Publication of the Wyoming Native Plant Society

Oct 2006, Volume 25, No. 3

Posted at www.uvvyo.edu/vvyndd/wnps/wnps_home.htm

In this issue:

Paradox of Parnassia 1

2006 Annual Meeting Highlights 3

Additions to the Flora of Wyoming 4

Pinedale Country Lost-and-Found 5

Wyoming's Glacial Relicts and Refugia ... 6

A Good Book for Wyoming Plants 8

Buffaloberry Jelly 9

Seed Banks to the Rescue 10

Fen Indicator Plants of Wyoming 10

Paradox of Parnassia

"GRASS-OF-PARNASSUS" - how did such a
striking wildflower get such an obscure name? This
question came up in admiring Parnassia palustris
on the 2006 Pinedale field tours. The answer leads
one back to the world's first scientific author of
botany and pharmacology: Pedanius Dioscorides
(40 - ca. 90 AD).

Dioscorides was a Greek trained as a
physician and he served in the Roman army. He
traveled widely, read widely, and collected all of
the available information of his time about every
substance that could be used to treat human health
problems. He included descriptions and
illustrations of nearly 600 plants in De materia
medica, a five volume treatise.

Thanks to Carolus Linnaeus, we share a
plant common name used by Dioscorides almost
2000 years ago. De materiai medica reached the
hands of Linnaeus, an 18^^ century botanist and
physician who developed a unified classification
based on consistent morphological characteristics,
represented in universal binomials. Linneaus
described the Parnassia t^ewws as corresponding
with the medicinal plant recognized by Dioscorides,
called "Parnassos", the Greek word "of Mount

Above: Parnassia paiustris. Illustration from: George W.
Douglas, Del Meidinger and Jim Pojar. 1998-2002. Illustrated
Flora of British Columbia. Posted by Klinkenberg, B. (ed.).
2005. E-Flora BC [www.eflora.bc.ca].

Parnassus." Hence, Grass-of-Parnassus. The
"grass" moniker may be an artifact of translations.
Parnassia paiustris ydiV. montanensis \s\om6 in
almost half of the counties of Wyoming (see the
atlas posted at: www.rmh.uwyo.edu), one of four
species in the state. It is separated by a long time
and distance from any Parnassia (i\scQNer\es of
Dioscorides, but bearing much the same name. BH

WNPS News

New Members : Please welcome the following
new members to WNPS: Glenn Bengston,
Glendo; Karen and Dean Clause, Pinedale;
Robert Giurgevich, Sheridan; Mabel and Robin
Jones, Cheyenne; Susan Kramer, Pinedale;
Jeanne Newkirk, Cheyenne; Kathleen Priebe,
Casper; Rich Reaves, Marietta, Georgia; and
Janet Thompson, Gillette.

Wyoming Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 2500, Laramie, WY 82073

WNPS Board - 2006

President: Bonnie Heidel 742-9523

Vice President: Lynn Moore 472-3603

Sec.-Treasurer: Ann Boelter 745-5487

Board Members: Mike Evans, 326-8217

Curtis Haderlie 690-4381

Newsletter Editor: Bonnie Heidel (Laramie;
bheidel@uwyo.edu)

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

Bighorn Native Plant Society: PO Box 21, Big Horn,
WY 82833 (Jean Daly, Treasurer)

Webmaster: Melanie Arnett (arnett@uwyo.edu)

Treasurer's Report : Balance as of 9/25/06: General
Fund: $1452.75; Markow Scholarship Fund:
$1096.50. Total Funds: $2549.25

Call for Candidates

Yes, it's that time of year. It's time to overthrow
authority! A nomination committee is being
appointed this month to fill the three WNPS officer
positions and the one outgoing Board position for
2007. Interested? Please contact: Bonnie Heidel
(bheidel@uwyo.edu).

Red-letter Reminders

If you see RED on your mailing label, then this is
your red-letter reminder to renew. We are trying a
red-letter reminder for expired memberships
(lapsed six months past renewal or more) that will
make it simpler for everyone.

Scholarship : The 2007 WNPS Markow Scholarship
announcement will be in the December issue. The
deadline will be In February.

•P

We've Only Just Begun...

Wyoming Native Plant Society is a
springboard for all who care about the 2450 native
plants found in Wyoming or the landscapes and
habitats that they comprise. It is for botanists
working at perhaps the lowest density of federal
botanists in the lower 48 (5,000,000 acres per
botanist). It is for public libraries, gardeners, and
educators in the least-populated state of the Union.
It is for academics including those at the state's
only 4-year university that also happens to have
one of the strongest botany departments and
herbaria in the region. It is for all Wyophiles. It is
common ground for a host of "-ologies". SO, there
is no way under the sun to unify such a divergent
and eY^r(e/77e// dispersed membership.

This is leading up to my announcement that
the By-Laws amendment did not get enough
people responding to represent 2/3 of the current
membership. There tvasa signed, synchronized
response from 50 people, which qualifies as a bona
fide phenomenon in Wyoming, but twice as many
were needed for a WNPS By-Laws amendment.

Technically, this means that the 2006 WNPS
membership year and the 2006 Board term have
only just begun. Practically speaking, members
and Board get a 6 month warm up period or grace
period that makes reminders, record-keeping and
transfer of responsibilities much easier for everyone
in the middle of winter rather than in the middle of
summer.

