A Publication of the Wyoming Native Plant Society

www.uwyo.edu/wyndd/wnps_home.htm

March 2001
Volume 20, No. 1

In this issue:

WNPSNews 2

Letters 2

Botany Briefs 3

Macoun’s bindweed found in Wyoming, Life
cycle of Puccinia similis, Update on Blowout
penstemon, Are some weeds native?

True Grit: The Dirt on Cryptogamic Crusts .... 4

Plant Names, Part II 5

In Quotes 5

Conserving the Botanical Values of the

Beartooth Plateau 6

Out Where the West Begins 8

Entire-leaved Pepperweed
( Lepidium integrifoiium) is a white-

flowered, fleshy-rooted perennial in the mustard family
(Brassicaceae) restricted to southwestern Wyoming and
northern and central Utah. In Wyoming, this species is
currently known only from alkaline wetlands in Fossil
Butte National Monument, where it is often found with
Greasewood on slightly raised clay mounds. Other
historical populations near Carter and Cokeville,
Wyoming have not been relocated in recent years, nor,
have any populations been found recently in Utah,
where this species may be extirpated. Despite its rarity.
Entire-leaved pepperweed has no formal, legal
protection, although it has recently been proposed for
“Sensitive” status by the BLM Wyoming State Office.

The colonies on Fossil Butte National Monument were
only discovered in 1996 by Park naturalist Clay Kyte and
are currently thriving under full protection. Illustration
by Walter Fertig.

WNPS NEWS

Wyoming Native Plant Society
PO Box 3452, Laramie, WY 82071

Y2K + 1 Student Scholarship : The wnps Board is
pleased to announce the winner of the 2001 student
scholarship: Justen Bryant Whittall of the University of
California at Santa Barbara. Justen’s project will address
the “Pollination and habitat characterization of the rare
Wyoming endemic AquHegia laramiensis {Rdimn-
culaceae): the missing link to understanding the
diversification of North American columbines?". The
Board has awarded Justen a scholarship of $500. The
remaining funds in the scholarship pool will be applied to
the 2002 contest. Thanks are extended to all those who
applied this year and to WNPS members who made the
scholarship possible through their generous
contributions.

Summer 2001 Field Trips : The wnps annual
meeting/field trip is scheduled for the weekend of June
23-24, 2001 in the Bighorn Mountains. On Saturday,
June 23, we plan to visit the Story area for Mountain and
Yellow ladys slippers, the Sourdough Creek area for the
Northern blackberry {Rubus acaulis), and subalpine
areas along Highway 16, before camping at The Nature
Conservancy’s Tensleep Preserve. On Sunday, we will
explore Tensleep for Cary’s penstemon and other rare
plants, and if time allows, visit the Hyattville area for the
endemic Hyattville milkvetch {Astragalus jejunusy ax.
articu/atus ) .

A second field trip will be held in the Sierra Madre in
mid July. We plan to visit the Jerry Park area to see
Colorado tansy-aster {Machaeranthera cobradensis) and
other regional endemics and the Deep Creek area for
Clustered ladys slippers. Short-styled bluebells, and
other interesting species. Look for more details on both
trips in the May newsletter.

Election Time is Near : it is time once again to fill
upcoming vacancies on the WNPS Board. If you are
interested, or know someone who ought to run, please
contact the Secretary-Treasurer. A ballot will appear with
the annual renewal notice in the upcoming May issue.

New Members : Please welcome the following new
members of WNPS: Jan and Dave Dobak (Portland, OR),
Debra Stern (Laramie), Richard Vincent (Laramie).

Treasurer’s Report : Balance as of 26 March 2001 :
General Fund $627.61; 2000-2001 Student Scholarship
Fund $187.50; Total funds: $815.11.

