Aquilegia

12 Pages·1991·1.1 MB·English

by  Colorado Native Plant Society

.
“. dedicated to the appreciation and conservation of the Colorado native flora”
.
Volume 15, Number 5 September/October 1991
Low-elevation Biodiversity
Tim Hogan
University of Colorado Herbarium
DuringthepastseveralyearsIhavehad UniversityofColorado Herbarium, the aconservation role disproportionate to
the good fortune to work on floristic mostremarkableresultofthatworkwas itssize.
projectsintheEaglesNest/GoreRange howtypicalthefloraofthatWilderness
Wilderness Area and the City of Area is in relation to other alpine Another reason that lowelevation sites
Boulder Mountain Parks. The Eagles regions inthe state. in Colorado are important for the
Nest is a 135,000 acre high elevation preservation of our native species is
WildernessArea that extends fromthe There is a great deal oftalk these days their significance for animal popula-
lower subalpine zone up to tundra- about the preservation of biodiversity. tions. Many animal species are limited
—
toppedpeaksofover13,000feet.Incon- In employing this term, conservation by bottlenecks in the annual cycle
trast, the Boulder Mountain Parks is a biologistsareattemptingtoembracethe timeswhentheirfoodislimitedorshel-
7,000 acre montane area that reaches fulldiversityoflife:notjustthediversity ter from the elements is most
fromtheplainsto8,000footsummits.In ofspeciesnumbers,butalsothegenetic precarious.Lowelevationnaturalareas
the course of this work I have had the diversitywithinandamongpopulations, often provide the habitat these species
opportunity to compare a relatively and the ecosystem diversity across need to survive the rigors of cold,
small, low elevation preserve with a landscapes.Nevertheless, speciesnum- drought,andfamine.Asbotanistswedo
large“rock-and-icewilderness.” bers often serve as a useful indicatorof not needtobereminded thatourfloral
biodiversity in the broader sense. For riches are often as dependent on pol-
Although the high elevationwilderness this reason alone, the results from the linatorsandanimaldispersalastheyare
isnearlytwentytimeslargerthanthelow two floristic projects indicate that the onwaterand soil.
elevation park, it is striking that the smaller, lowelevation studyareaserves
same number ofspecies (ca. 400) were —continuedonpage6
documentedineacharea.Furthermore,
at least nine species in the Boulder Inside
Mountain Parks are listed by the - .
Colorado Natural Areas Program as Spiranthes 4 Workshops 7
Species ofSpecial Concern. These in-
Statutory Protection 4 Exotic TreeWillows 8
clude Betula papyrifera, Botrypus vir~
ginianus, Cylactis pubescens, Lilium Mentzelias 5 Annual Mtg Reminder 9
philadelphicum, Listeraconvallarioides, Biodiversity, cont. 6 Rare Plant Update 10
Malaxis monophyllos, Pyrola picta, Humor Backcover
Smilaxlasioneura, and Violapedatifida.
Although my work in the Eagles Nest
helpedtofillavoidinourrecordsatthe
Page2 Aquilegia Volume 15
Denver Chapter Meetings
Come greet friends and help us get the calstudiesatColoradoStateUniversity,
meetingyearstarted! will discusshisresearchintropicalrain-
forests. Classroom C.
Oct. 23rd: Bring slides ofyour favorite
plantsorplantplacesfromsummer’sex- Feb. 26th: Tina Jones, regional
plorations. ClassroomA. naturalist, will present the Natural His-
toryofAspens. ClassroomC.
Dec. 11th: Compromise Nov-Decmeet-
ing. Dr. Paul J^lburn, who has taught Allmeetingsthisyearwillbeheld at the
botany and ecology in Colorado, will DenverBotanicGardensat7:30p.m.un-
pMroeusennttaaipnroogrramthoeneaitlhpeirnNeorttuhnTdarbal.e lgeesnseroatlhleyrwhiesledaonnntohuenclaesdt.WMeedenteisndgasyaroef Aquilegia is printed on
ClassroomC. the month. Contact CarolDawson, 722-
6758,formeetinginformation. 100% recycied paper
Jan. 22nd: Dr. Ron Sanford, academic
coordinator ofthe programfor ecologi- Welookforwardtoseeingyousoon!
