SHORTIA
NEWSLETTER OF THE
WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB
SPRING 2000
Shortia galacifolia
Oconee Bells
WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB - 2000
President: Anne Ulinski
Vice President: Bonnie Arbuckle
Secretary: Peggy Ellis
Treasurer: Rachel Conway
Recorder: Betty Jones
Historian: Anne Matthes
From the President Anne Ulinski
As I write this on the first day of February the ground is covered with a form of
water which can only be called icy snow. The crust is so firm that eight squirrels are
happily running around on the surface scavenging seeds under the bird feeders.
We seldom think of water except when too little falls from the sky and we have a
drought or too much falls and causes floods. At certain temperatures the water turns
to snow which most of us like, or ice, which isn’t much fun.
More than 70% of the surface of the earth is water. It may be in the form of ice
and snow on the highest peaks of the Himalayas or as salty water in the low elevation
Salton Sea in California. Ninety-six percent is in the oceans and three percent is fresh
water found in glaciers, lakes, ground waters, rivers and the atmosphere. With the
world population increasing and putting a greater strain on our natural resources we
need to remember that all the water that will ever be is. right now.
Walking along Sky Valley Road this past summer we, in the Botanical Club,
were acutely aware of the lack of rainfall. The rock outcrops were so dry that the plants
we always look for such as Lobelia nuttallii, Nuttalls’ Lobelia, and Talinum teretifolium ,
Fame Flower were hardly recognizable. The Grass-leaved Golden Asters, Pityopsis
graminifolia , were covered in dust. The three members who scouted the field trip a
few days earlier had a rare close look at a very large timber rattlesnake which came to
the road probably looking for a water source.
They say that nature can live without us, but we can’t live without nature. So I am
trying to take a kindly look at the inconvenience this weather brings by realizing the ice
and the snow will melt and nourish the earth including the Fame Flowers, the Golden
Asters and the timber rattlers.
OOOCKXXXOOOOCXXWOO^^
There have always been changes in the scientific names of plants but recently with
the many chromosonal studies, there are more changes than ever. Our recorder, Betty
Jones, has put together a list of “new” plant names -- names used in the 1999 plant
lists which differ from previous lists (see p.7). The name changes are drawn from
Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains by Dick Smith. There will be more about plant
name changes in the Summer issue of Shortia.
Cover: The flower on the cover is Shortia galacifolia, Oconee Bells. Our newsletter is named for this
southern endemic which is now rare in the wild.
1
Getting to Know You
Lois McDaniel
Suzanne Huie: 4K Morgan Manor, Brevard. N.C. 28712
(8281 862-3769 . A native of North Carolina, Suzanne has also
lived in New York City for 30 years and in Hawaii for six years.
She moved to Brevard in September of 1999. She is a nature
lover and wants to learn more about wild flowers.
Rose Mary Tregay: 361 Skyline Ext. .Hendersonville 28791
(828) 693-0553. Rose Mary Tregay moved to Hendersonville
from the mid-west (northern Indiana) 14 years ago. She enjoys
hiking, flowers, and all of nature.
Marge McConnell: 2673 Middleton Circle. Hendersonville 28791
(8281 696-0674. Marge and her husband moved to Middleton Place in
Hendersonville last September. She is from the Adirondacks.
Larason and Juanita M. Lambert: Fernhaven Place . Rt. 5 Box 159-L . Hender-
sonville. NC 28792-9565 (8281 685-0180. Larason and Juanita have lived in
Hendersonville for two years. They have planted four dozen species of native ferns on
their property. Larason hopes to form a fern interest group, perhaps even a Chapter
of the American Fern Society. Juanita's interests are vegetable gardening and
flowering plants.
Sandra Yost: 585 Sunlight Drive. Leicester. N.C. 28748 Tel: (8281 683-1 146. Sandra
is a member of the Herb Society of America and interested especially in herbs. She is
a master gardener and just become President of the Botanical Gardens of Asheville.
Lawrence and JoAnn Miksa: Box 1090, Columbus. N.C. 28722. (8281894-5096.
Lawrence and JoAnn have lived in Columbus for five years. He is interested in native
plants, native plant habitats, and especially studies of floral inventories.
Yvonne Tutzauer: 280 Meadow Lark Drive. Trvon. N.C. 28782 (8281859-5157.
A native of Germany, Yvonne has a 200 acre property in east Tennessee which
includes an herb farm. Her interests are culinary herbs, medicinal herbs and botany.
Kenneth and Jane Anderson: H-24 Waxwing Way, Hendersonville 28792. (828)698-
9379. Ken is a master gardener and a member of the W.Va. Native Plant Society and
interested in plant propagation. They are both members of a regional bird club.
cocjooooooooooooocjocooooocoeocooocooooo
If your mailing label is circled, you still owe dues for the year 2000
OOOOMOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOO
Address Changes
Dave and Millie Middleton: 217 Aldersgate Circle, Asheville 28803. (828) 277-5169.
Dean and JoAnn Crawford: 549 Crowfields Lane, Asheville 28803. (828) 274-2580
Jeanne Smith: 404 Shepherd Square, Brevard 28712. (828)885-2530
2
WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES
January 14, 2000 St. John Episcopal Church Hendersonville, NC
Attendance: 32
The meeting was called to order by Anne Ulinski, President at 11:15 am. A reading of
1999 annual meeting minutes by Peggy Ellis was followed by the treasurer’s report by
Rachel Conway. Both were accepted as read. (Treasurer report is attached)
December 31, 1999 Balance on hand $1770.73
Elton Hansens, acting as auditor, confirmed the accuracy of the treasury account and
his statement is attached.
Erika Parmi read the recorder’s report for Betty Jones who is out of town. The 1999
Champion walk was Tanbark Tunnel to Bull Gap with 80 species identified. (Full
report attached)
Anne goes over the history of the Harry Logan bequest which is presently exhausted
which means the cost of printing Shortia will now come out of the membership dues.
Old Business: The dues increase last year was timely to continue to cover the
expense of printing plant lists and Shortia. Anne will submit a budget for 2000 to the
Executive committee for approval. Financial goal: to cover all expenses without
drawing down the bank balance.
A report of Public Service Projects was given by Anne. Several projects have been
done over the years. The current project, in conjunction with the U.S. Forestry Service,
is to collect botanical data along two trails at the Cradle of Forestry ~ Biltmore Cam-
pus Trail and Forest Festival Trail. The goal is to promote the knowledge of native
plants by using plant species data collected for designing wildflower brochures.
Membership: Even though we cannot handle many people on each walk because of
the fragility of the trail, membership numbers need to be maintained and increased.
Areas we may be able to advertise: Henderson County Library in one of the display
cases, The Opportunity House and/or Prime Time Publication. Any other suggestions
are welcome.
New Business: Elaine Montgomery gives a report of the nominating committee which
consisted of Elaine, Don Herrman and Lowell Orbison. Nominations as follows:
Anne Ulinski, Pres., Bonnie Arbuckle, V.P., Peggy Ellis, Sec., Rachel Conway, Treas.
Helen Smith made a motion to approve, Pat Arnett seconded the motion and all were
elected unanimously. Also mentioned are the appointed positions of recorder and
historian remain as Betty Jones and Anne Mathes respectively.
A preview from Vice President, Bonnie Arbuckle of the upcoming field trips. She
highlights the 3 day trip to Fontana Village in May. There are flyers available to make
overnight reservations for the trip. Elisabeth Feil has secured reduced rates for our trip
to Chimney Rock.
3
Helen Smith goes over the Learn and Share program scheduled for March 17th. Six
people are needed to give a short presentation for the club on any subject they prefer.
Award Presentation: Don Herrman is presented with an honorary broom for his long
time devotion to be “the sweeper” on our walks, keeping us all in line and on line.
Meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted, Peggy Ellis
January 14, 200
Book Review. Jean Lenhart
Noah’s Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Back Yards
Sara Stein, Houghton Mifflin, 1993
This is a personal perspective of the author's conversion from conventional
gardener to ecologist. Her plans for transforming the barren and impoverished lawns
of countless sub-divisions across America lead toward more natural and ecologically
sound gardens in which snakes are as welcome as butterflies.
The author, who lives with her husband on six acres in New York, began to
question conventional practices -- large lawns surrounded by neat beds of flowers
and occasional specimen plantings -- when, a few years ago, she noticed the
absence of many creatures she could recall from childhood. Creatures like orioles,
bluebirds, box turtles, and butterflies, once common, were seen no more.
Stein began reading books and consulting experts, and decided to try to reverse
the trend by changing the way she maintained her own land. She planted shrubs and
trees, native to the region, that would encourage birds and beneficial insects to return.
She deepened her pond so that aquatic life could flourish in purer water; replaced
most of her flower beds with native flowers and shrubs; and restricted her lawn to a
small patch, seeding the old lawns with native grasses. Stein argues forcefully that
the old methods of gardening not only require tremendous amounts of labor and
chemicals to keep exotic plants alive but are detrimental to native species. Although
neither town covenants nor legislation on a large scale will restore our vanishing
ecosystems, she says, each of us can plant a piece of native grassland or put up a
bluebird box and edge our property with fruiting shrubs rather than exotic
ornamentals. To provide passageways for the smaller creatures, we could build
terrace walls of dry stone rather than masonary ones.
Hers is a persuasive plea to defy old wisdom and change the way we garden,
suggesting just what can be achieved even on the smallest lot.
As the author warns, "If we don't grow milkweeds in our gardens, we'll have to tell
our grandchildren, 'We used to see Monarch butterflies long ago.' "
4
WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB
Treasury Report
Year Ending December 1999
January 1, 1999 - Balance on hand
$1797.65
Receipts 1999 2000
Membership dues 960.00 + 264.00 * $1224.00
Donations 48 , 00
$ 1272.00
Disbursements
Membership Lists - inc. postage 70.48
Program Schedules " " . 211.09
Plant Lists 64,21
Shortia * " 439.98
(Above - our greatest expense $785,76)
Misc . Items - copying & supplies 49.49
Treasury - Postage & supplies 30.43
St. John in Wilderness - Reservations 75.00
Annual Meeting supplies 8.24
Christmas Cookie Fest - supplies 35.00
Contributions
Botanical Gardens at Asheville 50.00
The Nature Conservancy - rebuild bridge 50.00
Preservers of the Parkway - in
Memory of Dick Smith 200,00
Dick Smith's Book to Cradle of Forest 16.00
$1298792
1272.00
$3069.65
1298.92
December 31 » 1999 - Balance on hand
$1770.73
I would like to mention a member absorbed the cost of copying
for the club in memory of Dick Smith in the amount of $100.00
Re 1 Harry Logan's Bequest
Those funds were exhausted in October and are now being
paid out of our regular budget.
