1996 Utah Native Plant Society Annual Compliations

8/9/2019 1996 Utah Native Plant Society Annual Compliations

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VOL. 19NO.1

Jan 3Wed700 m

Jan 24Wed700 pmFeb 1Thur1200noon1:30 pmFeb 7WedTOO pm

Duane At woodAndrew BoyackShennanBroughRick CollinsRobert FittsBen FranklinDave GardnerDick HildrethAlyce h h aLucy Jordan

JAN FEB 1996CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Salt Lake Chapter Meeting. Glen Beagle from Lone Peak Nursery will be ourguest speaker. Lone Peak Nursery is associatedwith the Utah State Prison and theyraise trees for reforestation and plants forresettling. Also a projectof interest is theponds and riparian plants they useat the nursery to clean the run-off water.University of Utah, Law BIdg. Watch for your blue card to give a room anddirections.Red Butte Garden and Arboretum will present guest speaker Lauren Springerauthor of The UndawitedGardner.The program is held attheCottam VisitorCenter, Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, 300Wakara Way, Salt Lake City. Fee ischarged.Red Butte Garden and Arboretum Thursday Garden Get Togethers' topic isBald Mountain Wildflowers, Uintas.This isone ofthe free lectureseries presentedby Red Butte and will be given by William King,UintasTourCoordinatorof theWasatch Rock Garden Society. Garden Admittance fee is required. RedButteGarden and Arboretum,300Wakara Way, SLC.Salt Lake Chapter Meeting. Brian Getzelman from Arbor Care will speak onthe topic ofBrian's Favorite Shade Treesfor Utah. Brian says his favorites change,but you will get his pick at present.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS801-625-5599 (W)801-278-8596 (h)801-943-6183 (h)801-489-6937

T h e w MeyerDave OkelbenyRichard PageBrent ShipleyFrank SmithJo StolhandDoug StoneLeila Shultz (honorary)Kaye Thorne (honorary)


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LATEX IN P LA N T DEFENSEby Robert Fitts

White erupted from th e broken dandelion stem.was back at my old sport of pulling apart plants andwatching latex come ut. I did this as a preschoolchild and i t still tempts me. What is the whte stuff inmany plants, and why does it squirt out uponinjury? Why is it more abundant in some parts of theplant, especially the influorescence? Old questions,and I wasn't the first to ask them.Latex is in a pressurized system of tubes, and itcoagulates on the surface of an injury. The analogywith blood in thearteries of animalswas so strongthat botanists 200 years ago gave it a term then usedfor animal fluids, latex. Many of the biologists ofthat day were also physicians, so the name latexseemed natural. They also were interested becausethe latexof some plants had medicinal properties.When it was later learned that the latex system didnot function o circulate the essential nutrients fo r lifeas blood does, the function question remained.Some hought the special latex cells (laticifers) werelike a garbagedum p for metabolic waste. Othersthought on more ecological lines and speculated thatthey were adefense system.Latex of most plants is found in specialized cellscalled laticifers. Ladders form an extensiveinterconnecting network within some plants. Inother plants they parallel the wscular sys ern inmultiple orelongate single cells. The ells arespecialized to secrete the many chemicals found inthe latex. One esearcher found the secretory powerof the laticifersof the rubber tree. DN A for making aprotein was added to a rubber tree cells. W h e n hecells were propagated and grown into rubber trees,the protein was found in abundance in the laticifers,but was rare throughout the rest of the plant.The hemical in plant latex that first comes omind is rubber. This s an organic chain that givesthe property of coagulation to this type of plantfluid. Dropping milkweed latex into an acid solutionwill coagulate the rubber into tiny balls. Moleculesthat break down bacterial cell walls arc found inlatex, but specially adapted bacteria live in thelaticifers of rubber trees. Chitinase is a chemical thatbreaks down the cell walls of fungi and the skeletonsof insects. It is found in several forms in the latex ofmany plants. Thea1kaloids of plant latex arcnoteworthy in the opium poppy. The HandbookofPlant Alkaloids lists many plants as sourcesofdrugs, including morphine in our native pricklypoppy. Cardenoloidsare the chemicals that protectmonarch butterflies from predators. Milkweedscontain cardenoloids throughout the plant, but theyare highly concentrated in the latex and accumulate inthe bodies of monarch butterfly caterpillars as theyfeed.

Imagine being an insect herbivore on a latexbearing plant. How will you make a meal of a plantthat may glue your jaws together, or permanent1ystickyou to the surface? You might also be poisonedby toxic alkaloids, have your body parts digested byan enzyme, orhave your digestive tract turn to solidrubber.Lettuce plants have laticifers very close to thesurface. They are especially abundan t on the flowerbuds, bracts and pedicels. Aphid legs are glueddown by the erupting latex, or they may.have theirwings stuck together. White flies are somewhatbetter off, with a coating of powdery, waxy scaleson their bodies. Many more of them will escapethan aphids, but they still prefer to feed on the lowerparts of the plant where they are less likely to betrapped. Aphids and whiteflies avoid the laticiferswhen feeding by piercing their mouth parts into thephloem in between the laticifers. But what aboutinsects that chew rather than suck plant juices?Insects adapted to eat plants with latex may cutthe laticifen below the point where they wish to feedand release the pressure. Thenasty latex will drainand the insect can feed above. If the plant haslaticifers along the veins, the insect will chew there,but if the plant has an interconnecting network oflatex ducts, the insect must cut a trench at the baseofa leaf where i t wishes to feed and release the latex.Woolly bear caterpillars can sense he presence oflatex in a leaf and will refuse to eat if it is present.However, if a monarch caterpillar s placed on thesame leaf and does its vein cutting activity to releasethe latex pressure, the woolly bear will sense hat it'ssafe and have a meal. Experimenters have placeddrops of latex in front of a feedingmonarchcaterpillar,which will return to the base of the leaf todo some vein cutting.Thepresence of a defensive ductwork oflaticifers is important in the natural selection ofplants. Botanists studying the importance oflaticifers have found greater speciation among groupsof plants with this defensive mechanism than amongclosely related groups of plants without them.Look or plants with latex in the grocery store(lettuce, bananas and onions), while in your garden(periw inkles, poinsettias), or in many wild plants.Families with latex include many of the Asteraceae,Apinaceae , Euphorbiamieand Asclepiadaceae.

Further readingFarrell, 3.. . Dussourd, C. Mitter. 1991.Escalation of plant defense:Do latexhesin canalsspur plant diversification? American Naturalist138:881-900.Dussourd,D. R. F. Denno. 1991. Deactivation ofplant defense; correspondence between insectbehavior and secretorycanal architecture.Ecology 72: 1383- 3%.


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CAREX (Sedge)Morphological Features

StemsGrass

With jointed nodes,often hollow,rounded orsomewhat flattenedin cross section.

Spikelets Spikeletsusuallyofor Spikes 2 glumes and 1 ormore florets.Floretsstaminate, pistillateor commonlybisexual with 3stamens and anovary with 3 stigmasthat ripens into acaryopsis (seed).Each floret usuallywith a lemma, and apalea

SedgeWithoutjointednodes, not hollow,often triangular incross section,butrounded inmanyspecies.Spikesof unisexualflowers eachsubtended by a smallflower bractoftencalled a scale.Staminate flowersofusually 3 stamens.Pistillate flowers ofan ovary with 2 or 3stigmas. The ovaryripening into anachene (single seed)which is enclosedina sac or perigynium.

\ 1 PRUITINS CULM

STERILE CULMLEAF SHEATH

Useful Terminologyandrogynous A n inflorescence with the staminateflowersborne above the pistillate flowers.auricle. A small ear-like appendage.bract / glume A reduced leaf-like structure at th ebase of a spikelet.culm A stemfloret A small flower or a flower in a dense clusteof flowers.gynaecandrous A n inflorescence with the pistillatflowers borne above the staminate flowers.monoecious Rowers imperfect, with pistillate andstaminate flowers on the same plant.perigynium a scalelike bract enclosing the pis i1pistillate Having pistils (female reproductiveorgans) but no stamens (male reproductiveorgans).rachis A stem-like structure that supports theinflorescence.rachilla A small rachis.spike A n unbranched inflorescence with flowersmaturing from the bottom upward.spikelet A flower cluster.staminate..Havingstamens male reproductiveorgans)but no pistils (female reproductiveorgans).

floret

spike


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staminatespike pistillatespike gynaecanhwspike androgynousspike

REPRESENTATIVE PERlGYNtA OF CAREX

C eleocharis C hoodii G stipata C canescens


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CAREX L. Sedge UTM1 Spikes solitary, the perigynia attached directly to the rachis ........ XXT 11 Spike s more than one, sometimes densely congested into a head that resembles

a solitary spike , the perigynia attached to a rachilla and the rachillaattached to the rachis2 Terminal spike staminate

3 Lower spikes staminate or androgynous; inflorescence mostly sp ike l ikeor headlike ..................................................... KEY 2

3 Lower spikes pistillate; inflorescence often not particularly s p i k e l i k eor headlike4 Stigmas 2; achenes lenticular; pistillate scales often black orblack-purple or w i t h blackish lines flanking a greenish or palemidstripe, often contrasting with the greenish or stramineous

perigynia .................................................... KBY 64 Stigmas 3; achenes trigonous; pistillate scales often greenish orbrownish, of If blackieh then usually about the same color as the....................................................erigynia KEY 7