Expect a ballot in the December issue, with
renewal information. We do not expect to try
voting on By-Laws amendments again or at least
not under the same approach. ...We've only just
begun to re-invent ourselves. BH

Contributors to this issue: Walter Fertig (WF), Bonnie
Heidel (BH), Carl Jung (CJ), and Hollis Marriott (HM).

The next newsletter deadline is November 27.

2

A potiuck picnic hosted by Pinedale
Sage & Snow Garden Club
garnered rave reviews (Photo by
Curtis Haderlie)

Arching woolly stolons of Meadow
pussytoes {Antennaria arcuata) are
displayed by Steve Laster (Photo —
by Susan Kramer)

Showcasing pink agoseris

{Agoseris lackschewitzii)

is Walt Fertig, who first announced its

discovery in Wyoming in 1993

Among new members participating (Photo by Bonnie Heidel)

included Avery Taylor (Photo by

Bonnie Heidel)

Gathering at the shores of Fremont Lake, Wyoming's deepest body of
water, over 40 folks took the plunge into a weekend of wet wonders in
native plants. (Photo by William Gray, Pinedale online)

- Go to the WNPS homepage to see photos in coior.

Outstanding examples of thermal and cold-water springs were featured at Kendall Warm Springs, a place that harbors
eight rare plants and an endemic fish separated from the Green River by travertine deposits (Photo by Walter Fertig)

2006 Annual Meeting Highlights

The 2006 WNPS Annual Meeting, held July 13-15 outside of Pinedale, was a happy success. Activities
held that weekend included 6 fieldtrips, lead by Steve Laster, Walter Fertig, Pam Curry, Alison King, Drew and
Kit Pfiughoft, and Tim Lingle. Pinedale's Sage & Snow Garden Club hosted a lovely potiuck picnic for us
around the campfire that Saturday evening, served just yards away from the lapping shore of Fremont Lake.
Dessa Dale, the evening guest speaker, presented info on native plant cultivation, followed by a Society
meeting around the campfire and late night talk. Book sales were featured for the first time, conveniently
housed in a lakeside teepee loaned by Pam Curry, and over $300 in publications were sold. The planning
team that made it all possible included Carmel Kail, Bettina Sparrowe, Robena Downie, Pam Curry, and Alison
King. They also did a lion’s share of organizing to ensure that everyone who wanted a camping spot could get
one. THANK YOU to all who organized this event and to everyone who came!

3

Additions to the Flora of Wyoming

The following six species represent recently
discovered native additions to the state flora (Dorn
2001). BH

AUsma subcordatum Raf.

American water plantain (Alismataceae) - Peripheral
widespread species of the eastern U.S.

NIOBRARA COUNTY: Growing in the Niobrara River
channel, an emergent in standing water most of the
year {Heide! 2870 RM, SDC !G. Larson) in association
with Schoenoplectus pungens, Eleocharis acicularis,
Sparganium emersum, Chenopodium simplex an
elevation of 1450 m, flowering in August. This species is
recognized by Robert Haynes in the Flora of North
America (2000) and by Robert Kaul (Great Plains Flora
Association 1986) but does not appear to be separable
from A. triviale in the northern Great Plains (Larson
1993). In keys, it is distinguished from A. triviale by the
small size of fruiting heads 2-4 mm diameter, petals 1-3
mm, and achenes 1.5-2. 2 mm long.

Botrychium pallidum W . H . Wag ner

Pale moonwort (Ophioglossaceae) -Northern species

sparsely-distributed in Rocky Mountains.

CROOK COUNTY: Growing on steep moss-covered slope
between aspen and valley bottom meadow, also on
north-facing slope with abandoned roadbed, two
occurrences in the Black Hills {Crook s.n. ISU, King s.n.
ISU, Farrar 10356, 10733 ISU),\x\ association with
Botrychium simplex, Popuius tremuioides, Pinus
ponderosa, Fragaria virginiana, Tri folium spp. at an
elevation of 1493-1856 m, with sporophyte maturing in
June. It resembles a very pale, dwarf form of B.
minganense, with up to 5 pair of pinnae and folded
blades (Wagner and Wagner
1993).

Botrychium paradoxum W. H .

Wagner

Peculiar moonwort
(Ophioglossaceae) -
Sparsely-distributed species
of western North America.

SHERIDAN COUNTY:

Growing in moist riparian
habitat of the Big Horn
Mountains in association with
Botrychium i unaria, B.
ianceoiatum, Deschampsia
spp., 5«^//>r spp., PotentiHa
spp., Spiranthess\iti-,

Erigeron spp.. Taraxacum
officinale. Astragalus Botrychium paradoxum

Tri folium spp . , Fragaria spp . in : Wagner & Wagner 1993 .

at an elevation of 2530 m, with sporophyte maturing in
July {M. Spann s.n. RM). The close-up photographs by
Andrew King were verified by Donald Farrar. It is
distinguished from all other Botrychium in having the
tropophore replaced by sporophore, yielding 2
sporophores (Wagner and Wagner 1993).

Caiochortus apicuiatus Baker

Pointedtip mariposa lily (Calochortaceae) - Disjunct

species of the northern Rockies.

