NPSO bulletin Jan 02
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January 2002 1 In This Issue It’s Still Renewal Time! .......2 Advertising Manager Needed for Kalmiopsis ....................2 Chapter Calendar ................3 NPSO Items for Sale ...........5 2002 Nature Calendar Available ...........................5 Other Events ......................6 President’s Message ...........7 Grant Proposals Requested .......................10 Call For Papers .................10 NPSO Contacts .................11 NPSO Annual Meeting .......12 Eastside Conservation Coordinator Needed ..........12 VOLUME 35, NO. 1 JANUARY 2002 Bulletin of the Native Plant Society of Oregon Dedicated to the enjoyment, conservation, and study of Oregon’s native vegetation Summer Intern Report Frasera umpquaensis: a Rare Plant with an Identity Crisis by Djibo Zanzot, NPSO/IAE Intern The following is the third in a series of four articles in which NPSO/Institute for Applied Ecology interns discuss their activities during the 2001 field season. In this arti- cle, Djibo Zanzot discusses Umpqua swertia population biology and nomenclatural syn- onymy. Internships are jointly funded by NPSO, IAE, and federal dollars. To learn more about this internship opportunity, contact IAE at [email protected] or 541-753-3099. Thanks again to NPSO for contributing to botanical education and work experience. Tom Kaye, Institute for Applied Ecology, Corvallis, Oregon Who bade the sun Clothe you with rainbows? Who, with living flowers Of loveliest blue, spread garlands at your feet? ~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ‘To Chamouni’ alluding to gentians B otany is a discipline that, since Linnaeus, has been obsessed with the consistent naming of plant taxa, or so I thought until I met the Umpqua green-gentian, or Umpqua swertia. Frasera umpquaensis is one of several rare plants being monitored by the In- stitute for Applied Ecology (IAE) on public land in partnership with various federal agencies. In this, the sixth year of monitoring in the Medford BLM district, some interesting new informa- tion about the life history of this species has come to light, which I shall present after a discussion of the plant’s background and taxonomy. Frasera umpquaensis Status and Background Frasera umpquaensis is currently on the Oregon Department of Agriculture list of candidate species for protection under the state’s Endangered Species Act. The Oregon Natural Heritage Pro- gram list puts F. umpquaensis in its highest priority category (List 1), as a species that is threatened or endan- gered throughout its range. Federal agencies recognize the species under various categories, such as Species of Concern (US Fish and Wildlife Ser- vice), “sensitive species” (Forest Ser- vice), and “special status species” (Bu- reau of Land Management [BLM]). A conservation strategy has been signed by the latter two agencies, which are monitoring the plant on lands under their purview throughout the range of the species in southwestern Oregon and northern California. The plant itself is a tap-rooted perennial, attaining a height of over a meter on larger reproductive stalks. Vegetative plants appear as rosettes of oblanceolate leaves, generally under 4 dm long, not unlike a head of lettuce. In reproductive plants, the central stalks will bolt, producing a dense panicle of short-stalked flowers with continued on page 8 DON’T FORGET TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP!
Transcript of NPSO bulletin Jan 02
January 2002 1
In This IssueIt’s Still Renewal Time!.......2
Advertising Manager Neededfor Kalmiopsis ....................2
Chapter Calendar................3
NPSO Items for Sale ...........5
2002 Nature Calendar Available ...........................5
Other Events ......................6
President’s Message ...........7
Grant Proposals Requested .......................10
Call For Papers .................10
NPSO Contacts .................11
NPSO Annual Meeting .......12
Eastside Conservation Coordinator Needed..........12
VOLUME 35, NO. 1 JANUARY 2002
Bulletin of the
Native Plant Society of OregonDedicated to the enjoyment, conservation, and study of Oregon’s native vegetation
Summer Intern Report
Frasera umpquaensis: a Rare Plant with an Identity Crisisby Djibo Zanzot, NPSO/IAE Intern
The following is the third in a series of four articles in which NPSO/Institute forApplied Ecology interns discuss their activities during the 2001 field season. In this arti-cle, Djibo Zanzot discusses Umpqua swertia population biology and nomenclatural syn-onymy. Internships are jointly funded by NPSO, IAE, and federal dollars. To learn moreabout this internship opportunity, contact IAE at [email protected] or 541-753-3099.Thanks again to NPSO for contributing to botanical education and work experience.
Tom Kaye, Institute for Applied Ecology, Corvallis, Oregon
Who bade the sun
Clothe you with rainbows?
Who, with living flowers
Of loveliest blue, spread garlands at your feet?
~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge, ‘To Chamouni’
alluding to gentians
Botany is a discipline that, sinceLinnaeus, has been obsessed with
the consistent naming of plant taxa, orso I thought until I met the Umpquagreen-gentian, or Umpqua swertia.Frasera umpquaensis is one of severalrare plants being monitored by the In-stitute for Applied Ecology (IAE) onpublic land in partnership with variousfederal agencies. In this, the sixth yearof monitoring in the Medford BLMdistrict, some interesting new informa-tion about the life history of thisspecies has come to light, which I shallpresent after a discussion of the plant’sbackground and taxonomy.
Frasera umpquaensis Status andBackground
Frasera umpquaensis is currently onthe Oregon Department of Agriculture
list of candidate species for protectionunder the state’s Endangered SpeciesAct. The Oregon Natural Heritage Pro-gram list puts F. umpquaensis in itshighest priority category (List 1), as aspecies that is threatened or endan-gered throughout its range. Federalagencies recognize the species undervarious categories, such as Species ofConcern (US Fish and Wildlife Ser-vice), “sensitive species” (Forest Ser-vice), and “special status species” (Bu-reau of Land Management [BLM]). Aconservation strategy has been signedby the latter two agencies, which aremonitoring the plant on lands undertheir purview throughout the range ofthe species in southwestern Oregonand northern California.
The plant itself is a tap-rootedperennial, attaining a height of over ameter on larger reproductive stalks.Vegetative plants appear as rosettes ofoblanceolate leaves, generally under 4dm long, not unlike a head of lettuce.In reproductive plants, the centralstalks will bolt, producing a densepanicle of short-stalked flowers with
continued on page 8
DON’T FORGET
TO RENEW YOUR
MEMBERSHIP!
