Sage Notes, Spring 2000, Vol 22(2) Newsletter of the Idaho Native Plant Society
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Articles in Sage Notes reflect the views of the authors and are not an official position
of the Idaho Native Plant Society.
In this issue...
Exciting New Career for Bob Moseley, A letter from Bob Moseley
Botanical Products Committee Formed, Kristin Fletcher
Douglas’ clover (Trifolium
douglasii) Receives Formal Status in Idaho, Mike Hays
Annie Alexander, Kristin Fletcher
Attitudes of an Early Botanist: A Note on Charles Geyer (1809-1853),
Bertie Weddell
Response to the Native Gardening
Questionnaire
Anthriscus cacaulis (Bur Chervil)
Replacing Star-thistle, Dr. Richard R. Old
The Genus Cypripedium, Book Review by Mike Hays
A Color Guidebook to Common Rocky Mountain Lichens, Book Review
by Roger Rosentreter
Calypso Chapter Chapter News
Kinnikinnick Chapter Chapter News
Sah-Wah-Be Chapter Chapter News
Wood River Chapter Chapter News
News and Notes
Exciting New Career for Bob
Moseley
Dear Friends,
After nearly 12 years at the Idaho Conservation Data Center, I’m leaving and
returning to a former employer, The Nature Conservancy. And, after 24 years exploring the
ecology and botany of Idaho, I’m heading off to explore another exciting place for a
while. March 28 will be my last day working for Idaho Fish and Game. Around April 7,
I’ll be headed across the Pacific to be a Senior Ecologist with the
Conservancy’s Yunnan Great Rivers Project in southern China. I spent a month in China
last January working on the project and am excited to be able to continue. At first
we’ll be assisting the provincial government to design a system of biodiversity
conservation areas for northwestern Yunnan. Then we’ll work on developing more
localized conservation plans for a couple of pilot areas identified during the first
phase.
The project area encompasses the eastern end of the Himalayas in northwest Yunnan.
It’s traversed by three of the world’s great rivers, the Yangtze, Mekong, and
Salween, which cut three parallel canyons as they drop off the Tibetan Plateau. The
canyons are often 8,000 to 10,000 feet deep. Sometimes more! Quite a few peaks are above
16,000 feet and several are above 20. Overlying this remarkable landscape is the most
biologically diverse temperate ecosystem on earth, as well as seven ethnic minorities,
most notably the Tibetans. It’s the intersection of biodiversity and cultural
diversity conservation that makes this project so exciting.
I always wondered what I’d do after working in Idaho for so long, exploring the
best places in the state. It’s probably not too surprising to most of you that
I’d shift my attention as a conservation biologist from the Northern Rockies to the
greatest mountain range in the world. And I’m jazzed!
I’ll be splitting time between Idaho and Asia. My address stateside will be our
Boise home: 904 E Washington, Boise, ID 83712, (208) 345-0595.
The project office in China is in the capital of Yunnan. When you get to eastern Asia
look me up: Yunnan Representative Office, The Nature Conservancy, 26th Floor Xin Hua
Office Tower, 8 East Ren Min Road, Kunming, Yunnan 650051, Peoples Republic of China. Tel
and Fax: (86) 871-318-2793
Effective more or less immediately, my new email address will be the easiest way to
contact me, especially overseas (we have a direct Internet line into the office):
<bobmoseley@hotmail.com>. Keep in touch!
Bob
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Botanical Products Committee Formed
Kristin Fletcher, Co-Chair INPS Botanical Products Committee
A quick trip to your local pharmacy or grocery store reveals the public’s
burgeoning interest in botanical medicines. From ginkgo to ginseng, arnica to astragalus,
echinacea to elderberry, shelves are packed with "wildcrafted" native plants
processed into medicines and supplements. Unfortunately, the collection of these species
is seldom monitored, and long-term impacts are unclear. Evidence suggests, however, that
the harvest of some of the most popular species is not sustainable at current levels.
Consequently, the U.S. Forest Service is coordinating a nationwide conservation
assessment on purple coneflower (Echinacea, especially E. angustifolia).
And, in 1999, Regions 1 and 4 of the Forest Service (which include Idaho) issued a
three-year moratorium on the personal and commercial use/collection of the following:
bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva), lady’s slipper (all Cypripedium),
lomatium (Lomatium dissectum), osha (all Ligusticum), sundew (all Drosera),
and trillium or Beth root (Trillium ovatum).
This increasing concern prompted several participants at this year’s Idaho Rare
Plant Conference to urge INPS to form a special committee to investigate the status of our
flora. Kristin Fletcher (1247 Gale Mt. Rd/Pocatello, Idaho 83204 or fletkris@isu.edu) and
Christine Frisbee (2647 Kimberly Rd. East/Twin Falls, ID 83301-7976 or cfrisbee@fs.fed.us)
agreed to co-chair the new Botanical Products Committee with the help of Theresa Prendusi,
Mark Mousseaux, Chris Murphy, Kelley Mitchell, Marie Kerr, Mering Hurd, and Mabel Jones.
We are currently researching the issue and will update INPS members in upcoming articles
in Sage Notes. In addition, we intend to organize a symposium in conjunction with
the Idaho Rare Plant Conference within the next 2 years. Interested INPS members are urged
to get involved. A good website for INPS members is United Plant Savers, a national
organization out of Oregon focused on the responsible collection of native plants:
<www.plantsavers.org>.
