SHORT I A NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB SPRING 1984 HELEN TURNER, Editor OFFICERS President: Dick Smith Treasurer: Vice President: Elton Hansens Historian: Secretary: Margaret Canfield ABOUT YOUR CLUB DUES Dues are on a calendar-year basis and, as a ma payable after the Annual Meeting in late January. New members are assessed for a full year’s dues, but if they join during the last quarter their initial payment will be applied in full to the next calendar year. At the 1984 Annual Meeting it was voted to increase dues to a flat $8.00 per year, and this amount now will automatically include all members of one's immediate family. Those who paid their 1984 dues in advance at the previous rate are asked to please remit the difference to the Treasurer at their convenience. Margaret Kuhn Louise Foresman itter of convenience, are DID YOU KNOW? The 77 persons attending the Annual Meeting found long tables and down the center of each, a row of colored crepe paper covered with branches of grape ivy, dog hobble, and Euonymous. (Jeanne Smith donated paper and some of the greenery.) These were dotted with 98 flowers made of green, yellow and white felt by Millie Blaha who donated them and the centerpiece on the Officers’ table for sale after the meeting — which netted $24.25 for WCBC. Jean Covington succeeded in identifying the flowers as Blahamia feltonia var. Millie. ( At the Annual Meeting Bruce Leech was presented with the Second Wind Hall of Fame Award for outstanding achievement in retirement. Bruce was president of WCBC for 1978 and 1979, has been a frequent hike leader and member of the scheduling committee. Most of us know Bruce for his help to new members and to those needing transportation, and as the always available substitute leader. Congratulations, Bruce! In a letter dated January 30, 1984, Dick Smith wrote to Helen Turner: "I am delighted to tell you that you have been elected an Honorary Member.... This is one more way of saying ’Thank you’ for the out- standing work you have done and are continuing to do in the interests of the Club — and most especially toward the success of SHORTIA.” (ds). WELCOME -- NEW MEMBERS Hendersonville unless otherwise stated Collins, James Si Marjorie, Rt. 8, Box 211, Howard Gap Rd ... 692-2686 Cookingham, Charles Si Louise, 1528 Dawnview Dr 692-6953 Donnell, Estelle H. , 1045 Greenwood Dr 692-3150 Haag, Charles & Velma, Rt. 1, Box 89, Brevard, NC 28712. ... 885-2581 Harris, Fred Si Constance, 1117 Sylvan Blvd ..692-8149 Ilg, Harry & Martha, 603 Britton Creek 693- 1457 Large, Ashley Si Therese, 5 Samara Dr 891-34-46 Orbison, Dr. Lowell Si wife, 60 Brookwood Rd., Asheville .... 253-6 1 60 Stone, Mel & Emma, 62 Wilkie Way, Fletcher, NC 28732 684-4298 Thornton, Merle Si Phyllis, 3110 Cardinal Lane 692-8728 Wright, Chester Si Helen, 125 Rockwood Dr., Greenville, SC 29605 4 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from IMLS LG-70-15-0138-15 https://archive.org/details/shortianewslette6141 west LOOK AGAIN ! Among the springtime delights of the Southern mountains must be counted the two species of Iris whose flowers seldom reach more than four inches above the forest floor. The Crested Dwarf Iris (I . cristata) is so named because of the three whit e-and- y allow ruffles fanning out from the center of each light blue or lavender sepal. These crests are accentuated by a blotch of white bordered in violet. By contrast, the one known simply as the Dwarf Iris (I . veraa) lacks these raised crests, having instead a flat orange band flanked by white streaks, and this appears against a background of intense violet. It holds its petals semi- erect, whereas those of cristata spread out in a more nearly horizontal plane. These are the most conspicuous dif- ferences, but there are others: For example, I. cristata likes the light shade of rich woods but lj_ verna is more likely to be found in an open rocky or sandy habitat. Also, the leaves of cristata are relatively wide (up to an inch) ; in I _j_ verna they are grasslike , under a half- inch, and have a way of elongating greatly after flowering. This might lead one to think that they belong to one of the taller species of Iris, but the only native one common in our area is I^ virginica, the Southern Blue Flag, and this grows in wet places, usually along the edges of streams. Because the anatomy of Iris flowers is so peculiar, the nomenclature used in keys can be puzzling until one understands their structure. This drawing identifies their principal ex- ternal parts — except for the stamens , which are concealed beneath the styles. 25T ' RAMBLINGS — PEOPLE, PLANTS AND PLACES From mid-November to mid-February, the usual transition from outdoor to indoor meetings took place. Here are the highlights. ^ The BALD TOP MOUNTAIN hike has been a favorite close-in trip (in the Fruitland area) and 29 persons started out on a cloudy grey day which later became a warm sunny one. We all enjoyed swishing through the heavy leaf cover on the trail — all uphill though gradual. At the top the view was lovely as we sat on the rocks and ate our lunches. This late in the season, we found 15 flowers in bloom and identified 31 trees. The popular trip to VANWINGERDEN' S GREENHOUSES interested 37 persons — as always many plants, besides the sea of poinsettias, were blooming with a great variety of foliage plants; this is always an enjoyable trip. The last hike of the year to HENRY CREEK FALLS drew a small number, but those who hiked the trail found it pleasant along Avery and Henry creeks with frequent stream crossings (bridges) and a view of the Falls. The new year 1984 began with a presentation by Ivan Kuster entitled RANDOM RAMBLES WITH WILDFLOWERS which included very interesting and lovely slides mostly of bog plants, many found up north in the Lake Huron area. A session held at Hallowell's involving a small number who signed up for IDENTIFYING NATIVE TREES IN WINTER was so successful, a second meeting was held the following Monday. The first day, Dr. Orbison showed slides for some 30 minutes, then gave each member a packet of twigs to identify. The afternoon was spent outdoors identifying some 34 native trees and 5-6 non-native trees on Hallowell’s property. The second session met on the UNC-A campus for a class in the morning and fieldwork in the UNC Botanical Gardens in the afternoon. All felt they had learned so much and had really enjoyed these sessions. Our thanks to Dr. Orbison and the Hallowells. Our annual program, THE BEST OF ALL OF US, refers to the best photo- graphy of the year with any members who wish to participating — a great variety of beautiful botanical slides, some of interesting places and some humorous subjects slipped in — enjoyed by all. Our ANNUAL MEETING again drew a large crowd (77 persons) and was held once more in the lovely room in the Parish House of St. John-in- the-Wilderness church. All looked very Spring-like, thanks to the ideas and efforts of Jeanne Smith and Millie Blaha; the latter made all the lovely bright felt daffodils strewn midst greenery along the center of the tables and in the bouquet on the speaker's table. During a streamlined and well-organized meeting, the members agreed with Board recommendations that all contributions to other groups be considered later in the year in accordance with availability of funds, and that dues be raised to $8.00 across the board (single and/or family units alike). All