Garden.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 1980

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Los Angeles County Department of Arboreta and Botanic Gardens

The new Hall of Environmental Education shown in the drawing held by
Richard Ray comes closer to reality with a $50,000 grant from ARCO.

ATLANTIC RICHFIELD
FOUNDATION CONTRIBUTES
TO HALL
Ro RAY, chairman of the de-
velopment program committee
of the California Arboretum Foun-
dation, announced in July that the
Atlantic Richfield Corporation
contributed $50,000 toward building
the planned Hall of Environmental
Education at the Los Angeles State
and County Arboretum. Most of the
balance of the cost for the $650,000
building has come from private con-
tributions and fund-raising projects
at the Arboretum, according to Mr.
Ray, who is also vice-president of
the California Arboretum Founda-
tion. :

Construction of the building,
slated to begin in September, will
ease the present crowding of exist-
ing facilities at the Arboretum said
James P. Curry, president of CAF,
in accepting the grant.

The 8,900 square-foot auditorium
of the new building project will ac-
commodate over 900 people, a ca-
pacity unmatched by any other fa-
cility at the Arboretum. Plans call
for housing the 20 major plant
shows held annually at the garden
in the auditorium. In addition, sev-
eral thousand people attend classes
and lectures at the Arboretum each
ear, and 36 civic and plant-oriented
groups meet there regularly. A fold-
ing partition can also be used in the

future to divide the space into in-
dividual classrooms for lectures and
meetings

The soutribobion is in addition to
a recent $25,000 donation ARCO
made to support ongoing public
service programs at the Arboretum
which is in keeping with their pro-
gram of making grants to projects
involved with environmental con-
cerns.

¢ CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
2 IN QUEEN ANNE COTTAGE

HE CHARM of Christmases past
will be recreated to help ensure
the brightness of future Christmases
when the California Arboretum
Foundation holds a_ fund-raising
open house in the Queen Anne Cot-
tage during the holiday season.
All proceeds from both the pre-
view open house on Saturday, Dec.
6, and the public open house Sun-
day, Dec. 7, will be used exclusively
for making repairs and additions to
the Queen Anne Cottage. A few of
the conservation projects planned
are reupholstering several pieces of
furniture and rewiring and repaint-
ing the interior of the cottage, ac-
cording to history committee co-
chairmen Marilyn (Mrs. John) Lle-
wellyn and Jean (Mrs. John) Atkin-
son.
The preview open house will be
divided into two separate sessions
with only 300 tickets being sold for

Regional edition of Garden

LASCA 1

each time slot. The first party will
last from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and the
second from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Both
groups will be able to enjoy wine
and hors d’oeuvres in the Lecture
Hall while watching informal mod-
eling of authentic historical cos-
tumes from the Arboretum costume
collection. Special trams will trans-
port party-goers from the Lecture
Hall to the Queen Anne Cottage.
Once inside the cottage, visitors will
be met by docents who will give
highlights on history to visitors as
they tour the building enjoying the
ambience of Christmas as it was
celebrated during “Lucky” Bald-
win’s era. Tickets for either the
early or the late party are $5 per
person. Invitations will be mailed
to Foundation members in Novem-

Der.

The cottage will be decorated for
the Christmas party in late
century

Bl

holiday splendor. Fresh

® id

and Randy (Mrs. Ed

Hanging baskets held by Gerry (Mrs. Willard) Hubbard, sale uthabinan:
ward) McDonald will be among the
available at Descanso Guild’s plant sale Oct. 18 and 19

evergreen wreaths and garlands will
embellish the mantlepieces and mir-
rors in each room. In the parlor, a
large cut tree festooned with tinsel
and reproductions of typical turn-
of-the-century ornaments will domi-
nate the room. Smaller live trees
will bring the holiday spirit to other
rooms. In the bedroom crocheted
snowflakes, shiny glass garlands, and
gingerbread men on a tree surround-
ed by toys from the Victorian era
will delight the child in everyone.
Another live tree in the music room
will be adorned with blown glass
ornaments in shapes fashionable
during that era.

The hardworking docents will also
be in the cottage from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. during the public tours Dec.
7. Price for the public open house
will be $1 per ticket for everyone
who wants to take advantage of the
rare opportunity to see the cottage
from the inside.

20,000 plants
In the back row

from left are Florine (Mrs. Tedford) Andrews, co-chairman; Connie (M
David) McKenney; and Nancy N. Dunn. , Connie (Mrs.

