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Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 15 No. 2 The Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2005 The Two Taxa of the Eastern North American Lady Fern, Athyrium filix-femina Carol L. Kelloff, Ph.D. Athyriumfilix-femina (L.) Roth is a wide-ranging complex of divergent, homoploid (2n = 80) taxa that evolved new species either in geographic isolation from an ancestor, orwhile geographically contiguous alongan environmental gradient. These differences in the complex have been variously divided and treated at different ranks (species, subspecies, or variety) by different authors. There are at least three taxa that occur in North America. Butters (1917) and Wherry (1961) treated them as distinct species: the western A.filix-femina, the northeastern A. angustum (Willd.) Presl., and the south- eastern A. asplenioides (Michx.) A. Eaton, although Wherry noted that they “intergrade to such an extent as to defy any simple classification.” Lellinger (1985) treated these taxa as subspecies of a single globally distributed species, i.e., westernA.filix-femina ssp. cyclosorum Fig. 1. Surface sculpturing (perispore) of the (Rupr.) C. Chr., northern A.filix-femina ssp. angustum spores ofAthyrium angustum (left) and A. asplenioides (Willd.) Clausen and the southern A.filix-feminassp. as- (right). plenioides (Michx.) Hulten. Kato (1993) treated these taxa at varietal rank, recognizing four North American 1985; Kato, 1993) include rhizome habit, leafshape, and varieties: in the west, northern A.filix-femina var. cyc- notable color and surface features ofthe spores (see Ta- losorum Ruprecht, a more southerlyA.filix-femina var. ble I). A californicum Butters, and in the east, northern A.filix- study by Kelloff etal., 2002, evaluated the feminavar. angustum (Willd.) G. Lawson and the southern degree to which these taxa are distinct by examining the A.filix-feminavar. asplenioides (Michx.) Farwell. fine features of the spore surface and a survey of the These differences in classification are not based allozyme variation. The spores for both taxa are on strongly divergent viewpoints among authors nor on monolete (Fig. 1) with a single scar (shaped like a kidney definitive data separating the taxa, but rather represent bean). With the unaided eye or under a dissecting mi- the best judgment in a group noted for its high degree croscope the spores of A. angustum appear brownish- ofvariability (Schneller and Schmid, 1982). yellow (with an exception ofone population in Pennsyl- In order to understand the nature of the taxa vania where they appear dark brown), whereas the composing the A.filix-femina complex, in general, and spores ofA. asplenioides are brown to almost black. Un- those plants found on Long Island, NewYork, we shall der the light microscope the spores ofboth taxa appear examine the distinctness ofthe two taxa that overlay in yellowish, with the exception ofthe occasionalA. asplen- eastern North America, A.filix-femina ssp. angustum and ioides spore that displays a dark reticulation overlaying A.filix-femina ssp. asplenioides (referred to henceforth as the surface of the spore. Although the surface details A. angustum and A. asplenioides, respectively). Characters are obscure when viewed under a light microscope, the differentiating these two taxa (Butters, 1917; Lellinger, (Continuedonpage 11) Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 15 No. 2 Page 10 Long Island Society News Botanical Society Welcome to new member Maureen Cullinane, and to new Life mem- Founded: 1986 Incorporated: 1989 bers, Mary Maran and Wei Fang. It’s time to renew your membership for 2005. Please sendyourdues today. See thebackpagedetails. The Long Island Botanical Society is dedicated to the promotion offield bot- The Society is tentatively planning a seven-day trip to Newfoundland any and a greater understanding of the with KarlAndersonin2006. So far, about 10 people haveindicatedinterest. plants that grow wild on Long Island, Formoreinformation, contactEricLamont. NewYork. LIBS members are continuing the efforts to build and preserve Long Web Visit the Society’s site Island’s population ofAmerican chestnut trees. Eric Powers has startedtwo www.libotanical.org seedlings in Caleb Smith State Park, with seeds provided by Lenny Lampel Executive Board at the Seatuck Environmental Association. Another specimen in the park was discovered to be healthyandnearreproductive maturity. President Eric Lamont Steve Clemants has beenworking on a field guide to the wildflowers of Vice President the northeast with Carol Grade ofthe NewYork Botanical Garden. Itwill Skip Blanchard be available forpurchaseinaboutayear. Treasurer