Sage notes : Idaho Native Plant Society newsletter

2005·0.79 MB·English

by  Idaho Native Plant Society

Sage Notes
Idaho Native Plant Society
seedcoat
endosperm
cotyledons
hypocotyl
radicle
-
Inside this issue
Annual Rare Plant Conference Announcement
INPS Grant OpportunityAnnouncement
Membership renewal and questionnaire
Volume 27 (2) Winter 2005
Contents Editor’s Note:
President’s Message 1 tMhaatnyhatvheankkesp,tatghaiisn-, tthoealplroefmitehrose
newsletter on conservation of Idaho
Conservation Briefs native plants and their habitats-on
Anti-Endangered Species Bill in Senate 1 ourshelves and coffee tables over
HardtriggerAllotment Appeal 2 the years.
Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness 3
Privatization of Our Public Lands 3 There is a general consensus within
the Societythat Sage Notesshould
Features be produced bya committee. Thejob
Member Profile 5 is too much foroneperson to take on
Lichen Workshop Review 6 s-ufsotraainnyablleengmtahnnofert.imReatohreirn,awe
Nature in the City: What Is It About Snowberries? 8 need a team offolks, all contributing
small or large pieces to the whole;
News and Notes either in a series of contributions
Ute Ladies’-tresses Discovered 9 (produced reliablyfor sequential
Northwest Scientific Association Annual Meeting 9 issues) or as a single installment.
INPS Education, Research, and Inventory Grant 10
Sage Notes is open to all. Avast
Society News and Activities amount of opportunity is here: little
Kinnikinnick Chapter 12 ideas, big dreams, stories, technical
papers, white papers on
Forest Management and Lichens 12
conservation issues, personal
INPS Board Highlights 12 reflections, artistic renderings,
INPS Annual Meeting 13 imagery, book reviews, lists (of
plants, people, orplaces; lists of
lists), poetry, field reports, meeting
reports, and advertisements.
Editorial Committee Chair
INPS Opportunityabounds! Please
SPaOgeBoNxot9e4s51 consider submitting to Sage Notes.
Boise, ID 83707 Betteryet- please consider serving
on the Sage Notes Editorial
days: [phone] Committee.
evenings: [phone]
Thanks,
Committee Members/ EdCom.
Contributing Editors
Nancy Cole
Cyndi Coulter
Cleve Davis
Tom Jefferson
Marlene Fritz
Chris Murphy
Steve Rust
Mark Shumar
Sarah Walker
Sage Notes is published quarterlyby Idaho Native Plant Society,incorporated
since 1977 underthe laws ofthe State of Idaho.
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Pleasetry to submititems forcoming issues bythe following dates: Spring, HELP WANTED: Contributing editorto
FDeebcreumabryer1, 2020060;6.Summer, May 1 2006; Fall, September 1, 2006; Winter, aasnsdisrtewviitehwscoomfpiilNaPtSiocnhaofptaenrnomeuentcienmges.nts
1,
Cover: Pseudotsugamenziesiiseed cross-section. USDA ForestService from HELP WANTED: Contributing editorto
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database. assistwith compilation ofannouncements
and summaries of INPS field trips.
OBprpoowsn.it1e9:13A.ceIrllgulstarbartuedm.floUraSoDfAt-hNeRnCorSthPerLnANstTaStesDaatnadbaCsaena/dBar.ittVoonl,.N2.:L.4,97a.nd A. HELP WANTED: Contributing editorto
assistwith compilation of Sage Notes
conservation briefs.
HELP WANTED: Contributing editorto
assistwith compilation of Sage Notes
news and notes.
Winter 2005 SAGE NOTES Quarterly Journalofthe Idaho Native Plant Society - Volume 27 (2)
President’s Message Conservation Briefs
By Steve Rust Compiled by Tom Jefferson
This has been a busy and fruitful yearfor Idaho Native Anti-Endangered Species Bill in Senate
Plant Society. In July we had an excellent annual - Idaho’s Senator Crapo Introduces
meeting at Challis Hot Springs. The Society hosted
an engaging rare plantconferencewith active Bill to Undermine Endangered
discussion on the conservation status of native Species Act
species in Idaho andthe plant communitiesthatform
tahdedirrehsasbiintagtse.duTcahteioSnocainedtyciosnascetrivvaetliyoennigsasgueeds ainnd is By Melissa Waage and Brian Nowicki, Center for
taking action to conserve Idaho’s rich natural heritage. Biological Diversity
Chapters are active and membership in the Society
continues to grow. Manythanks to all thathave made On December 15, 2005 Senator Mike Crapo
this such a successful year! introduced a bill to drastically undermine the
We look ahead to a bright newyearfrom asteadfast cEynndiacanlgleyrteitdledSptehcei“eCsolAlcatb.oSraetniaotneabnildl SR.ec2o1v10e,ry of
organizational base. Atthis timewe have a full Endangered Species Act,” would completely derail the
complement of standing committees. We will endangered species listing program, remove
continue to focus ontransferring ownership ofSociety protections for endangered species habitat, and cut
functions to committees, fostering environments in federal oversight of projects thatthreaten endangered
which small incremental contributions create awhole species. Text ofthe bill isavailable on theCenterfor
that is greaterthan the sum of its parts, and Biological Diversity web page (biologicaldiversity.org).