2 NPSO Bulletin
Native Plant Society of Oregon
World Wide Webhttp://www.NPSOregon.org
E-mail Discussion ListTo join send a message to
[email protected], with thefollowing in the body of the message:subscribe npso
General Business Address P.O. Box 902Eugene, OR 97440
or correspond directly with Officersand Committee Chairs listed on theinside of the back page.
Membership Inquiries OnlyJan Dobak2584 NW Savier St.Portland, OR 97210-2412
Bulletin of the Native PlantSociety of Oregon
Editor: Tanya Harvey
ISSN 0884-599. Published monthly.Subscription price $18/year. Date andissue number on page 1.
The submission date is the 10th ofeach month for the following month’sissue. Send submissions by e-mail [email protected].
Opinions expressed in this publica-tion are those of the authors of thearticles. They do not represent theopinions of the Native Plant Societyof Oregon, unless so stated.
Founded 1961
NA
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EPLANT SOCIETY OF
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Manzanita branches trace beautiful shadow patterns across the snow near Odell Lake.
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IT’S STILL RENEWAL TIME!The NPSO membership year is January to December. Check your address
label on the Bulletin. If there’s a 01 on the top line, we haven’t received yourrenewal yet.
It's also a good time to consider a tax-deductible contribution to our spe-cial funds. The Leighton Ho Memorial Award is used for research projects inwestern Oregon. The Rare and Endangered Plant Fund supports work with ourmost threatened plants. The Jean Davis Memorial Scholarship is awarded annu-ally to a botany student at an Oregon college or university. You can also in-clude a contribution to the Oregon Flora Project along with your dues.
Your membership and donations make it possible to carry out more of themany projects that are needed to pursue the goals of NPSO. In return NPSObrings you field trips, programs, classes, the monthly Bulletin, and Kalmiopsis.
Now that Kalmiopsis is back on aregular annual schedule, NPSO
would like to sell advertising in itspages to help offset some of the journalcosts. The Advertising Manager will bea volunteer role, which will entailworking with co-editors Cindy Rochéand Linda Vorobik and the NPSOstate Treasurer to develop standardsand prices, then soliciting ads frombusinesses such as native plant
nurseries and bookstores that featurebotany and natural history merchan-dise. Most of these contacts can bemade by mail or e-mail.
If you would like to try yourcreative skills in public relations andsales, here is a great opportunity tohelp NPSO. For more information orto volunteer, please contact CindyRoché at [email protected].
Advertising Manager Needed for Kalmiopsis
January 2002 3
StateJanuary 19, Saturday, 10:00amBoard Meeting: The next State Boardmeeting—our all-important budgetmeeting—will take place in McMinn-ville, 10:00am to 2:00pm. All Boardmembers are urged to attend.
June 7–9, 2002, Friday,Saturday and SundayAnnual Meeting: The SiskiyouChapter will host the meeting at theGreen Springs Inn on Highway 66twenty miles east of Ashland. See thearticle on the back page and watch formore information and registrationmaterials on our web site and inupcoming issues of the Bulletin.
Blue MountainJanuary 7, Monday, 7:00pm Meeting: New Year Gathering. Join usfor a “dessert pot-luck”. Bring somegoodies, or just come and eat some.Bring some slides of plants you haven’tbeen able to identify. We’ll have someother slides too, and time to talk aboutfuture field trips, etc. 7:00pm, SmallBusiness Development Center, SE 1stand SE Dorian, Pendleton.
CheahmillJanuary 24, Thursday, 7:00pmMeeting: Mid-Winter Social. Bringyour favorite botanical photos, slides,artwork, books, hiking suggestions,propagation advice, etc. and make theacquaintance of people who share yourinterests! General public welcome.7:00pm Carnegie Room, McMinnvillePublic Library, 225 N. Adams St.,McMinnville. For more info contactSusan Williams at 503-538-1865 [email protected].
Corvallis January 14, Monday, 7:30pmMeeting: The Most Fiendish Plant IKnow: Botanizing in Corsica. LorenRussell will give us an exotic slide showon his travels in Corsica at 7:30pm atthe Avery House, Avery Park, Corvallis.
February 11, Monday, 7:30pmMeeting: From the Forest to theSea—The ecology of wood andsalmon. Chris Maser will present aslide show and talk at 7:30pm at theAvery House, Avery Park, Corvallis.For more information please contactEsther McEvoy at 541-754-0893.
EmeraldJanuary 26, Saturday, 8:00amWork Party: OSU Herbarium. ScottSundberg needs help at the OSUHerbarium with sorting and mountingof specimens and doing a variety ofother tasks. Meet at South EugeneHigh School at 8:00am to carpool.Return to Eugene before 4:00pm.RSVP. For additional information callDave at 541-345-5531.
January 28, Monday, 7:30pm Meeting: Exploring the Jungles ofthe Yucatan, by Allen Curtis. Thetropical lowlands of southeastern Mexi-co are experiencing rapid changes asmodern man “develops” this area. Ourspeaker, Alan B. Curtis, has been visit-ing the Yucatan Peninsula for 20 years.He is a retired forester/botanist who’sbeen volunteering with a Smithsonianresearch project in the Yucatan. Get offthe tourist route with Alan and visitthe land from the coast to swamps todense forests with their multitude ofspecies—trees, lianas, orchids, bromeli-ads, wildlife, and Mayan ruins. Room117, Science Building, LCC main cam-pus (from 30th Ave., go south onEldon Schafer Drive, park in the park-ing lot at the top of the hill, and walkdown to the Science Building). Formore information call Nick Otting at541-334-4499.
February 9, Saturday, 9:30amWorkshop: Winter Twigs, conductedby Rhoda Love and Judith Manningfrom 9:30am to 2:30pm at the Mt.Pisgah Arboretum. The workshop issponsored by NPSO and the Arbore-tum. Cost is $25 for members and $30for non-members. Participants areasked to acquire the new Winter Twigs,by Gilkey and Packard. Limit of 15participants. For more information orto register call the Mt. Pisgah Arbore-tum at 541-747-1504.