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Douglas’
clover (Trifolium douglasii) Receives Formal Status in Idaho
Mike Hays, White Pine Chapter
East of Moscow a unique plant community is found in the Potlatch River drainage. An
unusual riparian meadow with thin soils over basalt is host to many plant species that do
not seem to belong there. Attention was brought to the meadow when the regional endemic, Calochortus
nitidus (broad-fruit mariposa) was found there in 1993. Subsequent documentation and
monitoring of that population revealed a plant community that seemed to belong more to the
Palouse Prairie or canyon grassland to the west and south than to a riparian meadow in the
mesic forest meadow of the Clearwater National Forest. Eventually a large, attractive
clover emerged as a member of this unique community, and Trifolium douglasii
(Douglas’ clover) was found on the Clearwater National Forest.
Investigating this species revealed very little information in from the literature or
from knowledgeable botanists. A herbarium check at the University of Idaho revealed 23
collections from Idaho. Two of these were from at Craig Mountain in 1993. The other 21
vouchers were evenly spread from 1900 to the 1950s and 14 of these were from limited to
Latah and Nez Perce Counties. Additional research and herbarium checks are certainly
needed, but it was apparent that this regional endemic species had been overlooked and was
in need of some formal designation and tracking.
At the 2000 Idaho Rare Plant Conference, Douglas’ clover Trifolium douglasii
was removed from the Review list where it had been placed in 1999 and added to the Global
Priority 3 list. In Washington it is listed as Sensitive, while in Oregon it is
S1–Critically Imperiled. The Oregon Natural History Program gives the species a
Priority 1 designation.
Distribution
Hitchcock’s "Flora of the Pacific Northwest" gives T.
douglasii’s range as from Spokane County, Washington, to Baker County, Oregon,
and adjacent Idaho. In Idaho it is currently known from Craig Mountain, Joseph Plains, and
the Palouse Ranger District of the Clearwater National Forest. Other populations are
probably known and will be reported now that the species is on the Global Priority 3 list.
In Idaho, historic populations are known from Kootenai County south to Valley and Adams
counties. There are even fewer populations in Washington where one extant and three
historic occurrences are known.
The stronghold for Douglas’ clover appears to be in northeast Oregon. There are
approximately 10 locations on the La Grande District of the Wallowa-Whitman National
Forest. Close by on the Umatilla/Union County line there is a large metapopulation of an
estimated 30,000 stems spread over six miles2.
Description
Douglas’ clover Trifolium douglasii is a nonrhizomatous perennial that
generally stands 1 to 2 feet tall. The 3 leaflets are linear to oblong with finely toothed
margins. The inflorescence of Douglas’ clover consists of a terminal, globose to
ovoid head that is about 3 cm thick and up to 5 cm long. The heads consist of 50 to 200
densely packed reddish-purple flowers, which stand erect or spreading, with the lowest
often reflexed. The individual flowers are 14-20 mm long. The oblique calyx is
distinctive, with the upper pair of teeth broader than the lower three and conspicuously
curved downward. The sinuses between the lateral teeth are deeper than those of the upper
pair.
Habitat
Douglas’ clover usually occurs within the open Ponderosa pine to Douglas fir
forests, which form an interface between the mesic forests in Idaho and the grasslands of
eastern Washington and Oregon in moist meadows and along stream courses where moisture is
abundant in spring and early summer. These sites are often very xeric (dry) late in the
season.
The largest population on the Clearwater National Forest is found in a broken meadow
with thin soils over a basalt substrate. Edaphic (soil) factors preclude significant tree
growth, but occasional pines occur on raised microsites and along the meadow’s
margins. Some sporadic pockets of black cottonwood and aspen are present, while black
hawthorn and willow patches are common along the stream and backwaters. Where soils are
deep, dense pasture grasses dominate and species diversity is very low. In areas of
thinner soils, unique plant communities may be found, consisting of some species that
occur nowhere else on the forest. These species are either endemic, very uncommon, or
represent habitats unusual for the Clearwater National Forest. Some of the noteworthy
associate species are,
Broad-fruit mariposa Calochortus nitidus (GS3)*,
Sticky goldenweed Haplopappus hirtus var. sonchifolius (G3S1),
Leiberg’s tauschia Tauschia tenuissima (GS3),
Hyacinth brodiaea Brodiaea hyacinthina,
Burke’s larkspur Delphinium burkei,
Showy oniongrass Melica spectabilis,
Fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea,
Columbia sedge Carex aperta,
Fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata,
Long-leaf evening-primrose Oenothera subacaulis,
Orange arnica Arnica fulgens,
Pepperwort Marsilea vestita,
Western mugwort Artemisia ludoviciana,
Water-plantain buttercup Ranunculus alismaefolius var. alismaefolius,
Common downingia Downingia elegans,
Prairie Junegrass Koeleria cristata,
Long-styled rush Juncus longistylus,
Baltic rush Juncus balticus var. balticus,
Pinewoods peavine Lathyrus bijugatus
Mule’s-ears and Wyethias amplexicaulis.
* G3: globally rare or uncommon but not imperiled
On slopes adjacent to the meadow, Bank monkeyflower (Mimulus clivicola) (State
monitorS3) occurs.
