November-December 2007 Sego Lily Newsletter, Utah Native Plant Society

8/9/2019 November-December 2007 Sego Lily Newsletter, Utah Native Plant Society

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Sego LilyNovember 2007 30(6)

November 2007 Volume 30 Number 6

In this issue:

Exploitation of Utah cacti began early . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Chapter news and events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Presidents Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3UNPS annual meeting and New World potluck . . . . . . . . . . . 4Postscript: USFWS decision keeps ESA protection for three

Uinta Basin Sclerocacti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Noteworthy discoveries: Sulfur cinquefoil in Utah . . . . . . . . . 8Botanica: Was a fossil tree really just a humungous fungus?. 9Prickly problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Bulletin board: Forest Service rare plant info on the internet 9Utah plant families: The duckweeds (Lemnaceae). . . . . . . . . 10

Exploitation o f Utah CactiBegan EarlyBy Dorde Woodruff

Land managers often debate how oftencacti are taken from public lands. Some casesare obvious and notorious. For instance, inMay of 1999 the BLM marked with pin flagsplants ofSclerocactus wrightiae, a plantlisted since 1979 as threatened under theEndangered Species Act, to protect themfrom mining activity on a proposed project tomine fossilized oyster shell. In the spring of2000, the BLM revisited the site and sawthat the marked cacti had been dug up. Shal-low holes remained at the pin flags. At least

47 plants were taken. Relevant to this kind ofactivity, Beckee Mcgown of the Fish andWildlife Service made a rule this year thatpin flags used to markSclerocactus bre-

vispinus and S. wetlandicus in the Vernal oiland gas area had to be removed by nightfall,even if they then had to be replaced to pro-tect the plants from later activities.

Another debate is whether raising plantsof listed species from seed and making themavailable to cactophiles causes them to beless likely to taken from the wild. Many con-servation documents counsel that this should

be done. Probably the answer to this par-

ticular debate is that some people will actethically and some will not.

Steve Brack, a prominent cactus plantgrower and seed provider who was recentlyfeatured in an Associated Press article (seefor instance the Deseret News webpagehttp://deseretnews.com/dn/view2/1,4382,695198218,00.html?textfield=cacti)says that once seeds for a certain species getinto a country, or an area such as Europe,then local cactophiles Continued on page 6

Copyright 2007 Utah Native Plant Society. All Rights Reserved.

Above: Mamillaria montana (now Coryphantha vivipara)from page 72 of the Blanc catalogue. This is a better representa-tion than many in the illustrated catalogue of cactus specimens,but the buds and fruit are noticeably too big.


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Utah Native Plant Society

Officers

President: Bill Gray (Salt Lake Co)Vice President: Bill King (Salt LakeCo)

Treasurer: Celeste Kennard (Utah Co)Secretary: vacantBoard Chair: Mindy Wheeler (Summit

Co)

UNPS Board: Walter Fertig (Kane Co),Robert Fitts (Utah Co), Susan Garvin(Utah Co), Marie Griffiths (Salt LakeCo), Ty Harrison (Salt Lake Co), Char-lene Homan (Salt Lake Co), Kipp Lee(Salt Lake Co), Margaret Malm(Washington Co), Larry Meyer (Salt

Lake Co), Therese Meyer (Salt Lake Co),Jeff Mitchell (Utah Co), Leila Shultz(Cache Co), Maria Ulloa (Sevier Co),Dave Wallace (Cache Co), Maggie Wolf(Salt Lake Co), Loreen Woolstenhulme(Utah Co).

CommitteesCommunications: Larry MeyerConservation: Bill King and Tony

Frates

Education: Ty HarrisonHorticulture: Maggie WolfInvasive Weeds: Susan GarvinRare Plants: Walter Fertig

Chapters and Chapter PresidentsCache: Steve RippleEscalante (Garfield Co): Allysia AngusFremont (Richfield area): Rebecca

Harms & Ron ParsonsManzanita (Kane Co): Walter FertigMountain (Summit Co): Mindy

WheelerPrice (Carbon Co): Mike HubbardSalt Lake: Kipp LeeSouthern (Washington Co): Margaret

MalmUtah Valley (Utah Co): Celeste Ken-

nard

Website: For late-breaking news, theUNPS store, the Sego Lily archives,Chapter events, links to other websites(including sources of native plants and

the digital Utah Rare Plant FieldGuide), and more, go to unps.org.Many thanks to Xmission forsponsoring our website.

For more information on UNPS:Contact Bill King (582-0432) or SusanGarvin (356-5108), or write to UNPS,PO Box 520041, Salt Lake City, UT,84152-0041 or email [email protected]

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

landscaping of a new public camp

site in Sam Stowe Canyon. Thecanyon is east of the park head-quarters where spectacular cliffs,hiking trails, camp sites and astream will provide a favorite out-door camping area. The park staffhas already built two large grouppavillions, 5 tent pads, 5 back-intrailer sites with full hook-ups,restrooms and showers. Our chap-ter is assisting with planting andmaintaining native shrubs, treesand flowers. So far we have

planted native grasses and wildflowers around the tent pads. Wehave also planted Rocky Mountain

junipers, choke cherries, fruitlessmulberry trees and hackberrytrees. Members have spent manyhours raking, cleaning and levelingthese areas. We drive to the can-

yon regularly to water the youngplants until they are established.

