ID.4H0 N^TIl'E PL.4NT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER VOL. IX NO. 5 JUNE- JULY 1986 JUNE (fro* Alan Chadwick's Enchantsd Cardan) The festival we have developed here at the garden for solstice consists of two parts. One, a quiet, simple ceremony for the members of the garden community, takes place in the late morning, lasting until about noon. Then there is a period for personal reflection and observation, when the gardeners can walk in the garden and think about all that has come to fruition and flower there. Then, in late afternoon, people from the surrounding area are invited to visit, to enjoy entertainments such as music, pantomimed fairy tales, and juggling. After that there is a great meal, with dishes prepared by all the gardeners, and an evening of folk songs, dancing, and socializing. A wonderful feeling grows all day long. PAHOVE ACTIVITIES CALENDAR Who is invited on these Pahove field trips? How much do you need to know about plants? Everyone is welcome - you, your friends, your children. We have all ranges of experience in our member- ship, so all you need is interest. If you've never been on one of our field trips, now is the time when the flowers (and bugs and birds) are out, so we hope you'll join us. And invite a friend ! June 14 Saturday field trip to Craters of the Moon National Monument. Leave from Grants Truck Stop, Hwy 84 (Broadway exit) in Boise, at 8:30. If you wish to join us there, meet at the Monument Visitor Center at noon. Or plan to camp with us Friday night at the Monument group campground, and go on a hike Saturday morning. RSVP to trip leader Steve Caicco at 334-3402 (work) or 344-3148 (home) . Bring lots of water and sunscreen, as it will probably be hot. June 28: Saturday field trip to Ponderosa State Park by McCall. A variety of vegetation types including wetlands, mature forests, and open sagebrush slopes makes this an exciting location. We've reserved the Pavilion at the Park for a picnic after the field trip: bring a dish to pass. Meet at the Perkins Restaurant on State Street and Glenwood at 8:30. RSVP Michelle Stevens at 334-9488 (work) or 344-3148 (home). July 12: Idaho Botanical Garden work day. Meet at the Japanese Garden at 9:00 a. a. with your garden tools. July 26: Saturday field trip to Mt. Harrison in the Albion Range south of Burley, in search of Castllleia christi i . Cymopterus davisi i and Machaer anther a laetevirens . See Bob Moseley's article in this issue for sore information on the area. Meet at the Grants Truck Stop on Hwy 84 in Boise at 8:00. R5VP Steve Caicco at 334-3402 (work) or 344-3148 (home) . Some of us will be camping in the area, and you're welcome to join us. FROM THE EDITOR You will probably see some changes this issue, as there is a new editor. The first thing you will probably note is format changes; Joe Duft is a word processor wizard, and it will take a while to live up to his excellent standards. Hopefully we will continue to hear from him in articles in the newsletter; rumour has it he's going to use this next year for travel, global botanizing, and adventure. It seems appropriate to use this first issue to thank Joe for his efforts on the newsletter and in organizing the Idaho Native Plant Society. Many people have been reminded of things they've forgotten by a phone call from Joe. Thanks from all of us, Joe. We wish you a very good year. Editorial changes often reflect the interests of the editor. I am by training a wetland ecologist, so there will be a column on wetlands. It also seems relevant to consider a broad perspective when looking at plants. What is the community like where they live? What environmental influences affect the plant community or plant population? I would also like to include articles from the readers on revegetation and restoration, gardening, your favorite plant (for whatever reason), or anything else you're interested in. This is your newsletter. I would very much like to know what you're interested in. Write or call and tell me any ideas for articles or fieldtrips. Also, we need your help to increase our membership. Bring a friend on a field trip. It would be nice to send out complimentary copies of our newsletter to prospective members; we just need to know names and addresses. Contact Michelle at 334-9488 (work) or 344-3148 (home) . 2 CRATERS OF THE MOON NATIONAL MONUMENT by Steve Caicco “An area of about 60 miles in diameter, where nothing meets the eye but a desolate and awful waste, where no grass grows, nor water runs, and where nothing is to be seen but lava.” from The Adventures of Captain Bonneville, by Washington Irving (1868). Cratera of the Moon National Monument lies adjacent to the foothills of the Pioneer Mountains along the northern edge of the Snake River Plain. The cinder cones and lava flows within the Monument lie at the northern terminus of a series of fractures known to geologists as The Great Rift. This volcanic feature includes two major lava fields known as the Craters of the Moon Flow and the Wapi Flow. The southern terminus of the rift lies over 50 miles south near Minidoka. Included are more than 1000 square miles of lava. Contrary to Irving's bleak landscape, the lava flows within the monument