Respectfully submitted,
01-14-2000
5
RECORDER RAMBLINGS
THE YEAR 1999
Betty Jones
This year, my first as your dub Recorder, has been a year of growth for me. I can
finally identify some plants without having to refer to the field guides, the Latin
names tumble off my tongue with a bit more ease, I have walked new paths, and,
best of all, I have had the pleasure of doing this with people who share my interest
and whose company I enjoy.
Forty-three field trips were scheduled in 1999. Five of those were cancelled - all in
the first half of the year. Attendance continues to keep pace with that of prior years
with an average of nearly 16 people per trip. Twenty-six of the 38 field trips had an
attendance of 1 1 -20 people. Seven trips were in the 6-1 0 range, four in the 22-25
range and highest attendance was at the Holmes picnic which was attended by 32
people.
1999’s champion outing was the May walk from Tanbark Tunnel to Bull Gap. A
whopping 80 species were identified, 60 in bloom, and all this in spite of the rain!
Two strong runners-up were the North Carolina Arboretum in May and the Buck
Springs trail in July: 75 species were identified on both walks.
This is the first year that we have made a serious effort to record non-blooming
plants as well as those in bloom. This has encouraged us to look not only at the in-
florescence of a plant but its other features as well: leaves, stem, fruit or seeds, etc.
Moreover, we have added ferns and some mosses to many of our checklists.
We do continue to record the number of species in bloom. In this category, our
three champion walks were the North Carolina Arboretum with 67 blooming plants,
Lake Issaqueena with 65, and (once again) Tanbark Tunnel to Bull Gap with 60.
As might well be expected, our lowest blooming counts were for our latest and earli-
est walks. Our last walk of the season at Jones Gap State Park produced a single
blooming species, some fading witch hazel, and the Hardy Souls walk at Andy Cove
produced two bloomers: a bitter cress and trailing arbutus.
Plant highlights of the year were: Rocky Mountain Woodsia ( Woodsia scopulina) at
Glassy Mt. Preserve; the Whorled Pogonia ( Isotria verticil lata) at Tanbark Tunnel;
Ramps ( Allium tricoccum), Tennessee Chickweed ( Stellaria core!) and Cream-
colored Wake Robin ( Trillium erectum) on the Graybeard Mt. Overlook to Glassmine
Falls trail; the Gray’s Lily ( Lillium gray f) and Spreading Avens ( Geurn radiatum ) at
Roan Mountain; Biitmore Carrion Flower ( Smilax biltmoreana) at the Herrman’s
place; and finally, the magnificent displays of Clintonia borealis , Maianthemum ca-
nadense and Smilacina racemosa at Big Butt.
I received reports for EVERY walk this year and also a few scouting reports for
walks that were cancelled. My sincere thanks for your cooperation.
6
WCBC Plant Names - uOld" vs. "New"
Note: All of these "new" plant names appeared on checklists in 1999.
"Old" Name
"New" Name
Common Name
Aesculus octandra
Aesculus flava
Yellow Buckeye
Arenaria groenlandica
Minuartia groenlandica
Mountain Sandwort
Aristolochia durior
Aristolochia macrophylla
Dutchman's Pipe
Cacalia atriplicifolia
Amoglossum atriplicifolium
Pale Indian Plantain
Cardamine heterophylla
Cardamine angustata
Slender Toothwort
Cassia fascicuiata
Chamaecrista fascicuiata
Partridge Pea
Cassia marilandica
Senna marilandica
Wild Senna
Cassia nictitans
Chamaecrista nictitans
Wild Sensitive Plant
Cassia obtusifolia
Senna obtusifolia
Sicklepod
Cerastium holosteoides
Cerastium fontanum ssp. triviale
Mouse-ear Chickweed
Cerastium vulgatum
Cerastium fontanum ssp. triviale
Mouse-ear Chickweed
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum
Leucanthemum vulgare
Ox-eye Daisy
Chrysopsis graminifolia
Pityopsis graminifolia
Grass-leaved Golden Aster
Dentaria diphylla
Cardamine diphylla
Crinkleroot; Toothwort
Dentaria heterophylla
Cardamine angustata
Slender Toothwort
Dentaria laciniata
Cardamine concatenata
Cut-leaved Toothwort
Erigeron canadensis
Conyza canadensis
Horseweed
Eupatorium aromaticum
Ageratina aromatica
Smaller White Snakeroot
Eupatorium rugosum
Ageratina altissima
White Snakeroot
Galinsoga ciliata
Galinsoga quadriradiata
Peruvian Daisy; Quickweed
Gentiana quinquefolia
Gentianella quinquefolia
Stiff Gentian
Habenaria ciliaris
Platanthera ciliaris
Yellow Fringed Orchid
Habenaria clavellata
Platanthera clavellata
Small Green Wood Orchid
Heterotheca graminifolia
Pityopsis graminifolia
Grass-leaved Golden Aster
Heterotheca mariana
Chrysopsis mariana
Maryland Golden Aster
Hieracium pratense
Hieracium caespitosum
King Devil; Field Hawkweed
Hypericum stans
Hypericum crux-andreae
St. Peteris-wort
Linaria canadensis
Nuttalanthus canadensis
Old-field Toadflax
Lychnis alba
Silene latifolia ssp. alba
White or Evening Campion
Lycopodium flabelliforme
Diphasiastrum digitatum
Running Pine
Orchis spectabilis
Galearis spectabilis
Showy Orchis
Oxalis acetosella
Oxalis montana
Common Wood Sorrel
Polymnia uvedalia
Smallanthus uvedalia
Bearsfoot; Yellow Leafcup
Potentilla tridentata
Sibbaldiopsis tridentata
Wine-leaved Cinquefoil
Rhus radicans
Toxicodendron radicans
Poison Ivy
Rhus toxicodendron
Toxicodendron toxicarium
Poison Oak
Senecio robbinsii
Senecio schweinitzianus
Robbin's Ragwort
Senecio smallii
Senecio anonymus
Small's Ragwort
Silene cucubalus
Silene vulgaris
Bladder Campion
Specularia perfoliata
Triodanis perfoliata
Venus' Looking Glass
Spiranthes gracilis
Spiranthes lacera v. gracilis
Slender Ladies' Tresses
Thalictrum polygamum
Thalictrum pubescens
Tall Meadow Rue
Trifolium agrarium
Trifolium aureum
Hop Clover
Uvularia pudica
Uvularia puberula
Mountain Bellwort
Viola eriocarpa v. eriocarpa
Viola pubescens v. leiocarpon
Smooth Yellow Violet
Viola eriocarpa v. leiocarpa
Viola pubescens v. leiocarpon
Smooth Yellow Violet
Viola papilionacea
Viola sororia
Common Blue Violet
7
Dutchman’s Pipe
Bill Verduin
That was a very interesting article in the winter issue of Shortia bv Paul Myers
about the gingers -- deciduous in the genus Asarum and evergreen in the genus
Hexastylis. These two genera together with the genus Aristolochia, are the only native
members of the mostly tropical Birthwort Family. So let’s get acquainted with this
cousin of the gingers and we will know the whole family.
Aristolochia (ah-ris-to-LO-ki-ahJ macrophylla (formerly durior) commonly called
Dutchman’s pipe or pipevine is a high climbing, woody vine much like the wild grape
but easily distinguised by the light gray smooth bark and the large heart-shaped
leaves. But it is the flowers which appear in early summer that are of greatest interest.
They are different, they are bizarre, they are whimisical, they are unlike any other
flower. They look like... .well.... a Dutchman’s pipe! Make a special effort to see them
this summer -- be amazed and laugh at these ridiculous flowers.
Sometimes the most interesting is the least
obvious and so it is with the pipevine. The
strange U-shaped tube offers a commodious
chamber for the small carrion flies attracted by
the upleasant odor suggestive of rotting meat.
The flies find no meat in which to lay their
eggs. They find rather that they are held
captive by the plant. Stiff downward pointing
hairs on the wall of the tube prevent their
escape.
When the flower opens only the style
and stigma are functional. Pollination occurs
when a fly comes in well dusted with pollen
from a prior adventure in another flower. As
soon as, but not before, the stigma is
pollinated will the anthers develop and
release the plant’s own pollen. The stiff captive flies soon get a dusting of pollen and
then... guess what... the stiff hairs on the sides of the tube wither, setting free the
captives with best wishes for a pleasant visit to some other flower.
This sequence of pollination (but without the captivity) is fairly common among
plants. The relatively large size of the pipevine flowers makes it easy to observe the
details. It is one among many devious methods plants use to prevent self-pollination.
Ain’t Botany fun?!!
£3 ill Verduin, former President and long time member of the WCBC, now lives in
Richmond, Virginia. Often a field trip leader, he inioduced us to many new places such
as Sky Valley Road and Heintooga and shared his knowledge of botany with all of us.
8
atm rtia
Vol. XXII. No. 1 Spring 2000
A quarterly publication of the Western Carolina Botanical Club
Editor: Anne Ulinski Distribution: Ruth Hoerich
Editorial Assistant: Pat Arnett
Please submit contributions for the next issue by April 30, 2000 to: Anne Ulinski
1212 Chanteloupe Drive, Hendersonville, N.C. 28739
The purpose of the Club is to study the plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and
the Southeast through field trips and indoor meetings. Membership is open to all.
Individual/family memberships are $12. New members joining from the period July 1-
December 31 , pay $6. All memberships are renewable on January first of each year.
Please send dues to:
Rachel Conway, Treasurer
21 1 Aldersgate Circle
Asheville, N.C. 28803
SHORTIA
c/o Ruth Hoerich
215 Newport Road
Hendersonville, N.C. 28739
FIRST CLASS
***Li bra ry
Att . : Dr . Buck
New York Botanical Garden
Bronx NY 10458-5126
H6?