NPSO CALENDAR
IMPORTANT NOTE TO FIELD TRIP PARTICIPANTS Field trips take place rain or shine,so proper dress and footwear areessential. Trips may be strenuousand/or hazardous. Participation isat your own risk. Be prepared tosign a release form indicating this.For a sample copy check out theNPSO website. Please contact thetrip leader or chapter representativeabout difficulty, distance, and terrainto be expected on field trips. Bringwater and lunch. All NPSO field tripsare open to the public at no charge(other than contribution to carpooldriver) and newcomers and visitorsare always welcome. NationalForests require a Northwest ForestPass for many field trip locations.Permits can be acquired at forestheadquarters and ranger districts.
NOTICE TO FIELD TRIP CHAIRS AND LEADERS The Forest Service and other agen-cies have set policies limiting groupsize in many wilderness areas to 12.The reason is to limit human im-pacts on these fragile areas. Groupsusing wilderness areas should be nolarger than 12.
4 NPSO Bulletin
February 25, Monday, 7:30pmMeeting: Gardening with NativeShrubs of the Southern WillametteValley. Heiko Koester, a Eugene land-scape designer and consultant, willshare his knowledge of gardening withshrubs native to the Southern Willa-mette Valley. He’ll give us the nitty-gritty on how to have success with na-tive shrubs and show us his favoriteslides of the plants. Room 117, ScienceBuilding, LCC main campus. For moreinfo call Nick Otting at 541-334-4499.
March 9, Saturday, 9:00am Field Trip: Lichen ID. Learn to iden-tify lichens with Daphne Stone. Meetat South Eugene HS at 9:00am to poolrides for 18-mile drive to meadow andoak forest near Jasper. Return to Eu-gene before 2:00pm. For more infor-mation call 541-345-5531.
March 18, Monday, 7:30pm Meeting: Burning for a Fine andBeautiful Open Country: How andWhy the Native People of Southwest-ern Oregon Burned the Landscape.Jeff LaLande, archaeologist/historianfor the Rogue River National Forest,will discuss the uses of fire by NativeAmerican groups for a variety of vege-tation and wildlife management pur-poses. Jeff ’s focus is south of theWillamette Valley, but some info also
applies to native inhabitants of present-day Lane, Linn and Benton counties.Note: 3rd Monday instead of 4thMonday, this meeting only. 7:30pm,Room 117, Science Building, LCCmain campus. For more informationcall Nick Otting at 541-334-4499.
High DesertFor information on the High DesertChapter, call Stu Garrett at 541-389-6981.
Klamath BasinFor information on the Klamath BasinChapter, call David Lebo at 541-883-8393.
Mid-ColumbiaJanuary 2, Wednesday, 7:30pmMeeting: Scientific Discoveries of theLewis and Clark Expedition: theFlora and Fauna. Our own Jerry Igo,Mid-Columbia Chapter president, willshow us the final version of the videohe has been working on for three years,with many beautiful scenes of the flow-ers discovered by Lewis and Clark.7:30pm at the Columbia GorgeDiscovery Center in The Dalles (exit82 off I-84, and follow signs).
February 6, Wednesday, 7:30pmMeeting: The “Secrets” Program.The “Secrets Program” brings the ecolo-gy of old-growth forests and shrub-steppe grasslands into 5th grade class-rooms, and makes learning science fun,active, and exciting. Join us to hear KimBurkland, “Secrets” Director, describethe program and give us a demonstra-tion. Even better, call Kim now at 541-387-2274 to volunteer in the classroomor on field trips. (Volunteer trainingstarts January 7 at the Discovery Cen-ter.) The meeting is also at the Colum-bia Gorge Discovery Center. Take exit82 off I-84 and follow the signs.
North CoastFor information on the North CoastChapter call Vivian Starbuck at 503-377-4141.
PortlandFor information on the PortlandChapter, call Dee White at 503-775-2909.
SiskiyouJanuary 17, Thursday, 7:30pmMeeting: Sudden Oak Death. SuddenOak Death (SOD) is a disease causedby a recently-discovered pathogen(Phytophthora ramorum) that is devas-tating oaks, tan oaks, and a number ofother native trees and shrubs. First de-tected in California, it has spread to thesouthwest corner of Oregon. Kim Keir-nan works for University of CaliforniaCooperative Extension in Marin Coun-ty doing education and research relatedto SOD. She will be giving an overviewof the disease including its distribution,hosts, symptoms and management.Ellen Michaels Goheen, Plant Patholo-gist for federal lands in Southwest Ore-gon, is the USDA Forest Service repre-sentative to the Oregon interagencyteam that is working on SOD. She willcover her work in detection, eradicationand monitoring in Southwest Oregon.Room 171, Science Building, SouthernOregon University.
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Sitka Mountian-ash (Sorbus sitchensis) can be told from Western Mountain-ash (Sorbus scop-
ulina), which overlaps its range, by its duller berries and more rounded, only partially-toothed
leaves. Otherwise they are similar with large heads of white flowers followed by bright red berries.
January 2002 5
NPSO Items for SaleThe “Atlas of Oregon Carex” wasNPSO’s first Occasional Paper. TheAtlas has 128 location maps, onefor each Carex taxon in the stateof Oregon. Also included are a syn-onymy, fun facts about sedges, ahistory of the project, and Oregongeography maps. Price: $5.
“Louis F. Henderson (1853-1942): The Grand Old Man ofNorthwest Botany” by Rhoda M.Love is NPSO’s second and mostrecent Occasional Paper, publishedin 2001. This fascinating, peer-reviewed, 64-page biographyincludes 56 historic and modernimages. It is carefully and exhaus-tively researched with 133 notesplus chronology, lists of publica-tions and plants named forHenderson. Price: $10.
To order either or both OccasionalPapers, send check for the appro-priate amount (made payable toNPSO) to: Occasional Papers,Native Plant Society of Oregon,PO Box 902, Eugene, OR 97440-0902.
