IDAHO NdTIPE PL^NT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

VOL.. IX NO. 3 FEBRUARY-MARCH 1986

REMOVE ACT I V I T I EE LB CO A* I EE fxj H> Fv

February 20:

: Caldwell meeting at 7:30 pm in the herbarium, Boone Science
Hall, College of Idaho. The program will be on the life of

Isabel Mulford, early day Idaho botanist, by Carol Prentice.

March 20:

Boise meeting at 7:30 pm in Room 218, Science Education Bldg.,
Boise State University. The program, by Dotty Douglas, will
be on her botanical adventures in the Yukon.

April 5 : •

Saturday field trip to the Snake River, north of Weiser. Meet
at 8:30 at Perkins Restaurant, State St. and Glenwood for Boise
carpooling. Contact Trip Leader Steve Caicco at 334-3402 for
more details.

April 17:

Caldwell meeting at 7:30 pm in the herbarium, Boone Science
Hall, College of Idaho. Chris Davidson will discuss future
plans for the new Idaho Botanical Gardens.

April 19:

Saturday work day at the Idaho E<otani cal Gardens. Meet at
10:00 am above the old prison site with work clothes, lunch and
handtool s (shovel, rake, or tilling fork). Also bring plants
that can be transplanted if you have them. Best entry is by
way of Goodman Street off Warm Springs Ave. Call Chris David-
son at 343-8649 for more details.

May 3:

Saturday field trip to an oolitic limestone site south of
Bruneau. Meet at 8:30 am at Grant’s Truck Stop on Hwy ISO.
Contact Trip Leader Roger Rosentretter at 334-1734 for more
details.

May 17:

Saturday field trip to the Mores Creek area north of Boise.
More details on this trip will be given in the next newsletter.

X DAHO

BOTANICAL GARDEN InIEIUJS

The Idaho Botanical Garden, after completing its first year of development,
has made great progress. " This was a critical time for the Gardens, and we
are well on our way," said Director Chris Davidson. E-ieginning last spring, a
60 HP motor and pump was installed on the State's 800 ft. well and 1800 feet
of six inch pipe was layed to a storage reservoir. The reservoir and pump
are protected by a six foot chain link fence, topped by barbed wire. Alto-
gether, 2438 feet of six, four, and two inch pipe were layed to various
locations in the Gardens.

The Japanese Garden area, which received the most of the landscaping ef-
forts, is a small example of things to come. Here a meandering pool with a
basalt rock wall was constructed, 4500 sq. ft. of sod was layed, a fifteen
ton sandstone block shaped like the State of Idaho was erected, and 414
plants were set out. The plants included Japanese maples, bristlecone pines,
katsura trees, sugar maples, and many other shrubs and perennials. Most of
this was done in time for the Garden's dedication in September.

These accomplishments were possible by sizable money contributions and many
donations of plants, equipment usage, and labor. The Gardens received
$43,500 in contr i but i ons , with a total donation value of just under $110,000
during 19E!5. Two university students were employed under contract from
April to the end of August, however, much more time was donated.

Last fall, a two-bedroom bungalow was offered as a donation, and will be
moved on the site this coming spring. It will provide space for committee
work, a director's office, storage of records, and a meeting place for small
groups .

The Gardens now have about 110 members, including fourteen sustaining and
seven life. "We are very grateful for the support given us this past year,"
said Davidson, " and we extend an invitation to continue along with us and
watch what happens in 1986."

BOTANICAL BOOK REV I EWS by Cindy Hohenleitner

COMMON FOSSIL PLANTS OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA. William D. Tidwell, Brigham
Young University Press, Provo, UT. 1975. (Cost is $7.95)

Tidwell attempts to identify fossil plants that any collector, amateur or
professional will likely encounter and to explain the relationship of the
fossil plant to the plants of today. Eight pages of color plates
show typical collections of common f ossi 1 s , whi le pencil dr awi ngs aid in
c 1 as si f i cat i on .

