Volume 6, Number 2 e Tutk^s C9i The newsletter Of The Delaware native plant Society Summer 2003 In This Issue A Call For Articles Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 A Call for Articles New Members Letter From the President Letter From the Editor Plant-animal Highlight Event Highlights Letter From the President continued Feature Article Native Plant Highlight Natural Community Highlight Resources and Reviews Thoughts From the Edge.. Feature Article continued Event Highlights continued Page 7 " Upcoming Events o o o o o How Can / Get Involved? If you would like to write an article for The Turk’s Cap, we would love to print it. With like minded individuals as an audience. The Turk’s Cap is a great venue for plant or habitat oriented writings. We’ll take just about anything from gardening tips to book reviews to poetry. Of course, it has to be about native plants, or issues related to native plants; just a minor constraint. Your imagination is the real key. Contact Eric Zuelke (ezuelke(2)j uno.com), or Keith Clancy at 302.674.5187 for more information. A Lazy Swinging Hammock Under A Shady Beech Tree Welcome To Our Newest Members April through June Nancy Everds & Peter Mann Carole & Graham Knight Kate McManus Christina Pax Rob & Alix Robinson Joe Satterfield Mai'k Willoughby LETTER From The President The Delaware Native Plant Society is open to everyone ranging from the novice gardener to the professional botanist. One of the primary goals of the society is to involve as many individuals as possible. The DNPS is working on some significant projects at this time. We have completed a refor- estation project at Prime Hook State Wildlife Area and will be doing diiect-seedmg reforestation pro- jects along Blackbird and Cedar Creeks, in tlie fall of 2003. In addition, help is needed with our native plant nursery at the St. Jones Reserve with the mon- itoring and watering of plants in our recently ac- quired greenhouse. For more information on how to get in- volved, E-mail us at dnps(o)delawarenativeplants.org. Or visit the new DNPS website at www.delawarenativeplants.org. Our website will have all of the past issues of The Turk's Cap along with a large section on native plants, as well as links to other environmental and Well, are we starting to dry out yet? What a spring it’s been. It seemed like it was cold and rainy almost eveiy day or at least every weekend. In my last letter I expressed my longing for the warmer days of spring to get out and enjoy the spring ephemerals. I guess I’ll have to (hopefully) settle for the warmer and drier days of summer - it just didn’t happen this spring. There’s some small consolation to all of this rain; we have not had to water our plants at the nursery as much as usual. And speaking of our nursery. We erected a greenhouse/propagation house (photos on the website soon) m mid- April and have been busy filling it up with flats and pots of native plant seedlings. We, literally, have hun- dreds, if not thousands, of seedlings. These include various species of oak (e.g,, southern red oak, scar- let oak, swamp chestnut oak, willow oak). Continued on page 3 The DNPS Vision T he purpose of the Delaware Native Plant Society (DNPS) is to participate in and encourage the preservation, conservation, restoration, and propagation of Delaware’s native plants and plant communities. The Society provides information to government officials, business people, educators, and the general public on the protection, management, and restoration of native plant ecosystems. The DNPS encourages the use of native plants in the landscape by homeowners, businesses, and local and state governments thi'ough an on-going distribution of infomiation and knowledge by various means that includes periodic publications, symposia, conferences, workshops, field trips, and a growing statewide membership organized by the DNPS. The Tui'k's Qp, Volume 6, Numbei” 2 Letter From The Editor Summertime and the living is botanical I have been working in our nursery more over the past three months than I did all last year combined! With the addi- tion of our greenhouse, the workload has doubled just in water- ing, then add on top of that the phenomenal success of our seed geiTuination efforts this past winter and spring and the work load doubles again with all the repotting and inventory work! I’d like to thank everyone who has come out to help us with repotting of seedlings during our work days over the past 6 weeks. The nursery would not be as successful as it is without your