On the agenda for the SamStowe project is a proposed Heri-

Sego LilyEditor: Walter Fertig([email protected]). News items, arti-cles, photos, and illustrations frommembers are always welcome. Thedeadline for the January 2008 SegoLilyis 15 December 2007.

Copyright 2007 Utah Native PlantSociety. All Rights Reserved

The Sego Lilyis a publication of theUtah Native Plant Society, a 501(c)(3)not-for-profit organization dedicatedto conserving and promoting steward-ship of our native plants. Use of con-tent material is encouraged but re-quires permission (except where ex-empted by statute) and must be cor-rectly credited and cited. Articles,photographs and illustrations submit-ted to us remain the property of thesubmitting individuals or organiza-tions. Submit permission requests [email protected]. We encourage read-

ers to submit articles for potentialpublication. By submitting an article,an implicit license is granted to printthe article in the newsletter or otherUNPS publications for reprint withoutpermission (in print and electronicmedia). When submitting an article,please indicate whether it has beenpreviously published or submitted forconsideration to other publications.

Chapter NewsFremo nt (Richfield Area):This has been a busy summer forthe Fremont Chapter. In July, thegroup met for an overnight camp-out at Mt. Terrel Ranger Sta-tion. The weather was perfect,despite numerous fires in thearea. This was the season of the

wildflower. Saturday morning af-ter breakfast, chapter memberstook a long, leisurely walk throughthe nearby meadows observing the

magnificent plethora of flow-ers. Maria Ulloa, BLM Bota-nist, led the group and helped

with plant identification.The Fremont Indian State Park

has been another site of intenseactivity by the Fremont Chap-ter. Ron Parsons, Vice Presidentof the chapter, has established acooperative arrangement withPark authorities to assist in the

tage Garden south of one of the

pavillions. We hope to have this1,000-square-foot garden planted

before winter. It will be anothergreat spot to showcase nativeplants. - Janet Nielson

Manzanita (Kane County):Carolyn Shelton of the GrandStaircase-Escalante NM will be thespeaker for our 6 November meet-ing. She will present Sex in theGarden II, a sequel to her award-

winning one-woman show from afew years ago. Carolyn promises

clean, wholesome, family-orientedentertainment. Noted landscapearchitect Tim Clarke from Boulder,UT will be speaking on December4th on designing with native plants.Our meetings are held in the pub-lic conference room of the GrandStaircase-Escalante NM visitorcenter (on Hwy 89 E of historicdowntown Kanab, next to Walkerstruck stop) at 7 PM, followed by adessert social.Walter Fertig


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Salt Lake: On September 7, wehad a potluck social at the Sugar-house Garden Center with the

Wasatch Rock Garden Society.Besides the wonderful food, weenjoyed several slide shows ofnative wildflowers and cactitaken by various members dur-

ing the summer.The Salt Lake Chapter hosteda booth for the Garden Fair atthe Jordan Valley Water Conser-

vancy District DemonstrationGarden on September 8. Theevent was well attended and weprovided information on nativeplants and invasive species. Thechapter raised $70 at the event!

Maggie Wolf recently held 4native plant propagation work-shops in which native plantsgrown from seed were sold. The

classes brought in over $530 tothe chapter. Way to go Maggie!

The Salt Lake Chapter is indesperate need of an event coor-dinator to help organize topicsand speakers for chapter meet-ings (generally 7 per year) and 2fundraising events. If you wouldlike to help or know someone

you would like to nominate,please contact me at [email protected] or call 759-6204. -Kipp Lee

Utah Valley (Utah C0): OnOctober 13th, Utah Valley Chap-ter added a new Heritage Gardendesigned by Bitsy Schultz. Thisnew garden is located at CentralUtah Water Conservancy Districton 355 W University in Orem,UT. The aim of the garden is toshow people in Utah how theycan use native plants in theirown yards and save water as

well. The garden has 3 waterzones--medium, low and verylow. It has a pretty sophisticatedirrigation system, installed by

Allstate Construction. The slopeof the area really highlights the

wonderful array of plants; mypersonal favorites are the buck-

wheats that grace the southwestcorner of the garden. You caneasily stroll through the garden,despite some steep slopes thanksto Bratt Lansdcaping that put in

the retaining walls and walks.Susan Meyer, Bitsy Schultz,

Tamara Bahr, Denise Van-Keuren, Gloria Perry, RandallNish, Celeste Kennard, TimHannis, Kim Despain, MeganGuenter, Casey Finlinson andDennis Wilson braved the rainy

weather to plant about 500plants. It was fun to get togetherand work again with some oldfriends and new faces. MeganGuenter of UCWCD was im-pressed with the hardiness ofour volunteers that worked inthe wet sand and mud. At theend we enjoyed treats andawarded the muddiest pants titleto Susan Meyer. The gardenlooks out over Utah Lake andpromises to be a nice spot to en-

joy the amazing plant palate that

Utah's natives offer.While we were planting we

talked about the other gardensthat we have put in over the

years. We talked about all thegreat gardens that got planted

with a big bang. We lamentedthe demise of the gardens thatdid not have a committed personthat took ownership of them. Itis one thing to put in a garden

but the test comes in maintain-ing it. In that spirit we ask that

everyone who has helped put ina garden visit and tend the gar-den that is near to them. We

would also so like to thank IN-PGA members--Susan Meyer,Janett Warner, Brad Soelberg,and Tim Hannis for growing theplants for the garden.