Schedule ofMembershipFees Officers
President GayleWeinstein 333-3024
Life $250.00 Vice-President JimBorland 329-9198
Supporting $ 50.00 Secretary RobUdall 482-9826
Aquilegia is publishedsixtimesperyear Organization $25.00 Treasurer MymaP.Steinkamp 226-3371
by the Colorado Native Plant Society. FamilyorDual $ 12.00 BoardofDirectors
This newsletter is available to members Individual $8,00
oftheSocietyandotherswithaninterest StudentorSenior $4.00 BetsyNeely(92) Boulder 443-8094
innativeplants. Contact theSociety for JanWingate(92) Denver 989-2137
subscriptioninformation. Membership Renewals/Information RichRhodes(91) Pueblo 719/545-4352
PeterHenson(92) Denver 671-8858
Articles fromAquilegia maybe used by PrleenaeswealdsiraenctdaaldldmreemsbsecrhsahnigepsaptpoltihceatMioenmsb,er- TinaJones(91) Denver 759-9701
otothaeurthnaotriavendplaatnttrisbouctieedtiteosAiqfufiullelgyicai.ted saihdnidgrptechshesa.SiorPcplieeeratssyoentd,oiritnehcectaSarelelcrooeftthtaehrreyiSinonqccuiiaerrtiyee’ossfrmteahgiealridn-g TSaalmlyarWahiNtaeum(9a2n)n(91) BMoourlrdiesron 464907--85943339
Society’smailingaddress. VelmaRichards(92) Englewood 794-5432
NewsletterContributions RobertUdall (91) FtCollins 482-9826
GayleWeinstein(91) Denver 333-3024
Tnohne-pCroolfoirtadoorgNaantiizvaetiPolnandteSdoicciaetteydistao Please direct all contributions to the ChapterPresidents
newsletterto:
the appreciation and conservation of Boulder AlisonPeck 443-0284
theColorado native flora. Membership PeterRoot DenverMetro CarolDawson 722-6758
ittsihvuoespipealsnatnstt,so,abalolntwdhiitsphcraoofnmepisnostiseoernedasltofianpnlodaunrtnonenan--- 4D9e1n5veWre,sCtO31s8t0A2v12enue YFStaa.nmCpJoalurlaiinnksa JRPeeengengdiyfKeLerylCloernyane 486972386---245165462266
professional. DeadlinesfornewslettermaterialsareFebruary Committees
15,April15,June15,August15,October15and
December15. Conservation ElizabethOtto 567-2384
Please join us in helping to encourage Shortitemssuchasunusualinformationabouta Editorial SallyWhite 697-5439
interest in enjoying and protecting the plant,alittleknownbotanicalterm,etc.areesf^- Education GaryFinstad 791-3790
varietyofnativeplantsinColorado.The cliuasltlryawteiolncsoamree.aClasmoesrolai-criteeadd.ylineartorotheril- FieldTrips JeffDawson 722-6758
Society sponsors field trips, workshops Pleaseincludeauthor’snameandaddress,al- Florissant MaryEdwards 233-8133
andother activitiesthroughlocal chap- thoughitemswillbeprintedanonymouslyifre- Hort/Rehab DorothyUdall 482-9826
ters and statewide. Contact theSociety q(uIeBsMt-ecdo.mAprattiicbllees,m5a.y25b-ien.suDbSm/itDtDe)doifndedsiisrkesd; Membership MymaSteinkamp 226-3371
or a chapter representative or commit- pleaseindicatewordprocessingsoftwareandver- Publicity JulieDulapa 752-2738
teechairformoreinformation. sionused. Workshops BillJennings 666-8348
.
Numbers Aquilegia Pages
Announcements
Natural Areas in the Western Landscape
The 18th annual natural areas con- Poudre River; Pawnee National
ference will be held in Estes Park Oct. Grasslands; andtheColoradoTallgrass
15-18, 1991. The Natural Areas PrairieNaturalAreainBoulderCo.
With regret Association’s first national meeting in
. . the Rocky Mountain West will discuss Registration for the conference is $50
Wereporttherecentdeathsoflong- conservation of natural diversity on per person and includes field trip
timefriends ofthe ColoradoNative publiclandsintheWest,andwillinclude transportation.
PlantSociety,MarjorieShepherdof sessions on riparian restoration, live-
DenverandGeorgeKellyofCortez, stock grazing and natural diversity, the For more information, contact Brooke
Colorado. Colorado NaturalAreas Program, rare Wineteerat [phone].
plantmanagement,andGreaterEcosys-
Metro-area members may fondly tem/BiosphereReserveManagement. Lodgingisavailabledirectlythroughthe
YMCA
recall chapter outings and plant oftheRockies,
hunting at the Shepherd cabin near On Thursday, Oct. 17th, five full-day 2515TunnelRoad,
Bailey. and one half-day field trips will be of- EstesPark, CO80511-2550;
fered. Locations include Specimen phone [phone]or
George Kelly is well known to Mtn./Horseshoe Park/Trail Ridge [phone] (metro).