help. We’ll be having some more repotting work days, so I hope everyone manages to fmd some time to help out. Fortu- nately I have managed to squeeze m some time for a DNPS field trip here and there and the Annual Meeting, which by the way was a great success. We had a ten'ific presentation by our Vice-President, Bill McAvoy, whose knowledge on biyophytes inspired me to do a theme issue on the world of bryophytes. Most of this issue’s columns are on that topic, so I hope you enjoy it and leain a little bit about this fascinating division of plants. I hope everyone stays cool this summer. The rains we’ve had have turned our nursery into a tropical rainforest of growth, and I hope your flower beds and gai'dens are doing just as well. Have a good summer and don’t forget the ice cream! ooooEj^ic Ziielke, Editor o o o o o o Plant-animal Highlight What good are they? At this years annual meeting our Vice-President, Wil- liam McAvoy, gave a very informative presentation on bryo- phytes. After the presentation I riddled the following question: “So, in the grand scope of nature, what good are they?” That got my own curiosity going, so I thought I would answer my own question. Scientists have been reseaiching bryophytes for yeai's, yet there is a surprising deartli of information on how animals use bryophytes. Though more research is in order, biologists have found that many animals use bryophytes for tliree main puiposes: nesting and shelter, food, and camouflage. Probably the most well known use of bryophytes as nesting material is by the Marbled Mun'elet, a small fish-eating, diving bird of the open ocean that nests on moss mats in the canopies of old growth douglas fir, sitka spruce, hemlock, and yellow cedar trees in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, the west coast of Canada, and the southern coast of Alaska. And besides the murrelet, there are dozens of other species of birds that incorporate bryophytes into their nesting structures either as the main component or as a soft lining. Mammals too, such as the red tree vole, also a denizen of the Pacific Northwest that lives in the canopies of old growth trees, and flying squirrels use bryophytes as nesting material. Though they don’t neces- sarily nest in it, many species of ampliibians, such as salaman- ders and frogs, are completely reliant on mats of bryophytes for cover and moisture. Additionally, there are even species of spiders that make their homes in mats of moss. Some animals also eat bryophytes. Several groups of P3ge2 invertebrates have been demonstrated to feed on foliicolous lichens, bryophytes, algae and fungi: Annelida, Gastropoda (snails), Lepidoptera (larvae of certain moths), and in particular Psocoptera (book lice). While snails and larvae of Lepidoptera seem to specialize on either lichens or biyophytes, Psocoptera are omnivorous. Some of the biyophyte consumers can only be found where their food sources grow. For example, several moss and liverwort feeders are found chiefly in mature and old growth forests. One chai'acteristic of bryophytes is that they are nor- mally very small, and easily overlooked; a chai'acteristic that many insects use to their advantage. Camouflage is an im- portant part of survival for many insects and many use bryo- phytes to achieve this goal. There ai'e species of weevils in New Guinea that let moss grow on their backs. Grasshoppers resem- bling a leaf covered with epiphylls have been documented from tropical Africa as well. Similar grasshoppers have also been discovered in Costa Rica. While some look similar to epiphyl- lous biyophytes, others perfectly imitate leaves covered with foliicolous lichens, and even the genera of lichens that are imi- tated can often be deteimined. Scientists have also discovered a katydid {Rhossophyllum spp.) that mimics a leaf colonized by the foliicolous lichen in the genera Calopadia and Gycdectidi- um. These mimetic insects abound in illuminated parts of the forest and give hints about their habitat preferences. Also dis- covered was an African frog imitating leaves with patches of epiphylls. It turns out bryophytes are a significantly important part of our natural world, and many species of animals have co-evolved with them and could not exist without them. °°°° Eric Zuelke, Editor o o o o o o Event Highughts White clay creek state park: DE to PA Under threatening skies, but thankfully no rain (for a change), we were treated to an excellent botanical foray along the White Clay Creek. Our field trip leaders were the premier