CarolJohnston Betty Lotowycz and Barbara Conolly have recently published a book titled, IllustratedFieldGuide to Shrubs and Woody Vines ofFongIsland. See the Recording Secretary review on page 17. To purchase the book write to: Waterline Books, P.O. Barbara Conolly MA Box 331, Hardwick, 01037, or order online: [email protected]. Corresponding Secretary Thepurchasepriceis $20 (whichincludes $2 shipping&handling). John Potente Conservation Committee ChairAndy Grellerhas beenheavilyinvolved Committee Chairpersons in the fight to save the Grace Forest in the Village ofNorth Hills (see his Local Flora letterto GovernorPatakiintheWinter2005 issue ofthe LIBS newsletter). Steven Clemants OnMarch20, 2005, Newsdayran atwo-page article onthe controversy FieldTrips titled, “Tangled debate on thicket of trees: Naturalists cherish 18-acre site JennyUlsheimer nearLIE, butNorthHills mayor says plotis village’s ‘mostunkemptarea.’ ” The article featured statements and photos ofAndy, and of Liz Remsen, Skip Blanchard associate director ofthe NorthShoreLandAlliance. Programs Back in 1978, Andy documented the existence ofthis rare community Rich Kelly in a paperpublishedin theBotanical Gazette. Now, although the Village of Membership North Hills had promised to preserve this land “in perpetuity,” apparently Lois Lindberg there’s been a change ofheart, and,unlessAndyis successful, the forestwill Conservation give way to yet another development. This is a concern for all LIBS mem- Andrew Greller bers. Togetinvolved, contactAndy. Education MaryLauraLamont The Local Flora Committee announced that it has compiled a several- hundred-page preliminary draft of an atlas of vascular plants of Long Is- Thomas Stock land. The next phase of their work will include reviewing and revising for Hospitality publication. Jane Blanchard Zu Proly Therewillbe aBioBlitz at the Science Museum ofLongIslandin Plan- DorothyTitus dome on May 20 to 21, 2005. This is a celebration ofbiodiversity, with sci- NewsletterEditor entists and citizens conducting a 24-hour biological survey oftheir site. For Margaret Conover moreinformationgo towww.smli.org/bioblitz.html & NewsletterLayout Design The Friends ofHempstead Plains resumes volunteer communitywork- William Krol days and Friday lunch walks, beginning in April. For more information call Webmaster the Friends ofHempsteadPlains. Donald House [email protected] 1 Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 15 No. 2 Page 1 (Continuedfrompage 9) thin “flaking.” The spore surface of A. asplenioides is difference between the two taxa is visible in their out- mgose with a network ofreticulating “walls” in the per- line. The spores of A. angustum appear smooth com- ispore. pared to the uneven surface ofA. asplenioides. Under the The genetic composition of these two taxa was scanning electron microscope (SEM) the perispore, the examined with allozyme electrophoresis. Allozymes are outer surface of the spores, is markedly different. The allelic variants of enzymes encoded by structural genes. perispore of A. angustum is papillose with its surface The amino acids that make up the enzyme proteins completely covered with wartlike projections with some (Continuedonpage 12) TABLE I. Comparison ofmorphological features ofthe two eastern NorthAmerican taxain theAthyriumfilix-femina complex. Compiled from taxon descriptions in Butters (1917), Lellinger (1985), and Kato (1993). Character angustum asplenioides ascendingto creeping, more ex- Rhizome orientation erect or ascending, more condensed tended linearlanceolate, 8—10 X 1.5-2 mm, lanceolate, 3-9 X 2-3 mm, Scales: brown to darkbrown bronze to lightbrown orbrown Stipelength relative to lamina up to halfthelaminalength equalinglaminalength narrowlydeltoidlanceolate, Lamina shape elliptic or rhombic ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate gradually tapered to an acute to ob- slightlyreduced and truncate at Frond base tuse base base acute, acuminate, or more-or-less Frond apex acute to acuminate caudate Widestportion oflamina near or justbelowmiddle second pinnapair Pinna attachment short-stalked or sessile usually stalked oblong-lanceolate, usuallywidest at oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, Pinna shape middle andnotparallel-sided nearlyparallel-sided Pinna apex acute to acuminate acute tendingtoward dimorphism, the seg- ments offertile fronds narrowerand Sterilev. fertile frond not tendingtoward dimorphism more acute than those ofthe sterile fronds oblongorlinear-oblongand ob- Pinnules offertile fronds narrowlylanceolate and acute tuse tendingto be shorter thanin aspleni- tendingto belonger thanin angus- Indusiumlength mm mm oides up to 1.1 tum up to 1.3 , , ciliatewith glandular ornonglan- irregularly dentate, and/orciliate Indusium margin a dularhairs as long as indusial with eglandularhairs width bearingglandularhairs orless often consistentlybearingglandular Sporangial stalks secondary sporangia hairs brownish-yellowto dark-brown or Spore color yellowish black wrinkled or reticulated exospore, Spore surface sparselypapillate sometimes nigrescent Mean spore dimensions 38.6 X 24.7 m 36.0 X 25.5 m aDescriptions ofthe indusium marginin the two taxa areinconsistentin the literature. The table entryis a tentative consensus. Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 15 No. 2 Page 12 (Continuedfrompage 11) have a net electric charge. If, through mutation, an amino acid has been replaced, the charge ofthat protein may have been altered. These subtle changes in an enzyme (referred to as isozymes) can be detected by gel electrophoresis and staining. Most enzymes have two or more “loci,” or bands, that appear on the stained gel. These banding patterns can be compared between individuals and between populations and are auseful toolin determining many population genetic issues and where there is a question on the relationship between closely related species. Leaf samples from 11 to 72 individuals were collected for bothA. angustum (five sites) andA. asplenioides (five sites) from locations from Canada to North Caro- lina. The tissuewas analyzed electrophoretically and the Fig. 2. Overlappingranges ofthe northernAthyrium banding patterns scored for each ofthe 11 enzyme sys- angustumand the southernAthyrium asplenioides. tems studied. Isozyme banding patterns were readily interpreted as allelic variation for single gene loci from the leafextracts. Seventeen loci in 11 enzymes systems were successfully germinated (unpublished data). The were assayed. One locus was invariant across all 10 sculpturing of the perispore had the characteristics of populations. The other 16 loci were variable in at least both A. angustum and A. asplenioides. And the range of one population. There was a strong tendency for all variation from A. angustumAkz spores to A. asplenioides- populations to share the more common alleles and type spores could be found within an individual plant, some ofthe less frequent ones as well. The four most suggesting that there could be some backcrossing hap- polymorphic loci had similar allele frequencies within pening in the population. Although none of the 13 populations of A. angustum and A. asplenioides, respec- plants sampled at the site possessed only A. angustum- tively, but were strikingly different between the two type spores, under the SEM, unique and variable mor- taxa. Although the two eastern Athyrium populations phologies suggested an influence from A. angustum. Al- shared some common alleles the differences in fre- though it was once thought that most individuals of quency between the taxa ac- both A. angustum and A. asplenioides counted for most of the diver- produced both kinds of spores (Liew, gence among populations. The 1971), it was entirely inconsistent with result was two principal clusters our observations. The allozymes from each comprising the populations this NewJersey locality also indicated ofone taxon. hybridization between the northern, Hybridization in ferns gen- A. angustum and southern, A. aspleni- , erally results when two conspeci- oides, populations. Allozyme fre- fic taxa overlap in range and share quency trends for this population of the same habitat. In most cases, A. asplenioideswere characteristicallyA. the resultis ahybrid fern that pro- angustum for two alleles and that ofA. duces abortive (nonreproductive) asplenioides of Pond Drain, in the spores. The taxa of the Athyrium mountains of Virginia (1300 m). filix-femina complex overlap in Moreover, five of the six Shirley, NJ, both its eastern and western individuals hypothesized to be first- range. On the eastern half of generation hybrids on the basis of North America A. angustum and spore morphology shared A. angustum A. asplenioides overlap in a thin andA. asplenioides marker alleles for at band (Fig. 2). On the northern- least three of the four most divergent most extent of the A. asplenioides loci. No otherindividuals in the entire range a sample was collected from data set possessed this genotype com- Shirley, NJ (Fig. 3) that turned out FlG. 3. Photo ofAthryiumasplenioides bination. not only to be a hybrid popula- in Shirley, NewJersey. tions but one in which the spores (Continuedonpage 13) Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 15 No. 2 Page 13 (Continuedfrompage 12) Both Long Island and Staten Island, NY, fall within the narrow band of overlap between the exten- sive ranges of the two eastern taxa