Some oOther more common associates include:
Yarrow , Achillea millefolium
Cinquefoil , Potentilla gracilis
American bistort , Polygonum bistortoides
Common camas , Camassia quamash
Red besseya , Besseya rubra
Marsh speedwell , Veronica scutellata
Nettle-leaf horse-mint , Agastache urticifolia
Gairdner’s yampah , Perideridia gairdneri
Glaucous zigadenus , Zigadenus venenosus
Bog saxifrage , Saxifraga oregana
Old man’s whiskers , Geum triflorum
Western blue flag , Iris missouriensis
Oregon checker-mallow , Sidalcea orgeana
California danthonia , Danthonia californica
Hood’s sedge , Carex hoodii
Small-winged sedge , Carex microptera
Meadow sedge , Carex praticola
Thick-headed sedge , Carex pachystachya
and many others. This area is also interesting because three species of shooting star, Dodecatheon
pulchellum, D.odecatheon cusickii, and D.odecatheon conjugens grow in close
proximity. D. pulchellum blooms later and tends toof prefer the stream margins; D.odecatheon
cusickii is more general in its distribution. D.odecatheon conjugens is very
rare at this site and is restricted to the margin between the forest and the meadow.
Threats
The threats to Douglas’ clover have not been formally monitored: however, useful
observations have been made. The Washington population was reduced by approximately half
when a portion was cultivated. Plants exist only in natural meadow up to the edge of the
cultivated field. Livestock graze the large Oregon populations. Concern about potential
impacts on the species has resulted in alterations in management of the grazing allotment.
Livestock are only allowed in the vicinity of the populations for a short time before
being moved to other locations. The short-term impacts thus far seem to be minor and are
not detrimental to the populations.
The Palouse populations are also grazed. One population on private ground is grazed
heavily and consists of only a few (probably less than 25) plants along a stream. Few
native species can be found. Another population is found on adjacent private property. The
private portion of the meadow is severely grazed, while across the fence on Federal land a
lush moist meadow community is found. Here the Douglas’ clover population is very
small due to the limited area, but the habitat is of high quality. The last population is
scattered over a couple miles in a thin-soiled broken riparian meadow. Here the plants are
sparse, but widely distributed. An estimated 100-300 plants may occur. The meadow is
grazed, however the best habitat has shallow and rocky soil, supporting only sparse
pasture grasses. As a result Douglas’ clover along with many other native meadow and
prairie species form a unique and healthy plant community. Five years ago the rotation of
livestock in this allotment was altered to allow cattle on this meadow only after
mid-September. This was an attempt to allow another rare species Calochortus nitidus
(broad-fruit mariposa) to set seed before being trampled and possibly grazed by the
livestock. Similarly, Douglas’ clover is expected to benefit through increased seed
recruitment. Continued observations and hopefully formal monitoring will shed more light
on the response of this species to various forms of management and other disturbances.
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Annie Alexander
Kristin Fletcher, Sah-Wah-Be Chapter
For centuries both men and women have struggled to understand the world around them. It
is always hard and demanding work, but the efforts of many thoughtful women have too
frequently languished in obscurity.
One of the most fascinating early naturalists is Annie Montague Alexander, born in 1867
to a wealthy family from the Hawaiian island of Maui. Annie was adventuresome as a child
and loved to explore the family’s sugar cane plantations and the tropical wilderness
around her.
While a teenager, she moved with her family to Oakland, California, and quickly
developed an interest in fossils, which she discovered in the hills nearby. Annie had an
uncanny knack for finding them and, at age 33, she discovered the first of many living and
fossilized plant and animal species previously unknown to science.
As a young woman she traveled hundreds of miles on foot in Africa with her father and
spent many summers in Alaska researching bears. Over time she became alarmed by how fast
native bird and mammal species were disappearing in California.
An independently wealthy woman, she then established and funded several great
California museums: the Museum of Paleontology, the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, and the
University of California Herbarium in Berkeley. Her own immense plant and animal
collections became the backbone of these early museums’ displays.
In her early forties Annie met Louise Kellogg, and a lifelong friendship developed.
Until Annie’s death at 83, the two women were inseparable companions. They collected
plant and animal specimens throughout the West, including Idaho, and sent them back to the
museums.
Discomfort and struggle seemed to spur them on, and an aging Annie wrote, "I
consider the sixties a very appropriate period in one’s life to do field work—an
out-of-doors quest that will always have . . . a certain charm and excitement."
Near the end of her long, full life she and Louise botanized for three months in Baja,
camping and hiking throughout the rugged mountains and deserts. There, on December 29, she
celebrated her 80th birthday still "a part of nature, footloose in the
mountains" as she once said. She explored and collected for two more years before she
died, leaving us her plant and animal specimens and her museums as a legacy of a
passionate life well lived.
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Attitudes of an Early Botanist: A Note on Charles Geyer
(1809-1853)
Bertie Weddell, White Pine Chapter
The nineteenth century German botanist Charles Geyer was thoroughly sympathetic to
manifest destiny, the idea that it was the responsibility of Euroamericans to expand
westward across North America, taming the frontier and subjugating its aboriginal
inhabitants as they went. "Ere long," he wrote,
the hardy scattered emigrants both in Oregon and California will consolidate a
government and appear on the theatre of nations, independent of all others. They will, by
their enterprise and unceasing civil conquests, overcome successfully the heroic indolence
of their Mexican neighbors, regenerate their political and social institutions, and form,
in connection with the mother country, on that coast, a great western empire; an outpost
of civilization, which, in time, will be the doom for the reckless despotism in the Old
World (Geyer 1846:201).