2 Terminal spike androgynous or gynaecandrous; lower spikes also androgynousor gynaecandrous5 Stigmas 3 ; achenes trigonous; inflorescence with 3-5 (rarely more)spikes, these often subtended by a leaf-like bract; terminal spike

gynaecandrous; lateral spikes mostly all pistillate; pistillate scalesblack or blackish purple ........................................ KEY 55 Stigmas 2; achenes lenticular; inflorescence commonly with more than 58pikes ox else the pistillate 8cale8 paler than above, not subtended by

a leaflike bract (except in c. -1 spike8 mostly allandrogynous, all gynaecandrous, or some or all of them unisexual.6 Spikes androgynous or unisexual .............................. KEY 26 Spikes gynaecandrou~

7 Perigynia round-margined, not winged, not conspicuouslyflattened, mostly less than 3 .5 nun l o n g ; scales pale green tobrown; inflorescence commonly less than 2 cm long and/or less...............han 1 cm wide; plants mostly of wet places XEY 37 Perigynia wing-margined, often conspicuously flattened, sometimeslonger than above; scale^ commonly brown to dark brown, oftenwith a green midrib; inflorescence often longer and/or wider thanabove (a arge section of the genus w i t h many look-a-likes CTY 4

Keys referred to above are those of A U t a h Flora (Welsh et al. 1987, 1993).Numbers of keya are also the same as those in Uinta Basin Flora (Goodrich &Neese 1986). Illustrated treatments of the genus that included species of Utahare found in Cronquist et 8l (1977) and Hermann (1970).Reference

Cronquist, Arthur; Holmgren, Arthur H; Holmgren, Noel H; Reveal, James L;Holmgren, Patricia K. 1977. Intermountain flora. Vol 6 . Mew York. MY:Columbia University Press. 584 p .Goodrich, Sherel; Neese, Elizabeth; 1986. U i n t a Basin Flora. Ogden, UT: U.S.Department of Agriculture, F o r e s t Service, Region Four. 320 p.Hermann, Frederick J. 1970, Manual of the Carices of the Rocky Mountains andColorado Basin. Agriculture Handbook No. 374. US. Department of Agriculture,Forest Service. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 397 p .Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, H. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C. 1987. AUtah Flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs Ho. 9 . 894 p .Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, K. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Biggins, Larry C. 1993. AU t a h Flora, second ed, revised. Prom, UT; Print Services, Brigham YoungUniversity. 986 . p .


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The following is a test. This is a drawing taken from the Intennountain Flora.Use the key which has beenprovided to deternine which key ( 1 -7) should keusedmx~,f this part was easy you can getoutyourFloraa d ttempt to spiate this Carex.The answerwill k n he last pageof the newsletter.

A special thanks to Shere1Goodrich, botanist for the Ashley NationalForestDistrict, forproviding pictures,information and keys.This was meant tobe only an ntroduction to the genusCarex, more terminologyand stemand root characteristicswould be necessary for spedationof most plants.


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N A V A JO SEDGE( C A R E X SP ECU I CO L A)Members of the Inscription House Chapterof the Navajo Nation know this plant as"yellow hay" an d "food or the animals"andareaware that it is a riparian plant. They saythat th e species wasonce widespread, even inthe lowlands, wherever water was abundant.

(NavajoSedge Recovery Plan).What happened to the Navajo sedge to put it onthe endangered species list? A couple of word cluesare given in the preceding quotation. 1) "Food foranimals". Increased grazing pressure has greatlyreduced plant numbersat accessible sites. The sedgegrows n hanging gardens, wet alcoves and NavajoSandstone seeps. A wet spot in an otherwise aridcountry attracts grazing animals which then forage onthe carex. In one of these sites a corral had been builtenclosing the animals with the sedge. 2) Tipariann.The Navajo sedge requires water and is at times n a

losing competition for water with animals.Water hadbeen diverted for cow troughsat one of the sites.The Navajo Sedge is endemic to the NavajoNation and was first collected along the InscriptionHouse Ruin Trail in Coconino County, Arizona in1948by J.T.Howell. O ther small populations in thevicinity were located in th e 1980sand one of thesewas across he Utah border in San Juan County,Utah. This Carex is found in hanging gardensranging from sheer cliff walls to alcoves. Someofthe associated species found with it are monkeyflower (Mitnuiuseastwoodhe), he1leborine(Epipaclis gigantea), water bentgrass (Agrostisserniverticillata),sand blues ern (Andropugonhallii),thistle (Cirsiutn sp.),and a reed (Phragmiiescornnunis).Carex specuicola is a slender, perennial forb, 2.5to 4.5 dm 10-18 inches ) high. The triangular stemextends from an elongate, slender rhizome. Theleaves are pale green, 1-2mm (


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UNPS -GO LILYc / o JO StolhandUtah N a t i v e P l a n t SocietyP . O . Box 5 2 0 0 4 1Salt Lake City, UT 8 4 1 5 2 - 0 0 4 1Address Correction Requested

vAID

VOLUNTEERSTheUNPS is looking for volunteers. We eed anew chapter president for the Salt Lake Chapter. Themain duty is to conduct meetingsand arrange for

speakers for the meetings. The job can be furtherexpanded according to interest .The SaltLakeChapter isalso seeking an individual to organize fieldtrips, but not necessarily to lead them. Anyoneinterested in filling one of these posts or any othershould contact Brent ShipIey (801-268-260).Brent asPresident of UNPS s alsomaking hisgoal this year to add new chapters to the UNPS. olets hear from some of our members in Provo,Moab, St GeorgeICedar City , and other placesthroughout the state. W e need your help.Volunteers need not be professional botanist.Many of our chapter presidents have not been. If youhave some organizational skills, like peopleandplants, you are probably just who we are lookingfor.

Red Butte Garden and Arboretum is also lookingforvolunteers as educational docents, horticulturdaides, and visitor center assistants. Contact SusanFOX 801-585-5688).

Answer to the testKey7 Carexrosfrata

Membership ApplicationNew Member 0 enewal Gift

Name

Street

Zip PhoneIf Gift. from:Check Membership category desired:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .tudent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .senior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ndividual

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Household

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sustaining. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .upporting Organization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .orporate S250.0C

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-1 Lifetime S1-1 Please send a complimentary copy of the Sego l i l y 10 theindividual.Please enclose a check, payable to Utah Native Plant Society, anit to:

MembershipUtah Native Plant SocietyP.O. Box 52004 1Salt Lake City, Utah 84152-0041

( I f you prefer not to cut this out of your Sego my, eel free tothe membership form or simply write the intonnation down andwith payment tor the category of membership.)


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VOL. 19 NO. 2

Duane At woodAndrew BoyackSherman BroughRick CollinsRobert Fit&Ben FranklinDave GardnerDick HildrethAlyce HrehaLucy Jordan

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

No meetings or functions scheduled.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS80 -655599 W)801-278-8596 (h )801-943-6183h)801-489-6937

ThereseMeyerDave OkelberryRichard PageBrent ShipleyFrank SmithJo St01handDoug SioneLeila Shultz (honorary)Kaye Thome (honorary)


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Update: Society MembersPlot a Species' ComebackBy Nick Van PeltThe Nature Conservancy of UtahSpanish Fork Canyon, in Utah Countybetween Provo and Price, has one of thecountry's rarest plants. It's the day phacelia, orPhacelia argillaceae, in the waterleaf family(Hydrophyllaceae). Dr. Duane Atwoodrediscovered it in 1980. Justa few dozen plantscling to shale hillsides at three locations westof Soldier Summit. The Nature Conservancyhas protected two of the populations at its 70-acre preserve near the highway rest stop.Following an alarming drop in numbers toless than 10 a few years ago, this lovely,purple-flowered phacelia has reboundedinside a high fence. It also is federally listed asEndangered. However, professional surveyshaven't turned up more than a handful ofnew plants anywhere else. None of thosegrow on the Uinta National Forest, who s eemployees are friends of rare and endangeredspeaes.Members of the species' "Recovery Team" andthe UNPS think it's time to try growing seedsor seedlings at new locations in the canyon.Lori Armstrong studied some likely spots forher Master's degree research at BrighamYoung University. She and staff of the RedButte Garden and Arboretum have a lot ofseed on hand. Therese Meyer of the Red Buttestaff has gotten some of those to take root andflower in the greenhouse. Dr. Kim Harper ofBYU has shared his thoughts about carefulexperimental plantings. He'd like to recruit aconservation biology student for this excitinginitiative.A January meeting in Provo brought most ofthe important players together for a strategysession. The Uinta's staff awaits a proposal forNational Environmental Policy Act clearanceand wants to help out in the coming monthsand years. Fish and Wildlife Service BotanistLarry England continues his dedication to thephacelia by seeking funds for th ereintroduction project.

The day phacelia won't be off the emergencylist anytime soon, but with luck anddetermination it will again be a prosperous,abundant "citizen" of the busy Highway 6corridor. Thanks to Forest Service ecologistDea Nelson and Spanish Fork District RangerTom Tidwell for lining up the meeting andpledging vital support!