V-JX
# 3-
SHORTIA
NEWSLETTER OF THE
WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB
SUMMER 2000
Luesther T Mertz
LIBRARY
JUN 1 2 2000
NEW YORK
BOTANICAL GARDEN
Shortia galacifolia
Oconee Bells
WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB - 2000
President: Anne Ulinski Treasurer: Rachel Conway
Vice President: Bonnie Arbuckle Recorder: Betty Jones
Secretary: Peggy Ellis Historian: Donna Herrman
From the President Anne Ulinski
When new members come on their first field trip each one invariably looks around the circle
of members and says “I wish you would all wear name tags.” After a few field trips I am sure
they are also saying “I wish all plants would wear name tags.”
When I first joined the Western Carolina Botanical Club, I knew almost no plant names and
wasn’t sure I wanted to make the effort. On the inside cover of my first field guide I wrote a
short poem attributed to Shakespeare:
/
“They who give a name to every fixed star
Have no more profit of their shining nights
Than they that walk and know not
what they are.”
I still believe you can enjoy nature without knowing a name for everything you see. But
consider the conversation Alice had with the Gnat.*
“I don’t rejoice in insects at all,” Alice explained, “But I can tell you the
names of some of them.”
“Of course they answer to their names.” the Gnat remarked carelessly.
“I never knew them to do it.”
“What’s the use of their having names,” the Gnat said, “if they won’t
answer to them?”
“No use to them,” said Alice; “but it’s useful to the people that name
.... them, I suppose. If not, why do things have names at all?”
i 5 v-1 v !'Mi I
Through the years the Western Carolina Botanical Club leaders have always considered the
use of scientific and common plant names to be an integral part of the botanical learning
process we offer our members. Our recorder, Betty Jones, prepares numbered plant lists for
each field trip. Make use of the lists to learn common and scientific names but don’t
become just a "lister”. If you have to choose between finding and checking off the plant on
your list 21 looking at the plant — always look. This is a time to marvel at the intricate
structures, the palette of colors, the overall beauty that nature offers us. If you don’t have time
to connect a name with a plant, look hard at the plant’s “architecture”, its color, its
surroundings (woods, streamside, field). If you can hold on to that, you may be able to find
the plant and its name later in your field guide. If not, you’ll probably have another chance on
another field trip. Most important, you’ve had the “profit of the shining night”.
ooooooooeoooooooooooooooeoooooeooooooocoaooooooooooooooooo
Cover: The flower on the cover is Shortia galacifolia, Oconee Bells. Our newsletter is named for this
southern endemic which is now rare in the wild.
‘From Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll.
1
Getting to Know You
Lois McDaniel
W\\maJ)mpQ:43_SlQnQbnda^i^^mMJ±^.^23.805,.
(828) 299-0904. Wilma has recently moved from Covington,
Georgia to “live in the mountains and learn botany.”
Maxilla, Evans C, 28766
(828) 458-6784. Maxilla helped establish the Corneille Bryan
Nature Center in Lake Junaluska. Although unable to attend,
she is looking forward to receiving Shortia.
Don Fisher: 33 Lantern Lane. Lexington. N.C. 27295. (336) 956-3512.
Don found the Botany Club through Elizabeth Feil. He enjoys hiking and
nature. His interest is in rare plants.
Sue McLeod: 31 Campbranch Road,. Black MJL..N.C. 26711. (8.28) 669-94_83...
Sue has a business of designing native plant gardens. She says she has a passion for
wildflowers.
Valerie Monroe: 6 Sandbridae Wav. Wavnesville. N.C. 28786. (828) 926-5267.
Valerie moved here from Sanibel Island, Fla. She is a retired social worker/counselor
who decided to turn her attention from people to plants. Enrolled in a horticultural
program at Haywood Community College, Valerie is also a gardener at the Corneiile
Bryan Nature Center in Lake Junaluska.
Eric and Peaov Moore: 124 Chickadee Lane. Brevard. N.C. 29712. 828-883-5505.
Peggy is a volunteer at Pisgah Ed. Center and also a nature guide at the Cradle of
Forestry. When living in Charlotte she was head of the docents and of wiidfiower
education at Winghaven, an English Garden/Bird Sanctuary in Charlotte.
Aleen Steinberg: P.Q. Box 247, Cedar Mt.. N.C. 28718. .(828) 885-2477: Chick grew up in
a small town in Wsconsin.She has always loved botany and wishes she had chosen
that as her career. She was active in the Native Plant Society in Florida and is active here
in the Sierra Club.
Jane and George Thomas: 617 Auburn Park Drive. Wavnesville. N.C. 28786
(828) 452-4093. Jane and George each have a horticulture degree from the University of
Georgia. George teaches at Haywood Community College. Jane is Director at Corneille
Bryan Nature Center in Lake Junaluska. Jane went on the Shinn Garden field trip and
liked our name tags.
Membership List- Year 2000
The membership list for the present year has been mailed. If there are any changes to
your name, address or telephone number, please advise Ruth Hoerich (828)696-8063.
To keep your membership list up-to-date, you will need to add the names which are
listed above.
2
Book Sale
Do you have books on natural history (botany, geology, birds, mammals, etc.)
which are duplicates or no longer needed? The Club is sponsoring a book sale at our
annual meeting in January 2001 . Donated books can be left with any of our officers. We
need your books well before the sale so the sorting and pricing can be done. As well as
making some books available to our newer members at lower prices, sales will help
finance the public address system we bought this year for use at our indoor meetings.
The Poetry of Botanical Names
In all of our talk about the meaning of botanical names and the difficulty of learning
them, we don’t often take the time to listen to their sounds. Carolyn Goforth in her poem,
“Gatherers” (see page 8 of this issue of Shortia) shares with us her delight in the poetry
of plant names. “ Fragaria glauca “and u Potent ilia fruticosa ” are two she liked.
If you listen you’ll find many scientific names to delight the ear. It might be
Aureolaria laevigata, Parnassia asarifolia or Cheloni lyonii. Or how about the name of the
star flower we saw a few weeks ago — Trientalis borealis ? One of our Club members
liked the way Chrysanthemum leucanthemum (Ox-eye daisy) rolled off his tongue.
Unfortunately the name was later changed to Leucanthemum vulgarel
Botany Bookmarks
The USDA Plants Database is described as a single source of standardized
information about plants, focusing on vascular plants, mosses, lichens, liverworts and
hornworts of the U.S. and its territories. It is best viewed with Netscape or Internet
Explorer 4.0 or greater.
The site features a plant of the week which for the week of May 25 was
Cephalanthus occidentalis L, Common buttonbush. A click on the picture of the plant
switched to a screen with the following information: Group-Dicot; Family-Rubiaceae;
Duration-Perennial; Growth-Small tree, small shrub; Origin-Native. There was also an
occurence map, a list of states where buttonbush has been found and several other
pictures of the plant.
3
Recorder Ramblings
Betty Jones
Our Year 2000 hiking season got off to a great start when 19 members walked up Moore
Cove for our Hardy Souls walk in late February. No plants were in bloom at that early date
but 25 plants were identified including 4 “evergreen” ferns.
Our two March walks were also well received. Highlights of the Corn’s Mill Shoals walk were
the huge rock outcroppings, the abundance of mosses, lichens and Climbing Fern
( Lygodium palmatum) and shedding our shoes to cross Toms Creek. The walk along
Carrick Creek at Table Rock State Park was surprisingly rewarding botanically - 65 species
were identified with 29 in bloom, among them a Pinxter Flower ( Rhododendron
periclymenoides).
In April, the weather was less cooperative and three walks were cancelled due to rain;
another was cancelled so that members could attend the service for Bill Arbuckle.
Our usual trip to Pearson’s Falls was a bit later this year but was just as rewarding. The
uncommon Green Violet ( Hybanthus concolor) was not yet in bloom but we were treated to
fine displays of Canada Violets (Viola canadensis) and Giant Chickweed ( Stellaria pubera).
Walking Fern ( Asplenium rhizophyllum ) had spores and the Mountain Fragile Fern
( Cystopteris montana ) was abundant. Once again, Millie Pearson (and sister Odette) treated
us to scrumptious goodies.
A light rain fell on the walkers who explored Glassy Mountain Preserve. This walk always
presents a number of plants we encounter infrequently and also some familiar plants in
abundance. New to the list this year is Wild Quinine ( Parthenium integrifolium).
Once again Pacolet Falls treated us to vast displays of trillium: Trillium catesbaei, T.
cuneatum, T. erectum and T. grandiflorum. Canada Violets added to the display. We were
gladdened to learn that this private property is being put into a conservancy trust.
Our field trip to Graham Countv was an unqualified success. Twenty-seven members spent
three days exploring three areas: 20 Mile Creek, Slickrock Creek and the Joyce Kilmer
Memorial Forest. Special thanks to Bonnie Arbuckle for making the arrangements and
leading the walks.
Shinn Garden is the place to go to see wonderful displays of Blue Star, Perfoliate Bellwort,
Trillium luteum, Solomon’s Seal, Solomon’s Plume, Canada Violets, Green-and-Gold, Pink
Shell Azalea and Yellow Mandarin. Unusual plants here are Pirate Bush ( Buckleya
distichophylla), Smaller Yellow Lady’s Slipper ( Cypripedium calceolus v. parviflorum) and
Sand Myrtle ( Seiophylium buxifolium).
Ninety-five plants were identified on the Coleman Boundary road-side walk - 67 in bloom.
Highlight of the walk was a flowering Wild Comfrey ( Cynoglossum virginianum ). Large
numbers of Canada Violet, Yellow Mandarin ( Disporum lanuginosum), Dwarf Larkspur
( Delphinium tricorne), Wild Geranium ( Geranium maculatum) and Stonecrop (Sedum
ternatum) were blooming. The trail to Douglas Falls had been improved.
4
Herbalist’s Notebook
Peggy Ellis
Plantago major
Common or greater plantain
Sometimes on our walks we fail to honor the presence of plantain
and see it as a very common plant not worth mentioning. To bring
to our awareness the medicinal power of this common weed, I would like to share my
experience of plantain and add some embellishments from other people’s experience.
Some of the common names show us that plantain has gotten a bad rap from the
beginning: Devil’s Shoestring, Englishman’s Weed, White Man’s Foot. Native Americans
have been known to grumble that this plant grew wherever the White Man stepped. After all,
plantain is not very particular where it grows.