Ongoing ActivitiesOn Tuesday afternoons be-

tween 2-4:30 PM, join Bitsy andthe students of Wasatch Elemen-tary (1040 N. 900 E.) as theytake care of the native plant gar-den. Call Bitsy at 423-2603 if

you would like to help.On Wednesdays at 10:00 am

join Celeste Kennard and herchildren for native plant adven-tures at a toddler pace in UtahCounty. Luckily a toddler pace isabout the same as botanist pace,so it's a great chance to look at

beautiful fall scenery. We also

have hikes planned for the SouthFork of Provo Canyon, Rock Can-

yon and Battle Creek Canyon. Wealso have talked about going sled-ding near Aspen Grove once thesnow falls.

For questions regarding any ofthese activities please contact me

at (801)377-5918 or [email protected] Kennard

Presidents Corner:Additional Thoughts on

the Annual Meeting

It was a real pleasure to ac-knowledge the dedication of retir-ing board members Winnie

Washburn and Jackie Freshwaterwho worked hard in so many waysto benefit the Society. In particular,

Winnie was a driving force behindthe Escalante Chapter's growth.Special thanks were also extendedto Walt Fertig who has trans-formed the Sego Lilyinto a first-rate newsletter over this past year,and to Tony Frates who continuesto man the website and put incountless hours of work on conser-

vation issues.We elected a new board of direc-

tors for the coming year. Our offi-cial slate consisted of seventeencontinuing members (see list onpage 2) plus two new nominees,Maria Ulloa and Leila Shultz.Charlene Homan was nominatedfrom the floor by Maggie Wolf, andseconded. The members present

voted unanimously to confirm thenominations.

Maria has been very active inhelping to get the Fremont Chapterestablished, one of our significantevents this year. She is a botanist

with the BLM's Richfield office.Leila has served previously on the

board, and has just retired fromthe Floristics Laboratory aftermany years as a leading researcherinto Utah's native flora. Charlene isa master gardener who has workedin local conservation ecology andeducation at Utah Museum ofNatural History. Bill Gray


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UNPS Annual Meetingand New World Potluck

By Mindy Wheeler

Due to inclement weather, Sat-urday the 20th of October wasnt

the best day to travel or tour nativegardens, yet several dozen nativeplant lovers came out to the Cen-tral Utah Water Conservancy inOrem for a potluck and a greatpresentation. The turkey was in-credibly moist (thanks Celeste!)and all the various trimmings anddesserts were delicious!

After complete satiation for all,everyone ambled across the hallfor Dr. Susan Meyers presentationon a retrospective of the last ten

years of working (volunteering,

really) as a native plant advocate.It turns out it all started as a

result of feeling a bit disconnectedfrom the community at large, asSusan interfaced with the samefew people every day. This putSusan into motion to seek outthose in the community that lovednative plants as she does, and de-cided a Utah Native Plant Forum

was the way to do it. The event wasquickly organized in 1997 andabout 200 native plant enthusiasts

and scientists showed up. The en-ergy and enthusiasm generatedfrom this meeting began the next10 years of rediscovering the many

wonders of Utahs native plantsand the plethora of people thatshared Susans passion.

Many of these 200 peoplethought that Utahs native plantsneeded the appreciation and re-spect of the every day gardener.Susan and others noted that once anative plant is placed in a garden,it no longer bears the label of being

that weed on the hillside. Thus,the Utah Heritage Garden pro-gram was born out of this new-found respect and appreciation ofUtahs native plants. After findingand engaging the right peopleabout native plants, the first Heri-tage Garden was installed at Wa-satch Elementary in Provo almost10 years ago. This beautiful Heri-tage Garden in Provo began aflurry of interest and demand for

Above: Susan Meyer displays her plaqueand looks stylish in a native plant t-shirt.Photo by Mindy Wheeler.

Heritage Gardens across the state.Susan estimates that she grew

about 50,000 plants for these vari-ous gardens and between her andBitsy Schultz, they spent countless

volunteer hours helping variousinstitutions, schools, and munici-palities with the design and instal-lation of these gardens. Through-out this process, Susan and Bitsydiscovered that institutional sup-port is critical for the maintenanceof these gardens. In some cases,unfortunately, this was learned thehard way as some Heritage Gar-dens have languished over the

years from lack of support andmaintenance. Both Susan andBitsy can now sense true supportfor a Heritage Garden when theyreceive inquiries and carefullychoose where they put their en-ergy. Heritage Gardens are nowunder way at the Utah BotanicalCenter, Red Butte Gardens, theConservation Garden Park, and a

virtual garden on Central UtahWater Conservancys web site.

In the midst of the Heritage

Garden bustle, the native plantpropagation workshops were alsoinstigated to teach more peopleabout native plant characteristicsand cultivation. Susan estimatedabout 900 people attended these

workshops over the 5 years shewas teaching them.