David J. Lans

DESCANSO PLANT SALE
iD DESCANSO GUILD’s_ plant

sale October 18 and 19, the
plant propagating class from Des-
canso will experience one of the
most rewarding joys of gardening —
sharing plants they started and grew
themselves. For the past year, class
members have devoted one day each
week to collecting, planting, and
nurturing cuttings and seeds from
unusual plants. Most of the plants
are difficult or almost impossible to
find in commercial nurseries be-
cause they do not fit modern mass
marketing techniques.

Gerry (Mrs. Willard) Hubbard,
plant sale coordinator, proudly
pointed out that not only are the
plants unusual, but they are being
sold by people with an extraordi-
nary amount of practical knowledge.
Each of the 20,000 plants will be
assigned to a booth staffed by the
members of the propagating class
who grew that particular type plant.

In addition, several visiting ex-
perts will be giving recommenda-
tions and advice during the week-
end. Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Ayres Jr.
will be in the flowering and orna-
mental tree booth. In the exotic
plants booth, Margaret (Mrs. John)
Urabec will dispense horticultural
advice on the tea plant (Thea sinen-
sis), the coffee tree (Coffea arabi-
ca), and the jojoba (Simmondsia
chinensis). Burnelle Yarick in the
native plants booth and Jack Cap-
lan in the succulents booth are also
well versed in the lore of plants in
their specialties.

Sentimental gardeners who like to
collect horticultural “antiques” will
find rare treasures in the booths fea-
turing old-fashioned roses and _his-
toric camellias. Roses for sale in-
clude ‘Reine de Violettes’ and the
traditional sweetheart rose, “Cecile
Brunner.’ Many of the old favorites
among the camellias, although as
beautiful as the newer cultivars,
have been crowded out of commer-
cial nurseries. One camellia that is

2 LASCA

seldom seen in private collections is
‘Kingyo-Tsubaki,’ called the fishtail
camellia because the leaf tips are
split and frille

Just a few of the other enticing
plants for sale will be a wide variety
of unusual ivies, cycads, and hang-
in the indoor-shade

mental vines, edible plants, and
many medicinal and flavoring herbs.
For chrysanthemum fans, there will
be a collection of both tree and bush
types. Indian corn, gourds, and
pumpkins will be among the decor-
ative items available for Fall proj-
ects.

a
Cindy Peters

NEW SCBG TRUSTEES OFFICERS
HARLOTTE (Mrs. Richard T.)
Peters, known to all as Cindy,
was recently elected president of
the Board of Trustees, South Coast
Botanic Garden Foundation.

Mrs. Peters has been chairman
of the Fiesta de Flores, the Foun-
dation’s annual plant sale, for the
past two years and assistant chair-
man in 1977 and 1978. Under her
guidance the Fiesta has shown sub-
stantial increases in attendance and
revenue for both 1979 and 1980.
Throughout the year she is respon-
sible for the exhibits in the center

court and is actively involved in the
display greenhouse.

A native of California, Mrs. Peters
resides with her husband in Tor-
rance,

Other officers elected for the 1980-
81 term are Florence (Mrs. Edward)
Siudmak, first vice-president; Mar-
tin Gould, second vice-president;
Frank Stanton, secretary; and Mrs.
Edna Schoenbaum, treasurer.

FIESTA DE FLORES PROFITS
hee FIESTA DE FLORES on May 17
and 18 was the most profitable
of the plant sales that have been
held each spring for the past 18
years at the South Coast Botanic
Garden, said Cindy (Mrs. Richard
T.) Peters, Fiesta chairman. An
early tally indicated a _ profit of
$23,000 the sale and preview
party. Proceeds from the fund rais-
ing event will be used by the SCBG
Foundation to help support mainte-
nance and development at the gar-

one a es episnien. for sale at

Bie: Fie

“ae
South an ‘Bowie Garden staff and F oundation nas collected jas

sands of plants for the Fiesta de Flores May 17 a

was the most profitable one to date

nd 18. The sale this year

LASCA 3

ARBORETUM INTERNS
B ie CALIFORNIA ARBORETUM FOUN-
pATION supplied funds again
this summer to continue the horti-
cultural internship program at the
Los Angeles State and County Ar-
boretum. Five students from local
schools were chosen on the basis of
their interest in making a career in
the field of horticulture.