ofAthyrium. Most authors ofNew York flora have lumped these taxa un- & derAthyriumfilix-femina (Gleason, 1962; Buegler Pari- sio, 1981; Mitchell, 1984; and Magee and Ahles, 1999). Others have just record the two taxa for New York without anyindication oflocality (Flora ofNorthAmer- ica Editorial Committee, 1993; Gray, 1950). Records at DC the U.S. National Herbarium (U.S.), Washington, have specimens ofAthyriumangustum thathave—been collected in three ofthe counties ofLong Island Suffolk: Fig. 4. Range map ofAlthyriumangustum, onLong Greenport, Orient Point, Shelter Island; Nassau: Law- Island,NewYork. rence; and Queens: Hollis; and in Staten Island, Rich- mond County (Fig. 4). My survey ofthe Athyrium taxa isozyme dataindicate substantial divergence betweenA. of Long Island and Staten Island is far from complete; angustum and A. asplenioides suggesting that they merit , gathering historical data from herbaria that have speci- distinction as the rank of subspecies or species. Addi- mens from this area is only the beginning. More field tional study ofpopulations in their region of overlap is work is needed to determine: (i) ifA, asplenioides is also required to determine the nature and extent ofhybridi- found on the islands, (ii) how wide spread or rare it is, zation. and (iii) ifthese two taxa ofthe easternAthyrium can be Literature Cited found in the same habitat. Although the spore morphology of A. angustum and A. asplenioides is distinct Buegler, R. and S. Parisio. 1981. A Comparative enough to separate the two taxa, itis notvery helpful in Flora ofStaten Island: Including the 1879 and 1930 the field. The best field characters for these ferns are Floras by Arthur Hollick and Nathaniel Lord Brit- the shape ofthe frond, the length of the stipe, and the ton. Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences. habitofthe rhizome. The frond ofA. angustumtends to Staten Island, NY. be elliptic with the longest pinnae near the middle and BUTTERS, F. K. 1917. Taxonomic and geographic stud- tapering to the base; the stipe is half the length of the ies in North American ferns. I. The genus Athyrium frond or less, and the rhizome is more erect with the and the North American ferns allied to Athyrium frond bases condensed at the tip. In A. asplenioides the filix-femina. Rhodora 19:169—207. frond is more deltoid and wider at the base, the stipe Flora of North America Editorial Committee. equals the length ofthe frond and the rhizome is long, 1993. Flora of North America. Oxford University creeping, and less dense at the apex. I have also seen Press, NY. Yol. 2. the rhizome ofA, asplenioideswith dichotomous branch- GLEASON, H. A. 1962. Plants of the Vicinity of New ing. The red coloration ofthe stipe is seen in both taxa York. NewYorkBotanical Garden, NY. as scattered individuals in some populations and is not a GRAY, A. 1950. Gray’s Manual of Botany. American useful characteristic for differentiating the taxa. I do BookCo., NewYork. not have good field characters for the hybrids yet. But KATO, M. 1993. Athyrium pp. 255—258. In FNA Edito- , ifboth taxa ofAthyrium are found in the same locality, rial Committee [eds.], Flora ofNorth America, Vol. the chances are good thathybrids are amongthem. 2. Pteridophytes and gymnosperms. Oxford Uni- The Athyriumfilix-femina complex, distributed versityPress, NY. across four continents and comprising as many as four KELLOFF, C. L., E. SKOG, L. AdAMKEWICZ, and C. J. North American taxa with overlapping ranges, provides R. WERTH. 2002. Differentiation ofEastern North an especially suitable context for exploring patterns and American Athyriumfilix-femina taxa: Evidence from processes ofdivergent evolution and its taxonomic con- allozymes and spores. Am. FernJ. 92(3):185-213. A sequences in ferns. The two eastern North American Lellinger, D. B. 1985. Field Manual of the Ferns taxa, A. angustum andA. asplenioides have long been per- and Fern-allies of the United States and Canada. , ceived as close relatives separable by distinctive charac- Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. ters that are consistent within the vast northern and LlEW, F. S. 1971. Studies on North American Athyrium southern areas they respectively occupy, but that inter- (L.) Roth. Ph.D. dissertation, Columbia University, grade and recombine to form a hybrid zone in their NewYork, NY. relatively narrow region of overlap. The spore and (Continuedonpage 14) Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 15 No. 2 Page 14 Magee, D. W. and H. E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Natur., Paris. 