This vision clearly left no room for Native Americans, whom Geyer viewed with little
sympathy. Some of Geyer’s narratives are painful to read. He wrote of coming upon
a great number of men, women, and children. . . . [B]ut contrary to what I was used to,
the tone in which I was spoken to, by two or three saucy-looking young men, especially by
a half-blooded ferocious youngster, did not please me at all. When I asked for the road to
Colville, he said he did not know, demanding in the same harsh voice sundry things,
especially tobacco with every possible ill grace. At my refusal he changed his language to
a still more offending manner. . . ; the rest not possessing the same boldness, joined in
a kind of sneer peculiar to the Indian only (Geyer 1846:296, footnote).
The incident came to a close when Geyer showed the young men his pistol, which caused
"the insolent half-breed" to change his behavior.
Geyer felt that the Nez Perce should have been more appreciative of missionary efforts
to change their way of life.
By responding to the efforts of Mr. Spalding, and amassing property, it is unavoidable
that the whole nation imbibes a degree of avarice, of which I justly accuse the Saptonas
[Nez Perce]. Far from feeling grateful to the Mission and to their excellent teacher, they
demand every thing gratuitously, and torment their instructor by that insolent haughtiness
so peculiar to them (Geyer 1846:518, footnote).
As a botanist, Geyer was interested in how the Indians used native plants such as
camas, biscuit root, and bitterroot. Yet he had little interest in seeing that way of
life—based upon moving throughout a wide area to utilize these resources as they
became available throughout the year—continue. He wrote that the Saptonas were
the only northerly tribe of the Indians, to my knowledge, with whom the missionaries
have so far succeeded as to render, in eight years’ tuition only, the greater part of
the tribe independent of hunting, by cultivating the soil, and rearing cattle and sheep. .
. . Undaunted by the haughtiness of his pupils, [Spalding] overcomes all obstacles. He . .
. persevered in making the poor creature understand that he must acquire property, to
become independent of his hunting, and that property must be realized by rearing domestic
animals and tilling the land (Geyer 1846:517).
Evidently, Geyer had no inkling of the fact that the livestock grazing and cultivation
he so enthusiastically endorsed would lead to profound changes in the flora that he so
assiduously collected.
Literature Cited
Geyer, C. A. 1846. Notes on the vegetation and general character of the Missouri and
Oregon Territories, made during a botanical journey in the state of Missouri, across the
South Pass of the Rocky Mountains, to the Pacific, during the years 1843 and 1844. London
Journal of Botany 5:198-208, 285-310, 509-524.
Additional Reading
Cronon, W. 1983. Changes in the land: Indians, colonists, and the ecology of New
England. Hill and Wang, New York. 241 pp.
Marshall, A. G. 1999. Unusual gardens: The Nez Perce and wild horticulture on the
eastern Columbia Plateau. Pp. 173-187 in D. D. Goble and P. W. Hirt, eds.,
Northwest lands, northwest peoples: Readings in environmental history. University of
Washington Press, Seattle.
Wester, B. L. 1999. Land divided: Yakima tribal land use in the federal allotment era.
Pp. 205-225 in D. D. Goble and P. W. Hirt, eds., Northwest lands, northwest
peoples: Readings in environmental history. University of Washington Press, Seattle.
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Response to the
Native Gardening Questionnaire
In a recent survey, we asked INPS members to respond to the following
questionnaire:
1. What native species have you had luck with, or are especially pleased with?
2. Tell us what you like best about these plants.
3. How does one acquire these plants without exploiting wild populations?
4. What aspect of growing natives would you like to see covered in Sage Notes?
Replies to the first three questions are summarized in the chart below—please note
that these are responses by INPS gardeners to an informal survey, not a list of species
recommended by INPS. Replies to the fourth question provided ideas for future issues of Sage
Notes.
Replies to the third question, acquiring native garden plants without exploiting wild
populations, showed the ethical approach one would expect from members of a native plant
society (see "Source" in the chart below). However, any article on native
gardening should mention these considerations:
Collect wisely without depleting native populations:
follow INPS’ "1-in-20" rule (Sage Notes 21(1) Winter 1999):
". . . never collect more than one out of 20 plants. It means not collecting more
than one plant until you have found at least twenty. Only if 20 are found should you
consider collecting one plant. And 40 should be present before two are taken, and so
on."
salvage plants from road or building construction
know which plants never to collect (orchids, listed species)
Ensure the plants’ pollinators are present and provide habitat within the general
vicinity of your garden (read more about this in Vince Tepedino’s "Wild Bees and
Floral Jewels" on p. X).
Collect seeds from the wild (instead of plants), following the 1-in-20 rule.
Buy native plants propagated from seed.
Use local genes—these plants are locally adapted and will not pollute local gene
pools or introduce disease.
The best way to save rare native plants is to leave them in their natural community
when possible.
Nor should the positive aspects of native gardening go unmentioned:
Once established, a native plant garden requires less watering, and the associated
resources used in water treatment, delivery, etc.