CROOK COUNTY: Growing in dry, open Pinus ponderosa
forest in association of the Black Hills with Juniperus
communis, Mahonia repens, Piptatherum pungens,
Lupinus argenteus, and Arctospaphyios uva-ursidk. an

elevation of 1865 m,
flowering in July {J.R. and
S.A. Thomasson 3135
FHKSC, BHSQ RNt,
Thomasson et al. 2006). Its
distribution is limited to
northwestern Montana,
northern Idaho and
adjoining British Columbia
about 600 km away. It is
distinguished from other
Caiochortus s\iez\e.s in the
state by the "cat's ear floral syndrome" (Ownbey 1940)
in which flowers have pubescent inner petal surfaces.

Caiochortus apicuiatus. In:
Hitchcock et al. 1969.

Fimbristyiis
puberuia (Michx.)
Vahl. var. interior
(Britt.) Krai.

Hairy fimbry
(Cyperaceae) -
Peripheral Great
Plains species.
NIOBRARA
COUNTY:

Growing in
subirrigated wet
meadow on the
Niobrara River
(Heidel 2875 RM,
SDC), in
association with
Panicum virgatum,
Equisetum

Fimbristiyis puberuia van interior. In: iaevigatum,

Britton & Brown, 1913. An Illustrated Flora. Muhienbergia

richardsonis,

Eiymus trachycauius, Pedicuiaris puicheiia, at an
elevation of 1445 m; in fruit in July-August. The genus
has not previously been collected in Wyoming. It
resembles the Scirpusqems with terminal (cont p. 5)

4

Additions to the Flora - continued from p. 4
inflorescences usually subtended by 2 or more involucral
bracts, and no perianth hairs, bristles or scales; but it
has no leaf ligules.

Scirpus pend ulus M u h I .

Rufous bulrush (Cyperaceae) - Peripheral widespread
species.

CONVERSE COUNTY: Growing in subirrigated wet
meadow on Duck Creek, a Cheyenne River tributary, at
an elevation of 1530 m {Heide! 2882 RM, SDQ, in
association with Agrostis stofonifera, Schoenoplectus
pungens, Equisetum laevigatum, Elymus trachycaulus,
Juncus longistylis, in fruit in July-August. It has 3
stigmas and a trigonous achene. The species differs
from the three other Wyoming species in the Scirpus
genus (Dorn 2001) in having scales with prominent
green midribs, enclosing the perianth bristles within the
scales.

References cited

Dorn, R.D. 2001. Vascular Plants of Wyoming, ed. Mountain West
Publishing, Cheyenne, WY.

Great Plains Flora Association. 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. Univ.
Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.

Haynes, R.R. and C. B. Hellquist. Aiismataceae. Vol. 22. In: Flora of
North America Editorial Committee, eds. Flora of North
America North of Mexico. Oxford University Press, New
York, NY.

Larson, G. 1993. Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern
Great Plains. Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Expt. Stn.
Gen. Tech. Rpt. RM-238. Fort Collins, CO.

Ownbey, M. 1940. A monograph of the genus Cabchortus. Annals of
the Missouri Botanical Garden 27:371-560.

Thomasson, J.R., S.A. Thomasson, and D.E. Mergen. First record of
Cabchortus apiculatus iUWaceae) in Wyoming. Western
North American Naturalist 66(2):251-253.

Wagner, W. H. and F.S. Wagner. Ophiogiossaceae. Vol. 2. In: Flora
of North America Editorial Committee, eds. Flora of North
America North of Mexico. Oxford University Press, New
York, NY.

Pinedale Country Lost-and-Found

The Pinedale Roundup the Sublette Examiner include plants in the lost-and-found sections, so this
newsletter fills the role. Four discoveries were claimed by Wyoming Native Plant Society 2006 annual meet-goers in
Pinedale (July 14-16, 2006.)

Meadow pussytoes {Antennaria arcuata) is a pussytoes that wears white wool on its arching stolons, only known
in Sublette County from one site - until this summer. The original discovery for Sublette County was outside of Pinedale
by Steve Faster. He and Alison King took tour-goers to a newly-discovered Meadow pussytoes site on BLM lands outside
of Daniel. Meadow pussytoes is a regional endemic also present in the Sweetwater River drainage of central Wyoming,
the type locality in Blaine County, Idaho, and several stations in Elko County, Nevada.

Hoary willow {Saiix Candida) is a willow shrub with in-rolled margins that wears white wool on its leaf undersides,
first seen in Sublette County hanging out around Daniel by George Argus in 1961. It was since documented at the
Kendall Warm Springs by Walter Fertig in 1994. Hoary willow was most recently discovered by tour-goers outside of
Daniel on quaking boggy habitat encircled by the meadow that supports Meadow pussytoes. Hoary willow is a boreal
species that is uncommon in the Rocky Mountains. Many tour-goers also visited the Hoary willow and other unusual
species at the Kendall Warm Springs on Bridger-Teton National Forest later the same day, in a botanically-rich afternoon
hike lead by none other than Walt Fertig.

Simple kobresia {Kobresia simpHuscuia) is a member of the Sedge family). It is a tufted grass-like plant
distinguished by having unisexual flowers and a sac enclosing the fruit (perigynia) that has an open slit down the sac. It
was found in the boggy habitat shared with Hoary willow. It is a boreal species not previously known from Sublette
County that is uncommon in the Rocky Mountains.