officers, except one, agreed to remain with this President for another year and the membership so voted. Sam Childs resigned as he has become so involved with the Rock Garden Society plans for hosting the 50th Anniversary of the American Rock Garden Society. So Elton HTansens was elected Vice President. Bruce Leech received the Second Wind Hhll of Fame Award. The great variety of delicious food and the companionship made this the usual memorable occasion. v The program GALAPAGOS JOURNEY was presented by Barbara Hallowell in her usual thorough and interesting style -- with commentary well thought out and beautifully written flowing smoothly to enhance lovely and enlightening slides. Some 80 persons attended and felt they had at last visited the islands off the coast of Ecuador. HIDDEN COLOR IN NATURE turned out to be a most interesting collection of varied slides highlighting very tiny spots of color, ones we often miss unless looking very closely. Marion wrote and read the script to go along with Tom Keith’s beautiful and sometime breathtaking slides — 57 persons really enjoyed this presentation. At this session Helen Turner thanked WCBC for making her an honorary life member; we are all so glad Helen is able to come to some of the meetings again. So we have made an auspicious start in 1984 — happy hiking until our next report. Louise Foresman, Historian ATTENTION BOTANIST-PHOTOGRAPHERS ! Do you have a slide of goldenseal? Or swamp pink? How about bunched arrowhead? Venus’ flytrap? Or any of the other officially designated rare plants of the Carolinas? We would like to assemble a program next winter as part of our expanded involvement with the protection of endangered and threatened plant species, which will be kicked off with a discussion and field trip on March 19th and 20th. We’ve prepared a list of selected species for you to check against your slide library. You might also want to use this to see how many more you can locate and photograph during the spring and summer. See Dick Smith for a copy. WILDFLOWER AND BIRD PILGRIMAGE The Twelfth Annual Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage at Asheville has been scheduled for May 4-6, 1984. Dick Smith has been invited to be this year’s speaker at the evening program on Friday, May 4, in the Humanities Lecture Hall, University of North Carolina at Asheville — which means that the theme will again be botany! (Last year’s program was presented by Mr. Hugh Morton, but earlier speakers have included numerous botanists, such as Dr. Wilbur H. Duncan and Dr. Orson IC. Miller, Jr.) The Pilgrimage is sponsored jointly by UNC- Asheville, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the University Botanical Gardens at Asheville. ********** If, at the January 20 meeting you missed getting the address for information about a wonderful summer nature/conservation week — a National Yfildlife Federation Summit — here it is: Conservation Summits, National Wildlife Federation, 1412 16th St., N.W. , Washington, DC 20036. Call Barbara Hallowell (692-4316) for more information. MICRO-ECO-SYSTEMS In field trips, we see flowers, name the. ^^t^we wonder^hy^hey are* ?herr^d°why°they sometimes do not make an appearance? j ov-p where we find them, we have to Before we can understand why F ferences either environmentally know some of the factors ° 5 light minerals, temperature, water or genetically - such as amount of a“\nors in’ reproduction and and exposure and, above all, the critical^ ^ plantS) as well as seed formation. -1" ® ,nto groups or systems —consisting of specific species’ -^compe ting with both environmental factors as well as biological factors. . nr._ often large in extent, such as beech-maple or oak-hickory The systems are often large in > involving hundreds of varying forests. These are extremely P ’ contrast we can observe small factors and many secondary species. all iicro-systems are not systems with limited species numbers. t”^°f ac tors. It is as complex but, nonethel , itioal,. Qr limiting factor in contrast relatively easy to isolate the cniicax to the macro-eco-systems. , trios we encountered rock slopes where some In this season s field P > . d water runoff was high. At plants held on to slopes where ' had m places, micro-systems Dupont Falls the irregular steep slopes , F about equal of "spike mosses" and Caldonia lichens Both gr allo„ed a in biomass, but not quite m equilibrium. This inequ a foo?io?dCal VaCUUAga“darwh^Iside’MouHt3airrnear Cashiers a more gentle^rock slope tgain had spike - time°were available, Swouldmprobably yield an ans"erc*°d^®aSUeSti°n: Why differences in ihe ratios . of spike mosses to Caldonia. So in future field hikes, we can °^Vew^ra^rt“eyrIheIe?SyHowmiong and ask ourselves the basic long will they ^,^r^W2S%^hSeioWoS to the tiny —habitat? / WILDFLOWERS OF HOLMES STATE FOREST Last Winter WCBC P^se^ted a narrat ^“d«9|~S“e°of' I™!)!"' effort. Eldon Hansens, who c°°^inated ^^nPtoJmor; th£n 3300 people during the 1983 season this P"[°gra® ls in preparation and nearing A sequel on summer and fall wildf P slides and the completion. WCBC is retaining a copy of each accompanying tape. Last August President Dick Smith appointed a Committee on Community- Relations to explore possible expansion in roles and activities of WCBC. As the committee members discussed this topic, it became apparent that input from individual Club members would be helpful, so a plan to put a questionnaire in the Spring issue of SHORTIA was announced at the WCBC Annual Meeting. Please complete the following form and return it to Elton Hansens 110 Old Kanuga Place Hendersonville, NC 28739 no later than March 31. Within WCBC would you be willing to: Lead field trips? Serve as assistant leader? Present programs? Scout new areas for field trips? Assist with social activities (picnics, dinners)? Write for SHORTIA under the guidance of the editor? Within the community would you be willing to participate in service projects sponsored by WCBC, such as the following: Weeding at University Botanical Gardens in Asheville? Preparing exhibits for libraries and other groups? Permitting copying of your slides or prints for educational purposes Developing and maintaining trails? Monitoring populations of rare plant species? Acting as nature guide for adult groups? youth/school groups? Giving nature programs for groups other than WCBC? Topics : COMMENT : Name : Phone : - ' S H 0 R T I A Vol. VI No. 1 A quarterly publication of the Western Carolina Botanical Club Editor: Helen Turner Carolina Village, Box 126, Hendersonville, NC 28739 Production Committee: Dorothy Rathmann, John & Margaret Kuhn Please submit contributions for next issue by May 15, 1984 pew SHORTIA NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB SUMMER 1984 HELEN TURNER, Editor OFFICERS President: Dick Smith Treasurer: Margaret Kuhn Vice President: Elton Hansens Historian: Louise Foresman Secretary: Margaret Canfield DID YOU KNOW? Blue Ridge Tech is offering two courses this semester taught by WCBC members. President Dick Smith is teaching "Spring Wildflowers" to a capacity class both in the classroom and on field trips. Harry Logan is teaching another of his popular series, "Rock Gardening and Wildf lower Cultivation." Shortia and Trill iums at Charlie Moore's Preserve suffered considerable damage from deer in the winter and early spring. Damage was reduced when Charlie and some friends piled brush atop beds of Shortia and other