developing organizational structuresthatallowa
range of different levels of involvement and the Perhaps the most blatant attackon the Endangered
capability of players to come and go with out loss of Species Act (ESA) is the provision ofthe Crapo bill
function. thatwould allowthe Secretary of Interiorto indefinitely
postpone placing specieson the endangered list or
Discussion and action on internal governance is designating critical habitat, and would shield the
necessary and enabling. In June I argued that Secretary from court orders to induce herto provide
perhaps in lengthyengagements regarding internal those protections.
governance we have lost pace in actually pursuing
our mission: fostering understanding and advocating The Crapo bill pays lip service to encouraging
conservation of Idaho’s native flora and habitats. I landowners to conserve endangered species on
have come full around on this position and now private land, an idea long supported by conservation
believe thatwe need to totally revamp the Society’s organizations. However, the Crapo bill focuses on
by-laws. In this newyear I will workto institute (for giving large tax breaks to large-scale landdevelopers
lackof betterwords) a policy manual. I envision a and eliminating habitat protections ratherthan
living document inwhich Board and membership encouraging or enabling conservation on private land.
decisions are summarized in a mannerthat parallels
the Society’s by-laws. The proposed legislation adopts theworst provisions
of similar bill passed bythe House. On September
This fall, with overwhelming support ofit’s 29, the House passed HR 3824 by Rep. Pombo (R-
membership, Pahove Chapter pursued an CA) -a bill thatwould repeal entire sections ofthe
administrative appeal of afederal land management Endangered Species Act. ESAbills that pass the
decision. As the legal action pressed resolution a Senate this yearwould be referred toa conference
flurry of activities ensued. Due to potential conflicts of committee to be merged with the Pombo bill from the
interestwith business partners I needed to recuse House. Thetwo leadersof such a conference
myselffrom involvement in decisions regarding the committee would be Rep. Pombo and Senator Inhofe
appeal. Out ofconcern fortheir professional careers (R-OK), who has an environmental votingscore of 0
other INPSofficers had to resign. Worse yet, according to the League of Conservation Voters.
communications intensified and embarrassing emails Senator Crapoalso has an environmental voting
were circulated. An emergency meeting ofthe INPS score of 0 accordingto the League ofConservation
Board convened. Questions were raised aboutpolicy. Voters.
In the end, theappeal was settled and steps will be
taken to protectrare plant speciesand native plant The Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water Subcommittee,
communities. Best yet, we walked the talk! Many underthe leadership of Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), is
thanks to Judy, Cyndi, and the Advocates. considering ESAreauthorization of its own, but has
committed to developing such legislationonly after
Happy NewYear! gathering adequate information, and hearing from
agencies, experts and stakeholders. The introduction
ofthe Crapo bill today appears to be a rush
topurposely sidestep that deliberative process.
i
Winter 2005 SAGE NOTES Quarterly Journalofthe Idaho Native Plant Society - Volume 27 (2)
Overview of proposed “Collaboration and Recovery of Endangered Species Act”
Makes habitat protection and species listing discretionary (pages 18-19):the billwould eliminate mandatorytimelines to
place species on the endangered listor designate critical habitat for endangered species,giving the Secretaryof Interior
complete discretion to prioritize designations based in parton “minimizing conflicts” with “construction,development...or other
economicactivities.” Even then the Secretarywould not be required to implementthe schedule. Citizen groups would be
banned from seeking courtordersto implementanycritical habitatschedulesordeadlines. All existing courtordersto designate
critical habitatwould be overruled bythe bill.
Killing one species inexchange for another (pages 36-41):the billwould create a system allowing developersto buyand sell
creditsfordestroying endangered species habitat. This senseless system would allow developersto destroythe habitatfor one
species (e.g. Coho salmon) because they have purchased creditsto protectanother(e.g. Mount Hermon june beetle). Itwould
result in the destruction oftens ofthousands of acres ofessential habitatareas.
Undermines recovery plans (pages21-28):the billwould create a new recovery planning processthatallows industryto
rewrite and overrulethedecisions ofwildlife experts. A newlycreated “executivecommittee” made upofindustry interests
would make finaledits and revisionsto recovery plans developed byscientistsand agencybiologists.The billexplicitly makes
recoveryplans“non-binding and advisory.”
Creates roadblocks to listing endangered species (pages 16-18): the bill would create an ambiguous priority system for
listing endangered speciesthatincludes industry interests. Current law requires endangered species listings to be based solely
on the biological needs ofthe species.