botanists Janet Ebert and Jack Holt. We began our walk from the parking lot and walked along the trail that first past by through a wildflower/grass meadow before entering the forest. The plants in the field and along the edge of the forest consisted of a cornucopia (i.e., who’s who) of non-native and invasive species. These included autumn olive {Eleaegcoms iimbellata), Japanese knotweed {Polygonum cuspidatum), mile-a-minute {Polygonum perfolici- tum), Canada thistle {Cirsium ar\fcnse), velvet grass {Holcus lanatum), multiflora rose {Rosa multiflora), dame’s rocket {Hesperis matronalis), and crimson clover {Trifolium incar- natum), among others. As we entered the woods that border White Clay Creek our hopes that the invasives and non-natives would disappear or be significantly reduced, were dashed. Some invasives are so pervasive in this watershed that their impacts to tlie forest ecosystem ai'e gi'eat. A few of the more prominent invasives included gai'lic mustai'd {A lliaria petiolata), bittersweet {Celastrus orbiculatus), winged euonymus {Euonymus alatiis), Japanese stiltgrass {Microstegium vimeni- um), and multiflora rose. Continued on page 6 The Turk's Qp, Volume 6, Number 2 P^ge5 Letter From The President Continued from page 1 sycamore, wax myrtle, swamp rose, cardinal flower, red chokeberry, partridge berry, skunk cabbage, and others. I was especially glad to see the partridge berry and skunk cab- bage germinating, as these were just collected in late March (during our recent field trip to Grove Neck); although I am not too sure of the desirability for the latter species. A hearty thanks go to DNPS member Bob Edelen, who propagated the majority of these seedlings (we are going to copy his propagation methodology this year). During May and June, DNPS members were busy transplanting many of the hundreds of seedlings into larger pots. We still have hundreds more to transplant, so we will be scheduling several more re-potting sessions in July. Please join us and take home some complimentary native plants. Unfortunately our field trips for the summer are not yet finalized (sorry about that). However, We hope to have the details worked out in the next 10 days and notices will be sent out separately. We are also planning to schedule another canoe/ kayak later this summer (probably towards the end of August) along one of the many marvelous and scenic Delmarva streams. In addition, we may look into joint field trips with other organi- zations. Please note that the location for our next Society meet- ing, July 15, 2003, has been changed. We will be meeting at the St. Jones Reserve, Kitts Hummock Road (details elsewhere in the newsletter). All members are encouraged to attend and come early so they can see all the progress we’ve made at the nursery. I want to give all members an early heads-up on events that will be occurring this fall. The DNPS will be concentrating on two direct-seeding reforestation projects; one along Cedar Creek, Sussex County and the other along Blackbird Creek, New Castle County. We will be scheduling many days out at these two sites. We will spend the mornings collecting seeds of native plants, and then will spend the afternoons “direct- seeding” in the two fields dedicated for reforestation. So please join us when you can; your help is needed for the success of these two projects. If anyone has ideas for field trips or of ways that we can better serve our members please let me know. We really want to be an organization that is sensitive to the needs of its members and flexible enough to go in different directions. Again, I want to express my hope that I will see each and everyone of you at an upcoming Society event. Floristically yours, Keith Clancy Natural Quotes “Annihilating all that's made To a green thought in a green shade.’ Andrew Marvell Feature Article Better living through bryomonitoring Bryophytes are small green plants that include the mosses, hornworts and liverworts. Within the Kingdom Plantae three Divisions of plants are collectively considered bryophytes. Division Marchantiophyta consists of about 6,000 species known as liverworts. These are the simplest plants on earth. Division Anthocerotophyta contains only about 100 species called hornworts which are probably close relatives of the green algae, and Division Bryophyta includes about 15,000 species of mosses. Though not in the same divisions as the bryophytes, lichens have many similar characteristics as byrophytes. They are a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and