Colorado nfatirePlant liociety N E W SLETTER Volume III Number 3 May- June 1979 "Dedicated to the Appreciation and Conservation of the Couorado Flora" OFFICERS 1978/1979 MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS AND INFORMATION President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: Bill Harmon Tom Eaman Charles Olmsted Walt Ruzzo Sue Martin, USDA Crops Research Lab, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80523. BOARD OF DIRECTORS David Buckner Miriam Denham Virginia Dionigi Tom Eaman Gail Evans Hugo Ferchau Libby Goodwin Bill Harmon Karen Hollweg Charles Olmsted Mark Phillips J. Scott Peterson Jim Ratzloff Walt Ruzzo SCHEDULE OF MEMBERSHIP FEES Life $250.00 Supporting 50.00 Society 25.00 Family 12.00 Individual 8.00 Student & Retired 4.00 The CONPS Newsletter is sent to all other Native Plant Societies in exchange for theirs. Nonmem- bers may subscribe to the Newsletter for $4.00. CORRESPONDENCE All correspondence and inquiries regarding activities of the Society should be addressed to Charles Olmsted, 1419 15th Ave., Greeley, CO 80631 . COMMITTEES Endangered Species Education Environmental Documents Funding Horticulture & Rehabilitation Legislative Membershi p Publ ications Bill Harmon Virginia Dionigi Hugo Ferchau Walt Ruzzo Mark Phillips Libby Goodwin Sue Martin J. Scott Peterson NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Dieter H. Wilken, Dept, of Botany & Plant Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO 80523. The editor seeks articles of interest to all aspects of Society activities. Such articles should not generally exceed 4 typewritten, double-spaced pages, although consideration will be given to longer articles if space permits. Deadlines for the 6 bimonthly newsletters are the last day of January, March, May, July, Sep- tember, and November. NEW AMENDMENTS TO THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT On Friday, November TO, 1978, President Carter signed the Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1978, which restored funding to the Office of Endangered Species and significantly modified the Endangered Species Act of 1978. The Office of Endangered Species was out of business for 41 days, following September 30, when their funding expired. Perhaps the greatest change in the 1973 Act was the inclusion of an exemption process which may result in extinction of a species in the case of Irrevocable conflict with a federally funded or authorized project. This change was essen- tially a compromise brought about by the recent Supreme Court ruling preventing the completion of Tell i CO Dam because of the snail darter, an endangered fish. A number of members of Con- gress felt that the 1973 Act needed modification to provide for human and economic as well as biological considerations in resolving conflicts under Section Seven of the Act. (Section Seven required that federal agencies not jeopardize the continued existence of endangered or threatened species, or allow their actions to adversely modify such species' critical habitat.) For a project or agency to qualify for exemption from the Act, an exemption application must be approved by a three-member review board and a seven-member endangered species committee. For- mal consultation must be initiated with the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and a biological opinion rendered by the FWS before the exemption process can begin. The entire process would take a maximum of 540 days, or 570 days if ex- tinction of a species would result from exemp- ti on . The amendments had provisions for more rapid consideration of the exemption applications for the Tellico and Grayrocks projects (FWS had de- termined that completion of the Tellico dam would cause extinction of the snail darter, and the proposed Grayrocks reservoir is likely to jeopardize the existence of the whooping crane by altering its critical habitat). On January 24, the endangered species committee, chaired by Secretary of the Interior Andrus, ruled that the Grayrocks project could proceed and they prevented completion of the Tellico project. ^ The Grayrocks project was not particularly sig- nificant, as an