As a first aid plant, it is the first thing I go for when I am stung by a bee. Just grab a small
leaf, chew it a little, and press the fresh poultice on the inflamed area. Miraculously in
moments the pain is relieved. Because of it’s complex chemistry this plant can draw out
toxins as well as sooth irritation. I like to include plantain in my herbal skin salve due to its
skin healing properties. Plantain is rich in minerals which is good for internal as well as
external tissue healing. It may also be used for bleeding ulcers, gums, irritable bowel,
bleeding piles, diverticulosis, burns and wounds that refuse to heal. These are all helped
with this common, abundant weed.
Plantain is a soothing diuretic rich in potassium and anti-bacterial properties. Therefore it is
effective for kidney and bladder conditions. A few drops of the fresh juice can ease the pain
of ear infections.
The Native American tribes caught on to the healing powers of plantain and much is written
regarding the uses they employed. Probably because of its astringent, anti-bacterial and
lymphatic actions, the Iroquois used the fresh leaves to treat wounds as well as coughs,
colds and bronchitis.
Let’s not forget how tasty the fresh leaves are in salads. I liken the flavor to raw mushrooms
and know I’m getting wonderful wild nutrients to keep my body strong and nourished. A little
goes a long way, so eat only small amounts of this wild food.
Maybe now we know why plantain followed the steps of the White Man all over the world.
Peggy Ellis graduated from the California School of Herbal Studies in 1986. She and her
husband, Craig, run the North Carolina School of Natural Healing with locations in Fletcher
and Asheville. She cautions that herbal remedies must be taken with consideration of all
health factors including the use of other medications.
5
Those Latin Names
Betty Jones
Let’s consider colors as they appear in Latin plant names. Remember that some word
roots come from the Greek and have been “Latinized” in these plant names. It is interesting
to me that so many of our tree names involve color.
CQlQr
Root
Lang
Examples
red
rubr
L
Acer rubrum (Red Maple; Quercus rubra (Red Oak)
blue
c(a)erule
L
Houstonia caerulea (Bluets)
cyan
G
Centaurea cyanus (Cornflower)
white
alb
L
Prenanthes alba (White Lettuce); Quercus alba (White Oak)
leuco
G
Leucothoe axillaris (Dog Hobble)
yellow
flav
L
Aesculus flava (Yellow Buckeye)
lute
L
Trillium luteum (Yellow Toadshade)
xantho
G
Xanthorhiza simplicissima (Yellowroot)
green
virid
L
Asclepias viridiflora (Green Milkweed)
black
melan
G
Sorbus melancarpa (Black Chokeberry)
nigr
L
Brassica nigra (Black Mustard)
Juglans nigra (Black Walnut)
purple
phoenico
G
Rubus phoenicolasius (Wineberry)
purpur
L
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Houstonia purpurea (Purple Bluets)
violet
viola
L
All of the Viola genus
scarlet
cocci n
L
Castilleja coccinea (Indian Paint Brush)
Quercus coccinea (Scarlet Oak)
bluish/
gray
caesi
L
Solidago caesia (Blue Stem Goldenrod)
gray
glauc
L
Helianthus glaucophyllus (Gray leaf Sunflower)
pale-
yellow
ochro
G
Spiranthes ochroleuca (Nodding Ladies’ Tresses) for
its pale yellow flowers
reddish-
orange
pyrrho
G
Pyrrhopappus carolinianus (False Dandelion) for the
color of the pappus
tawny
fulva
L
Hemerocallis fulva (Orange Daylily)
You probably recognize these roots in non-plant names: (cyan)osis - a bluish discoloration
of the skin; (leuco)cyte - white blood cell; (melan)oma - tumor containing dark pigment;
(alb)ino - lacking pigmentation; (coc)hineal insect - used to make a red dye, etc. The artists
among you will associate these roots with the colors of your favorite pigments.
6
Camassia Slopes Preserve
Erika Parmi
On April 8, 2000 I visited the Camassia Slopes Preserve with several other
members of The Nature Conservancy. Our leaders to this Nature Conservancy
property were Merrill Lynch, Assistant Director of Protection for the North Carolina
Chapter and Jeff Horton, the Roanoke River Project Coordinator.
The Preserve, only opened for supervised field trips, consists of 176 acres
along the north bank of the Roanoke River in Northampton County, N.C. near Boones
Crossroads. The area includes river floodplain, floodplain valley wall, and terrace
slopes which rise steeply about 35 feet above the relatively flat floodplain. The slopes
are notable for their unusual soil type which contains high percentages of calcium
and magnesium. They are similar to the calcium rich sediments found along mid-
western river banks and are completely unlike the acidic soils found along most other
N.C. rivers.
The preserve has more than two dozen species of wildflowers designated as
endangered, uncommon or rare in the coastal plain. There is no trail so we walked
along the floodplain forest occasionally stumbling into shallow potholes that were
completely covered by tangles of bedstraw. Another plant that was almost constantly
underfoot was the False rue anemone, Isopyrum biternatum, or in R. Smith -
Enemion biternatum. As the common name implies, it resembles the familiar Rue
anemone, Thalictrum thalictroides , but is a slightly larger, more robust plant.
We eventually arrived at the slopes that were covered with several hundred of
the plants for which the preserve is named, Camassia scilloides, Wild hyacinth.
The racemes of pale blue flowers rise about 12-15 inches on leafless stalks above
the grass-like basal leaves. Scattered amongst them were another of the preserve’s
rare flowers - Trillium sessile, Red trillium or Toadshade. It does not grow in the
mountains but is very similar to our Trillium cuneatum , Little Sweet Betsy. Purple
larkspur, Delphinium tricorne, was also abundant and Wild blue phlox. Phlox
divaricata, not as prolific. The preserve is also noted for its many Three birds orchids,
Triphora trianthophora, but these do not bloom until late summer. The trees are
mostly sugar hackberry, Celtis laevigata , which was new to me, and ash, sweet gum
and sugar maple.
We were fortunate weatherwise. The floodplain was dry (sometimes
waterproof boots are needed), the sky was blue and the temperature was
comfortable. However on the way back to my campsite at Kerr Reservoir (about 1 1/2
hours west of the preserve), the heavens opened up and gale force winds blew.
Instead of spending a quiet evening sitting by the lake, I sat reading in my camper
wondering if a tornado was on its way. Sunday morning dawned clear and when I
stopped for gas I learned that strong winds had damaged homes in a village about 20
miles away.
7
fiAHffiBBRS.
In an alpine meadow near Pikes Peak
the three of us hunt wildflowers.
We gather blooms as words in a
notebook,
travel through Audubon's guide as
wind fingers pages.
Indian paintbrush and pearly everlasting
Castiileja miniata and Anaphalis
margaritacea
Stooping, we catch leaves and flowerheads
delicate
to count
to examine
to compare
with pictures, with words—
watch feet for shafts of color like gems in
lode —
blue columbine
white locoweed
orange hawkweed
purple cranes bill ....
"Come see, we've found bergamot!"
"I can't.
I've found pussytoes.
I'll lose them if I leave this spot.
One of you come here."
"Mark your place with a stick,"
We savor names on our tongues-
wild strawberry ... Fragaria glauca ...
shrubby cinquefoil ... Potentilla
fruiticosa
capture plant people with cameras
record their census.
Periwinkle butterflies bounce from
woolly yarrow to nootka rose.
We are dizzy with plenty
share eyes and footsteps
track from book to book
hope for what we haven't seen ...
for
shooting stars
for
prairie smoke.
One reads, another examines, our third
consults.
“That’s it!”
Welling-up of hunger satisfied.
-Caroline R. Goforth
Summer 1996
Aquilegia caerulea
Blue or Colorado
columbine
Caroline Goforth, the author of “Gatherers ”
was an active member of the South Carolina
Native Plant Society and a teacher, writer and
lover of nature. “Gatherers ” was written
during a trip across the country to the
southwest. She died about a year later of cancer
at age 50.
Her husband, Tom Goforth, Editor of the
Newsletter of the South Carolina Native Plant
Society, granted permission for us to reprint
the poem from the fall 1999 issue. Tom
described his wife as a “tenacious searcher ”.
P.8
SHQEIJA
Vol. XXII. No. 2 Summer 2000
A quarterly publication of the Western Carolina Botanical Club
Editor: Anne Ulinski Distribution: Ruth Hoerich
Editorial Assisting and Art Work: Pat Arnett
Please submit contributions for the next issue by August 10, 2000 to: Anne Ulinski
1212 Chanteloupe Drive, Hendersonville, N.C. 28739
The purpose of the Club is to study the plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountains
and the Southeast through field trips and indoor meetings. Membership is open to
all. Individual/family memberships are $12. New members joining from the period
July 1 -December 31, pay $6. All memberships are renewable on January first of each
year. Please send dues to:
Rachel Conway, Treasurer
21 1 Aldersgate Circle
Asheville, N.C. 28803
SHORTIA
c/o Ruth Hoerich
215 Newport Road
Hendersonville, N.C. 28739
FIRST CLASS
Library *Att: Dr. Buck
New York Botanical Garden
Bronx, N.Y. 10458-5126
1 i J 4 1 % 'i
IllM
1 1 1 {In i i i 1 1 il ii i 1 1 i 1 1 1 1 u I ii i i il 1 1 1 1
SHORTIA
NEWSLETTER OF THE
WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB
AUTUMN 2000
Shortia galacifolia
Oconee Bells
C
WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB - 2000
President: Anne Ulinski
Vice President: Bonnie Arbuckle
Secretary: Peggy Ellis
Treasurer: Rachel Conway
Recorder: Betty Jones
Historian: Dana Herrman
From the President.
.Anne Ulinski
Biodiversity and Healthy Ecosystems. In a stunning new result from what has
become one of the largest agricultural experiments ever, thousands of rice farmers in China
have doubled the yields of their most valuable crop and nearly eliminated its most devasting
disease (rice blast) without using chemical treatments or spending a single extra penny.
Under the direction of an international team of scientists, farmers in China’s Yunnan
Province adopted a simple change in how they planted their rice paddies. Instead of
planting the large stands of a single species of rice, as they have done traditionally, the
farmers planted a mixture of two different rices and radically restricted rice blast and were
able to abandon chemical fungicides previously widely used.
This may seem a far cry from our botanical interests but already plant researchers
see the study's implications extending to prairies, rainforest and other natural ecosystems.