President: Amy Roderick Taylor (Broomfield, CO)

Vice President; Joy Handley (Laramie)

Secretary-Treasurer: Walter Fertig (Laramie)

Board Members: Steve Laster (Rnedale)

Jim Ozenberger (Wilson)

Newsletter Editor; Walter Fertig (307) 766-3020 (wk)/e-mail:
clyde@uwyo.edu .

Teton Chapter: PO Box 82, Wilson, WY 83014 (Joan Lucas,
Treasurer).

WNPS Webmaster: Rebekah Smith (Laramie)

Contributors to this issue: John Baxter (JB), Bill Brenneman,
Robert Dorn (RD), Walter Fertig (WF), Lynn Kinter, Stuart
Markow.

Letters

Dear Editor; Regarding the article “The enemy of native
plants: noxious weeds’’ {CastiHeJa December 2000):
while stressing the enormity of this invasion, the author’s
list is incomplete and their controls are futile. A few of
the omitted species are cheatgrass {Bromus tectorum),
know mantling much of our rangeland (and most difficult
to control) and Russian olive {Baeagnus angustifoHa),
now invading our cottonwoods in the North Platte River
drainage. Sadly, private and public nurseries continue to
sell this and other undesireable exotics.

The foremost and only economical control for
undesireable weeds is biological control. Wyoming and
Colorado authorities have been controlling Purple
loosestrife {Lythrum salicaria) with an imported beetle
{Ga/erucel/a spp.). The same authorities control Canada
thistle {Cirsium arvense) with a beetle from the Balkans
where Canada thistle is native.

Herbicides are usually a failure on WY Hwy 10 (near
my home). Mullein ( Verbascum thapsus) seems to
thrive on 2,4D and now dominates. On other highways,
it may be benign exotics such as Smooth brome {Bromus
inermis) which is immune to phenoxy sprays. Such
exotics are poised to invade adjacent overgrazed or
burnt range land.

I made a survey last year for the Medicine Bow
National Forest and found few noxious weeds above
8000 feet in elevation. Even on recent clear cuts I found
only the transitory Foxtail {Hordeum Jubatum), a native
that often acts weedy. At lower elevations along the
North Platte River I did find undesireable aliens on
equestrian trails and on a prescribed burn area. On this
site Musk thistle {Carduus nutans) was dominant.
Dalmatian toadflax {Linaria dalmatica), which might be
eliminated economically with herbicides, was found at
long abandoned homesteads in the Medicine Bow.

- Bill Brenneman, Jelm, WY.

2

[Ed. Note: The article by Parsons, Succop, and Byrne
specifically addressed only the 20 species officially listed as
Noxious Weeds by the State of Wyoming.]

Botany Briefs

Macoun’s Bindweed I S Found in Wyoming.

Macoun’s bindweed {Calystegia macounii), a twining
perennial in the Morning-glory family, was reported for
Wyoming in the Flora of the Great P/a//75 ( 1 986) , based
on an historical collection from “4 miles below U.L.

Ranch” in Niobrara County made in the late 1890s. This
record had been considered questionable and the
species was not included in Dorn’s Vascular Plants of
Wyoming . In September 2000, Laura Welp and I

discovered a small population of Macoun’s bindweed in a
moist meadow along Diamond Creek on RE. Warren Air
Force Base, just west of Cheyenne (Laramie County).
Macoun’s bindweed can be distinguished from its close
relative, C. seplum (featured on the cover of the May
1999 issue of Castllleja) by its pubescent herbage and
rounded, rather than angular, leaf bases. C. macounii
is a weedy native found primarily in the Great Plains
from eastern Montana to Colorado and east to
Minnesota and Missouri. WF

The Life Cycle of Pucci nia si m i ! is ow Artemisia
species. The rust fungus Puccinia simllls is widespread
in Wyoming on Artemisia tridentata, A. cana, and A.
tripartita. Until recently, the initial stages (spermagonia
and aecia) of the life cycie were unknown. In June,

1997, overwintered teliospores were used to inoculate
rust-free plants of Artemisia tridentata and A. cana.
Spermagonia and aecidioid aecia developed on both host
species. JB