Societymembersforhislifelongen- Road, in RockyMtn. Natl. Park; Lawn
thusiasmforColoradoplants. Lake alluvial fan/Geology of Rocky
Mtn. Natl. Park; Copeland Willow
Theircontributionswillbemissed. CarrAVild Basin; Owl Canyon Pinyon
Grove/Phantom Canyon Preserve/
Brome Reminder
Ferrets in Little Snake?
TheBLMisproposingtoamendtheLit- economic and social conditions,
tle Snake Resource Management Plan threatenedandendangeredspecies,ran- If you have information about the
becauseofaproposedreintroductionof geland uses, recreation uses, wildlife naturalization ofsmoothbrome, it’snot
black-footed ferrets. Ferrets would be habitat management, mineral explora- toolate to contact GaryFinstad, who is
reintroduced into northwestern Moffat tionanddevelopment,andpublicrights- compiling it for the Society and has
County,Colorado,asanon-essentialex- of-way. receivedfewdirectresponsestodate.
perimental population. The environ-
mental assessment and plan BLM requests interested or affected Gary is even willing to discuss general
modifications would determine what parties to participate in this process by observationsandopinions,aswellasany
restrictions on other resources will be sending their specific comments for factsandlocationsyoucanprovide.You
necessary andwhat effects such restric- receiptby October 11, 1991. Comments canreachhimat236-2702(days)or791-
tionswillhaveonotherusesoftheLittle may address issues above, effects on 3790 (eves).
SnakeResourceArea. resources, and/orraiseadditional issues
to be considered in the amendment
Theplanningcriterionforamendingthe process.
management plan is “to establish a
management objective which provides Addresscommentsto:
for black-footed ferret reintroduction
while not adversely impacting other MikeAlbee,ProjectCoordinator
resources oruses.” BLM hasidentified BureauofLandManagement
the following general issues to be ad- 1280IndustrialAve.
dressed: access to public lands. Craig, CO81625
Page 4 Aquilegia Volume 15
The First Collection Spiranthes diluvialis Plant Protection In
i
Colorado
William A. Weber
University of Colorado Herbarium
from Colorado RevisedStatutes
HaroldDahnkewasrummagingaround County, is in theUniversityofMissouri
in the COLO herbarium recently and herbarium, with a partial set in Field 24-80-905. Columbine. The white
foundaspecimenofAlismatriviale col- Museum. When I first worked on the and lavender columbine is hereby
lectedin Boulder Countywetlandsjust Boulder County flora, I had to borrow made and declared to be the state
west ofBaseline Lake by Joe Ewan in theentirecollectionfromMissouri,and flower ofthestate ofColorado.
1941.Thisinitselfisnotsurprising.But several critical specimens could not be
Ewanhadnotedonthelabelthatitwas found. 24-80-906. Duty to protect. It is
growing, among other plants, with herebydeclaredtobethedutyofall
Spiranthes. This had to be S. diluvialis. The situation is different now; the her- citizens of this state to protect the
However, we could not find any bariumissafe,thefloraisunderserious white and lavender Columbine
specimen of a Spiranthes collected by studybynumbers ofpeople concerned Aquilegia, Caerulea [sic], the state
him. The Alisma must have been a with records, and a comprehensive flower, from needless destruction
specimenleftbehindwhenJoetookhis catalogisabouttobepublished.Butstill orwaste,
large personal herbarium with him therearethosecollectorswhoevidently
when he left the University. We treasure their private collections more 24-80-0-7. Limitation on picking
wondered whether Joe merely saw the than they do the science to which the state flower. It is unlawful for any
orchid or whether he might have col- collectionsmight contribute. persontotearthestateflowerupby
lectedaspecimen. the roots when grown or growing
Time and again someone tells me that upon any state, school, or other
I wrote immediately to Joe, who has suchandsuchaspeciesgrowsinKiowa public lands or in any public high-
retired and is now at the Missouri orLoganCounty,andwhydon’tIsayso wayorotherpublicplaceortopick
Botanical Garden, and askedhimifhis in my handbooks? The answer is, of or gather upon any such public
field notes might tell us whether there course,thatunlessitisintheherbarium, landsorinanysuchpublichighway
was a specimen collected. I did not get it doesn’t exist, because at the present or place more than twenty-five
areplydirectly,butI heardveryquick- time our published statements have to stems, buds, or blossoms of such
lyfromthe curator ofthe herbarium at bebasedonfact.Ihopethatwesoonwill flower in anyone day; and it is also
Tulane University, who sent me a copy seethedaywhensightrecordsofatleast unlawful for any person to pick or
of the pertinent page from Joe’s field common and easily recognized plants gather such flower upon private
notes, and a photocopy of the actual willbeacceptableasherbariumrecords, lands without the consent of the
specimen, which is at Tulane with the just as they are in ornithology, but a ownerthereoffirsthadorobtained.