Just as this study examines the role of a diversity of crops in fighting disease and in
productivity of a rice paddy, biodiversity studies have been examining whether increased
species numbers can affect such things as the health of plants in natural settings. Eco-
logists at the University of Minnesota have found evidence in prairie ecosystems that an
increased diversity of plant species decreases the incidence of disease.* * For more on this
story, see the August 2000 issue of Nature magazine.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooqco
We have received 19 new memberships (equal to 27 individual members) since the first of
the year. A message to new members is don’t be discouraged by the length of our plants
lists. The Southern Appalachians have probably the greatest diversity of plant species in the
country. We are all learning all the time and we try to share what we know and enjoy learning
more as we come across species new to us. If you need information about any of the Club
activities or procedures, don’t hesitate to call one of the people listed above. We’ll try to
answer your questions or help you find an answer.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
There always seems to be one “magical moment” which stands out when
I think back on the field trips of each quarter. This time it was coming out of
a dark forest to an open field and finding Gray’s lily ( Lilium grayi ) in bloom.
My first sight of this rare plant was years ago on a misty morning on Roan
Mt. and here it was in bright sunlight as beautiful as I remembered.
Cover: The flower on the cover is Shortia galacifolia, Oconee Bells. Our newsletter is
named for this southern endemic which is now rare in the wild.
*This story excerpted from the New York Times. August 22, 2000.
i
Getting to Know You
Lois McDaniel
Elrose Couric and Sue Hollinaer: 1 1 034 White Oak Rd. ,
Waynesville, NC. 28785. (828)-627-9918 Elrose and Sue
are eager to learn more about wildflowers.They found
WCBC through members Wilma Durpo and Elizabeth
Feil. They are summer residents, returning to Key Largo
in December.
Kate Dwver and Mvron Gauoer: 346 Lucky Lane, Clyde, N.C.
28721 . (828) 627-3283. Kate Dwyer is from Seattle where
she worked as a landscape designer and a retail nurseryman.
Now, living in N.C. for eight years, she is a painter. Her husband
Myron Gauger will join us for some of the hikes. He is a view
finder, identifying mountains.
Ruth Anne Gibson: 60 Hemlock Drive, Flat Rock, NC 28731. (828)-697-6134. Ruth is a
former teacher and has a long time interest in wild flowers. She is a part time NC
resident and she and her husband live in Florida in the winter.
John and Victoria Maddux: 28 Jump Cove Rd., Weaverville, NC 28787. (828) 645-4593.
John and Victoria met WCBC members at the Gaia Herb trip. Victoria has been
education director for 7 years at the Magic Community Gardens in Asheville. She grew up
at Biltmore Dairy Farms. Her particular interest is herbs.
Address Qhgnges:
Anne Matthis: 45 Fucnsia Dr., Hendersonville 28792. 68 7-7879
Peggy Poichow: Meadowbrook Farm, Route 20, Box 280, Hendersonville 28739
BOOK SALE
A sale of donated books is planned for the January 2001 annual meeting with
proceeds to be used for club expenses. Collection of donated books has begun, but very
slowly. Please look through your library of botanical and natural history books and bring
us those you are willing to donate. We have many new members who will be interested
in acquiring such additions to their libraries. Books may be given to any member of the
Executive Committee - Anne Ulinski, Bonnie Arbuckle. Rachel Conway. Peggy Ellis. Betty
Jones and Dana Herrman.
0O 00 00 00 00 00 00 0OCO00CO00 00 003O
“....How wonderful it is to be in the midst of these dark shade trees with a cloud of mist
blowing through and the temperature cold, it’s like Brigadcon ... ‘
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQCO
2
-Peggy Poichow after her visit to the Graybeard/Glassy Minefalls trail early this spring
RECORDER RAMBLINGS Betty Jones
Our Year 2000 season continues with an increase in average attendance: over 18 per
walk.
The walk up Pilot Mountain was scheduled to coincide with the blooming of the Pink
Shell Azalea ( Rhododendron vaseyi) and that it did - in abundance. Bluets ( Houstonia
serpyllifolia) and Rose Twisted Stalk ( Streptopus roseus) also graced the path.
Twenty people joined leader Elisabeth Feil on her climb up the stairs at Chimney Rock.
In addition to the spectacular views, the group saw two very special plants: Spreading
Rockcress ( Arabis patens) - rare in NC; and White Irisette ( Sisyrinchium dichotomum) -
on the Federally Endangered List.
I was pleased to welcome 28 guests to my place for a walk in our mountain cove. We
saw Ginseng ( Panax quinquefolius), the Kidney-leaved Twayblade ( Listera smallii) and
a mystery plant which later proved to be the Ragged Fringed Orchid ( Platanthera lac-
era). Thirteen species of ferns were identified. About half of the group walked further
up the cove to view one of our small waterfalls.
It was a cold walk up the Gravbeard trail in May, but well worth the discomfort. As in
May of last year, there were mass displays of Solomon’s Plume ( Smilacina racemosa),
Bluebead Lily ( Clintonia borealis), Canada Mayflower ( Maianthemum canadense) and
Wake Robin ( Trillium erectum). This is a very special trail.
It was an easy and pleasant walk along the roads of Cold Mountain. Happy Fishback
saved us a lot of effort by bringing several of the rare Starflower ( Trientallis borealis)
plants down from the top of the mountain. (Don’t be concerned: they were being do-
nated to a botanical garden.)
Highlight of the Kanuga walk was the Sweet Pitcher Plant ( Sarracenia jonesii) in full
bloom. This is an endangered plant.
Twenty-five of us ambled down Wolf Branch Road at the North Carolina Arboretum.
Most prominent among the 76 plants identified were Thimbleweed ( Anemone virginiana)
and New Jersey Tea ( Ceanothus americanus).
Peggy Ellis introduced us to the many plants in her medicinal garden. We were glad to
take shelter in Peggy’s new educational facility when a light rain began to fall. The pot-
luck food was great as usual; I thought the desserts were exceptional.
The list of plants for Gravbeard in June was quite different from that of May. Three
plants stood out on this June walk: Gray’s Lily ( Lilium grayi), Large Purple Fringed Or-
chid ( Platanthera grandiflora) and Michaux’s Saxifrage ( Saxifraga michauxii) which was
abundant along the path.
A monocular was required to see the endangered Climbing Fumitory ( Adlumia fungosa)
on the Laurel River Gorge walk - a single plant high on the rocky face. Much easier to
admire on this easy walk were the rare Stachys nuttallii and Potentilla norvegica.
3
Ginkgo Biloba Doesn’t Always Work.,
Millie Pearson
Do you ever become discouraged and give up the search when trying to identify
an unfamiliar plant? Take heart, you are not alone. Most of us at some time or other,
do just that. Keys, as we know, are the best approach to plant identification if we are
able to master them and have the time and patience to use them. You folks with
orderly minds and infinite patience are quite expert at “running down your plants”. But I
have to admit I belong to the “match the pictures” group, as my mind is not so orderly
and I become frustrated with the many and often bewildering terms used.
Do you know there are more than 60 ways to say that a plant is not smooth, that
it is rough, is bristly, has fuzz, hairs or prickles? Most of these terms mean different or
slightly different things, but my brain just doesn’t retain all this data. My ginkgo biloba
will sometimes “kick in”, but 60 terms? What do I expect one little pill to do, for
goodness sake? I think I will just say “prickly”, it suits me better than “echinate” or
“aculeate.”
Taxodium distichum
Bald Cypress
Plans are going forward for the October 23-24 trip to two South Carolina
swamps -Congaree Swamp National Monument and the National Audubon Sanctuary
Francis Beidler Forest. There will be a guided tour at both sites, each lasting from 2-3
hours. There will be a $5 fee at the Beidler Forest. Bring binoculars if you have them.
For information on making a room reservation in St. George, S.C. for the night of
October 23, and to reserve a place on the trip, call Larry Ballard at 391:4318.
Reminder: Members are responsible for making their own reservations.
ooeoooooociooGeeoooeoeoeoeoooao
Botany Bookmarks
The Francis Beidler Forest in Four Holes. ..SwamaL- <www.pride-net.com/swamp>
You will find at this site: History, Hurricane Legacy, Upcoming Events, Plant Lists and
much more. Look for pictures of Green Fly Orchid, Yellow Jessamine and Carolina
Trillium.
4
THOSE LATIN NAMES
Betty Jones
By now, most of you have probably noticed that many of our plant names contain a geo-
graphical area or place designation. It is likely that these names indicate the location where
the plant was first found and given its Latin name. At this time, I have over 1500 plant
names in my WCBC database - 1200 from Dick Smith’s book, plus an additional 300 taken
from club plant lists. In the list below, under #, I have shown the number of times this loca-
tion is found in our plant name database.
PLACE
Virginia
#
52
EXAMPLES
Claytonia virginica (Spring Beauty); Fragaria virginiana (Wild
Strawberry); Silene virginica (Fire Pink)
Canada
40
Viola canadensis (Canada Violet); Sanguinaria canadensis
(Bloodroot); Aquilegia canadensis (Columbine)
Carolina
26
Claytonia caroliniana (Spring Beauty); Halesia Carolina
(Carolina Silverbell); Tsuga caroliniana (Carolina Hemlock)
America
25
Conopholis americana (Squaw Root);
Euonymus americanus (Hearts-a-Bustin’)
of the
Mountains
11
Oxalis montana (Common Wood Sorrel);
Pycnanihemum montanum (Mountain Mint)
Pennsylvania
7
Acer pensylvanicum (Striped Maple); Prunus pensylvanica
(Pin Cherry); Polygonum pensylvanicum (Pink Smartweed)
Maryland
6
Sanicula Marilandica (Black Snakeroot)
of the South
4
Baptisia australis (Blue False Indigo)
of the North
3
Clintonia borealis (Bluebead Lily); Trientalis borealis
(Star Flower) as seen at the Fishback place.
What place do you associate with these plant names: Salix babylonica (yes, it’s Babylonia),
Minuartia groenlandica, Rhododendron catawba (as in Catawba River of the Carolinas),
Oxalis europaea, Duchesnea indica (the East Indies), Argemone mexicana, Veronica
persica (Persia), Ehgeron philadelphicus, Asclepias syriaca (Syria), Belamcanda
chinensis (China), Ligustrum sinense (also China), Hieracium florentinum, Sisyrinchium
atlanticum and Lonicera japonica ?