abound with plant and animal life. In fact, much of the the National Monument and the Craters of the Moon Wilderness, which surrounds it, is quite densely covered with plant life. This vegetation can be divided into two broad types: a shrub community in which bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) and mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. vasevana ) predominate over a mixture of bunchgrasses and herbaceous plants, and a limber pine (Pinus f lexilis) woodland. This is a unique ecologi- cal role for limber pine which is commonly found on the drier slopes of the adjacent foothills. More barren areas do occur, however, but even these are not devoid of plant life. Cinder fields have a unique, though sparse assemblage of bristly cryptantha (Cryptantha interrupta ) , dwarf and Suksdorf's monkeyf lowers (Mimulus nanus and M. suksdorf i i ) . and dwarf buckwheat (Eriogonum oval if ol ium var. depressum ) . The presence of the latter plant is unusual, since it is generally found at much higher elevations. Even the lava flows, which appear to harbor no life at all, on closer inspection can be seen to be covered with a variety of brightly colored lichens. Also included within the National Monument, but unknown to many, is a lush riparian vegetation with black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa . quaking aspen (P. tremuloides ) , chokecherry (Prunus virqiniana . mountain alder ( Alnus incana) , and water birch (Betula glandulosa) . We have reserved the group campground for Friday evening and Saturday. The entrance is on the north side of the highway about 1/4 mile past the turn-off to the visitor's center. As an educational group, we will probably qualify for a waiver of the campground and park entrance fees. Remember to bring boots, sun screen, water bottles, and light-colored clothing. 3 i IDAHO NATURAL AREAS by Bob Moaeley Mount Harrison - Sawtooth National Forest The Albion Mountains, located in Cassia County, is a narrow massif rising nearly 6000 feet out of the Snake River Plain south of Burley, The highest peak in the northern end of the range is Mount Harrison, which at 9265 feet, commands a spectacular view of southern Idaho and northern Utah, The road from Albion leads to the lookout tower on the very summit of the mountain. Above 8800 feet in elevation, the road emerge® from the forest and traverses gently-sloping, subalpin© meadows containing a rich assortment of grasses and f orbs . These meadow© are habitat for two of Idaho's rarest plants, Christ's indian paintbrush (Cast i 1 - leia Christ i i > and Davis' wavewing (Cymoptarus davisi i ) . Christ's indian paintbrush is endemic to these meadows on Mount Harrison. Extensive searches over the last 20 years in neigh- boring ranges and peak® of the same range have produced no other population®. John H. Christ was the first to recognize it as an undescribed species while on a collecting trip to the mountain with James Reveal on July 16, 1966. Noel Holmgren named the new species in honor of John Christ, who, in addition to being its first collector, has probably collected more plants in Idaho than any other botanist. Davis' wavewing is only slightly more widespread than Christ's indian paintbrush. In addition to Mount Harrison, it is known only from the summit of Cache Peak, 10 mile® to the south and the highest peak in the Albion Mountains. After 50 years of confu- sion among plant taxonomists, Ron Hartman, of the Untv . of Wyoming, determined this Cvmopterus new to science and published the new name in 1985. He named it in honor of its first collec- tor Dr. Ray J, Davis, for the significant contribution he has mad© to knowledge of the flora of Idaho. Although the meadows on top of Mount Harrison have been grazed by cattle and sheep during th© last century, a small basin on the southeast ©id© of th© mountain remained relatively undisturbed. Th© Idaho Natural Areas Coordinating Committee has recommended that this area b® designated a Research Natural Area CRNA) by the Sawtooth National Forest. The basin is a steep-walled cirque with a vernal pool at th© bottom. Most of the area Is cliff, boulder, and sere© slopes, although stands of sagebrush-grass, subalpin© fir and limber pine, and a krummholz forest on the cirque rim add to th© habitat diversity. Also, there Is evidence that another Idaho rarity, vivid green aster ( Machaeranthera iaetevirens) , may occur in the RNA . This plant, historically known from only a few sites in Idaho and Nevada, has not been seen by Idaho botanist® for many years. Th© flowering period coincides with our field trip and a thorough search of the RNA may produce a rediscovery of this aster. 4 MORE BOTANICAL PUBLICATIONS by Nancy Shaw McArthur, E. Durant; Welsh, B.L., compilers. Proceedings: sym- posium on the biology of Artemisia and Chrvsothamnus : 1984 July 9-13; Provo, UT; General Technical Report INT-200. U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Federal Building 324 25th Street, Ogden, UT 84401 Third in a series of proceedings of symposia on wildland shrubs, this publication brings together current knowledge of plants belonging to two important genera. Topics addressed by the 54 papers include distribution, systematics, genetics, revegetation and control, animal relationships, ecological relationships, entomology, pathology, and physiology. » * * McPherson, E.G.: Graves, G.H. Ornamental and shade trees for Utah; A tree guide for Intermountain communities. Utah State University, Cooperative Extension Service; 1984. 