However, Susan soon remem-bered that she indeed still had afull time job as a prolific researchscientist at the USFS Shrub Sci-

ences Laboratory in Provo. Sheencouraged the Utah State Uni-

versity Extension to step in toorganize the propagation work-shops to assure their longevity.Maggie Wolf of the Salt LakeCounty extension office just re-cently completed 3 of these

workshops.

In essence, Susan and Bitsyincreased the interest in Utahsnative plants (with a little helpfrom a 5 year drought) to thepoint where an organized effort

was needed to assure the publiccould continue to acquire thesedrought hardy native plants fortheir yards. Roger Kjelgren, Jan-ette Warner and Susan began

what soon became the Inter-mountain Native Plant Growers

Association (INPGA). INPGA

hosts a program called UtahsChoice (www.utahschoice.org),which effectively markets Inter-mountain native plants and edu-cates consumers about the bene-fits of choosing native plants fortheir landscapes. The programfocuses on providing the bestnative plants for horticulturaluse, increasing their availability,and making sure that consumershave the information they needto be successful cultivating theseplants. Forty-two native plants

are now being marketed underthis program, with potentiallymore in the near future. INPGAnow has 85 members (mostly

businesses) from 5 states.Through all of these efforts,

Susan continues to increase in-terest in our native botanicalheritage and continues to pro-mote the Utah Native Plant Soci-ety. We are all grateful to her(including the plants them-selves!), and the UNPS board

thought it only appropriate topresent her with a token of ourappreciation and esteem!

The plaque states The UtahNative Plant Society hereby hon-ors Susan Meyer in appreciationof your dedication to the botany,horticulture and ecological re-search regarding Utahs nativeplants. Heres to a great nativeplant advocate and a wonderfulperson! Thanks Susan!


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Postscript*:

USFWS Decision KeepsESA Protection for ThreeUinta Basin Sclerocacti

On September 18, the US Fishand Wildlife Service made a finalruling on a petition filed by theCenter for Native Ecosystems andthe Utah Native Plant Society tolist the Pariette cactus (Sclero-cactus brevispinus) as Endangeredunder the US Endangered Species

Act. The Service acknowledgedthat listing this tiny cactus, knownfrom a single main population inthe Uinta Basin of northeasternUtah with less than 4,000 indi-

viduals, was warranted due to

threats from on-going energy de-velopment, over-collection, andother factors. However, the ser-

vice is precluded from moving for-ward with listing due to budgetconstraints and because other list-ing actions are considered a higherpriority.

In a companion decision,USFWS announced a proposal torecognize and protect three segre-gate Sclerocactus taxa that havetraditionally been treated withinthe single species, S. glaucus(Uinta Basin hookless cactus). In2004, S. glaucuswas split intothree species following the taxo-nomic revision published in vol-ume 4 of the Flora of North Amer-ica. The segregates include Pari-ette cactus and Ouray cactus (S.

wetlandicus), both endemic toUtah, and S. glaucus sensustricto, now limited to northwestColorado. Since all three taxa wereconsidered part ofS. glaucus whenit was listed as Threatened in 1979,

the Service is proposing to retainThreatened status for each of thesegregate species.

USFWS is seeking public com-ments on the merits of these pro-posed taxonomic changes untilNovember 19, 2007. Commentscan be sent to: Field Supervisor,U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,2369 Orton Circle, Suite 50, West

Valley City, Utah 84119 or by emailto: [email protected].

Above: Pariette cactus (Sclerocactus brevispinus) by Dorde Woodruff.

If approved, the new decision byUSFWS will provide ESA protec-tion for Pariette cactus (as a

Threatened species) until suchtime as the Service can complete arule to list it as Endangered.

The proponents of the listingpetition for S. brevispinus arepleased with the turn of events."This decision is long overdue and

will ultimately provide the Pariettecactus with the separate recogni-tion and protection it deserves,says Tony Frates, ConservationCo-Chair for the Utah Native PlantSociety. The Pariette cactus is in

danger of becoming extinct, andneeds to be separately listed asEndangered as quickly as possiblein light of extensive oil and gasdevelopment that exists through-out its extremely limited habitat

which must also be protected."But the Pariette cactus remains

vulnerable. In 2005, the Bureau ofLand Management approved over900 oil and gas wells near the coreof the Pariette cactus range. Rec-

ognizing the species as its own en-tity will make it easier for agencies

to analyze potential ill effects onthe unique S. brevispinus popula-tions. Agencies will no longer beable to average out cumulative ef-fects over the range of all threespeciesbasically justifying theloss of some habitat if other popu-lations are maintained.

The BLM needs to rethink itsdecision to drill the Pariette cactusinto extinction, says Jeremy Nich-ols, Conservation Director with theCenter for Native Ecosytems. Wecan have oil and gas drilling, but it

needs to be done right. Doing itright means safeguarding native

wildlife, fish, and plants from ex-tinction. - compiled by WalterFertig from USFWS and UNPSpress releases.

*See USFWS to investigate status ofrare Uinta Basin sclerocacti in theJanuary, 2007 Sego Lily(vol 30, # 1,pp 10-11).