Milkweeds in Utah:The Incest Taboo,WhereThey Live,And How to Eat Themby Dr.TyHarrisonAssoc. Professor of BiologyWestminster College, January 1996When we study the methods by which flowersattract their pollinators and then reward themfor this service, we assume that thepollinator's task is to transfer pollen from oneplant to another. Scientists call it outbreedingand this provides important genetic variation,so important in a world of changingenvironments. This allows natural selectionto mold the genetic basis of a species to copebetter with the problems of survival andreproduction.When the flower ploy was invented by theforerunners of today's flowering plants andthe male and female organs were for the firsttime brought together within one structure, amajor problem was created. The animalvisitors to those flowers were as likely topollinate the female parts of that flower withpollen from the same flower as they were tobring in and deposit pollen from a flowervisited previously. If a flower is fertilized bysperm from its own pollen, or indeed by thatfrom pollen coming from another flower onthe same plant, many of the advantages ofsexual reproduction are lost as the offspringexhibit very little variation. So plants haveevolved all kinds of mechanisms forpromoting outbreeding. One of these is to setup barriers between the male and femalestructure in one flower. Excellent examples ofthis spatial separation of male and femaleflower parts are found in the orchid family(Orchidaceae)


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--CROSS-POLLINATIONOF MILKWEED

TRANSLATOR arms iwisl during ftighi

you don't have to travel to theto study or observe this in the exoticAll you have to do is find some(genus Asclepias in the familyhere in Utah. In both thesepollen is packed into fairly hardwith a wax-like appearance calledIn the milkweeds these are storedsafely in the central column of thewhich is formed by the fused anthersthe style, and they can only be pulled outa very special procedure. The centralof the separate milkweed flower isand flattopped (see the accompanyingThe anthers are fused into a ringvertical slits between. At the top of eachthere is a clasp, the translator, which isto the pollinia. A bee, butterfly, orbeetle, may insert a leg or proboscisthe slit (labeled A in the accompanyingand become entangled in the clasp.a powerful insect species such as abee or butterfly will have the strength

pull itself free, dragging with it the pollmia.insects may not escape from the claspwill die on the flower. As I have beenmilkweeds for cooking I have seenhoney bees trapped by the leg on theOnce extracted, the arms of theautomatically twist and the pollenare ready to be deposited on the stigmaf another flower. The pollen grains in thewill ultimately fertilize s e v e r a lovules in the milkweed pod to

Drawines bv Michael Woods in Sex Life of Flowers, 1984.OxfordS a . Films.become the numerous seeds later releasedwith their parachutes.Some Utah MilkweedsUtah has several interesting species ofmilkweeds scattered around the state. In thisarticle I will discuss only two of the mostcommon species and two relatively rare orinfrequent species. The most common by far isthe showy milkweed or common milkweed(Asclepias speciosa). As the name implies thisspecies has a number of very large, sphericalflower dusters toward the top of the plant.These flower dusters are the largest of any ofthe milkweed species. The showy milkweed isfound throughout western North Americaand the Great Plains states from northernTexas to southern British Columbia. Theplants are often found in moist areas alongstreams, ditchbanks and old irrigated fieldsthroughout our state. Because of itsrhizomatous habit it spreads and sproutsprofusely and can become weedy. Howeverthis species is one of the most delightful andabundant for collecting and eating throughthe year, first early in the spring as a green,later in the summer as flowers, and then laterwhen the pods are young. But be careful. Theymust be boiled to extract the cardiac glycosidepoison in the shoots and leaves. Also youmust be extremely careful no to confuse the


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milkweeds with their relatives the dogbanes(Apocynum) which are too poisonous to eat.In addition, Asclepias spesiosa is one of thef amou s milkweeds which attracts theMonarch butterfly to lay her eggs in thesummer. We have a fairly sizeable clumpgrowing in our backyard herb garden that Ienjoy watching each year. It magicallyappeared,probably out of the sky, in our yard anumber of years ago and my wife, Judy,hasbeen protecting it ever since. She has anextreme empathy for foundings, both plantand animal. Last summer a lone femaleMonarch butterfly found this isolated plant inthe middle of Sandy City. Carefully, she tastedwith her front legs to see i f this was the properplant to lay her eggs on, and then placed onthe undersides of ten to twelve leaves,perfectly spherical, white pearl eggs tingedwith green. I carefully marked the leaveshaving butterfly eggs with plastic twist ties,intending to watch the young caterpillarshatch, eat and grow. I distinctly remembersuch an exercise done over forty years ago inmy first grade class in a small rural schoolcalled Crescent Elementary. Our teacher, Mrs.Peterson, had us draw with crayons the lifecycle of the Monarch butterfly from firsthandobservation, complete with a written story ofour field trip down the country lane to findth e milkweed and the beautiful yellow, whiteand black striped caterpillar. We fed it everyday, and then watched the astoundingtransformation of the chrysalis into t h eelegant orange and black Monarch butterfly.is powerful stuff for a first grader. Veryevent could havemy becoming a

But back to the story of last summer.none of the eggs hatched a n d in factof them disappeared from under theleaves, probably eaten by variousscavenging insects like lady bugs o r

kweed sprou ts will be even morein the garden. The more importantwill be whether the Monarch will flysecond species of some nterest is the Spideror Antelope-horns ( A x l e p i a s

asperula).Unlike the Showy Milkweed, thisnative species is found in dry upland areasalong the western foothills of the Wasatchand in almost all of the low e l e va t i oncounties of Utah. It grows from northernMexico and southern California, east t oKansas and Oklahoma, and north tosoutheastern Idaho. The populations alongthe Wasatch are therefore near the northernlimits of its distribution in the Western US..With its deep taproot it grows in the desertshrub, mountain brush and pinyon-junipercommunities. The name antelope hornscomes from the pairs of slender seed podswhich stand upright on the stems growing insmall clumps amoung the rock and grasses. Ithas small clusters of fair ly large,uniquegreenish flowers whose petals are not reflexedas in most other milkweeds.Another much less common Utah milkweedis one which I first observed in Lincoln,Nebraska, growing near springs on a tallgrassprairie preserve. This is the Swamp Milkweed(Asclepias i nca rna t a ) . As the Latin nameimplies, the flowers which top th e five to sixfoot stems are a beautiful rose-red. Thecommo n name tells us that it is only found inmarshes and often considered semi-aquatic.This mainly eastern milkweed species isfound throughout the Eastern andMidwestern states from Texas to Nova Scotia.In Utah it is found only in the northernwetlands west of the Wasatch Front fromCache Valley and Brigham City to Provo. It isin scattered locations in southern Idaho andWyoming. This is what we would call adisjunct species, hundreds of miles away fromthe main continuous populations and foundhere in Utah at the extreme limit of itswestern distribution in North America. (Seealso the similar distribution pattern for thebutterfly weed, below). How and when did aclearly eastern species get here in Utah? Theseare impor tan t u n a n s w e r e d plantbiogeographic questions. I was happy torediscover the swamp milkweed recently i nan ungrazed pasture along the Jordan Rivernear 9000 South in Salt Lake County. I think itmay be more abundant in the marshes ofUtah County around Utah Lake and in thefresh water springs and marshes of Davis and


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Weber County. But given the heavy impact ofgrazing and draining on our native marshflora it may be less common now than whatour herbarium collections show. This speciesmay have horticultural value, but I havenever seen it in cultivation. The stems may betoo tall and weak and need the support ofsurrounding marsh vegetation.A fourth native Utah milkweed species whichdoes have important horticultural value isthe Butterfly Weed or Pleurisy Root(Asclepias tuberosa). Again I learned thismilkweed as a wildflower of the midwesterntallgrass prairie. It grows throughout theeastern half of the U.S. nd from southeasternCanada to northern Mexico. TheIntermountain Flora (1984, vol. 4) says:"Butterfly weed is one of the most widelydispersed and frequent, as well as on of themost beautiful wild flowers of temperateNorth America." I concur. Its wonderful,large, flat topped clusters of smallish yellow-orange to red-orange flowers attractinnumerable pollinating bees and butterflies.It is one of the few milkweeds which lacks thecharacteristic milky white latex in vessels ofthe leaves and stem. Apparently no oneknows why. Growing among the clumps oftall grasses, it is a summer favorite of prairierestorationists in the Midwest. Ten years ago Iwas shocked to find out that it was a nativeUtah species but found only in the far tier ofcounties across southern Utah along theVirgin, San Juan and Colorado Riverdrainages. It apparently grows in desert shrubcommunities on rocky slopes as well as inmoist to moderately sandy or gravelly soils inopen ponderosa pine, oak, or pinyon/ juniperhabitats. What is a tallgrass prairie wild flowerdoing in the desert of southern Utah? I havenever seen it growing wild in Utah. HoweverI do have one cultivated plant purchased froma nursery growing in my yard in Sandy. Ithasn't flowered and probably coming from apraire seed source probably doesn't like theUtah climate very much. I suspect that ournative butterfly weed would grow much betterin cultivation, but I have never seen its flowercolor variations and have never been able tocollect seed from the southern Utah plants. Ifanyone sees this plant, please let me know, or