4e ser., section B Adansonia nos. 3— Northeast A Manual ofthe Vascular Flora ofNew 4:215-228. : England and Adjacent New York. University of WHERRY, E. T. 1961. The Fern Guide. Northeastern Massachusetts Press, Amherst, MA. and Midland Central States and Adjacent Canada. Mitchell, R. S. 1984. Atlas ofNewYork State Ferns. Doubledayand Co., Garden City, NY. Contributions to a Flora ofNewYork State, Check- listH. Bulletin No. 456: 1-28. CarolE. Kelloff, Ph.D. can be reachedatthe SmithsonianInsti- MRC Schneller, J. J. and B. W. SCHMID. 1982. Investiga- tution, Department of Botany, 166, P.0. Box tions on the intraspecific variability in Athyrium 37012, Washington, DC. jilix-femina (L.) Roth. Bull, de Musee Nat. d’Hist. War on Weeds: Breaking News Marilyn Jordan The Nature Conservancy Several new invasive plant species have been dis- Terrestrial: covered on Long Island in the last year or two, and oth- Narrowleafbittercress (Cardamineimpatiens). ers are on our doorstep (see Table I). Help from Long Last year Skip Blanchard and Rich Kelly reported the Island Botanical Society members in locating new inva- first known infestations on Long Island in Oyster Bay sive plant occurrences is invaluable, both by reporting Cove, Planting Fields Arboretum, Caleb Smith State findings on your own and by assistingwith “weed map- Park, Caumsett State Park, Sweetbriar Nature Center in ping sweeps” in conservation areas. See below for con- Smithtown, and a private garden. Control efforts were tactinformation. stymied by unavailability of park and TNC staff. We hope to do better in 2005. Contact Stacey Goldyn (see Aquatic: below) to assistin control efforts. Wdraitllearhcydhreisltlnaut(Hcydhreisltlnautve(rtTircailplaatan)a.tanWse) aarnedeshpye-- Mile-a-minutevine (Polygonumperfoliatuni). Nearly 100 person-hours were spentpullingthis weed at cially worried about the possibility ofwater chestnut or six or more sites last year. Just when we thought we hydrilla becoming established in a Long Island pond or were gaining, Andy Senesac (Cornell Co-op Extension) stream. The discovery by Scott Kishbauagh (NYSDEC reported a “mother of all M.A.M. infestations” at Ori- Division ofWater, Albany) ofone water chestnut plant in Mill Pond County Park in Wantagh last summer was ent thatis overgrowingPhragmites. alarming. He pulled it out, but it could return. Hydrilla Giant hogweed (Hcraclcurnmantegazzianum). isn’there yet, butitis critical to catch this horror early. Control efforts at Muttontown Preserve continue, but no control of plants on adjacent property have been Floating water willow Ludwigia peploides This ( ). done bylandowner. new invader, first noticed in 2003 by NYSDEC and TNC, is now abundant in the Peconic River upstream Rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa). Although not new to from the Forge Pond dam. Vegetative specimens look Long Island, we would like to know more about the in- like the common native Decodon verticillatus (water wil- vasive potential ofRosa rugosa. Do you know ofescapes low). The DEC plans control efforts. into natural areas, or can you document plantings that have remained contained formanyyears? Water hyacinth Eichhornia crasssipes). Reported ( by Tim Green in a pond at Brookhaven National Labo- Kudzu (Pueraria montana). How often does kudzu ratory. Ifthis population reappear—s in 2005 itwill be de- set seed on Long Island? We have anecdotal reports, stroyed (and warnings broadcast) as should be done if but no documentation (pressed specimens or photo- any plants reappear in Scudder's Pond, Sea Cliff graphs). Control ofthis species will remain alow prior- (reportedbyZuProlylastyear). ity unless its potential to regularly set seed on Long Is- Reed canary grass {Phalaris arundinacea). A landis documented. “stealth invader” we have found on the banks of the Peconic and Carmans Rivers; it resembles Phragmitesbut is smaller. (Continuedonpage 16) — Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 15 No. 2 Page 15 — TABLE I. LongIsland EarlyDetection Rapid Response List. Long Island Early Detection Number of Rapid Response List 3 Occurrences b Shrubs Lonicera maackii Amur honeysuckle >4? Vitexrotundifolia Beach vitex/ roundleafchastetree 0 Herbaceous Plants Butomus umbellatus Flowering-rush 0 Cardamine impatiens Narrowleaf bittercress (6) Cirsiumpalustre Marsh thistle 0 Dioscorea oppositifolia Chinese yam 0 Froelichia gracilis Slendersnake-cotton >4? Glaucium flavum Yellow hornpoppy >4? Heracleum mantagazzianum Giant hogweed (3) Humulusjaponicus Japanese hops + Impatiensgladulifera Ornamental jewelweed 0 Lepidium latifolium Perennial pepperweed 2 Polygonumperfoliatum Mile-a-minute vine (-4) Seneciojacobaea Tansy ragwort/Stinking Willie 0 Graminoid Plants Arthraxon hispidus Hairyjointgrass 0 Carexkobomugi Japanese sedge 0 Glyceria maxima Reed mannagrass 0 Microstegium vimineum