Two students from Mt. San An-
tonio College, David Cameron and
Jane Olmstead, were recommended
by their instructor, Charles Hewitt.
David Cooke and Rubin Flores, up-
per division students at the Cali-
fornia State Polytechnic University,
Pomona, also took part in the pro-
gram. For the first time, a high
school student was selected as an
intern at the Arboretum. Damian
Sanchez will be a senior next year
at Eagle Rock High School, accord-
ing to John Provine who, as Arbo-
retum superintendent, coordinated
the internship program.

he program provided the Arbo-
retum with additional manpower at
the same time it gave the students a
practical taste of many facets of hor-
ticultural work. During the nine-

Rubin FI

week program, each student worked
under the direction of several differ-
ent Arboretum staff members. The
interns did not work as a team this
year, instead they rotated individu-
ally through the six phases of the
program.

Most of the interns’ time was
spent on the grounds handling and
learning to maintain equipment such
as mowers and sprinkler systems and
working on_ special construction
projects. The students also got first-

and experience on the _ proper
methods for weed control, watering,
mulching, planting, and making out
plant status reports. During a stint
in the nursery each student practiced
the treatment and planting of seeds
and cuttings and learned methods
for mixing and sterilizing soils. Pest
control, nursery housekeeping, and
reporting on seed germination and
the subsequent caning of plants

were also part of the program.
The students got an insight into
horticulture from the homeowners
point of view when they each spent
a day finding answers to questions
brought to
public.

the Arboretum by the

om

ores

, ke A Pp pe iy.
(LASCA continues after pagé 32)

Plant Portraits

Australian

Gary Cromwell

Grass- Irees

ay
ye

~
bYO sO"

ikea (pronounced zan’-
thor-ee’-uh) plants commonly
are known as grass-tree, grass-lily,
blackboy, or yacca, These are an-
cient, long-lived, woody perennials
with dense terminal tufts of long
grasslike leaves and_ stout, dark-
colored stems. Historically, the
genus has been included in the rush
family (Juncaceae), the lily family
(Liliaceae), and within its own
family, the Xanthorrhoeaceae. Many
contemporary botanists regard the
group as comprised of large lilylike
plants and retain its position within
the Liliaceae.

“Xanthorrhoea” is a composite of
two Greek words, xanthos (yellow)
and rhein (to flow), referring to the
copious dark yellow resin contained
in the stems of some species. The
genus contains 11 to 15 species, most
of which are indigenous to Australia
and Tasmania. Unconfirmed reports
also indicate the natural occurrence
OF grass-trees on the islands of New
Caledonia and New Guinea.

Grass-trees inhabit the Australian
states of Queensland, New South
Wales, V ictoria, South Australia, and
Western Australia. They may form
either small isolated populations or
May cover large tracts of ground in
reat numbers, They occur on dry
ridges in mountainous areas, among
Sranitic and other rock formations,
in wallums (barren sandy places in
Coastal regions), on river banks, in
€xtensive flatlands called grass-tree
Plains, and as understory compon-

QR AAACN

di

ae
ag

———— ; ; tacular.
ering spikes of Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata are spec f

ro 1 giana! perhe pow near the north road in the Arboretum’s Australian

ese

section.

“i cctienasinnien OT LASCA. 5

ents beneath dominant eucalypts in
dry sclerophyll woodland. Grass-
trees often are conspicuous features
of the landscape within their ranges
where they tolerate prolonged heat
and drought.

Without flower stalks, grass-tree
specimens vary in height from one
to more than six feet. Fully de-
veloped flower stalks may double or
triple total plant size; for example,
a five-foot vegetative specimen of
Xanthorrhoea arborea in flowering
condition may attain a final height of
4 to 15 feet. Flowering may be
irregular with reference to seasons
and often occurs after brush fires.
It was the fire-blackened stem, with
its hairlike clump of long thin leaves
and tall cylindrical flowering stalk,
which caused early Australian set-
tlers to think of the plants as “black-
boys.” In the fading twilight the
plants appeared against the skyline
as aboriginal warriors carrying
spears.

The stem of the grass-tree also is
known as a caudex. It varies from
a thick, unelongated subterranean
structure, as in X. minor, X. gracilis,
and X. pumilio, to a stem about two
feet tall in X. australis, and to the
treelike forms of X. quadrangulata,
X. preissii, and X. arborea, whic
may reach 10 feet in height. Stem
structure is similar to that of other
arborescent monocotyledons such as
Dracaena and Yucca. In Xanthorr-
hoea, it consists of a tissue core en-
closed by imbricate, fibrous leaf
bases held together in solidified
resin. The core is comprised of iso-
lated vascular strands embedded in
fundamental tissue. Secondary xylem
(wood) is late-forming and limited
in amount when compared with
woody dicotyledonous stems such as
oak or ash. Stems may attain a dia-
meter of 12 to 18 inches and usually
are monoaxial, but branches some-
times develop.