Update on Blowout Penstemon in Wyoming. In

July 2000, Frank Blomquist of the BLM Rawlins Field
Office and I located a second population of Blowout
penstemon {Penstemon haydenll) in Wyoming,
approximately 5 miles north of the first population of this
federally Endangered plant that Frank discovered in
1996 (see Castllleja, October 1999). This population,
located along the south flank of Bear Mountain and
adjacent slopes of Junk Hill, numbered between 3500-
5000 individuals in 2000, making it the largest known
population of Blowout penstemon in the world! The
plants are located primarily on steep slopes of shifting
sand piled up at the base of granitic and sedimentary
slopes. Blowout penstemon occurs most commonly on
sparsely vegetated slopes with Blowout grass {Redfleldia
flexuosa), Thickspike wheat grass {Bymus lanceolatus),
and Lemon scurf-pea {Psoralldlum lanceolatum), but
may also be found in choppy dunes amid Siiver
sagebrush {Artemisia cana), or above seep springs
dominated by Chokecherry {Prunus virginlana) and
Stinging nettle {Urtica dioica). Surprisingly, Blowout
penstemon seems to be absent from more gently rolling
dunes that occur widely in the Ferris Mountain area and
vicinity. These low dunes may not capture enough
winter moisture in the form of blowing snow, or lack

Above: Blowout penstemon on steep, sandy slope by
Walter Fertig.

supplemental water sources from mountain springs to
maintain penstemon populations. WF

Are Some “Weeds” Really Native? Purslane
{Portulaca oleracea) is a low-growing, yellow-flowered
annual forb with somewhat succulent leaves. It occurs
widely across North America (and Wyoming) as a weed
in disturbed soils of roadsides, trails, and gardens.
Purslane is considered non-native in most floras, and is
thought to have first reached the Caribbean and New
England with European colonists in the 16th and 17th
centuries. Recent fossil pollen samples from Crawford
Lake in Ontario, however, indicate that purslane was
present in an Iroquois village as early as 1360 - over
130 years before Columbus reached the Americas.
Crawford Lake is permanently stratified (there is no
spring and fall turnover of water and sediments as is
typical of most temperate zone lakes) and so annual
layers of sediments are produced and can be precisely
dated. Archaeological data indicate that the Iroquois
were raising maize and beans in the area at the time
purslane pollen and seeds were being buried by lake
sediments.

Other recent paleobotanical studies indicate that
Carpet weed {MoHugo vert Id Hat a), another presumed
exotic, was present at Pre-Columbian sites in Tennessee
and Alabama. Likewise, seeds of bugseed {Corlspermum
spp.), a group of annual chenopods often presumed to
be introduced from Eurasia, have shown up in late
Pleistocene soils in Alaska, western Canada, and the
southwestern US. While these species may behave as
weeds and are increasing and spreading in the wake of
human-induced habitat destruction, all should be
considered native to North America. WF

Reference: Jackson, S.L 1997. Documenting natural and
human-caused plant invasions using paleoecological methods.
In: J.O. Lukens & J.W. Thieret (eds.) Assessment and
Management of Plant Invasions. Springer- Verlag.

3

True Grit:

The Dirt on Cryptogam ic Crusts

by Lynn Kinter and Stuart Markow

An afternoon stroll across the arid grasslands near
Dubois reveals an odd patch of ground surface that is
distinctly different from that of the surrounding mosaic
of bare soil and low vegetation. The coarse, dark,
granular appearance suggests that someone had
dumped a bag of brown sugar out on the desert floor in
hopes that it would somehow improve the stark,
monotonous landscape. Closer inspection reveals that it
is actually a mat of what seems to be tiny plants in
various stages of growth, development, and
decomposition. It looks like it might be alive. And at
the same time, it doesn’t ...

What we are looking at, of course, is what is referred
to as a cryptogamic crust, also known as biological soil
crust, microbiotic crust, and cryptobiotic crust.