NPSO Membership Directory listsnames, addresses, phone numbers,and e-mail address of NPSO mem-bers (April 2001). Available fromJan Dobak, 2584 NW Savier St.,Portland OR 97210. $3 postpaid.
Oregon’s Rare Wildflower Posterdepicts Punchbowl Falls and threeof the Columbia River Gorge’sendemic wildflowers. Text on theback describes the natural historyof the Gorge and the mission ofthe NPSO. Available from StuGarrett, 21663 Paloma Drive,Bend, OR 97701, 541-389-6981.Individuals may order posters at$12 each, plus $3 per order forshipping. Posters are mailed intubes.
Willamette ValleyJanuary 14, Monday, 7:00pmNote: this is 2nd monday in January
Meeting: Bonesteele Park PrairieRestoration. Susan Morre, MarionCounty Botanist, will present an up-date on the Bonesteele Park prairierestoration. She’ll report on the resultsof previous activities, current status,and plans for the future. This project isa focus of our chapter’s volunteer ef-forts, and I’m sure we’ll all be pleasedwith what Susan has to tell us. FirstUnited Methodist Church, 600 StateSt., Salem. Please enter through theState Street door marked “ChurchOffice.” For more information, callKarl Anderson at 503-315-7329.
William CusickFor information on the William CusickChapter call Frazier Nichol at 541-963-7870.
Umpqua ValleyJanuary 10, Thursday, 7:00pmMeeting: Survey and Management ofSpecies in the Umpqua NationalForest. At the Douglas County Court-house Annex. Richard Helliwell,Biologist for the Umpqua NationalForest, will present a program on sur-vey and management of species theyhave found in the forest. He will coverlichens, bryophytes and fungi. Theyhave been photographing, collectingand drying samples. For moreinformation, call Jack Hausotter at541-863-5347.
Willamette Valley 2002 Nature Calendar Available
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D ave Wagner, Emerald chaptermember and former NPSO presi-
dent, has once again produced a lovelycalendar that every naturalist willenjoy. The calendar is illustrated byDave with black and white drawings ofa number of different Oregon nativeplants. Lots of valuable information isincluded such as sunrise & sunset, av-erage temperatures and rainfall, andanimal and plant activity for eachmonth.
The calendar is available in Eugeneat the Museum of Natural History(University of Oregon campus) andDown to Earth (5th and Olive) or youcan send $15.00 to:
Dave Wagner P.O. Box 30064Eugene, OR 97403-1064541-344-3327
Hairy Honeysuckle
Lonicera hispidula
6 NPSO Bulletin
Mount Pisgah Arboretum EventsSeavey Loop Rd., Eugene
January 12, Saturday, 10am-NoonMosses & Lichens Walk with DaphneStone. Take a walk in the rain and dis-cover the amazing plants that thrive inOregon’s winter forests. Meet at the Ar-boretum Visitor Center. Suggested do-nation $3.
February 2, Saturday, 10am-4pmMosses & Lichens Workshop. Diveinto the miniature world of mosses andlichens with local expert DaphneStone. Learn ecology, life cycles, andhow to identify these unique plantsthat thrive in Northwestern winters.Fee: $35 ($30 MPA members) Pre-reg-istration required at 541-747-1504.
February 9, Saturday, 9:30-2:30pmWinter Twig ID Workshop. Learnhow to use Gilkey & Packard's winterkey to distinguish our native woodyplants from one another all year roundwith Rhoda Love and Judith Manning.Fee: $30 ($25 MPA and NPSO mem-bers). Pre-registration required at 541-747-1504.
OTHER EVENTS
Siskiyou Environmental Film FestivalFebruary 8-9
On February 8th and 9th the SiskiyouProject will host the inaugural
Siskiyou Environmental Film Festival inAshland. The Festival will showcasedozens of films with ecological themesfrom around the world. Founded onthe ethic of environmental responsibili-ty and a spirit of hopefulness, the festi-val honors film-makers who producefilms with ecological themes and ac-tivists who work to protect the Earth’senvironment and to help make ourcommunities sustainable.
The films will be shown in theMeese Auditorium on Southern Ore-gon University campus and will be fol-lowed by discussions led by film-mak-ers and activists. The festival alsoincludes a youth component with filmsin the Science Building auditorium.
On Friday night the Festival willfeature In The Light of Reverence, astunning portrait of land use conflictsover Native American sacred sites onpublic and private land around theWest. Winner of numerous awards, itis directed by Christopher McLeod andnarrated by Peter Coyote. According toRobert Redford, “this beautifully craft-ed film is a wake up call for everyonewho cares about the environment andhuman rights.”
Saturday morning will offer work-shops by nationally renowned producerJohn de Graaf who is best known forAffluenza and his work with DavidBrower. Saturday afternoon andevening will feature numerous awardwinning films such as Rough & ReadyCreek: Mining Threatens an AncientLandscape by local activist Barbara Ul-lian and Copper Salmon: A Call forWilderness produced by Green Fire Pro-ductions, the Oregon non-profit mediafirm founded by international award-winning video and film-makers, KarenAnspacher-Meyer and Ralf Meyer.
The age of armchair citizenshipended in September. The world wewant, the world we imagine, won’t
come about unless more of us get in-volved. Come be inspired; come findyour passion. Discover what appropri-ate actions are for many of our ecologi-cal problems and how film can aidyour cause. Join us for the opening re-ception on February 8th at 6:00pm inthe Meese Auditorium.
Tickets are available in Ashland atthe Northwest Nature Shop and theOutdoor Store. For more informationor to order tickets, call the SiskiyouProject at 541-592-4459, or e-mailBarry Snitkin, Community OutreachCoordinator, at [email protected].
Butterfly TalkFebruary 4, Monday, 7:30pmButterfly Life Cycles and NaturalHistory. Dr. William Neill, noted pho-tographer, butterfly expert and authorof the new book The Guide To TheButterflies Of Oregon And Washington(Westcliffe Publishers, 2001) will speakand show slides on the natural historyof butterflies and their life cycles at themeeting of the Eugene-SpringfieldChapter of the North AmericanButterfly Association.
