A publication of the Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society

FUNDING FOR VIRGINIA'S ENDANGERED PLANTS PROGRAM

As the Bulletin goes to press, the Virginia General Assembly is still considering bills providing increased money and staff for Virginia's endangered plants program. The House of Delegates and the Senate have adopted different bills, which now must be reconciled in a conference. The VWPS is trying to ensure final adoption of the Senate bill.

VIRGINIA WILDFLOWER CELEBRATION 88

When most of us think of wildflowers, we think "spring," for that is when our woodlands come alive. This year the VWPS has expanded its annual celebration of spring to encompass the blooming of spring wildflowers throughout the state. During all of April and May the Society and its chapters will promote pleasure in wildflowers— and the desire to preserve them.

The House bill adds only $35,000 per year to the $25,000 that the Department of Agriculture is already spending to identify, list, and protect endangered plant species. This is not enough to hire even one full-time staff person, much less to research the reasons why certain species are endangered or to correct those causes. The Senate bill provides the full amount that was requested: $102,500 for the first year, $141,500 for the second year, and one full-time person. Adoption of this measure would permit a small but effective program.

I wish to thank all members of the VWPS who wrote or called their state representatives to urge support for the endangered species appropriation. Your involvement is crucial to our success in ensuring protection for plant species through a variety of state and county actions.

I will report on the final outcome in the next issue of the Bulletin. At that time, I will also try to identify which members of the legislature were particularly helpful.

Virginia Wildflower Celebration 88 emphasizes the diversity of Virginia's landscape and the specialties of each chapter's region, from the Tidewater to the Shenandoah Valley. Celebration activities give VWPS members a special opportunity to explore beyond their own chapter areas. They offer all who enjoy Virginia's wild plants a chance to follow the spring across the Commonwealth. On short walks or strenuous expeditions, Celebration participants can enjoy the wildflowers of stream valleys and coastal wetlands, rocky slopes and moist woods, wildlands and urban gardens. They can renew acquaintance with the most familiar spring ephemerals and see for the first time species they've known only from books. They can see for themselves and learn from others the changes that threaten to impoverish Virginia's natural heritage.

Beginning on page 3 is a guide to the activities chapters are planning for Virginia Wildflower Celebration 88. Some are getting an early start with events in late March, and those too are included. Often during the two months of this Celebration, you'll wish you could be in two places at once— and that's how it should be!

• Faith Campbell

RHODODENDRONS AND MOUNTAIN LAUREL will be the focus of walks planned by the Blue

Ridge Chapter for June 10-11. Participants from other parts of Virginia will be welcome to join chapter members. Watch for details in the May Bulletin.

T

VWPS CHAPTER NEWS

From the President

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Elsewhere in this issue you'll see plenty of signs that spring is upon us. Outside, birds are raising their voices, the wind carries a new fragrance, the earliest wildflowers are emerging. All of us are ready for celebration as this glorious season begins.

In the spring and throughout the year, chapter and Society volunteers work to bring people and plants together —outdoors in field trips, walks, gardens, plant rescue projects, photography; indoors in slide programs, talks, contacts with legislators, workshops, newsletters. That's the heart of the VWPS.

Much of our time goes to doing what needs to be done right now or in the near future (or sometimes yesterday!), both to create programs such as these and to carry on the prosaic routines that sustain the organization. But it's essential that at the same time we look farther ahead, and with the help of the Long Range Planning Committee that completed its work last fall, the VWPS board is doing just that.

In September the committee presented a report that refines and greatly enlarges that of an earlier counterpart. Its wide-ranging suggestions, grouped under twelve major goals, challenge the board to strengthen the VWPS program, expand it, sharpen its focus. The board has assigned priorities to the various goals and is now in the process of working through them, choosing strategies and specific steps to implement them.

Some of the committee's suggestions concern or¬ ganization— membership development, for example, and facilitating administrative chores. Most have to do with program. Some, mainly those that propose amplification of existing programs, will be relatively easy to carry out. Others, especially those that articulate dreams for the distant future, will require sustained effort and extensive discussion throughout the VWPS.

A few examples suggest the range of ideas: strengthen the Bulletin, and eventually develop a more substantive journal; expand the Signature Slide Collection; develop a state wildflower checklist; create new programs directed toward young people; produce a video on a "conservation through cultivation" theme; build working relationships with the primary exponents of change in Virginia— the individuals, agencies, and corporations that to a large extent control the environment of native plant species.

The possibilities opened up by the Long Range Planning Committee will clearly engage us for some time to come. The Society is greatly indebted to the committee members: Cole Burrell, chair; Marion Blois, Cris Fleming, Gary Fleming, Ed Risse, and Nicky Staunton.

• Mary Pockman

THE BULLETIN A publication of the Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society

Mary Pockman, President Editors pro tem: Karen Sorenson, Mary Pockman Art by Barbara Stewart Typing & layout - Ardyce Kinsley

Permission is hereby given to reproduce original material contained in The Bulletin provided credit is given to the author, if named, and to the VWPS, P. O. Box 844, Annandale, VA 22003.

Shenandoah Chapter will be involved in two long-term projects^ helping form arboretum at James Madison Uni¬ versity in Harrisonburg and at Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave. The Arboretum at JMU is an established forest of mixed mesophytic types which requires modification for public use. It also has a Cove-Hardwood ecosystem nearby in the mountains. The Blue Ridge project is literally "from scratch." An open area has been assigned for the arboretum and trees, etc. will be planted as time and money permit. These areas are excellent sites for plants obtained through plant rescues. The chapter is emphasizing field trips and the presentation of conservationists views to the public of the Shenandoah Valley, which is quickly developing into a population center of considerable size and significance.

The May meeting of John Clayton Chapter will introduce members to the two-acre wildflower meadow being developed by the chapter and York County officials at the county's New Quarter Park. In mid-October chapter volunteers planted seed of more than two dozen species, some purchased and some collected locally by chapter members. As of New Year's, chapter president Cynthia Long reported that the ground was almost covered with tiny seedlings, many of them already identifiable. Plants are also being started this winter to be set out in the spring. In addition to many native wildflowers, the meadow will have a few non-native species and several grasses, including a test plot of a bluestem found in the area, Andropogon ternua.

Blue Ridge Chapter had an excellent opportunity to reach teachers in kindergarten through high school when the annual Virginia Science Teachers Conference was held in Roanoke last fall. Chapter members served as field trip leaders for about 80 teachers from across the state, taking them to the Peaks of Otter and other locations along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Like Shenandoah Chapter, the Blue Ridge Chapter is helping in the development of an arbor¬ etum, this one to be located on the campus of Virginia Western Community College.

Several chapters, including Prince William and Pied¬ mont, have had workshops or field trips focusing on winter botany. They report great enthusiasm for this extension of the season. Members of at least two chapters, Potowmack and Prince William, are active in efforts to encourage protections of native flora at Great Falls Park in Virginia as the National Park Service undertakes partial restoration of one of the Park's historic features, George Washington's Patowmack Canal.

PIEDMONT CHAPTER ADOPTS

GREAT MEADOW PLANTINGS

The Great Meadow wildflower plantings sponsored since 1984 by the VWPS are now a Piedmont Chapter project, through action by the chapter and VWPS boards. The change recognizes the strong interest of people who live close to Great Meadow, which is in Fauquier County, part of the area served by Piedmont Chapter.

Great Meadow is a nonprofit center for outdoor events, including the annual Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase. The wildflower project there was planned both to provide enjoyment and education for visitors and to develop new information about the requirements of meadow plantings in this region. Funding for it has been contributed by the Wildcat Foundation.

The project has been coordinated by a regional committee composed of representatives from Piedmont, Potowmack, and Prince William chapters and chaired by Mary Painter, who initiated the Great Meadow plantings. She and B. J. Williams will serve as co-coordinators under the direction of the Piedmont Chapter board.

B lythronium ameiicanum

VIRGINIA WILDFLOWER CELEBRATION 1988

From the end of March, and throughout April and May, chapters of the Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society will be hosting activites to celebrate the blooms of spring. For additional information, use the address or phone number at the end of the description or, where only the sponsoring chapter's name is given, the following list:

Jefferson Chapter: Katherine Malmquist, 2527 llyilraulic Road, it 27. Charlottesville, VA 22901 (804) 296-9325 <70 or (804) 924-3384 (O)

^ ~ \ John Clayton Chapter: Donna Warp, Herbarium, Department of Biology, College of William and

Mary, wuuamsburg, VA 23185 ; (804) 565-0657 (11) or (804) 253-4240 (O)

Piedmont Chapter, c/o Jocelyn Alexander. Box 336, The Plains. VA 22171 Potowmack Chapter: Box 161, McLean, VA 22101; Karen Sorenson, (703) 534-2838 Prince William Wildflower Society, Box 83, Manassas, VA 22110; Nicky Staunton, (703) 368-9803 (H) or (703) 363-3943 (O)

Shenandoah Chapter: Michael Hill, 204 Pope Street. Bridgewater, VA 22812; (703) 828-2405

MARCH 23, Wednesday, 10:00 n.m. Jenn Chitren will guide a spring exploration at Lecsylvnnia Park. Prince William Wildflower Society.

MARCH 20, Saturday, 10:00 a.m. Fjekl trip to Arcadia for early spring flowers, sponsored by Blue Ridge Chapter.

Rich Crites, 2663 Willow LawrTSW, ' Ronhok^W 24018; (703) 774-4518 (II); (703) 982-7326 (O)

MARCH 26, Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The Potowmack, Prince William and Piedmont chapters host a panel

discussion, "Preserving Natural Habitats in Urbanizing Areas." Moderated by Stan Shetler, curator of botany and acting assoc TaTfTTlTre'c tor of the Museum of NaturaT History,’ Smithsonian Institution, panelists will represent view¬ points of development, land use planning, conservation, public parks and politics. National Wildlife Federation,

8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Potomack Chapter. ,

MARCH 27, Sunday. Field trip to Riven Rock. Shenandoah Chapter.