These are not so obvious: Circaea alpina (above the tree line), Impatiens capensis (Cape
of Good Hope), Verbesina occidentalis (of the western world), Polygonum orientate (of the
eastern world), Galium pedemontanum (of the Italian piedmont), Aster novae-angliae (of
New England), Vernonia noveboracensis (of New York) and Aster tataricus (of the Tatar
area of Central Asia).
5
STINGING NETTLES,
Anne Ulinski
Wood nettle, Laportea canadensis, is the stinging
nettle we are most likely to see on field trips in western
North Carolina. It was identified on both the June 23
and July 29 visits to the Graybeard Mt. - Glassy Minefalls
trail, both times in bloom.
Wood nettle is a member of the nettle family, Urticaceae.
(“Uro” is Latin for burn). The plant is described as monoecious,
with both flowers unisexual and the staminate (male) and pistillate
(female) flowers on the same plant. For those of you interested in
the origins of some of our botanical terms, “ecious” means house-
hold, so monoecious means one household, or both male and
female flowers on the same plant compared to dioecious which
is two households -male and female flowers on different plants.
Wood nettle has five-parted flowers and is the only stinging nettle with alternate
leaves. The flowers are small, greenish and hang in loose, branching clusters, either from
the top of the plant or in the axils. The stinging hairs are said to be able to penetrate light -
weight or loosely woven fabrics so watch out for this plant. One article I read said the
stinging lasts less than 10 minutes, so, it says, “...it’s hardly worth while to look around for a
plantain, crushing it and squeezing its juice on the inflamed skin.”
Wood nettle should not be confused with another member of the nettle family, False
nettle, Bcehmena cylindrica, which has alternate leaves but no stinging hairs. Then there
are two species of the genus Urtica which have stinging hairs but opposite leaves.
Laportea canadensis
Wood Nettle
««< Urtica dioica , Great stinging nettle, densely covered with
stinging hairs, its flowers dioecious, is an import from
Europe and fortunately uncommon in N.C.
Urtica gracilis, American stinging nettle, native to »»»>
North America, its flowers monoecious, is usually
found growing on limestone. It is listed by the N.C.
Heritage Program as new to North Carolina.*
*Weakley’s “Flora of the Carolinas and Virginia, Working Draft of May 4, 1998”, divides the
two Urtica species on the basis of plant structure, chromosome number, breeding and
distribution. Other floras may show U. gracilis as a sub-species.
6
On the Curious Monikers of
Wildflowers
Tim Takaro
If you like the sound of words, you’ll savor
the names wildflowers bear. In addition to the
ordinary labels of common flowers such as golden-
rod and skunk cabbage, there are quite a few
oddball appellations that are more than just curious -
they can even be weird. Where do they come from?
Many are popular names whose origins are
lost in antiquity, but many must have been named
for what the flower, or a part of it, resembled to
someone’s overactive imagination: Adder’s tongue
comes to mind and Dragonhead, Ghost Pipes and
Skullcap, Beggar’s-lice, Cup Plant, Buttonbush -
clearly descriptive names. On the other hand, some
seem to be prescriptive - calling perhaps for a
doctor’s prescription, like Agueweed, Feverweed,
Colicroot, Heal-all, and Indian-physick. Pleurisy Root
and Wild Quinine belong here, too.
Some flowers are named for their edibility,
especially the herbs: Aniseroot, Caraway,
Horseradish, Licorice, Marjoram, Peppermint and
Spicebush. Berry names are legend, from Baked-
apple Berry to Winterberry, with representatives
from nearly every letter of the alphabet in between,
including such exotics as Deerberry, Nannyberry,
and the pretty Partridgeberry. (Incidentally they’re
not all edible.) Also striking are the references to
food, such as Orange Grass, Milkweed, Butter-and-
eggs, Com Salad, Indian Cucumber Root, Mountain
Lettuce, Lamb’s-quarter.
Animals, birds and insects have loaned their
names to lots of flowers. There are Beetleweed
and Cat’s-ear, Coltsfoot and Cranesbill, Goatsbeard
and Goosefoot. We have Lizard’s Tail and Monkey
Flowers, Mouse-ears and Mooseberries, Pigweed
and Ragged Robin, Rattlesnake Plantain and Scorpion
Weed. Sow Thistle and Squirrel Corn fall into this
category as well. So do Storksbill, Trout Lily, Toad
Shade, Turkeybeard and Turtle-head. Then there’s
Cuckooflower and many others.
Some wildflowers take their names from
their roots rather than their blossoms. Blood-root,
Alum Root, Culver’s Root, Bowman’s-root occur
to me.
Some of my favorites are called “wort”, an ancient if
unattractive generic word for root or plant or weed.
There are any number of them: Bellwort, Butterwort,
Honewort, Lungwort, Miterwort, Moneywort,
Motherwort, Mugwort, Nipplewort, Pennywort,
Pipewort, Saltwort, Sandwort, Spearwort, Swallow-
wort and Thoroughwort.
There are flowers with mythological
associations: Grass-of-Parnassus, Calypso, Three-
seeded Mercury, Venus’-looking-glass. Religious
references abound, such as Jerusalem Oak, and
Jerusalem Artichoke, Biship’s Cap, Burning Bush,
Cardinal Flower, Devil’s-bit and Devil’s Paintbrush,
Live-forever, Quaker-ladies, Jacob’s Ladder, and
Jack-in-the-Pulpit. How do you like Clammy Everlasting
or Wafer Ash? Names with a more sinister turn -
Carrion Flower, Corpse Plant, Dead Nettles, Green
Dragon, Mandrake, Deadly Nightshade and Mad-dog
Weed - are mercifully offset by the Saints: St.
Andrew’s-cross, St. John’s-wort, St. Peteris-wort and
Star-of-Bethlehem.
Our indigenous forebears are well represented
in wildflower names as witness Indian-Cup, Indian
Paintbrush, Indian Pipe, Indian Plantain, Indian Poke,
Indian Tobacco and Indian Turnip. The hyphenated
names have always fascinated me. We all recognize
Lily-of-the-valley but how many have heard of
Flower-of-an-hour or Gall-of-the-earth or Gill-over-
the-ground or Harbinger-of-spring or Queen-of-the-
prairie?
And then there is love. Ah, love, You can
reconstruct the whole human romantic catastrophe
from beginning to end just using the names of
wildflowers. We begin of course with Adam and Eve
and proceed to Innocence and Virgin’s Bower and
Pale Touch-me-not. Then we move on to Snake-mouth
and Mayapple followerd by Doll’s-eyes, Black-eyed
Susan, Blue-eyed Mary, Ladies-tresses, Blue Curls,
Lady’s Slippers, Sweet Cicely, and Bouncing Bet.
Then inevitably there are Passionflower and Wild
Oats, followed by Bastard Toadflax, Bleeding Heart,
and Rue. Finally we come to Heart’s-a’bustin and
Forget-me-not.
7
Pedicularis
canadensis
But some flowers seem unjustly named.
For one in particular i am forced to make public
lament. And so, with apologies to T.S. Eliot, 1
give you this:
The Naming of Wildflowers
The naming of flow’rs is a difficult matter.
It isn’t just one of your holiday games.
You may think at first that I’m mad as a hatter
When I tell you that flow’rs may have three
kinds of names.
Wood Betony
Of others there’s Asphodel, Amaranth, Trillium,
Saxifrage, Sand Myrtle, Labrador Tea;
Possom-haw, Rattlebox, Pink Wild Sweet
Wiliam;
Squawberry, Lady’s Thumb, Balm of the Bee.
First of all there’s the name that most people
use daily,
Such as Sneezeweed or Daisy or Cattails or
Rams,
Such as Chickweed, Potato Vine, Violet or Lily,
All of them sensible every day names.
There are fancier names if you think they
sound sweeter
Like Chicory or Dogbane, like Pinkweed or
Dames
Rocket or Bluet, Aster, Lobelia..
All of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you some flowers have names more
particular,
Names more peculiar and more dignified.
Else how can a plant keep its stem
perpendicular,
Or flow’r spread its petals or cherish its pride?
Of names of this kind I can give you plethora,
Such as Hoary Alyssum or Sweet Virgin’s
Bow’r;
Such as Eglantine, Hellebore, Furze or
Mahonia;
Names that never belong to more than one
flow’r.
We have Dittany, Betony, Germander, Pogonia.
Zigzag and Groundsel, Pipnissewa, Rape;
We have Scabious, Woo'ltjine, and Yellow
Clintonia,
Hedge Hyssop, Celandine d orse, Common
Hop.
The third kind of name is strictly botanical,
Species particular, Latinized, bare;
It’s Linnaean, binomial, downright inscrutable,
Names like Hirsutulus standing for hair.
There’s Orchis spectablis, Coptis
groenlandica,
Ranunculus acris for plain Buttercup.
Desmodium strictum and Bidens bipinnata
Names so unknowable I often give up.
Sti!!, why should a lovely improbable posy,
So complex held close, it make you quite stare
At the pattern of petals, yellow, tawny, or
rosy -
Be called Lousewort - 1 ask you - is that really
fair?
And this happened because, according to the
£M.9ld. EMstl 5i.ct.ipn.giy , “farmers had an
opinion that sheep feeding on them became
subject to vermin...” Hearsay, pure hearsay.
Now the pretty flower is stuck with the name,
and so are we. Fortunately, it has another
common name as well, Wood Betony. That
sounds a lot nicer.
WCBC member Tim Takaro is the author of the ‘On
the Curious Monikers of Wildflowers ‘and ' The
Naming of Wildflowers". His contribution came in
response to the Summer Shortia item. “The Poetry of
Botanical Names. "
8
It is reprinted with the permission
Homes magazine.
Vol.XXII. No. 3
Autumn 2000
S H£) RILA
A quarterly publication of the Western Carolina Botanical Club
Editor: Anne Ulinski
Editorial Assisting and Art Work: Pat Arnett
Distribution: Ruth Hoerich
Please submit contributions for the next issue by NovemberlO, 2000 to: Anne Ulinski
1212 Chanteloupe Drive, Hendersonville, N.C. 28739
The purpose of the Club is to study the plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountains
and the Southeast through field trips and indoor meetings. Membership is open to
all. Individual/family memberships are $12. New members joining from the period
July 1 -December 31, pay $6. All memberships are renewable on January first of each
year. Please send dues to:
Rachel Conway, Treasurer
21 1 Aldersgate Circle
Asheville, N.C. 28803
SHORTIA
c/o Anne Ulinski
1212 Chanteloupe Drive
Hendersonville, N.C. 28739
FIRST CLASS
Library * Att: Dr. Buck
New York Botanical Garden
Bronx, N.Y. 10458-5126
t 0 .’iir-.