collect seed later in the year. It is apparentlyquite easy to germinate and grow. Theethnobotany of the butterfly weed is quiteinteresting. The enlarged tuberous root ofolder plants has been used extensively bytribes of native Americans for lung relatedillnesses, hence the common name of pleurisyroot. The dried root was often smoked fo r thispurpose and some books say the root waschewed fo r bronchitis and other respiratoryproblems.Eating MilkweedsIf you are interested in early spring wildgreens, and since wild asparagus inincreasingly rare a s county d i chbanksdisappear underneath subdivisions, milkweedgreens are for you. The taste is worth thetrouble. It's difficult to describe, somethinglike green beans but with a taste all of theirown. All you have to do is locate and collectthe newly emerged six to eight inch shootswith several pair of young expanding leaves.The shoots are boiled for several minutes eachin three changes of boiling water. It helps tohave an extra pot of boiling water handywhen you drain and change the water. Sincethese are gathered early in the spring youmust be positive that they are indeed theshowy milkweed. The shoots of the hempdogbane (Avocynum cannabinurn) which arevery poisonous, possibly even when cooked,look similar to milkweed in the early stage ofspring growth. So be sure you can positivelyidentify both species at all the growth stagesbefore you try to eat them.The following milkweed recipe is one of myfavorite wildfood recipes. The pods can begathered in quantity in June or July afterlocating a sizeable patch of the showymilkweeds in a pasture or along a ditchbank.Be sure that pesticides have not been used inthe vicinity. They can be cooked and used asdescribed or can be frozen for mid-winter use,I use the smallest pods for the Pod Pickles.They are much like capers but better. Enjoy!Milkweed Pod Pickles3 quarts fresh young milkweed pods6 small chilies


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doves garlic, peeled4 cup celery seed 4 cup mustard seedteaspoons dill seedcups apple cider vinegarcups waterto 3 teaspoons salttablespoons granulated sugarpods in a pot, cover with boiling water,gently 5 min., drain (discard water), repeatCool pods. Sterilize 6 pint jars.chili seeds under running water,each jar put 1garlic, 1 chili, 2each mustard seed and celery seeds, 1 tsp.seed. Pack pods tightly into jars. Stirwater, salt and sugar in large pot, heatboiling, continue cooking 2-3 minutes untilis dissolved. Pour ove r pods1/ inch headspace. Seallids and bands, process 1 0 minutes in

water bath. Allow to mellow one

Life of Flowers (1984) by B. Meeuse and S.Oxford Sci. Films Facts on File, N.Y.Seasons: Gathering and Cooking Wildof the Great Plains (1993) by Kay Young.of Nebraska Press.THE HREATENEDSPECIESASCLEPIAS WELSH11

Brent C Palmer, Ph.D.

milkweed, Asck@s welshii N.& P.which is federally listed aswas recognized and described in

based on a collection from the Coral PinkDunes made in 1978. Eleven yearsin 1967, the species was prominentlyin a scene from the movie, "TheRide Home", starring Glenn Ford andHamilton. The movie was filmed nearand included the Coral Pink Sandas part of the setting. The scenea gunfight in which the victimsdown the face of a sand dune over aof A. wetshii. This setting,

on the brow and face of the sand dunes, ischaracteristically the habitat for the largest,most vigorously growing colonies of A .we l sh i i .In the mature state A. welshii is a robust plantthat could be mistaken fo r one of the otherbroad-leaved milkweeds, hence its ratherrecent recognition as a distinct species. Inaddition to distinctive morphological featuresof the plant itself, its habitat also serves to setA. welshii apart from other similar species.A. welshii is a pioneer herbaceous perennialspecies that is apparently restricted to sanddunes in Southern Utah and NorthernArizona at elevations above 5000 feet. Fourknown locations where the species existsinclude an area West of Page, Arizona; twoadjacent populations straddling the Utah-Arizona border in the Paria Wilderness area;the Sand Hills near Kanab Creek North of US.Highway 89; and the nearby Coral Pink SandDunes West of Kanab. The populations at thefirst three locations are small and seem to bediminishing or barely holding their own. Onthe Coral Pink Sand dunes, however Thepopulation is large and healthy. The speciesoccurs on dunes within the Coral Pink SandDunes State Park, but it is much moreabundant on the BLM administered portion ofthe dunes Northeast of the Park. It is here thatan ongoing study funded by the BLM hrougha challenge cost-share agreement has beenconducted since 1989. Some of the findings ofthis study are summarized below.The chief means of dispersal of the species isby rhizomes. The rhizomes co 1on z ngunoccupied territory are slender, and produceaerial branches bearing long narrow juvenileleaves similar to those of other narrow-leavedspecies of Asclepias. As the rhizomes age andenlarge they will eventually produce typicalaerial branches bearing broad leaves, and inmany cases, flowers.The aerial stems die backeach autumn. Based on field observations andexperimental plantings the maturationprocess may vary from two to more than sixyears. Once a rhizome becomes large enoughto provide sufficient food reserves it willproduce clumps of mature stems from buds


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near its apex for an indefinite number ofyears, even in the face of competition fromwillows, rabbit brush, and other perennialspecies. In areas with a good cover of otherspecies the spread of A. welshii is severelyrestricted, and stems growing in closeproximity to other species rarely flower or bearfruit. Eventually these plants will succumb othe competition of other species. On the otherhand, if a few stems of A. welshii survive ablowout that removes competing vegetation,the milkweed rapidly spreads to occupy thedevegetated area. Thus it is well adapted to thecontinually changing environment of activesand dunes.In the long run seeds play an important partin survival and dispersal of the species? butspreading rhizomes are more importantoverall. Fruit production fluctuates a greatdeal from year to year. It is largely dependentupon prevailing conditions at pollinationtime. Most flowers are not pollinated and astem usually bears from one to six fruits. Eachfruit contains approximately 50 large, wingedseeds that mature from late August throughearly October. The wings do not aid indispersal but rather help the seed to be caughtand buried in the sand. The seeds remainviable for many years. The germination rateunder experimental conditions has been ashigh(>70%) after six years as after one year.The seeds do not need a ripening period orother special conditions for germination. Infact it is not unusual when collecting seeds tofind some that have germinated inside thefruit before it has begun to open. Thecombination of sufficient moisture a n drelatively warm temperatures (25'-30' C)induce the highest rates of germination.During six years of observation on the sanddunes emerging seedlings have only beenseen in three of those years, and in significantnumbers only twice. In both cases theseedlings emerged during a period from lateJune to early July, and coincided with earlysummer rains that kept the upper levels ofthe dunes moist as the temperature increasedsufficiently. Seed germination does notnormally occur in the early spring becauseeven though there is enough soil moisture,the temperatures are not high enough. This is

probably one of the reasons that seeds seem toplay a minor role in the propagation of thespecies. Most of the seedlings appear within afew inches of the base of the previous year'sfruiting stems. This again indicates that thewings on the seeds play no significant role indispersal.As discussed above, the single most importantfactor affecting the survival of A. welshii isth e stabilization of the dunes by the growth ofsuch species as rabbit brush, oak, willow,juniper, and sagebrush. Permanent study plotsestablished more than six years ago, as well asobservations at the Sand Hills and Statelinesites confirm this. The milkweed thriveswhere the dunes are in a state of flux. On theother hand the movement of large amountsof sand by prolonged periods of strong windssuch as occurred in the spring of 1994 has adetrimental affect by burying some stems, andexposing old deeply buried rhizomes to theextent that they dry out and die. Anotherfactor affecting the survival of A. welshii isdrought. When the sand dries out to a depthof a foot or more young stems? especiallyseedlings, become dehydrated and die.The impact of ATVs on A. welshii is mixed.The sand is loosened by the vehicles andconsequently wind erosion is accelerated sothat the removal of vegetation, including themilkweed along ATV trails is enhanced. Atthe same time surviving milkweed plants inthe vicinity are able to rapidly spread intothese denuded sites where previouslycompetition from other vegetation w a skeeping their growth in check. A. welshii isoften found in or alongside heavily used ATVtrails where the dunes are continually beingdisturbed in this manner and where otherspecies do not become established.Data on ATV usage has been collected by CoralPink Sand Dunes State Park personnel for theentire sand dune area for more than 20 years.These data show that from a peak usage in th e1986-87 fiscal year of 34,519 ATVs the numberhas declined to 13,139 in the 1994-95fiscal year,a decrease of 62%. During the decade of the80's the average annual number of ATVsutilizing the dunes was approximately 21,000.


