WINTER 2014 Vol. 31, No. 4 The Harbinger Newsletter of the Illinois Native Plant Society “ ...dedicated to the preservation, conservation, and study of native plants and vegetation in Illinois. ” Happy New Year! The Illinois Native Plant Society had a great 2014, and we thank you for all you’ve done to support our mission. We look forward to another great year with you and the wonderful plants that occur in Illinois. These photos were taken at Cedar Lake in Makanda, Illinois over Thanksgiving. Many beautiful nature scenes exist in our amazing state. For a selection of nature photos from 2014, please view my nature album. Details on page 4. ~ Christopher David Benda , Editor In this issue: •President’s message •Carex Corner •Best in Nature photo album •Winter tree ID hikes •Illinois Master Naturalist •FPCC Natural and Cultural Resources Master Plan unveiling •2015 Wild Things conference •Related plant articles •Invasive Species Corner The Harbinger Winter 2014 Vol 31, No 4. 1 Governing Board President: Janine Catchpole President-Elect: Chris Benda Past President: Connie Cunningham Secretary: Rachel Goad Treasurer. Vicki Crosley Erigenia Editor: Andy West Harbinger Editor: Chris Benda Membership: Connie Cunningham Webmaster: Cassi Saari At-Large Board Bohdan Dziadyk Tracy Evans R .J. Fehl Ron Kiser Paul Marcum Jason Zylka Message from the President-elect I am very excited to move into my position as President of the Illinois Native Plant Society. I want to thank all those who have served on the INPS board, currently and in the past, for their dedicated efforts to make this organization what it is today. I want to particularly thank my predecessor Janine Catchpole for her excellent work advancing the mission of INPS and for teaching me the ropes. There are some exciting plans in the works for INPS in the years to come. Our website ( .ill-inps.or ) is running well, and we are looking into increased functionality. Our Facebook page ( ,v w.facebook.com/illinoisplants) continues to grow and we are up to 1500 likes. We would like to further promote our new listserv as a communication tool for sharing event information, plant questions, and general observations. The word is getting out that INPS is at the forefront of the latest news in conservation in Illinois and beyond. Along these lines, we are exploring the idea of expanding our publications to include a yearly magazine. Additionally, we are considering new chapters in several locations. The Northeast chapter is our largest and fastest growing chapter, and they hosted an exceptional Annual Meeting in Manteno last August. The Central chapter continues to thrive as our most active chapter, but a close second is the Southern chapter. Both hold regular monthly events. The Forest Glen chapter will be hosting the next Annual Meeting in Champaign on June 5-7. The Quad Cities and Irene Cull (Peoria) chapters are currently experiencing a lull in programming, and I look forward to working with them in 2015. I will also be making the rounds in Illinois, giving programs about the incredible natural areas in Illinois and why to be involved with the Illinois Native Plant Society. Please contact me at botanizer@gmail.com if you would like me to give a program to your organization or at college near you. Wherever you are located in Illinois, 2015 is going to be a great year! As we enter the new year, please renew your memberships by mailing in the form at the end of the newsletter or at http://www.ill-inps.org/index.php/membership/online-membership-form . Thanks for being a part of the Illinois Native Plant Society! -INPS President-elect Chris Benda INPS CHAPTER LOCATIONS NORTHEAST CHAPTER - Chicago Diana Krug (President) 312 - 504-6473 northeast.inps@gmail.com QUAD CITIES CHAPTER - Rock Island Bo Dziadyk (President) 309 - 794-3436 qc inps.home.mchsi.com IRENE CULL CHAPTER - Peoria Mary Hartley (President) 309 - 995-3356 havwool@winco.net FOREST GLEN CHAPTER - Danville Connie Cunningham (President) 217 - 516-1792 connieicunningham@ gmail.com CENTRAL CHAPTER - Springfield Annette Chinuge (President) 217 - 483-5893 annette@avrosvstems.com SOUTHERN CHAPTER - Carbondale Chris Benda (President) 217 - 417-4145 southernillinoisplants @ gmail.com 2 Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles about sedges by Linda Curtis. Carex Corner: The Fox Sedges and Panicled Sedges By Lindeaus (Linda W. Curtis) lcurtisbotanist@ameritech.com When I wrote about The Dreaded Ovales for the last issue of Harbinger, I received emails asking about the other dreaded sedges, the Fox Sedges and related Panicled Sedges. Some have the magic wand look similar to some Ovales with clusters or rows of spikelets at the end of a culm. Ovales culms tend to be more rounded or