Pygmy bulrush ( Trichophorum pumiium) is another member of the Sedge family, and it makes the widespread
hardstem and softstem bulrushes of Wyoming look like towering giants. It, too, was found in the boggy habitat shared
with Hoary willow (above). It, too, is a boreal species not previously known from Sublette County that is uncommon in
the Rocky Mountains.

A wealth of other wetland flowers in bloom set off these and other discoveries in colorful company. Images of
saber-tooth tigers were conjured up by tour-goers visiting these "boreal outposts" (see the article on glacial relicts - this
issue, p. 6). Plant voucher specimens were collected and will be deposited at the Rocky Mountain Herbarium (RM).

...Did we /d?5eany species? Well, certain campers did their best to eliminate a couple noxious weeds from the
fantastic flora of Fremont Lake. BH

5

Wyoming Overview

Glacial Refugia & Relicts

By Bonnie Heidel

{Editor's Note: The 2006 Pinedale tour-goers partook in
many forms of R&R, including refugia-and-reiicts! This
article provides context for the Pinedaie-area plant
discoveries, as reported in this issue, and for an earlier
article on a few glacial relict species.)

Hoary willow {Saiix Candida) to right) was featured twice on
the 2006 Pinedale area tours: once at Kendall Warm
Springs and once near Daniel. These are two of the 14
known extant sites in Wyoming. Illustration by Jeanne R.
Jannish ; from Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest

There's a resurgence of attention given to
Wyoming's melting glaciers, which include seven of
the ten largest glaciers in the contiguous United
States (George 2006). One wonders, if glaciers are
melting, what are our glacial refugia and relicts
doing? Glacial refugia are vestigial habitats with
cold climate conditions that have been relatively
stable for plant life, if not continuous since
Pleistocene glaciation. They are boreal outposts in
temperate latitudes.

Another way to think of glacial refugia is as
Mother Nature's refrigerators where the associated
flora does not spoil. This is not just a metaphor.
One glacial refugia site in Wyoming was Ice Slough
(Fremont County), where settlers traveling the
Oregon Trail could stop for "excellent ice" that
would remain belowground well into summer.
Another glacial refugia represented the only paisa
fen in the lower 48 states (Collins 1983, Mellmann-
Brown 2004).

Glacial refugia harbor relict species that are
restricted to the vestigial habitats. Outside of the
alpine zone, Wyoming has glacial relict species with
three kinds of distribution patterns. First, there are
glacial relict species that are widespread at boreal
latitudes but sparsely-distributed in the Rocky
Mountains (Fleidel 2004a). Second, there are

disjunct or sparsely-distributed species that are
more common in other parts of the Rocky
Mountains to the north (e.g., Prosartes hookeri
separated by over 600 km between northwestern
Montana and the Black Hills in Wyoming; Heidel

2002). Third, there are glacial relict species that
are reduced to relict distribution patterns
throughout their range (e.g., SuHivantia hapemanii
van /7a/7e/77^/7// distributed in a ring around the Big
Horn Mountains and in Bighorn Canyon, with
outliers in the Owl Creek Mountains, northern
Laramie Range, and central Idaho; Heidel 2004b).
In many cases, species' fossil pollen and spores are
wanting or they cannot be identified to species
level. There are very few settings where pollen
and spore preserved well. Thus, characterization
of glacial relict species in Wyoming is based on
Pleistocene research elsewhere and on
contemporary distribution and habitat information.

The three kinds of distribution patterns
correspond closely to three kinds of glacial refugia.
Most of the circumboreal relict species in the Rocky
Mountains are found in fens, and many of the rare
fen species are glacial relicts (see Table 1; p. 10).
(con. p. 7)

6

Glacial refuqia and relicts - continued from p. 6

Fens are a groundwater-fed subset of
peatlands, which have exceptionally stable
hydrology and organic soils at the surface that are
saturated, anaerobic, cold and nutrient poor.

Three of the four species discovered at the 2006
annual meeting inhabit fens, including Hoary willow
{Salix Candida), Simple kobresia {Kobresia
simpliuscula), and Pygmy bulrush {Trichophorum
pumilum)) (see p. 5, this issue). There are also
circumboreal glacial relict species found in cold-air
drainages (e.g., Adoxa moschatellina). Second,
there are Rocky Mountain glacial relict species
found on sheltered north-facing slopes and valley,
as found in the Black Hills. Third, there are a few
relict species that are uncommon throughout their
range and reduced to relict distribution patterns, as
is the case of SuHivantia hapemaniN^x. hapemanii
(above), restricted to springs, spring-fed streams
and cliff seeps. The remainder of this article will
focus on fen plants as the largest set of glacial
relict species.

Relict fen species are better-documented
and more concentrated in montane landscapes.
Therefore, the majority of glacial relict species
occurrences in Wyoming are in national forests or
national parks (Table 1, p. 10), including at least
seven national forests and two national parks. The
fen species include 16 Forest Service sensitive
species in the Rocky Mountain Region (Reg. 2), and
45 Wyoming plant species of concern; most of
which are relict species.