out-of-court settlement was made which placed constraints on the operation of the Wyoming reservoir. A minimum flow below the dam was required and a 7,5 million tnist fund was established for the maintenance of the whooping crane's critical habitat. A new listing process for endangered and threatened species is provided for by the En- dangered Species Act Amendments. Public hear- ings are now required if critical habitat is listed. The hearings must be in the area of the critical habitat and must be publicized beforehand in a local newspaper. An analysis of the economic and other relevant impacts of critical habitat designation must accompany critical habitat proposals. The 1978 Amendments require simultaneous listing of a species and Its critical habitat, to the "maximum extent prudent". This apparently means that if publication of the critical habitat of an exploited endangered or threatened species may result in a potential increase in exploita- tion of the species, critical habitat listing can be foregone. This stipulation is important in regard to the exploited endangered and threatened cacti in Colorado— Pediocactus knowl - ton i , Sclerocactus glaucus , Sclerocactus mesa- verdae , and Echlnocereus triglochidiatus var . Trie nn is . If a species is listed without accompanying designation of its critical habitat, public meetings are not required unless requested by any person within 45 days of listing. According to the new Amendments, if a species or critical habitat remains proposed for two years and has not been finalized, it will be dropped from the proposed list. The species may be reproposed only if additional information ind=^ eating a need for final listing is obtained. le approximately 2,000 currently proposed endangered and threatened species (1,850 are plants) have a one year grace period to remain proposed (begin- ning on November 10, 1978). Section VI cooperative agreements (including matching state funds with federal funds on a 1/3 to 2/3 's basis), formerly just available for animals, also are now available for plants. Unfortunately, the protection against exploita- tion of listed plants, which was very weak under the 1973 Act, has not been changed by the 1978 Amendments. Only interstate sale involving commercial activity or change of ownership of a listed plant is prohibited. There are no prohi- bitions against the "taking" of plants, their intrastate transport and sale, or their inter- state transport if not involving conmercial activity or change of ownership. Enforcement of the Endangered Species Act by the Office of Endangered Species is expected to be slowed as a result of the 1978 Amendments. The stopping of the Tellico project, which was 90 percent complete, was important in that the ruling indicated the extinction of a species will not be taken lightly. In their ruling, the endangered species committee mentioned that a cost: benefit analysis doesn’t support com- pleting the project. JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT NATIVES The workload accompanying each listing process will be greater due to the new re- quirements for economic analysis and public hearings. According to John Spinks, Chief of the Office of Endangered Species, the Fish and Wildlife Service was anticipating listing approximately 200 species in fiscal year 1979, Due to the new amendments they now expect to list no more than 20 to 30 species within fis- cal year 1979. Appropriations for enforcing the Endangered Species Act were authorized for only an addi- tional 18 month period, ending on March 31, 1980. At that time they must be reauthorized by Congress. —Jim Ratzloff The CONPS Education Committee's slide bank is being put to good use this year in Jefferson County Junior High Schools. For one 9-week term, life science students learn the ecology of the prairie. During field studies, they measure environmental conditions (i.e. wind, slope, light intensity), identify and map distri- bution of prairie plants, and study plant adap- tations that enable survival in the semi-arid environment. Last year, In a preliminary pilot of the program, students had difficulty identifying plants. This year slides will be