rest of the Ewan Herbarium. And, of generationofgoodfieldbotanists must
course, it is Spiranthes diluvialis^ col- betrainedtothetaskbeforeithappens. 24-80-908. Violation a mis-
lectedalmost45yearsbeforethespecies Meanwhile, in every state ofthe union, demeanor - penalty. Any person
wasdiscoveredanddescribedin 1984! plant collectors should, as a matter of who violates any provision of sec-
scientificmethod,seetoitthattheircol- tion 24-80-907 is guilty of a mis-
Maybethereisamoraltothestory,ora lections are at least offered to the her- demeanor and, upon conviction
lesson,orsomething.Whenweworkon bariumofrecord,evenifonlyoneortwo thereof, shallbe punishedbya fine
the floristic level, Colorado collections mightberetainedthere. ^ ofnot less than five nor more than
inotherherbaria arealmostimpossible fiftydollars.
tolearnabout.Itwouldbehelpfulifcol-
lectors of the Colorado Flora would
pass their collections through the her- Spiranthes Status Update
barium of record where new records
mightbenoted.JoeEwantookhisher- Nancy Chew, of the USFWS Regional ticipatesthatthepackagewillbesenton
bariumwithhimbeforetherewasareal Office, reports (as ofSept. 26) that she toWashington, D.C., bythe end ofOc-
herbarium of record here, and had he ispreparingtheSpirantheslistingpack- tober. Statutory deadline for listing is
lefthisherbariuminBoulder,thereisno age for legal adequacy review by the Nov13,oneyearfrompublicationofthe
guaranteethat itwouldhavebeen safe. Regional Solicitor’s office. She an- proposedlistingnotice.
Likewise, the huge collection made by
Francis Potter Daniels on which he
based his book, the Flora of Boulder
Numbers
Aquilegia Page 5
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Pages Aquilegia Volume 15
Biodiversity,continuedfrompage 1
The current wilderness legislation in MountainParks.Itwascoolbeneaththe
Congress fails to protect many low mixedforestandthesilencewasonlyex-
elevation areas deserving of designa- aggeratedby asmall stream in thebot-
tion. It is easier for politicians to set tomandtheoccasional callofakinglet.
aside areas poor in water, timber, and Irealizedthatachangehadoccurredin
mineral resources than it is to defend myperception and that mymeasure of
biologicallyrichwilderness.Areassuch beautywasnolongerrestrictedtoalpine
as Kannah Creek, middle and lower landscapes. Beautyhadbeen expanded
Sandbench, Troublesome, Ute Creek, for me, and the summits of my youth
additions to the South San Juans, and would no longer be complete without
theRainbowTrailontheeast slopesof the forests, woodlands, and meadows
the Sangre de Cristos are neglected that I had only come to know through
under the current wilderness proposal. theslowandpatientbotanizingofthese
I have taken two wonderful backpack environs.
trips alongthe crest oftheSangres this
summer, and I am happythat this area
isslatedforwildernessdesignation.But u
ifalpineenvironmentsaretoretaintheir
ecological integrity and not be turned . . . Integrity is wholeness, the
intoislandsinthesky,theymustalsobe greatest beauty is
protected along their flanks and
organicwholeness, thewholeness oflife and things, the divine
shoulders.
beauty ofthe universe. Love that, not man
AsmembersoftheNativePlantSociety apart from that
. .
wecanplayanactiveroleinthepreser-
vation ofnatural areas in Colorado.As
a collective voice, we possess a —Robinson Jeffers
legitimacy to which policy makers will
respond. As individuals who are in-
We
timate with unspoiled places are living at a critical point in his-
throughoutthestate,weareinaposition tory.Humanpopulationgrowthandour
to identify these areas and speak out impact on the earth must be addressed
when they are threatened. Sometimes if the massive assault on species,
thesewillbe large areasnominated for landscapes,andtraditionalculturesisto
wilderness designation. With the up- be slowed. The Colorado Native Plant
comingBLMWildernessProposal,this Society and its members have both the
willbeofcriticalimportanceinthenear expertiseandtheresponsibilitytospeak
future. At other times the areaswillbe outforthepreservationofspecificsites
moremodest in size, but still ofcritical and the overall diversity of life on the
importance. Perhaps we are all some- planet.
what culpable forthe lackofloweleva-
tion sites under wilderness protection;
wehavenot done agood enoughjob in
educating our elected officials and fel-
low citizens of their ecological and
evolutionarysignificance.