valuable plants. More recently si;c Club members, led by Millie Blaha, helped clear the brush from the Shortia, removed windfall branches from trails and did some weeding in preparation for the WCBC hike and, more particularly, for the tours June 7 to 11 by groups from the American Rock Garden Society 50th meeting in Asheville. Charlie also reports that HINDER has been sprayed on Trilliums and appears to prevent feeding by deer. Snowbird Lodge guests have enjoyed leadership on hikes and evening programs between April 27 and May 18 by three of our members: Elton Hansens, Miles Peelle and Dick Smith. They were ably assisted by their wives. Much enthusiasm for this resident naturalist program was expressed by guests at the Lodge and by the program leaders. A second narrated slide show will soon be available for use in the educational program at Holmes State Forest. Millie Blaha' s script on summer and fall flowers will be recorded and illustrated by 80 slides from the collections of Dick Smith, John Kuhn, the Hansens' and the Blaha' s. No doubt this program will be shown to hundreds of children and adults just as the popular "Spring Wildflowers." The WCBC also has both programs (slides, script, and recorded cassette) for use by any Club member for personal viewing or public showing. Contact Elton Hansens. WELCOME — NEW MEMBERS Hendersonville unless otherwise stated Blanchard, Ted Sc Ruth, 41 Dogwood Lane, Brevard 28712 885-2814 Flocke, Frank G. Sc Kathryn 1041 Blythe St., Britton Creek #205 692-4244 Glasgow, Charlotte, 1041 Blythe St., Britton Creek #20 1 . . . . 693-99 1 8 Johnson, Kurth Sc Marguerite , 402 Foulk Rd., Wilmington, Del. 19803.. Pardee, Marion H. , 1041 Blythe St., Britton Creek #203 ..... 692-284 1 Pearson, Leonard Sc Ruth, 1619 Hebron St 693-9706 Rieger, John Sc Gene H. , 925 Greenwood Dr. #1 697-0469 LOOK AGAIN ! To most of us the word "daisy" means that lovely immigrant, the Ox-eye Daisy, which has made itself so much at home all over temperate North America. It can, in fact, be very invasive, and while farm- ers may call it "Whiteweed" in their more charitable moments they are known to have applied some less flattering epithets to it. Generally, though, it has come to be looked upon as pretty much the quintessential flower; ask a child to draw a picture of a flower, and you sire almost certain to get a daisy. Scientifically, it is Chrys anth emum leucanthemum, meaning "golden flower, white flower". — a name that's hard to beat for a composite made up of yellow disc and white ray florets. Although we have few showy species answering to that description, there are two other naturalized Europeans with which it might be confused. Both are in the genus Anthemis, bear slightly smaller flower-heads with dome- shaped centers, and have leaves that are finely dis- sected into threadlike segments (unlike those of Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, which are irregu- larly lobed or toothed). A. co tula is known as Stinking Mayweed and, as might be expected, has a disagreeable odor. Its rays, which tend to droop, are sterile. The other species, Aa_ arvensis ,. is called Field or Corn Chamomile and is odorless. It can also be readily distinguished from A^_ cotula by its fertile ray flowers. (The herb from which camomile tea is made is A. no bili s) . The other white- and-yellow composites in our area may have a few short rays (e.g. Parthenium) or very numerous narrow ones (Erigeron) , or they may, in the case of some Asters, look like scaled-down "daisies", but invariably they will have compound inflorescences rather than solitary flower- heads. 25T EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES The twelfth annual Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage was held May 4-6, 1984 at UNCA in Asheville, NC. In past years as well as this one, our Club has been requested to furnish guides for the tour of the Thomas S. Shinn Gardens. This year, thirteen people volunteered to help with this project. Saturday, May 5, was a beautiful day and the flowers were good; however, attendance was small. Sunday was pretty much of a "washout” due to the hard rain. However, our guides were right there with rain gear and umbrellas and did what had to be done. i At the annual WCBC meeting, the membership authorized the Club to build a trail on Millie Pearson's property for the purpose of viewing her beautiful wildf lowers. Millie suggested we approach the project with the concept of an "Indian Trail." Due to the terrain we had to go farther than the Indian Trail concept in a few places. However, all of the workers felt it was very adequate for viewing the flowers on Millie’s property. The project is now completed. Seventeen people participated for a total of 120 man-hours of labor. Our President and twenty-one members of WCBC will participate at the fiftieth anniversary meeting of the American Rock Garden Society in Asheville from June 7 through June 11. Dick Smith will lecture Thursday, June 7, at 8:00 PM in the Lipinsky Auditorium of UNC Asheville; his subject will be "Pioneer Botanists of North Carolina." Elizabeth Greiner is in charge of table decorations for the Deer Park Banquet at Biltmore Estates. Twenty members of our Club will serve as guides for the five all-day tours: one day for special gardens of the area — Shinn, Ogden and Biltmore; two all-day trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway — one East and one West; one day at the Cradle of Forestry and Cove Creek; and another at Charlie Moore's wild garden in Brevard plus a stroll along Davidson River. The guides, in alphabetical order are: Millie Blaha Peggy Camenzind Sam Childs Jim Collins Marjorie Collins Barbara Hallowell Elton Hansens August Kehr John Kuhn Charles Larus Bruce Leech Harry Logan Nan Morrow Linwood Murray Lowell Orbison Millie Pearson Miles Peelle Fred Rees Martha Taber Sarah Taylor A few members of the Club braved inclement weather on April 24 to weed beds in the University Botanical Gardens in Asheville. We are hoping for better luck for another work day scheduled for May 29 to help other volunteers prepare the Gardens for the American Rock Garden Society meeting mentioned above. N y \ 1 f ' ' QUESTIONNAIRE HELPS PLANNING The last issue of SHORTIA contained a questionnaire asking which activities members would lead or assist on within the Club and seeking ideas and workers for activities in the community. A limited number of answers were received and they have been tabulated. The Program Committee used the data in planning the July - December program. Those planning social activities have a list of persons who will help with picnics and covered dish affairs. Best of all, the Community Service Committee has lists of those who will help us educate the larger community with exhibits, programs, etc. One idea envisions a unique enrichment partnership between high school students and WCBC members. The students we seek would have ability and excitement for learning experiences in biology. A committee of Larry Kenyon and Bill Verduin is exploring the idea with high school guidance counselors and biology teachers. A number of other ideas will also be examined and reported later-. Elton Hansens RARE PLANTS On March 19th, Rob Sutter, North Carolina's Endangered Species Botanist, outlined to our Club the State’s proposed "Species Watch" project and asked us to consider participating in it. The plan is to organize a statewide