used in the classroom prior to the field work to teach students the names of the more common natives (e.g. EASTER DAISY, SAND LILY, YELLOW VIOLET, CONE FLOWER, PENSTEMON, and BLAZING STAR). Teachers are enthusiastic about the approach and students are frequently amazed to find wlldf lowers growing and blooming in the "desert'* in which they live. Since 1/3 of Jefferson County Schools are on a year-round schedule, classes will be using the new Prairie Unit during the summer months as well as during the spring and fall quarters. This year the program is in use in 8 schools, with 22 teachers and over 2000 students involved. If all goes well, ca. 6000 students at the seventh-grade level district-wide will be out on prairie lands learning about plants and animals during the 1980-1981 session. Bob Heapes is thanked for his generous contribution of color slides to the Colorado Native Plant Society's Education Committee slide bank. — - Karen Hollweg FIRST NATIVE WILOFLOWER OF THE SEASON Few people took advantage of our contest to find the first native wildf lower of the year. Despite the low number of records offered for consideration, Mrs. W. H. Anderson of Denver Colorado provided us with a photograph to document a Townsend 1a exscapa blooming on the 18 of February just north of Walsenburg. Credit should also go to Ann Cooper and Rick Sanborn, of Boulder and Florrisant, who provided records for both February and March, despite the lateness of the season. Mrs. Anderson received a copy of Anne Bliss' new book "WEEDS. A GUIDE FOR DYERS", as an award for her observation. CORRECTIONS TO H. VI. RICKETT'S WILDFLOWERS OF THE UNITED STATES: CENTRAL MOU'NTA'lirs~AND PLAINS , Now that soring has come^ members of the CONPS may be checking their identifications of native plants in this 3-voIume work recently published by the New York Botanical Garden. I was a named collaborator in these volumes but never was asked for mv opinions on identifications of the photo- graphs. In fact, at least 1 photo of my own, submitted with the correct name, had its name changed to an incorrect one during publication. Members may indeed find more, but many of the photos were taken at a distance and are incon- clusive. In the following list, the plate number is given, followed by the given name (if necessary, with the position on the page), followed by the^ correct identification and notes. I have not attempted to cotiment on situations in which my usage of nomenclature differs with the authors*. Plate and pubi ished Name : Correction and Notes : 8 . 33, 54. 56. 61. 62, 64. 76. 82. 91. 105, 156. 159, 164. 167. 170. 171. 172. 174. 175. 197. 226. 234. 242. 246, 252. 253. 254. 255. 256. Zyqadenus venenosus Eriogonuiii u mbel! atum (upper left) Clematis hirsutissima (upper right) Anemone drummondii Potentilla oyina PotelTFrnT pTattensis UaldsteinTa id ahoensis Draba crasslFolia Physaria australis Stellaria calycantha Pseudocymopterus montanus Androsace lehmanniana Gentiana prostrata Acerates lati folia Phlox lonqi folia L eptodactylon caespitosum rpomopsis aggregate [upper left) Gaultheria humifusa Phacelia splendens P'hacel ia demTssa flonpda pectinate Haplopappus parryl Helianthella quinguenervis Aster follaceous Towniencli a par ry i Cirsium fol iosum CTrs i um pi at tense Saussurea americana Chaenactis alpina Artemisia frlgida lemmonii Frasera montana (Gentianaceae) Eriogonum subalpinum . I am aware that Reveal synonymizes the 2 but in Colorado they are distinct without question. Clematis scottii The light green leaves belong to Acomastyl i s rossil but the flowers + darker leaves "belong to Pry as octo^tala . Potentilla crinita var. AcomaitTlTs rossiT Sibbaldia procumbens Draba crassa Physaria be1 1 i i 3 Stellaria, the leaves alternate, but difficult to tell what It might be. Harbour la trachypleur a Androsace carinata , see the other picture below, of the same species, Gentiana bisetaea Howell, an endemic of southwestern Oregon Asclepias cryptoceras Phlox multi flora or a close relative. more likely a Paron ychia more likely Ipomopsis attenuata Arctostaphylos uva^-ursT " Phacel ia sericea another specfes of Phacelia ; P^. demissa has simple leaves, possibly