Regardless of the adjectives that one prefers to use, this
“crust” has been described as “a dense, low-growing
community of various combinations of bacteria, algae,
mosses, liverworts, cyanobacteria, fungi and lichens.”
These organisms grow together at the soil surface, with
algal filaments, fungal hyphae, moss rhizoids, and
bacterial colonies intertwining and growing down into
the soil to form a living crust.

In the United States, cryptogamic crusts develop best
in semiarid shrublands. However, they may form in a
variety of habitats including grasslands, open woodlands,
subalpine slopes, and arctic tundra. The exact
composition of these crusts varies greatly with climate,
soils, and other environmental factors. In desert
habitats, species of filamentous cyanobacteria (AKA
blue-green algae) dominate along with certain groups of
diatoms. Other kinds of algae are found in sagebrush or
grasslands, and lichens may be especially common in
soils with particular texture and mineral content.

None of these provide the kind of visual display
created by wildflowers or glowing sunsets, and are,
therefore, rarely featured on posters, placemats, or
lunchboxes. However, it has recently been discovered
that these curious biological conglomerates exert a
major influence on terrestrial ecosystems. In the last 50
years, several hundred papers have been published
documenting the importance of crusts to site stability
and productivity, particularly in the arid west. Let’s take
a look at some of the effects attributed to these strange
communities:

Erosion control : The rough, tightly woven surface of
cryptogamic crusts helps to hold soil in place in areas
characterized by persistent wind and occasional
torrential downpours. Additionally, the photosynthetic
components often leak sticky carbohydrates which
readily adhere to soil particles, holding them in place. A
study conducted in Australia demonstrated that, as

Above: Scanning electron micrograph of cyanobacterial
sheath material sticking to sand grains (90 x). Photo
from USGS/BRD soil crust web site (www.soilcrust.org).

cryptogamic cover increased, erosion declined
exponentially. In another study, crusts actually trapped
wind-blown particles, resulting in the accumulation of
soil, rather than loss of it.

Improved soil fertility : Crustal organisms routinely
release photosynthetic products to the soil where they
can be used by other organisms. Some of them also fix
significant amounts of nitrogen, and the crust as a whole
can increase soil levels of phosphorus, potassium, and
other minerals by retaining fine soil particles. These
nutrients are readily available to vascular plants, and
such plants growing in crusted soils generally have much
higher mineral content compared to those growing in
non-crusted soils.

Provision of food : Cryptogamic crusts provide food
for insects, snails, nematodes, protozoans, and other
invertebrates. Many of these are prey items for rodents,
birds, lizards, spiders, and scorpions, thus helping to
support the lower tiers of the food chain.

Favorable site conditions for seedling establishment :

Seeds located in cracks and crevices of crustal surfaces
may have a nutrient and moisture advantage and
enhanced seedling establishment. Study of a rare
mustard {Arabis fecunda) in Montana disclosed higher
numbers of older and larger plants on crusted soils,
indicating increased seedling survival over those in soils
without crust.

The effects of cryptogamic crusts on soil moisture are
curiously contradictory. On one hand, they decrease
water permeability by sealing the soil surface, yet the
rough crust seems to increase infiltration by detaining
small pools of water. They may retard evaporation by
holding moisture in the soil, or accelerate it because
dark-colored crusted soil absorbs more sunlight than
does light-colored bare ground. However, following
evaporation, the crusts may contain ten times as much
water as non-crusted soils.

4

Several other ecological roles of cryptogamic crusts
have been suggested. While research has not identified
every function and mechanism of these communities,
they undoubtedly contribute to the well-being of the
ecosystem in numerous ways.

These crusts are relatively fragile, and highly
vulnerable to the abuses that have been imposed on
western rangelands in general. Trampling, whether by
humans, wildlife or livestock, takes a heavy toll.