Provides wildlife habitat, particularly for birds.
Provides educational opportunities.
INPS Members’ Favorites: Responses to Native Gardening
Questionnaire |
Responses from North Idaho |
Common name |
Scientific name |
Comments |
Source |
| Douglas hawthorn |
Crataegus douglasii |
“The best: food for thermal cover,
resting, & roosting, for wildlife.” |
Native plant nurseries. |
| Quaking aspen |
Populus tremuloides |
Excellent for wildlife. |
“ “ |
| Ponderosa pine |
Pinus ponderosa |
Excellent for wildlife. |
“ “ |
| Roses |
Rosa spp. |
Excellent for wildlife. |
“ “ |
| Cherry |
Prunus spp. |
Excellent for wildlife. |
“ “ |
| Serviceberry |
Amelanchier alnifolia |
Excellent for wildlife. |
“ “ |
| Snowberry |
Symphoricarpos albus |
Excellent for wildlife. |
“ “ |
| Creeping Oregon grape |
Berberis repens |
Early yellow flowers & glaucous
berries; evergreen. Seems to spread slowly; shape is “low and mounding.” |
Nurseries (note: B. aquifolium
NOT the same) |
| Kinnikinnick |
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi |
Good ground cover for north Idaho. |
|
| Bunchberry dogwood |
Cornus canadensis |
Good ground cover for north Idaho. |
|
| Pearhip rose |
Rosa woodsii |
|
|
| Arrowleaf balsamroot |
Balsamorhiza sagittata |
|
|
| Bluebunch wheatgrass |
Agropyron spicatum |
|
|
| Idaho fescue |
Festuca idahoensis |
|
|
| Golden currant |
Ribes aureum |
Highly rated in White Pine Chapter
list.* |
Wild-collected seed |
| Syringa |
Philadelphus lewisii |
Highly rated in White Pine Chapter
list.* |
Wild-collected seed |
| Ninebark |
Physocarpus malvaceus |
Highly rated in White Pine Chapter
list.* |
Wild-collected seed |
| Red columbine |
Aquilegia formosa |
Highly rated in White Pine Chapter
list.* |
Wild-collected seed |
| Canada violet |
Viola canadensis |
Nice, but aggressive. |
Wild-collected seed |
| Mountain kittentails, Nuttall’s
violet |
Synthyris missurica, Viola nuttallii |
“The 2 best native forbs.” |
Wild-collected seed |
| Lupine |
Lupinus polyphyllus |
Highly rated in White Pine Chapter
list.* |
Wild-collected seed |
| Spiraea |
Spiraea spp. |
|
|
| Clematis |
Clematis spp. |
|
|
| Geranium |
Geranium spp. |
|
|
| Bedstraw |
Galium spp. |
|
|
| Chickweed |
Cerastium spp. |
|
|
| Common camas |
Camassia quamash |
|
|
| Hyacinth brodiaea |
Brodiaea hyacinthina |
|
|
| Oregon iris |
Iris tenax |
|
|
| Wild onion |
Allium spp. |
|
|
| Wild ginger |
Asarum caudatum |
|
|
| False Solomon’s seal |
Smilacina spp. |
|
|
| Old man’s whiskers |
Geum triflorum var. ciliatum |
|
|
| Prickly-headed poppy |
Papaver argemone |
|
|
Palouse area gardeners are invited to view the results of two
years’ work to convert a lawn to native plants at the Forestry Sciences Lab in
Moscow.
* "Native Plants of Northern Idaho for Landscaping and Restoration," a
ten-page list of shrubs, trees, forbs, ferns and grasses, with helpful gardening
information on each species. Available from White Pine Chapter, P.O. Box 8481, Moscow, ID
83843.
Also recommended: "Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest" by
Arthur Kruckeberg, University of Washington Press, 1997, and "Landscaping with Native
Plants for the Inland Northwest" by Tonie Fitzgerald and Michael Terrell, a 45-page
booklet with information on designing, landscaping, removing weeds, preparing soil,
choosing grasses for unwatered areas, sources, and native plant collecting ethics.
Available from Washington State University Cooperative Extension, 222 N. Havana, Spokane,
WA 99202-4799, (509) 477-2048. $5.50.
Responses from South Idaho |
Common name |
Scientific name |
Comments |
Source |
| Buffalo-grass |
Buchloe spp. |
Grows slowly & requires very little
water. |
Wind River Seed |
| Blue grama |
Bouteloua gracilis |
Grows slowly & requires very little
water. |
Wind River Seed |
| Indian ricegrass |
Oryzopsis hymenoides |
“My favorites so far.” |
Seeds |
| Bluebunch wheatgrass |
Pseudoroegneria spicatum |
“ “ |
Seeds |
| Sandberg’s bluegrass |
Poa sandbergii |
“ “ |
Seeds |
| Squirreltail |
Sitanion hystrix |
Native bunchgrasses: beautiful, easy,
good for birds & insects. |
Salvage (road maintenance)** |
| Idaho fescue |
Festuca idahoensis |
“ “ |
Salvage |
| Large-fruited lomatium |
Lomatium macrocarpum |
|
Seeds |
| Evening-primrose |
Oenothera strigosa |
“Weedy” native - easy &
showy. |
|
| Yarrow |
Achillea millefolium |
“Weedy” native - easy &
showy. |
|
| Fringecup |
Lithophragma spp. |
“Weedy” native - easy &
showy. |
|
| Sunflower |
Helianathus annuus |
“Weedy” native - easy &
showy. |
|
| Pearly-everlasting |
Anaphalis margaritacea |
Small attractive groundcover, requires
little water, reproduces well (needs lots of room). |
INPS Plant Sale |
| Sagebrush |
Artemisia spp. |
Fun to watch grow from seed. |
Seed collected in Boise foothills |
| Great basin wildrye |
Elymus cinereus |
Beautiful, tall grass. |
Salvaged from road cut |
| Wild onion |
Allium spp. |
Easy to split/transplant.* |
|
| Stonecrop |
Sedum spp. |
Easy to split/transplant.* |
|
| Beardtongue |
Penstemon spp. |
Easy to split/transplant.* Good
self-seeder once established. |
|
| Clarkia |
Clarkia spp. |
Good self-seeder once established.