APRIL 8, Thursday, 10:00 a.m. Field trip to the James Tract of the Northern Neck Audubon Chapter, Hickory Hollow and Cabin Swamp, Lancaster County. Limit 20: priority to VWPS members. Advance registration required; send to Cynthia Long, 105 Bowstring Drive, Williamsburg, VA 23185. Map will be sent with confirmation. John Clayton Chapter.

APRIL 9, Friday, 1:00 p.m. Spring wildflower walk along Bull Run to see bloodroot, mayapples, ferns and spring beauties, with Jean Chitren. Prince William Wildflower Society.

APRIL 16, Saturday, 10:00 n.m. Walk through the grounds of Montpelier with Dave Tice, including the Old Grove Forest, recently designated a National Natural Landmark. Meet at the Albemarle Square Shopping Center, Charlottesville, to carpool to Montpelier. Jefferson Chapter.

APRIL 16 and 17. Saturday and Sunday, 2:00 p.m. Annual Bluebell Walks at Bull Run Regional Park to see the largest display of Virginia bluebells on the East Coast. Guides wiTTfje park naturalists and volunteers from Potowmack and Prince William Chapters. Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, (703) 528-5406.

APRIL 17, Sunday, 1:00 p.m. Walk Conway Robinson Forest with Jenn Chitren to see lady's-slippers, trillium, pennywort, leaves of Adam and Eve^ Prince William WiIdTIower Society.

APRIL 17. Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Field trip to Blackwater Creek Natural Area, Lynchburg, sponsored by Blue Ridge Chapter. Dorothy Bliss, 322 Sumpter Street, Lynchburg, VA 24503. (804) 845-5665.

LATE APRIL, date to be announced. Field trip to a site in the Shenandoah Valley. Shenandoah Chapter.

APRIL 23. Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Visit the 100-acre Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve in Pennsylvania with the Potowmack Chapter. Bus tour leaves from Green Spring Horticultural Center in Annandale. Cost: $25; $23 for VWPS members; box lunches $7 by reservation. Green Spring, (703) 642-5173.

APRIL 23. Saturday, 10:00 a.m. Walk through five wildflower gardens in the Charlottesville area. Jefferson Chapter.

APRIL 23, Saturday, 10:00 a.m. Field trip to Andy Andrews' swamp. Meet at White Marsh Shopping Center, Route 17, Gloucester. Bring lunch. John Clayton Chapter.

APRIL 24 Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. The Piedmont Chapter will hold its first annual Trout Lily Festival at Airlie, near Warrenton, including walks through a trout lily woodland and a light brunch. In the afternoon,

Airlie's chamber musicians will perform Shubert's "Trout Quintet." Piedmont Chapter.

appit 14 s.mrinv ?-00 n.m. Take a walk along Billy Goat Trail at the C&O Canal with naturalist A1 Studholme.

Meet at the information kiosk nHi to the parking lot opposite Old Angler's Inn. Potowmack Chapter.

APRIL 29 - MAY 1, Fridnv-Sunday. Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, sponsored by the Science Museum of Western Virginia.

Blue Ridge Chapter members will lend many oF the Field trips. Science Museum of Western Virginia. Center in the Square, One Market Square, Roanoke, VA 2401 1 ; (703) 342-9710.

APRIL 30, Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - noon. Walk through Locust Shade, near Dumfries, to see the park and the repository site for rescued plants. Prince William WlidFlower Society. Leader: Elaine llaug. (703) 070-2347.

APRIL 30, Saturday, 1 3 p.m. and 4-0 p.m. An early afternoon walk tours spring wetland wildflowcrs at Veterans Park.

Later in the afternoon, a eanoe trip for a closer look at welTnnd natives! Prince Wiilinm Wildflower Society.

Lender: Elaine Hang, (703) 070-2347.

APRIL 30, Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., and

MAY 1, Sunday, noon - 5:00 p.m. The Prince William Wildflower Garden Tour features a meadow and wildflower border in Rrentsville; wildflowcrs beneath azaleas at Bull Rim Mountain, Hnymnrket; and a traditional in-town garden featuring wildflowers in Manassas. Prince Wiilinm Wildflower Society.

MAY 1, Sunday, 10:30 a.m. Wildflower walk along the Potomac at Carderock, Maryland, with Marilyn Stearns, sponsored by Potowmack Chapter. Beth Holloway, I703J 780-4002.

MAY 2, Monday, 1:00 p.m. Jean Chitren will lead an easy^ access walk in Mellwig County Park, to sec large whorlcd pogonia, Indian cucumber, lady's-slippers. Prince William WlidFlower Society.

MAY 6-8, Eriday-Sunday. Informal expedition to the Great Smoky Mountains, sponsored by Blue Ridge Chapter. Partici¬ pants make their own travel and housing arrangements and meet For spring flower explorations. Bruce Bolder,

1825 Pelham Drive, Roanoke, VA 24018. (703) 774-4072 (H); (703) 981-9453 (O).

MAY 7, Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Canoe Mason Neck's great marsh, leaving from Veterans Park. Prince William Wildflower Society. Leader: Elaine Haiig, 7703) 670-2347.

MAY 7, Saturday, 9:30 a.m. A wild plant walk through part of a 357-acre natural area located along Chickahominy Swamp in Henrico County, sponsored bv Pocahontas Chapter. Meet at the Glen Lea Recreation Area. Leader: John Hayden, (804) 289-8232 (O); (804) 794-2473 (H).

MAY 7, Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - noon. Annual plant sale of spring and summer-blooming wildflowers, at Bethel Lutheran Church, Manassas. Prince William Wildflower Society.

MAY 7-8, Saturday and Sunday, all day. The Spring Wildflower Symposium at Wint ergreci i features talks and hikes about wildflowers, birds, butterflies, etc. Supported by JcFFerson Chapter. Doug Coleman, Wintergrcen, Virginia 22958:

(804) 325-2200.

MAY 8, Sunday, noon - 3:00 p.m. Potowmack Chapter's annual plant sale at Green Spring Farm Park, in conjunction with the park's Mothers Day celebration.

MAY 13-15, Friday-Sunday. Spring Wildflower Weekend, Shenandoah National Park. A weekend of guided walks, motorcades, and slide programs at the Park's peak of spring Dloom. Shenandoah Chapter members will lead several events. Terry Lindsay, North District Naturalist, SNP, Route 4, Box 348, Luray, VA 22835; (703) 999-2243.

MAY 14, Saturday, 10:00 a.m. Wildflower photography field trip, sponsored by Blue Ridge Clinpter, to Peaks of Otter,

Blue Ridge Parkway. Leader: photographer Bobby Toler, 7005 Grcenway Drive, Roanoke, VA 24019.

(703) 366-0239 (11);* (703) 366-9180 (O).

MAY 15, Sunday. Field trip to Thunder Ridge, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, sponsored by Blue Ridge Chapter.

Leader: Dorothy Bliss (see April 17).

MAY 21, Saturday, 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Sunup to sundown walk and canoe trip in Lecsylvania Park. Prince William Wildflower Society, Leader: Elaine Hang, (703) 670-2347.-

MAY 26, Thursday. Field trip in Northwest River City Park, Chesapeake, to see Stewartia malacodendron (silky cninellia) in bloom, and if time permits, to Cape Henry Bird Sanctuary, in the West Ghent nrca"orHorFoik. - John Clayton Chapter.

MAY 30, Monday. Memorial Day canoe trip to Marumsco Creek from Veterans Park. Prince William Wildflower Society. Leader: Elaine llaug, (703) 670-2347.

For additional copies of this guide, write to: Celebrntion-VWPS Box 844, Annandale, VA 22003

Si/mp(pc<up<i4 {\P0tidut<

Virginia's Rarest Plants:

SIDA HERMAPHRODITA, the Virginia Mallow

The Virginia mallow is a tall, coarse, small-flowered hibiscus relative with distinctively long-tipped, lobed leaves similar to those of the striped maple. This nationally rare plant grows in glades, along streambanks, and in other openings in the central Appalachians, from Pennsylvania to Tennessee. Being shade-intolerant, it is found only in sunny places, reaching its greatest density near large rivers such as the Potomac, Susquehanna, New, and Ohio, where major floods create open areas in the vegetation. It has also colonized roadsides and railroad banks in a few sites. L. K. Thomas, Jr., of the National Park Service has reviewed the species' status, in a 1979 article (Bartonia 46: 51-59), and David M. Spooner et al. provide a more recent summary (Sida 11: 215-225, 1985).

The Virginia mallow is actually quite scarce in our Commonwealth, occurring sporadically along the Potomac, where it seems to come and go at particular places, probably being flood-dispersed, and also known from one site near Clifton Forge. In 1985, I found a small stand of this plant along the Potomac in Rosslyn. Its numbers there have varied year-t<^-year, but it survived the 1986 flood with no major harm. Indeed, the flood may have spread its seeds downriver, so we should look for new stands!

• Larry E. Morse

Bruce Peninsula, June 18-25

Through Jefferson Chapter president Katherine Malm- quist, interested Virginians are invited to join an Ohio Native Plant Society trip to Canada's Bruce Peninsula, June 18-25.

In its 50-mile lengthy the Bruce encompasses bogs and fens, vast woods, lake shores, dunes, and the limestone palisades of the Niagara- Escarpment. Wildflowers are abundant, including 44 species of orchids, many of which will be blooming. There are also 85 species of shrubs and vines and some of the rarest ferns in North America.

Cost per person is U.S.$300 (subject to change until May 1 due to fluctuation in the dollar); that includes lodging, all meals, taxes and gratuities, guide fees, and Flower Pot Island boat trip. For more information: Katherine Malmquist, (804) 296-9325 or 2527 Hydraulic Road #27, Charlottesville, VA 22901.