network of volunteer botanists to monitor known rare plant populations and search for new ones, inventory rare species, and act as liaison with the public concerning threatened and endangered plant species. These are functions which the State considers necessary but often are neglected because of staff and budget limitations. Ordinarily, each volunteer's activities would be limited to a radius of 50 miles and to a maximum of five field days per year. Funding is being sought to enable the State to pay mileage allowances and a modest daily fee to volunteers engaged in specific projects. Your officers feel that WCBC would be an ideal entity for coordinating these activities in our part of the State, and believe that our membership would provide an adequate source of volunteers. Assuming enough interest is indicated to support our participation, we will be furnished in January with a set of projects for the year (to start in March with Shortia galacif olia) , and these will be assigned to individual volunteers or small groups. Raleigh will provide us with data base information, and in turn our reports will furnish the State with updated information. Although this is a volunteer program, the State will be relying upon us to perform this important work and, accordingly, we will be expected to assume responsibility for seeing that it is accomplished. The first step will be for us to establish a pool of potential volunteers. If you would like to be counted in, or want more details, please see either Dick Smith or Elton Hansens. ‘ RAMBLINGS — PEOPLE, PLANTS AND PLACES From mid-February (how long ago that seems!) through May 11, this Club has been very busy indeed. A highlight indoor program was NATURE TRAILS OF THE NORTHWEST — after some eight weeks out there Elton and Aline Hansens came home with spectacular slides which 63 persons really enjoyed. Twenty seven persons trekked the familiar trail up BLACK MOUNTAIN in Pisgah Forest — "hardy souls" was not applicable this year as it was a beautiful, sunny day with the temperature in the mid-60's. Two indoor programs brought people out: ROCK GARDENING IN AMERICA at which meeting 29 persons found the slides and commentary by Harry Logan interesting. In presenting WILDFLOWERS AND THEIR WAYS, Millie Blaha kept 63 persons interested in her smooth, well thought-out commentary as George manned the projector — some of the slides were his, too. The Carrick Creek trail along the creek .at TABLEROCK STATE PARK, SC and the nearby PACOLET area of f ered lovely hikes and many early flowers blooming (PACOLET replaced the scheduled STATION COVE FALLS area where prior scouting revealed nothing in bloom) — 32 persons enjoyed being out on this beautiful day. Two special, early week meetings took advantage of the expertise of Robert D. Sutter, Plant Industry Division, NC Department of Agriculture (the State’s endangered plant species program) . As an Endangered Species Botanist, he discussed rare plants and their conservation for 39 most interested persons. The following field day was cancelled because of heavy na-Ln although Dick Smith and Ivan Kuster arrived to go with Rob Sutter and they encountered no rain in SC. Again, there was a generous supply of doughnuts and coffee for us as we watched slides and heard Dick's commentary before taking the trail to SYCAMORE FLATS — 36 persons enjoyed it all. Some 31 persons hiked on a beautiful warm day at LAKE JOCASSEE — members who know her well were happy to see Helen Turner out with the group again. On each of the hikes in March a few more flowers were in bloom -- a sure sign of Spring's arrival. A new trail from the Fish Hatchery parking lot provided a good hike for 11 persons interested in LICHENS -- again Dr. Herb Sierk was leader and the day was warm and sunny; all liked the new trail. The NC BOTANICAL GARDENS and the DUKE UNIVERSITY GARDENS were the destination of 23 of us who met at the Duke Motor Lodge in Durham. The day at the NC Botanical Gardens proved very interesting especially to those of us who had not been there before. At 5 PM, when all were looking forward to "happy hour" the call came from an enthusisatic staffer to "just walk in the woods to see a bit of their forest property" — in clothes and shoes not really appropriate, we hiked for some 2 1/2 hours arriving back at 7:30, famished. Needless to say, "happy hour" was forgotten as we hastily put food on the table, buffet-style, and at 8 PM ate our supper. The Sarah P. Duke University Gardens' Native and Wildlife plant area was interesting to us all as Ed Steffick took us on an extended tour explaining what he had done and whart he envisions doing. He left us at the more formal gardens to enjoy the truly beautiful blooming flowers and trees. All seemed to feel that the trip had been a successful, worthwhile one. BOB’S CREEK POCKET WILDERNESS trip was cancelled because of heavy rains. The trip to PEARSON’S WOODS and Millie’s home on a beautiful day was, for 43 persons, one of the highlights of the season. We hiked a new trail some members had been working on and saw many wildflowers in bloom. Millie Blaha took us along the JONES GAP TRAIL along the Middle Saluda River, SC — a trail new to some of us Catesby trillium and long-spurred violets (Viola rostrata) were blooming profusely. CHARLIE MOORE’S PRESERVE is always a spot for an enjoyable hike but in late morning the rains came down and by noon were so heavy only some of us ate under the shelter; the rest ate in their cars — the terminus of this hike. GWYNN VALLEY was a new area to some of us ; 11 persons enjoyed the lovely valley meadows and the sight of lambs only a few days old cavorting around near to their ’’mamas”; the forest trails were lovely with many flowers; and we ate our lunch at the edge of the lake. It was much too wet for the work day in the UNIVERSITY BOTANICAL GARDENS, ASHEVILLE — only 3 persons showed up. The trip to PEACHTREE ROCK AND STEVENS CREEK, SC, planned as an ’’overnight” was cancelled because of the forecast of heavy rains and weather too ’’iffy” for such a long drive. The DAVIDSON RIVER trip was cancelled the five persons who met deciding not to go in the rain. BIG CREEK IN THE SMOKIES was also rained-out but the three persons who met wanted to go anyway so Bill Verduin led the way and they found no rain on the other side of the Mountains and masses of flowers. MOORE COVE. FALLS turned out to be a lovely hike for 17 of us — a sunny day, heavy flow of water over the falls and many flowers along the trail. Another rainy Monday cancelled the YELLOW GAP AND HUMP MOUNTAIN TRIP; Bruce Leech decided the drive was too long to make with such uncertain weather. One of the Club's favorite trips, COXCOMB MOUNTAIN near Barnardsville was enjoyed by 20 persons; the larkspur (delphinium) , Indian paintbrush, showy orchis, trillium and umbrella leaf are still there, most in profusion. Although five out of 18 hikes were cancelled because of heavy rains, we nevertheless have managed a rather breathtaking schedule in the past three months that has taken us to new and lovely areas — happy hiking! Louise Foresman, Historian In 1982 Lady Bird Johnson took a "giant step” for the preservation of wildflowers by helping establish the National Wildflower Research Center to "help people recognize the importance of native and self- sufficient wildflowers and to learn why, where and how to grow them on public and private land.” During lunch at LAKE JOCASSEE