Easily established from collected seed. |
|
| Small-flowered blue-eyed Mary |
Collinsia parviflora |
Good self-seeder once established. |
|
| Threadleaf phacelia |
Phacelia linearis |
Good self-seeder once established. |
|
| Cleomella |
Cleomella spp. |
Good self-seeder once established. |
|
| Biscuit-root |
Lomatium spp. |
Easily established from collected seed. |
|
| Silky lupine |
Lupinus sericeus |
Easily established from collected seed
(but other Lupinus spp. are not.). Good self-seeder once established. |
|
| Phacelia |
Phacelia |
Easily established from collected seed. |
|
| Red-osier dogwood |
Cornus stolonifera |
Grows well, spreads, attracts birds;
has red stems in winter. |
Available commercially, or get a start
from a rooting branch |
| Sphaeralcea |
Sphaeralcea munroana |
Showy flowers |
Seeds |
| Daisy |
Townsendia florifer |
Short-lived but seeds around |
Seeds |
| Wild onion |
Allium acuminatum |
|
Seeds |
| Fern-leaf lomatium |
Lomatium dissectum |
Coming back nicely! Beautiful foliage. |
Seeds |
| Skullcap |
Scutellaria antirrhinoides |
Started from seed but it becomes
rhizomatous & can be easily divided in spring. Cute little thing. |
Seeds |
| Pearhip rose |
Rosa woodsii |
Good for confined area; can take part
shade. |
Seeds |
| Penstemon |
Penstemon cusickii, P. miser |
Showy, excellent possibilities as
garden plants. |
Seeds |
| Penstemon |
Penstemon speciosa, P. acuminatus |
Beautiful but short-lived. |
Seeds |
| Sage |
Salvia dorrii |
Does well; nice shrublet. |
Dug it up |
| Smooth sumac |
Rhus trilobata |
Grows fast with little water. |
Buffalo Berry Farm |
| Oregon sunshine |
Eriophyllum lanatum |
Very short-lived but seeds around. |
Seeds |
* If collecting from wild populations is done responsibly "it is better to use
local material than risk bringing in something from a distant source. Once a person has
plants established, they can serve as a local source for their own garden."
** "If salvaged within a week nearly all grass clumps may survive. Be sure to grab
lots of the soil from which they were dislodged, for it contains the necessary mycorrhizal
fungi as well as seeds of other ‘surprise’ spp. (native and exotic )."
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Anthriscus cacaulis (Bur
Chervil) Replacing Star-thistle
Dr. Richard R. Old, Weed Specialist , Pullman, Washington
When I first got started in this business, Anthriscus cacaulis was restricted to
moist shady sites, generally under the hawthorns. The plants were never more than 6-8
inches tall and would hardly have been considered weedy, due to their extremely limited
ecologic amplitude. In the past few years the population has exploded, primarily due to a
shift in ecologic amplitude. The same species is now not only displacing yellow
star-thistle, it is doing so on shallow, rocky, south-facing slopes. Even more striking is
the fact that on these open arid sites the plants are 2 feet tall! It has also become
pernicious in more mesic to damp sites and now has one of the broadest ecologic amplitudes
that I have ever seen a weed display.
My three possible scenarios are as follows:
1. It is the same species that we have had for many years but has undergone an adaptive
genetic shift (completed it’s lag phase).
2. It is the same species as before, but we have a new introduction that is more
aggressive, and has a broader ecologic amplitude.
3. It is a new species that has not yet been properly identified (this is a difficult
genus taxonomically).
In any case, it is so widespread that eradication is not feasible and is such a recent
problem that no control methods have been developed. The head-to-head competition with
yellowstar would be a fabulous ecological study.
Dr. Old can be reached at (509) 332 2989 or
rold@xidservices.com.
Dr. Old can be reached at (509) 332 2989 or rold@xidservices.com.
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The Genus Cypripedium. Philip
Cribb. Timber Press, Portland, 1997.
Review by Mike Hays, White Pine Chapter
Cypripediums – The grandest and most august of the Orchidaceae, one great
race which is supreme alike in the open and under cover, deserves full treatment by
itself.
- Reginald Farrer (1919) in "The English Rock Garden."