Because growth generally occurs only during periods of
favorable moisture conditions, recovery may take 100
years or more, depending on the degree of destruction
and local site conditions. Fire, vehicular travel, and
pollution all contribute to their demise.

However, probably the greatest impact to
cryptogamic crusts is from deliberate destruction of them
in the name of “habitat improvement” which is,
essentially, a euphemism for growing more food for
livestock and, sometimes, for big game. In the 1930s,
range managers noted that mechanical pitting resulted
in increased forage production. The reasoning behind
this operation was to “encourage water infiltration and
decrease water runoff .... pitting minimizes wind effects
and traps moisture.” Despite the lack of scientific
support, this treatment has been used on millions of
acres of rangeland ever since.

Some livestock operators have gone a step further
and used this concept to justify high intensity grazing, on
the premise that livestock trampling grinds and
fragments the soil particles in a manner similar to
mechanical pitting. No doubt there is a short term flush
in plant growth (at least, under some circumstances),
but, to date, no research has assessed long term effects
of crust destruction. Based on what is known about
them now, it appears likely that evaporation would
increase, and, ultimately, lower productivity. Increased
erosion is also likely. Additionally, crust destruction
seems to encourage the establishment of weedy annuals
such as cheatgrass. Increased biomass of these species
could produce more fine fuels, shorten the fire return
interval, and further degrade the site.

Despite the fact that here has been no research
conducted to investigate the long-term consequences of
crust destruction, range managers still use mechanical
pitting to increase water infiltration and forage
production. Over one hundred papers published in
recent years attest to the ecological benefits of these
crusts. However, popular thinking and pressure from
the commodity interests continue to direct land
management activities.

Clearly, there is still much to be learned about these
communities, in terms of both their structure and
ecology. As it stands now, we have only a partial
knowledge of their species composition, and new taxa
are showing up all the time. Recent examination of soil
crusts in central Wyoming by mycologists Jack States
and Martha Christiansen (both at the University of
Wyoming) disclosed the presence of 8 species of fungi

which were previously unknown to the area. Who knows
what new organisms may be found in the future, and
what their potential benefits may be? Only intensive
study culminating in clear understanding will enable us
to decide how to best treat these complex systems, for
the benefit of ourselves and for the other organisms with
which we share the earth.

Plant Names - Part 2

The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature
(I CBN or Code) is the law book for naming plants. The
Code consists of six principles followed by rules, which
are mandatory, and recommendations, which are not
mandatory. Briefly, the principles are: botanical
nomenclature is independent of zoological nomenclature,
names are based on nomenclatural types (usually a
preserved specimen), priority of publication governs,
there can be only one correct name for each taxon,
names are in Latin, and the rules are retroactive. A
sampling of rules follows. A name can be used only if it
was validly and effectively published. “Valid" and
“effective” are defined in the Code. The specific epithet
may not be the same as the generic name. For
example, Acer acer ls inadmissible. A new combination
is not valid unless its basionym is indicated along with a
full and direct reference to its author and place of valid
publication. A name for a new taxon must be
accompanied by a Latin description or diagnosis. When
a name is transferred, the original author’s name must
be cited in parentheses followed by the name of the
transferring author, for example. Atrip/ex canescens
(Pursh) Nutt, which is based on Calligonum canescens
Pursh. A name has no priority outside its own rank. For
example. Magnolia virginianayax. foetidaL. (1753) when
raised to a species is called M. grandifbra L. (1759), not
M. foetida (L.) Sarg. (1889). An example of a
recommendation is: authors should avoid names which
are very long and difficult to pronounce in Latin. RD

I n Quotes By Robert Dorn

F. V. Hayden, United States Geologist
Trifolium haydenii, Carex haydeniana
Preliminary Report of the United States Geological
Survey of Wyoming.... 42nd Congr., 2nd Sess., House
Exec. Doc. No. 325:78. 1 872. October 1 870
“After passing the Medicine Bow Creek eastward, the
country assumes a more cheerful aspect; the water is as
pure as crystal, and grass covers the surface very
thickly. Dense groves of aspen are abundant among the
foot-hills, and the little streams are all fringed with
timber.”