Tidwell describes various methods of fossil plant preservation,
the cl assi f i cat i on of prehistoric plants, and explains how fossil
named. An index map to fossil plant localities includes two
sites in Idaho. Other charts give the relative age and types
flora that can be found at all sites.

d i scusses
pi ants are
collecting
of fossil

-GARDENING WITH NATIVE PLANTS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. Arthur R. Kruckebsrg,
University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA. 1982. (Cost is $24.95)

THE NEW WILD FLOWERS AND HOW TO GROW THEM. Edwin F. Stef f ek, Timber Press,
Beaverton, OR. 1983. (Sponsored by the Mew England Wild Flower Society, the
cost is $17.95)

The two books above are full of information on what types of plants do well
under cultivated conditions, where to find these plants, and how to use and
care for them in landscaping. Kruckeberg has a large section on ga.rdening
with native shrubs and trees.

Although both authors promote the use of natives in landscaping, both are
ecology minded. Steffek is particularly careful to point out endangered
species and that simply moving natives to safer locations doesn't necessar-
ily increase populations. Instead, he encourages propagation by seed,
division, stem and root cuttings, etc., so that already established native ,

plants are not destroyed.

t

I

TO

be:

OFFERED

[

A class on Idaho wildf lowers to be offered through Boise Community Schools
is scheduled to start in mid-March and run for six weeks this spring. Dick
Lingenfelter will teach the class at Borah High, however, the scheduling is
not firm at this time. Watch for the Community Schools schedule or call
Dick at 344-7742.

I

NO

FEBRUARY-MARCH 19S6

VOL. IX

1 DAHO Ivl^-rLJFt^L- AREAS by Bob Moseley
Mai m Gul ch

Malm Gulch, 14 miles up the Salmon River from Challis, has long been
recognized for its geologic and pal eon tol og i c significance, and in 1969 was
recommended as a potential National Natural Landmark. More recently, the
ecological significance of Malm Gulch was recognized by the Idaho Natural
Areas Coordinating Committee, which recommended that a portion of it be
designated as a research natural area.

Lands administered by the Salmon District, Bureau, of Land

sections of Idaho,

Located on Public
Management, Malm Gulch lies in one of the driest
receiving only seven inches of pr ec i p i tat i on annually,
sources exist and the stream channel is filled only by
flood. The major substrate in Malm Gulch consists of

colored volcanic ash.

No permanent water
an occasional flash
fine grained, buff-

The hot, dry climate combined with sparse ground cover on unstable ash
slopes creates a stark landscape, the feeling of which dominates the senses
of those who enter Malm Gulch for the first time. Salmon River wildrye
(El ymus amhiguus var. sal non is), a bunchgr ass , is the predominant cover of
hillsides while shadscale (Atriplex con fert i fol i a) is prevalent in the
valley bottom.

The principal biological feature of Malm Gulch is the high concentration of
disjunct and endemic plant species. Most of the disjunct species are more
common in the Great Basin while the endemic species, collectively referred
to as Challis endemics, are for the most part restricted to the Salmon River
canyon centered around Challis. These species include:

t

Endemics Disjuncts

The! y podium repandum

Oxytropis hesseyi var . sal monensi s
Astragalus amhlytropis
Astragalus aquiloT>ius
Crypt ant ha sal monensis
El ymus amhiguus var. salmonis
Eriogonum verrucosum s p . no v .

H ymeno pappus filifolius var. idahoens i s

E atonal 1 a nivea
E ncel i o psi s n ud i caul i s
Malacot hr i x t o rre y i
Oenothera scapo i dea
Langloisia setos i ss i ms
var. punctata
Penstemon ni tidus var.
pol yph yl 1 us

Other interesting plants include Astragalus platytropis and a pale-flowered
form of the widespread locoweed, Astragalus calycosus. Another Challis
i endemic, Chrysothamnus parry 2 var. salmonensis, has not yet been collected
in Malm Gulch but has a high probability of occurring there.