trigonous while Fox and Panicled sedges have sharper triangular culms. Morophology differences are often minute as the Fox and Panicled sedges have stamens at the tips of their small spike, while Ovales have stamens in the scales near the base of their spikes. By the time the sacs are mature, the stamens are long gone, and only thread-thin filaments remain. The most common Fox Sedge is Carex vulpinoides, (brown fox sedge) named for its resemblance to Carex vulpina, (European fox sedge.) In England, our fox sedge is known as the American fox sedge. Yes, our brown fox sedge crossed the Atlantic, probably shipboard in hay for cattle. Its habitat is the same and grows along roadsides ditches where rainwater forms puddles, and most wetlands. The long head has over a hundred flattish ovate to ovoid sacs, each with a seed-like achene. L-R: Carex vulpinoidea, seed head, sheath, and sacs. While C. vulpinoidea has one of the longest seed heads, usually 3-5 inches, the woodland C. cephalophora (short-headed sedge) has the shortest seed head, less than half an inch. Cephalo means “like a head" and Vulpin means “like a fox " presumably the tail. Both have firm wiry triangular culms. Continued on page 4. 3 Carex Corner: The Fox Sedges and Panicled Sedges Continued... A contrast in culms, the Panicled Sedges includes C. stipata , (common fox sedge), and has thick, soft pinchable culms that are more than triangular and winged on the three angles. Very few sedges have winged culms. This seed head is not a spicate, spike-like, but is a panicle. The lower side branches bear many small spikes that are barely discernable as a compound inflorescence. Carex are tricky, aren't they? C. stipata's sacs or perigynia are flattish, but are incurved on the inner face and plumper on the outer face, so are lanceoloid instead of flat lanceolate. In proportions, C. stipata's sacs are 3:1 to 4:1 length to width while C. vulpinoidea's and C. cepalophora's sacs are 1:1 to 2:1 length to width. Once you CAN SEE the proportions, you can't NOT see them. Size is an important when keying Carex species. C. stipata's sacs are larger than C. vulpinoidea and C. cephalophora, a comparison of 4-6 mm long to 2-3 mm long. L-R: Carex stipata, seed head, sheath, and sacs. Sheaths are important, first because grasses and Carex sedges seem similar and this distinguishes the two. Both have sheaths that surround the leaf attachment on their culms. Grasses have a split sheath while the Carex have a turtleneck or tube sheath. Ornate in some species, the tube sheaths of C. stipata have puckered fronts, C. vulpinoidea have cross-corrugate, and C. cephalophora, well, rather plain. ~Linda Curtis's humorous pseudonym Lindaeus, offers empathy for Linnaeus who first grouped the new worlds Carices. Lindaeus says, “The range of two similar species sac sizes will be the overlap size on any species you try to identify in the field." Linda Curtis is author of Woodland Carex of the Upper Midwest, www.curtistothethird.com The Best of Illinois Nature 2014 Illinois Botanizer recently published a photo album of nature photos from across Illinois in 2014 on his facebook page. This album may be of great interest to our members. You can view the album at this link (you do not have to have a Facebook account to view the album). https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.i5776Q707Qii2i 22.107274l847.1442286222q422088d:ype=l 4 SIUC Forestry and U of I Extension presents Winter Tree ID Hike You don't know a tree 'til you see it naked Learn how to Saturday, January 10 at 10am identify trees 7 7 without their Ray Fosse Park leaves 500 E. DeYoung St., Marion, IL Meet at the park sign QTT T Southern Illinois t-yJ-IL.' University Hikes will be held outside, dress appropriately I SIUC Forestry and U of I Extension presents Winter Tree ID Hike You don't know a tree 'til you see it naked Learn how to identify trees without their leaves Saturday, January 17 at 1pm Riverside Park Commercial & South 24 th St. Murphysboro, IL Meet at the park entrance siu Southern Illinois University Hikes will be held outside, dress appropriately I EXTENSION This program is free, but registration is required, limit 20 persons. To register and for further questions, contact Sonja Lallemand, lalleman@illinois.edu, 618-687-1727. This program is free, but registration is required, limit 20 persons. To register and for further questions, contact Sonja Lallemand, lalleman@illinois.edu, 618-687-1727. University of Illinois, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Local Extension Councils Cooperating. University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate this program, please contact 618-687-1727. University of Illinois, U.S Department of Agriculture, Local Extension