Oregon, July 24-30

The Oregon Chapter of The Nature Conservancy is sponsoring a botany field trip across Oregon July 24-30, 1988, exploring the diverse plant life and other natural history features of half a dozen different habitats. Travel by van with a small group and trip leader Mike Houck, a well-known Oregon naturalist. For details, write to Oregon Botany Expedition, The Nature Conservancy, 1205 NW 25th Ave., Portland, OR 97210.

WHO CAN HELP?

Everything the VWPS does is made possible by mem¬ bers who contribute their energy and skills to local and statewide programs, earning substantial compensation in enjoyment and satisfaction. New volunteers are always welcome, to undertake specific tasks for the benefit of the VWPS throughout Virginia. Among current needs are people to help with

—all aspects of publicity;

—writing and editing for the Bulletin;

— developing new educational programs, such as slide presentations, for adults and for children and youth;

— filling orders for books and other educational or fund-raising items;

—searching out or developing new items for fund¬ raising.

If you or someone you know might be interested in becoming more actively involved with the VWPS statewide, please get in touch with the chair of an appropriate committee or with Mary Pockman, at P. O. Box 844. Annandale, VA 22003.

FIELD TRIP OPPORTUNITIES

VIRGINIA WILDFLOWER PRESERVATION SOCIETY P. O. Box 844, Annandale, VA 22003

Board of Directors, 1987-88

President

First Vice President Vice President Corresponding Secretary Treasurer Botany Chair Conservation Chair Education Chair Membership Chair

Mary Pockman, McLean Ann Rcgn, Palmyra Second Bob Lee, Berryville Dornn Kreitz, Onklon John White, Deloplnne Dorothy Biiss, Lynchburg Faith Campbell, Burke Cris Fleming, Chevy Chase, Phoebe White, Dclnplane

Nancy Arrington, Manassas; Ed Ballard, Annandnle; James Minoguc, Bcntonvillc; Larry Morse, Arlington; Bob Tuggle, Collinsville; Rebecca White, Norfolk

MD

Chap t er representatives

Blue Ridge Jefferson John Clayton Piedmont Pocahontas Potowmack Prince William Shenandoah

Rich Critcs, Roanoke Ann ltegn, Palmyra Cynthia Long, Williamsburg Jocelyn Alexander, Wnrrcnloi Roy Seward, Richmond Kevin llowc, Alexandria Nicky Staunton, Mannssns Michael Mill, Bridgewater

The position of Recording Secretary nnd the chairs of Fund Raising nnd Publicity nnd Publications arc currently vacant.

Finding Wildflowers

LINDEN

The G. W. Thompson Wildlife Management Area, north of Linden, Virginia, is on the western edge of Fauquier County, about 60 miles west of Washington. The area occupies the eastern side of Blue Mountain and lies a few miles northeast of Shenandoah National Park and the main Blue Ridge. Although the natural environment of the mountain has been damaged by extensive housing develop¬ ments, almost four thousand acres are owned by the state and are maintained as a wildlife area.

The management area, usually referred to as "Linden," is one of the places in Virginia where you can find northern flora, including trees such as alternate-leaved dogwood and black ash and herbaceous plants such as large-flowered trillium, marsh- marigold, and many unusual ferns. With an elevation range from 1000 feet at the base to almost 2200 feet at the top, Linden contains many different habitats, including second growth oak-hickory forests similar to those in Shenandoah, open grassy clearings, old orchards from abandoned mountain farms, and several unusual "cold swamp" areas along the eastern side of the mountain.

Linden is noted primarily for the incredible display of large-flowered trillium in early May. Trillium expert Dr. Richard Lighty has called it one of the most extensive trillium stands in the southern Appalachians. There are literally millions of trilliums here, growing not only along the woodland trails but even in roadside clearings and front yards of residents. The showy white flowers of Trillium grandiflorum are known to change to pink as they a"ge^ ST Linden, however, you will see even newly- opened flowers in many shades of pink, from palest rose through deep cerise to almost crimson. The smaller Trillium cernuum, or nodding trillium, rare in Virginia, has also been recorded here.

Other special flowers to see at Linden in early May include a fine stand of yellow lady's-slipper, many showy orchis, the strange little pennywort, yellow corydalis, slen¬ der toothwort, both palmate and three-lobed violet, and the unusual and easily overlooked green violet. Wild geranium and heart-leaved golden alexanders bloom along the road¬ sides.

Down in the "cold swamp" area off the trail grow several species that one usually associates with more northern climates or higher elevations in the Appalachians- -lettuce saxifrage as well as swamp saxifrage, marsh mari¬ gold, sarsparilla, false hellebore, golden saxifrage, miter- wort, wood anemone, and Canada mayflower.

By early June the trilliums are gone but the woodland trails still harbor Virginia waterleaf, four-leaved milkweed, and showy skullcap.

The G. W. Thompson Wildlife Management Area is owned by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 4010 West Broad St., Box 11104, Richmond, VA 23230, telephone (804) 257-1000. There are no visitor facilities or informative displays. The best areas for wildflowers are the Ted Lake Trail at parking lot #4 and the fire road at parking lot #6.

Directions: From 1-66, take exit 3 at Linden. Go south a few hundred feet and turn left on VA 55 for 1.5 miles. Turn left on county 638; at 1.1 miles bear right toward Blue Mountain Estates. Continue for another 2.8 miles to parking lot #4, on the right, and another 1.3 miles up the mountain to parking lot #6.

• Cris Fleming

"SOURCES OF NATIVE PLANTS & WILDFLOWERS", available from the VWPS, lists mail-order sources for nursery propagated plants and responsibly collected seed. The current listing includes more than a dozen seed sources, and more than two dozen retail nurseries offering a variety of woody and herbaceous native plants, including ferns and grasses. It also identifies several wholesale nurseries from which local garden centers can obtain nursery propagated woody plants. For a copy, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to VWPS-Orders, P. O. Box 844, Annandale, VA 22003.

THREE ARTICLES ON RARE PLANTS in the Novem- Ser/December issue of The Nature Conservancy Magazine are of interest to VWPS members. Robert H. Mohlenbrock outlines the reasons for saving plant species; Larry E. Morse describes the Conservancy's rare plant protection strategies; and Linda R. McMahan assesses the effectiveness of plant conservation laws. To obtain a copy of this issue, send your request to Claire Naisbett, The Nature Conservancy, 1800 North Kent Street, Arlington, VA 22209.

JEFFERSONIA, a quarterly newsletter of Virginia botany, is well known to some VWPS members, but it may be new to others. Affiliated with the Virginia Academy of Science, it covers a broad range of botanical studies related to Virginia— historical, taxonomic, ecological, bibliograph¬ ical, biographical. Subscriptions ($4 per year) or manu¬ scripts for consideration may be sent to the editor, Dr. L. Michael Hill, Biology Department, Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA 22812.

Non-Profit Organlutlon U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 347 SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA

NEW YORK botanical garden

$$ UPDATE: VIRGINIA'S ENDANGERED PLANTS PROGRAM FUNDING FALLS SHORT $$

As I reported in the last issue of the Bulletin, the Virginia General Assembly considered two bills to provide increased funds for the listing and conservation of en¬ dangered plant species in our Commonwealth.

The House bill provided only $35,000 per year (to be added to the existing $25,000). The small amount was due primarily to the fact that our sponsor, Del. John Watkins, is not a member of the Appropriations Committee, and Del. Robert Ball of Richmond, who chairs the relevant sub¬ committee, opposes plant conservation efforts. The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Clive DuVal and seconded by Sen. Joseph Gartlan, both members of the Senate Finance Committee, asked for $102,000 per year. Unfortunately, the legislature adopted the smaller House amount. The legis¬ lature also called for hiring one additional staff person (although the increased appropration is not sufficient to pay salary and overhead). Finally, the bill calls for a study of Virginia's efforts to conserve endangered plant and animal species.

While we have made some progress, it is naturally disappointing to obtain less than the desired funding. However, we will continue to work with the Virginia Department of Agriculture. In particular, we will work with them on the study required by the legislation. The apparent reasoning behind the study idea is a belief held by some that the endangered plants program should be merged with the Natural Heritage Program, which is in another governmental department, the Department of Conservation and Historic Resources. At least some proponents of moving the program appear to be interested primarily in identifying and listing rare plant species, and not in accepting responsibility for othei aspects of the program.

The leadership of the Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society believes it is imperative that all aspects of the program— including development and implementation of ac¬ tive conservation management programs for listed species, and regulation of collection and trade of those species- remain" the responsibility of a single department. Whether that department should be the Department of Agriculture or the Department of Conservation and Historic Resources depends, in our view, primarily on which is willing to commit sufficient staff and financial resources to do the job right.

VWPS CONSIDERS NAME CHANGE

What name can tell people most clearly what this Society is and does? At this stage in the Society's development, would a change in its name make a difference in its effectiveness?

These questions, growing out of last fall's report from the Society's Long Range Planning Committee, are being discussed by the Board of Directors and throughout the organization, with three possible names in mind: Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society (no change), Virginia Wild¬ flower Society, and Virginia Native Plant Society.

Any change of name would require a vote by the membership to amend the bylaws. The board will be deciding in June whether to recommend such action, and it welcomes comments from members.

{continued on page 1, col. 21

HELP FILL EMPTY CHAIRS

The VWPS Nominating Committee is looking for candi¬ dates for positions on the Board of Directors. Three positions are currently open, and need to be filled immedi¬ ately: Recording Secretary (one-year term), Fund Raising Chair (two-year term) and Publicity/Public Relations Chair (two-year term). Additionally, the following positions are to be filled for three-year terms beginning this fall: President, Botany Chair, Director-at-large, and Nominating Committee member.