I chose to work in the Eagles Nest
Wilderness because ofmy abiding love
for high places, perennial snowfields,
sweeping rock, glaciated topography,
My
and alpine forget-me-nots. ap-
preciation for softer, more subtle
landscapeshas developedmore slowly.
I remember eatingmylunch one dayin
a small drainage on the northwest side
of Green Mountain in the Boulder
Number5 AquUegia Page 7
CONPS —
Workshops 1991-1992 Season
Fall and Winter Workshops Registration for
Workshops
Botanical Illustration
II
Saturday, October 12, 1991 Pleasemailinyourregistrationthisyear.
Jot down the workshops for which you
wishtoregister, includeyourname, ad-
Leader: Carolyn Crawford
dress and phone number, and send the
Our first workshop on Botanical Il- Inadditiontothetechniquesofcolored note to: Bill Jennings, PO Box 952,
lustration proved so popular, Carolyn pencil and pen & ink, Carolyn will Louisville,CO80027.Besuretoinclude
Crawford hasagreedtopresent amore demonstrate her main medium, pastel yourmailingaddressandphonenumber
advanced workshop. Drawing and dis- pencil. It is planned to have a guest in- ifyoumailinyourregistration.Registra-
sectionoffallfruitswillbetheemphasis structor present watercolor techniques tionorderwillbefirstcome,firstserved,
of this workshop. Fruits of VituSy Par- aswell,but thisisnotconfirmed. bythe date on your letter, or postmark
thenocissus, Smilax, Crataegus, Malus, ifnodateisincluded.
etc.,willbeavailabletodraw. To be held at Foothills Nature Center,
Boulder, Pleaseregister promptly, as workshops
tend to fill up fast. If demand is suffi-
cient, multiple sessions will be
Orchids of Colorado scheduled if the instructor is willing.
Saturday, December 7, 1991 Registrants will be notified by mail
about two weeks before the workshop
regarding session date, locaiton, lunch,
^ Bill Jennings supplies, suggestedreferences, etc.
As currently understood, there are 24 taxonomists is non-existent. In
species of orchids native to Colorado, temperate North America, orchids are Unlessothenwsenoted,thefeeforeach
with three more known from within 75 nowhere common and numerous very full-day workshop is $8 for members
miles of the state line in Nebraska or rare species are in the family. Best and$16fornon-members($8formem-
New Mexico. Although the identifica- known for showy flowers from tropical bership and $8 for the workshop).
tion of most Colorado species is plants, many Colorado species are in- Please hold payments until the day of
straightforward, the bog orchid group steadratherdrab. theworkshop.
(genus Limnorchis, also known as
Platanthera orHabenaria) is verycom- Tobe held at the Denver Botanic Gar-
plicated and agreement between dens, Denver.
Additional workshops tentatively
scheduled forwinter 1992include
Genus Draba in Colorado Montaneand SubalpineGrasses
Saturday, January 11, 1992
G^iiVLSAstragalus in Colorado
Leader: Dr. Robert Price
ColoradoFerns
The Colorado Native Plant Society is A special lecture will be presented
fortunate to be able to bring Dr. Price Fridaynight,January10,atalocationto Taxonomyand Cultivation ofNative
back to Colorado to present this be determined. Ifdemand is sufficient, North American Rhododendrons
A
workshop. Colorado native, his early asecondsectionoftheworkshopwillbe
work in genus Draba was done in heldSunday,January 12. Adopt-a-Rare-PIantWorkshop.
Colorado. Now at Indiana University,
hewillpresentthelatestresearchinthis Workshop to be held at the University As plans are confirmed, winter
interestinggenus in the mustard family ofColorado,Boulder(specialthanksto workshopswillbeannouncedinlateris-
(Brassicaceae). TomRanker). suesofAquilega.
jf.
