
home, we'll stop to purchase local country
crafts and apple products. Dress for hik¬
ing; bring water and a bag lunch to eat on
the trail. $25 fee due upon registration. Van
leaves from Lubber Run Center parking
lot, 300 N. Park Dr., Arlington, VA 22203
or will pick up from Ballston Metro Sta¬
tion with advance request: 703-228-6535.

$30 fee due upon registration Register at
https://registration.arlingtonva.us. (Se¬
lect Program #: 643610-09)

Blue Ridge Wildflower Society An¬
nual Spring Wildflower Sale - Saturday
May 8,8 a.m.-2 p.m. Call Rich Crites (540-
774-4518) or Jim Bush (540-929-4775) for
more information.

Prince William Wildflower Society
28th Annual Wildflower and Native
Plant Sale - Saturday May 8,9 a.m.-noon.
Bethel Lutheran Church grounds, 8712
Plantation Lane, Manassas.

Arcadia Field Trip (Blue Ridge Wild¬
flower Society) - Saturday May 22, meet
in Botetourt at 9 a.m.Rich Crites will lead
a group to Arcadia and up the mountains
to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The goal is to
see pink and yellow lady-slippers. Call
Crites at 540-774-4518 for information.

Rhododendron Day on the Blue
Ridge Parkway Field Trip (Blue Ridge
Wildflower Society) - Rudy Albert (540-
774-2279) will lead a group on the
chapter’s annual foray to the Peaks of
Otter and points north. Flame Azalea
should be in full bloom.

Wintergreen offers 27th
wildflower symposium

In the early spring before the trees
are full, the hillsides are warmed by the
sun and the wildflowers are in full
bloom. Experience this special time at
Wintergreen Resort by attending the
27th annual Spring Wildflower Sym¬
posium May 14-16 at the Wintergreen
Nature Foundation located in the Blue
Ridge Mountains.

Instructors for the weekend in¬
clude well-known botanists, authors,
and artists, each prepared with a full
weekend of activities and lectures that
will reconnect you with nature. The
weekend offers something for everyone
from walks to workshops and lectures.
There will also be a native plant sale of
seedlings propagated by the Winter¬
green Nature Foundation. Regional
artists will be on hand to share their
work and offer workshops.

Visit www.twinf.org for a full bro¬
chure. Reservations are required and
can be made on line or by mail. Accom¬
modations are available at Winter¬
green Resort. Registration is $120 but
earlybird discounts are available. Cost
does not cover lodging.

Fairfax takes invasive removal seriously

In Fairfax County, residents are taking the third annual Invasive Plant
Day on Saturday, May 1 very seriously. Local sites are available for those
interested in participating in the third annual, statewide Invasive Plant
Removal Day. The activities at the state level are being coordinated by the
Virginia Native Plant Society and the Virginia Master Naturalists and can
be found online at www.virginiamasternaturalist.org/ invasives/

In Fairfax County, the Invasive Management Area (IMA) volunteers and
park authority staff will target nonnative invasive species that negatively
affect the quality of our natural areas. Normative invasive species invade
natural areas, threatening trees, devaluing wildlife habitat and lowering
the quality of the resources. The park authority's all volunteer IMA program
has workdays throughout the year, but on May 1, activities will take place as
follows:

Falstaff in Dranesville District (9 a.m.-noon)

Fred Crabtree in Hunter Mill District (9 a.m.-noon)

Huntley Meadows in Lee District (9:30 a.m.-noon)

Mason District in Mason District (9 a.m.-noon)

McLean Central in Dranesville District (9 a.m.-noon)

Rocky Run in Springfield District (9 a.m.-noon)

Royal Lake in Braddock District (7 a.m.-lO a.m.)

White Oakes in Mt. Vernon District (8 a.m.-ll a.m.)

If you are interested in volunteering please contact Kathy Frederick at
703-324-8681 or register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/re¬
sources/IMA/ whatareinvasives.htm.

Invasive species are, generally, normative species that cause ecological
or economic harm. They share certain characteristics, such as being able to
mature quickly, generate many offspring and can tolerate a wide range of
habitats. Because of the characteristics that allow a species to successfully
establish in new territory, invasive species make terrible neighbors.

Page 4

Spring 2010

Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society —

Act responsibly when collecting seed from the wild

The Virginia Native Plant Soci¬
ety promotes conservation and pro¬
tection of native plant species and
their habitats. Recognizing the grow¬
ing interest in incorporating native
plants into the landscape, the soci¬
ety has created a list of nurseries that
specialize in growing native plants.
To the best of our knowledge, these
nurseries do not collect plants from
the wild, and neither should you.
Instead you can grow plants from
seeds that have been collected re¬
sponsibly from the wild.