filaments of an algae, usually green algae or cyanobacteria. Compared to vascular plants, byrophytes and lichens have primitive tissues for conducting water and nutrients, and they lack structural out- er surface barriers (a cuticle). This leads to the inability to maintain water balance, and limit the entry of gases and other harmful substances. They obtain many of their nutrients from the dissolved substances in the ambient humidity and other nu- trients are probably absorbed directly from the substrate by dif- fusion through the cells. They live in a huge variety of habitats, especially humid habitats. They live on the ground, rocks, trunks and branches of trees and shrubs, or fallen trunks, on bones, and even animal dung. They can be found from the Arc- tic to the Antarctic, in deserts and mountain streams, in fresh water, and near the ocean, though these species are rarer. Be- cause of the method of transport of water and the inability to keep out harmful substances, these plants have been used as a means to trend environmental change, particularly changes in air quality because they respond in a measurable way to climat- ic factors and to pollutants. Air pollution is a significant threat to the diversity of life, and it is known that plants are less able to adapt to sudden changes in pollution levels and climate than animals, thus making them ideal subjects to use for this type of monitoring. Additionally, The widespread distribution of bryo- phytes and lichens enables scientists to track, compare, and contrast environmental changes on a global level. As early as the mid 1800s, botanists became aware that lichens and mosses were becoming uncommon in areas within and surrounding large towns and cities. They began to recog- nize that air pollution emitted from these urban areas was af- fecting the colonization and growth of these organisms. Species that are sensitive to pollutants have a stunted, aberrant appearance, and slowed growth rates, and in a ecosystem view have lower species assemblages, which may give an indication of the severity of ecosystem stress. Sensitivity varies, generally Continued on page 6 P^ge 4 The Tui'k's Qp, Volume 6, Numbei” 2 Natural CoMMUNmrHiGHUGHT Yellow-eyed grass floating peat mat Xyris dijformis Herbaceous Vegetation Bog yellow-eyed grass Herbaceous Vegetation Description Hidden away in some seldom- visited freshwater ponds near the Delaware Bay, these unique habitats are known from fewer than five occurrences in the state. This unusual community occurs on “floating peat mats” that are found in open-water depressions within a shrub-dominated swamp matrix. During periods of high water, the peat mats actually float on the water surface. The most abundant species on these mats is bog yellow-eyed grass {Xyris diffomiis), but odier common species may include marsh St. Jolm’s wort {Triadenum virginicum), slender St. Joint’s wort {Hypericum mutilum), brown-fruited rush {Junciis pelocarpus), and spike-rushes {Eleocharis spp.). Other species that may occur in this community include slender fimbry {Fimbristylis aiitumnalis), spoon-leaved sundew {Drosera inter- media), umbrella-sedges {Fuirena sqiiarrosa, F. piimila), Canada rush {Juncus canadensis), and tall beak-rush {Rhynchospora macrostachya). American waterlily {Nymphaea odorata) may be abundant in adjacent open-water habitats. Seedlings of .shrub species from the surrounding vegetation may also be present, and include, red maple {Acer mbnim), wax- myrtle {Myrica cerifera), seaside alder {Alnus maritima), and sweet pepperbush {Clethra alnifolict). Significance In addition to being fascinating and delicate habitats, these communities are home to a number of state-rare plants, includ- ing brown-fruited rush {Juncus pelocarpus), small-fruited beg- gars-ticks {Bidens mitis), umbrella flatsedge {Cyperus di- andrus), Engelmann’s umbrella-sedge {Cyperus engelmannii), long-beaked baldrush {Rhynchospora scitpoides), Engelmann’s arrowhead {Sagittaria engelmannicma), and the globally-rare Pai'ker’s pipewort {Eriocaulon parkeri). Distribution This community is known only from Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Sussex County. Communities of similar spe- cies composition may occur north to Massachusetts, but other locations of similar floating peat mats are unknown. oooo Peter Bowman, DE Natural Heritage Program Ecologist o o o o o o Resources And Reviews Native plants of Philadelphia booklets Published by the Fairmount Park Commission, these two booklets on herbaceous plants