Today, the flora of Malm Gulch is in sharp contrast to what occurred there
during the Eocene Epoch, approximately 55 million years ago. Fossil sites
abound in Malm Gulch and have been studied by pal eobot an i st s from the
Univeristy of Idaho.

Vegetation represented by these fossils appears to have been a mixed
conifer-deciduous hardwood forest,. A conifer overstory composed of dawn
redwood ( Metasequoia ), redwood (Sequoia) , falselarch (Pseudol arix) , and
yellow cedar (Chamaec ypari s) towered over an understory of deciduous broad-
leaved trees such as walnut ( Juglans ), hickory (Carya) * hophornbeam

(Ostrya) , and hor sechestnut

(fit

al as )

Present-day -forests that most

closely resemble this extinct Naim Gulch forest occur in the mountains of
central China. Remnants of this moist forest, consisting of several
petrified redwood stumps still standing as they grew, are located near the
head of the drainage.

The BLN recognizes that Malm Gulch i s an area of environmental concern and
has moved to protect its outstanding features by fencing petrified trees to
prevent pilfering, and closing the entire drainage to livestock grazing and
motorized vehicles. Visitors must park at the fence near the mouth of the
drainage, just off of Highway 75, and wander through the unique environs of
Malm Gulch on foot. Peak flowering, which coincides with the "monsoon"
season around Challis, occurs in late May and early June.

THE SCROUNGERS NOTEBOOK By Pat Packard

ARCTQST APHYLOS UVQ-URS1 <L>) Spreng. Kinni kinnick. Bearberry.

North of the Snake in open spots in the Ponder osa and Douglas fir zones, or
sometimes even higher, this trailing evergreen plant covers sunny banks.
The bark is red brown and shreddy, the leaves dark green, oval and leathery,
less than an inch long. Cheerful red, slightly flattened berries are
scattered along the branches. Nothing else in our flora can be confused
with this.

The leaves have been assayed at 6-7/. tannin as well as the glycosides
arbutin, methyl arbutin and ericolin, a crystalline substance of resinous
character called ursone, gallic and ellagic acids, probably syrcetin , and a
yellow coloring principal resembling quercetin (Grieve & Leyel , 1931).

The tannic acid content makes it a good astringent, useful in treating
diarrhea and tanning hides. It has long been used as a diuretic and in
treating urinary tract disorders by both Indians and settlers. Gibbons
(1966) says certain consi tuents of the bearberry react with chemicals
normally found in urine to form hydr oqui none in quantities to be a potent
germicide in cysctitis, nephritis or urethritis. In some individuals the
urine will turn bright green. Since the leaves are often mentioned as having
possibilities for tea making, this might take some unsuspecting individuals
by surprise.

This was one of the ingredients of Indian smoking mixtures, as indicated by
the name kinni kinnick, usually used with red osier dogwood. It apparently
has a narcotic effect and is strongest in the winter.

The berries are available until late winter-early spring, although they are
seldom abundant. They are dry, mealy, and have little flavor other than a
tendency to tan your tongue. Cooking removes the astri ngency but does
little to help the flavor. They would be best added to stews or something
with flavor.

The quercetin-like molecule should have possibilities as a dye. Berries
produce a pale brown tinged pink on wool.

The plant itself is used horticultural ly to some extent. It is an attrac-
tive ground cover or planter box plant, but. the leaves turn dark red-bronze
in the winter at lower altitudes. It is a little difficult to root, but if
you have a liking for natives, it's worth the effort.

Botany is the art of insulting* plants in Latin and Greek...

~ 4

VOL . I X

NO

FEBRUARY-MARCH 1936

WILBUR D- ARBORETUM by Nancy Shaw

Wilbur May, the son of David May, a German immigrant who built the May
Department Stores Company from a retail business he started in a tent in
Leadville, Colorado, settled in Reno, Nevada, in 1936. A rancher,
businessman, adventurer, collector, and ph i 1 an thr op i st , he established and
operated the Double Diamond Ranch, known for its prise-winning black angus
cattle. As a continuation of his local phi 1 anthropi c tradition and concern
for children, Reno's Children’s Animal Feature, the May Museum, and the
Wilbur D. May Arboretum were established in his memory by the May
Foundat i on .