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Imps SFGO L X Uc/o Jo StolhandUtah N a t i v e Plant SocietyP . O . BOX 520041S a l t L a k e C i t y , UT 84152-0041Address Correction Requested

PERMIT No.327

So far in the 90's the number has fluctuatedbetween about 12,000 and 13,000.The majorityof ATV users come on the major holidays ofEaster, Memorial Day, and Labor day. Stems ofA. welshii have not emerged by Easter and arealready beginning to senesce by Labor day. Soduring two o f the three major use periodsATVs have little or no impact on themilkweed. During the rest of the year usage islight. While data on A.welshii populationshave not been kept during the same period itis likely that there is no correlation betweenATV usage and milkweed numbers. On theother hand there is data to show that specificcolonies are diminishing in areas where i t isdoubtful that an ATV has ever been.Eliminating ATV's from the Coral Pink SandDunes is not the solution for saving Asclepiaswelshii from extinction.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .-] Lifetime Sa Please send a complimentary copy of he Sego Lily to the

individual.Please enclose a check. payable to Utah Native Plant Society, ai t to: Mem betship

Utah Native Plant SocietyP.O. Box 520041Salt Lake City, Utah 84152-004

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Newsletter of the Utah Natiue Plant Socie

VOL. 19 NO. 3

May 11SaturdayMay 17-18Friday-SaturdayMay 18Saturday9:oo-4:oo

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

May 29630PMRed Butte Office, Ft. Douglas

Duane A t woodAndrew BoyackShennan BroughRick CollinsRobert FittsBen FranklinDave GardnerDick HildrethAlyce HrehaLucy Jordan

Fish Springs Migratory Bind OutingSeeNotice InsideMoss IdentificationWorkshopUtah State UniversitySee Notice InsideCelebrateWildfowersUNPS will have abooth at the Monte LBean Museum, Brigham YoungUniversityUNPS Board ofDirectorsMeeting

BOARD OF DIRECTORS801-625-5599 (w )80 -278-8596 (h)801-943-6183 (h)801-489-693780 1-53-4763 w)80 449-3353 (h)80 -581-8936 (W)801-944-2337 (h )801-524-5001 (w )

Them MeyerDave OkelberryRichard PageBrent ShipleyFrank SmithJo StolhandDoug Stoneh i l a SGIE honorary)Kaye Theme (honorary)


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Notes on the reproductive ecologyof Jones cycladeniaSedoniaD. i p sDepartment of Biology, USULogan,UT 4322-5305If you wander by the east side of the San Rafaelswell this spring, or through the circle cliffs areanear the waterpocket fold, you might be luckyenough to see one of Utah's rarest and mostbeautiful wildflowers, Jones cycladenia. You'dneed to be off the beaten path, though, becausethis plant often lives in remote places. It wouldalso help to know a little about the geology ofsouthern Utah, because Jones cycladenia isrestricted to soils formed from only a fewgeologic layers: Near the San Rafael swell, forexample, it is found only on parts of theSurnrnerville formation, a rich chocolate-brownmudstone well-marbled with crystalline gypsum.Further south, in the circle cliffs area of Garfieldcounty, it occurs on the Chide formation,sandwiched between the red Wingate sandstonethat forms the cliffs, and the purple-mottledMoenkopi, whose treacherous slopes protectJones cycladenia from would-be intruders(recreationists,cows, or field biologists) (1).My experience with Jones cycladenia, Cycladeniuhumiks var. jonesii (Apocynaceae), began fiveyears ago when I came to work as a graduatestudent for entomologist Vince Tepedino(USDNARS Bee Lab), who has a long termproject to study the pollination biology of rareplants in the southwestern U.S. Many plants,including rare ones,depend on insect pollinatorsfor seed production. Thus, pollinators of rareplant species must also be considered ifconservation strategies are to be successful. Theobjectives of our studies are to determine thedegree to which these rare plants depend uponpollinators for reproduction, and to discoverwhich animal species carry out pollination. Here Ihave summarized some of our findings on Jonescycladenia,aswell as some onservation concernsI have for this taxon.Jones cycladenia is a perennial endemic knownonly from Southern Utah and Northern Arizona.It reproduces mainly through the spreading ofunderground rhizomes. Although populationsoften flowerheavily in April through June, fewerthan 5%of the flowers typically mature fruit, andno seedlings have ever been observed (2). Fruitset from hand pollinations is also very low, sodetermining the breedingsystem of this taxon has

been a real challenge. We do know that Jonescycladenia requires a pollinator for fruit set:Flowers that are bagged prior to opening and leftunmanipulated never commence fruit set.However, hand-pollinated flowers, whetherselfed or crossed, often appear to commence fruitset but almostalways abort. Of over one hundredflowers subjected to hand-pollination during 1991to 1993, only two selfed flowers and two cross-pollinated flowers produced mature fruit Additionof water to open pollinated plants in 1992did notresult in higher fruit set (2).Like most members of the Apocynaceae, Jonescycladenia exhibits a complex floral morphology(Figure 1). The anthers, which form a tight coneover the stigma, produce pollen only in theirupper half. Pollen dehisces into the chamberformed by the anther cone and the top(unreceptive) portion of the sigma. In this way,the flower avoids automatic self-pollination. Thesides of the stigma exude a sticky substance.Odd1y enough, studies of some other members ofthe Apocynaceae suggest that only the ventralsurface of the stigma is receptive to pollen (3).The pollination mechanism is a "tar and feather"process in which an insect, while wi rhdrawing itstongue after probing the flower for nectar, 1)scrapes pollen from previously visited flowersonto the ventral receptive area of the stigma, 2)draws its tongue through the sticky exudate on thesides of the stigma, and 3) coats its tongue withpollen as it passes through the pollen chamber ontop of the stigma. This pollination mechanismappears to be responsible for one of the mostunusual characteristics of Jones cycladenia: thecarnageof dead insects found in the flowers-Eachyear we have observed, in a small percentage offlowers, bees, flies, and butterflies that have diedapparently after becoming gummed up in thesticky secretions of the flower! The significance(if any) of this entrapment to the reproduction ofJones cycladenia remains a puzzle (2) .Each year, we have collected strikingly differentassemblages of bees, flies, and lepidopteransvisiting Jones cycladenia. Visitors to the flowersare extremely rare, and we are, to date, unable toestablish the relative importance of any of these aspollinators. The Apocynaceae is generallyconsidered to be adapted to pollination bybutterflies and long-tongued bees, insects whicharc not at all abundant on Jones cycladeniai Aninteresting (but probably untestable) hypothesis isthat the original pollinator of Jones cycladenia isno longer found within the plants* distribution,perhaps due to climate change. If this is the case,


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Figure 1. Floral morphology of Jones cycladenia.a = Secretory sides of stigma; b = chamber forsecondary polon presentation; c = anther; d =pollen sacs of anther, e = style; f = ventral surfaceof stigma; g = tissue connecting anther to stigma;h = ovary composed of two partially separatecarpels; I = corolla, split here and spread forviewingthen the taxon may be persisting through its clonalreproduction (2)In search for possible causes of the lowreproductive rate for this taxon, I worked withgeneticist Paul Wolf (USU) to study the clonalstructure and patterns of genetic diversity in Jonescycladenia. We found that populations arecomposed of multiple genetic individuals, exhibitlevels of genetic diversity as high or higher thanother plant species that have been studied, andshow no signs of severe inbreeding (1,4). Themystery of Jones cycladenia remains, and furtherresearch is needed to address other possiblereasons for the low sexual reproduction in thistaxon.Jones cycladenia is currently listed as threatenedunder the federal Endangered Species Act. Thereare numerousreasons why this taxon should be apriority for conservation efforts. First, the genusCycladenia is represented by only one species.Although Jones cycladenia is currently consideredonly a variety of C. hwnilis, evidence suggeststhat it is ecologically and perhaps geneticallydistinct from the rest of the species ( 5 ) . The twoother varieties ofC. humilis are known only fromCalifornia; these taxa are not currently listed on

any sensitive plant lists, but they appear to beuncommon. Most members of the Apocynaceaeare tropical, and the closest relative of Cyclode.&is likely a South American genus such asMandevilla (6). hus,Jones cycladenia possessesa high degree of genetic uniqueness despite itsvarietal status.Second, ones cycladenia is not as abundant as itmay appear by casual observation. The plants areclonal, and generic studies have shown that thenumber of genetic individuals in populations isbetween one and two orders of magnitude lessthan the number of ramets present. Sexualreproduction is infrequent or nonexistent, so thetaxon may have little ability to colonize suitablehabitatFinally, it is worth mentioning that Jonescycladenia may have value even to those amongus with little interest in environmentalconservation. The Apocynaceae is known for theamazing diversity of secondary chemicalcompounds produced by its members. Muchresearch is being carried out on the biochemicaland pharmacological properties of thesecompounds. A relative of Jones cycladenia, therosy periwinkle, is already being usedsuccessfully as a treatment for cancer (7). Whatpotential treatments for our ailments may lieundiscovered in Jones cycladenia we can onlyguess.Today, the main threat to the survival of Jonescycladenia is recreational impact. Populations nearMoab arc favorite stomping grounds for thosemaking the pilgrimage to the "mountain bikeMecca of the West." ORV use in these areas isalso common. East of the San Rafael swell, thelargestknown population of Jones cycladenia hasbeen experiencing increasing recreational usageover the last few years. There are no simplesolutions to these problems. As national parksbecome more crowded, people are turning theirattention to southern Utah's previously unnoticedtreasures. The half dozen or so small populationsin G&eld county are so remote and inaccessiblethat recreational impacts seem unlikely. However,with the paving of the Burr Trail increasing theaccessibility of the area, even this remotewilderness may not remain unspoiled byprogress.Note:Others involved in our research include beesystematist Terry Griswold (USDA/ARS BeeLab), and soil scientist Janis Boettinger (USU),