If you are interested in one of these positions, or wish to suggest someone, please contact a member of the Nominating Committee: Rich Crites [(703) 256-3157] or Dawn Gill [(703) 982-7326], both from the Blue Ridge Chapter; J. D. Andrews [(804) 898-3223] from the John Clayton Chapter; or Chair Nancy Arrington [(703) 368-8431], from the Prince William Chapter. As an alternative, you may also write to the committee at P. O. Box 462, Manassas, VA 22110.

The Nominating Committee will prepare a slate of one or more candidates for each position. Additional candidates may then be nominated, provided their consent is obtained, by a petition signed by at least 15 members of the Society and filed with the Nominating Committee at least 45 days before the annual meeting.

Faith Campbell

. Nancy Arrington

From the President

NAME CHANGE (continued <jTom page 1)

ABOUT NAMING

In A Wind in the Door, Madeleine L'Engle created Proginoskes^ a cherubim— not a cherub, Proginoskes says firmly, but a singular cherubim— who is a Namer. He's been assigned to the stars, to know every one by name in order "to help them each to be more particularly the particular star each one was supposed to be." With stars and earthlings alike, he explains, "that's basically a Namer's job."

This passage echoes in my mind throughout the conversations during spring wildflower walks.

"Which buttercup is that?" "Ranunculus hispidus."

"Isn't that rue anemone charming! Anemonella thalic- troides, is that right?" "No, they've changed it; it's Thalictrum thalictroides now."

"That? Oh, it's just one of those weedy things — I've never bothered to look it up."

"He calls that trout lily, but I always thought it was dog-tooth violet." "Actually, it's adder's-tongue."

"Are those deep rose trilliums at Linden really Trillium grandiflorum?" "Well..."

And so it goes, as all of us in our individual ways try to get a handle on what we're seeing. Some relish the taxonomic logic and the debate behind the Latin nomen¬ clature, some the folklore and vivid metaphor of the common names, All are under the spell of the plants themselves.

There was a period of time in the sixties when it was popular among some amateurs to disdain naming. The main idea was to appreciate other creatures, to experience them, to enter into their lives without arbitrary labels standing in the way. The approach may still resonate within a desire to go beyond just adding names to a life-list, but on the whole it was short-lived. We really can't do without names.

As with Proginoskes, naming what we see— star or species— fixes it in our minds and lets us think and talk about it without ambiguity. Naming also affirms its particularity, and says that we value it enough to want to talk about it.

. Mary Pockman

HOLD THAT DATE!

September may seem a long way away, but you know how quickly summers go, so before you forget, mark your calendar for the Society's annual meeting, to be held September 23-25th at the lovely Massanutten Village Resort (near Harrisonburg). Look for more detailed information in a special mailer to be sent out in late spring or early summer!

THE BULLETIN A publication of the Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society

Mary Pockman, President Editor pro tern: Brooke Russell Art by Barbara Stewart Typing & layout - Ardyce Kinsley

Permission is hereby given to reproduce original material contained in The Bulletin provided credit is given to the author, if named, and to the VWPS, P. O. Box 844, Annandale, VA 22003.

The Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society was founded, and the name was chosen, out of a broad determination to do something about the Commonwealth's diminishing heritage of wild plants. Through six years of discussion and program development, more specific goals have gradually been defined, namely: building awareness of Virginia's plants and respect for the natural environment; working for measures to protect endangered species and safeguard diverse habitats; and encouraging the use and enjoyment of native plants in ways that are consistent with conservation principles.

On a statewide basis and through local chapters, various activities are furthering these goals, and in the long run it's what the Society does that matters. Under any name, the Society's members and it's publications would continue to use both "wildflowers" and "native plants," choosing one or the other according to the context. To some extent, however, what the Society is called does influence people's decisions to join, to be actively involved, and to take the Society seriously. The question is whether that influence is great enough, and the present name ambiguous enough, to warrant a change.

The phrase "Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society" has the advantage of familiarity. The Society is becoming known by that name, and "wildflower" itself is, to most people, a long-familiar term with pleasant associations. In addition, "preservation" has the positive implication of saving something of value. Any significant change in the name would entail extra effort to overcome some temporary loss of recognition and support. That would be easier to do now, of course, than sometime in the future, when the organization and its name have become even more firmly established.

The word "Preservation" has other connotations that may not serve the Society so well. To some it suggests entrenched resistance to change— a blindness to legitimate needs such as roads or housing, however sensitively planned. ("Conservation" may be a better word for the more flexible approach taken by the Society.) The phrase "Virginia Wild¬ flower Society" would avoid these negative images; more¬ over, it would make the name easier to say, and shorter to write or print.

The word "wildflowers," for all its positive associ¬ ations, is both narrower and broader than the Society's emphasis. Strictly speaking, it refers only to flowering herbaceous species, although it can be— and often is— stretched to cover the Society's interest in all kinds of plants. At the same time, "wildflowers" embraces wide¬ spread, showy species, many of them non-native, that do not particularly need conservation attention.

The phrase "Virginia Native Plant Society" would unequivocally include trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, and grasses. By focusing on native species, it would suggest, even without the use of the word "preservation," an active concern for the conservation of plants in the wild, particularly rare species and their communites and ecosystems. It would also link the Society more clearly with comparable organizations in other states, the great majority of which are "native plant" societies. Replacing the familiar "Wildflower" with "Native Plant" would be the more marked of the two possible changes; identifying this name with the Society and the Society's purpose and activities would thus present the greater challenge.

Members are invited to send their comments to chapter presidents or to any Society board member.

If the board decides to propose an amendment to the bylaws, that proposal will be placed on the agenda for the annual meeting in September.

2

FIELD TRIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL MEMBERS

The entire VWPS membership is invited to join Blue Ridge Chapter members for two exciting field trips to areas off the Blue Ridge Parkway, planned for June and July, respectively.

The Peaks of Otter

Blue Ridge Parkway/Blackwater Creek

For Saturday, June 11th, a "Rhododendron Celebra¬ tion," consisting of several short walks in the vicinity of the Peaks of Otter, is planned. This all-day excursion will concentrate on the area just north of the Peaks, where the most magnificent displays of Rhododendron catawbiense (purple laurel) in Virginia's mountains may be enjoyed. Participants will meet at 10 a.m. at the Peaks of Otter Visitor Center (MP 86), and drive a few miles north along the Blue Ridge Parkway, enjoying the impressive views to Onion Mountain Overlook (MP 79.7). Then, we will take a short loop trail surrounded by pungent, bursting blooms of rhododendron (Rhododendron sp.), azalea (Azalea sp.), and mountain laureOKalmia latifolia) — a photographer's delight! At 12:30 p.m., we will break for lunch in the Big Springs Picnic Area at the Peaks of Otter. You'll probably have no problem building an appetite, so don't forget to bring a lunch!

In the afternoon, we'll drive north along the Blue Ridge Parkway, parking at Floyd's Field (MP 80.3). Here, we will take a short walk to Cornelius Creek Shelter, enjoying nature's spectacular offerings along the way. We will close the day with a stop at Thunder Ridge Overlook (MP 74.7), and a short walk to Thunder Ridge Shelter.

The Society's annual wildflower field trip is planned for the weekend of July 23-24th. Come join fellow members who'll visit a mountain meadow along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and a woodland ravine in the Blackwater Creek Natural Area, Lynchburg. Meet on Saturday, July 23rd at 10 a.m. at the Smart View Recreation Area (MP 154.1) off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Here, participants will take a loop trail through a deciduous forest, and search for woodland wildflowers along the way. At 12:00, we'll break for a picnic lunch (again, you'll be working up an appetite, so don't forget to bring a lunch!) at Smart View. At 2 p.m., we will have worked our way to Rakes Mill Pond (MP 162.4). Here, we'll wander over open meadows filled with summer wildflowers and ferns. We'll view three species of Osmunda (fern), Melanthium virginicum (bunch-flower), Castilleja coccinea (Indian paint brush), Lilium superbum (Turk's-cap lily), Aconitum uncinatum (monkshood), and a wealth of other lovely flowers. At 5 p.m., we'll eat a picnic supper at Smart View. The Blue Ridge Chapter has offered to provide drinks and dessert, so all you'll need to bring is the main course.

On Sunday morning, July 24th, we'll meet at 10 a.m. at the end of Thomson Drive in Lynchburg (near Lynchburg Hospital on Tates Spring Road). From here, we'll go to the Ruskin Freer Nature Preserve in the Blackwater Creek Natural Area, and follow the Blackwater Creek Nature Trail, discovering many ferns and mid-summer wildflowers on rocky cliffs and along creek banks. Those who wish to may enjoy their picnic lunch at Blackwater Creek Athletic Area, off Monticello Avenue.

These trips offer wonderful opportunities to get out and enjoy the fresh air, and the beautiful sights and smells of summer — not to mention some Society eomraderie! If you would like further information about either— or both— of these trips, call Dorothy Bliss at (804) 845-5665, or Rich Crites at (703) 774-4518.

. Dorothy C. Bliss

Hotel Reservations: Individuals who need to should make hotel reservations for these trips as early as possible. Participants on the Peaks of Otter trip (June 11th) may call or write: The Peaks of Otter Lodge, P. O. Box 489,

Bedford, Virginia 24523; (703) 586-1081. The following hotels, all located near the Roanoke Civic Center at 1-581 and Route 460-East in Roanoke, are appropriate for both the Peaks of Otter trip (June 11th) and the Blue"- Parkway/Blackwater Creek Trip (July 23-24th):

Econolodge Days Inn Omega Inn Holiday Inn

(703) 343-2413 (703) 342-4551 (703) 981-9341 (703) 342-8961

- approx. $36-$40

- approx. $36-$40

- approx. $31-$37

approx. $41-$55 ''Approximate cost is for two people.

• Rich Crites

3

COLORFUL CORRIDORS: WORKING WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

The following information was gathered from a VWPS Winter Workshop meeting, during which members from several chapters met with Boyd Cassell,

Chief Environmental Planner for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Highway rights-of-way represent the largest potential reservoir of biodiversity in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Virginia Department of Transportation owns more public land than any other public entity, and these vast land resources can and should become our repositories for native plants.