and woody plants are an excellent source of very detailed information on a selected number of plants native to Philadelphia County, PA. To order a copy, contact Amy Hutchinson at 215.685.0279, or e-mail at amy .hutchinson @phila. gov . Lives and lore of north American plants The Secrets ofWildflowers by Jack Sanders. Alim 320 page book on the natural history, folklore, uses, and horticulture of wildflowers. From Lyons Press, ISBN 1585746681. Native Plant Highught A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO BRYOPHYTES Let’s begin by answering the questions, what is a moss and how are they different from the higher vascular seed plants? Mosses are small, green herbaceous plants that contain chlorophyll and ai'e photosynthetic. Mosses do not have true flowers, and do not produce seeds, they reproduce by spores. Most mosses have no intemal means for transporting water and nutrients (non-vascular), they absorb water and nutrients direct- ly into the cells of their stems and leaves. Mosses do not have true roots, but they do have root-like structures called rhizoides, which primarily serve for attachment to the subshate. Mosses are extremely dependent upon water for then- survival and re- production, and ai e therefore typically found m cool, moist, humid areas like in swamps, mai'shes, along creeks, and m for- ests. Most mosses usually grow closely packed together in mats or cusliions, and ai e found growing on rotting logs and stumps, rocks, soil, or on the bases and trunks of trees. Mosses are distinguished from the higher vascular seed plants by two distinct traits. The first trait is the lack of a true vascular system, the xylem and phloem, the water- conducting tissue that is found in all vascular plants. The sec- ond trait concerns their life cycle, or mode of reproduction. As stated, mosses do not have true flowers and do not produce seeds, but reproduce by spores. The moss life-cycle is com- prised of two separate generations; the gametophyte generation, which is the leafy green plant we associate as a “moss”, and the sporophyte generation, which consists of a smaller spore- producing plant called a sporophyte. The gametophyte is the dominant generation in the life cycle of the mosses and is perennial. The sporophyte is an an- nual, and consists of an unbranched stalk, or seta, and a single, terminal spore capsule, or sporangium. The sporophyte is al- ways attached to the top of the gametophyte by a foot, which penetrates the gametophyte tissue. The sporophyte is dependent on the gametophyte for water and nutrients. The gametophyte of mosses can also reproduce asexually by vegetative means. They can shed fragments of leaves or other parts of the plant body, that can regenerate into new plants. A moss begins its life cycle when spores land on a moist substrate and begin to geiTninate. After germination, the spore, which contains one set of chromosomes (haploid) devel- ops into a long, highly branched filament known as a protone- ma. After several weeks, buds form on the protonema. These buds develop into the gametophyte, the leafy green moss plant. The plant develops leaves arranged sphally and begms to grow taller, and near the base of the plant rhizoids develop to anchor the moss to its subshate. When mature, the leafy gametophyte produces sex organs at the tips of stems or on short branches. The female reproductive structure, the archegonium, encloses a single egg at its base. The male structure, the antheridium, en- closes a mass of sperm. As the sperm mature, the antheridium swells and bursts open, releasing the sperm. A continual path of water (rain drops or dew) is needed for the spei*m to swim to the archegonium and fertilize the egg. After fertilization of the egg, an embiyo develops, which now contains two sets of chromo- somes (diploid) that will become the sporophyte generation. A foot develops that anchors the sporophyte to the gametophyte and a capsule develops where spores ai'e formed The seta then elevates the capsule away from the gametophyte for greater dispersal of spores. A cap, or calyptra covers the spore capsule The Tu I'k's Qp, Volume 6, Numbei' 2 and as the mature capsule swells with developing spores, the calyptra falls away, which allows the capsule to dry and break open. The opening to the spore case is surrounded by teeth-like appendages called the peristome. These teeth are hygroscopic, meaning that they are very sensitive to changes in humidity. They move outward when the humidity is low, fling- ing the spores into the air, and