Japanese stilt grass (-4) Aquatic Plants Cabomba caroliniana Fanwort >4 Callitriche stagnalis Pond water-starwort 3 Egeria densa Brazilian water-weed >4? Eichhornia crassipes (naturalized) Water hyacinth 1 or2? Glossostigma diandrum Mudmat 0 Hydrilla verticillata Hydrilla 0 Hydrocharismorsus-ranae Common frogbit (2) Ludwigia peploides Floating primrose-willow (1 or 2?) Myriophyllum aquaticum Parrotfeather >4? Myriophyllum heterophyllum Two-leafwater-milfoil 3? Myriophyllum spicatum Eurasian water-milfoil (i?) Najas minor Brittle waternymph 0 Nymphoidespeltata Yellowfloating heart >4? Pistia stratiotes (naturalized) Water lettuce 0 Potamogeton crispus Curly pondweed (>4) Salvinia molesta complex (naturalized) Giant Salvinia; kariba-weed 0 Trapa natans Water chestnut (1?) c aLongIslandWeedManagementArea datain parentheses. Other data from: Weldy, Troy, RichardMitchell, and Robert Ingalls. 2002. NewYork FloraAtlas (http://nyflora.org/atlas/atlas.htm). NewYorkFloraAssoc., New York State Museum, Albany, NewYork. b Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties. c One plant found and removed, MillPond CountyPark,Wantagh. — Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 15 No. 2 Page 16 (Continuedfrompage 14) WhatYou Can Do: Pale and black swallow-wort (Cynanchum rossicum — Vincetoxicum rossicum) and (Cynanchum LIBS members, if you find any plant species listed in louiseae = Vincetoxicum nignmi). Both species of Table I, or any other non-native plant species you have this vining milkweed are well established on Long never before seen on Long Island, please report it to Kathy Schwager or MarilynJordan at The Nature Con- Island. Though eradication seems impossible, servancy. We will add your information to the data- suppression and containment can keep them from bases of the LIWMA and IPC NYS, and organize ap- spreading. Distinguishing species is difficult, but both propriate control efforts. If you want to help with are equallyinvasive. Forinformation go to http://www. scheduled “weed mapping sweeps” contact Stacey swallow-wort.com/ Goldyn. OTHERNEWS: The Invasive Plant Council of New York (IPC NYS) Tthoe kLeeIpWiMnfAormYeadhooon bgrreoaukpingatnewhtstpa:b/o/ugtrowuepesd.sy,ahjoooi.n hired Margaret Wilkinson in January 2005 to establish and populate a NYS database ofinvasive plants, which com/group/LIWMA/. After joining, you will be sent occasional notices about newly posted information on will include the information in the Long Island Weed Management Area (LIWMA) database. She is co- the group site. supervised by BillJacobs and Kathy Schwager (The Na- ture Conservancy onLongIsland). A Spreading Around: Tale of Lunacy It Ray Welch One wants to be an apostie ofvirtue, but some- tion is, unlike most garden plants, revealed during the times, as Ovid said, “video melioraproboque, deteriora se- plant’s senescence,whenithas matured bizarre fruits quorP Since we are all Latin-adept botanists, there’s no large (up to 5 cm across) oval, very flat, and semi- need to translate. Oh, all right: “I see the better way transparent within which the seeds (also large and flat) and approve it, but I follow the worse way.” All I can are seen in silhouette and cannot hide, hence — plead is my youth at the time (I was 32 just a child “Honesty.” When the seeds are finally shed, the whit- really). ish, parchmentlike septum of the silique remains and My sin? Encouraging the establishment ofmore the entire dead, but attractive, plant can be gathered and populations ofan alien plant speci—es, but in awaymore put in dried arrangements. Mygrandmother had grown common than most of us realize and there are—more Honesty in her own garden in northern NewYork, and of us who are wrongdoers than we might think but I was fascinated, around age 10, by these fruits that ech- with me it was blatant. In mitigation, I will say that oed its other common names, Money Plant and Silver there are plenty ofnaturalized local populations ofthis Dollar Plant. I also remember seeingvases ofthe dried species on Long Island already. I’ve seen them along plant atneighbors’ houses. Itintrigued me. the edge ofthe Long Island Expressway in Queens, be- In the mid-1970s, I was walking with a friend in hind a strip mallin Ronkonkoma. The plant? The win- PortJefferson, and saw the plan—tin fruit along the side- ter-annual, Lunaria annua, Honesty. Honestly! How did walk—at a fenced yard, and took all right, stole (another I commit the sin? ByplantingLunariain mygarden. sin) a few siliques with their seeds. I took them Lunaria annua originally a native of southeast home, and being at the time interested in gardening, an , Europe, is while growing (anywhere) a rather untidy- interest more faint these days, scattered