What does it mean to responsi¬
bly collect seeds from the wild? To
answer this question, we offer the
following guidelines. These guide¬
lines will help ensure that our na¬
tive plants and their habitats are not
put at risk due to seed collecting.

1. Do not collect seeds from plants that
are rare, threatened, endangered or on
the watch list. These plants are pro¬
tected by federal and state laws. Refer
to the Virginia Department of Conser¬

vation and Recreation Division of Natu¬
ral Heritage list of rare plants.

2. All native plant seeds require spe¬
cial treatments and storage for suc¬
cessful germination. Know the re¬
quirements prior to collecting the seed.
Do not collect seeds that you are un¬
able to handle properly especially if
they are difficult to germinate. There
are many references available on
propagating native plants.

3. Obtain permission from landowners
(public and private) before collecting
seeds. Please note that seed collecting is
prohibited on some public lands and that
special permits may be required.

4. Collect a minimum amount of seed
following the guidelines outlined below:

- Collect seeds from large healthy
populations of plants where collect¬
ing will not damage the population's
ability to survive and prosper.

- Never collect aU seeds from a single
plant or from a small group of plants.

- Never collect the entire plant
except for bona fide scientific re¬
search using proper safeguards,
which should include never collect¬
ing the only plant.

- Know when seeds are ripe,
and collect only those that are ready.

- As a general guide, the North
Carolina Native Plant Society recom¬
mends one collection for every 20 to
50 plants.

- The New England Wildflower
Society states that "Specifying a
minimum population size for seed
collection without significant popu¬
lation damage is difficult, but as a
general rule, at least 20 herbaceous
plants or 10 woody plants should be
present at a site before any collection
of seed is made. . . These collection
numbers should be used as a guide,
however, not a minimum threshold
for relatively harmless collection.
EXAMPLES: Eor species that pro¬
duce only one or two capsules per
plant, seed collectors must be care¬
ful. Trillium grandiflorum produces
one seed capsule per plant. Since it
is essentially impossible to collect
only part of a capsule, a popula¬
tion of Trillium needs to contain at
least 20 reproductively fruiting
plants before collection of one cap¬
sule can occur. On the other hand,
some woody plants. Viburnum spe¬
cies for example, can produce co¬
pious seed, and seed collection
from a population with a few fruit¬
ing individuals may not reduce the
overall vigor of a population."

5. Use caution when collecting seed
to ensure that no damage occurs to
surrounding flora, fauna or habitat.

6. Collect discreetly so as not to encour¬
age others to collect who may do so
indiscriminately. Teach others about
proper and careful seed collecting.

7. Above all, always use common
sense. The goal is to collect seeds
such that the viability of the popula¬
tion is not compromised.

Kim Strader, VNPS Horticulture Chair

• Wild ginger -

(Continued from page 1)

perermials with shallow rhizomes bearing kidney- to heart-shaped leaves and
jug-like flowers borne essentially at soil level. Eurther, all the flowers are domi¬
nated by three sepals enclosing 12 stamens and an ovary composed of six sub¬
units (carpels). Overall similarity of reproductive features could argue for lump¬
ing all into a single genus, Asarum. But if one looks a little closer, the sepals of
Asarum are mostly separate from each other above the ovary, where they are clearly
fused and tubular in Hexastylis, the anthers of Asarum have terminal appendages
that are absent in Hexastylis, and the ovary of Asarum is inferior whereas ovaries in
Hexastylis are superior or at most one-third inferior. So, with a closer examination
of reproductive structures, a case based on morphology could be made for split¬
ting Hexastylis. Do the similarities outweigh the differences? Are the similarities
somehow more important, and the differences mere details? Or vice versa? These
questions have no obvious single answer; morphology could be used to justify
either splitting these genera apart or lumping them as one. Natural diversity does
not come sorted and labeled; the patterns that nature gives us don't always fit
simple, preconceived notions of what should constitute a distinct genus. Never¬
theless, at some point a decision needs to be made, and it looks like morphology is
not going to decide this case.