as the humidity increases, the teeth move inward and close the mouth of the capsule until more favorable conditions for spore dispersal exist. Dispersed spores deposited on a suitable substrate will germinate and complete the life cycle of the moss. Moss spores can travel great distances on the winds and some spores can remain viable for up to 40 years due to a protective coating around the spore. Mosses can be found almost anywhere on the planet, in fact in the Arctic and in Antarctica, they are the most com- mon land plants, and mosses can even be found in deserts. Mosses may be small in size, but they are one of the largest groups of land plants in the world with about 25,000 species. By comparison, there are about 350,000 species of flowering plants in the world, and about 10,000 species of ferns and fern allies. Here in Delaware there are 211 species and varieties know to occur. Mosses are generally classified into three distinct divi- sions, which indicates three separate evolutionary lines: the Bryophyta (true mosses), Marchantiophyta (liverworts) and Anthocerotophyta (hornworts). Collectively, these 3 divisions are known as bryophytes. Members within these divisions are very different in appearance from division to division, and per- haps are only distantly related to one another, but what they all have in common is their similar reproductive structures and life cycle. Of the three divisions, the greatest species diversity is found in the Bryophyta, with up to 15,000 species recognized. In Delaware, there are 167 species and varieties of true mosses known to occur. The true origin and evolutionary lineage of bryophytes is still uncertain since the fossil record is rather poor. But what is known is that bryophytes appeared about 400 to 500 million years ago in the Paleozoic era about the same time as the vascular plants. Mosses comprise a significant part of the biodiversity of our natural areas and most mosses can be seen throughout the year because they stay green all year. The best time to look for mosses is after a rain, at that time the plants are most vigor- ous and bright green in color. During times of drought, mosses tend to lighten in color and shrivel-up due to water stress. The ecological roles of mosses are many. They pro- vide seed beds for the larger seed plants, they capture and recy- cle nutrients that are washed down with rainwater from the can- opy, they help to bind the soil to keep it from eroding, and they help soil to retain moisture. Mosses are good ecological indicator species because they tend to be highly specific for particular microenvironments and respond to factors such as temperature, light, water availa- bility, and substrate texture and chemistry. Perhaps more than any other plant, mosses can handle extremes in environmental conditions, but are sensitive to air pollution, especially sulfur dioxide, which breaks-down chlorophyll, so mosses are good indicators of local air quality. ^ oooo McAvoy, DNPS Vice-President P^ge 5 Thoughts From The Edge Of The Garden DNPS NURSERY UPDATE Our new greenhouse is up and running, and we thought you’d like a pictorial of the grand time we had putting it together! Pouring 3/8” gray chip stone base (gravel from All Seasons Nursery) The completed base and electrical line (thanks to the St. Jones Reserve staff for the full electric installation) The jigsaw puzzle of PVC pipes, fortunately they were colored coded with a good instruction manual and a construction video Eric and Lynn putting part of the jigsaw puzzle together Keith tying up tension wires to tighten the PVC frame And the almost completed product with 4 mil plastic covering, it now has wooden benches, a fan, thermometer, thermostat, and lots of plants! ciVf The Tu I'k's Qp, Volume 6, Numbei' 2 P3ge6 Feature Article Continued from page 3 Event Highughts Continued from page 2 speaking, from species to species within each group of organ- isms and according to such things as the pollution load, the stage of life at which the individual is exposed, and the way competition becomes changed within a particular ecosystem. Sensitive species have the capacity to bioaccumulate organo- chlorine compounds, chlorinated hydrocarbons, benzohexachlo- ride, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogenous com- pounds, sulphur dioxide, ozone, flouro-compounds, radionuclides, and metals (up to a total of 39 different types throughout all the different habitats). The mixtures of airborne pollutants to which organisms are exposed can vary in