Monarda punctata probably ^Tldago spathuTata Helianthel l a cal 1 for n lea Aster g laucodes Xylorhiza venusta Cirsium coloradense Cirsium nu ttal 1 1T Saussurea weberi (S^. americana has petiolate triangular, Edentate leaves ! ) Chaenactis douglasii Artemisia pedatifida Any additional corrections would be welcomed. — William A. Weber EDITORIAL The following editorial appeared in the Journal PLANT WORLD in 1901, 78 years ago. Its message is appropriate even at this late date. Thanks go to Frank Hawksworth, who brought it to the NEWSLETTER'S attention. "It has not usually been found necessary to protect plants against botanists, for no true plant-lover will uproot the last specimens of a rare species, no matter how much he may desire them for his herbarium. The perpetuation of a plant in its original habitat Is of far more importance than the possession of the last-known dried Specimen of it. But with some amateurs and the pestiferous “summer visitor" the case is far different, and well may concealment be re- sorted to .to save the showy, rare or otherwise interesting plants from vandal hands. The pass- ing of the climbing fern from many of its New England haunts is still too fresh in mind to permit of experiment. It is, therefore, with feelings of profound astonishment that we open the pages of a recent Issue of a prominent botanical journal, and find therein the adver- tisement of a well-known railroad under the caption: 'If you are looking for the best botanizing in the Eastern States you should save up pennies enough to visit The * * Then follows a two page list of rare or in- teresting plants, with explicit directions how to reach them--via this railroad! Of course this advertisement, or the essential part of it, was written by a botanist [sic], and evi- dently a thoroughly competent one, who has sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, possibly in the form of an annual pass over this rail- road: The certain effect of turning loose a horde of more or less irresponsible people among “rare" plants Is shown conclusively in the ^ame issue of this journal, and in the seme State 1 Following is the wail of despair: *CoMp- toBorus 1 ‘hizophyllus . In one locality only, growing over a ledge, near *. When I last visited the place in 1894, the plants were being decimated by local amateur collectors.' 'Twelve years ago Adiantwn pedatum was very common all about this region, but the plant has been so much sought after by summer visi- tors that it is practically extinct In all accessible localities.' Need anything further be said?" MAY 27 FIELD TRIP A SUCCESS! Thanks to the efforts of Jim Ratzloff and Scott Ellis, the May 27 field trip to the western slope was a great success. Jim and Scott introduced us to the rare and unusual plants of the western slope via a slide show in Hotchkiss on Saturday at 7:00 PM and the next day they covered the unusual Mancos shale vegetation between Paeonia and Delta. The field trip concluded with a lunch and hike to the unique hanging garden sites of Escalante Canyon, west of the Gunnison River. A total of 21 persons attended. Following is a partial species list observed by members of the field trip and compiled by Jim Ratzloff, Atriplex confertifol ia Artemisia tridentata Astragalus asclepiadoides Asclepias cryptoceras m ium textile Androstephium breviflorum Atriplex gardneri Atriplex corrugate Abronia fragrans Aristida lonqiseta Astragalus linifol ius* Arne 1 g ^ cb j er u ta hens is Astragal u s mo 11 1 s s 1 mus A quilegia~micrantha Istraqalus chamaeTFuce Al liign aHrmi natuiTi Bromus tectorum Brickellia sea bra Betula occidental is Cirsi urn calcareum Chryso’thamnus nauseosus Calochortus nuttanii Cymopterus bul bos us Cryptantha paradoxa Camissonia eastwoodae Cymopterus fendleri Camissonia sea po idea ChaenactiT stevioides Ceritoides Tana t a Chrysothamnus greenei Chrysothamnus linifol ius Cl erna t i s T i gus t1 eff q] Comandra umbe11ata~ Coryphantha missotlrlensis Descurainia sophia Distichlis stri'cta Delphlniiwi scaposum Eriogonum lonchophyl Ium Erysimum repandum Eriogoniin fnflatuni Eriogonum pelinophilum* Echinocereus triglochidiatus var, melanacanthus