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who has collaborated on studies of the edaphicrelationships of Jones Cycladenia.References:1. S i p , S.D., .G. Wolf, V. J. Tepedino, andJ. Boettinger. 1994. Final Report: Populationgenetics and ecology of Jones cycladenia. UtahState University. Prepared for the Bureau of LandManagement, Salt Lake City,Utah.2. Sipes, S.D. and V.J. Tepedino. 1995,Pollinator Lost? Reproduction by the EnigmaticJones cycladenia, Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii(Apocynaceae). Proceedings of the SecondSouthwestern Rare and Endangered PlantConference,Sept 11-14, 1995, Flagstaff. AZ. (inpress).3. Albers, P. nd L. .G. van der Maesen. 1994.Pollination of Apocynaceae. Wageningen Agric.Univ. Papers 94-3:63-81.4. Sipes, S .D. and P.G. Wolf. Clonal structureand patterns of allozyme diversity in the rareendemic Cyclodenia humitis var. jonesii(Apocynaceae). Submitted manuscript.5. Wolf, P.G. , .D. ipes, and V. J. Tepedino.1992. Population genetics of Cycladenia h W svar. jonesiit Utah State University. Final reportsubmitted to Bureau of Land Management6. Leeuwenberg, A.J.M. 1994, Taxa of theApocynaceae above the genus level, Series ofrevisionsof Apocynaceae XXXVffl. WageningenAgric. Univ. Papers 94.3: 45-60.7. Zhou, X.. and R.Rahmani. 1992. Reclinicaland clinical pharmacology of vinca alkaloids.Drugs 44 (S uppl. 4): 1 16.

JONES CYCLADENIAJohn R. SpenceNational Park ServiceResource Management DivisionGlen Canyon National RecreationAreaP.O. Box 1507Page, AZ 86040One of the most unusual and interesting plants ofthe southern Utah plateau country is the JonesCycladenia (Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii orCjonesi i ) . Marcus E. Jones first collected thespecies on May 19,1914, at the San Rafael Swell

population. The specieswas named after Jones byAlice Eastwood when she described it in 1942.Jones Cycladenia is a narrowly restricted endemicin the central and western parts of the ColoradoPlateau. It occurs on rather salty clay and gypsumsoils derived from the Chide, Cutler andSummewille formations, at elevations between4,400 and 6,000 feet.Currently, the Jones Cycladenia is known fromfour disjunct localities, three in Utah and one inArizona. The three Utah locations arc in CastleValley, the San Rafael Swell (both on Bureau ofLand Management land), and the Purple Hills inGlen Canyon National Recreation Area and capitolReef National Park. The fourth locality is nearPipe Springs National Monument o n BLM land,in extreme northern Arizona. This location wasfirst discovered in 1882. Attempts to locate thispopulation in subsequent years were unsuccessfuluntil in 1993, 111years later. In 1986 the specieswas officially listed as federally threatened,primarily because of the threats associated with oiland mineral exploration and mining and tar sandsdevelopment.The Jones Cycladenia is a member of the DogbaneFamily (Apocynaceae), It is a perennial,somewhat succulent, herbaceous plant with roundopposite leaves, and relatively showy pink-magenta or rarely white tubular flowers. Stemsrange from 1-2 inches up to about a foot in length,with up to 6-8 pairs of leaves. Fruits consist ofrather long (3-6 inch) follicles that split open torelease large black seeds, each equipped with aconspicuous coma. The plant is apparently self-compatible, and is rarely visited by insects despitethe showy flowers.Jones Cycladenia is stronglyrhizomatous, and above-ground shoots are in fact'ramets"of an extensive underground clone ratherthan being distinct generic individuals (or'genets").Hence countsof shoots generally givesone little information on the number ofphysiologically and genetically distinct individualsin the population.The Colorado Plateau is rich in endemic plantspecies. Most are presumably *neoendemicsY,sthey are in large actively evolving genera likeAstragalus, Cryptantha, Erigeron, Eriogonum,Phocelia, and Penstemon. Cycladenia, however,is a small genus with two taxa and is stronglyisolated with no known close relatives. The genusis not very close to the other tw o genera in theregion, Amsonia and Apocynum, Neotropicalgenera such as Mandevilla or Mesechites showsome morphological similarities to Cycladenia,


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although they are predominantly vines. It appearsthat the affinities of Cycladenia lie in theNeotropics, but that the relationship is probablyan ancient one dating to the Tertiary. The genusprobably evolved in the region during theTertiary, and has subsequently undergone rangecontraction and splitting into two rclictual centers,one n California and the second on the ColoradoPlateau.JonesCycladenia is closely related to C.M i s ,which consists of three rather weak varieties allendemic to California. There are only minormorphological differences between the Utah andCalifornia plants, but recent genetic work done byresearchers at Utah State University shows thatthetwoare genetically very distinct. Ecologically,the two taxa are also very different. Although allvarieties are currently placed in C. hwnilis, it islikely that two species will be recognized in thefuture.Since 19921have been monitoring the populationat the Purple Hills. I established four 25 m longtransects, one o n each of the four principal aspectsat the summit of the PurpleHills, where the mainpopulation occurs.Once a year in June all rametswithin 0.5 m to either side of the transects arerecorded. Data is collectedo n leaf size, flower andfruit number, and signs of herbivory. So far, thenumber of shoots along these transects hasfluctuated between 202-267, with an increase in1994 and 1995 coinciding with dry years. Therarnet population size is estimated to be about2,500.Fruit set is extremely low in most wars (3-4% offlowers), possibly related to inbreedingdepression or lo w levels of pollination. Fruitabortion is relatively rare, possibly related toherbivory damage, whilemean seed abortion ratesvary between of 5-25% per year. Often, insectsare found dead trapped in the throat of the corolla,which is sticky. Signs of herbivory arc common,although the culprit (or culprits) remainsunknown. Currently this population appears to bestable. Because of the plants' location o n steepshifting talus, there is currently little threat ofdisturbance by livestock grazing or recreationalactivities.In addition to the Purple Hills site, sevenadditional populations arc known in the area,mostly from near Deer Point in Capitol ReefNational Park,or in MiddleMoody Canyon. Totalnumbersof ramets at all eight sites is estimated tobe between 5,000-7,000.

Although currently secure from mostanthropogenic threats, the future of the JonesCycladenia is precarious. Increased ORV activityhas the potential to damagepopulations,while anyfuture oil and mineral exploration and miningcould destroy some populations. At present onlythe Purple Hills population is secure from most ofthese threats due to its isolation. Probably themost serious problem looming on the horizon,however, is global warming. Jones Cycladeniaproduces very few seeds, and to date no successhas been achieved in germinatingthem. Hence thedispersal potential of th e species appears to bevery low. Future global warmingcould potentiallyeliminate the species from portions or ati of theColorado Plateau if its climate "envelope" isexceeded. Luckily. a sampleof Purple Hills seedsfrom 1992has been archived in long-term storageat the National Seed Storage Laboratory in Ft.Collins. It is still possible to collect moreaccessions from other wild populations.Hopefully, with continued research ongermination and cultivation, and with properprotection, the future existence of this remarkablespecieson the Colorado Plateau will be ensured.

A Message from theChairman of the BoardDoug StoneLet me share with you my views concerning thestatus of the Utah Native Plant Society, alongwith areas where I think we could improve in1996 and beyond. It i s well understood, at leastamong he current Board of Directors, that UNPSis in need of some kind of revitalization. Thedanger signs are clear: Membership is stagnant oreven slightly declining. More importantly,attendance at chapter meetings, field trips, andother functionshas been very sparse over the pastyear. More recently, the schedule of activities formembers has all but disappeared.A big part of the problem, as I see it , is that manyof ourpast activities were planned merely for theirrecreational value or as social gatherings. Evenour annual rare plant field trips have beendesigned not to gather informationorcontribute tomonitoring efforts, but rather so that memberscould see as many different species as possible.The solution that I am proposing involves threebasic themes:


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Continuing with efforts to educate both ourmembership and the public about Utah'snative plants and their habitatsOrganizing field trips to involve members ingathering data on rare plant species and tocollect baseline information on poorly knownbotanical "hotspots"around the stateBecoming more actively involved on nativeplant conservation issues.

It is my strong belief that interest and participationin UNPS will grow as members begin to feelinvolved in a largercauseand hat their efforts arecontributing to scientific understanding. Themembers of UNPS can make a difference! Oureducational programs are already well underwayand include sales of our popular nativewildflowers poster; participation in annualCelebrating Wildflowers events sponsored by theU.S. Forest Service; support of the Red ButteGardens wildflower hotline; and articles and otherinformation published in this newsletter. We stillneed to locate effective outlets for our new posterdepicting Utah's twenty federally listedThreatened and Endangered plants. And morecould be done to plan workshops and field tripson how o identify difficult plant groups (grasses,sedges, composites, etc.), proper methods forcollecting herbarium specimens, and the ethics ofbotanical collecting. For a description of our newprogram to inventory botanical "hot spots," seethe article by Dr. Kim Harper in this issue of SegoLily.Now to the issue of UNPS becoming moreinvolved in r l m t conservation. Consider thesituation: ~eauthorization of the EndangeredSpeciesAct is on hold, and the bill that eventuallyemerges from Congress may be significantly"watered down." Operating budgets for thefederal land and resource management agenciesarebeing drastically cut.Andno real authority yetexists in state government for protecting andmanaging our native plants. My fear is that evenestablished programs for conserving threatened,endangered, or otherwise sensitive species willerode or evaporate unless there is a strong,consistent showing of public interest and support.For wildlife and wilderness issues, there arc otherorganizations already playing this role. But fornative plants and their habitats, there is absolutelyno other organization in the state that can be astrong and independentvoice for conservation. Inshort, if we don't do it , nobody else will.