composi- tion, and each combination will have a slightly different effect. Different substances in combination can sometimes have a syn- ergistic effect (a greater effect than the sum of the effects each one would have separately), while in other combinations they can cancel each other out. Though knowledge of pollutant inter- actions is still limited, it is known that certain lichens, for in- stance, are more sensitive to gaseous sulphur dioxide than to wet deposition of acid, while for other species the reverse is true. Several species of sphagnum mosses decline where there is high sulphur-dioxide pollution, and a few are susceptible to nitrogen oxides also, but in acidified waters many of them in- crease in population size. Different species of bryophytes and lichens will bioaccumulate different harmful substances at dif- ferent rates. The species able to tolerate elevated concentrations can be used to compare the spatial and temporal distribution of contaminants. Transplanted moss samples at sites of differing levels of contamination can provide information on accumula- tion rates which can be compared with instrumental measure- ments. The primary goal of bryomonitoring is to trend chang- es in the lower plants of an ecosystem to predict ecosystem stress levels secondary to pollution, and to predict ecosystem response to these stresses. Whether and in what way ecosys- tems are affected by air pollutants depends especially on the nature, concentration, and time of arrival of the pollution, but also on the existing status and nature of the particular habitat. Various stress parameters have been investigated in an endeav- our to relate exposure to response, including enzyme activities, photosynthetic rate and pigment composition. Effects on growth under changing climatic scenarios have also been inves- tigated with regard to species distribution. Data collected from local, regional, and national research efforts can be used as am- munition, along with accurate environmental response predic- tions, to possibly influence governmental entities to enact legis- lation to lower pollution levels. It has been shown that many species of byrophytes and lichens will slowly rebound in num- bers once air pollutant levels lower, and air quality improves. Air pollution is a significant source of environmental degradation and all of us should be concerned about it, and try to do something to reduce air pollutants. Very few of us are going to tackle this issue by studying bryophytes, but there are a number of easy things we can all do: 1) drive the most fuel efficient car you can find, 2) use fluorescent light bulbs, 3) turn off electrical items when not in use, 4) use solar power and wind power to generate electricity ), and 5) plant trees, lots! However, lest the reader get the idea that all we saw were exotics, let me put that impression to rest. Common native species that we observed included white ash {Fraxinus america- na), box elder (Acer negundo), maple-leaved viburnum (Viburnum acerfolium), may-apple (Podophyllum peltatum), jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum), wild ginger (Asarum canadensis), basswood (Tilia americand), tooth wort (Cardamine concatena- ta), wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis), Indian cucumber- root (Medeola virgininid), dutchmen’s breeches (Dicentra cu- cullaria), and rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides). We were also treated to a number of very interesting plants. Some examples of these included the uncommon wood stonecrop (Sedum tematum), that was in full bloom and that some of us had never seen before, the state rare sedge (Carex torta) found along a gravel bar in the creek, the always intri- guing bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia), the rare nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum), the unusual and infrequent greendragon (Arisaema dracontium), the American spikenard (Aralia race- mosa), and a shrub called sheepberry or nannyberry. Viburnum lentago, that may be new to the state. We walked north along the trail and crossed into Penn- sylvania. It seemed as though after crossing the state line there were far fewer aliens and more native plants in the forest. This anomaly undoubtedly reflected past human activities in the wa- tershed. Although the trip was somewhat disappointing because of the sheer number and extent of invasive exotics, it was also a good experience in that it provided a wake-up call. If we want to enjoy field trips through habitats that