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trade or sell seeds around andgrow their own. Interstate and in-ternational trade in seeds is care-fully regulated by CITES, but somecountries pay meticulous attentionto CITIES and some do not.

The business of cacti was notalways regulated. Even in the 50sand 60s, when I was active first asa cactus fancier and then as a re-searcher, no one thought aboutpermission or permits, althoughthoughtful individuals would nottake too many plants from a popu-lation.

On the other hand, at a Min-eralogical Society of Utah field tripto the Toana Range in Nevada onMay 1 of 1960, a woman came up

to me and said, Everyone up onthe hill there is getting cacti to takehome, youd better get some. It

was a fairly large group of peoplethere that day, looking carefullyover the hillside for pseudomorphspecimens and finding cacti duringthe process. I took three Pediocac-tus simpsonii and one Sclerocac-tus pubispinus. I could never findany Scleros there again.

Recently a friend, Nina Bowen,sent me a copy of a rare cactuspublication that she bought at anestate sale. Entitled Hints onCacti, it was published by an A.Blanc, who is reputed to have hadthe finest, most extensive collec-tion of cacti in the world at thattime, in the 1880s into the 1890s.The late Larry Mitich wrote an ex-haustively-researched series of

three articles about Albert A. Blancand his business, The World of A.Blanc, parts 1, 2 and 3, for the Cac-tus and Succulent Journal (U.S.):

Vol 45, 1973: 158-170, 203-213,269.

According to Part 2, p. 204,this copy ofHints on Cacti, whichis undated, is either from 1894 or1895. Sorted from editions of other

years by number of pages and anillustration on page 108 dated1893, these two are distinguishedonly by the different inside frontcovers, but Mitich doesnt specifythe difference.

Blanc was an artist who suc-cumbed to the cactus fancy andturned from a collector into anurseryman, later branching outinto other collectible plants suchas African succulents, ferns, andorchids.

On page 2, Blanc makes offersof Cheap Collections of Cacti, to be

Exploitation of Utah Cacti Began Early (continued from page 1)

Above: Opuntia basilaris from theBlanc catalogue (page 80):Perhaps the finest of the Opun-tias. . . so beautiful. Below: Echi-nocactus (Pediocactus) simpsoniifrom page 51. Not one of Blancs

better illustrations, as the flowersare relatively smaller with widerpetals and the plant is not sospiny.


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sent postpaid: 5 fine plants of ourchoice for 50 cents, or your choicefor 60 cents; 7 fine plants of yourchoice for $1, 10 plants of ourchoice for $1; 16 plants of finesorts our choice for $2, or yourchoice for @2.35; 25 plants ourselection, for $3. These plants are

mostly of blooming size Tomake up these Cheap Collections20 species were offered, includingour Echinocactus simpsonii, nowcalled Pediocactus simpsonii.

On page 7, Blanc states, It iserroneously supposed that nearlyall Cacti are native to the UnitedStates, while indeed, scarcely morethan 50 varieties can be found

within their limits and many ofthese are disappearing rapidly ow-ing to the enormous demand cre-ated of late. He goes on to write

about various difficulties of collec-tion, One of our Utah collectorshad to travel 600 miles by wagonin order to obtain 3 of the 9 varie-ties indigeneous (sic) to that state.

The enormous demand of thetime was largely created by theenthusiasm and marketing of thissame A. Blanc, thought to be re-sponsible for the Cactus Craze ofthe 1890s (Mitich, 1973: 158).

Utah species offered by Blanc inthis edition ofHints on Cacti were

Echinocactus johnsoni (sic), nowEchinomastus johnsonii; Echino-cactus lecontei, nowFerocactuscylindraceus; Echinocactus sileri,nowPediocactus sileri; Echinocac-tus simpsonii, now Pediocactussimpsonii; Echinocereus engel-mannii; Echinocereus fendleri(rare in Utah, extreme SE); Echi-nocereus gonacanthus, nowE.triglochidiatus; Mamillaria ari-zonica, nowCoryphantha vi-

vipara; Mamillaria montana, nowalso part ofC. vivipara; Opuntia

basilaris; Opuntia echinocarpa,nowCylindropuntia echinocarpa;Opuntia missouriensis, nowO.polyacantha; Opuntia caman-chica, nowO. phaeacantha;Opuntia whipplei, nowCylindro-puntia whipplei ( nomenclatureaccording to Flora of North Amer-ica). Since this list numbers 13,Blancs collectors did not knowthat this many different cacti lived

in Utah; of this list, all may nothave been collected in Utah.

Blanc must have tried growingcacti from seed, since he describesthe process. But he adds, Wemight as well say that we scarcely

even think of raising a Cactus fromseedthe task is too tedious, indi-cating that at least the bulk of theplants he sold, other than Opun-tias that can be propagated vegeta-tively, must have been wild-collected.