Eliminatesfederal oversight ofendangered species (page 15):the billwould require Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)to
provide a“provisional permit”forany projecton private property (exceptfor “ground clearing”) ifthere is no recovery plan in
place. The permitwould remain in effect until a habitatconservation plan (HCP) is approved. This would allow activities like
mining and logging in endangered species habitatto proceed indefinitelywith nofederal oversight.
Restrictswildlife agenciesfrom improving conservation agreements (pages50-53): the bill would take “No Surprises”- a
highlycontroversialadministrative regulation- and make it law. USFWS would be unabletoupdate orrevoke a permit (HCP)
thatauthorizes harm to an endangered species, even if new information indicates that the originalplan wasinadequate and
even if itis causing the extinction ofthe species.
Pays off developers to not violate the law (page 56): the bill would create tax breaks to compensate private landowners for
conservation work done on private property. Thebill fails to limittaxbreaks to landowners whoengage in activeconservation -
the creation orenhancementof endangered species habitat. Landdeveloperswho are required to set aside some portion of
theirlandfrom developmentwould also beeligibleforthese taxbreaks. Thatis, instead ofpaying private landownersto create
newhabitat, the Crapo billwould primarily bepaying developersto complywiththe law, creating no newhabitat.
Adopted from CenterforBiological Diversity
wheatgrass (Agropyron spicatum), one ofthe most
Hardtrigger Allotment Appeal important componentsofthe allotment’svegetation.
Bluebunch wheatgrass is harmed byearly season
Settolfermaernetptloanrtessuplteciinefsuratnhderncaotnisviedeprlaanttion gabrubanuzcnihdngagrnaucssees.osfpTeehxceoitediseccuallnitnnieumaaoltfelgnyartarisevsseuelsptessrueinncnhaiaaglsreater
communities cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) (and other annual
species that provide poorqualityforage for both
On March 28, 2005, the Pahove Chapterof Idaho livestockand nativewildlife species). While the
Native PlantSociety officially protested a proposed environmental assessment and management decision
Bureau of Land Management administrative decision stated that perennial bunchgrass utilization would be
regarding the management ofthe Hardtrigger limited to 40%, INPS members reviewing the proposal
Allotment, locatedon the Owyhee Front of were concerned that monitoring efforts would be
southwestern Idaho. Theprotestwasfiled forseveral sufficientto determine when this triggerwas met,
reasons including (1) extensionofthe season of particularly given the extended season of use.
ggppirrepraaeizzloiiidnnnggeofuudssereeev,setol(ff2o)arpnomcnmoeunntadthilset,igaorl(na4las)olst,pmerex(ont3p)teonpgssrrieaoodzpnioenolsgfiemdtsihynwesaattsteieeomarn,saoaofnnndadof TAepxhrteielnp1dro-tphNoeosvgeredamzabilenlgrots3me0eangtsromanzaininnagsgpoeemmreeiondatrdeduaersciinbsgeioyyneoanwrdosutlhde
o(f5)rtahree cpolannsttrsupcetciioens.offence within known populations wgrhaeznincghuetaitligzraatsiosnirsedmentaenrtmipneerdentnoiablebpulnencthifgurlaasnsdhas
not exceeded40%. The proposal was that additional
The proposed management ofthe allotmentwould use in these areaswould reduceuse in other areas of
increase the season of livestock use from April 22 - the allotment. Pahove Chaptermembers raised
August 31 to April 1 - November30. Concern was concern thatthis would accentuate thedegraded
raised thatthis nearly 4 month extension ofthe quality ofthe lower elevation pastures within the
grazing season would be detrimental to native allotment byexacerbating thecheatgrass problem.
perennial bunchgrasses such as bluebunch Additional concernwas raised regarding the possible
presence ofthe rare plantspecies, Mulford's
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Winter 2005 SAGE NOTES Quarterly Journalofthe Idaho Native Plant Society - Volume 27 (2)
milkvetch Astagralus mulfordii), in pastures affected land conveyances, authorization of grants forrural
(
by this proposal. economic development, continued motorized
recreation opportunities, and the designation of more
Eight proposed newwaterdevelopmentswithin the than 300,000 acres in Idaho’s Boulder-White Clouds
allotmentwould bring heavy livestock use into native mountains as Wilderness, among other provisions.
plant communities and habitats that previously The House Resources Subcommitteeon Forests and
received relatively little livestock use. Chapter Forest Health held a hearing onthe bill on 10/27/05.
members raised concernthat increased grazing
pressure relatedto proposed waterdevelopments Is Privatization of Our Public Lands on
would be detrimental to known populations ofthe rare the Horizon?
plantspecies, Cusick'sfalseyarrow Chaenactis
(
cusickii) and smooth stickleaf Mentzelia mollis).