Enceliopsis nutans Erodium cicutarium Eriogonum microthecum Festuca o ctoflora Fraxinus anomala Fendlera rupicola Gutierrezia sarothrae Gilia sinuata Gaillardia pinnatifida Ga Tium col oradens i s Hymeno pappus filifoUus Halogeton glomeratus Hi 1 aria James i1 Hymenoxys acaulis Hap 1 0 pa p p us s pTCT o $ us Heterotheca vlllosus Ipomopsis pumila Ipomopsis polycladon Juniperus osteosperma Kochi a americana Kochi a scoparla Lepidium perfoliatum Lappula redowski i Lactuca serrioTa Lepidium densiflorum Lappula texana Lepidium montanum Leuce 1 ene er i co 1 des Mai col ml a afrlcana Monolepis nuttalllana Mentzel ia thompsoni i Muhlenberqia asperifol ia Muhlenberg la richards oni s Mentzel ia albicaulTs Malacothrix sonchoides Mirabil is multiflora Mimul us eastwoodiae^ Oenothera caespitosa Oryzopsis hymenoides Qxybaphus linearis Opuntia polyacantha Opuntia phaeacantha Opuntia hystricina Poa bulbosa pQPulus anqustifolia Phraqmftes austral is Phlox longi folia Penstemon retrorsus* Physaria acutifol ia FFiaFeTia splendens Psi lotrophe bakeri PI a tyschkuri a 1 n^gr i folia Phacelia corrugata Pi an ta g o patagonica Pinus edulis Rhus trilobata Ranu n culus testiculatus SaIsFla kali Suaeda torreyana Stanleya albescens Stan ley a pinnata S tenogonum flexum Stenogonum flexum Sarcobatus vermiculatus Sp haeralcea coccinea Si tarn on hystrix Sisymbrium elegans var. juniperorum S enecio multilobatus Strep'tanthus cordatus Streptanth el la longirostris Si syrn'brTuinri n i To 1 1 urn Sal IX exTgua Sclerocactus glaucus* Smila'cina stellata Typha latifoTfa T amar ix pentandra Tetradymi a spinosa Xylorrhiza venusta The above list clearly attests to the diversity of the western slope flora and to the result of a second year's exceptional rainfall I *Plants marked with an asterisk represent extremely restricted distributions or endemics to the area visited on the field trip. FORT COLLINS CHAPTER HOSTS GRASSLANDS FIELD TRIP 37 persons attended the June 2 Field Trip sponsored by the Fort Collins Chapter of CONPS. The field trip, led by Marvin Shoop, Jerry Dodd, George Turner and Robert Engle, covered portions of the Pav/nee National Grasslands east of Fort Collins. The early summer flora was in abundance and the field trip leaders, accomplished researchers of the northern Colorado grassland ecology, provided excellent accounts of the dynamics of vegetation and vegetation change in the Pawnee Grasslands. Following is a partial list of the species observed: Atriplex canescens Agropyron smithiT” Astragalus gracilis Allium textile Artemisia frigida Bouteloua gracilis Ch ama e $y ce~f end 1 er i Cleome serrulate Comandra umbellate Cymopterus acauTTs Carex hel iophila Cryptantha jatpesll Dlstichli? spicata Echinocereus virldiflorus Euphorbia robusta Eriogonum effusum Ipomopsis spicata Lepidium densiflorum Lappula redowski 1 Leucocrinum montanum Lomatium oriental e Lupinus pusiTIus Musi neon d i var i cat urn Opuntia polyacantha Oenothera coronopifol ia Qryzopsl5~ hymenoide? Penstemon albidus Penstemon angustifol ius PI ant ago purshii Phlox bryoides $ p b a e r a I ce a coccinea Sporobolus cryptandrus Stipa comata Senecio tridenticulatus ScuteTTaria brittoni i Sis.ymbrium aTtissimum Sporobol us a i ro i des Tradescantia occidental is Viola nuttallii LAST but certainly NOT LEAST plentiful Buchloe dactyl oi des . Acknowledgement goes to Walt Ruzzo and Beth Painter for organizing the field trip and to Sue Martin for providing the species list. Colorado IVativePlant Society ANNUAL MEETING SATURDAY OCTOBER 27, 1979 1;00 m IBWER BOTANICAL GARIENS, 909 South York Street, Denver PROGRAM "COIDRADO KALEIDOSCOPE" The pRoaw will c»nsist of audiovisual presentations previewing forthcoming Native Plant Society field trips, an opportunity to become acquainted with THE DIVERSITY OF COLORADO'S VEGETATION AND PLANT SPECIES. ArEAS TO BE "visited" include t>€ Pawee National Grasslands, Piceance Basin, Rocky Mountain Alpine, the western slope of Delta and Mesa Counties, southeastern Colorado and the Denver Metro area. The annual meeting of the Colorado Native Plant Society is open to all interested in the native flora of Colorado and the public is encouraged to attend.