Councils Cooperating. University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate this program, please contact 618-687-1727. WHAT IS THE MASTER NATURALIST PROGRAM? The Southern Illinois Master Naturalist program is designed to educate and train a corps of volunteers to provide support in the conservation, management, and inter- pretation of the region's natural resources. The Program provides science-based edu- cational opportunities that connect people with nature and help them become engaged environmental stewards. The Master Naturalist program is a combi- nation of education and service. With the help of local experts, University of Illinois Extension provides the educational support for the program, while the service is often done at one of the participating partner's locations. Each Master Naturalist partici- pates in at least 40 hours of initial training. Once training is completed Master Natu- ralists are involved in many different pro- jects to complete their 60 hours of volun- teer internship. This program is sponsored by University of Illinois Extension serving Franklin, Jackson, Perry, Randolph and Williamson counties. WHEN IS THE TRAINING? The classes meet weekly on Thursday at Giant city Park Visitor Center, Makanda IL. There arc several Saturday field trips for hands on training. The training will be from February 19 to May 7, 2015 WHAT TOPICS ARE COVERED * During the program participants will leant about many different aspects of the natural resources of the region. A combination of classroom instruction and hands on field work will be used to present information about : • Archeology • Aquatics • Botany • Birds • Forests • Soil/Geology • Insects • Mammals • Outdoor Skills • Prairies • Reptiles/Amphibians • Wetlands • Climate/Weather HOW DO I BECOME A MASTER NATURALIST? Space is limited. Registration ends January 16, 2015. The fee covering Unit 26 sessions of field training, posters, handouts, the Master Naturalist manual is $250.00. For more i nformation contact Sonja Lallemand Phone:618-687-1727 E-mail: lalleman@illinois.edu Website http://wcb.exlension.illinois.edu/fjprw/ 0 : investing in VOU SAVE THE DATE MARCH 20-22,2015 ILLINOIS INDIGENOUS PLANTS SYMPOSIUM John A Logan Center for BUSINESS & INDUSTRY, CARTERVILLE MORE INFORMATION JANUARY 30, 2DI5 PHDNE: 618 . 687 . 1727 http://web.extBnsion.illinois.edu/fjprw/ DISCOVER SOUTHERN ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS AND THEIR RARE SPECIES KEYNDTE SPEAKER: JOHN SCHWEGMAN The Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois has been working on the Forest Preserves of Cook County Natural and Cultural Resources Master Plan (NCRMP) this past year. The NCRMP will provide the foundation to achieve the goal set in the Next Century Conservation Plan of restoring 30,000 acres to high natural quality in 25 years. The first phase of this project has been completed and the public document part of the plan will be presented at the February 11, 2015 Centennial Board meeting. The public is invited to one of four information sessions where the identification and prioritization process for the 30,000 acres will be shared before the NCRMP is made public. Maps identifying the 30,000 acres will be shared during the presentation along with some results of the prioritization. The four sessions will be: PRAIRIE RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOREST PRESERVES of Cook County Saturday, February 7; 9am- 10:30am; Northwest _ Hanover Township Senior Center (http://qoo.ql/maps/Yblui ) ® ■ 240 S. Rt 59; Bartlett, IL Just south of Bartlett Road Saturday, February 7; 1pm - 2:30pm; North Mathew Bieszczat Volunteer Resource Center (http://q.co/maps/b iw9h ) 6100 N. Central Ave, Chicago, IL 60646 / 773-631-1790 South of Devon and Caldwell; North of Elston. Adjacent to Edgebrook Coif Course. Entrance is via double doors on front corner of large Tudor Cottage style building with circular drive and flagpole. Sunday, February 8; 9am- 10:30am; Southwest Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center (http://q.co/maps/5euqh ) 9800 Willow Springs Rd, Willow Springs, IL 60480 / 708- 839-6897 West side of Willow Springs Rd (104th Ave), 1/2 mile south of 95th St. Sunday, February 8; 1pm - 2:30pm; Southeast Sand Ridge Nature Center (http://q.co/maps/wtrcw ) 15890 Paxton Ave, South Holland, IL 60473 / 708-868-0606 On Paxton Ave two blocks north of 159th St. Each session will consist of an identical 1-hour presentation by PRI staff, followed by a 30-minute question and answer session that may focus more on the region where the meeting is being held. If you can't attend the session near you, we encourage you to attend one of the other sessions. **Volunteers and staff register to attend via the