The talk will be held in Room 21,Jefferson Middle School, 1650 W.22nd, Eugene and is free and open tothe public. For more information,contact Eric Wold at 541-431-7388.
NorthwesternCalifornia Rare PlantSymposiumFebruary 6-8, 2002
The North Coast Chapter of theCalifornia Native Plant Society
(CNPS) will present a symposium onThe Ecology and Management of RarePlants in Northwestern CaliforniaFebruary 6-8 in Arcata.
Topics will include autecology andlife history of rare plant species, surveyand monitoring techniques, and con-servation strategies. The conferencewill offer perspectives on new researchand findings as well as illustrate exam-ples of successful programs, approach-es, and case studies. It will also providean opportunity for biologists, naturalresource professionals, planners, andpolicy-makers in northwestern Califor-nia and southwestern Oregon to sharetheir knowledge and concerns aboutrare plant issues.
The North Coast Chapter invitesthe general public and interested par-ticipants of all disciplines to attend.
For more information and a regis-tration form, please visit the NorthCoast Chapter’s website at: www.north-coast.com/~cnps.
January 2002 7
President’s Message
Greetings, NPSO Members!by Bruce Newhouse, President
H appy New Year to native plantlovers everywhere! NPSO is
entering our 41st year, after celebratingour 40th at the annual meeting inCorvallis last year. This year’s annualmeeting will by hosted by the SiskiyouChapter June 7-9 in and near the newSoda Mountain National Monumentin the Cascades of southern Oregon.The scenery and botany are outstand-ing, and our chapter hosts are as well!
Our state board had some wonder-ful accomplishments in 2001. Onemajor success is the development andadoption of our new “Guidelines foruse of native plants for gardening” (seeNPSOregon.org). We hope to producesimilar guidelines this year for use ofnative plants in restoration.
NPSO continues to comment onmany issues both locally and at theregional and statewide levels. Severalchapters have conservation committees,and our Eastside and Westside Conser-vation Coordinators lead efforts thatare broader in scope, which affect sev-eral chapters on either the east or westside of the Cascades. Issues affecting orconcerning native plants and habitatsstatewide are usually dealt with at thestate board level, so NPSO’s involve-ment is tiered to the level appropriatefor each issue.
There are numerous individuals tothank this year for keeping NPSO run-ning smoothly, including our officersMike McKeag (VP), Kelli Van Norman(who hit the ground running as ournew Secretary), and Eric Wold (Trea-surer, resigning to pursue fatherhood).Eric’s replacement is Candice Guth, aPortland chapter member with previousexperience as treasurer for non-profits.Thank you so very much, Candice!
Our Bulletin (Tanya Harvey) andWeb Site (Michael Hartman)editors/coordinators continue to im-prove our quality of service to membersand the public. Our web site managerhas asked each chapter to work on briefsummaries of their chapter activitiesand local habitats for our state web
page, and consider linking to a webpage of their own which could be moreelaborate. I hope all chapters will getbusy on this, as we have a lot of infor-mation out there, and it needs to beshared to a broader audience. E-mailMike at [email protected].
Our Kalmiopsis editors, CindyRoché and Linda Vorobik, camethrough for us in a big way this year,producing 2 issues of Kalmiopsis tocatch us up a bit! Both issues weresplendid, and another issue for 2002 iswell underway. Their efforts this yearon behalf of NPSO were HUGE!
Another outstanding contributionthis year came from Rhoda Love, boardmember-at-large, and member of ournew Publications Committee. Rhodasinglehandedly has produced a majorfundraising item for NPSO: our sec-ond occasional paper, exploring the lifeof Louis Henderson. Congratulations,and thank you Rhoda for all you havedone over the years for NPSO, and arecontinuing to do! (To purchase thisitem see page 5 or check the web site.)
Of course, our grants and intern-ship support programs are runningalong well, as are our chapter field tripand speakers programs. Several chap-ters have now been involved in work-ing on restoration projects, and someon public native plant gardens—wehope to have these up on the web sitesoon so that you may visit them!
Every time I visit another chapter Iget excited to see all the interest and ac-tivity of our members! Regardless, I seeso much more we could be doing, espe-cially in the realm of education. AsPresident, I very often am asked for re-gional lists of native plants and invasiveplants. This could be the single mostimportant unfilled need I can identifyfor NPSO to address for each ecore-gion. This kind of information is con-stantly requested by members and thepublic alike, and we need to do a betterjob to pull it together. My challenge tothe chapter presidents this year is to co-ordinate with the other chapters in your
ecoregion, and produce regional nativeand invasive lists that chapters adopt,and that we can get on our web site.(Ecoregions can be seen on the web sitewith the native gardening policy.)
Here in Eugene, the EmeraldChapter has an invasives list that hasbeen updated recently, and soon wehope it will get better publicity. A listof native shrubs in underway, and listsof other natives will follow. These na-tive lists are being produced by the Na-tive Gardening Awareness Program, acommittee that reports to the chapterboard. Although every chapter does nothave enough activists for a new com-mittee, there certainly are at least 1 or2 people with the necessary knowledge(perhaps working with nearby chap-ters) to put together draft lists for cir-culation amongst the botanical com-munity. I hope to solicit input andaction supporting and/or guidingNGAP (or similar) activities for allchapters at the state board meeting inJanuary. If you have knowledge of na-tive and invasive plants in your area,this would be a great way to assist yourlocal chapter by volunteering!
If you are a new member, or an oldmember “on the sidelines,” NPSO andyour chapter need you! Consider offer-ing your time and talents toward ourgoals of protection/education/enjoy-ment of Oregon’s native flora. As ourpopulation continues to burgeon, therewill be even greater pressures on the re-maining fragments of Oregon’s naturalheritage. Helping to protect it willbring happiness and satisfaction! (Fol-lowing our newly-adopted native gar-dening guidelines is an excellent way tostart protecting our native vegetation.)