a visitor, Mr. Bransford, told us about this project and distributed packets of seeds. For further information write to the National YYildf lower Research Center, 2600 FM 973 North, Austin, TX 78725. . ■ S H 0 R T I A Vol . VI A quarterly publication of the Western Carolina Botanical Club Editor: Helen Turner Carolina Village Box 126, Hendersonville, NC 28739 Production Committee: Dorothy Rathmann, John & Margaret Kuhn Please submit contributions for next issue by August 15, 1984 ,rJ V yfjfigfcW*#* flOrrAJWC* SHORTIA NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB AUTUMN 1984 HELEN TURNER, Editor ■ OFFICERS President: Dick Smith Vice President: Elton Hansens Secretary: Margaret Canfield Margaret Kuhn Louise Foresman Treasurer : Historian : DID YOU KNOW? Four members of WCBC will be teaching classes at Blue Ridge Technical College during the fall terra: Landscaping for the Homeowner — Harry Logan, instructor 10 classes on Thursdays, 1:30-4:30 PM, starting Sept. 27. Two sessions at Blue Ridge Tech and then trips to observe gardens. Knowing the Insects — Elton Hansens, instructor "Knowing the Insects" involves recognition of some of the major groups of insects and discussion of modifications in structure and habits to fit the environment. Methods of rearing and collecting insects are included. 11 classes on Tuesdays, 1:00-4:00 PM, Sept. 25 - Dec. 5. Main campus. About Birds — Tom Hallowell, instructor "About Birds" covers characteristics, habits, adaptation, migration, and the relationship of birds to man, with emphasis on identification of birds in WNC, especially Hendersonville area. 8 classes on Tuesdays, 9:00 AM - noon, starting Sept. 25, and 2 field trips at times determined by class. Main campus. Trees of Western North Carolina — Barbara Hallowell, instructor "Trees of WNC" includes identification of native trees and information about trees as individuals and as forests. 8 classes on Tuesdays, 9:00 AM - noon, starting Sept. 25, and 2 field trips at times determined by class. Do it up right! Take a morning class with Tom or Barbara, have a leisurely lunch, then top it off with Elton's afternoon class. WELCOME — NEW MEMBERS Barber, A. F. & Iva D. , Box 115, Flat Rock 28731 693-6217 And a change of address: Roblin, Richard & Jane, Carolina Village Box 88 Hendersonville 28739 ^97-9724 , ' LOOK AGAIN ! In the northeast, where there is only a single species, Turtlehead is thought of as a white flower, but actually there are three others in the genus -- each pink or rose-purple in color and southern in distribution — and all four occur naturally in our area. The one with the most restricted range is probably our most abundant. It is Chelone lyonii, and is limited to the western Carolinas and eastern Tennessee where it is often found in spruce- fir forests. Its leaves are its best distinguishing mark; ovate, rounded at the base, and tapering to a long point, with a slender petiole from i" to lj" long. The short sterile stamen, which in all Turtleheads arises, from behind the four anther- bearing ones, is white, sometimes pink-tinged at the apex. Less common is C_»_ cuthbertii , a plant of wet meadows and bogs whose distribution is divided between a few mountainous sections of North Carolina and the coastal plain in Virginia. It is the only species with leaves that are both rounded at the base and sessile; other distinctive clues are the purple color of the sterile stamen and the arrangement of the flowers in four definite vertical ranks. Chelone cuthsertu The third pink species, infrequent in our region, is C . obliqua. Hers the leaves are broadly lanceolate, tapering to a short petiole, and the sterile filament is white. Then we come to glabra , which ranges over a wide area all the way from Newfoundland to Alabama, and is scattered across the two Carolinas. Typically its flowers are white, but they may be suffused with green, yellow or purple; the sterile stamen is green. Its leaves are virtually sessile, but the blades are mors narrowly lanceolate than in C_^ obliqua. It is highly variable, and several of its forms are considered by some to be separate species, notably C. montana and C. chlorantha. EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Verbal bouquets of appreciation are due the 21 members of WCBC who served June 7-11 as guides for the all-day tours scheduled by the American Rock Garden Society's 50th anniversary committee. Organized by Sam Childs, they comprised the majority of the guides used by ARGS that week. They contributed considerable time and effort to show and explain the botanical scene of WNC to nearly 300 "outsiders," and enthusiasm ran high as ARGS participants expressed delight with what they saw and learned. The guides in turn were pleased by the association with many excellent botanists. Rewards worked both ways! From cove hardwoods to Canadian zone peaks, from natural gardens with native plants to formal ones with imports and exotics, from ferns to firs and Asarums to alpines, WNC put on its best botanical display through a week of perfect weather. A list of the WCBC guides was printed in the summer SHORTIA, but the names of John Peavey and Ivan Kuster were inadvertently omitted. Apologies! The Club expresses thanks to you, and Sam, and ALL the guides for fine service, and special thanks go to Dick Smith for his excellent evening program on the pioneer botanists of NC and to Elizabeth Greiner, who was in charge of decorations for the Deer Park banquet . The week was memorable, informative, and fun. Wish you all could have been there! F. H. Cabot, treasurer of the American Rock Garden Society wrote on June 29, 1984 to those involved with the 50th Anniversary meeting: "As a result in part of your help and involvement, the 50th Anniversary meeting of the American Rock Garden Society generated contributions as follows: North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill $3,000 Bluff Mountain Preserve of NC Nature Conservancy 4,100 University Botanical Garden, Asheville ± 5,000 American Rock Garden Society ± 5,000" Sam Childs expressed pleasure with this distribution, noting that at past annual meetings of ARGS the Society had kept half or more of the funds for their own treasury. A BOTANICAL TIDBIT from Miles Peelle: The oily sheen of buttercups is produced by a combination of oil filled outer cells plus an inner layer of white starch cells, which act as a mirror to increase the brightness of the petal. (From: Proctor "Color in Plant and Flowers" 1978). ■ LOST, FOUND, AND SAVED Kate Furbish, born in Exeter, New Hampshire in 1834, developed a singular ambition — to draw and paint all the native plants growing in the state of Maine. From her later home in Brunswick, Maine, she spent years traveling alone in the Maine wilderness collecting and painting plants. Over 4,000 sheets of her dried plants are in the Gray Herbarium at Harvard University. In the summer of 1880 she journeyed through the remote valley of the St. John River in Aroostook County where she discovered an unknown member of the Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) family. A specimen sent to Harvard was determined to be a new plant and it was named for her - Pedicularis f urbishiae , the furbish lousewort. Although Kate included a painting of it in her collection, after her death her paintings were scarcely noticed. Interest in Kate’s work was sparked when this lousewort was rediscover ed in 1976. Professor