Over the last two decades or so, plant systematists have made great strides in
deciphering the details of relationships among plants. Two revolutions have brought
this about: 1) the adoption of cladistic methods for reconstructing evolutionary
relationships (phytogeny) and 2) the inclusion of molecular characters (DNA or
gene-sequence information) in cladistic analyses. Lawrence Kelly has published
two cladistic analyses of wild gingers, one based entirely on morphological data
(See Ginger confusion, page 8)

Spring 2010

Page 5

— Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society

Student learns about invasives in Bay

Editor's Note: As a member of the Vir¬
ginia Outdoor Writers Association, I re¬
cently attended that group's annual meet¬
ing at which we awarded prizes to high
school and college students in an outdoor
essay contest that VOWA sponsored. Tak¬
ing home first place in the high school cat¬
egory was a young lady named Grace
Perkins, a senior at Lancaster High School
on the Northern Neck in White Stone. Her
article on the dangers of the invasive wa¬
ter plant, Phragmites australis, fits in
nicely with VNPS efforts to eradicate in¬
vasive plants. —VNPS Bulletin Editor
Nancy Sorrells.

Phragmites australis. I could hardly
pronounce it, and I knew I did not want
to spend my summer vacation studying
it. However, the Chesapeake Bay
Governor's School for Marine and En¬
vironmental Science requires a two-year
investigative project. Having learned to
curse P. australis' very existence in class,
I decided a relevant yet simple study
would be a comparison of the effects of
this invasive nonnative marsh grass
with those of a native grass Spartina
cynosuroides on the fish population of a
Chesapeake Bay salt marsh.

My first mistake was believing this
would be a leisurely undertaking. Field
studies are intense, especially those
dealing with tides. The second mistake
was choosing a site 40 minutes from
my house. The tide cycles must be
Mother Nature's practical joke. To cast
my seine nets at low tide, I rose before
sunrise and reached the marsh by day¬
break. Then, I returned home and, six
hours later, drove back to the marsh to
pull in the nets. While my classmates
woke up at noon, loaded the toaster
with Pop-Tarts, and logged onto
Facebook, I was in my maroon pickup
truck, dressed in old t-shirts, shorts,
and water shoes (the ugliest article of
clothing ever invented) on my way to
wade in cold, brackish water. Despite
weeks of sinking up to my knees in the
darkest, slimiest mud imaginable, slap¬
ping at mosquitoes, and watching out
for spiders and cottonmouths, I repeat¬
edly reeled in empty nets in the P. aus¬

tralis marsh. It was disheartening, but I
redesigned my method of capture and
began using cylindrical fish traps.

After revising, my project yielded
statistically significant results. I com¬
pared three variables between the P.
australis and the S. cynosuroides
marshes: fish abundance, fish species
diversity, and plant density. The first
variable, fish abundance, proved to be
the most significantly different; 358 fish
were caught overall in the native S.
cynosuroides marsh, while only 133 fish
were caught in the invasive P. australis
marsh. Running a paired t-test between
the numbers of fish caught yielded a
highly significant p-value of 0.008. Un¬
fortunately, the other two variables did
not prove to be significantly different.
The species of fish caught in each
marsh (marsh killifish, mummichogs,
sheepshead minnows, and striped kil¬
lifish) produced almost identical Shan¬
non-Wiener Diversity Indexes; both
were approximately 1.10. Thirdly, P.
australis was found to be denser, but
the data was not significantly so. An
interesting trend in the data, however,
showed that, on average, fish caught
in the P. australis marsh were larger. I
speculated this was because only har¬
dier, older fish can survive in a possi¬
bly harsher environment for which
they have not evolved. Invasive species,
like P. australis, have the potential to de¬
stroy a well-established marsh. It is nec¬
essary to check their growth, as
marshes are one of the first indicators
of problems that can jeopardize a pro-

•Annual Meeting

(Continued from page 1)

ductive and healthy Chesapeake Bay.

This summer, I learned firsthand
how P. australis can devastate a marsh.
As important, however, I experienced
the Chesapeake Bay in a new way. Al¬
though I have grown up in a small,
rural area where many of my class¬
mates' families depend on the menha¬
den and oyster industries, I only knew
the Bay through tubing and jet skiing.
For 10 years, I have lived a short dis¬
tance from the waterfront, but until this
summer, I had never experienced its
natural rhythms and beauty. I can now
say I have watched the pinks and or¬
anges of the rising sun paint the sky
over Rockhole Creek. I have cast a net
in cool water up to my ankles and
caught marsh killifish and fiddler
crabs. A blue heron has shared the
mornings with me, and at the time, we
seemed like the only living things in
the world. I have driven with the win¬
dows down, the salty air blowing my
hair around and big band music from
the only available radio station turned
all the way up. I felt infinite, like I was
a part of something larger than myself.

This project taught me that science
is not always the neat, controlled labs
conducted in school. It can involve
hard, even smelly, work. Experiments
may require revision or redesign, and
they do not always produce the ex¬
pected results. These unlooked-for
findings can lead to new ideas and
experiences. Sometimes, unexpected
results become the most important les¬
sons of all.