Mitich notes that Blanc wasthe first to offer many rare species,and quotes the catalog descriptionofEchinocactus sileri (Pediocactussileri), A very fine Echinocactus,discovered recently by Mr. Siler, ofUtah. It grows in a very inaccessi-

ble and limited locality. We doubtif it can be found in a half dozencollections. The plant looks morelike a Mammillaria than Echino-cactus, having prominent tubercu-les and no ribs. They are of anashy-white color and tipped withshort, gray spines; flowers green-ish; never offered before. Price, bymail, $1 to $2.50. Blanc fretsabout the difficulty of assigning

correct names, and uses the mod-ern spelling ofMammillaria here,rather than the older single m ofthis edition ofHints on Cacti.Hints on Cacti is full of generalinformation on growing cacti, and

also serves as a catalog since it listsavailable species and their prices.However, Blanc published a sepa-rate Descriptive and IllustratedCatalogue of Cacti that will besent free to any one applying forit. The price ofHints on Cacti was10 cents. In this edition, Echino-cactus (Pediocactus) sileri is listedas Stock exhausted.

In addition to selling cacti andother exotic plants, Blanc, an art-ist, had a prosperous business sup-plying other nurseries, publica-tions, and florists with engravingsand electrotypes of plants. Anelectrotype, not a word heard fre-quently today, is a plate prepared

by electroplating for letterpressprinting. An engraving, of course,is an illustration cut into a surface

with a tool known as a graver orburin. Blancs artwork remained inuse in plant catalogs through thefirst half of the 20th century.

Above: Opuntia missouriensis (now O. polyacantha) from page 84 of

the Blanc catalogue: nothing better can be had for planting in theopen ground, where it will soon form fine masses that will be coveredin the summer w ith magnificent large yellow flowers. Blanc was notaw are of the many clones with pink flowers, or ivory, orange, or otherintermediate shades.


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Prickly Problems

A poem by Harriet Priska

Perhaps if theres a PurgatoryAnd plucking Puncture vines myfate

With one for every sin committed

Id repent afore its too late!

Pesky devilish prickers pierce myskinReminding me of unrepentedpleasure.Rapidly multiplying 6 times oerExpanding beyond all measure

Above or underground they lieJust waiting for encouragementEagerly spiny goat heads grow

Adding to my discouragement

Even from under fresh asphaltspring

Yellow blossomed spokes in end-less variation

A fresh and fruitful crop to bring100% germination!

For over 50 minutes now,Eternally a-choppinOh, not more sprouts, I cry,I choose to sin less often!

Bulletin BoardForest Service Rare Plan t Infoon the Internet: The Forest Ser-

vice has posted a new Rare Plantsmodule on the national Celebrat-ing Wildflowers website. It is byfar the most comprehensive sourceof Forest Service information onthe web for federally Threatenedand Endangered plants. All 115+listed species that occur in US Na-tional Forests are individually pro-

filed. Species can be viewed byclose-up images, links to listingand recovery documents, conser-

vation status, and individual For-est. The introductory material isan informative synopsis of our rareplant programs (e.g. what rareplants are, what the causes of rar-ity are, success stories, etc.). The

website address is: http://www.Fs.fed. us/wildflowers/rareplants/index.shtml.Teresa Prendusi

Determining the proper rela-tionships of fossil organisms isalways difficult, especially thedeeper one goes back in time. A

case in point is the fossil Prototax-ites, which has been called acolossal fossil enigma. Prototax-ites is a fossil organism datingfrom the early Devonian (400 mil-lion years ago) consisting of a largetrunk-like structure nearly 3 feet indiameter and up to 24 feet tall.Paleobotanist Sir William Dawsonpublished the first description ofthe plant in 1859 and concludedthat it was a precursor of gymno-sperms like the modern yew

(Taxus), thus accounting for thescientific name early yew-like.Dawson cited as evidence the an-nual growth rings in the trunksand peculiar details of the cellanatomy of what he considereddecayed fossil wood. Later re-searchers found that what seemedlike wood was actually interlacingtubules of two distinct sizes.Rather than being a woody plant,Prototaxites was clearly non-

vascular and probably a type ofalgae or fungus.

Over the next century, propo-nents of the algal hypothesis heldsway. Most researchers placedPrototaxites in the extinct orderNematophytales, a grab-bag ofunusual algae that represented anearly and ultimately unsuccessfulattempt to colonize land. Morerecently, German botanist H.-J.Schweitzer has suggested that Pro-totaxites represented the basalstem of a kelp-like marine brownalga, perhaps an analogue of the

modern genus Laminaria . Thishypothesis, however, has been re-futed in part because the fossils areall associated with freshwater de-posits.

More detailed study of the anat-omy ofPrototaxites has also re-

vealed striking similarities to theinternal growth form of basidio-mycete fungi. Studies by FrancisHueber show that Prototaxitesmay have actually been a giant,

long-lived, columnar bracket fun-gus with the annual growth ringsrepresenting a fresh hymenium(the layer of cells producing the

reproductive spores) producedeach year. Surprisingly, though,no fossil spores have ever beenrecovered in association with Pro-totaxites fossils. This finding andthe organisms exceptionally largesize has led French researcherMarc-Andre Selosse to suggestthat Prototaxites was a colossallichen comprised of fungal hyphaesupporting a thin layer of photo-synthetic algae on its outer sur-face.