(
By Dave Alberswerth, The Wilderness Society
The proposed management decision would eliminate
aggrrnaayzziipnneggrisuoysdseotfeofmr.etshTtehfseraoCmmhetahpaetreeHraarradattirtsihegedgsecraonmAcleelorttnimmteeh,nattyear A2lca0tn0,d6st.hmeTahrlekaosnddtomhraeer1kR0ot0ootoshlefavonernlittvhueerspseradersytehroefvaAttchiteontAonotpfirqpouutibetlciitecs
afteryear is detrimental to native vegetation and its more than one million acres bydesignating 18
desespeenntidaelnttospprecoimeost.eIanncdorpeonrcaotuirngagaeprearniogdeloafndreshteailsth. tNhaetiAocnta'lsMpoasnsuamgeen,tasninex9trsteamteesa.ntNio-we,nv1ir0o0nmyeenatrasliasftter
movement is forwarding a growing numberof
Finally, the HardtriggerAllotment supports atleast proposals to sell orotherwise reduce public ownership
three rare plantspecies: Cusick'sfalse yarrow, or control over public lands. These proposals include
jtscirahoanmnerncoiiesrrsotehptrdailhueasacceentsl)ttii.iionsmcnePppkealaooechcfraitofetls,vsho'eesaosfnh2madf.lebr7iiJmvo5taebmansmetititrsolhahcseenk'dsfargerarppeniaoeacszt.neeeidsnntttghcieaaoatmlnnlowcdyneorrutePnrlseadutmnlhptsalttiinengmoinn tWt"rloileheolgecsrdietalscniilotrfasnleetetyivrfvReoreuenvenfuepmdrueross"ogivpenaeiofledstecoafseflefdslorrltrsio-otlamoslfrisftentylghooletffooaorip"flrefme,ceinoNasnnanpitctdnohiigneloaidncAaarltHtlciaootoiPuinHmacsusbrr"eiNklralts,iRthceiaatasotoonnowalefluaftssieotn
On May24, 2005 the Pahove Chapterfiled an official aKdatmriinniastaenrdedfubtyurtehediFsoasrteesrtsSbeyrvsiecleliangndlatnhde
aalplpoetamlenotftmhaendaegceimsieonnttoplparn.oceSeevdewriatlhotthheerproposed Department ofthe Interior.
conservation organizations also filed appeals ofthe Other related efforts are geared toward changing
administrative decision, including Western
policies so public lands benefit select groups rather
WWiinalvtdoellirvfseedhFeiedndsetrhPaertoaijpoenpc.te,alOIsndarhDeoeaccBheiermddbHeaurnste8,etrt2sl0,e0mae5nndtparItdiaehso tdrheaanvngeeltohopefmbpeornlotiacdtyhcpeuhbdaloinmcg.iensEaxntathmaptulsmeeasokfienpcuoilbluldiacendlaagnbdarsso,ad
agreement.
including using industiy-funded volunteers to process
TnmhaeenwasegenetvtmilreeonmnetmnetpnltraaenqlubaiyrseDsseetschseemmebBnuetrreo2af0ut0ht7eo.calTolnhodetumcBetunrtaenau ttsihhtneaacittrreehsoaaswasinnnbdgdernceiolunluminrnbtgeeispreuesrrormtfeiocatttcseat;dkie"o(nRaosSnvgde2er4ma7pir7use"bud,lsietacdonl)waoanturdotd;dagaalitnlveodidwnaglnaw
will conduct more thorough rare plant surveys, an preferential treatmentfortrail managementto groups
inventory of exotic invasive species, collect additional that can do theirown fundraising and trail main-
livestockforage utilization data, collect monitoring tenance ratherthan a balance used approach to
data in riparian and upland habitats, and conduct an management.
analysis ofthefunctional condition of riparian and
wetland systems within the area. In the renewed
environmental assessmentthe Bureauwill address
the impact of livestockgrazing (including aspects of
snaetaisvoen,peirnetnennisaitly,budnurcahtgiroan,ssancdomfmruenqiuteinecsyaofndusrea)reon nHeEeLdPedWAtoNhTeElpD:coAordpilannattecosntsaetrevwaitdieoneffaocrttisvitsotis
plant species, appropriate level of livestock use in conserve Idaho’snative plant communities, plant
relation to existing ecological condition, and the species, and theirhabitats. The incumbentwill help
specific impacts of range improvements (such as coordinate the review ofland managementplanning
waterdevelopments and fencing). documents, preparation ofconservation white papers,
and development ofposition statements and may
Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness develop opportunitiesforstrategicconservation
planning. Good organizational and communication
skills required. The volunteerposition is located within
Rep. MikeSimpson (R-ID) introduced theCentral a statewide non-profit organization. Opportunities for
Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act of academiccredit maybe negotiable. Technical
2005 (H.R. 3603) on 7/28/05. The measure,which is guidance will be provided byprofessional botanists,
revised from two earlierversions (the first introduced plantecologists, andwetland ecologists. For more
2in00t5h)e,failnlcolfud2e0s04aannudmbtehre sofectiotnleds dienatlriondgucweidthinsmMaalyl i(2n0f8o)rm3a4ti2o-n26o3r1to; sarpupsltyatplmeiansdescpornitnagcdtoSttceovme.Rust,
3
Winter 2005 SAGE NOTES Quarterly Journalofthe Idaho Native Plant Society - Volume 27 (2)
Features
Member Profile: Native Plant
Consultant, Gardener,
Teacher
By Marlene Fritz
Entering the seventh decade of her
life, Carol Blackburn vividly recalls
how her interest in native plants was
born: It was in the admiration she felt
for “the variety, the adaptability, the
complexity” of the native plants she
encountered while “tromping around
the chaparral and oak savannah on
my grandfather’s ranch near Clear
Lake, Calif.”