Efforts of representatives of the Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society (VWPS) to work with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) should be concen¬ trated on the Department's Environmental Division. The Division staff includes landscape architects, botanists, and agronomists, all capable of providing technical assistance. Division Chief Robert L. Hundley, a State Environmental Engineer, has already indicated a desire to cooperate with the Society. Another important and helpful person in the Division's Central Office is Boyd B. Cassell, Chief Environ¬ mental Planner. Additionally, each of the nine VDOT Districts has a District Environmental Manager available for consultation on specific projects.

Native plant demonstration plots are valuable projects to pursue, but the long-range goals of the VWPS chapters should be directed at modification of the standard operating

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LOOK OUT FOR LYME DISEASE

Society members who spend a lot of time out-of-doors (and that's most of us) should be aware of a curious disease carried by ticks that is believed to be spreading from the Northeast to other parts of the country, particularly coastal areas and parts of the upper Midwest.

Lyme disease, also known as "the great imitator" because it mimics other diseases and thus defies proper diagnosis, is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium carried by deer ticks and possibly lone star ticks. In its early stages, the disease causes a red rash to appear in the area of the tick bite; the rash may expand over several days from one to 18 inches, flu-like symptoms (low-grade fever, chills, headache) may develop, and in the later stages of the disease, symptoms similar to meningitis, such as stiff joints, difficulty in concentrating and remembering, and fatigue may occur. The final stage of the disease, which may occur weeks to months later, involves elevated temperature and pain and swelling in one of more of the joints.

Scientists studying the disease recommend that if you are bitten by a tick, you should take it to your doctor or local public health official to have it identified. If you develop any of the symptoms described above after receiv¬ ing a tick bite, consult your physician immediately, and tell him or her that you have heard about Lyme disease. Lyme disease may be treated with antibiotics— the earlier the better, as with most diseases.

Prevention, of course, is the best strategy. Scientists recommend avoiding tick habitats whenever possible, wear¬ ing long pants with cuffs tucked into socks when in tick habitats, wearing light-colored clothing to help spot ticks more easily, using insect spray, brushing off clothing and checking pets before entering the house, and undressing and checking for ticks (they usually crawl about for several hours before burrowing into the skin).

—Adapted from "Lyme Disease," by Edward Bruske (National Parks, Vol. 62, No. 3-4, March/April 1988 pp. 33-37).

procedures of VDOT. And that means encouraging the widespread use of native plants instead of exotics for plantings along highway corridors.

As we have seen in the past, the use of exotic and alien plant species by VDOT has threatened native plants far beyond the highway corridors where they have been intro¬ duced. The unsatisfactory experience with kudzo (Puerarie thungergiana) clearly illustrates this point. The current love affair with the European crown vetch (Coronilla varia) is now a concern, as is the extensive planting of weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis sp.) on hillsides. These plants are often preferred by VDOT because of their low maintenance needs and their ability to hold the soil and control erosion. Unfortunately, however, they can soon take over and choke out more fragile, native plants.

VWPS members must be sensitive to legitimate con¬ cerns of VDOT, including erosion and sediment control, and maintenance costs. If we do not approve of exotics, we must find natives that can accomplish the same functions. Additionally, we must be careful to recommend seed mixes that are commercially available in the large quantities that are required for roadside development plantings. Seed stock for native plants that comes from different regions of the country may introduce changes in the local gene pool, and threaten long-established local species. Finding the most appropriate and cost-effective combination of seed mixes for local plantings can be a complex task. All of these complexities suggest that VWPS should establish a meaning¬ ful dialogue with the professionals in the Environmental Division of VDOT.

me early planning stage at the beginning of a new road project is the best time for VWPS to cooperate with VDOT personnel At that time, the proposed route can be reviewed, and significant native plant habitats can be saved by appropriate alignment of the new roadway. It is often too late to have significant influence on a project after the bulldozers have begun their work. As the old saying goes, time is money, and contractors and VDOT officials do not appreciate project delays after a contract award has been made.

It is vital that VWPS members monitor planned road improvements by communicating with elected officials in their respective political subdivisions. Another person who should be contacted on a regular basis is the Chief or Resident Engineer of each VDOT Residency Office. The Resident Engineer keeps a detailed, six-year road improve¬ ments plan. The names and addresses of the VDOT Resident Engineers may be obtained by calling the local VDOT Office listed in the telephone directory, in the Government Listings section.

There is one text that should be required reading for VWPS members interested in establishing a working re¬ lationship with VDOT: "Guidelines for Planting along

Virginia's Roadways.” This short publication is available from R. L. Hundley, State Environmental Engineer, Virginia Department of Transportation, 1221 E. Broad Street, Rich¬ mond, VA 23219. The main function of the guidelines is to promote proper planting, with consideration of safety and maintenance constraints. For VWPS members, one of the most pertinent parts of the VDOT text is the descriptions of model planting agreements at the end of the publication. These sample agreements specify the responsibilities of private organizations and VDOT in cooperative roadside planting programs.

4

Bob Lee

Virginia's Rarest Plants

Arabis serotina, the shale barren rock-cress

Perhaps one of the rarest and most threatened elements of Virginia's flora is the shale barren rock-cress, a rather tall, white-flowered member of the mustard family. Like many of its relatives, the species is a biennial, putting out small, basal rosettes one year and then bolting the next. The lanky, open inflorescences, which are produced in late summer, have rather inconspicuous flowers that give rise to long, many-seeded "siliques" (seed capsules). Not a very showy species, the shale barren rock-cress is still a fascinating plant and deserving of special attention.

This species is very restricted in both its distribution and habitat preference. The plant is currently known from fewer than 30 places in the world, within a small, nine-county area of the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia. It is almost always found growing on "shale barrens," which are unique, sparsely vegetated woodland types of the mid-Appalachians. Adding to its rarity is the fact that populations of the rock- cress tend to be very small. Despite extensive field searches conducted by Michael Lipford of the Virginia Natural Heritage Program, only 128 individuals (representing approximately one-half of the world's population) were documented during the 1987 field season.

The shale barren rock-cress was first described to the scientific community by Edward Steele in 1911. Because of its resemblance to a closely related species (the smooth rock-cress), however, many botanists did not recognize a distinction between the two. During recent studies of shale barren habitats, Tom Wieboldt (a botanist from Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University) noted that the shale barren rock- cress bloomed considerably later than its counterpart. He began researching other distinguishing features exhibited by the plant, and, just last year, published an article which helped to clarify the differences between the two species. (Sida. 1987. 12(2): 381-389).

Because of its extreme rarity, the shale barren rock-cress has become a plant of some notoriety. It has just recently been formally proposed for federal listing as endangered, and may well become Virginia's next legally protected species. To aid in these efforts at providing protection for the remaining populations of the plant, the Virginia Natural Heritage Program has made additional recommendations which support its state listing as well.

» Garrie D. Rouse

UPDATE ON FOOTLOOSE LOOSESTRIFE

The purple loosestrife plant, which has become an invasive pest in several states, may soon be controlled by biological agents (insects) according to a recent report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beneficial Insects Laboratory. Testing of selected insect species under quarantine conditions may be possible within two to three years. A new book, "Spread, Impact, and Control of Purple Loosestrife in North Ameri¬ can Wetlands," by Daniel Thompson et al. (1987), provides information about this subject, and is available from Publications Unit, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington DC 20240.

—Adapted from Illinoensis, Vol. 4, Number 1, February 1988

SPECIAL EVENTS AND DATES TO REMEMBER

Peaks of Otter Field Trip June 11

Blue Ridge Parkway/Blackwater Creek Field Trip July 23 - 24

VWPS Annual Meeting September 23 -25

SHORT TAKES

RARE PLANTS FOUND IN VIRGINIA, 59 in number, rep- resent 2.1 percent of the 2,867 plants that in 1985 were protected or were candidates for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, according to a Center for Plant Conservation analysis of data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Most U.S. rare plants occur in Hawaii and in the West and Southwest, with the highest proportions in Hawaii Lome to 27.2 percent of the total, and California, 24.1 percent.

VIRGINIA NATURAL RESOURCES NEWSLETTER is now published quarterly by the Office oT the Secretary of Natural Resources covering issues of concern to half a dozen state agencies and the Conservation Council of Virginia. Copies may be obtained by writing to the Office of the Secretary of Natural Resources, Fifth Floor, Ninth Street Office Building, Richmond, VA 23219.

ACID RAIN may be a greater problem in Virginia than had been thougTit, according to a recent University of Virginia study reported in the December newsletter of the Con¬ servation Council of Virginia.

Of the 353 streams investigated by the study, 11 percent were found to be acidic, and 78 percent were considered sensitive to acidification. A previous study by the National Acid Precipitation Program suggested that few streams in the Southeast have pH levels below 6.0, but the UVa group found one creek with a pH of 4.7 and a large number of others with pH levels below 6.0. No historical data are available for comparison.

5

Finding Wildflowers

FROM SOUTH AFRICA

Some items of particular interest from a report sent by a former VWPS member (Potowmack Chapter) now living in Johannesburg.

One cf the first places I visited here was The Wilds, a 52-acre park in the middle of the city. Half of it is maintained as "wild" with representatives of all plant zones in South Africa. With some 18,500 species of flowering plants in the country, there is no shortage of raw material.

Although trees in The Wilds are labeled, few wild¬ flowers are. Many good wildflower guides for South Africa are available, but the staggering number of species makes a single guide impractical. Plants have common names in both English and Africaans, as well as a confusing variety of names used by tribal peoples.