Efforts to reconstitute glacial relict habitat in
the Rocky Mountains have met with little or no
success, as in the case of fen restoration research
(Cooper 1990, Cooper and MacDonald 2000,
Johnson 1996). Fen habitat was identified as an
important natural resource that cannot readily be
replaced (U.S. Forest Service 2002, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service 1999). At least one glacial refugia
site rich in glacial relict species has also been
designated as a Special Interest Area by the USDA
Forest Service: Swamp Lake, the largest known fen
in the state (in Shoshone NF of USDA Forest
Service - Rocky Mountain Region).

Fens were included as wetlands originally
protected under the Clean Water Act (1972).

Recent rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court
determined that protection of isolated wetlands

exceeded the authority of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (and by default, all other federal
agencies). Most fens are hydrologically isolated in
some sense (Bedford and Godwin 2003). Agency
policies to maintain fens may be challenged by

more recent rulings, to result in

[fill-in-the-blank]. The answer is not clear, but the
future of glacial refugia and relicts in Wyoming may
hinge on more than climate. BH

References cited

Bedford, B.L. and K.S. Godwin. 2003. Fens of the

United States: distribution, characteristics, and
scientific connection versus legal isolation.
Wetlands 23(3): 608-629.

Collins, E. 1983. Bogs and fens. Wyoming Native Plant
Society News Letter 3(1): 3-4.

Cooper, D.J. 1990. An evaluation of the effects of peat
mining on wetlands in Park County, CO.

Unpubl. Rept., prepared for Park County.

Cooper, D.J. and L. H. MacDonald. 2000. Restoring the
Vegetation of Mined Peatlands in the Southern
Rocky Mountains of Colorado, U.S.A..

Restoration Ecology 2X)X)X) 8:2 103
Heidel, B. 2002. Additions to the Wyoming Flora.
Castilleja 21(4):4.

Heidel, B. 2004a. Relicts and Refugia. Castilleja 23(3):
1, 9.

Heidel, B. 2004b. SuHivantia hapemanii van hapemanii
(Hapeman SuHivantia): A Technical Conservation
Assessment. Report to U.S. Forest Service
Region 2. Posted at

http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/assessmen

ts/index.shtml

Johnson, J.B. 1996. Environmental function, vegetation
and the effects of peat mining on a calcareous
fen in Park County, CO. Unpubl. Rept to US EPA
Region VIII.

George, J. 2006. Are Wyoming's frozen reservoirs
slipping away? UWYO Magazine, Vol. 8(1).
Mellmann-Brown, S. 2004. Botanical and ecological
inventory of selected peatland sites on the
Shoshone National Forest. Prepared for
Shoshone National Forest. Wyoming Natural
Diversity Database. Laramie, WY,

USDA Forest Service. 2002. Wetland protection - fens.
Memo of 19 March 2002 from Marisue Hillard,
Director of Renewable Resources in the Rocky
Mountain Region, to Forest Supervisors.

Regional directive. Denver, CO.

USDI Fish and Wildiife Service. 1999. Regional Policy
on the Protection of Fens, As Amended, from
the Regional Director (Region 6), to Project
Leaders for Ecological Services, Refuges and
Wildlife, and Fish and Wildlife Management
Assistance. Denver, CO.

7

A Good Book for Wyoming Plants

Ode, D. 2006. Dakota Flora (266 pp, $29.95), South
Dakota State Historical Society Press, Pierre, SD.
http://www.sdhistory.orq/rp/rp press.htm : or (605)
773-6609 or - as well as from Amazon.com.

I have often been asked "Is there a good
book for Wyoming plants?" Unfortunately, when it
comes to identification, plants are not as
cooperative as birds. The 800 birds of North
America fit into a single field guide with color
illustrations for each. But there are some 2500
plant species in Wyoming alone, and the
differences among them can difficult to discern
even with the best of descriptions and photos. My
response typically is a discussion of two books,
both of which we are fortunate to have. Bob
Dorn's Flora of Wyoming offers a comprehensive
treatment in a compact and affordable form, but is
a technical manual with no photos. WHdf lowers of
Wyoming by Diantha and Jack States offers
descriptions and photos of over 325 of our common
wildflower species, but this is only 13% of our
flora. What to do?

Now I have a third book to recommend to
Wyoming plant enthusiasts: Dakota Flora by Dave
Ode. DakotalM Fortunately the floras of Wyoming
and South Dakota are sufficiently similar that we
can enjoy this wonderful book of essays and
photographs. With only 82 species its usefulness
may seem limited, but identification isn't
everything, as Ralph Waldo Emerson pointed out:
"...these young scholars who invade our
hills ... love not the flower they pluck, and
know it not, and all their botany is Latin
names."

If you read Dakota Flora you will avoid Emerson's
wrath. Ode's essays provide an impressive
diversity of information about his chosen subjects
including adaptation, anatomy, art, evolution,
ecology, conservation, pollination, paleontology,
poetry, physiology, philosophy, medicinal use,
wildlife use, human history, human nature,
landscaping, love, literature, music, mysticism,
whimsy and the best flour for Indian fry bread.