If you have any suggestions orcomments about NPSO and its activi-ties, please feel free to propose them toyour chapter president (local ideas) orto me at: [email protected] (statewideNPSO issues). I look forward to yourcomments, and hope you will considerincreasing your interest and volunteerinvolvement with NPSO this year!
8 NPSO Bulletin
generally 4-merous flowers in clusters.The corolla is whitish-green to pur-plish-green with a small pit in eachpetal, a fovea, and is nested within acalyx that is cleft, and about the samesize as the corolla.
As the name implies, Fraseraumpquaensis is found in the UmpquaWatershed, with the largest popula-tions found along the Rogue/UmpquaDivide. Populations range from theShasta-Trinity National Forest innorthern California, to Lane County,Oregon, with small populations onWillamette National Forest and Eu-gene District BLM lands.
“Frasera umpquaensis…(is) foundwithin meadows, edge habitats, orsmall openings within late-successionalforest stands…” according to a Late-Successional Reserve Assessment pub-lished by the Siskiyou National Forestand available on the web. It prefers ele-vations of 4000-6000m, and cool,moist sites that receive winter snow.
Systematics and taxonomic history
Frasera umpquaensis has suffered anidentity crisis for many years. To recog-nize the taxon as Frasera umpquaensis isto flout the currently accepted scientificname, Frasera fastigiata (Pursh) Heller,according to the Integrated TaxonomicInformation System (ITIS). Other syn-onyms for the species we studied in theUmpqua/Rogue watersheds includeSwertia fastigiata Pursh, and Swertiaumpquaensis (Peck and Applegate) St.John. Thus, the student of this beastfaces two identity dilemmas: in whichgenus and which species should it beplaced?
Swertia is the lumper’s choice forthe group. The Jepson Manual (1993)does not include Frasera as a separategenus, nor does Peck’s (1961) Manualof the Flora of Oregon. Peck relegated F.umpquaensis, a species he describedwith Elmer Applegate, to Swertiaumpquaensis (Peck and Applegate) St.John. This was due to a novel treat-ment of the genus the same year thenew species was described (St. John,1941). In Hitchcock and Cronquist
(1973), the two genera are distin-guished based on the style thicknessand floral part number; Swertia havinga thick, short (<1 mm) style and 5-parted flowers, Frasera having a slender,long (>2 mm) style, and 4-merousflowers. Unfortunately, gentians (in-cluding Frasera umpquaensis) can besloppy accountants, often producing 5-parted flowers within a predominantly4-merous individual. Either way,whether one prefers F. umpquaensis orS. umpquaensis, both names are taxo-nomically valid.
The other issue is whether to rec-ognize umpquaensis or lump it withfastigiata. F. fastigiata is described inHitchcock and Cronquist as a speciesof the Blue Mountains in eastern Ore-gon and Washington, and northeasternIdaho (and, just to add to the confu-sion, having yet another synonym, F.thyrsiflora). But in the Jepson Manual(Heckard 1993), James Pringle com-bines F. umpquaensis and F. fastigiata assynonyms under S. fastigiata. Therange of this new interpretation of S.fastigiata is considered to be the Kla-math Range of California and Oregon,and Idaho, with a big gap in between.
Thus he combines the plant found inTrinity County CA with the one foundin northeastern Oregon and Idaho.Photos of Frasera fastigiata, which arealso available on the web, show manymorphological differences, most no-tably in the corolla color (which is lightpurple), but also in the inflorescence,which appears to have longer pedicelsthan Frasera umpquaensis.
While the morphological differ-ences between the taxa may lend cre-dence to the argument that F. fastigiataand F. umpquaensis should be not belumped, genetic evidence exists to sug-gest that the two plants differ. Isozymeanalysis, a comparison of the molecularweight of enzymes that perform similarfunctions, indicates that F. umpquaensisand F. fastigiata are genetically isolated.Populations within the Klamath range,for example, are much more similar toother populations in that area thanthey are to those in northeast Oregonand Idaho, at least in the 13 enzymesscreened (NFGEL, 1997).
Thus, here I describe Fraseraumpquaensis as such, contrary to therecommendations of most publishedfloras. While this semantic argumentmay seem of little importance, it makesa world of difference to those whomanage the lands on which the plantoccurs. Were the taxon called Frasera
Frasera umpquaensis
continued from page 1
continued on page 9
Flowers of Frasera umpquaensis are small
(<1 cm across), four-(sometimes five-)
petaled, and greenish- to purplish-white
with fringed projections.
TOM
KAY
E
Frasera umpquaensis (Umpqua swertia or
green gentian).
TOM
KAY
E
January 2002 9
umpquaensis lumped definitively withF. fastigiata, its management strategywould change dramatically because thelatter is more abundant and not threat-ened. If F. umpquaensis was recognizedby land managers as only a synonymfor F. fastigiata, it would probably notreceive any protection.
New observations on pollination andpopulation biology
The populations we monitoredwere found on lands managed by theMedford BLM district, in the HobsonHorn area. In addition to our census ofthe plant at three study sites, we madea few other observations about theplant’s biology that merit attention.
During our work at one study site,we happened upon a feast of pollination.Bees were present in great numbers,busily servicing Frasera flowers, as well asthe nearby beargrass (Xerophyllumtenax). Here we saw the opportunity tocollect more information on the polli-nation dynamics of F. umpquaensis.
We collected a representative sam-ple of the bees, and found at least threespecies of bumblebee (Bombus sp.) onF. umpquaensis. To determine if thesebees were actually moving pollen be-tween Frasera flowers and plants, weapplied pollen analog dye (PAD) to theflowers on several reproductive stalks.This dye is a dry powder that simulatespollen and comes in several colors thatfluoresce under UV light. Bees thatcome into contact with the dye in flow-ers can move it from plant to plant thesame way they move pollen, even col-lecting the dye as they would pollen.To track the movement of PAD, we re-turned to the study site at night with ablack light. We observed that the bum-blebees had transferred some of thePAD, primarily between flowers on thesame plant and also between adjacentplants. Thus, it appears thatgeitonogamy, the fertilization of femaleflowers by pollen from a differentflower on the same plant, may play amajor role in the reproductive biologyof this species, but outcrossing to near-by neighbors is also common.