Page 8 Aquilegia Volume 15
Exotic Tree Willows in Colorado:
^
Thoughts on the Reproductive Ecology of Crack and White Willows
Pat Shafroth, Jonathan Friedman, and Mike Scott
Anyone who has walked, jogged, or ThisMaywenoticedthatallofthecrack rarelypollinated,andthereforetheseed
hiked along a stream that drains the willowsinareachalongBoulderCreek is almost entirely sterile, or aborts. In
Front Range has probably passed bore female catkins, while all of the fact, we found an average of2.95 seeds
sizable willow {Salix sp.) trees. Two white willows bore male catkins. The percapsuleinasampleof20catkinscol-
large tree willows in our area are the scarcity ofmale crack willows in North lectedalongtheCachelaPoudreRiver.
crackorbrittlewillow{Salixfragilis)and AmericawaspreviouslynotedbyH. D. Tooursurprise,morethan87%of1000
the white willow or golden osier (Salix Harrington in Manual ofthe Plants of seeds germinated in petri dishes. Be-
alba var. vitellina). Both species attain ColoradoandbyR.A.VinesinTreesof cause we collected many ofthe catkins
considerablesize, oftengreaterthan40 East Texas. We decided to survey from stands of purely female in-
feetinheightand3feetindiameter. severalreachesalongsomeofthemajor dividuals,wefeelthatcrackwillowmay
FrontRangedrainages(BoulderCreek, be forming seed apomicticly; that is,
Crackwillow, the more common ofthe Cache la Poudre River, Cherry Creek, producingviable seedwithout fertiliza-
two, can be distinguished from white South Platte River, Plum Creek) in an tion. Alternatively, female trees may
willow by its smooth, ascending, olive- effort to verify this curious simply be receiving pollen from some
greenbranches.Whitewillowhasgold- phenomenon. Of 2320 crack willows relatively nearby male white or crack
en yellow twigs and brownish yellow surveyed,wefoundonly3males, and of willows.
branches. Also, thebranches and twigs 152 white willows, we found only 2
of crack willow are very brittle at the females.Inaddition,wefoundapparent Crackwillowsmayoccasionallybecome
base; hence its common name. Both of hybrids ofboth sexes along sections of established from seed, but apparently
thesespeciesareintroduced, andsome Plum Creek, Cherry Creek and the theconditionsnecessaryfortheirestab-
claimthatwhatwerefertoascrackwil- CachelaPoudre River. lishment and survival are almost never
low is actually a hybrid between S. met. Genetic defects could also inhibit
fragilis andS. alba.Peachleafwillow(S. Our findings prompted us to the survival of crack willow seedlings.
amygdaloides) is a native tree willow hypothesize about the reproductive However, seedlings that we planted in
thatgrows in similar habitats,but has a ecology of these species, especially wet sand in early June are now (mid-
smaller stature than crack orwhitewil- crackwillow.Theextremelyskewedsex August) 3-5 cm tall and experiencing
low, rarelyexceeding40 feet. Other ex- ratios and apparent absence of very low mortality. We hope to conduct ex-
otictreewillowsthatmightoccasionally small individuals led us to believe that perimentsin thefuture toidentifywhat
occurin riparian areas aretheweeping crack willow is reproducing primarily factorsarepreventingmorewidespread
willow(S.babylonica)andtheglobewil- vegetatively.AlongPlumCreeknearthe seedreproduction.
low (S. matsudana). townofSedalia,lonecrackwillowstypi-
cally punctuate the upstream ends of Clearly,manyquestionsregardingcrack
NativesofEurasia,crackandwhitewil- depositionalbarsinthestreamchannel. willowreproductiveecologyremainun-
lows were introduced to colonial Apparently,branchesthathavecracked answered. Our speculations and con-
America where they were used as fast offlargertreeshavebecomelodgedand clusions are based on limited
growing sources ofshade, timber, gun- rooted in the sandychannel, later trap- observations.Wewelcomeanyinforma-
powder charcoal, basket withes, and pingsediment andhelpingformbars. tionCONPS membersmayhaveon the
alsoforerosioncontrolandwindbreaks. history of crack and white willows in
They have become naturalized in most Along Cherry Creek in southeast Den- Colorado,orthelocationsofmalecrack
ofsoutheasternCanadaandtheeastern ver,youngcrackwillows are present on willows, female white willows, or
U.S. Presumably crack and white wil- theedges(especiallyupstream)ofsmall hybrids.Onlythroughmoreobservation
lows were brought to Colorado by set- rockcheckdams. Thesetreesmayhave and experimentationwill we be able to
tlers in the late 1800’s. The oldest trees arisenfrombranchesthatwerestopped unravel this interesting botanical story.