a few seeds and looking monocarpic member ofthe Brassicaceae. Glea- forgot about them. They took, and with no real care son and Cronquist describe it accurately enough, as from me, flowered and set seed. I’ve done nothing to “sparselyhairy,” with leaves, “coarsely dentate,” and the encourage them in m—y yard since, but I still have them plant can grow up to a meter tall, although none of nearly 30 years later they sprout here and there: along mine ever seem to. The loose racemes of rather large the edge o—ffences, by shrubs, behind (and on) the com- flowers (for a mustard) are usuallypinkish-magenta, and post heap anywhere the mower does not reach, and I while Vunaria en masse lends some color to a garden, it am not a demon for mowing. For a while it seemed is in no sense a prize flower to have. Its major attrac- (Continuedonpage 17) Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 15 No. 2 Page 17 (Continuedfrompage 16) that they throve on an apparent biyearly cycle, butlately each year my small yard seems about as abundantly populated in its neglected corners and edges with the plants as theprevious year. Perhaps 10 to 15 years ago, still unenlightened about the problem of alien species, I took a few seeds and dropped them at the edge ofa smallwoodland near my office at Suffolk Community College. Casual obser- vation over the next year or so saw nothing, but then I spotted an unthrifty, but flowering plant or two, one of them 50 meters or so from where I had put the original seeds down. Since then, I’ve seen a handful more come up in yet other places not far away. This year, however, in the time between the snowfall ofJanuary and that of Presidents’ Day, when the ground was snow-free, in an area cleared of brush by the grounds crew in the last couple of years, I saw that many square meters were dotted over with dozens of healthy young plants. It took 30 years, but now I’m responsible for two more naturalized and thrivingpopulations ofan alien species. I feel that my sin is more venial than mortal. As Lunaria annua, or Honesty PhotobyRayWelch Gleason and Cronquist say, “Occasionally escaped from — cult,” which betokens relative nonaggressiveness plus, When I said many of us are “wrongdoers,” I it is easy to control mechanically. I find I can pull it up meant that any one of us who gardens and who plants with—no effort at all and it never resprouts from the any non-native species, even one thought safe, is poten- root since the rootis not there anymore. Also, it does tially adding another name to the list of troublesome not seem to spread that easily. For example, I’ve never alien invaders. While rough statistics say that of every seen any in my neighbors’ yards, neighbors who are 100 introductions only 10 naturalize, and only one be- more diligent yard maintainers. They must think it a comes a “problem,” thereis no sure wayto tellwho the weed and remove itbefore it flowers. In my own yard I potential pest will be, or what the changed conditions mostlyleave it alone to brighten April and May, as I like are orwhat a new habitat might be thatwould let a for- to have a flower I don’t have to tend, one that satisfies merlybenign introduced species turn upon us. Caution my urge for work-free gardening. Too bad that its un- should be our ever-presentwatchword. subtle magenta is not high ofmy list offavorite colors, I feel I have expiated my botanical sin by this but I take what I get. I recendy found and gathered confession...but may the person responsible for intro- seeds ofa white-flowered population I’m debating scat- ducing Celastrus orbiculatusburn in Hell! Sorry, that just tering... slipped out. BOOK REVIEW degree in the IllustratedField Guide to Shrubs and Woody VinesofFongIsland. This book focuses on the woody plants that Illustrated Field Guide to Shrubs and Woody Wines ofFong most field guides gloss over. An unexpected but wel- Island. G. E. Lotowycz and B. H. Conolly. 2004. xxii come inclusion is the subshrubs, mostly of the Erica- + 202 pages. Waterline Books; Hardwick, MA. $18.00 ceae, such as Chimaphila and Pyrola. The text also re- paperback. ISBN: 0976427508. flects the changing nature of our natural areas through its listing of species’ frequencies and inclusion ofnatu- Those ofus who spend time in the field under- ralized exotics. All of this is filtered through the geo- stand too well how the travails ofurban ecology are re- graphic scope ofLongIsland. flected in our flora. We meet an ever-increasing num- The bookis simple to use. Plants are organized ber ofnew acquaintances and we search longer and far- according to their branching patterns (opposite or alter- ther for old friends. Yet most field guides don’t mirror this reality, with