5

Conserving the Botanical Values of the
Beartooth Plateau

By Walter Fertig

There are many superlative mountain ranges in
Wyoming and Montana, but few as well-loved and
readily accessible as the Beartooths. This massive block
of uplifted Precambrian gneiss and granite (containing
some of the oldest known rocks on the continent)
provides a year-round playground and source of scenic
wonder for the residents of Cody, Cooke City, and Red
Lodge, as well as hundreds of thousands of tourists
descending on Yellowstone National Park via US
Highway 212. This meandering highway crosses the top
of the Beartooth Plateau near the Montana/Wyoming
state line and is one of the few sites in either state
where a paved road provides immediate access to alpine
habitats. The plateau contains a rich mosaic of alpine
tundra, bog, talus slope, and subalpine forest habitats
amid a biscuitboard landscape of deep, lake-filled glacial
cirques and rock-lined canyons.

The Beartooth Plateau has been recognized as a
significant botanicai area since the 1930s, when early
collectors first documented an unusually high
concentration of arctic/ alpine and Northern Rocky
Mountain disjuncts. Several of these species, including
Oeder’s lousewort { Pedicu laris oederi) and Barratt’s
willow {Salix barrattiana), are not found outside of the
Beartooth Plateau south of the Canadian border.

In all, over 200 vascular plant species have been
documented from the alpine zone, including over 30
which are rare or restricted in Wyoming. Beginning in
the late 1950s, Phil Johnson and Dwight Billings
conducted pioneering ecological research on the
Beartooth Plateau on the effects of soil freeze/thaw
cycles on alpine tundra vegetation. More recent studies
continue to build on their foundation.

Recognizing the ecological significance of the
Beartooth Plateau, Shoshone National Forest first
proposed protecting a portion of the area as a Research
Natural Area (RNA) in 1975. RNAs are areas of public
land that are managed in a natural condition so that
researchers have a baseline for comparison of
unmanaged versus highly managed sites. These areas
are managed to protect the primary biological or
ecological values identified for the site. Although RNA
protection can be as stringent as a formally designated
Wilderness Area, compatible human activities can be
(and usually are) allowed.

The area selected for RNA establishment is centered
on the Twin Lakes Basin, a deep glacial cirque carved
into imposing granite cliffs and containing two large
subalpine lakes and numerous smaller lakes and ponds.
Twin Lakes Basin is surrounded by rolling alpine tundra
slopes, rock outcrops, and small alpine wetlands.

Above: {Salix barrattiana). The small

population found along the Montana/Wyoming state line
consists only of staminate (“male”) plants and is widely
isolated from the nearest known population in British
Columbia. Illustration by Walter Fertig.

The entire area is bounded on the south and east by the
Beartooth Highway, and on the north by the Montana
State line and the Rock Creek drainage.

The ecological and botanical variability of the Twin
Lakes area is largely driven by topographic features and
their influence on snow distribution and soil
development. Much of the topographic variability is the
result of freeze and thaw of the permafrost-like soils.
Common “cryopedogenic” features of the area include
frost hummocks, frost boils, stone nets, stone stripes,
and solifluction terraces.

Wind-blasted ridgecrests and windward slopes on the
plateau rimming Twin Lakes Basin are dominated by
ground-hugging cushion plants adapted to water stress.
The predominant vegetation in these microhabitats
consists of Ross's avens [Geum rossii), Curly sedge
[Carex rupestris), Cushion phlox {Phlox puMnata), Moss
campion {Silene acaulis), Alpine sheep grass {Festuca
brachyphyiia), and Timberline bluegrass {Poa rupicoia).
Areas of dark, clay-rich soil derived from intrusive
volcanic dikes may be dominated by Rocky Mountain
sagewort {Artemisia scopulorum) or the alpine phase of
the widespread Silvery lupine {Lupinus argenteusyax.
depressus). Concave surfaces or lee slopes that
accumulate more snow support a richer variety of forbs
and grasses. Ross’s avens may still form a dense turf in
these sites, but also co-occurs with Dwarf clover