Our Articles of Incorporation and By-laws containsome inconsistent provisions with regard toconservation activities. My own interpretation ofthese documents is that we are free to becomemore involved as long as we don't endorsecandidates for elected office, contribute to theircampaigns, or file lawsuits- Through ourConservation Committee, I think we can andshould become far more active in reviewing andproviding comments on pending legislation andon proposed federal, state, and private actionswith potential for adverse impacts on native plantsand plant communities. Further, believe that it ispossible for us to be "active" on these issueswithout beingperceived as "activist."In conclusion, I appreciate that some of ourmembers may feel that this new direction for theConservation Committee is not in the bestinterestsof the organizationas a whole. If you dohave any comments or concerns, I hope you willshare them with me, with the other members ofthe Board of Directors, and with the rest of thesociety.

NEEDED PROJECTKimball T. HarperBotanist, BYUThere is a pressing need for checklists of the floraat many sites in Utah. The need is immediate,since factual reports on areas excluded from therecently defeated Utah Congressionaldelegation'swilderness bills must be assembled quickly. Ifwe are to have an impact on the next round oflegislation, we must assemble good data quickly.Two excluded areas, the Beaver Dam Slopes inWashington County and the NewfoundlandMountain Range in Box Elder County, seemworthy of preservation as wilderness forbiological reasons.Beaver Dam SlopesThe Beaver Dam Slopes proposed wilderness areais habitat for a variety of species (plant andanimal) that enter Utah only in that area. Many ofthe species arc best represented in the VirginMountains of northwestern Arizona and southernNevada. Some arc endemic to those mountainsonly, while others arc more widespread in theMojave Desert but enter Utah in the extremesouthwestern comer only as components of thefoothill vegetation of the Virgin Mountains.Should Utah's Beaver Dam Slopes become


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popular ORV playgrounds, many of thoseunusual specieswould eventuallybe lost from thestate. Valmi (Lori) Armstrong, BLM botanist,and Lany Higgins (one of the authors of A UtahFlora)would be natural leaders for collectionsonthe Beaver Dam Slopes. Bob Douglas, BLMDixie Resource Area biologist, is also veryknowledgeable about that area.

need good specimens (roots, stems, leaves,flowers, and fruits) for all species observed.Collect every species in flower and make sightrecords of nonflowering plants. Reports ofindividual collecting trips will be published in theU N P S newsletter. Eventually, formal publicationswill beproduced o inform others of your efforts.Let's make some history!

Newfoundland MountainsThe Newfoundland Range is Utah's most isolatedhabitat. It was a small island in Lake Bonnevilleforover a million years. When Bonneville finallydried up leaving the Great Salt Lake as itsremnant, the Newfoundland Range was leftstranded in a huge expanse of saltflat that must beevery bit as uninhabitable as Lake Bonnevillewas. Thus the Newfoundlands are an orphanedlandscape that has been isolated from the"mainland"vegetation for hundred of thousandsof years. Without free migration, the flora andfauna of the range has, no doubt, experiencedlocal extinctions. Other species that areuncommon, but still survive there, have probablylost much of the generic diversity that keepsmainland populations healthy and competitive.With luck, we will find woodrat middens that willreveal something about former inhabitants of thearea. A variety of genetic tests of carefullyselected "island and "mainland" speciespopulations should help us anticipate theconsequences of fragmenting more-or-lesscontinuous populations into a series of isolated,small subpopulations. Undoubtedly, suchfragmentation will become commonplace in thenext century or millennium. Wouldn't it be greatto be able to predict the genetic and ecologicalconsequences of such fragmentation? KimHarper and Doug Stone know something aboutthe Newfoundland Mountains. If you want to helpout, call them!Abajo MountainsFinally, we need to know more about the floristicsof two fascinating habitats on the AbajoMountains of southeastern Utah: - the Festucathtrberi grasslands that clothe the snowavalanche tracks on the high peaks of the Abajosand the shallow ponds that occur here and thereacross the top of Elk Ridge. Rick Collins hasagreed to lead and/or advise UNPS membersdesiring to help us earn more about these areas.The idea is to make checklists that are as completeas possible for each of the foregoing areas. We

Plant Resins,Inside and OutRobert FittsA million bitterbrush plants were planted toimprove wildlife habitat after a fire. The nextspring the leaves were speckled with little whitespots.The wildlife biologist was distraught abouthis plants. Was it a disease? Someone had toldhim it was and infestation of scale insects. Wouldthe plants, that had cost so much to raise in anursery and to plant die? To the wildlifebiologist's relief, the spots were not a disease orinsect parasite, but part of the plants system ofself-defense against such maladies.Bitterbrush and cliff-rose plants have glands thatexcrete a waxy resin that can form spots on thesurface of the leaves. Many other plants haveresin that is in tiny balls on the end of hairs,Resins are also found inside of many plants inpressurizedductworks.Resin ducts are farmed in plants as channels inbetween cells (Schizogenous development). Thesurrounding cells become specialized to secretethe resin and the special compounds thai plantsput into it.This is very different from the way thatplant rubber, or latex is found. Latex is foundinside of special cells called laticifers that mayform an interconnecting network. A general rule isthat nature's rubber (latex) is formed inside ofspecialcells,while nature's plastics and resins arein ducts enclosed by cells.Resin ducts are formedas a response towoundingin cedar, juniper, and larch. The size of ducts isrelated to the amount of trauma of the wound.Many plants also have resinductsas a part of theirnormal growth.The cells around the resin ducts are chemicalfactories that produce the resin, acids, proteinaseinhibitors that deter insects from feeding, andinsect juvenile hormone to keep them frombecoming adults and reproducing. The resin


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glands on plant surfaces likewise make manycompounds. Most people are familiar with thechemical made by the poison ivy plantThe celeiy family has many pleasant smellingchemicals. Fennel, parsley, and many wild plantssuch as Cymopterus and Lomatiurn attracthuman herbivores. But the resins in this familyalso have toxic substances (furanocoumarins) inplants like poison hemlock. Specializedherbivores may not be deterred by some of thethings we think of as being nasty, and may evenuse them to locate their nextmeal.The pressure of the resin in Douglas fir rangesfrom 0-150 psi. The pressure fluctuatesseasonally and daily. In times of drought, thetrees lose their internal pressure (OEP or oleoresinexudalun pressure), and become susceptible toattack. Trees scarred by fire are located by barkbeetles while their defenses arc limited. Theycarry Trichosporum fungus in a special structureon their headcall amycangia.The weakened treesmay me overwhelmed by the beetles and thefungus without the resin pressure which carriesantifungal compounds and engulfs beetles andlarvae with sticky resin.The an ifungalproperties pine oil extract has beenused to control athlete's foot. Pine resin issmeared around wounds in traditional veterinarymedicine to keep flies from visiting while healingtakes place.Amber is a natural plant plastic. It is formed byplants with a chemical in the resin thatinterconnects the molecules into a polymer. Thepolystyrene in a plastic ruler is like the resin ofLiquidambar styracifluu or sweetgum of theeastern states. Many tropical legumes produceamber.Extinct seed ferns and conifers produced amberthat is now found as a plastic fossil (modemconifers lack the polymerizing agent). As the resinexuded from the plant, it may have envelopedbacteria and preserved them. Some of theseancient microbes have been recovered and studiedfor possible antibiotic compounds against modemdiseases.

Gorgeous Posters!UNPS Utah Wildflowers posters arc stillavailable, and the recently completed Threatenedand Endanger Plants of Utah are also available;each is $12.00. Send orders with check to JoStolhand.

Cottam's Hybrid Oak Trees!Available: Hybrid oak trees,Cottam9 grove type,in pots. Contact Robert Fitts: 277-1568.

Moss Identification WorkshopSponsored by:Intermountain Herbarium andDepartment of BiologyUtah State UniversityGeology Bldg. 301Logan,UtahInstructor: Dr. Alma Hanson, Forest Botanist,Payette National Forest. Dr. Hanson studiedmosses in Central Idaho.Date:May 17-18, 1996. Friday 1 pm-6 pm ,Saturday 8 am-5 pm.Learn to identify mosses using technicalreferences, and learn to identify a few genera inthe field.$60 registration includes barbeque Friday, lunchSaturday and transportation for fieldtrip. Makecheck payable to theDept. of Biology, Utah StateUniversity. Send to program organizer Dr. MaryBarkworth, Dept of Biology, Utah StateUniversity, Logan, Utah 84322-5305, teL(801)797-1584.