A botanical consultant who earns half
her living maintaining landscapes in
the Wood River Valley, Carol clearly
remembers her first gardening experiences, “way back when we had a victory garden and was four to
I
five years old.”
But ask Carol how long she’s been a member of the Idaho Native Plant Society and she impishly struggles
for the year: “Hmmm ...how far back do my Rare Plant mugs go?” she ponders, rummaging through the
cupboards of the rambling, 80-year-old rental home she shares with her husband, Fred.
Turns out the answer is 18 years, the last half-dozen of which she’s been secretary-treasurer of the Wood
River Chapter. In a community renown for its “migratory lifestyle,” Carol describes herself as the “last of
the chapter’s old guard.”
Fred and Carol moved to the Wood River Valley in 1979. They relocated from Jackson Hole - the place
where they had originally met “ages previously,” before she became the second woman to earn a degree
in wildlife management from Humboldt State University in 1959, before she worked as a parasitologist at
the University of California’s Hastings Natural History Reservation, before she took a job with the
University of Montana’s wildlife department. In Jackson Hole, they raised two children - Anne, now 33, a
University of Washington arts administrator in Seattle, and Will, now 36, a civilian construction department
employee at a U.S. Army PX in Germany - while Fred worked with the National Park Service and in
construction and Carol conducted field work in pronghorn behavior.
Today, Carol continues to do her good work, conducting plant inventories; undertaking restoration projects
for public agencies, private consulting firms, and a land trust; and teaching an occasional class for College
of Southern Idaho, Blaine Campus. She works at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden (SBG) - sometimes
even for pay -- and maps and manages weeds for a variety of public and private clients. In her late 50's,
she took a hiatus from the Wood River Valley to earn her second bachelor’s degree - in landscape
horticulture from the University of Idaho -- an exceptional effort that she credits with assuring her
competitiveness in the marketplace. Carol’s academic curiosity still nudges her to design her own
experiments, like evaluating which of the SBG’s species of penstemon proved most resistant to deer (the
Idaho native Penstemon cyaneus and P. strictus, of course, rather than P. eatoniior P. giobosus from
farther south).
Carol squeezes her INPS work into weeks crammed with work for both pay and pleasure. “I’m a diverse
naturalist type of human being,” she says. “I have lots and lots and lots of interests.” Although we share
Carol with innumerable other good causes, she considers the contributions of INPS to be invaluable. “We
educate people to the place in which they live,” she says. “We teach them to have respect for it and not to
4
Winter 2005 SAGE NOTES Quarterly Journalofthe Idaho Native Plant Society - Volume 27 (2)
impose other cultures’ ideas of landscapes on dry, arid, Western places.” Planting natives is part and
parcel of “having respect for where you are” -- to say nothing of enhancing biological diversity and
providing wildlife habitat.
To date, Carol’s life has been delightfully entangled in plants. “They are absolutely basic,” she explains.
“As far as life is concerned, using only sunlight, soil, and water, and most animal life depends on them.”
Carol’s advice for native plant gardeners:
1. Patience: gardening is a process not an end-result.
2. Talk to everybody you know who has a garden you like.
3. More patience.
Lichen Workshop Review1 by the substrate on which they are hangingout. The
minerals in the parent material of rockand soil create
By Adrienne Lilly tarbeeassiocnowrhaiccihditcheenlviicrhoennmsecnhtotohsaet etovecnolionnfizleu.ences the
cISitpnosrvitwebhoirrelellCdde,.lwabiAstehsgcradhonraolawmkwi:itbnhogVaasirsdboiftaaisttnihgctehLietinhctfahrrleoolnundostul,cootgfaiisotsnchtue,tsorTaoloinobcdmyhewnaasnd Ttoahunherdecnlpaereta.rhdheeAarlfpltisoeolnafdientpdranipehpi:eesrdIfstbiraoisgnst.lsayaWrtmeoepdolkwaeleasdrecaerobuoatprlulesteeo1ism5nihtfnoheuweetntewsfaorofoodmrs
apothecium. As hespoke he drewmore illustrations niftyway to make a paper envelope from just a sheet
demonstrating the biology ofthe lichens. of paper. We were in search of samples from each of
Lichens are made upoftwo and, sometimes, three tahlemo4stbapsairctloifcthheen sfuobrsmtsr:atCe,rucsatnonsoet-bethseespearaarteed
ogertgsanmiossmts.ofTthheercerewdililtawlhweanysitbceotmheesftuongnuasm,iwnhg,icahnd f(orromsqtuhaembualrokseor) artotcakcthoedwhoinchoniteissiadtetaocnhleyd,.smSaclalle-
tTohuhteesniatdlhegeatrhetahtwaitlslpiesbcefifogiurcnedreenlinaattilhogenaselhiiacpnh.den/Toihrsecnyyoatoncfocobuuarncdtaesria. salhotebtlealsc,lhiwmkieelnlltohbaaevnse.dthCwaoorlddeilusotsiwneocrrtssLuierdafefasc,-e.u(sourSahflorllyuibowsie-t)h(loaarrhgaerrd
individual cells ofgreen algae within the fungal tissue,
in our example it was right belowthe uppercortexof
the thallus. The cyanobacterium, a much smaller
organism, does not have a nucleus as do algae. The
fungi ofthe lichenworld are most often ascomycetes,
atype offungus which produce spores in sac-shaped
cells.
The sex lives of lichensare quite varied. As a group
they reproduce asexuallyas well as sexually, some
even do both on the same plant. Asexual
reproduction is usually in the form of soridia and/or
isidia, which are small bundles offungal and algae
cells that protrude offthe main body and starta new
colony after being separated invarious mechanical
ways. Sexual reproduction involves fruiting bodies
called apothecia and spores. There are countless
combinations in the lichen world but knowing whatto
lookforcan help identify the lichen species.
Lichens can help inform land managementdecisions
as they havebeen found to beexcellent indicators of
subtle environmental changes. Differences in the soil
composition influence the species not onlyoccurring
on the rocks and soil but also on thestem and leaves Parmeliasaxatilis. Linedrawing byAlexanderMikulin.
of plants. Onecan differentiate the lichen in large part USDA ForestService, Pacific Northwest Region, Air
Quality Biomonitoring Program.
fruticose) multiplesurfaces, can be linear like lobes or
even hair-like, difficultto distinguish top from bottom
1 Editors Note: This isa summary of aworkshop surfaces.
organized byKinnikinnickChapterconservation committee.
The classroom presentation occurred on Friday, August 19th RED ALDER-On our red alders westarted with a
in Sandpoint. The field trip occurred on Saturday,August crustose lichen which was a light colored oval or circle
20th, Nomeclatural correctionswere completed by the that appears to be part ofthebark. Phlyctis argena
Editorial Committee.
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Winter 2005 SAGE NOTES Quarterly Journalofthe Idaho Native Plant Society - Volume 27 (2)
was seen again later on some smallerconifers with characterized by hollowbranches that can be closed
smooth young bark. or open atthebranch ends. A common name is
birds-bone.
A common leaf lichenwas shown next, Parmelia
sulcata is gray ontop and blackon the lowersurface, Platismatiaglauca is called tattered rag or lettuce
wchraicckhsloonoktshealumpopsetrhsaiurryf.aceT.heOsnoeridciaanaarcetufaolulnydsliinctehe alipcpheena.raAngcaeint,oiPtacramnelbieas-aibduttoonhlayveatafisrsitmigllaarnce.
this lichen and spotthe layer ofalgae with the naked Platismatiaglauca is more uprightbut still has a
eye. distinct uppersurface that is grayish with a brown
lower surface.
The color oflichens are often determined by acids
found in theirchemical makeup. We looked at Evernia Many pinhead lichens were seen on the downed
prunastri, or staghorn lichen which was yellowish woody debris as well as Cladoniaspecies. We found
green on the topand had awhite underside. Usnic a great sample ofLobariapulmonaria. It has a
acid is commonly responsible forthe yellowcolor densely ridged uppersurface; the lower surface has
such as this. There is a genus named Usneawhich small whitish hairs. The youngerconifers with smooth
we see more of at our next stop. barkwere agreat spotto find Phlyctis argena. A
crustose lichen thatforms round to oval white marks
MATURE HARDWOODS -The next collection of on the trees.
lichens was hanging around on sometrees atthe
edge of a small clearing. Tobyshowed us an Many ofthe followers were familiarwith the wolf
example ofthe genus Usnea. A characteristic lichen thatwas found, Letharia vulpina. The folklore
of its use to poisonwolves was well known, which
Toby said was partially due to the presenceof the
toxic volpinicacid. After lunch we saw Parmelia
saxatilison a branch even though it is more
commonly on rocks.