occur near long-established cities, in the check dam backwaters. Other Please sendanycorrespondenceto:
towns,ranches,andfarmhouses.Infact, authorshavenotedcrackwillow’sability
large crack willows are often the most to reproduce from fallen branches and Pat Shafroth orMikeScott
prominent remnants of abandoned twigs (e.g.. The Complete Guide to US Dept oftheInterior
homesteads.Thespeciesapparentlyes- Trees ofBritain and Northern Europe FWS National Ecology Research Ctr
caped cultivation and became success- by A. Mitchell, and Some American RiverineandWetland
fullyestablished alongreachesofrivers Trees byW. B.Werthner). EcosystemsBranch
andirrigationditches.Crackwillowwas 4512McMurrayAve.
either more widely planted or has We remained puzzled about whycrack Fort Collins, CO80521-3400 4,
reproduced more successfully than willowsareapparentlyrarelyreproduc-
white willow, as it is more abundant in ing by seed. We reasoned that, since
ourstate. there are so few males, the females are
Number5 Aquilegia Page9
1991 Annual Meeting Reminder
Plannowtoattend theSociety’sannual Program About the Speakers
meeting, November 2nd at the Denver
Museum ofNatural History (DMNH).
8:00 Registration Jane Bock, professorofEnvironmen-
This exciting program explores one of &
our most threatened, and most 8:45 OpeningRemarks: taatl,thPeopUunliavteirosni,tyofOrCgoalnoriasdmoi,cBiology
Anemgelreictceadn,pvreagiertiea.tiontypes—theNorth GayleWeinstein,president Boulder,isabotanistwithparticular
interestintheroleplantsplayinour
9:00 HistoryoftheGrasslands
The destruction and loss of diversity JaneBock day-to-daylives.
npdauorrwailnolgcelctsuhrterhiedneghviiesntltoohrpeymtoerfnoptNiocaranltdhraciAonmfneoqrrueiescstats 9:45 MDaavmimdaAlrimasntrLoifnegonthe Prairie tDoarvoifdtAhremCstUroMnugs,epurmo,feisssaornaexnpderditrienc-
ecologyofwesternNorthAmerica
of our native grasslands. Speakers will
10:30 Break andtheeffectofhumansonnative
go beyond botanical emphasis to ex-
, plore the relationships among plant 10:45 Human Influences onthe ecosystems.
communities,animals,andtheearlyand Grasslands: JoyceHerald, JoyceHeraldisastaffmemberinthe
modern human inhabitants of the DeanKanode AnthropologyDept, attheDenver
prairiesoftheUnitedStates.Anoverall MuseumofNaturalHistory.
historical viewpoint will lend the 11:45 AnnualMeetingBrief
programasenseofhowsweepingchan- (votingforBoardandbylaws) Dean Kanode, presidentoftheCrow
ges occurred to this once-vast biome, ValleyLivestockCooperative,works
andhowwecanhelpprotectandrestore 12:00 Lunch, Boardmeeting withtheForestServiceinlong-range
DMNH
theecosystemsoftheGreatPlains. Self-guidedtourof planninginthePawneeGrasslands
ColoradoEcosystemsdioramas area.
TheDenverMuseumofNaturalHistory
is co-sponsoring this discussion of the 1:15 IntroductionofNewBoard EdGerrantiscurrentlyconservation
grasslandecosystemsthatareanimpor- director and curatoroftheseedbank
1 — 1:30 Loss ofCommunity
tantpartofColorado’shistory andits forrareandendangeredplantsofthe
EdGerrant
future. PacificNorthwest atBerryBotanic
2:30 RestorationandPreservation GardensinPortland, Oregon.
oftheGrasslands
Bill Floydwasrecentlyappointed
BillFloyd,FloydReed USFS districtrangerforPawneeNa-
3:30 Adjournment tionalGrasslands.
FloydReedisarangemanagement
specialist,presentlyrangestaffofficer
ofPike-SanIsabelNationalForest.
Page 10 Aquilegia Volume 15
The Search for Rare Plants
Bill Jennings
Some information on rare plants from sarytogettothislocation,astheseepis Cypripedium fasciculatum
the summer of 1991 has already been getting further up the cliffas one goes
USDA
received. As the Adopt-A-Rare-Plant upstream. Funding by the Forest Service
volunteersconcludetheirstudies,there thisyearenabledmetostudythisplant.