support good assem- blages of native plants then we must take action. It is imperative that we begin to work with land managers at our state parks and other public as well as private lands in control and removal of these invasive exotics that are wreaking such havoc on our State’s indigenous plant communities. DNPS 5th ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting this year, held at Abbott’s Mill Nature Center was a great success! We had a great presentation on bryophytes, lots of good food for our potluck lunch, a native plant raffle, and a very interesting walk on the boardwalk through the swamp on the Abbott’s Mill property where we focused on learning about the resident bryophytes. We also had an election for the one Board position that is out of sync with our other positions; that of Treasurer. Yours truly, Eric Zuelke, was re-elected to the Treasurer position for another two-year term. We hope everyone can make it out to next years annu- al meeting as they keep getting bigger and better each year, and it’s an excellent opportunity to get involved in the activities of your society. Details will be announced at a later date for next years meeting time and place. Polytrichum piliferum, Lyrae Emerson The Tui-k's Qp, Volume 6, Numbei' 2 ^pcankj'jre £^^£jrT>9 P^geZ 1 Wednesday, 06 and Thursday, 07 August 2003 - Invasive Plant Conference at the Morris Arbore- tum OF THE University of Pennslyvania. Cost is $150.00 per person and includes lunch for both DAYS. For more information contact 215.247.5777 ext. 159, or on the web at www.upenn.edu/ PAFLORA. Saturday, 06 September and Sunday, 07 September 2003 + the following weekend - Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve Annual Native Plant Sale. Hundreds of native plants for sale to the PUBLIC AT the preserve IN NEW HOPE, PA. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT 215.862.2924, OR ON THE WEB AT WWW.BHWP.ORG/CALENDAR.HTM. Saturday, 13 September 2003 - Backyard invaders: plants in and out of the garden. From 9 am TO 4 PM at the Delaware Center for Horticulture. For more information contact the center at 302.658.6262, OR ON the web at www.dehort.org. Saturday, 20 September 2003 - Annual tree spree fair from 10 Am to 3 PM at Carousel Park on Limestone Road, New Castle County. Tree planting, free trees, hikes, exhibits, and rides. For MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE CENTER AT 302.658.6262, OR ON THE WEB AT WWW.DEHORT.ORG. Saturday, 04 October and Sunday, 05 October 2003 - Native Plants and Geology of the Blue Ridge Province, Multi-state Fall Conference at the USFWS Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV. With field trips, poster sessions, and workshops. For more information CONTACT 301.809.0139, OR ON THE WEB AT WWW.MDFLORA.ORG/CURRENTEVENTS.HTML. Saturday, 04 October and Sunday, 05 October 2003 - Delaware Nature Society Harvest Moon Festival from 10 AM to 5 PM. Farm animals, hay rides, folk music, farm games, animal exhib- its.For more information contact 302.239.2334, or on the web at WWW. DEL A W AREN ATURESOCIET Y. ORG . DNPS Bi-monthly meetings for 2003 - are currently scheduled the 3rd Tuesday of every other MONTH. Our next meetings will be: 15 July, 16 September, and 18 November. Meetings will take PLACE (UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTIFIED) AT 7 PM AT THE AQUATICS RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER, WOOD- LAND Beach Wildlife Area, Rte 9 (4876 Hay Point Landing Road) about 1 mile north of Rte 6. we PLAN TO HAVE GUEST SPEAKERS AT EACH MEETING (SPEAKERS AND THEIR TOPICS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT LAT- ER DATES). Check our website for additional details or email us at DNPS @DELAWARENATIVEPLANTS .ORG. The Tu I'k's Qp, Volume 6, Number 2 P^geS I Mernbep-sbip Application I K., «. «. «. «. «. , Member Information I Delaware native Plant Society , I Name: Business Name or Organization: Address: City and Zip Code: Telephone (home/ work): E-mail address: " Full-time Student $10.00 "Individual $15.00 " Family or Household $18.00 " Contributing $50.00 " Business $100.00 " Lifetime $500.00 " Donations are also welcome $. Membership benefits include: * The DNPS quarterly newsletter. The Turk’s Cap * Native plant gardening and landscaping information * Speakers, field trips, native plant nursery and sales Total Amount Enclosed: $ Make check payable to: DE Native Plant Society P.O. Box 369, Dover, DE 19903 Delaware Native Plant Society P.O. Box 369 Dover, Delaware 19903 Complimentary Copy