MINERAL POINT-We walked out a bitto adry and
warm Douglas firsite. Toby described the Douglas fir
tree trunk as paradise and said there could be as
many as 25 species of lichen on thattree alone. We
had a great discussion on the valueof lichens towards
a complete understanding offorest ecology, airquality
and intrinsic value.
Some of us gathered around the tree and picnictable
as otherswandered out and gathered samples. We
found a crustose lichen, Ochroiechia, thatwillturn red
with simple household bleach, Xanthoriafound on
Cladonia albonigra. Linedrawing byAlexanderMikulin. nitrogen rich rocks, and Schaereria, a browncrustose
USDA ForestService, Pacific Northwest Region, Air lichenwith black apothecium.
Quality Biomonitoring Program.
The group moved to a rockoutcropping hundreds of
feet above the lake. When asked what he sawon
common to this genus isa strong central strand that those few large rocks, Toby replied hecouldn't even
can be seen by removing the outer cortex. There countthe numberof different lichens located on those
were at leasttwo types of Bryoria, perhaps three. fewsquare feet of rockas theywere so abundant. He
They were varying shades of brown and grey with also explained lichens on rocks are less studied than
long thin branching. Apparentlythis genus needs other lichens.
good stand ventilation for healthy growth. Bryoria
lanestriswas a brown colorwithfinerstems common There was a picture book example of Rhizocarpon
in the branching. Bryoria fermontiiwas identified by geographicum, map lichen. We found Umbilicaria
the deep pits atthe base ofthe hairs, although that which was identified byone centralized holdfast
may take a well trained eye to see. Bryoria capillaris (described as a belly button like structure).
was a lightergrey color. Umbilicariaphaea is a smootherspeciesand
Umbilicaria torrefactahas rhizomes thatdo not act as
One leaftype lichen thatwas found was attachments. Other lichens mentionedwere
Tuckermannopsis chlorophylla, a browncolored lichen Ochroiechia upsaliensisand Xanthoriapolycarpa.
similarto the appearance of Parmeliain that it has a
distinct upper and lowersurface. As westarted to This is onlya sample of all thatwas happening, Toby
drift across the road into a mixed stand wesaw was constantlyfielding questions and identifying
another ofthis genus, Tuckermannopsis orbata. samples. He was very comprehensivewhen talking
aboutthe samples There was so much information
YOUNG CONIFERSTAND-One ofthe most to learn and absorb.thatwecould have followed him
common lichen genera in North Americais through the woods for so much longer.
Hypogymnia. It is white on the surface and
6
Winter 2005 SAGE NOTES Quarterly Journalofthe Idaho Native Plant Society - Volume 27 (2)
Nature in the City: What Is It About Web loggers, source of unexpected and
Snowberries?2 untested “information,” include people who have
actually tasted snowberries and lived to tell
By Sarah Walker about it. One person stated that snowberries
taste like “bitter Ivory soap.” From all the mention
Tthheeirrew’hsistoemneetshsi?nTgheoidrdwaebirodutsspnoonwgbyertreixetsu.reI?s it oisf nsontowabdevrirsye’d!s poisonous consequences, tasting
Snowberries are just plain odd-looking: plump
and waxy with a brown stain on top from the left-
over flower base (described as a ‘nipple’ in
some plant guides).
Landscapers like this easily-grown native
shrub, although it’s invasive and can form
thickets. Its decorative white berries ripen in
early fall, side by side with the last of the
summer’s small pink flowers. Then the berries
(or “drupes,” the term for fleshy fruits with pits,
like cherries) remain on the leafless, twiggy
plantfor most of the winter (the rest of the
year, snowberry is a pretty non-descript
shrub). Gardeners are on the lookout for
plants that provide winter interest after flowers
and leaves are gone, and new cultivars are
being developed that are less invasive.
Aboriginal peoples had second thoughts
about snowberry. Some Canadian tribes
called them “corpse” berries, focusing on the
ghostly aspect of the white drupes. They
regarded the berries as food for people in the
Land of the Dead. Other groups used
snowberry as medicine, but with caution: a
little might cure an upset stomach, too much
could cause diarrhea and vomiting. The
remedy for this was to eat large quantities of
lard, or grease. Snowberry poultice was used
to soothe sore eyes.
Children are often told to avoid white berries.