SHORTIA
NEWSLETTER OF THE
WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB
WINTER 2000
Shortia galacifofia
Oconee Bells
WESTERN CAROLINA BOTANICAL CLUB - 2000
President: Anne Ulinski
Vice President: Bonnie Arbuckle
Secretary: Peggy Ellis
Treasurer: Rachel Conway
Recorder: Betty Jones
Historian: Dana Herrman
From the President Anne Ulinski
“The Little Things That Run The World” reads the message from the Xerces Society*
on the back cover of the Fall issue of the publication Wild Earth. “Insects and other
invertebrates are at the heart of a healthy world, vital to life as we know it.. ..These diverse and
wonderful creatures - beetles, bees, ants, dragonflies, butterflies, spiders, worms, snails,
lobsters, starfish and sea urchins --to name a few - provide services like pollination and
decomposition, or simply become food for other creatures.... Without them the world would
be impoverished and ecosystems would collapse.”
Bert Holldobler and Edward O. Wilson in Journey to the Ants tell us : “If all of humanity
were to disappear, the remainder of life would spring back and flourish.. ..If all the ants
disappeared, the effect would be exactly the opposite, and catastrophic.”
As we go on the field trips with the Botanical Club it is useful to look around often to
determine the habitats and ecosystems through which we walk. One of our long time
members, Elton Hansens, a professional entomologist, would also remind us to look at
“the little things” -- such as leaf miners, spittle bugs, galls and beetles. Elton doesn’t often
come on our field trips now so we need to remember his message and realize we would not
be listing any of those flora in bloom without the pollinators, seed carriers and other
invertebrates. It’s another level of observation and reminds us of the complexity and
interrelatedness of our natural world.
Listening is another level of awareness. Those who went on the South Carolina
Swamps Trip will remember those special moments of silence we enjoyed together at
Weston Lake in the Congaree Swamp and again at the lake along the Beidler Forest
boardwalk. This fall, one of our members, Larason Lambert, shared the following words with
us as we began the silent walk on the woods road to Corn’s Mill Shoals:
The wildwood is an enchanted realm, and those who would its
wonders see must first obey its commands.
The first of these is silence,
for only to the noiseless is its magic revealed.**
ooooooooooooooooooooooco
*The Xerces Society was established 30 years ago to inform the public of the benefit of invertebrates.
It is a membership organization with headquarters in Portland, Oregon.
** From Wildwood Wisdom by Ellsworth Jaeger
P 1
Cover: The flower on the cover is Shortia galacifolia, Oconee Bells. Our newsletter is named for this
southern endemic which is now rare in the wild.
Getting to Know You
Lois McDaniel
Barbara D. Allen 17 Indian Lake Rd. Lake Toxaway, N.C. 28747
Winter: Esquisite Gardens, 5 River Court Pkwy NW, Atlanta, GA 30328
Larrv and Anita G. Avery: 4 Windrush Lane, Flat Rock, NC
28731. Tel: 692-18661. Larry and Anita moved here seven
years ago. Larry's work was in the computer industry. He is
interested in plant, tree and bush identification and he gardens
with native plants.
Cecilia Ruth Bockoven. born October 1 9, 2000 to WCBC
members Beth and Paul Bockoven.
Thomas and Jane Davis: 143 Inkberry Road, Hendersonville, NC
28739. Thomas and Jane moved from Tennessee to Laurel Park
this August. They are interested in hiking and gardening with native plants.
Bettv Dziedzic: 601 Toxaway Views, Lake Toxaway, N.C. 28747. Betty lives in Florida
in the winter.
Jackie and Robert Fitts: 424 Winchester Creek Rd., Waynesville, NC 28786. They live in
Sandy Springs, Ga. in the winter. Jackie is interested in identifying native plants in her
new Waynesville home. She became a master gardener in Atlanta.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
All memberships are renewable on January 1, 2001. We don’t have the resources to
mail each one of you a renewal reminder so please bring you dues to our Annual Meeting
(Friday. January 121 or mail them to our Treasurer, Rachel Conway. Her address is: 211
Aldersgate Circle, Asheville, N.C. 28803. Dues are $12 a year.
SITE OF THE INDOOR MEETINGS IS CHANGED
Beginning with our first indoor meeting on January 5, 2001, our new meeting place
will be the Bullinaton Horticultural Learning Center. 140 Zeb Corn Road. Hendersonville.
All other indoor meetings will be held there --except the Annual Meeting which will be held
as usual at St. John’s-in-the-Wilderness. Flat Rock.
Directions to Bullinaton Center: From the west: take Route 64 East through
Hendersonville, cross 1-26 and watch for Howard Gap Road. Turn left on Howard Gap
Road (Ingles on right side). Drive 1 mile, turn right on Zeb Corn Rd, go .6 mile and turn
right at Bullington Center sign & drive up gravel road to entrance on left.
From the north. After the junction of Howard Gap Rd. and Brookside Camp Road,
continue south on Howard Gap Rd. for 2.4 miles, turn left on Zeb Corn Rd., then go .6
miles to Bullington sign and turn right to gravel road and Bullington entrance.
P 2
RECORDER RAMBLINGS
Betty Jones
Visitors to the GAIA HERBS facility in early July were once again treated to a splendid display
of Purple Coneflower and Feverfew. Passion Flower was being harvested.
One of the club’s favorite botanizing spots - Bee Tree Gap - attracted 27 members for an
easy mid-July walk. Special favorites were Tall Bellflower ( Campanula americana), Basil
Balm and Bee Balm ( Monarda clinopodia and M. didyma) and Fire Pink ( Silene virginica).
Though the area covered was small, 61 blooming species were identified.
The botanically rich Shut-In Trail did not disappoint us. Though we were a week or more
early for the best displays of Turk’s Cap Lilies, Leather Flower, Starry Campion and Black
Cohosh, the sheer number of different species - nearly 100 - was impressive in itself.
Two of the four monthly Gravbeard walks on the summer/fall schedule were cancelled due to
weather. But since scouting reports were submitted for the cancelled walks, we now have
monthly data for April through October. It is generally agreed that the spring walks are the
most exciting here, but good botanizing continues through September.
Plants that prefer dry open areas are the usual fare on Pinnacle Mountain / Skv Valiev Road
and this year was no exception. Wild Quinine ( Parthenium integrifolium) and Grass-leaved
Golden Aster ( Pityopsis graminifolia ) were abundant. Small patches of Fameflower
(' Talinum teretifolium) were still in bloom.
The Frying Pan Gao walk yielded the highest plant count for the season, largely due to the
diverse habitats visited. On the way to the tower, the group examined the seldom-seen
Intermediate Dogbane ( Apocynum medium).
Thanks to Mary Helen Harris for sharing with us the flowers of Cut Off Mountain. And thanks
too for her hospitality and great “eats”.
The recorder for the Blue Ridae Parkway South stop-and-go outing listed these plants as
noteworthy: Purple Giant Hyssop ( Agastache scrophulariaefolia), Alumroot ( Heuchera
villosa), Closed Gentian ( Gentiana clausa ), Turtleheads ( Chelone obliqua and C. lyonii),
Grass-of-Pamassus ( Parnassia asarifolia) and Sundews ( Drosera rotundifolia).
We had our first look at fall flowers on the Jackson Park walk in mid-September. Murdannia
(Murdannia keisak) was identified. The only other place we have found this plant is at Lake
Issaqueena in South Carolina.
Our walk along the South Mills River (new for the club) in late September yielded a surprising
number of plants. We may want to try this again earlier in the year.
At our annual fall picnic at Herrman’s Ramblewood we enjoyed a botanical scavenger hunt
and a Latin Plant Names game - prepared by Millie Blaha and Dana Herrman. Co-winners of
the scavenger hunt shared the candy bar prize. After our potluck lunch, we rambled in
Ramblewood.
MISTLETOE
Peggy Ellis
Mistletoe is not really a plant as we know it but is a parasite of trees. Once
established it gets its nutrients from the host by stealing precious juices as it sets its roots
deep into the bark of the tree. American mistletoe has the botanical name of Phoradendron
serotinum* The Greek “phor” means thief and “dendron” means tree.
Mistletoe has a beautiful white berry poisonous to humans but which birds love to eat.
Once eaten, the inner seed of the berry passes through the digestive tract and comes out so
sticky that the bird has to rub its bottom on the tree branch to get the seed off! This firmly
adheres the seed to the branch where it grows sending out roots in just a few days.
Mistletoe blooms midspring to early summer and can grow as tall as 1-2 feet high.
This parasitic plant plays a role in many legends involving
mystery and intrigue. What was the origin of the
practice of kissing the person who stands under the
mistletoe? A Scandinavian legend tells of Balter, God of
Peace, who was slain by an arrow made of mistletoe. The
other Goddesses and Gods were quite upset and asked
that Balter’s life be restored. When he returned to life, the
power of mistletoe was given to the Goddess of Love who
decreed that anyone passing under the mistletoe is
kissed as a symbol of love. We continue this ancient
tradition at Winter Solstice just as the Celtic druids
welcomed in New Year with branches of mistletoe.
Not being a tree climber, I depend on others to harvest this elusive plant which has
been shown to have valuable medicinal properties. It shows great promise as an anti-tumor
remedy, having been used by some 30,000 people in Europe as a product called Iscador.
This product has not yet been accepted by oncologists indicating a need to bridge the gap
between effective non-toxic herbal remedies and the more costly modern medical treat-
ments.
One cannot help but notice the correlation between the legend of this plant governed
by the Goddess of Love and its use as a heart tonic. It calms the nerves, is hypotensive and
is a cardiac depressant. The European species, Viscum alba, has been studied and taken
under supervision more frequently in Europe than here. David Hoffman in his book, The
Holistic Herbal, suggests the extract form is helpful in reducing heart rate and in
strengthening the wall of the peripheral capillaries.
We tend to think of mistletoe as a festive addition to holiday parties inviting
surreptitious kisses under its branches. This season let us also remember its basis in
ancient tradition and value its herbal properties. It indeed bridges the gap between our
physical and emotional hearts. Blessed be.