An interesting phenomenon cameto light during the census of plants atone of our study sites. We examinedthe rhizomes of several plants and ob-served the presence of what appearedto be annual growth rings on the out-side of the subterranean stems, appar-
ently arising from bud scars. As theplants produce only one such bud peryear, the rings could be counted to givean approximate age of each plant. Bycarefully excavating the upper portionsof the rhizomes, we were able to countthese rings on several plants.
Often rings were damaged, diffi-cult to distinguish, or, more common-ly, too deep to unearth without harm-ing the plant. Therefore, many of ourestimates appeared to be minimum es-timates of plant age. Our champion,from a less than exhaustive search, ap-peared to have at least 89 years to itscredit (at the junior end, a small planthad three distinguishable rings). Henceit appears some individuals may becontemporary with the surroundingconifers. The potential for this newarea of study, ecologically speaking,seems to bear much promise. Is it pos-sible to deduce what effects historicaldisturbances have had upon the popu-lation? How old can an individualplant live to be? How often do theplants reproduce, and is recruitmenttied to major disturbance events?
Observations on the Medford Dis-trict since 1996 suggest that the planttends to thrive in disturbed areas. Thethree sites we surveyed all had evidenceof disturbance. One site had been par-tially logged, and had an abandoned
A Frasera rhizome showing bud-scale scars that can be counted to estimate plant age.
TOM
KAY
E
TOM
KAY
E
Inflorescence of Frasera umpquaensis. continued on page 10
Frasera umpquaensis
continued from page 8
10 NPSO Bulletin
skid road running through the heart ofthe population. At that site, other dis-junct plants were found away from themain population along a road, and in acouple of other patches where gaps inthe canopy let light through. The sec-ond site we surveyed served as an ersatzlandfill and munitions dump. The thirdhad experienced a major canopy-clear-ing fire. Thus information about howthe plant reacts to different types ofdisturbance will inform efforts gearedto the management of the species.
I would like to extend a heartythanks to Dr. Tom Kaye and IAE forproviding this invaluable educationalexperience and to NPSO for providingfinancial support for this internship.With Tom’s help I’ve greatly depreciat-ed the monetary value of my Hitch-cock, broken-in my Jepson, and evensought out a copy of Peck. I’ve evenconquered my fear of keying grassesand DYC’s (darned yellow composites,to Bowdlerize).
References
Cripps, C. 1993. Conservation Strate-gy: Frasera umpquaensis Peck andApplegate. Green-gentian orUmpqua swertia. USDA-FS PacificNW Region/USDI-BLM
Hitchcock, C.L. and Cronquist, A.1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest.University of Washington Press.Seattle, WA.
Kaye, T.N. 2000. Frasera umpquaensisPopulation Monitoring Plan, Med-ford District, BLM. Progress Re-port. Institute for Applied Ecology.Corvallis, OR.
NFGEL. 1997. Isozyme pattern analy-sis of Frasera fastigiata and F.umpquaensis. USDA-FS NationalForest Gel Electrophoresis Labora-tory, Project 54. Camino, CA.
Peck, M.E. 1961. A Manual of theHigher Plants of Oregon, 2nd ed.Binfords & Mort.
Pringle, J.S. 1993. Gentianaceae. InHickman, JC, ed. The Jepson Man-ual: Higher Plants of California.University of California Press.Berkeley, CA.
St. John, H. 1941. Revision of thegenus Swertia (Gentianaceae) ofAmerica and the reduction ofFrasera. American Midland Natu-ralist 26: 14-15.
Websites with information aboutFrasera umpquaensis can be found alongwith this article on the website of theInstitute for Applied Ecology:http://www.appliedeco.org.
Frasera umpquaensis
continued from page 9Grant Proposals Requested
The Native Plant Society of Oregonwill continue to sponsor small
field research grants. The objectives ofthe program are: 1) to stimulate basicfield research into the biology and dis-tribution of Oregon’s native and natu-ralized flora and vegetation, particular-ly in the more remote areas of the state,and 2) to promote native plant conser-vation through better understanding ofOregon’s flora and vegetation and thefactors affecting their survival.
Persons interested in applying forfunding can obtain a copy of the pro-gram policy and guidelines from DanLuoma, Research Grants CommitteeChair, 3740 NW Harrison Ave., Cor-vallis, OR 97330. The material mayalso be obtained at NPSO’s Web site,http://www.NPSOregon.org.
Research proposals are due byMarch 1, 2002.
Contributions to the Oregon Flora Project willhelp us reach our goal of producing a Checklist, anAtlas of plant distributions, and a new Flora ofOregon. We are grateful for your support—theFlora Project wouldn’t exist without it!
Checks can be made out to NPSO (with “OregonFlora Project” on the memo line) and mailed to:
Friends of the Oregon Flora ProjectP. O. Box 402Corvallis, OR 97339-0402
Friends of the Oregon Flora Project
www.oregonflora.org
Call For Papersby Cindy Roché, Kalmiopsis Co-editor
Two traditional features are return-ing to Kalmiopsis: Plant of the Year
and Oregon Plants, Oregon Places.The plant of the year series, which
celebrates an Oregon native species,was begun in volume 2 in 1992 andcontinued through volume 6 in 1996.
Plant of the year articles discussidentification, biology and ecology,distribution, management, conserva-tion, threats, and include illustrationsor photos for a single species and haveranged from one to four pages.
Articles for the Oregon Plants,Oregon Places series are longer, and in-clude descriptions of soils, geology, cli-mate, ecology, plant communities,human history, and species lists.
Because time is relatively short forinclusion in the 2002 issue, prospectiveauthors should contact the editors soonto discuss a submission date. CindyRoché, 109 Meadow View Drive,Medford, OR 97504,[email protected].