There are over 1,000 Liliaeeae species in South Africa, many of them highly ornamental. White calla lilies, Zantedeschia aethiopica, grow not only in The Wilds but all over this part of the country. So do Agapanthus spp. lilies, with 3' spikes of purple flowers. In this family, the Wilds has a good collection of aloes. Some of them, along with some proteas, provide winter bloom in the park.

The Proteaceae family, found primarily in the southern hemisphere, is represented by some 450 species in South Africa. Many are drought resistant and bloom best when periodically singed by fire. The national flower is the sugarbush, Protea repens, a showy yellow-and-peach flower.

The national tree designation changes every year. In 1987 it was the cabbage tree, Cussonia spp.; a few specimens grow in The Wilds. All have a stout trunk with all the leaves in a ball at the top; one local name is "Umbrella for the Sun." Their roots store so much water that they can provide survival water for people in times of drought.

For daisy aficionados, the Mesembryanthemaceae fam¬ ily, known as vygies, has over 2,000 species in South Africa. A superb stand of Dorotheanthus bellidiformis heats up one section of The Wilds with yellow, hot pink, white, orange, and peach. Some of these flowers turn certain desert areas of South Africa into carpets of color in spring.

The Wilds serves as a nursery for cycads, among the most ancient surviving plants. These endangered plants, resembling small, squat palm trees, have suffered the same fate as cacti in the southwestern U.S. Large areas of South Africa have been denuded of them for sale to home landscapers, and some species are so rare that only a few known specimens survive.

Another threat to some trees, nationwide and in The Wilds, comes from "witch doctors" who steal bark at night for use in medicinal concoctions, sometimes girdling and thus killing the trees. To combat bark collection in The Wilds, the more popular "medicine" trees are painted with an oil-based paint. It may make the trees look awful, but it renders the bark unusable.

The Botanical Society of South Africa encourages the conservation and cultivation of the country's flora. There is considerable interest in South Africa in gardening with native plants, and several books steer gardeners to the more easily-cultivated and ornamental. The selection of plants available is enough to make any VWPS gardener turn green!

* Susan McSwain

WHERE DO YOU FIND WILDFLOWERS?

Those of you who enjoyed Susan McSwain's article, "Finding Wildflowers: South Africa," in this issue, and Chris Fleming's article, "Finding Wildflowers: Linden," in the winter issue of the Bulletin might like to try your own hand at leading fellow members to choice wildflower habitat. We would like to start a regular column featuring prime wildflower areas throughout the state (McSwain's article was an exception), but we need material from you, the VWPS members. So, if you have a favorite public spot in mind, pick up your pen, turn on your typewriter, or crank up your computer and let us know! You should include directions to the habitat; a person to contact for permission to be on the land (if it is not open to the public); a phone number (if any) to call for further information; and, of course, a description of the wildflowers one can see, along with their specific location. Send two or three double¬ spaced pages to Editor, The Bulletin, P. O. Box 844, Annandale, Virginia 22003.

Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 347 SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA

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Vol. 7, No. 4

A publication of the VIRGINIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

(formerly the Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society)

VWPS Now Virginia Native Plant Society

As of November 1 , the Society is continuing to work for the appreciation and conservation of Virginia’s native plants, under a new name: Virginia Native Plant Society.

Approved by the membership at the annual meeting September 24, after more than a year of discussion in committees and boards and among members, the change was made chiefly to increase the Society’s effec¬ tiveness in conservation, especially in work with agencies that make signifi¬ cant land-use decisions, and to clarify the scope of its concerns.

At the same time, chapters gained a wider choice of chapter names, and

some will be considering possible changes. Blue Ridge Chapter has al¬ ready voted to ask board approval to become “Blue Ridge Wildflower Soci¬ ety, a chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society.”

As part of its planning to imple¬ ment the membership’s decision, at its regular meeting on September 25 the VWPS board approved a proposal and established guidelines for devel¬ oping a new logo and letterhead de¬ sign. Among the planned changes is the addition to the letterhead of a brief descriptive phrase that will supple¬ ment the name in conveying the Society’s scope and purpose.

Several designs will be presented

to the board by graphic design stu¬ dents at Northern Virginia Community College (Alexandria), as part of a class project. They will be under the direc¬ tion of Communication Design Pro¬ gram Head Bob Capps, a widely re¬ spected graphic designer. Once the board has selected a design, the symbol and basic design elements will be adapted for all the Society’s printed materials, including the Bulletin.

At the annual meeting, members also elected the proposed slate of can¬ didates for office and approved By¬ laws changes increasing the author¬ ized number of Directors-at-large and changing the structure of the Nominat¬ ing Committee.

Habitat Emphasis

The Society is going to stress the importance of habitats and ecological relationships of our native plants in all future activities including membership brochure, Bulletin articles, field trips, slide shows, conservation activities, education pro¬ grams, Wildflower Celebration, Wildflower of the Year, plant rescues, propagation, and sales.

Each plant species has its own requirements and each type of habitat supports a community of plants and animals that are dependent upon the health of that habitat. Therefore, to preserve a species we need to preserve its natural habitat.

— Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society

From the President

Greetings, as the first president of the Virginia Native Plant Society... that strikes a “strange” chord, doesn’t it? In its six years of working to conserve wildflowers and native plants in Virginia, the Virginia Wildflower Preserva¬ tion Society was nurtured by Mary Painter, founding presi¬ dent of VWPS, and by Mary Pockman, president of VWPS as it grew through a stage of defining itself. Much akin to the teen years.

Always, the concern for preserving our native plants and for effectively representing their needs has been our priority. Efforts from each of you have been monumental and appreciated by all of us.

I appreciate the opportunity to continue the programs begun by VWPS - Mary Painter and Mary Pockman. Also,

there is much to anticipate. We have our first Wildflower of the Year - the Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica) - to bring us together statewide. ..as well as continuing Virginia Wildflower Celebration ’89. We are in the process of pre¬ senting the Bulletin prepared in a different way, by our newly elected publications chair, Jenifer Bradford.

One of the most encouraging things to come to my at¬ tention during October is the report from Phoebe White re¬ garding our 1988-89 membership starting point: 400+ members. This is much stronger than fast year. Exciting!

November 1, 1988...weareonourway. Please keep us informed of your ideas, concerns, and efforts. The power behind our programs and efforts is you .. .members of VNPS. Powerful!

Nicky Staunton

Your New Board of Directors

OFFICERS		DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE
President	Nicky Staunton	Bob Tuggle	Rebecca White
1st Vice President	Ann Regn	Nancy Arrington	Larry Morse
2nd Vice President	James A. Minogue	Jocelyn Alexander	Ken Wieringo
Recording Secretary	Liz Smith
Corresponding Secretary	Dorna Kreitz
Treasurer	John White	CHAPTER PRESIDENTS
		Blue Ridge	Bruce Boteler
COMMITTEE CHAIRS		Jefferson	Kathleen Malmquist
Botany	Dorothy Bliss	John Clayton	Libby Hodges Oliver
Conservation	Faith Campbell	Piedmont	Mary Painter
Education	Cris Fleming	Pocahontas	Marie F. Minor
Membership	Phoebe White	Potowmack	Karen Sorenson
Nominating	Jocelyn Alexander	Prince William	Alden B. Bradford
Publications '	Jenifer M. Bradford	Shenandoah	Betty Rosson

BULLETIN

A publication of the

Virginia Native Plant Society

Nicky Staunton, President

Jenifer M. Bradford, Editor Barbara Stewart, Artist

Permission is hereby given to reproduce original material con¬ tained in the Bulletin, provided credit is given to the author, if named, and to VNPS, P.O. Box 844, Annandale, VA 22003. Contributions to the Bulletin are welcomed and should be sent to the Editor at 10261 Slate Run Lane, Nokesville, VA 22123. The deadline for copy for the next issue is February 13.

Editor’s Note

ALL copy submitted for publication should be typed, double spaced with wide margins. Copy sent well in advance of each Bulletin deadline will be greatly appreciated. Bulletin deadlines for 1 989 will be: Febru¬ ary 13, April 10, July 10, and October 9. Please mark these dates on your calendar.

The Editor is interested in receiving written com¬ ments on the new format, type style, and content as found in this issue. Changes wi II continue to take place as a new logo is developed and as new policies are formulated. Watch out as VNPS progresses. All sug¬ gestions are welcomed.

Page 2

Fall/Winter 1988

Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society

A Closing Word

November 1 marked the begin¬ ning of a new chapter for me as well as for the Society. As the VWPS became the VNPS, I became past president, closing a most rewarding three years. I look forward to continuing to be active in the Society, especially under Nicky Staunton’s leader¬ ship, but more selectively than is possible for anyone who currently holds the office of president.

In many ways, my term ended and the transition began with the 1988 annual meeting. The buoyant spirits and camara¬ derie of that weekend, undampened by the weather or the glitches, exemplified what I cherish most about this organization. You are a wonderful bunch of people! Special

thanks to all of you who helped with the annual meeting, many quietly pitching in at the last minute, and made it such a special occasion.

That meeting resolved one of the board’s preoccupations this year, the pros and cons of changing the Society’s name. As I remember all the group discussions, personal conversations, letters and phone calls that have revolved around that ques¬ tion, two things stand out. The first is that there’s no perfect name for this organiza¬ tion; each one considered has both advan¬ tages and drawbacks. It’s a matter of choosing what seems the best compro¬ mise and making it work.

The second is that it’s all too easy to

get so entangled in the words that we lose sight of the reality they represent. Our fundamental concern is not any particular combination of sounds or pattern of ink on paper, useful as that may be. It’s the plants themselves, and how we human beings treat them.

That might be a good last word - - but my closing word is thank you. So many of you, Society and chapter board members and “just” members, have worked long and patiently, dreamed what is not yet, offered ideas and advice and resources and criti¬ cism, made me think, laughed with me, stretched my understanding. To all of you, my deep gratitude.