WCBC board member, Peggy Ellis, is a Certified Herbalist who lectures and privately
consults on the physical, energetic and spiritual properties of herb and plant substances.
‘Listed as Phoradendron leucarpon in Flora of the Carolinas and Virginia, Working Draft, May 4, 1998 by
A.S. Weakley
Page 4
THOSE LATIN NAMES
Betty Jones
When I started working on our club plant lists a couple of years ago, I noticed that Achillea
millefolium (Yarrow) appeared first on many of the lists. I wondered whether the Achillea
genus name was a reference to the Greek hero Achilles and whether other plant names had
mythological references. The answer to both questions is yes. Here are a few examples, all
appearing as a genus name:
Achillia (Yarrow) - Yarrow was once used to staunch the flow of blood. According to legend,
Achilles carried the plant to treat wounded soldiers during the Trojan Wars.
Aconitum (Monkshood) - Name is from the hill Aconitus on which Hercules was thought to
have fought with Cerberus, the multi-headed dog of the underworld. Legend says that
wherever the foam from Cerberus’ mouth landed, the poisonous Monkshood grew.
Anemone (Windflower) - One legend says that the name is from the Greek god of the winds,
Anemos, and these flowers heralded his coming in the spring. Another derivation is from
“Naamen” which is Persian for Adonis. Legend says that anemones grew where
Aphrodite’s tears fell to the ground when Adonis died in her arms.
Asclepias (Milkweed) - From the Greek god of medicine, whose Latin name is Aesculapius.
Milkweeds were once used extensively as a healing herb.
Circaea (Enchanter’s Nightshade) - Named for the sorceress Circe who, legend says, used
a poisonous member of this genus to change Odysseus’ companions into swine.
Gentiana (Gentian) - One legend say the gentians were named for Gentius, king of Illyria (an
ancient country located on the Adriatic sea) who was well known for using gentians for
medicine.
Iris (Iris) - Because of the many colors of the flower, the Greeks named them for their
goddess of the rainbow, Iris. She used her rainbow as a bridge linking earth to other worlds.
Lysimachia (Loosestrife) - Named for King Lysimachus, companion and successor to
Alexander the Great. Lysimachus means “causing strife to cease”, hence, the common
name. A sprig of Loosestrife was tied between yoked animals to prevent them from fighting.
Silene (Pink, Catchfly) - One legend says that the name is derived from Silenus who was the
foster father of Bacchus. Silenus was often found intoxicated with beer all over his face.
This foam resembled the secretions of the Catchflies and so Silenus’ name was attached to
the plant.
Zephyranthes (Atamasco or Zephyr Lily) - Literally, means “flower of the northwest wind”. In
Greek mythology, Zephyrus was the west wind and his wife, Chloris, was goddess of
flowers.
Note: Much of this material came from Wildflower Folklore by Laura C. Martin.
St. Andrew’s Cross
Elisabeth Feil
Here and there, on rocky outcrops or nestled against the edge of a large blueberry
patch, a scraggly low bush catches our eyes with its unusual yellow blossoms of four petals
that are arranged in a flat “X”. It is a St. Andrew’s Cross. But which one: Hypericum
hypericoides or H. stragalum ? (Actually, the latter does not have a common name.)
The petals are deceivingly similar in appearance. The flowers have 2 styles; the four
yellow petals are narrowly oblong-elliptic, 8-11 mm long; the leaves 1-3 cm long and 1.5-6
mm wide. Thee are subtle differences in the leaves, however. In H. hypericoides they are
variable in shape, mostly linear-elliptic and broadest and widest above the middle. In H.
stragalum they are more uniform in size and shape, oblanceoiate and widest above the
middle.
The best way to differentiate the two species is to look at the growth form and pattern.
H. hypericoides is an erect shrub, 1 m or more tail. Generally it has a single stem that is
freely branched well above the ground. In contrast, H. stragalum is a decumbent shrub,
seldom more than 30 cm tall. There are many decumbent branches close to the ground
with many erect branchlets, giving a matted appearance.
Another hint at the species is the distribution: Both species are common plants in N.C. but
H. hypericoides is uncommon in the mountains, whereas H. stragalum is uncommon in the
coastal plain.
So-the matted plants we find in our area are probably H. stragalum. Now all we have
to do is invent a common name for them.
[Sorry, we have no illustrations for these two plants since none of the drawings show the
most useful identifying criteria -the growth pattern -Editor]
Botany Bookmarks
The Xerces Society, <www.xerces.org>
This site has some wonderful pictures of insects as well as information on the
Society’s projects, membership, publications and resources. Available books have such
tantalizing titles as: Spineless Wonders, Conversations wjffa Bu_qs , and for kids: Spiders.
Spin Webs . For a purchase of the note cards, Rainforest Invertebrates, the Society donates
a percentage to the Children’s Eternal Forest Project, an international effort by children to
save from destruction a 43,000 acre rainforest in Costa Rica.
P 6
Book Review.
Jeanne Smith
NATIVE ORCHIDS OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
by Stanley L. Bentley*
This is a book that should energize the WNC Botanical Club to get out there and look
for those “rare” orchids which the author so obligingly points out are right at our doorstep.
Based on the author's many years of nature study, this guidebook highlights 52
species found in western N.C. and Virginia and eastern Tennessee, Kentucky and West
Virginia. Blooming from April to November, these native orchids range in size from the large
Kentucky Lady’s slipper to the tiny green adder’s mouth and in rarity from the hard-to-find
Bentley’s coralroot (named after the author) to the commonly found downy rattlesnake
plantain.
The entry for each orchid includes the plant’s scientific and common names, a
description of the flower (including color, shape and size), and information on the time of
flowering, range and typical habitat, all in the context of the southern mountains. A range
map depicts counties wherein each species may be found. And absolutely marvelous
photographs of each orchid- some closeup and some in habitat -make this an outstanding
guide-book.
I especially liked the table on flowering periods because it is next to impossible to find
some of the orchids unless they are in bloom, and this table could be a great help. It gave
me a “rush” to read the section “Down the Blue Ridge” under the heading Special Orchid
Places in the Southern Appalachians, because the Club schedules so many walks there.
And I would like to quote directly from the book the following as an inspiration to the Club in
their planning for future explorations:
“From their natural geographic placement, some special locales just seem
to be havens for especially rare orchid species. In southwestern North Carolina,
the prize goes to Henderson County. It is one of only three counties in NC where
the exceptionally rare small whorled pogonia has been recorded and one of only
three counties where collections of the bog rose have been made. It is the site of
NC’s only mountain location for the white fringed orchid and the crested fringed
orchid.”
It is my opinion that any Botany Club member would be VERY pleased to
receive this book as a gift on any occasion at any time of the year but preferably
before April when the orchids season starts.
Bog-rose
(Arethusa bulbosa)
* University of North Carolina Press.
Price: Cloth $39.95; Paperback $24.95
A South Carolina Swamp Forest
Anne Ulinski
A 6500 foot boardwalk, ancient towering Bald Cypress trees ( Taxodium distichum)
with their strange “knees”, epiphytes hanging from the branches of tupelo trees, strange
acorns and seeds underfoot to be picked up and examined, dwarf palmetto ( Sabal
minor) on the ground and Cross Vine ( Arisostichus capreolata) and Trumpet Vine
( Campsis radicans) climbing on nearby trees. This is some of what a group of eleven
members of the Botany Club saw when we visited Beidler Forest on October 24.
After we parked our cars and before we even reached the
Visitor's Center to report for our guided tour, one of our members
headed for a small plant at the base of a tree. It was an orchid and
in bloom. This was Shadow-witch ( Ponthieva racemosa), a fall
blooming orchid which is listed as rare in the state of South Carolina,
and significantly rare in North Carolina. Ann Shahid, the guide for our
tour, assured me later the orchid had not been moved there for the
benefit of eager botanists like us. “No”, she said, “We don’t move
anything here.”
Beidler Forest, a National Audubon Sanctuary, is the largest remaining virgin or old
growth swamp forest in the world. Its 3500 acres lie in the heart of Four Holes Swamp, a
narrow swamp-stream system fed by springs and rainfall. Francis Beidler, a lumberman
and early conservationist, bought this property in the early 1890’s and left it largely
undisturbed. After his death in 1924, local conservationists were able to protect the
property until 1970 when The Nature Conservancy and the National Audubon Society
jointly purchased the land for a preserve subseqently named for Francis Beidler. The
National Audubon Society manages the Swamp in accordance with its mandate: “The
preservation of the ecosystem and of the native plant and animal life in perpetuity”.
We identified two epiphytes: one with waxy green leaves about three inches long
was Green-fly Orchid, ( Epidendrum conopesum), the only epiphytic orchid growing in
South Carolina. (An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant but is not parasitic. It
gets it nourishment from the air). The other epiphyte was more familiar -- Resurrection
Fern ( Polypodium polypodioides).
An unusual acorn was picked up and passed
around. It came from a nearby oak tree, Quercus
lyrata. Its rough acorn cup is unique, enclosing
almost completely the globular nut; only the very tip
is visible. Aptly the common name is Overcup Oak.
Another trip to Beidler Forest is being planned in the
spnng of 2001. Watch the next schedule for details.
Overcup Oak
P 8
Vol. XXII. No. 4
Winter 2000
A quarterly publication of the Western Carolina Botanical Club
Editor: Anne Ulinski Distribution: Ruth Hoerich
Editorial Assisting and Art Work: Pat Arnett
Please submit contributions for the next issue by February 15, 2001 to: Anne Ulinski
1212 Chanteloupe Drive, Hendersonville, N.C. 28739
The purpose of the Club is to study the plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountains
and the Southeast through field trips and indoor meetings. Membership is open to
all. Individual/family memberships are $12. New members joining from the period
July 1 -December 31, pay $6. All memberships are renewable on January first of each
year. Please send dues to:
!/ cocz
fee
' i\ V -
Rachel Conway, Treasurer
21 1 Aldersgate Circle
Asheville, N.C. 28803
SHORTIA
c/o Anne Ulinski
1212 Chanteloupe Drive
Hendersonville, N.C. 28739
FIRST CLASS
Library *Att: Dr. Buck
New York Botanical Garden
Bronx, N.Y. 10458-5126
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