litde attention paid to exotics or the (Continuedonpage 18) loss of native species. This issue is redressed to some Long Island Botanical Society Vol. 15 No. 2 Page 18 (Continuedfrompage 17) veal fine, three-dimensional details. Unfortunately, a nate), leaf shape (simple or compound), and leaf mar- good number fall short of this. These drawings are gins (entire, toothed, or lobed). Identification is then mere outlines created with too wide a pen. In a few determined through the use of the key. Over 190 spe- cases, as with Hudsonia species, it is impossible to dis- cies are discussed, arranged alphabetically by species. cern anybotanical details. Full treatments are given to 130 entries, with traits de- Another drawback is that “Long Island” is not scribed through words and drawings. In addition, com- clearly defined. In general it may refer to the area out- mon native taxa are preceded with an overview of the side New York City’s political purview. It can also family (for example, Ericaceae, Caprifoliaceae) or genus mean the whole island, with the inclusion of Queens (e.g., Cornus, Rhus). and Kings (Brooklyn) Counties. While a casual flip Each entry begins with the plant’s common through the bookwould lead one to believe that the lat- name and Latin binomial, naming authority, family, and ter is the case, Brooklyn is never mentioned, not even nativity to the U.S. (The “alien” designation should for common coastal species such as groundsel tree and have been applied to all species not native to Long Is- northern bayberry, and Queens is represented by only land). Further information includes: origin of name; two parks (Alley Pond and Cunningham). Several natu- description ofleaf, flower, fruit, bud, leafscar, bark, and ral areas are excluded or woefully under-represented twig; habitat and frequency, including locations in each (for example, Gateway National Recreation Area). And relevant county. To aid in assessing these characteris- listings are inconsistent; oriental bittersweet and porce- tics, the inclusion ofa metric and English rule inside the lainberry most definitely exist in Queens. This over- cover flaps is useful. Additional sections include a pic- sight makes the western half of the island seem sadly torial overview ofplant characteristics, a taxonomic list depauperate, as ifbotanists elsewhere have all the fun. ofplant families, aglossary, andparklocations. Overall, this volume nicely fills a niche for the The choice of illustrations is well thought out. NewYorkMetropolitan area. Itwill be awelcome addi- All featured species’ entries include stems with leaves tion to mybackpackthis season. and flowers and/or fruit. Many more have enlarged MarielleAnzelone renderings of buds and leaf scars. All drawings were PlantEcologist created by tracing herbarium specimen. For some spe- NYC Parks, NaturalResources Group cies, this is more than adequate, where the pictures re- Sunday, May15, 2005, 10a.m. (carpool from LongIsland at 9 a.m.) Palisades Interstate Park andHudson Ripershore nearAlpine, Field Trips New Jersey Trip Leaders: Andy Greller and Nancy Slowik We will hike both the Long Trail and the Short Saturday, April23, 2005, 9a.m. Trail looking for Aristolochia macrophjlla (Dutchman’s PelhamBayPark, Bronx New York pipe) and watch out for other interesting springtime , Trip Leader: David Kiinstler species in this unusual and varied habitat. Bring lunch Visit Hunter Island for a rare, towering old-growth and a liquid; wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots; camera oak-tulip tree forest and its spring ephemerals: wood and binoculars optional but recommended. Walking anemone (Anemone quinquefolid), lousewort (Pedicularis time is about four hours. The terrain varies from flat canadensis alumroot Heuchera americana N.Y. endan- (easywalking), to steep ravines and avertical stairway. ), ( ), gered carrion-flower Smilax herhacea var. pulverulenta Directions: We will meet to carpool at 9 a.m. at ( ), and N.Y. rare wild pink Silene caroliniand). We will the Bill Paterson Nature Center, Muttontown Preserve, ( probably visit other nearby sites, iftime permits. Park East Norwich, and travel to Exit 2 on the Palisades In- plant and fungi list for participants. This is a joint trip terstate Parkway, where we will meet at the Interstate with the TorreyBotanical Society. Park Headquarters at about 10 a.m. From there we will Directions: Meet at Orchard Beach parking lot. carpoolto anotheryet-to-be determinedlocation. Take the Bruckner Expressway/New England Thru- way/I-95 to Orchard Beach/City Island Exit 8B, and follow the signs to Orchard Beach. Park in the northeast corner (far left from booths) ofthe Orchard Beach More Field Trips parkinglot.