In 2007, the story has taken anew turn with the publication of astudy by C. Kevin Boyce and col-leagues that examined the carbonisotope composition ofPrototax-ites and other fossils growing inthe same layers. Boyces teamfound much broader variation inthe ratio of carbon isotopes C-12 toC-13 in Prototaxites than in vascu-lar plants, strongly suggesting thatthe fossil derived its nutrition as aheterotroph (like a fungus) ratherthan a photosynthetic autotroph.

This new finding would indicatethat Prototaxites might have actu-ally been a giant subterranean fun-gus (accounting for the lack ofspores).

But stay tuned to paraphraseHuxley, another undiscovered uglyfact about this enigmatic fossilmay yet slay this latest, beautifulhypothesis. - Walter Fertig

References:Boyce, C.K., C.L. Hotton, M.L. Fogel,

G.D. Cody, R.M. Hazen, A.H. Knoll,and F.M. Hueber. 2007. Devonianlandscape heterogeneity recorded bya giant fungus. Geology 35(5):399-402.

Hans paleobotany pages (www.xs4all.nl/~steurh/engprot/eprotot2.html)

Lundmark, C. 2007. MightyProto-taxites. BioScience 57(6):544

Stewart, W.N. and G.W. Rothwell.1993. Paleobotany and the Evolutionof Plants. Cambridge UniversityPress, New York. 521 pp.

Botanica

Was a Fossil Tree Really Just a Humungous Fungus?


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Utah Plant Families:The Duckweeds

(Lemnaceae)

By Walter Fertig

If a prize were awarded for the

smallest flowering plant, the win-ner without question would be theduckweed and its relatives in theLemnaceae. Our largest duck-

weeds top out at 6-7 mm long,while the smallest, tinyWolffia,averages 1 mm. To the uninitiated,these aquatic monocots might beconfused for floating algae, or de-

bris left by a duck with bad tablemanners. Few botanists have evereven seen the plants almost mi-croscopic flowers. An ant would

be hard-pressed to make a bou-quet of duckweed blossoms.

Duckweeds are true vascularplants (unlike algae which lack

water conducting xylem and foodtransporting phloem), but theyrepresent an extreme form of re-duction of the standard vascularplant body plan. Although theymay appear like tiny floatingleaves or fronds, the duckweed

body is actually a flattened, modi-fied stem (true leaves are absent).Sometimes the stem is called a

thallus, though this term is moreproperly applied to non-vascularplants. The duckweed body can berecognized as a stem rather than aleaf because of its ability to form

buds that beget new stems (andwhich can break off to form newindividuals). Leaves are not capa-

ble of producing true buds.Most duckweed stems are able

to float on the surface of slow-moving water bodies because oftheir high surface area to volumeratio and because of the presenceof air spaces among their thinlypacked stem tissues. Such tissue iscalled aerenchyma or literally airfilling in Greek. Duckweeds withless aerenchyma float below the

water surface.Most duckweeds retain simple

roots for mineral absorption,though they no longer need themfor anchorage. Actually, the pres-ence or absence of roots and their

number helps identify differentgenera in the duckweed family.Members of the genus Spirodela (represented by one species inUtah, S. polyrhiza, sometimescalled Giant ducksmeat*) have acluster of 2 or more roots per stem.The true duckweeds of the genus

Lemna (6-7 species in Utah, de-pending on who is counting) havea single root per stem. Lastly, thegenusWolffia (one species inUtah,W. borealis or watermeal)lacks roots altogether.

While the identification of gen-era is relatively straight forward inthe Lemnaceae, determination ofspecies can be difficult. Unlikemost plants, flowers are nearlyuseless in differentiating species

because they are rarely formed,extremely reduced in size, and lack

showy petals or sepals. This justleaves stem characteristics whichcan be variable because of environ-mental influences. Stem lengthand shape are useful, as is thepresence of a stalk, venation, orother surface ornamentation, or

whether the stem forms clusters oroccurs singly. Many of these fea-tures are difficult to detect withouthigh magnification. Even underthe best circumstances, the iden-tity of a duckweed species (es-

pecially a Lemna) is often an edu-cated guess.The inflorescence of duckweeds

(yes, it is technically a cluster offlowers) provides some importantclues as to the evolutionary place-ment of the Lemnaceae. A duck-

weed inflorescence is comprised ofthree flowers: one pistillate(female) and two staminate(male). Each flower consists solelyof one pistil or 1-2 stamens. Theentire inflorescence is located

within a pocket in the stem and is

usually wrapped at the base by asmall bract or spathe. The arumfamily (Araceae) is also character-ized by plants having an inflores-cence with a spathe, though inmost aroids (such as Jack-in-the-pulpit, Skunk cabbage, Calla lily,and the house plantAnthurium)

*though Id like to see a Midget ducksmeatfor comparison.