Mary Pockman

Eastern Native Plant Alliance Formed

The Eastern Native Plant Alliance (ENPA), uniting organizations and institu¬ tions that promote and demonstrate native plant conservation, held a lively and enthu- siastic first meeting in Fletcher, NC, in July. Its purpose is to provide a forum for sharing ideas and information, and thus to stimu¬ late more effective programs in all areas related to plant conservation. Member groups, located in the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada, work with native plants in a variety of ways, including public

education, display, cultivation, habitat preservation, and research.

VWPS was represented at the July meeting, along with about twenty others, including native plant societies, botanical gardens and arboreta, gardening organi¬ zations, nurseries that propagate native plants, and public agencies. A second annual meeting is planned for the summer of 1989, with increased participation ex¬ pected.

The plan for a body to connect these

diverse organizations has been developed by a group of individuals who recognized the need to respond to mounting interest in native plant gardening with a consistent conservation message.

VWPS founder Mary Painter was one of the initial planning group. She was suc¬ ceeded in 1986 by past president Mary Pockman, who represented VWPS at the 1 988 meeting and will continue to serve on the ENPA steering committee.

Elaine Haug presented her “What’s It?” slides and we all had to identify the plant involved. Dr. George Beatty from Penn. State awed us all with his wide-screen, multi-projector program, "Travels with Lin¬ naeus in Lapland." He was the hit of the evening. The photographs and accompa¬ nying Scandinavian music soothed us all, despite the rainy, foggy night.

The weather was still not at its best on Sunday morning. The Board of Directors met while members were again offered a choice of field trips. As always, good con¬ tacts and new friendships were cemented.

Annual VWPS Meeting

Our Annual Meeting was held on September 23-25, 1988, at the Ski Lodge, Massanutten Resort, near Harrisonburg.

Exhibits and displays from many chapters and affiliated organizations were set up on Friday afternoon. At 8:30 p.m., Dr. Elwood Fisher, botanist from James Madison University, presented slides of favorite plants of the area.

Saturday was devoted to field trips, which varied in length of time and area of interest. These trips included the trails of Massanutten, Reddish Knob, High Top, Pocosin area of the Shenandoah National

Park, and a canoe trip on the South Fork of the Shenandoah.

The Gala Auction began at 5:00 p.m., under the guiding voice of Bob Lee, fol¬ lowed at 5:30 p.m., by a business meeting. Reports, election of officers (see list else¬ where), proposed amendments to the Ar¬ ticles of Incorporation and Bylaws, and other important items of business were conducted. The name change was voted on and approved. It was back then to the auction and reception until 7:30 p.m.

A pig roast and buffet dinner was served, followed by the evening program.

Fall/Winter 1988

Page 3

Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society

VIRGINIA’S RAREST PLANTS

Spiraea virginiana (the Virginia Spiraea)

Deep in the gorges of some of our more remote rivers of extreme southwest Virginia is found one of our rarest shrubs - the Virginia Spiraea. Here it grows in sand, gravel, and among boulders of floodplain openings produced by the high-gradient (high-energy) environment of some of our most beautiful and breathtaking river courses. A member of the rose family, the Virginia Spiraea is closely related to the attractive Meadowsweet, Steeplebush, and other cultivated Spiraeas. It is a handsome plant, producing showy white clusters of small white flowers against a background of deep, forest-green foliage.

The name "Virginia Spiraea” was something of a misnomer until just recently. The plant was first collected by Dr. Mill- spaugh in 1890 from along the Mononga- hela River near Morgantown, West Virginia (see Clarkson, Roy B. 1959. The West Virginia Spiraea. Castanea 24: 143-146) but, presumably due to its scientific name, common vernacular has traditionally attrib¬ uted the plant to our state. It was not until 1985, however, that Dr. Douglas Ogle and

Thomas Wieboldt (while on a collecting trip along the New River) discovered the plant for the first time in Virginia. Since then it nas been found in several other localities in our state. One might say that the Virginia Spi¬ raea has finally “come home.”

This rare shrub is a true “southern Ap¬ palachian endemic,” known only from West Virginia, south to the mountains of northern Georgia. In Virginia, it is currently docu¬ mented from only four, highly localized

stations along rivers of the Cumberland Plateau and southern Blue Ridge pro¬ vinces. Because of its habitat preference, the Virginia Spiraea tends to occur in the same places where water impoundments have been or might likely be built. One population occurs just below an existing reservoir and another would have been destroyed had a proposed dam gone through. Other threats include channeliza¬ tion, railroad construction and mainte¬ nance, deposition of trash, and recreational use of these usually scenic sections of river.

Because of its extreme rarity and the potential threats that it faces, the Virginia Spiraea is currently a strong candidate for federal listing as Threatened or Endan¬ gered. Additionally, the Virginia Natural Heritage Program has recently made re¬ commendations to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services supporting its state listing as well.

Garrie D. Rouse

Beginning with the March 1989 issue of the Bulletin, Mike Lip ford, coordinator of the Vir¬ ginia Natural Heritage Program, or Chris Ludwig, botanist of the VNHP as of November 1, will be writing this column. Chris was formerly a botanist with the Maryland and Delaware Natural Heri¬ tage Program. He also has served as a field biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Virginia Endangered Plant. . . .ACT!

The Board of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has approved a pro¬ posal to list 12 additional species of plants for protection under the Virginia Endan¬ gered Plant and Insect Species Act (VE- PISA). The listing will provide the plants protection under the VEPISA and allow for the development of a comprehensive re¬ covery plan. These plants are:

Arabis serotina (shale barren rock cress) - a strict shale barren endemic known from fewer than 25 stations in the Ridge and Valley Province of Virginia and West Virginia.

Bacopa stragula (mat-forming water-hyssop) - a low, mat-forming Chesapeake Bay endemic restricted to freshwater intertidal mudflats of major estuarine rivers.

Buckleya distichophylla (piratebush) - a colonial shrub of steep slopes and river bluffs restricted to the mountainous regions of the southern Appa¬ lachians.

Carex Polymorpha (variable sedge) - despite its wide range from Maine to Virginia, this plant is

currently documented from only a handful of isolated stations.

Fimbristylis perpusilla (Harper's fimbristylis) - a diminutive sedge of exposed, muddy bottoms of coastal plain ponds (or “bays”), this species was reported for the first time in Virginia in 1986. Helenium virginicum (Virginia sneezeweed) - a wetland plant of seasonally wet sinkhole ponds on the western slopes of the Blue Ridge Moun¬ tains in Augusta and Rockingham Counties. Helonias bullata (swamp-pink) - a wetland spe¬ cies of seepage swamps with scattered relict populations ranging from New York to Georgia. Ilex collina (long-stalked holly) - a plant of high- elevation wetlands and rivers of the southern Appalachians, known from only 10 sites. Iliamna corei (Peter's Mountain mallow) Nestronia umbellula (nestronia) - a colonial shrub of dry woodlands, this species is endemic to the Piedmont of the southeast ranging from Virginia to Alabama.

Scirpus ancistrochaetus (northeastern bulrush) - a wetland species of freshwater marshes and wet meadows with eight known localities ranging from Vermont to Virginia.

Spiraea virginiana (Virginia spiraea) - a hand¬ some shrub restricted to high-gradient river bands of the southern Appalachians.

The list of “candidate” plants was pre¬ pared by the Virginia Natural Heritage Pro¬ gram under an interagency agreement with VDACS. However, authority for protecting the plants rests with the Department of Agriculture, which has now begun the lengthy process of soliciting public com¬ ments and placing the plants on the list.

The Virginia Native Plant Society ex¬ pects to submit comments supporting the proposed listings both during the written comment period in November-December7, 1988, and during the public hearing (which will probably take place in May ’89). Mem¬ bers of the Society who have information about any of these plant species and threats to their survival should send such informa¬ tion to either Dr. Faith Campbell, Conserva¬ tion chair, or Dr. Dorothy Bliss, Botany chair.

Page 4

Fall/Winter 1988

Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society

What Pine is That?

A mong the most valuable of our for¬ est trees are members of the pine family, which also includes spruce, fir, and hem¬ locks. The latter three may be easily distin¬ guished from pines, since eastern pines have two or more needles grouped in bundles or fascicles while the other genera produce their needles singly. Of the eight species of pines that occur in Virginia, two ,Pinus palustris, long-leaf pine and P. serotina, swamp or pond pine, grow natu¬ rally in only a few southeastern counties. P. taeda, loblolly pine, is found in the eastern half of the state and as far west as Albemarle and Buckingham counties. P. echinata, short-leaf, and P. virginiana, scrub pine, are scattered over much of the state while P. strobus, white pine, P. pungens, Table Mountain pine, and P. rigida, pitch pine, are more or less re¬ stricted to the western half.

Pines are commercially valuable for lumber, pulpwood, paper products, cabi¬ net making, turpentine, fuel, and horticul¬ tural purposes. Their seeds provide an important food source for many birds in¬ cluding chickadees, quail, wild turkeys, and pine warblers. The young needles and seeds are eaten by chipmunks, mice, and

squirrels and the white tail deer browse on the needles. These trees also furnish cover and nesting habitat.

Some distinguishing characteristics of Virginia pines are included in the follow¬ ing chart. Why don’t you take this with you on your next field trip and see how many pines you can identify? First check the

length and number of needles in each bundle, then look for the cones and com¬ pare them with the description (1 in. = ap¬ proximately 2.5 cm).