6

( TrifoHum nanum). Parry’s clover ( T. parryivax.
montanense), Moss campion, Arctic sandwort {Arenaria
or Minuartia obtusiloba), and American bistort
{Polygonum bistortoides). More mesic sites often have a
higher graminoid component and may be dominated by
Tufted hairgrass {Deschampsia cespitosa) and Rocky
Mountain sedge {Carex scopulorum).

Northern pocket gophers may be extremely
abundant in the alpine tundra and can alter the local
vegetation through their burrowing activities. Johnson
and Billings described a Parry’s clover/ Arctic willow {Sa/ix
arctica) vegetation type associated with gopher burrows
and excavations.

The areas below persistent snowbanks may be
dominated by small patches of Drummond rush/Woolly
pussy toes {Juncus drummondii/Antennaria Ian at a)
vegetation. The wet soils and short growing season in
these microsites prevent willows from becoming
predominant. Cold, wet sites along gravelly streams or
depressions may provide habitat for some of the
smallest flowering plants to be found anywhere in the
state. Icegrass {Phippsia a/gida) is an annual with stems
mostly less than 4-5 inches tall that is found on wet
gravels associated with small streamlets. This primarily
Arctic grass occurs at only a handful of alpine sites
scattered across northern Montana, northwest Wyoming,
and central Colorado. Koenigia {Koenigia islandica) is an
even smaller plant found in saturated patches of moss or
poorly drained gravelly soils. This species can be easily
mistaken for tiny, reddish seedlings except for the
minute inflorescence of Polygonum-Wke flowers. Like
Phippsia, Koenigia is disjunct in high mountain sites in
Montana, NW Wyoming, and Colorado. Some of these
wet sites also support a number of rare sedge and rush
species, including Siberian kobresia {Kobresia sibirica or
K. macrocar pa), Nelson’s sedge {Carex nelson ii),

Short leaf sedge {C. misandra), and Three-flower rush
{Juncus triglumis).

Cliffs and ledges of gneiss and granite talus form the
rim of Twin Lakes Basin. These rocks are among the
oldest documented in Wyoming and North America
(some being nearly 3.8 billion years old). Stabilized
shelves among the cliffs support Geum turf vegetation.
Less stable slopes are largely unvegetated, but may
provide habitat for several uncommon species, such as
Fan-leaved fleabane {Erigeron flabellifolius) and Alpine
hulsea {Huisea aigida). Hulsea is covered with sticky,
glandular hairs as an adaptation to prevent herbivory.
Erwin Evert has noted that once collected, Hulsea’s
“overpowering if not sickening odor is not easily
forgotten”.

Twin Lakes Basin itself contains a mosaic of willow
thickets and moist meadows along the numerous small
lakes and streams. The dominant shrub is the subalpine
form of Planeleaf willow {Saiix pianifoiia vox . monied),
although small patches of Glaucous willow (5. giauca)
and Eastwood’s willow {S. eastwoodiae) are present.
Interspersed among the wetlands are drier grasslands

and forb meadows dominated by Alpine sheep fescue.
Spike trisetum ( Trisetum spicatum), Rocky Mountain
sagewort, and Ross’s avens. Low areas at the north end
of the basin support a small woodland of Subalpine fir
{Abies lasiocarpa) , Engelmann spruce {Picea
engeimannii), and Whitebark pine {Pinus albicaul/s) with
an open understory of Grouse whortleberry ( Vaccinium
scoparium ) .

The Twin Lakes area borders an extensive,
undeveloped alpine and subalpine plateau across the
Montana state line in Custer National Forest. This area
has also long been recognized as a significant ecological
area and was also proposed for RNA designation.