This is pretty good advice, because poison ivy
has white berries.
sPlnaonwtbegruridyeibsotookxsicutsouahlulmyamnesntbiuotnetdhiabtle for TWghhhoiesttuesnsuoysrmubcaoollrwiphzsieetssepibnueroirttryhi,eerscslo.efansPlnhioonwtebosegsrrraaynp,dhisbnayfMeSotasyrcaoinhws'WsoamlBkeeerrcm.ulatnurePsa,rkb.ut
birds and mammals. The snowberry bushes in
Berman Park are bearing lovely clumps of
Thomas Jefferson was crazy about snowberry.
berries this winter, but during December’s Big
Freeze, none were eaten. Now, they are brown He grew it in his Monticello garden from seeds
Lewis and Clark brought from Idaho. He
and squishy, and smell like an apple that got left
out in the car in very cold weather. As winter declared that snowberry has “some of the most
progresses, birds might get less choosey and beautiful berries I have ever seen.” Lewis, the
explorer-botanist, wrote a pretty bland
wtiankteera,nliiknetesrneostwbinerbreyrrioresmsotiulnltaaviainlaabslhe.i(nOrl,ate description of the white berries while he was
maybe city birds are so well-fed atfeeders that catching up on his field notes at Fort Clatsop
they don’t pay much attention to wild foods). during the cold, rainy winter of 1805/1806: “a
globular berry as large as a garden pea and as
white as wax” and inside is “a soft white
musilagenous [Lewis’s spelling] substance.”
2 Reprinted from CommunityNews, the Newsletter
ofthe Moscow Food Coop, Moscow, Idaho.
7
Winter 2005 SAGE NOTES Quarterly Journalofthe Idaho Native Plant Society - Volume 27 (2)
Snowberry is called Symphoricarpos albus and
there are two varieties native to North America.
Western plants are called variety laevigatus and
eastern plants are variety albus. Snowberry is
despread in the west, but considered
endangered in some eastern states. The plants
thatwere brought to England in 1817, as cover
for game birds, were the western variety; our
snowberry is now naturalized in Britain.
Around Moscow snowberry grows in parks,
native plant gardens, and restoration projects. It
grows quickly, and spreads.
Clusters of snowberries catch my eye when I’m
W
out on winter walks. hite berries under white
clumps of snow may go unnoticed, but sunshine
makes this tone-on-tone arrangement suddenly
look interesting. The matte, dull snowberry skin,
and the bright, icy snow crystals, reflect light
differently, showing us the differentvalues of the
two whites. White snowberries have a subtle
and unexpected beauty compared to the brilliant
red, purple, orange or blue of most berries.
sEndiotwobresrrNioetse:aSraoruanhdWMaolskceorwisaknedepPiencgkatno seeyee iofntheyget
eaten by birds thiswinter. She relieson Canadian
Ethnobotanist NancyTurnerforinformation on native uses of Image of Ute ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis)
pelxapnltasi,nianngdtshehesutbhtalnetkisesarotfistwhSiatre.ah Swett ofMoscowfor o(EnltehoechFaorritsHraolslteBlloatttao)mcsominmuanwiatnyd.erPihnogtosgpriakperhuysh
by C. Davis.
News and Notes
Ute Ladies’-tresses Discovered on the (Eupatorium maculatum var. bruneri). The Idaho
Fort Hall Indian Reservation Native PlantSociety currently lists spotted
joepyeweed as State Priority 1. Itis currentlyonly
known to occuron the Fort Hall Bottoms in Idaho.
By Cleve Davis
Northwest Scientific Association Annual
This pastAugust discoveredthree newpopulations
of Ute ladies’-tresIses (Spiranthes diluvialis) onthe Meeting - March 2006, Boise
Fort Hall Bottoms. Dr. Karl Holte, emeritus curator of
tcohleleRcatyionJ.aDtatvhiesIhdearhboarMiuums,euanmdofI vNeartiufrieadltHhiestory. TAshseoc2i0a0t6ioannwniullalocmceuertiinngcoonfjutnhcetNioonrtwhiwtehsNtoSrctihewnteisftic
Ute ladies’-tresses has long been suspected to occur Lichenologists and Idaho Chapter and Northwest
on the Fort Hall Bottoms and is now known to occur in Section ofThe Wildlife Society, March 6 - 8, 2006, at
Bingham County, Idaho. There is also potential the Grove Hotel in Boise. The theme ofplenary
habitatforthisspecies in Bannock County, Idaho. sessions is Science, NaturalResource Management,
andthe Public Good: Towards aDemocracyof
This plant species is listed as threatened underthe Information andManagement. Special symposia and
Endangered Species Act, and is currently under workshops will focus on highways and wildlife, lichen
reviewfor de-listing bythe US Fish and Wildlife identification, thefuture of sagebrush conservation
Service. This is the firsttime the Shoshone-Bannock and management, and emerging threats of energy
Tribes haveeverconsidered rare plant conservation and recreation development. Numerous
and the Fort Hall Business Council is now reviewing presentations will be given on adiverse range of
riparian area management ofthe Fort Hall Bottoms to topics, including botany and plant ecology. Early
protectthis orchid. registration closesJanuary 30. For more information
orto registerforthe meeting navigate to
In addition to discovering Ute ladies’-tresses, I also http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/org_NWS/NWSci_Home.
found afewpopulations of spotted joepyeweed htm or http://www.ictws.org/updates.