The pasqueflower {Anemone
patens/Pulsatilla patens) is familiar to most of us
and is a favorite flower for many, being one of the

first colorful signs that winter is ending. Not
surprisingly, it is a common subject of poems, such
as the tribute to 'that bold bit of life at the edge of
the snows' by South Dakota's poet laureate. Badger
Clark. But how many of us would have suspected
the secret behind the shyness of the pasqueflower,
which Ode reveals? There is plenty to learn about
other well-known charismatic flowers, such as the
trickery of the beautiful fairy slipper or calypso
orchid {Calypso bulbosa), and the intricate
relationship between our yucca ( Yucca glauca) and
its pollinator, the yucca moth.

Ode also gives deserved attention to plants
that usually are overlooked or ignored. He
describes the fascinating lives of duckweed
{Lemna), too often written off as 'pond scum'.
Sedges {Care)f) are given their due as critical to the
health of wetlands and wetland wildlife. Though
they look like grasses, they are not, and with Ode's
helpful hints perhaps more amateur naturalists will
come to recognize and appreciate the sedges.

Even DYCs (disgusting yellow composites) are
praised. Those of us who have made a profession
of identifying plants often harbor some ill-feeling
towards species groups whose members are
difficult to distinguish, and many species in the
sunflower family present this kind of challenge,
hence the DYC designation. But I will never again
look past a ragwort {Senedo) now that I know of
the Ragwort Fairy, whose 'gallant gold array' is
there to greet me even when the prime of the
season is past.

There is at least one large high-quality
photograph for each of the plants featured in
Dakota Flora, but these are much more than
identification aids. Some are works of art, such as
the beautiful portrait of the diminutive Easter daisy
{Townsendia exscapa), and the surrealistic
landscape of duckweed on pond. Others bring a
smile, for example the photo of a small child posing
next to the giant taproot of a bush morning-glory
{Ipomaea leptophylla). Many provide close views
of features we might overlook - the Japanese
lanterns of ground cherries {Physallsst^ti.), net-
covered textile onions {Allium textile), tiny
moonworts {Botrychlum), the deep convolutions of
the yellow morel {Morchella esculenta) and the
subtle beauty of grass flowers, (cont p. 9)

Continued from D. 8

Dave Ode is Botanist/Ecologist for the South
Dakota Natural Heritage Program. I first ran into
Dave in 1984, give or take a year, amongst the
cabinets of the herbarium at Black Hills State
University in Spearfish, South Dakota. In the years
since, I have enjoyed and appreciated the breadth
of his knowledge and his dedication to
understanding, building appreciation for and

conserving our wild plants. Not knowing what
Dave had been up to, I was taken by surprise to
find his book in my mailbox, but it was no surprise
to find such wonderful essays and photos inside. I
know that any project of this scale is not completed
without significant pain, and so 'thanks' to Dave for
his persistence and dedication. Many will enjoy the
fruits of his labor (and the flowers).

Plains buffaloberry {Shepherdia
argentea) as posted by a
Saskatchan photographer at:
rhtto: //www.colinherb.com l

To see what this image iooks
iike in coior, go to the WNPS
homepage.

Buffaloberry Jelly

What wild fruits are better after frost? --
Wyoming's own Plains buffaloberry {Shepherdia
argentea) is sweeter and at least as easy to harvest
after frost as before. The simplest harvest technique
involves spreading a cover on the ground and beating
the fruits off of branches with a stick onto the cover.

The branches taper to thorn-like stubs that
deter hand-picking (I can attest). The brightly colored
fruits are deep red to orangish red, 0. 5-0.7 cm in
diameter, and seeds are fairly large. The berries were
often used by Native Americans to flavor buffalo meat
(hence, the name), and might be used with wild game.

According to Harrington (1967), Plains
buffaloberries harvested before frost do not need pectin.
I have only tried it after frost, with pectin (following the
recipe for currant jelly on the package). Here are the
"summer" and "fall" recipes for berries collected before
or after frost. This makes a clear, golden jelly that can
be tinted by adding cranberry or chokecherry juice to
the water. The pectin content of the berries is higher in
summer and sweetness is higher after frost.

Summer Jelly

Wash and crush berries and add V 2 cup water to every 2
quarts of fruit. Boil slowly for 10 minutes, stirring

frequently to prevent scorching. Put into a jelly bag or 3
layers of damp cheese cloth and drain off juice. To each
cup of juice add 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil and boil
until it jells by the standard "jelly test" and pour into
jars.

Fall Jelly

Wash and crush berries and add 1 Vz cups of water for
every 5 quarts of fruit. Bring to full boil; cover and
simmer for 10 minutes. Put into a jelly bag or 3 layers
of damp cheese cloth and drain off juice. Measure sugar
into bowl (3/4 cup of sugar for every cup of juice). Mix
V 4 cup of the sugar and 1 box Sure-Jell into juice. Bring
to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Quickly stir in remaining sugar, and return to a full
rolling boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour
into jars.

You may also want to experiment with
"buffaloberry ice cream." The mashed berries produce
heavy foam when whipped.