Leaf size and shape are slightly
variable among species. Leaves are
generally persistent, numerous, long,

and narrow with broad bases. They
may be spreading or somewhat re-
curved. Leaf length and width range
from three or four feet long by one-
fourth inch wide in X. arborea to
one or two feet long by one-twelfth
inch wide in X. minor. Leaf shape
in cross-section may be flat, triangu-

a OE
Hundreds of dark brown fruits of
X. quadrangulata jut like small bird
beaks from the surface of the spike.
Each leathery capsule is about one-
half inch long by one-fourth inch

wide and contains small black seeds.

lar, or diamond-shaped, or some-
times a combination of flat or con-
cave on the leaf upper face and
angled on the lower face. Foliar
color varies from dark green to light
gray-green. All leaves are glabrous
(without hairs ) and are brittle, par-
ticularly when young. Leaves bear
numerous fine toothlike projections
along their margins which can cut
the fingers of one who handles them
carelessly. Old dead leaves hang
skirtlike from lower stem portions
of larger specimens.

Thousands of small cream to white

flowers are borne in a dense inflores-
cense on an apparently terminal stalk
which is spectacular in its size and
beauty. Flowering spikes plus
scapes range from less than one foot
to more than 10 feet in length, de-
pending upon the species. Spike
and scape may be of unequal or
similar length and inflorescences are
one-half inch to about two inches
thick.

The flower is about one-half inch
across and one-fourth to one-half
inch long. It has a persistent six-
parted perianth (petals and sepals
collectively ) with one inner and one
outer whorl of three parts each.
There are six distinct stamens and a
superior ovary. Bracts and bracte-
oles of different lengths subtend
each flower. Although the flowers
appear white to the naked eye, their
parts are translucent under the
microscope. Green areas containing
chlorophyll are visible on certain of
the perianth segments, even after
the flower has withered and the
leathery three-valved fruit capsule
has begun to develop. Seeds are flat
and dull black in color. With age,
all flowers turn dark to rusty brown
on the stalks.

Information is scanty regarding
prehistoric use of the plants by
aboriginal cultures. Presumably, the
stems and dead flower stalks served
in house construction, for ceremon-
ial purposes, or for campfire fuel.
With care, the leaves can be woven
into loose mats or baskets. The resi-
nous stem contents may have served
as a natural dye substance. Whether
the flowers or fruits are edible is un-
known. The soft leaf bases and
young shoot tips of the Dackowar
grass-tree (X. arborea) were con-
sumed by native people of northern
Queensland, while the stem resin
rom X. quadrangulata was used by
South Australian aborigines as an
adhesive to affix stone axe blades
and spearpoints to wooden shafts.

Grass-trees are despised by Au-
stralian beekeepers as the source of

6 LASCA

creosote-flavored pollen and honey,
and because the bees tend to collect
large amounts of resin from the
plants for propolis (bee glue) used
in cementing and caulking their
hives. Grass-tree propolis is ob-
jectionable to apiarists because it
sets hard in cold weather and cre-
ates difficulty in manipulation of
hive equipment; in hot weather it
softens into a sticky mess. For these
reasons, beehive owners either de-
stroy the plants or avoid grass-tree
areas.

Of modern commercial importance
is the yellowish acaroid resin which
accumulates on stem surfaces near

eaf bases. Three important
sources of this resin are X. australis,
X. hastilis, and X. quadrangulata

Harvesters cut the plants down, the
resin is extracted, and processing
centers treat the resin with nitric
acid to obtain nitropicric acid,
expensive poisonous material used
in dyes, explosives, and analytical
chemistry. Other resin products in-
clude varnishes, paper coatings, seal-
ing wax components, cabinetry top-
coatings, and candy glazes. Leaves
of some species are used to manu-
facture household brooms.

About one-fourth of the known
species of Xanthorrhoea are repre-
sented at the Los Angeles State and
County Arboretum. Six mature
specimens of X. quadrangulata and
X. preissii, from four to seven feet
tall, are located near the north road
in the Australian section. They have
the treelike habit of X. arborea and
are a favorite photographic subject
for visitors during the April to July
flowering season. Just west of these
plants, clustered beneath Eucalyptus
trees, are three specimens 0
media subspecies latifolia, from three
to five feet high, and six one-foot to
three-foot tall X. australis plants.
These are 10 to 20 years younger
than the X. quadrangulata speci-
mens and therefore appear as simple
tufts of leaves emerging directly
from the soil.