Development of the Arboretum on a 30 acre site in Rancho San Rafael Regional
Park, just north of the University of Nevada-Reno , is under the direction of
Dr. Edgar F. Kleiner and follows a master plan completed in 1984. A
topographi cal 1 y varied area, the park encompasses portions of Evans Creek, a
large associated wetlands, and bordering pasturel ands. Designed to provide
public service and cultural opportunities for a broad range of Nevada
citizens, display the aesthetic beauty of the plant world, provide
educational and interpretive programs, and conduct research trials for
selection of plants for specific landscaping purposes, "The Garden where the
Sierra Nevada Meets the Great Basin " now supports over 500 native and
introduced species.

Phase I of the ten phase development program, covering slightly more than
three acres, was completed in 1985. It includes a colorful entrance garden,
a residential demonstration garden for various energy conservation
techniques, a garden of miniature and old fashioned roses, and view garden
of the Evans Creek wetlands. Another interpretive garden features
landscaping to provide cover, food, and water for song birds. Landscaping
ideas with minimal water and maintenance requirements demonstrating
irrigation and mulching methods, and plants for very dry, dry, and moderate
water regimes are displayed in the xeriscape. Bank and erosion control
plantings of grass/forb mixes installed with the cooperation of the Soil
.Conservation Service on all steep banks are being monitored and evaluated.

IThe Sierra Nevada/Great Basin Nature Garden interprets the transition
.between the Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin. Organized into plant
(community groups ranging from Ponderosa Pine-White Fir Forests to the Salt
Desert Shrub Zone, the Fritz Went Interpretive Trail winds its way through
the Native Garden and provides information about each of the communities via
reader boards.

Further information, Arboretum Membership forms, and Donate a Tree Program
forms may be obtained by contacting the May Arboretum, 1502 Washington
Street, Reno, Nevada S9503.

Information for this article was provided by Joe P. Howard , Arboretum Horti-
culturist r for the Wilbur D. May Arboretum.

I NFS MEMBERSH I F" l—IST

A new membership list is being prepared and
of Sage Notes. To ensure your name being on
to receive the newsletter, be sure your dues
only $6.00. Mail those checks to our return

will accompany the April issue
the list, and that you continue
are up to date. Dues are still
address .

Zi

ABOUT OUR X DftHO NATIVE f='L_#=*NT SOCIETY

F'resi dent
Vice F'res
Secretary
T reasurer
Board Chr

OFFICERS

Roger Roaentreter
Steve Caicco . .
Agnes Miller . .
Wi 1 ma G1 uch . . .
Lynda Smithman

334-1734

344-3148

343-6234

343- 3026

344- 2650

Technical Committee

Pat Packard, Bob Steele, Nancy Shaw,
Dotty Douglas, and Bob F'arenti .

Lay Representatives

Freda Younger and Jerry Wood.

Newsletter Editor Joe Duft
Technical Editor Bob Steele

Sage Notes is published bimonthly by
the Idaho Native Plant Society, in-
corporated since 1977 under the laws
of the State of Idaho.

Membership in the Society is open to
all interested in our native flora.
Dues are $6.00 per year on an anni-
versary month /year basis. Send dues
and all correspondence to I.N.P.S.,
Box 9451, Boise, ID 83707.

Red dots beside dues dates indicate
that your dues have expired. You
will receive only two issues after
exp i rat i on .

DUE DATE FOR COPY MATERIALS FOR NEXT (APRIL) NEWSLETTER IS MARCH 20.

£bctf)o 9?atiue ^fartt Society

Pahove Chapter
Bo x 9451

Boise, Idaho 83707

LIBRARY

•APR 1 1 1988

roKK

BOTANICAL GARDEN