Online Volunteer System - https://ec.volunteernow.com/recruiter/index.php?recruiterID=1405<&class=OppDetails<£oppCuid=DAA2 5CE8-DA94-4669-A0C2-0052A7D9D9D2 ***AII others should RSVP to Brittany.Baumer@cookcountyil.qov . Save the Date for Wild Things! A Chicago Wilderness Conference for People and Nature Saturday, January 31, 2015 University of Illinois in Chicago Stay tuned for registration details in November! Keynote speaker Bill Kleiman, Steward of Nachusa Grasslands, will discuss: How the Bison Came Back Stewards and scientists restore human and natural communities at Nachusa Grasslands Chicago Wilderness for People & Nature Register today at http://www.habitatproject.org/WildThings2Q15/ Monarch butterflies could get federal protection As their numbers and habitat shrink, monarch butterflies could get U.S. Endangered Species Act protection. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said on Monday that a petition requesting federal protections for monarchs "presents substantial information indicating that listing may be warranted/' Monarch populations have shrunk by almost 90 percent in the last 20 years. http: / / www.chicagotribune.com/ lifestyles/ pets/ ct-pets- monarchs-1230-20141230-story.html Illinois Winter Tree Field Identification Guide Follow this link to download a free pocket guide to Illinois Winter Tree Identification published by the Forest Preserves of Champaign County. http://ccfpd.orq/NaturalReso urces/WinterTreelDpocketqui de.pdf The Next New Species Could be in Your Backyard: Why Exploration and Discovery Matter - Everywhere "Exploration at Waukegan beach - just 40 miles from downtown Chicago - found two Linyphiid spider species new to the Great Lakes Region. About 1 0 miles west of Waukegan beach, surveys at McDonald Woods Forest Preserve uncovered a new grass species, two species of sedges (Carex), two spider species, and a moss new to the state of Illinois. The Bog Rosemary was also just reported in Illinois for the first time in nearly 1 00 years." This article is by Gregory Mueller, chief scientist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and it explains that new discoveries can be made everywhere, and not just in exotic and hard to reach places. http://voices.nationalqeoqraphic.com/2014/12/17/the-next-new-species-could-be-in-your- backyard/ Invasive Species Corner Please look at the following resources for the latest in Invasive Species news. • University of Illinois Extension has announced the dates for its 2015 Illinois First Detector Invasive Pest Workshops covering important landscape and nursery pests, diseases, and invasive plants. Workshops will be offered at eight locations in Illinois beginning in January 2015. http://illinoisisam.bloqspot.com/2014/12/2Q15- first-detector-traininq-workshop.html • Many of the presentations from the 2014 Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference are now available online on the Midwest Invasive Plant Network's webpage. You can access the presentations at y http://mipn.org/UMISC-2014.html ILLINOIS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY Forest Glen Preserve 20301 E. 900 North Rood Westville, IL 61883 illinoisplants @ gmail.com www.ill-inps.org Dodecatheon frenchii French's Shooting Star 2014 Winter Harbinger - December 2014 Please consider renewing your membership as we approach the new year! You can renew/join by filling out the form below or online at our website, http : //www .ill- inps . orq/index . php/membership/online - membership- form Please become a member and support this local non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, conservation, and study of the native plants and vegetation of Illinois!!! Join us! Mr./Mrs./Ms./M iss/Dr. PI New member □ Renewal ^ n Address Change only ““ □ n Street □ City State Zio — □ Phone Number Membership Year n Email if YOU need to receive newsletters b\ postal mail" □ □ □ □ □ □ Society □(heel hcic PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO. ILLINOIS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY Forest Glen Preserve 20301 E 900 North Road Westville, IL 61883 Membership Categories Student $1 3.00 Individual $20.00 Family (new category) $30.00 Institutional ( non voting ». $20.00 Supporting $30.00 Patron $55.00 Life $300.00 Chapter Affiliation Central (Springfield) Forest Glen (Westville) Northeast (Chicago) Southern (Carbondale) Quad City (Rock Island) Irene Cull (Peoria) Cm lil GO GREEN! If you are receiving a black and white newsletter by postal mail, please help us lower our costs by signing up for an electronic copy in color. Please send your email address to illinoisplants@ginail.com to be added to our email distribution list. Please “like” us on facebook at www.facebook.com/illinoisplants .