"The Genus Cypripedium" by Philip Cribb provides a wonderful overview
of the 45 species of that genus currently recognized worldwide. The lady’s slippers
or moccasin flowers have been considered among the most beautiful and sought after orchids
for centuries. The earliest records of growing these gems date back over 2,500 years to
the time of Confucius in China. But Europeans brought modern interest to the forefront
when the industrial revolution gave upper classes the time and resources to pursue such
interests. The huge size of the slippers set them apart and fascinated growers and
botanists for generations. They are so loved, in fact, that the only member of the genus
in Britain has been reduced to a single guarded plant.
This wonderful book offers detailed sections on orchid morphology, life history,
cytology, phylogenetic relationships, biogeography, ecology, uses, conservation, and
cultivation. An extensive taxonomy section includes an artificial key and detailed
descriptions of all 45 species. The sections on life history and ecology are especially
good, and the cultivation section gives a species-by-species discussion of growing
requirements and suitability that makes the reader want to get started.
The visuals are abundant: 26 paintings, 98 photos, 51 drawings, and 22 distribution
maps. The drawings by Eleanor Catherine are excellent with artistic, yet realistic habit
illustrations and highly detailed representations of individual floral features. The
paintings by assorted artists can only be described as ‘stunning.’ These alone
are worth the price of the book. The photos are highly variable in quality, with most
being very good. Some of the Chinese species are only known from the type locality, and
the fact that the book has been able to include photos of all of them is remarkable.
"The Genus Cypripedium" is a well written. The style is that is both
engaging to the professional botanist and captivating to the lay person. No comparable
book on these important orchids exists at present.
The following is taken from the back sleeve: Philip Cribb is curator of the Orchid
Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He is the author of several books on orchids,
including "The Genus Paphiopedilum" and, with co-author Ian Butterfield,
"The Genus Pleione," both in this series. He has traveled widely in
connection with his work and has studied Cypripedium in the wild on several trips
to China in the past twenty years.
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A Color Guidebook to Common Rocky Mountain Lichens.
Larry St. Clair. M. L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, 1999.
Review by Roger Rosentreter, Pahove Chapter
"A Color Guidebook to Common Rocky Mountain Lichens" includes a wide variety
of species, from the small, microlichens of granite boulders to the large showy genera
that hang from trees. Most lichen books either do not include color photos or cover only
the larger macrolichens, simply omitting the small crustose, but often showy, saxicolous
(on rocks) species. With this guidebook, the amateur enthusiasts can now picture-key their
collections or simply gain familiarity with lichens from a variety of substrates and Rocky
Mountain habitats. This is the first of its kind for North America. However, like
wildflower books that encompass large geographic areas, this text does not contain all the
species one might encounter in the field. Technical lichen floras will need to be
consulted for more detailed identification. The photographs are those of Steven and the
late Sylvia Sharnoff, who deserve much of the credit for making this book a winner. I
would recommend that all biologists and outdoor enthusiasts who live in or visit the West
obtain a copy. I believe it will introduce more students and amateurs to lichens than any
other book published to date by a North American lichenologist. Considering the cost of
reproducing color photos and the wide geographic coverage of this book, it is a very good
value.
Given the general nature of the guidebook, it is perhaps inconsistent not to include
any common names for these organisms. This would add appeal for the novice in particular.
The identification keys are straightforward and well written, but lack important details
and omit the mention of similar species that could be encountered within the Rocky
Mountains. Some of the common showy species are not included. For example, the bright
sulfur-green crustose lichen, Acarospora chlorophana, which covers canyon walls
throughout the Rocky Mountains, is omitted. In addition, there is no index to look for
species which might be listed under another name. Serious lichen students will need to
obtain additional technical lichen floras to satisfy their desire to name all the lichens
they encounter.
"A Color Guidebook to Common Rocky Mountain Lichens" is well organized and is
similar in format to the recently published "Macrolichens of the Pacific
Northwest" by Bruce McCune and Linda Geiser (reviewed in Sage Notes 20(2)
Spring 1998 p. 13). In comparison, St. Clair’s guidebook contains equally good
information on the usefulness of lichens as indicators of air quality, but much less on
habitat, ecology, and taxonomy. Notes on similar species and the morphological
characteristics used to distinguish among them would have improved the usefulness of this
book. In addition, southern Rocky Mountain species are better represented than are the
northern Rocky Mountains. The geographic range of a species is discussed briefly under the
category, "substrate/habitat," though the descriptions are very general.
"Common Rocky Mountain Lichens" is in paperback format but is well bound, and
its 6-by-nine inch size makes it a true field guidebook.
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Calypso Chapter Chapter News
At the March meeting Tim Gerlitz of the North Idaho Mycological Society
gave a talk on morels—where to look for them, how to avoid deadly look-alikes, and
how to collect and store them. The April meeting featured a wonderful program on the
creepy-crawlies and hoppers: snakes, skinks, lizards and relatives, frogs and toads. Our
speaker was Jenny Taylor from the Forest Service. She brought a slide show and a handout.
Upcoming events:
May 21: Q’emelin Trails, Post Falls. Meet in parking lot next to Gazebo west of
Post Falls Park at 1:00 PM.
July 8: Huff Lake field trip, Pend Oreille County, WA (five miles south of Nordman,
ID). Meet at Priest River Ranger Station at 11:00 AM.
August 5: Roman Nose Lakes. Jill Blake will lead. Meet at parking lot at lower lake at
10:00 AM.
August 12: alternate date for Roman Nose Lakes.