January 2002 11
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Membership is for the calendar year. New memberships enrolled after
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OFFICERS & COMMITTEE CHAIRS
STATE OFFICERS
DIRECTORS (to 6/2002) .................... Karl Anderson, Dan Luoma, Danna Lytjen (to 6/2003)................ Jim Duncan, Rhoda Love, Kareen Sturgeon
PRESIDENT ........................................ Bruce Newhouse ........................................................................2525 Potter., Eugene, OR 97405; 541-343-2364
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT ............. Michael Igo..........................................................................................................PO Box 603 Mosier, OR 97040
VICE PRESIDENT ............................... Michael McKeag .....................................................7461 SW 184th Pl., Aloha, OR 97007-5740; 503-642-3965
SECRETARY ........................................ Kelli Van Norman................................................................................secretary@NPSOregon.org, 541-602-4270
TREASURER ....................................... Candice Guth.......................................................1816 SE 34th Ave., Portland, OR 97214-5033; 503-235-0617
CHAPTER PRESIDENTS
BLUE MOUNTAIN (Pendleton) .......... Jerry Baker..............................................................58840 Bar M Lane, Adams, OR 97810-3003; 541-566-2244
CHEAHMILL ..................................... Dave Hanson.............................................................9400 Rock Creek Rd., Sheridan OR 97378; 503-843-4338
CORVALLIS ........................................ Esther McEvoy ............................................3290 SW Willamette Ave., Corvallis, Oregon 97333; 541-754-0893
EMERALD (Eugene) ........................... Nick Otting ................................................................................2590 Onyx, Eugene, OR 97403; 541-334-4499
HIGH DESERT (Bend) ....................... Stu Garrett ........................................................ 1501 NE Medical Center Dr., Bend, OR 97701; 541-389-6981
KLAMATH BASIN................................ David Lebo..............................................................560 Flowers Lane, Klamath Falls, OR 97601; 541-883-8393
MID-COLUMBIA ................................ Jerry Igo ........................................................................................................... P.O. Box 603, Mosier, OR 97040
NORTH COAST.................................. Vivian Starbuck..........................................................78655 17th St., Bay City, OR 97107-9611; 503-377-4141
PORTLAND ........................................ Dee White............................................................3836 SE 49th Ave., Portland, OR 97206-3016; 503-775-2909
SISKIYOU ........................................... Molly Sullivan .............................................................P.O. Box 1056, Ashland, OR 97520-0063; 541-552-9908
UMPQUA VALLEY (Roseburg)............. Jack Hausotter......................................................4925 N. Myrtle Rd., Myrtle Creek, OR 97457; 541-863-5347
WILLAMETTE VALLEY (Salem) ........... Karl Anderson ..............................................................6652 Trillium Lane SE, Salem OR 97306; 503-315-7329
WM CUSICK (La Grande) ................. Frazier Nichol..........................................c/o Dick Kenton, 1805 U Ave., La Grande, OR 97850; 541-963-7870
STATE COMMITTEE CHAIRS
EDUCATION ...................................... Jerry Igo ............................................................................................................P.O. Box 603, Mosier, OR 97040
CONSERVATION, EAST SIDE ............... Susan Geer......................................................................................................................susanmg@oregontrail.net
CONSERVATION, WEST SIDE .............. Steven L. Jessup........................................................208 Harrison St., Ashland, OR 97520-2920; 541-552-6804
LEGISLATIVE ...................................... Position vacant
MEMBERSHIP..................................... Jan Dobak ..........................................................2584 NW Savier St., Portland, OR 97210-2412; 503-248-9242
BUDGETS AND GRANTS ..................... Dan Luoma .................................................................3740 NW Harrison, Corvallis, OR 97330; 541-752-8860
PUBLICATIONS
BULLETIN EDITOR ............................. Tanya Harvey........................................................................................bulletin@NPSOregon.org; 541-937-1401
KALMIOPSIS EDITORS ......................... Cindy Roché .....................................109 Meadow View Drive, Medford, OR 97504, [email protected]
Linda Ann Vorobik.............................................RR 1 Box 1964, Lopez Island, WA 98261-9528; 360-468-3188
WEBMASTER...................................... Michael Hartman......................................................................................................webmaster@NPSOregon.org
12 NPSO Bulletin
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NPSO Annual Meeting ~ June 7-9, 2002
This year’s annual meeting of theNative Plant Society of Oregon
will be hosted by the Siskiyou Chapter.It will be held on Friday, Saturday andSunday June 7, 8 and 9. Mark yourcalendar now, and save those days for agrand weekend of botanizing. Thefocus of this year’s meeting will be thenew Cascade-Siskiyou National Monu-ment, declared by former PresidentClinton a year and a half ago. TheMonument’s continued existenceremains problematic as the anti-envi-ronmental people in the new Bushadministration seek ways to shrink itsboundary if not eliminate it altogether.Come and explore this biologically-unique site at the junction of theSiskiyou Mountains and the southernCascades in the Soda Mountain area ofsoutheastern Jackson County. Discoverthe diverse and complex collection of
plant species that occur where the flo-ras of the Cascades to the north,California to the south, the high desertto the east and the Siskiyous to thewest all converge. Learn why it is soimportant to continue the fight for theprotection of this area.
The annual meeting will be held atGreen Springs Inn on Oregon High-way 66 near Green Springs Summit 20miles east of Ashland. This is whereevents will occur and meals will beserved. Green Springs Inn has someaccommodations, and nearby inns, aswell as motels in Ashland, can takemany more. There is also a good BLMcampground nearby for those whochoose to camp. There will be furtherinformation in the February Bulletin,and sign-up forms will be in the MarchBulletin. Start planning your trip now!
We Still Need anEastside Conserva-tion Coordinator!
The Eastside Conservation Coordi-nator/Chair position is currently
vacant, and NPSO needs someone tofill that role. Responsibilities includeworking with chapters to identify andparticipate in public input on federal,regional, state, and local conservation-related issues that affect Oregon east ofthe Cascade crest. Letter writing, re-search, and occasionally meetings withofficials or agency staff are typical du-ties of the position. A large time com-mitment is usually not required. If youare interested in serving NPSO in thisposition, please contact the president [email protected].