Charles Richards of the University of Maine, searching for rare plants along the proposed impoundment area of the Dickey-Lincoln dam of the St. John River, saw to his amazement plants of the furbish lousewort. Further investigation showed that this rare plant could be destroyed if the dam was built since it only grows along the high water line of the river. Here was a case where under the law the furbish lousewort could block a $700 million project The story broke in November 1976 with headlines blaring "Flower Power Stops Electric Power. : There were repercussions with pressure to write "Common Sense" into the Endangered Species list. A group of concerned environmentalists became involved in the problem, including Dick Dyer, botanist for the U.S. Fish St Wildlife Service; John Jensen, director of the Maine chapter of the Nature Conservancy; Professor Richards; and others. Subsequent searching by this group revealed that additional colonies of Pedicularis prevailed down- stream from the proposed dam site, but only along the banks of the St. John River and nowhere else in the state. Although the decision to construct the dam had not at that time been determined, the Nature Conservancy gave consideration to acquiring some of the downstream habitat land to assure preservation of this rare plant. To learn of the current status of the project, I recently had a phone conversation with John Jensen of the Conservancy. He happily stated that plans for the dam construction have been indefinitely delayed. The Conservancy found that it would be most difficult to acquire suitable habitat land due to native ownership resistance. The furbish lousewort is thriving and under Endangered Species protection. (Most of the material in this article was condensed from one by Mel Allen, published in the November 1980 issue of Yankee . ) Harvey Krouse RAMBLINGS -- PEOPLE, PLANTS AND PLACES Since I last wrote, the summer "snuck-up" on us, and now it’s almost over. Return for a moment to May when Ivan Kuster led a hike up PILOT MOUNTAIN for special view of the profusion of pink-shell azalea (Rhododendron vaseyi ) . The SHUT-IN TRAIL off the Blue Ridge Parkway West is a favorite, pleasant forest trail on which 20 persons enjoyed seeing many wildflowers. Thirteen of us hiked up the beautiful fairly rugged trail to spend the night at MT. LECONTE LODGE — a cloudy, then rainy, day clearing briefly in the evening. Again, fog and rain on the return hike in the morning, but by noon clearing to a sunny afternoon. The alternate hike on the same Friday was to LAKE POWHATAN on which trail 12 persons enjoyed seeing nearly 50 wildflowers blooming. The HORSE COVE trail from the Fish Hatchery displayed a variety of spring wildflowers, especially the pink lady’s slipper — we found some adder’s tongue well hidden off the trail. Without leader Dick Smith (detained by car trouble) we, 9 of us, couldn’t find the trailhead for BIG BUTT TRAIL so we went on to CRABTREE MEADOWS TRAIL 8s FALLS — an interesting, lovely forest trail, very steep in part, but we made it, and saw many wildflowers along the way. DUPONT FALLS, the hike which always brings out a large group (40 this year) was enjoyed on a lovely sunny day — the large Falls heavy with water and the wildflowers all as beautiful as ever. The BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY EAST provides an easy walk on a section of the parkway where many flowers bloom and 13 of us found them as lovely as ever. CHARLEY BALD, an interesting hike, new to some, but listed as strenuous and long thus attracted only -5 people — nevertheless, it was a worthwhile trip for those there. The cloudy, rainy - looking day discouraged many of those who usually hike one of our favorite trails, the EAST FORK OF THE PIGEON RIVER — 5 persons were present. PLEASANT RIDGE 8c BALD ROCK, SC, another well-liked area, turned out to be a prolific wildflower area which all enjoyed. Thirteen were present on the CRAGGY GARDENS hike — an unexpectedly cold and very windy day at the mountain top, though warming up a bit later in the day. Catawba Rhododendron not at their peak. A rainy day again, so the COVERED DISH at HOLMES STATE FOREST was cancelled only to be re-instated by the generous hospitality of the Hansens — 44 of us descended upon Elton and Arline — somehow every nook and cranny provided pleasant eating space for us all. Later, Elton and Millie Blaha presented a new slide show of summer wildflowers to be given to Holmes State Forest as was the one on spring flowers — again, a beautiful choice of slides and Millie’s smooth, interesting and informative commentary. Some had not been to the HIGHLANDS BOTANICAL GARDEN 8c SUNSET ROCK and found it all most interesting — 9 present. Everything in the Garden was labeled, which provided a good review and a chance., to compare plants in close proximity. We were all delighted with the^ many water lilies and the beautiful varied species of pitcher plants at the edge of the lake. BUCK SPRINGS GAP TRAIL hike was cancelled because of heavy rain. BEARWALLOW MOUNTAIN as prolific as ever in blooming wildflowers — the spotted knotweed, night-flowering catchfly, leadplant, Scotch lovage and horse nettle among the nearly 70 wildflowers seen — 13 present. Twelve of us hiked the beautiful trail through a lush- looking forest along COVE CREEK - CANEY BOTTOM, a new area to some where there were many wildflowers blooming. Elton Hansens took 11 of us on the morning INSECT WALK at Holmes State Forest — a most enjoyable and informative hike. One of our favorite hikes takes us up ROAN MOUNTAIN from Carver’s Gap — a grey, unpredictable day, but 11 of us went anyway. All was well ’til after a morning hike, lunch, and another hour up a few more ridges, we began to return down the mountain in an absolute cloudburst deluge — in moments, the narrow rocky trail became a flash-flood torrent — we bedraggled humans plodded and ’’squished” along in utter silence, but mid-way down it stopped, the sun appeared and by the time we reached the cars, we were dry once more. As always, well worth the trip — the mountain sandwort, sand myrtle, wild chervil, tassel rue, cinquefoil ( tridentata) were prolific — the Gray's lilies not as profuse as in other years. MOUNT PISGAH for 14 of us proved to be a lovely hike with many flowers blooming along the way — smooth false foxglove, fly poison, columbine and bush-honeysuckle among many others. Fifteen hiked up WHITESIDE MOUNTAIN on a beautiful sunny day — the views spectacular, the wildflowers lovely, among them pale corydalis, sand myrtle, and pink-shell azalea. The FERN WALK so many had been looking forward to was, of necessity, cancelled due to heavy rains — ■ Barbara Hallowell was disappointed, too. FLAT CREEK - GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS, the trail off Heintooga Spur from the Blue Ridge Parkway, is a beautiful area new to many of us and prolific in wildflowers. A cloudy, foggy day which became sunny and warm as we hiked the lovely forest trail — we saw fen orchid (Liparis loeseli ) which was new to most of us and rough cinquefoil which we don't often see. A return trip to the SHUT-IN TRAIL and its nearly 70 blooming flowers — in the first section, the bunchflower which few of us had seen before, forked chickweed, hairy angelica, agrimony and starry campion among many others. The second section of the trail where turk's cap lilies, yellow oxeye sunflowers, pink joe-pye weed