Perhaps inspired by the new tenets of ecosystem
management, Custer and Shoshone National Forests
agreed in the mid-1990s to pursue joint RNA designation
for the combined Twin Lakes/ Line Creek area. In
November 1998, the new “Line Creek” RNA was
proposed by both Forests to protect nearly 23,000 acres
straddling the two states (see December 1998
CastiHeja ) .

To ensure support for their plan, the Forest Service
reached a compromise with recreational users to keep
an existing trail open for snowmobile passage through
the Twin Lakes Basin to more popular recreation
destinations several miles to the west. Due to numerous
hazards (high avalanche danger, high winds, and rocky
conditions), this route receives relatively little winter
recreation use (an estimated 500 user-days per year
according to the Forest Service). This usage was not
considered detrimental to the botanical values of the
area, nor was it likely to harm sensitive animal species
that do not overwinter in the basin. After receiving
largely favorable public comments, the Forest Service
proceeded with designating the Line Creek RNA in the
summer of 2000.

Despite closing 21,000 acres to snowmobile use, this
compromise unfortunately proved unacceptable to a
consortium of local environmental groups that includes
the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and a private
individual associated with the Montana Wilderness
Association. The environmental groups appealed the
Forest Service’s decision to establish the Line Creek RNA
in August 2000 on the grounds that snow machines were
incompatible with RNA designation. Ironically, the local
snow machine groups in Red Lodge and Laurel Montana
have intervened in support of the RNA designation.
Because of the legal appeal, no action will be taken on
the RNA until a review is conducted by the Washington
office of the Forest Service. With the change in
administration and the overall low priority of the RNA
program in the Forest Service, it appears unlikely that
any action will now be taken on this worthwhile
measure. In the meantime, the area continues to be
managed for multiple use recreation (including now
unrestricted snow machine use). Sadly, an opportunity
to protect a significant botanical resource in Wyoming
and Montana has probably been lost.

7

The Wyoming Native Plant Society, established in
1981, is a non-profit organization dedicated to
encouraging the appreciation and conservation of the
native flora and plant communities of Wyoming. The
Society promotes education and research on native
plants of the state through its newsletter, field trips, and
annual student scholarship award. Membership is open
to individuals, families, or organizations with an interest
in Wyoming’s flora. Members receive CastiHeja, the
Society’s quarterly newsletter, and may take part in all of
the Society’s programs and projects, including the
annual meeting/field trip held each summer. Dues are
$7.50 annually.

To join the Wyoming Native Plant Society, return the
membership form below to:

Wyoming Native Plant Society
PO Box 3452
Laramie, WY 82071

Name:

Address:

$7.50 Regular Membership
$15.00 Scholarship Supporting Member
($7.50 goes to the annual scholarship
fund)

Out Where the West Begins

By John “Barney” Baxter

Out where the sky’s a trifle bluer,

Out where there’s lots of cow manuer,

That’s where the West begins.

Out where the prairie dogs are playing,

Out where the slot machines are paying,

Where there’s lots of moseying and sashaying.

That’s where the West begins.

Out where a man can climb a Teton
Out where the sheep eat Habgeton,

Which ain’t no plant for sheep to eat on.

That’s where the West begins.

Out where folks ride around in pickups.

Out where the Coors® will give you hiccups.

That’s where the West begins.

Out where the world is in the making.

Out where the alkali is caking,

And there’s lots of sourdough biscuits baking.

That’s where the West begins.

Out where the sun will cause a sunburn.

And saddle sores will make your bun burn.

That’s where the West begins.

Out where the wind is always blowing.

Out where the tumbleweeds are growing,

And the cockleburs catch in the hay you’re mowing.
That’s where the West begins.

Out where the climate sure ain’t rainy.

The land of James Watt and Dick Cheney,

A couple of dudes who are really brainy.

That’s where the West begins.

Wyoming Native Plant Society
PO Box 3452
Laramie, WY 82071