WARNING. Wyomingites at higher elevations do NOT
have a substitute in Canada buffaloberry {Shepherdia
canadensis). As Harrington (1967) stated: "...we have
often tried these bitter buffaloberries [Canada
buffaloberry] both raw and cooked and cannot
recommend them very highly. The best we can say is
that we have never become actually ill from eating small
quantities of them." BH

9

Botanica -

(Or odds and ends from the botanical world)

Seed Banks Save Rare European Grasses

By Walter Fertig

It is not often that an extinct species gets a second
chance, but fortune recently smiled on an annual grass
endemic to calcareous meadows of eastern Belgium and
adjacent France. The "Brome of the Ardennes" a.k.a.
Bromus bromoideus \N3S once locally abundant in the
farming provinces of Liege and Luxembourg (not to be
confused with the independent nation of the same
name), but changes in agricultural practices in the early
1900s resulted in a precipitous decline and no plants
have been observed in the wild for nearly 70 years. For
several years, the species continued to persist under
cultivation, but ultimately these populations died out as
well. Fortunately, small numbers of seed were
maintained in a number of university and private
collections, although often not under optimal conditions
(one set of seeds was discovered in an attic).

In 2004, Dr. David Alpin, a British botanist working
at the National Botanic Garden of Belgium, became
intrigued by the demise of the Brome of the Ardennes
and began consolidating the surviving sets of seed. A
small batch was dispatched to Kew Garden's Millennium

Seed Bank for germination trials. Despite low viability
(ranging from 1-35% for various seed collections), Kew
researchers successfully germinated seed in September
2005, and for the first time in many years Bromus
bromoideus\Nas once again alive and well. Seedlings
are now being grown in the greenhouse and in the wild
to increase the number of available seed and to
hopefully reestablish natural populations in Belgium.

Although most seed banks used for plant
conservation are stored ''^exsitU' (off-site in a museum
or laboratory), a recent case study in Austria has
demonstrated the utility of on-site {in situ) seed banks in
species recovery. Moss grass {Coleanthus subtiHs) is a
rare grass found naturally on exposed mud flats
bordering small ponds across much of central Europe.

Its range has contracted greatly In recent years due to
the loss of wetlands on the continent and the grass was
thought to be extirpated in Austria until its rediscovery in
2000. Researchers at the BOKU University in Vienna
began to systematically reinventory historical
populations of Moss grass throughout Austria and collect
soil cores to see if any seeds remained. To their
surprise, viable Moss grass seed was still present in 6
"extinct" populations and often at high density. These
seeds, stored safely on-site and awaiting the next
drought to expose suitable mud bank habitat, are now
being used to establish new populations elsewhere in
Austria.

Table 1. Fen Indicator Plants of Wyoming (See giadai relicts article, p. 6)

Scientific Name

Common Name

G

Rank

S

Rank

Peatland
Affinity in WY

FS Status

WYNDD

Track?

Bighorn NF

Black His NF

Bridg-Tet NF

Med Bow NF

Shoshone NF

Targhee NF

Wasatch NF

Gr Teton NP

Yellowst NP

Amerorchis rotundi folia

Round-leaved orchid

G5

SI

Obi

Sens

R2

Y

x

Arctous rubra (Arctostaphybs
rubra)

Red manzanita

G5

SI

Obi

Sens

R2

Y

x

Botrychium virqinianum

Rattlesnake fern

G5

SI

Fac

Y

x

x

x

x

x

x

Carex buxbaomii

Buxbaum's sedge

G5

S2

Obi?

N

x

x

x

x

Carex captllaris

Hair-like sedge

G5

S2

Obi?

N

B

B

B

B

B

Carex coiKinna

Beautiful sedge

G4G5

SI

Obi?

Y

B

x

x

Carex cusickii

Cusick's sedge

G5

S2

Obi?

Y

x

x

Carex diandra

Lesser panicled sedge

G5

S1S2

Fac?

Sens

R2

Y

x

x

x

x

Carex echinata

Little prickly sedge

G5

SI

Fac?

Y

x

x

Carex flava

Yellow sedge

G5

SI

Y

■

x

Carex gy nocrates

Northern bog sedge

G5

S2

■a

Carex lasiocarpa

Slender sedge

G5

S1S2

Obl

N

x

x

Carex leptalea

Bristly-stalk sedge

G5

S2

Obi

Y

x

x

x

x

x

x

Carex Umosa

Mud sedge

G5

S2

Obl

Y

B

B

B

x

x

x

Carex Hvida

Uvid sedge

G5

S2

Obl

Sens

R2

Y

x

x

Carex microgtochin

False uncinia sedge

G5

S2

Y

x

x

x

Carex magellanica (C
paupercuia)

Bog sedge

G5

SI

Fac

N

x

Carex parryana var. unica

Hall's sedge

G4?Q

SI

Fac?

Y

x

10

Scientific Name

Common Name

G

Rank

S

Rank

Peatland
Affinity in
WY

FS Status

WYNDD

Track?

Bighorn NF

Black His NF

Bridg-Tet NF

Med Bow NF

Shoshone NF

Targhee NF

Wasatch NF

Gr Teton NP

Yellowst NP

Carex scirpodes van scirpiformis

Canadian single-spike
sedge

G5

SI

Obi

Y

X

X

Cypripedium parviflorum van
pubescens

Yellow lady's-slipper

G5t?

S1S2

Fac

Sens

R2

Y

■

H

X

Drosera anglica

English sundew

G5

S2

Obi

Sens

R2

Y

X

m

■

DuHchium anundinaceum

Three-way sedge

G5

SI

Y

X

Epibbium onegonense

Oregon willow-herb

G5

S2S3

Fac

N

X

EpHobium pabstne van pabstre

Swamp willow herb

G5

S2

Fac

N

X

X

X

X

Epipacbs gigantea

Giant helleborine

G4

SI

Fac

Sens

R2

Y

X

X

Equisetum fluviatilie

Water horsetail

G5

SI

Fac

Y

X

X

X

Eriophorum callitrix

Sheathed cotton-grass

G5T5

SI

Obi?