and white black cohosh blend in spectacular profusion — breathtaking! A most enjoyable trip with 26 present. If you have kept up even partially, the 24 hikes (2 of which were cancelled) in the seemingly short, past nearly 3 months, have kept one very busy indeed, happily so, and the schedule goes on. . . . Louise Foresman, Historian ; ••• ' W39 i S H 0 R T I A Vol . VI No. 3 A quarterly publication of the Western Carolina Botanical Club Editor: Helen Turner Carolina Village Box 126, Hendersonville, NC 28739 Production Committee: Dorothy Rathmann, John & Margaret Kuhn Please submit contributions for next issue by November 15, 1984 1 BOTASiCA^ SHORTIA NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB WINTER 1984-85 HELEN TURNER, Editor OFFICERS President; Vice President; Secretary; Dick Smith Elton Hansens Margaret Canfield Treasurer: Historian : Margaret Kuhn Louise Foresman DID YOU KNOW .... . . . . that Bruce Leech . _ Chuck Snow . , ° Aiienand phil 3ab000(c have been working every Monday on the Shut-in Trail, which is part of the Mountain to the Sea Trail. They are now working near Buck Springs Gap. They are cutting out a new trail on the Silvermine Bald. * * * .... that Harry Logan received the Second Wind Hall of Fame awarded by the Men's Garden Club. Congratulations, Harry.' You deserve it. * * * . . . . that Augie Kehr had 35 entries in the seventh annual North Carolina Chrysanthemum Show at East plat Rock on Oct. 20-21. He had 16 entries in the regular classes and 19 in the novice class. A novice is a person who enters material for the first time and has never won a blue ribbon in any American Chrysanthemum Society Show. We are proud to announce our Augie won 1^ blue, 9 red, and 6m yellow ribbons. He won "Best in Show" in the novice class, for which he was sriven a silver tray, and he was awarded a silver bowl for "Sweecstakes in the Novice Class”. . . . . that Harry Logan is in charge of the landscaping of the grounds at Opportunity House? The grass, some trees and shrubs are already established. That it will be beautiful goes without saying. * * * Miles and Eleanor Peelle's winter address is: 151 Buckeye Terrace Haines City, Florida 33844 WELCOME — NEW MEMBERS Hillegass, Herman H. and Bette L. , Rte. 9. Box 361, H'ville. .685-7090 , V * \ A ^5 i>v . ' v- ir— X 4 ' — •*) A* *0 In the Butler's garden, here at Carolina village, there was a most peculiar plant this year, They had pruned a white pine tree into a hedge size , four-foot' ball. Up the middle of it grew a thistle, so tall that I couldn't touch the flowering heads. Would you call it Pinus Thistleonia? H . T . LOOK AGAIN ! Many of our climbing vines have fleshy, perishable fruits, but the tawny brown three- winged parchment -like capsules of the native Wild Yam, Dioscorea villosa, persist long after split- ting and releasing their seeds and are a familiar sight in the open woods and along roadsides all through the winter,. They are about three-quarters of an inch long, the product of tiny yellowish green spindle-shaped pistillate flowers which, like the more numerous but equally small stamin- ate flowers, are pretry much overwhelmed by the attractive heart-shaped leaves and can easily be missed. Although D. villosa is the preval- ent species, there are times when we might actually be looking at a related plant which was brought to the United States from China as an ornamental and has become widely natur- alized — D. batatas , known as Cinnamon Vine. If capsules are present there is no problem, as this species apparently does not fruit in our area bur instead bears rubers in the leaf axils. These look like little silvery gray potatoes, and are most evident in the fall when the rest of the plant has turned pale D. villosa gold. From spring until autumn a clue can be found in the leaves, many of which are halberd- shaped with the sides concave just above the flared base. Another distinctive and probably unexpected characteristic of D. batatas is that it twines about its support counter- clockwise as we look down on it, while D. villosa goes in the opposite direction. D. BATATAS 25T LET4S BE SAFE Safety on the trail should be a prime consideration of all of us, but often we are careless and court disaster. My purpose is to stimulate more thought of safety on our hikes. Let me begin by citing the case of the jogger in California who set forth in his^jogging ~ outfit and suffered a sudden fatal heart attack. His identity was learned several hours later when his wife reported to the police that he had not returned home. How about your identity in case of a serious emergency? Do you always carry an identification? I'm quite sure that some of our ladies leave their purses (and identification) in the car. Many of us carry identification in our packs and leave them behind when carrying a lunch is unnecessary. Generally the men carry identification in their billfolds on their persons. But does your identification include name, address, and phone number of whom to notify in case of an emergency? Identification bracelets are one way to always carry vital information. How about special health needs? Those highly allergic to bee and wasp stings should carry an emergency kit including directions for use. Possibly you carry emergency heart stimulants. Does someone on the hike know of your needs and how to administer the medication? And do you carry a list of chronic medications for emergency use in a hospital? How about first aid kits? Some hikers carry a few first aid supplies in their pack and have larger kits in their car. I use mine so seldom that I wonder if I would remember it in a real emergency. Nonetheless, emergency items should be with us. How about an extra leg? A walking stick can avert many a fall and can also be used to assist others to ford a stream or climb a steep place . Perhaps there are other ways to improve our personal safety. These are a few thoughts to consider. Elton Hansens BOTANICAL TIDBIT In I896 David Fairchild observed in Sumatra Corynha umbraculif era , the Talipot Palm, in full bloom. Later he introduced the tree into the Fairchild Palm Garden in Coral Gables, Florida. This year it bloomed for the first and only time. The inflorescence was 25 feet long and consisted of over 60 , 000 ,000 flowers. As it set seeds in late March the 25-foot long leaves dropped off and the normal life span of some 50 years was completed. In the tropics only one bloom for each life span is the normal mode of life. Such was the case in Florida as well. M. L. Peelle RAMBLINGS - PEOPLE, PLANTS AND PLACES W© have been hiking steadily these past three months, and here * tis nearly Thanksgiving, and Christmas not far ahead. Do return to summer and remember the lovely SHUT-IN TRAIL up off the Parkway. Twenty-six of us saw many other flowers blooming along the way (bunch flower, hairy angelica, and white avens among them) before we ever came upon the hundreds of turk ' s cap lilies, the false sun- flowers (Heliopsis Helianthoides ) and joe-pye weed all blooming together in a great profusion of color. However, we were a little past the peak this year as the lily leaves were already brown — the blossoms were beautiful.' The CAMP ALICE-MT . MITCHELL hike, always a favorite, interested 15 persons who saw many (39) wildf lowers blooming. We enjoyed a lovely, sunny day after a very cloudy morning start, SYCAMORE FLATS, a hike along the Davidson River in Pisgah Forest, is an easy, leisurely