144 pp. (Cooper ative Extension Service, Extension Bulletin Room, UMC-50B, Utah State Univ., Logan, Utah 84322. $15.00 mail order, $10.00 at the window) . Detailed information is provided for 15 native and 85 exotic trees growing in the Intermountain area; they are classified by size, form, and appropriate uses in home and community landscap- ing. Descriptions provide information on tolerance to Intermoun tain climatic or microclimatic conditions, plant availability in the area, and characteristics including aesthetics, utility and problems with the species. Maps of Utah campuses pinpoint specimen plants of each species. FIRST SPRING FIELD TRIP by Cindy Hohenleitner We began the field trip season on one of the first warm, sunny days of spring at Steck Park near downstream on the Snake River from Weiser. Only the earliest of the spring flowers were in evidence: Brassica campestris. with its many bright yellow flowers, sparkling blue Chor ispora tenel la . and Balsamorhiza sagittate splashing yellow across the sagebrush steppe foothills Phlox species, Draba verna , Microster is gracilis, and Astragalus purshi i were also in bloom. These wildland flowers often get dismissed as weeds; the word reflects an opinion. A burst of spring color, regardless of its reputation, is always welcome after a long winter. 5 MAKING GARDENING MORE FUN by Robert Rodale (excerpted from Organic Gardening. June 1986) There are sources of garden satisfaction that exist beneath the surface, deep in the spirit of both the gardeners and the garden. You can see evidence of those hidden garden values if you watch long enough, and are a keen observer. But the happiest gardeners feel the deep, inner pleasures every day. They sense through the enhancement of their spirit a kind of pleasure that is far more stimulating and renewing than the good feeling that comes from satisfying work. In their gardens, they learn to touch the life rhythm of the earth itself, and that renews them. I feel that regeneration la the word (and the idea) moat able to lead ua to a more clear understanding of the inner pleasure of gardening. A garden is a place for continual renewal, regrowth, and rebirth. If you look at a garden once, you will not see that. But watch it over the seasons - or for just one season - and the process of regeneration becomes clear. Just think of the word flower, for example. It mean both a bloom, and the act of blooming. Flower ia both a noun and a verb. We watch gardens not only to see f lowers, but to see buds become flowers. And in a way, we flower inside as we watch those buds open. We react in a aimilar way to the growth of trees and the sprouting of seeds. Our purpose as gardeners is not only to get plants to flourish, but to watch them achieve their potential. We flourish as our plant grow. That realization is the first step into regeneration gardening. FIELD TRIP TO OOLITIC LIMESTONE SITE by Cindy Hohenleitner and Roger Rosentreter The May 3 Pahove field trip went to Mudflat Oolitic Limestone site. The main distinguishing features of the Mudflat site are its unusually high diversity and the presence of numerous uncommon plant species including (Murphy milkvetch. Astragalus camptopus : Federal Category 2; Mulford's milkvetch. Astragalus mulf ordae. Federal Category 2; Elmore milkvetch. Astragalus purshi i var. ophiogenes. Federal Category 3c; Bristly langloisia, Langloisia puncata ; False sunflower, Encel iopsis nudicaul is; and Matted cowpie buckwheat, Eriogonum shocklevi var. shockley . Most of the Mudflat site is located within the Chalk Hills Formation, a lake bottom deposit of interbedded sands, silts, and volcanic ashes. The Chalk Hills Formation is overlain by beds of coarse sand and oolitic limestone which mark the base of the Glenns Ferry Formation. Oolitic limestones, which are comprised Oolitic Limestone Site \U D2 !** •T- nr T.Y ■«**, „ . , -4> *‘ ,J • •- OUR IDAHO NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY Off leers President-Roger Rosentreter Vic© President-Steve Caicco Secretary- Agnes Miller. . . Treasurer-Wilma Gluch . . . Board Chr-Lynda Smithman. . 334-1927 334-3402 343-6234 343- 3026 344- 2650 Technical Committee Dotty Douglas, Pat Packard, Bob Parenti, Bob Steele, and Nancy Shaw Lay Representatives Freda Younger and Jerry Wood Newsletter Editor Associate Editor Technical Editor Michelle Stevens Steve Caicco Bob Steele Sage Notes is published bimonthly by the Idaho Native Plant Society, incorporated 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 anniver- sary month basis. Send dues and all correspondence to I.N.P.S., Box 9451, Boise, ID 83707 Red dots beside due dates indicate that your dues have expired. You will receive only two issues after expiration . DUE DATE FOR COPY MATERIALS FOR NEXT (AUGUST) NEWSLETTER IS JULY 20. OSp/s pv APR 1 1 tggg ®°fAN! CAL GARDEN QSfc’OI AN 11 xuojg uap_jpg ie^iuB^oa ;|joA mbN A-je jq t-| H3X3