Y

X

Eriophorum chamissonis

Russet cotton-grass

G5

S2

Obi

Sens

R2

Y

■

M

H

X

Eniophnoum gracHe

Slender cottongrass

G5

SI

Obi

Sens

R2

Y

?

H

H

H

X

X

Eriophorum scheuzeri

Scheuchzer cotton-
grass

G5

SI

Obi

Y

X

X

Eriophroum viridicarinatm

Green keeled
cottongrass

G5

SI

Obi

Y

X

X

X

Genbanopsis simplex

Hiker's gentian

G4

SI

Obi?

Y

X

Juncus brevicaudatus (J. tweedyi
misapplj

Narrow- pan icied rush

G5

S2

Fac

N

X

Juncus filiformis

Thread rush

G5

SI

Fac

Y

B

B

B

wm

wm

Kobresia simpHciuscuia

Simple kobresia

G5

SI

Obi

Sens

R2

Y

X

Lomatoqonium rotatum

Marsh felwort

G5

S2

Fac

Y

X

Lonicera caeruiea

western honeysuckle

G5

S2

Fac

N

X

X

Menyanthes trifoiiata

Bog buckbean

G5

S2S3

Fac

mm

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Muhienberqia qiomerata

Marsh muhly

G5

SI

Fac

Y

X

X

X

X

Packera indecora

Plains ragwort

G5

SI

Fac

Y

B

Petasites sagittata

Arrowl-leaf Sweet
Coltsfoot

G5

S2

Fac

N

H

H

X

Potenbiia paiustris

Marsh cinquefoil

G5

S1S2

Obi

N

B

B

wm

Potamogeton ampHfoHus

Large-leaved

pondweed

G5

SI

Fac?

Y

■

H

H

H

H

Potamogeton epihydrous

Ribbon-leaf pondweed

G5

SI?

Fac?

N

X

Potamogeton lUinoiensis

Illinois pondweed

G5

SI

Fac?

Y

X

X

Potamogeton praeiongus

White-stem pondweed

G5

SI

Fac

Y

H

H

Potamogeton robbinsii

Flat-leaf bladderwort

G5

SI

Fac?

Y

X

X

X

Potamogeton zosteriformis

Flatstem pondweed

G5

SH

Fac?

Y

X

Primula egaiiksensis

Greenland primrose

G4

SI

Obi

Sens

R2

Y

X

X

Salix barrattiana

Barratt willow

G5

SI

Obi?

Y

X

Saiix Candida

Hoary willow

G5

S2

Obi

Sens

R2

Y

H

H

H

X

Salix farriae

Farr's willow

G4

S2

Fac

N

X

X

X

Saiix myrtiHifoHa van myrtiiHfoHa

Myrtleleaf willow

G5T5

SI

Obi

Sens

R2

N

X

Saiix serrisima

Autumn willow

G4

SI

Obi

Sens

R2

Y

X

Scheuzeri a paiustris

Pod-grass

G5

SI

Obi?

Y

X

Schoenopiectus subterminaiis

Water bulrush

G4G5

SI

Obi

Y

X

Seiagineiia seiaginoides

Low spike-moss

G5

SI

Fac?

Sens

R2

Y

X

X

X

Sparganium natans (Sparganium
minimum)

Small bur-reed

G5

SI

Obi?

Y

H

H

m

■

Symphyotrichon boreaie (Aster
borealis)

Boreal aster

G5

S2

Fac

N

H

H

H

X

Thatictrum aipinum

Alpine meadow-rue

G5

S2

Fac?

■n

X

X

X

Trichophrorum purnU urn (Scirpus
pumHus)

Pygmy bulrush

G3Q

SI

Obi

Y

■

■

■

Utricularia intermedia

Flat-leaf bladderwort

G5

SI

Y

Utricularia minor

Lesser bladderwort

G5

S2

Obi

Sens

R2

Y

■

H

H

H

m

m

11

Autumn Metaphor'*'

By C. G. Jung

Life has always seemed to me like a
plant that lives on its root. Its true life is
invisible, hidden in the root. The part that
appears above ground lasts only a single
summer. Then it withers away - an ephemeral
apparition. When we think of the unending
growth and decay of life and civilization, we
cannot escape the impression of absolute
nullity. Yet I have never lost a sense of
something that lives and endures underneath
the eternal flux. What we see is the blossom,
which passes. The root remains.

*A headline was added for purpose of this newsletter.
From: C. G. Jung. 1965. Memories, Dreams,
Reflections. Previously unpublished writings of Carl
Jung, edited by A. Jaffe. Vintage Books, New York, NY.

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,
including the annual meeting/field trip held each
summer. To join or renew, return this form to:

Wyoming Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 2500, Laramie, WY 82073

Name:

Address:

Email:

$7.50 Regular Membership

$15.00 Scholarship Supporting Member

($7.50 goes to the Markow Scholarship Fund)

Wyoming Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 2500
Laramie, WY 82073

12