Field trips on Saturday and Sunday will cover a range of places and offer a
varied focus, from energetic hikes to a relaxed workshop on nature photogra¬
phy. The growing list of field trip leaders includes Doug Coleman, Ton Dierauf,
Jay Stipes, Marion Fobstein, and Richard Stromberg as well as park staff biolo¬
gists. Piedmont planners hope for a program that will give attendees a memo¬
rable few days, experiencing the park's diversity of flora and cultural history,
but also learning about strategies for combatting emerging problems such as
deer damage and threats to rare plants at rock outcroppings. Perhaps equally
meaningful. Annual Meeting 2010 will give members from around the common¬
wealth a chance to renew friendships and find kindred souls.

Details and a registration form will be part of the summer issue of the Bulletin.

Spring 2010

Page 6

= Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society =

Wild Virginia: Working to preserve Virginia forests

Editor's Note: Recently VNPS became Wild
Virginia's newest partner in its initiative to
eradicate invasive nonnative plants. Here, Wild
Virginia conservation director David Hannah
tells us a little bit about his organization.

Wild Virginia is a grassroots, non¬
profit organization dedicated to pre¬
serving wild forest ecosystems in
Virginia's national forests-remote and
inaccessible mountaintops, large ex¬
panses of undisturbed forest, plant
and animal populations, and intact
natural communities. Since our begin¬
nings in 1995, we have fought to keep
these natural features a reality

At the heart of our work is the de¬
sire to enhance the ecological integrity
and biological diversity of our national
forests and ensure they are maintained
for future generations. The Shenan¬
doah Mountain area of the George
Washington National Forest (GWNF)
is a special place and a focus of our
work. It contains many headwater and
wild trout streams, a healthy black bear
population, and a diversity of natural
communities and rare species (includ¬
ing the Cowknob salamander
{Plethodon punctatus) and least trillium,
Trillium pusillum var. monticulum).

Wild Virginia works for sound
management of the GWNF in various

ways. Our 2008 report. The State of Our
Water, describes the tremendous impor¬
tance of the GWNF as a source of pub¬
lic drinking water. More than 22 com¬
munities in western Virginia obtain
drinking water from the GWNF. The
watersheds providing this water cover
roughly 44 percent of the GWNF land
in Virginia. As a result of the report,
the Virginia Native Plant Society
(VNPS) and 39 other organizations (in¬
cluding 16 localities) adopted resolu¬
tions calling for stronger protection of
water quality in the national forest.

Among other ecological issues.
Wild Virginia is concerned about the
impact of nonnative invasive plants
in the GWNF. The Shenandoah Chap¬
ter of VNPS has documented invasive
plants in the forest with roadside sur¬
veys. Despite the heavy presence of
invasive nonnatives, none of the
forest's six wilderness areas have
been surveyed or inventoried for them.
In collaboration with the U.S. Forest
Service, we will conduct an inventory
of invasive nonnatives in Ramsey's
Draft Wilderness Area during the
2010 growing season. After complet¬
ing the inventory, we will work with
GWNF personnel to identify the most
problematic species and prioritize

them for control beginning in 2011.

Wild Virginia also sponsors
monthly hikes to some of the beautiful
spots our mountains have to offer. The
outings are free and open to anyone
who is interested and physically fit
enough to enjoy them. Visit
www.wildvirginia.org to read descrip¬
tions of upcoming hikes and see pic¬
tures of past ones.

Virginia's national forests are truly
natural treasures, full of many diverse
gems. With wild trout streams, challeng¬
ing trails, caves, wildflowers and shrubs
in full bloom, wilderness areas, incred¬
ible views, bird migrations and more,
there is something for everyone.

A very concrete way to help is to par¬
ticipate in the public process of revising
the Forest Plan for the GWNF. The plan
is critically important, as it will dictate
how the forest is to be managed for the
next 10 to 15 years. We encourage every¬
one to get involved by attending public
meetings and submitting comments to
the U.S. Forest Service about how the
GWNF should be managed.

To learn more about Wild Virginia,
contact Hannah at P.O. Box 1065,
Charlottesville, VA, 22902, 434-971-
1553, dhannah@wildvirginia.org or
visit www.wildvirginia.org.