hike displaying a profusion of blooms (66). Seventeen of us were happy to see monkey flower, elephant's foot, lance-leaved loosestrife, large yellow wood sorrel, three- seeded mercury and skullcap, among others. TRESTLE GAP is a hike most looked forward to; however, this year we all missed Peggy Camenzind and Nan Morrow. For the first time in memory they could not lead 20 of us over Balsam Mt and/or along the road, all to meet as usual at the big rocks for lunch. Some 30 flowers were noted, and we found the sundews again.' Berries were at their peak. We all picked up and down the hillsides in sun and shade, meanwhile dreaming of blueberry muffins, pancakes, and jams. It was so pleasant, no one wanted to start home. Another CCVERBD-DISH at Holmes State Forest brought out 43 persons In all— some 24 on the short and long hikes. Many flowers were blooming, so there was much color along the trails. The food was delicious, as always, and the companionship much enjoyed by all. A profusion of flowers up on the BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY -WE ST including, as always, the gentians, turtleheads , and Grass-of-Pamassus , which were especially beautiful. Twenty- two of us enjoyed this popular walk, since there were just so many flowers to see. The SHERWOOD ?0 REST-MUSHROOMS hike, in which 16 persons participated, provided a good display of both mushrooms and flowers. GRAVEYARD FIELDS is always a lovely fall hike, and again it was a sunny, warm day. There was a great display of colors on the mountain- sides, precursing the peak display to come. Nineteen of us had lunch at the Upper Yellowstone Falls as we watched the climbers rapelling down the rocks. Suddenly we saw Jeanne Smith and others waving to us from the top of the falls - real climbers they .' .' .' There were many flowers blooming along the trail, A beautiful fall day for one of our favorite hikes to_ OGLE MEADOW on Coxcomb Mt. , up there out of Barnard sville . Again^whole meadows of gentians, (mostly stiff, but also closed or bottle and, strined ) , asters and goldenrods . Blueberries were numerous , sc affair we picked, with visions of their use in our thoughts and conversation. The views from the top of the balds were spectacular, as always - and Ben, no snow this year.' The SHORTOFF MT. trip was cancelled. It seems that two long drives for one hike after the other (Bamardsville , then the Linville area) proved to be too much. The indoor slide presentation "FLOWERS AND BIRDS IN TROPICS*' was thoroughly enjoyed; the colors so lovely, and Miles Peelle's commentary so interesting. He added recent slides of his and Eleanor's trip to Iceland, which were fascinating and made one wish to travel there. Twenty persons, on a beautiful fall day, bushwacked up the mountainside of TUMBLE GREEK (LITTLE HUNGRY CREEK AREA) in lieu of a trail. The old persimmon tree is still there. Cn return down through the meadows, an untoward, scary incident happened - a run into a nest of yellow jackets, and a number of persons were stung, some several times. Cne person was wounded by a branch, so, in all, not a pleasant ending to a hike which, though strenuous in parts, was otherwise enjoyed. Some 23 flowers were still blooming. Twenty persons took the hike to RAVEN CLIP? FALLS OVERLOOK, Caeser's Head State Park, S. G. which, though somewhat strenuous, is well worth a view of the spectacular falls. A few flowers were still blooming. Frank Bell, the host and guide at GREEN GOVE CAMP, always makes this an interesting trip. As usual, he and his wife Calla invited the eleven persons into their home and served refresh- ments while he talked to the group. Frank led a short hike, after which lunch was eaten in the yard near the house. It was a warm, sunny day and Green Gove is a most beautiful place to be. Six persons toured the UNC BOTANICAL GARDENS with Lowell Crbison to f note the trees he has tagged (some 100) and to hear his interesting j- and informative comments about each. Persons felt they would like to return sometime and at their leisure, study those trees so marked. Eight persons attempted the long, rather strenuous hike ut> LCCKING GLASS ROCK and were rewarded with a wide-ranging view at the top. Sixteen down in the past 3 months and 2 more hikes to go, plus 2 indoor gatherings, and then 198^ will have slipped by; but there are always interesting hikes and programs ahead to look forward to. See you on the trails soon.' Louise Foresman, Historian ^CR SPECIAL ATTENTION - 1985 PRC GRAM To help you plan for early January — Jan. 4, 2:00 p.m. Carolina Village. ALASKA Elton & Aline Hansens Jan. 11 ,2:00 P • m # 1st Federal Savings and Loan GRAND CANYON - DOWN, UP, & THRCUG. Tom &■ Barbara Hallowell You need to respond to the following1 for a successful program: Feb. 1 LEARN AND SHARE Hallowell residence, 2600 Kanuga Pines Dr. Notify Barbara of your topic and/or your intent to come. LEARN AND SHARE was a successful program at Nan Morrow's, Aug. 15, 1983. For Session II select a topic you would like to know more about, look up the answer, collect data in the field, ask friends, notify Barbara of your topic, be prepared to report for 1 to 10 minutes. Examples of subjects: What causes a morning glory and an evening primrose? How do plants heal wounds? What happens to pitcher plants when the bog dries up? Which direction do tendrils curve? Who was Louis Agassiz? Plan now to attend. Bring a lunch. Mar. 15 1st Federal Savings and Loan WHAT IS IT? Unknown plants or unique and interesting botanical photos languish in most of our collections. 3ring them to this meeting for identification or to stump the experts. Slides are not limited as to geograohical area or botanical subject — trees, flowers, ferns, fungi, mosses. What would you like identified? April 25-26 SNOWBIRD MOUNTAIN LODGE AND JOYCE KILMER FOREST The Kilmer ^orest is a special place. Many spring flowers will be in bloom in profusion along the trails here and in nearby areas. In 1984 Dick Smith, Miles' Peelle and Elton Hansens each served as resident naturalists at Snowbird for a week. All three have been invited back in 1985. Dick will begin his week the afternoon of April 26 when the regular season begins. Anyone wishing to stay beyond Friday noon will need to make arrangements directly with the lodge. ' By special arrangement, Snowbird Mountain Lodge will be available to us before the regular season. Snowbird Lodge, located in the Nantahala National Forest just 2 miles from the Joyce Kilmer/Slick Rock Wilderness, is in a beautiful setting. Bob and Connie Rhudy are gracious hosts. All of their facilities will be available to us. The meals are excellent. We will need at least 20 persons for this pre-season arrange- ment. Make reservations as soon as possible with Elton Hansens, 6b 2-7245, to assure space. A room with bath for 2 people and including 3 delicious meals will cost 387.00 plus tax and 10^ gratuity. A deposit of $20.00 per person will be necessary for a firm reservation. Brochures and further details on travel and the two-day schedule will be available at our Annual Meeting in January, *85. "" Elton Hansens !'•> U S H 0 R T I A JOHN 5 r.iAn v.; I’m C c. C Vol . VI No. 4 A quarterly publication of the Western Carolina Botanical Club Bditor: Helen Turner Carolina Village, Box 126, Hendersonville, NC 28739 Production Committee: Ruth Mack, John & Margaret Kuhn Please submit contributions for next issue by February 15. 1985 Yd