Top: Giant ducksmeat (Spirodelapolyrhiza) is recognizable by its

multiple roots. Bottom: Valdivsduckweed (Lemna valdiviana),like other Lemna species, is char-acterized by a single root. Illus-tration by W. Fertig.

the spathe is either brightly col-ored, much enlarged or somewhatsucculent in texture. Traditionally,these two families have been con-sidered closely related, and areindeed classified within the sameorder, the Arales. Water lettuce

(genus Pistia) in the Araceaeseems to bridge the morphologicalgap between the two families in

being a free-floating aquatic(though with numerous, largeleaves) and having very minute,Lemna-like, inflorescences. Re-cent cladistic studies utilizing mor-phology, anatomy, flavonoid, bio-chemistry, and chloroplast DNAconfirm that the Lemnaceae nestnicely within the Araceae andshould be considered part of an

expanded Arum family. The samestudies, however, suggest that Pis-tia evolved its aquatic habit inde-pendently of the duckweeds and isonly a distant cousin at best.

In spite of being tiny and lack-ing showy petals or sepals, femaleduckweed flowers do attract flies,aphids, mites, small spiders, andeven bees that are drawn by thesticky secretions from the stigma.


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assessing pollution levels in natu-ral bodies of water.

Recently, bio-engineers havediscovered the potential utility ofduckweeds for producing pharma-ceuticals. Dr. Anne-Marie Stompof North Carolina State Universityhas developed a technique to

transfer simple protein-codinggenes into Lemna plants usingbacteria. Ultimately, her lab hopesto use duckweeds to synthesizeinsulin and other proteins. Thefast growth of duckweeds and theirimmunity from animal virusesmakes them an ideal biologicaltool to develop medicines. Even-tually these technologies could be

worth billions of dollars.Not too bad for a tiny little

aquatic plant that we either ignore,overlook, or confuse with algae.

What else remains to be discov-ered about these remarkableminiatures?

These arthropods pick up andtransport spiny pollen grains be-tween inflorescences to bringabout pollination. Duckweeds canalso be contact pollinatedthrough the collision of adjacentstems jarring pollen onto receptivestigmas.

But sexual reproduction in theLemnaceae is a rare event, withmost species opting for asexualpropagation via stem buds. Newlyformed stems may remain at-tached to their parental stem(forming chains of interconnectedfronds) or split off to form sepa-rate individuals. Many duckweedsalso produce specialized greenishor brown over-wintering budscalled turions. These starch-filled

bodies detach from the stem andsink to the bottom of shallow

ponds or lakes. As their starchstores become depleted in thespring, the turion gains buoyancyand develops into an adult duck-

weed to continue its life cycleanew.

Duckweeds are able to grow andproduce new offshoots rapidly andcan quickly cover the entire sur-face of a pond (especially one richin nutrient runoff). Under suchconditions, the area occupied byduckweed can double in size every

two days. Dense populations ofduckweed can be beneficial in cre-ating cover for fish fry, reducingthe evaporation rate of bodies of

water, and providing food forducks and other waterfowl.* Occa-sionally, duckweed growth can

become a nuisance to humans whoprefer open water. While herbi-cides are sometimes used, saferand equally effective duckweedcontrol can be attained manually

with a pool skimmer or by hungrygrass carp or koi.

Scientists are learning to appre-ciate the prodigious growth rate ofthese small plants and their enor-mous potential for bioremediation

*In parts of Asia, duckweeds are also usedfor human food, though the Lemnaceaehave not caught on in North Americancuisine.

Above: Ivy-leaf duckweed (Lemnatrisulca), perhaps the most easilyrecognizable of the duckweeds

with its characteristic long stipe-like base. Illustration by W. Fer-tig.

References:The Charms of Duckweed

(website): www.mobot.org/jwcross/duckweed/duckweed.htm

Armstrong, W.P. 2001. WaynesWord Lemnaceae on-line(website): http://waynes

word. palomar.edu/1wayindx.htm

Lemnaceae in a Nutshell

Number of genera: 5-6 worldwide,3 in Utah (Lemna, Spirodela,andWolffia)

Number of species: 38 worldwide,8-9 in Utah (9th species, L.

turionifera, is reported in Floraof North America Vol 22,but UTspecimens may be L. obscura).

Distribution: worldwide in fresh-water, absent from Arctic andextreme deserts. In Utah, foundin ponds, lakes, and slow-movingstreams across the state, but spe-cies diversity is greatest in thenorthern mountains.

Key Features: minute size, free-floating body reduced to anelliptic to oval stem without trueleaves (stems sometimes called a

thallus or frond), tiny inflores-cences of apetalous unisexualflowers surrounded by a tinyspathe, roots usually present(absent inWolffia) but not an-chored to the soil.

Economic Significance: food forwaterfowl, fish, and livestock,bioremediation of pollutedwater, potential for genetic engi-neering of insulin and otherdrugs.

of polluted waters. Duckweeds areespecially proficient at incorporat-ing excess amounts of phosphorusand nitrogen from agriculturalrunoff into their own biomass. Indoing so, duckweeds actually pro-duce more protein per square me-ter of growth than soybeans. Har-

vesting duckweed reduces theamount of phosphorus and nitro-gen remaining in polluted waters

while also providing nutritiousfeed for cattle, poultry, fish, andshrimp. Some farmers even useduckweed as fertilizer.

The fast and consistent growthrate of duckweeds makes them

well suited for bio-assays of solu-tions. Duckweed growth will re-spond in predictable ways tochanges in the concentration of

various solutes in water. Thismakes duckweeds useful for


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November-December 2007 Sego Lily Newsletter, Utah Native Plant Society

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