Kinnikinnick Chapter Chapter News
Work at the arboretum took off with an April "Arbor Day at the
Arboretum" event. High school students and 4H members planted a larch grove. Chapter
members transplanted trees from Gold Creek and made wire tree guards. A work list is
prepared for volunteer help during the summer.
Upcoming events.
May 20, meeting. Come and hear Valle Novak’s "Landscaping with Wild and
Native Plants." Bonner County Extension Office, 10:00 AM.
Sah-Wah-Be Chapter Chapter News
Chapter members have an opportunity to participate in a long-term
revegetation project at the Pocatello Zoo, beginning with identifying remnant native forbs
and shrubs and pulling cheatgrass (remaining cheatgrass may be sprayed). Later, we may be
able to plant chosen natives. The site is a small portion of the zoo and is a realistic
task if we tackle it with energy and several sets of hands over several years. Members are
encouraged to get involved with the city’s plan to remove several of the octogenarian
cottonwood trees from the park/zoo area. Parts of the trees are hazardous (growing over
softball bleachers, parking lots, etc.), but that doesn’t necessarily justify cutting
the whole tree down. Members are encouraged to go visit the trees and see for yourselves
what the brouhaha is about and send your suggestions to the city.
Upcoming events:
May 21. Field trip to see a surprise pond in the lava flow north of McCammon on
property owned by the ISU biology department. Meet at 9:00 AM near the bison by the Idaho
Museum of Natural History to carpool. First we will stop here and there, roam, or enjoy
lunch. The second leg of the trip is on the Centennial Trail across the street and river
from the hot pools at Lava Hot Springs. And after that...many opportunities! Call Ruth
Moorhead (208) 233-5011.
June 3. Meet at 9:00 AM near the bison to carpool to Formation Springs State Park north
of Soda Springs. Kristin Fletcher hopes to have some helpers for this one. Call Kristin
(208) 232-6736.
June 18. Meet at 9:00 AM at the Fort Hall truck stop on I-15 for a re-run of last
year’s outing into the Fort Hall bottoms, organized by Cleve Davis. Call Cleve (208)
237-0246.
July 15. Field trip to Mike Spence Canyon near Gilroy. More details later—call
Ruth (208) 233-5011.
August 5-6: From the Top of Targhee to the Fens of Driggs—a multi-stage adventure.
Much planning to be done. More details later. Glenn’s in charge: (208) 234-0537.
September 9. Meet at 9:00 AM near the bison to carpool to St. Anthony Dunes. YES, we
can find them! Yes, there will be something left to see there! NO, the hunters won’t
shoot us! More details later. Call Ruth (208) 233-5011.
October 14. Long trip to Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman, Montana. Hey...sometimes to
appreciate Idaho fully, we need to see what’s next door as well! With luck, there
will still be fall color to enjoy on the way. Call Ruth (208) 233-5011.
January 13: Hogander’s Haul up the trail to Robbers’ Roost, looking for
plants to identify by their WINTER characters! Details to be developed. Call Geoff (208)
232-3437.
Wood River Chapter Chapter News
According to Carol Blackburn, our "member at large," the first
wildflower in Blaine County was spotted near the upper end of Magic Reservoir on March
25—many Anderson’s Buttercups, and a few very purple clumps of penstemon leaves,
which resembled flowers when seen at a distance. The rest of the bloom can’t be too
far behind!
In order to be informed about local Wood River Chapter activities, contact Jo Ann
Robbins at (208) 788-5585 days. Occasional field trips and activities are publicized to
the active membership in the area.
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News and Notes
Native Plant Society of Oregon Meeting at Malheur June 23-25. The rare plant meeting
will be held on Friday and several field trips are scheduled for Saturday. Dr. Barbara
Ertter, Curator of Western American Botany, Jepson Herbarium, UC Berkeley, will speak on
Friday evening on "Biogeography of Iran and the American West" and Saturday on
"Floristic Surprises in North America." Register by sending $5 to Stu Garrett,
1501 NE Med Center Drive, Bend, OR 97701. For accommodations and meals, contact the
Malheur Field Station yourself, at: HC 72, Box 260, Princeton, OR 97721 (541) 493-2629 or
<mfs@burnsnet.com>.
A New National Geographic book on healing plants. "Nature’s Medicine,"
by Joel Swerdlow, contains information on ancient and modern healing systems, the
relationship of plants to medicinal drugs, plants that stimulate the human immune system,
and specific biological functions and how healing plants affect them.
Southwest Exhibit at College of Idaho. This is a series of presentations and exhibits
at Albertson College of Idaho’s Orma Smith Museum of Natural History, called "An
Enduring Presence: Cultural Continuity and Change Among Peoples of the Desert
Southwest." For information, call archives at (208) 459-5230 or visit the Albertson
College web site at <www.acofi.edu>.
Fall Mushroom Foray to Northern Idaho. The Palouse Mycological Association has put
together a website announcing this year’s North Idaho Mycological Association 2000
Foray in October. You can view the website at http://www.nicon.org/nima/foray.
Please feel free to pass the information along to anyone who might be interested in
attending or learning more.
Botrychium Symposium. Moonworts will be highlighted at this summer’s
Botanical Society of America’s national meeting on August 8 at the Oregon Convention
Center in Portland. See <http://www.botany2000.org/>
for details.