willbe more reports on Colorado rare OthersitesforKachinadaisyareinBull PopulationsinRockyMountainNation-
plants. CanyonandCoyoteWash,tributariesof alPark,nearGlendeveyintheLaramie
the Dolores River, in Slick Rock River area, onthe east side ofthePark
Limnorchis ensifolia (Limnorchis Canyon. There is no road along the RangenearBuffaloPass, southofRab-
sparsiflorasensulatu) Doloresinthispartofthecanyon.Inthe bit Ears Pass, and near Grand Lake
WecannowaddChaffeeCountytothe psiatsets,rdeilrattiavnedlygarcacveeslsirbolaed,sbmutadweitthhtehsee wBuefrfealroecPoavsersedh.adThaenpeosptuilmaattieodn 1n0e0a0r
listofcountieswherAesparsely-flowered cessationofuraniummininginthearea, plants, nearly all in bloom. Sandy
bog orchid occurs. small population neithertheBLM norMontroseCounty Righter found two previously undocu-
was seen on private land near Buena is maintaining these roads, and they mented populations, based on reports
Vista in early August. The landowner havewashedout.Lengthyhikesarenow by Diana Mullineaux and Mary Ellen
was interestedinsellinghisholdings to necessary to access this portion of the Gilliland. These sites are in Eagle and
The Nature Conservancy. Both Rick Dolores.TheBLMhassignsinthearea Summit Counties. Sandyalso located a
BruneandIhadcheckedtheproperty. that Slick Rock Canyon is under study new population in Eagle County last
RM as awildernessarea. year.Thisorchidisknownfrom16sites
Unmounted specimens seen at in- in Jackson, Larimer, Boulder, Routt,
dicatethepresenceofthisorchidinthe Grand, Summit, and Eagle Counties.
Listera borealis
Flat Tops area, probably Garfield Based on literature reports, it may be
County. Twonewsiteswerediscoveredthisyear. more common in Colorado than
SandyRighterfoundthislittleorchidon anywhereelseinitsrange.
Epipactisgigantea the Two Elk Pass Trail, near Vail in ^
EagleCountyonJuly14.Thisisthefirst Liliumphiiadelphicum
As predicted, this orchid has finally reportforEagleCounty.Ifoundnorth-
been discovered inthe seeps along the erntwaybladeinLarimerCounty,north I also studied this species with funds
Dolores River. There is a line ofseeps ofChambersLakeintheLaramieRiver from the Forest Service. Historically,
at the Wingate/Chinle contact on the drainage,visitingthesiteJune22,July3, most specimens ofthisplanthavebeen
east side of Sewemup Mesa in the and July 10. At this site, all three taken in Larimer, Boulder, andJeffer-
Dolores River Canyon. Many of these Colorado species of Listera grow son Counties. However, most
seeps are accessible to those willing to together. This is the first report for specimens are very old and label data
dosomeclimbing,butthereisoneright Larimer County. There are noweleven are scanty. I found no plants at most
at roadsAide about 16 miles north of sitesinninecounties. documented sites, but I heard of
Uravan. largepulloutwithtrashcans numerous populations through the
marks the spot. Underneath an over- Listera convallarioides grapevine.Itappearsthatmostexisting
hang, there are afewplants ofmaiden- populations of wood lily are given de
hair fern. However, as one walks Thislittletwaybladewasfoundgrowing factoprotectionbybeingonprivateland
upstream along the road, the seep line withtheothertwospeciesofListeraina and thus inaccessible to the general
gains altitude quickly.About 150paces roadsideseepnorthofChambersLake. public. There are sites in the National
uptheroad,theseeplineisabout30feet Although previously known from Forest west of Fort Collins; north of
upthecliff.Itisatthispointthattheor- Larimer County (RockyMountain Na- Nederland; andsouthofSedalia.
chidwas observed. Theclimbup tothe tionalPark), this newsiteincreases the
plantsisnotparticularlydifficult. numberofknownColoradopopulations This plant is so showy it attracts im-
to five. Other colonies are in Boulder mediate attention and is frequently
Erigeronkachinensis andRouttCounties. picked or transplanted. At one site on
publicland,awomanwasobservedwith
Thisdiminutivedaisyisinthesameseep A literature report for this species was a bouquet offlowers that included the
as the Epipactis ^gantea. There are investigated by Dr. William A. Weber. lily.Closeexaminationofthatlilypatch
plantsnexttotheorchid,butthereisone A specimen housed in the Herbarium indicated both picking and trampling.
clumploweronthecliff,sothatitcanbe Boissier,Geneva,collectedinColorado Although there are numerous popul?
accessedbyclimbinguponlyoneledge, during the 1890’s was reported to be tions innorthern Colorado, all patchcr-^
about6to8feetaboveroadlevel.Inad- Listeraconvallarioides^butaphotocopy examined were less than 150 plants,
dition, more plantswere seen in a less ofthe specimen conclusively showed it typicallyabout50to75. Itshouldnever
accessiblespot, afewhundredfeet fur- tobethecommonListeracordata. bepicked.
therupstream. Someclimbingisneces-