Dorothy Bliss Botany chair

Excerpted from the Blue Ridge News¬ letter, Vol. 5, No. 1, January 1988

Distinguishing Characteristics of Virginia Pines

Tree	Needles	Cone	Bark	Distribution
White Pine	5 in a bundle 7-13 cm long	Slender, 10-1 5cm long, nodding	Branches smooth old bark dark with deep furrows	Western half of the state
Scrub Pine	2’s 4-8 cm long twisted	4-6 cm long, scales with a small prickle	Reddish brown broken into shallow plates	Poor soils most of state
Pitch Pine	3's 5-12 cm long stiff, mostly twisted	Egg-shaped 3-9 cm long often clustered, scales tipped with prickles	Rough dark bark	Most of state dry, sandy soil
Short-leaf Pine	2’s or 3's 7-13 cm long straight	5 cm long, scales with a short weak prickle	Bark broken into more or or less rectangular plates	Over much of state except southwest
Table Mountain Pine	2’s or 3’s, 4-8 cm long, stout, stiff twisted, sharp pointed	5-9 cm long, whorls of 3 or more, heavy, woody scales with stout recurved spines	Bark in irregular red-brown plates	Mountains & western half of state, dry ridges
Loblolly Pine	3’s or 2’s 12-25 cm long slender	6-12 cm long, cone scales with a stout triangular spine	Reddish bark breaking into large plates	Eastern half of state
Long-leaf Pine	3’s 20-45 cm long slender	15-25 cm long cylindric, thick scales with short prickles	Thin scaled bark	Few southeastern counties
Pond or Marsh Pine	3’s 12-28 cm long flexible	5-7 cm long top-shaped weak prickle	Flaky dark, red brown	Pond margins coastal plain - two counties

Page 5

Fall/Winter 1988

CHAPTER NEWS

Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society

Piedmont

^ he G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area (WMA), near Linden, in Fauquier County, is one of Northern Virginia’s botanical treasures. Aside from the increasingly cele¬ brated displays of trillium ( Trillium grandiflorum), easily the most dazzling in the region, and perhaps anywhere by virtue of the lovely setting, the area harbors several extremely important habitats with unusual and rare plant species. Botany chair, Gary Fleming, has done valuable work in identifying these species and places.

When the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries announced plans for extensive timber cutting (including some clearcuts) within the WMA, citing the need for revenue and for cutting mature oaks before extreme gypsy moth damage, we stepped in. After many conversations with an interested VNPS network, and lengthy correspondence, we began a good dialogue with officials of the Department in Richmond. Gary Fleming hiked the area with the local manager of the WMA. He supplied maps pinpointing botanically important areas, and these were sent to Richmond. To make a long, involved story short, Richmond as¬ sured Piedmont they would not cut in the areas of concern. While Richmond officials have been true to their word, the massive tim¬ ber-cutting machinery, trucks, and wide, compacted logging roads, do no credit to the Department entrusted with this land.

The story is not yet done. Stay tuned. The episode under¬ scores the great importance of VNPS vigilance. Conservation chair, Jocelyn Alexander, would be glad to hear from members who share a strong interest in the WMA. A growing group is forming, a loose-knit “Friends of the Richard Thompson” of sorts.

Blue Ridge

Dorothy Bliss, Botany chair, had a display at the second annual conference co-sponsored by the VPI Forestry Department and Jefferson National Forest entitled “Public In¬ volvement and Plan Implementation.”

The conference, held on November 5 at VPI, Blacksburg, featured lectures, displays, four workshops, ana a ques¬ tion and answer forum. Forestry con¬ cerns were addressed in each seg¬ ment of the program.

Prince William Wild flower Society

PWWS has decided to empha- size the importance of trees this up¬ coming year, with particular reference to saving trees within the County. The Rescue, Conservation, and Education chairs will concentrate their major ef¬ forts to this end. Habitat will also be stressed, in keeping with the new VNPS policy statement.

FROM NEAR AND FAR

Aid for a Tropical Rain Forest

Smith & Hawken announced in their Winter ’88 catalog for gardeners that they had donated $100,000 to preserve a tropi¬ cal rain forest on behalf of their customers. The money was given to Conservation In¬ ternational, a nonprofit group, in a “debt-for- nature” swap involving Conservation Bonds. Customers were encouraged to join their effort through a Cl membership. Nice leadership S&H!

VNPS Member Honored

Ed Ballard, of the Potowmack Chapter of VNPS, received a Certificate of Apprecia¬ tion from the Northern Virginia Community Appearance Alliance. The Alliance, estab¬ lished by the 1 1 ,000 member Northern Vir¬ ginia Board of Realtors, is to carry out an initial goal of identifying and rewarding out¬ standing contributions to community wide appearance. The Alliance wishes to recog¬ nize and encourage quality new construc¬ tion, rehabilitation efforts, and overall en¬ hancement of the natural environment.

Ed Ballard is tireless in his efforts to promote protection and use of native plants by developers, county landscaping, and parks.

Photographic Guidelines

“Photographers should ensure that neithertheirbodies, equipment, northeiref- forts to ‘prune’ distracting features of the habitat cause direct or indirect damage or exposure to the subject or to other plants in the vicinity.” They shouldn’t remove over¬ mature flowers, for example, so that only fresh ones appear in the picture, nor should they tramp on surrounding vegetation in search of a better specimen.

Adapted from a letter to Audubon, September 1988, written by Edward G. Voss, Curator and Professor at the Univer¬ sity of Michigan Herbarium, Ann Arbor.

New Book Out in February

Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast, Landscape Uses and Iden¬ tification, by Leonard E. Foote and Samuel

Jones, Jr., approx. 260 pp., 220 color photos, hardbound, $32.95. Order from Timber Press, Inc., 9999 SW Wilshire, Portland, OR 97225.

A comprehensive guide with land¬ scape recommendations. Identifies ap¬ proximately 550 species through excellent keys. Supplementary material includes conservation, plant photography, propaga¬ tion, and derivation and ecology of the flora.

Floral Handicap

Golfers at Burnham and Berrow Golf Club in England are facing an unusual handicap at their local course - wild orchids.

The hundreds of rare blooms have prompted conservationists to have the area designated one of special scientific interest. Anyone damaging them faces a £1,000 fine.

Players are now asking for a rule change so they can move a ball if it lands in the exotic flowers. The president said, “We love our wildlife - but we have got to play golf too.” Daily Mail, July 7, 1988

Page 6

Fall/Winter 1988

Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society

New York Botanical Garden Library

3 51

85

345 5704

Holiday Gifts from the VNPS

Ordering holiday gifts from the VNPS lets you please family and friends - - or yourself - - and at the same time give a gift to the VNPS. Specifically:

Ferns and Fern Relatives of Virginia, a pocket-size check¬ list compiled by VNPS Botany Chair Dorothy Bliss, is brand-new. It’s a valuable resource for field trips, at just $1.25. Currently in press.

Barbara Stewart’s beautiful note cards make thank-you’s easy. A set of 1 0, two each of five pen-and-ink drawings of Virginia wildflowers, on blue or cream, is $7.80.

Two excellent books for wildflower gardeners are Harry Phillips’ Growing and Propagating Wildflowers ($17.62) and Henry Art’s A Garden of Wildflowers ($15.53).

For those who enjoy plants in the wild, consider Earl Core’s

Spring Wildflowers of West Virginia ($6.17).

Or try one of the handsome volumes by Oscar Gupton and Fred C. Swope: Wild Orchids of the Middle Atlantic States ($15.06), Wildflowers of Tidewater Virginia ($13.44), or Fall Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains ($1 5.53).

There are still a few VWPS T-shirts, in royal blue or sky blue, in men’s S and women’s M and L only, reduced to $6.23. This may be your last chance.

Prices include mailing costs and Virginia sales tax. Send orders, with check payable to VNPS, to VNPS-Orders, P.O. Box 844, Annandale, VA 22003.

Wildflower Seeds:

Economical and Satisfying

To encourage gardeners to grow more native plants from seeds or spores, the New England Wild Flower Society is offering for sale more than 1 50 varieties of wildflowers and ferns in its 1 989 Seed List, including natives for woodland, wetland, and meadow gardens.

All requests for the 1989 Seed List must be received by March 1 . Requests will be filled in the order received. Send a self- addressed, 450 stamped envelope (#1 0, business size) to Seeds, New England Wild Flower Society, Garden in the Woods, Hemen- way Road, Framingham, MA 01701 . No requests for Lists will be honored without the stamped envelope.

i - 1

! Some Folks Are a Bit Dotty!

... and those people are among our favorites, because a mailing label with a dot indicates a member in good standing | through (and in some cases beyond) October 31 , 1 989. If you don’t have a “dotty label” join the crowd and renew!

The next issue of the Bulletin will be sent to current members only. Please complete the form provided below and send it, with your check payable to VNPS, to:

Virginia Native Plant Society | Membership Chair P.O. Box 844 Annandale, VA 22003

Name: _

Chapter: _

Category: _

Contribution _ to VNPS _ to chapter Total $ _

Categories include: Individual $10; Patron $25; Family $15; Student or Senior $5; Senior Family $10; Supporting $50; Sustaining $100; Associate (groups) $25; Corporate Sponsor $125; Life $250.

Fall/Winter 1988

Page 7

Bulletin of the Virginia Native Plant Society

EDITOR

VNPS Board is considering hiring an Editorfor the BULLETIN on a trial basis (five issues). The selected Editor is to be from VNPS membership. Strengthening the BULLETIN content and ap¬ pearance is the goal, thereby attracting member¬ ship growth. VNPS Board invites interested members to respond to Nicky Staunton, President. Resumes are invited to accompany expressed interest.

Thank You

Special appreciation needs to be expressed to Jeni Bradford, Publications chair, for the time- consuming work she has done to bring this issue of the BULLETIN to you. At this point, the Editor's job is voluntary, and Jeni has given time to the organization of copy, the location of printer, and development of copy with a spirit of enthusiasm to be admired.

"Thank You" to each contributor to this issue of the BULLETIN. We hope it is well on its way to being the effective publication needed by VNPS.

The VNPS Board

Wishes for

And a Happy New

a totaIXy joy- filled holiday]

l)ear full of all that you love dearDy.

Virginia Native Plant Society

formerly the Virginia Wildflower Preservation Society P.O. Box 844 Annandale, VA 22003

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID

PERMIT NO. 347 Springfield, VA

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