Near the bromeliad greenhouse,
south of the Arboretum’s Garden
for All Seasons are five specimens
of Xanthorrhoea. These were plant-
ed out at different times, and they
vary from 18 inches to more than
five feet tall. The larger specimens
are X. quadrangulata and the small-
er are X. media. At least two of these
newer plants flowered this year.

Once established, grass-trees are

easy to care for and will reward the
discriminating homeowner wit
their durability and beauty. They

gar. spaces.
sandy or rer soil

may be propagated either by seeds
or offsets but must be transplanted
only when young. They tolerate most
well-drained soils and can survive
erratic watering and neglect. On a
patio they may be grown in tubs in
a peat-loam compost. When used
as a garden border or bed planting,
young grass-trees should be shelter-
ed from weather extremes.

Gary Mans ll is a oe. ethno-
botanist, and taxonomist i De-
sapihont's Research Division.
(Photos by William Aplin)

: : iti “ Af eae. 2%
The smaller spore size bod ch species as x, media make ore ideal rams con-
fined

These attractive plants do best in full sun and loose

LASCA 7

Ha appy Holi idays — Christ ia “trees,

a bri
bowl, and toys from the Victorian era will evoke the
spirit of Christmas as it may have been celebrated in the

poerroepaara

Queen Anne Cottage almost a century ago. Foundation

members and their guests can tour all the festively dec-
orated rooms of the cottage during a ben
on the evening of Dec. 6. (Photos by William Aplin)

efit open house

LOS ANGELES STATE AND
COUNTY ARBORETUM, Arcadia

SEPTEMBER 7 —2 p.m
Sunday Afternoon Talk*
“Bromeliads”
im Lorman, horticulturist
SEPTEMBER 13, 14—9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m
Cactus and Succ ulent Show
San Gabri

ucation assistant

SEPTEMBER 20, 21—9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Fall ape Fair, horticultural
field day
Celine Avboreliin Foundation
SEPTEMBER 27, 28—9 a.m

Southern California Horticultural
nstitute*
OCTOBER 19 2 p.m
Sunday Afternoon Talk
ages in the Landsc
Dr. Gary Wallace, botanist

Santa aon Bonsai norge .
NOVEMBER 14—8p.m. to 10 p.m
cture, e. Think Small vith Calif.
Native
Dick Tilforth, speaker
Theodore Payne Foundation**

- 4:30 p.m.

CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER 23 —2 p.m
unday Afternoon Talk*
“Plants for Small Ar Acree

Provine, superintendent
Sponsored by Cali iy ercesaiie
Foundatio

#*Co- pomeced by Calif. Arboretum
Foundat

SOUTH COAST BOTANIC
GARDEN, Palos Verdes Peninsula

van Nerncegy' 14— 2 p.m
unday catia Talk*
Plant Propag
Ed Har hier pr superintendent
sian 21—2 poly
ay Afternoon Talk
“Choosing the — Fruit Trees
or
SEPTEMBER 28 — 2 p.m
unday deceit Talk*
“Soil Am
Wayne ereen pe Ee
OCTOBER 5—2 p.m
Demonstration, making Christmas

Ww
OCTOBER 12—2p
De seine, lowe arranging and
making a potpo

OCTOBER ~ 19 oe a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
R Sho

ose
South Coast Rose Society**

OCTOBER 25, 26—10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
onsai
South Coast Bonsai Association**
NOVEMBER 2—2 p.m
Talk, “Planting Now for Color
in the Fall, Winter, and Spring”*
Rocky Mar sha ll
NOVEMBER -m.
Talk, “Planting a Succulent Wreath

and at Pulses ere Wreath”*
NOVEMBER 1
Talk, “Herbs for ‘ering

NOVEMBER 30 —2p
Holidays in the Ga Lo
ip ays of Christmas ¢ ‘icdeutices

*Sponsored ey South Coast Botanic
arden Fou
™ SChancnsticet “Sis South Coast Botanic
Garden Foundatio

DESCANSO GARDENS, La Canada

SEPTEMBER 14—10
Sunday Morning Walk*
Trees of Descanso Garden

0 4:30 p.m.
Plant sale, rare, Retin clans
Descanso Gardens Guild
NOVEMBER 1, 2—9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
iether hemum Show
Glendale Chrysanthemum Society
*Sponsored by Descanso Gardens Guild
**Co-sponsored by Descanso Gardens
Guild

8 LASCA