See the address label for your membership expiration date

VNPS Membership/Renewal Form

Name(s)_

Address_

City_State_Zip_

_Individual $30 _Student $15

_Family $40 _Associate (groups) $40*^

_Patron $50 _Sustaining $100

_Life $500

"^Please designate one person as delegate for Associate membership
To give a gift membership or join additional chapters: Enclose dues, name, address, and
chapter (non-voting memberships in any other than your primary chapter are $5)

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amount of_$10_$25_$50_$100_$(Other)_

_Check if you do not wish your name to be exchanged with similar organizations

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Which chapter do you wish to join? (See www.vnps.org)_

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Card #_Security code_Signature_

Make check payable to VNPS and mail to:

VNPS Membership Chair, Blandy Experimental Farm, 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Unit 2,
Boyce, VA 22620

Membership dues are tax deductible in the amount they exceed $5. Contributions are tax deductible in accordance with IRS regulations.

The Bulletin

ISSN 1085-9632

is published five times a year
(Feb., April, June, August, Nov.)
by the

Virginia Native Plant Society

Blandy Experimental Farm
400 Blandy Farm Lane, Unit 2
Boyce, VA 22620

(540) 837-1600

vnpsofc@shentel.net

www.vnps.org

Sally Anderson, President
Nancy Sorrells, Editor

Original material contained in the Bulletin maybe
reprinted, provided aedit is given to VNPS and the
author, if named. Readers are invited to send letters,
news items, or original articles for the editor's con¬
sideration. Items shouldbe typed, on diskinMiaosoft
Word or e-mailed to: Editor, 3419 Cold Springs Rd.,
Greenville, VA24440, or lotswife@comcast.net
The deadline for the next issue is May 15.

- Page 7

Spring 2010

Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society

•Ginger confusion

(Continued from page 5)

(Kelly 1997), the other incorporating
both morphology and DNA-based char¬
acters (Kelly 1998). In both studies, the
species always placed in Asarum and
those sometimes split as Hexastylis oc¬
cupy distinctly different branches of the
phylogenetic tree generated by his data
(figure on page 1). Nevertheless, despite
the clear split between the two, Kelly
prefers to lump Hexastylis with Asarum
rather than maintain them as distinct.
Why, one might ask?

The problem is that the plants from
the southeastern U.S. that traditionally
have been called Hexastylis are not the
only plants that occupy the branch op¬
posite Asarum on Kelly's cladograms.
At the base of that branch is a Chinese
species sometimes classified in the ge¬
nus Asiasarum, then there are two suc¬
cessive branches that contain our
southeastern U.S. species of Hexastylis,
and then another large branch contain¬
ing Asian plants sometimes classified
as Heterotropa. So, the question of
whether to lump or split Asarum and
Hexastylis is not the whole story here;
rather it is just one aspect of how best
to classify all the wild gingers of the
world. In other words, the existence of

species in China impacts how we ap¬
ply names to plants in North America!
Further, the powerful toolkit that cla-
distic analysis provides comes with
some rather stringent rules about how
taxonomic groups can be defined. In
cladistics, the foremost rule for defin¬
ing taxonomic groups is that they must
be monophyletic, i.e., all members of
the group must have a common ances¬
tor and the group must include all de-
scendents of that common ancestor.
And this is the essence of the problem
with Hexastylis. As modeled by Kelly's
cladograms, the species that have been
traditionally distinguished by some as
the genus Hexastylis do not constitute
a group that includes all descendents
of their common ancestor. Specifically,
all the species classified as Heterotropa
share a common ancestor with
Hexastylis but are not included in
Hexastylis as that genus has been de¬
fined. Hence, from global and cladis-
tic perspectives, maintaining
Hexastylis as traditionally defined for
a handful of species in the southeast
U.S. is untenable. It looks like the
lumpers win: all wild gingers should
be classified as species oi Asarum.

Ah ... but is that the final word?
The lumpers should not be overly

smug. One could argue that the big
split in the phylogenetic tree, Asarum
(plus another small genus called
Geotaenium) on the left side of and
Asiasarum-Hexastylis-Heterotropa on
the right side, defines two genera. A
quick perusal of the dates on which
the genus names of the right-hand
branch were first published suggests
that Hexastylis would have priority
if all three were grouped together. So,
it looks like it may be possible to
maintain the Hexastylis split from
Asarum, but only if proponents of that
option would be willing to lump
Hexastylis with these Asian entities
which, of course, would alter the tra¬
ditional concept of Hexastylis.

It is human nature to prefer a
single, simple, straightforward an¬
swer to a question. Whether wild gin¬
gers constitute one or two genera
seems like a simple, straightforward
question, but it looks like nature is
giving us two subtly nuanced solu¬
tions. Does this sort of conundrum
leave you with a splitting headache?
Perhaps a nice soothing cup of gin¬
ger tea would be just the thing... one
lump or two?

W. John Hayden, VNPS Botany Chair