Take a look at the many native plants that have astrong scent. The plant you pick will probablyhave resin with unknown properties.


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Editor's NoteInternational Migratory Bird DayFish Springs National Wildlife Refuge, May 1 1,1996.The public is invited to celebrate InternationalMigratory Bird Day at Fish SpringsNWR n May1lth from 10 am-6 pm. Fish Springs wasestablished in 1959 as a resting and nesting placefor migratory birds in a harsh desert environment.Over 250differentspeciesofbirds have been seenat the refuge. May 11 h coincides with the peakspring migration at Fish Springs and thousands ofbirds will be present. Activities wil l includebinding tours with expert Utah birders, and day-long mist netting and banding ofsongbirds.Visitors will have the rare opportunityto capture and band birds. For more informationcall the refuge staff at 801-83 1-5353.

Subcribe to Desert PlantsBotanical journal published by the University ofArizona for Boyce Thompson SouthwesternArboretum. Intended for amateur and professionaldesert plant enthusiasts, this semi-technicaljournal is devoted to broadening knowledge andencouraging the appreciation of indigenous andadapted arid-land plants. First published in 1979,Desert Plants is now a biannual publicationfeaturing informative, extensively researchedanicles complete with color photographs. Topicsrange from desert plant ecology, morphology,physiology and horticulture to landscapearchitecture and history of desert plant explorers.Desert Plants is a non-profit, tax-exemptjournal which relies solely on subcriptions, grantsand donations. Your support is vital to keepingthis outstanding publication in print- Rates:Individual $20, Institution and Foreign $25. Sendname, address, check to Dr. Margaret Norem,Desert Plants, 2120 E. Allen Road, Tucson,AZ 857 19 (520)3 18-7046.

This is the second issue of Sego Lily which Ihave edited. I would first like to thank JoStolhand and the previous editors for their workand enthusiasm. The authors of articles alsodeserve thanks for their efforts.I would like to encourage all members o feel freeto submit material to the Sego Lily. I feel there is aplace for comments, questions and a freeexchange of ideas in these pages. In this issue,Doug Stone proposes a new focus for ourorganization. This is a diverse group, and I amsure somewill have a reaction to those comments.Given the geographic separation ofour group, theSego Lily can provide a forum for exchange ofideas, which would otherwise be difficult.Whether youhave a letter, opinion piece or articlein mind, consider submitting it. Notices ofupcoming events are always welcome for ourcalendar. Send material to:

LanyMeyer2931 TolcateLaneSaltLakeCity,UT 84121(801) [email protected] possible, articles and long notices arcappreciated on disc. Either PC or Macintoshformatted 3 1/2" disks are acceptable. I useMicrosoft Word, but I can import most otherformats. However, if you are using a differenttext program (such as Wordperfect),please save i tas "text only" or ASCII. It saves a great deal ofediting. E-mail also works well for submission.


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c / o Jo S t o l h a n dUtah Nat ive Plant SocietyP . O . Box 52Q041S a l t Lake City, UTAddress Correction Requested

Mem beiship Applicationa New Member 1 Renewal Q GiftNameStreet

CiyiStateZi p PhoneIf Gift. from:Check Membership category desired:0 tudent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Please enclose 3 check. payable to Utah Native Plant Society, ai t to:

MembershipUtah Native Plant SocietyP 0. ox 52004 1Salt Laku City. Utah 84152-004

([f you prefer no t to cu t this ou t of your Sego Lily. reel free tothe ineinbcrsliip iortn or simply write the iniomaiion down andwith payment lor the category of nicinbersliip.


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e Utah Native Plant SocieVOL.19NO. JULY/AUG, 1996

CALENDAROF EVENTSJuly 28Sunday

September6,7 nd 8Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Uintah Field Trip.JoStohandand Ben Franklin willlead awildflowerand plant identification hike in thehigh Uh t a Mountains. CallJoSt01hand forinformation and to arrange cqools. (801)521-0069.The 1995Mushroom SocietyOf Utah foray will beheld atCampTuttle near Brighton, Utah, September6,7 nd 8.Dr.Kent McKnight will head our team ofmycologists. ContactArdean Watts,660So.University St., Salt LakeCity, VT 84102; (801)581-1931. More Information inside.

ASTRAGALUSMONTHby Joe l Tuhy, Director, Moab Office The Nature ConservancyLooking off the south rim of White Mountain, the world falls away beneath your feet.Here at the southern end of theWasatchPIateau there are no highpoints between you andCapitol Reef, the San Rafael Swell and the Henry Mountains. Ben Franklin and I wereenjoying this view from our campsiteon the eveningofJuly 11, 1989. Lightning withindistant thunderheads flickered visibly as dusk deepened. I thought about some of thescarce plants that lay in the vast country spread out below us: a curious yellowTownsendia, a pretty pale-blueGiSa,a tiny Pediocactus that barely shows itself above theground surface.We had chosen our campsite carefully becausewe were right amongsta populationofanotherscarce plant:Astragalusmontii Welsh, the Heliotropemilkvetch. It is a federallylistedThreatened plant that sknown only from the southernWasatch Plateau in Sanpeteand SevierCounties.Because of tsrarityand protected status, it has been the subjectofresearch and managementattention by theForest Serviceand U.S*Fish and WildlifeService (USFWS) for about the past fifteenyears. In 1995the USFWS published a draftRecoveryPlan for theHeliotrope milkvetch that aims or recoveryand delisting withinabout ten years.


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DESCRIPTIONAND TAXONOMYAstragalus montii is a diminutive perennial withascending to erect stems barely 5 cm tall that arisefrom a branching caudex. The pinnately compoundleaves vary from 1-3 to 4.8 cm long. The 5-13leaflets per leaf arc clothed with sharp, stiffappressed hairs (strigose) beneath, and are hairless(glabrous) above. At the base of each leaf arejoined(connate) stipules sheathing around the stem. T heinflorescences are racemes with 2-8 ascending tospreading flowers apiece. The flowers have thecharacteristic structure of the bean family; they arc7.2 to8 rnrn long and pink-purple in color except forcontrasting white tips on the wing petals. Floweringbegins from late June to mid July, depending onduration of the snowpack. The spreading pods areegg-shaped (ovoid) and bladdery-inflated, being 1118 mm long and 8-12 mm thick. They have redmottling on a pale green background and strigosehairs on the surface. Seeds are shed starting in Julyan d continuing nto August.The Heliotrope milkvetch is a close relative ofAstragalus iimnocharis . The latter has tworecognized varieties, according to Dr. Stan We1sh inA Utah Flora: A, Urruwcharis var. , limnocharisgrows on the Markagunt Plateau, and differsfromA .montii primarily by having yellowish-white(ochroleucous) flowers. A. Urnnocharis var.tabuheus grows on the Table Cliff Plateau and hasentirely pink-purple flowers (i .e. without contrastingwhite wing-tips) that are perceptibly smaller thanthose of A. monlii . Further, A. limiwcharis var.labulaeus has elongate caudex branches (i.e. issoboliferous) n response to its habitat of steep, looseslopes. In contrast, thecaudex branchesof A. montiiare short in accord with its occurrence on level,stable surfaces.

long,mottled,s k i osc,imi ocularFlowers pink-pu Ie,win t'W~hite,%-8.08- 'un ow

Pods preading,sessile,ovoid,bladd -in-flaloi'll-ISn

Leaflets 5-13,sin ose beneath,Ila rous above

Now that yo u have that straight, consider that Dr.Rupert Barneby does not recognize A. montii as alegitimate taxon i n the Intermountain Flora. Rather,he combines the plants of the Wasatch Plateau(Welsh's A. montii ) and Table Cliff Plateau(Welsh's A. liiwwcharis var. /abutOeus ) into A .l imcha r i s var. montii . The plants of theMarkagunt Plateau he retains as A. iimnocharis var.linowcharis . Whatever th e case, Bameby'sdescription of these plants as "an elegant littleastragalus"is a statementon which all can agree.DISTRIBUTIONAND ABUNDANCEDespite some ather concerted searching efforts, theHeliotropemilkvetchis so far known only from hreerelatively small areas, all on the top of the WasatchPlateau. It is apparently restricted to these locationsmainly because littlepotentialhabitat exists elsewhereon the Wasatch or adjacent Plateaus. The mostextensive stand of Heliotrope milkvetch is on WhiteMountain, where Ben an d I surveyed its occurrencesduring our July 1989 trip. We mapped manydiscontinuous patches of the plant covering about110 acres total - a challenging task given WhiteMountain's featureless terrain and some shroudingfo g during the morning hours. We found that oldestimates of 2000-3000 plants on White Mountainwere probably way too low. By extrapolating fromdensity figures in a monitoring plot, we conjecturedthat there could be as many as 1.3 million Heliotropemilkvetch plants on White Mountain. The 1995Recovery Plan gives a far more conservative estimateof 60,000 lants there.A second group of plants occupies about 30 acres ofhabitat on the ridgecrest where Heliotrope Mountainmerges into Ferron Mountain. Old estimates of 1500-3000 plants again appear too low; our extrapolationyielded a potential presence of up to half a millionAstragalus montii plants at this site. The RecoveryPlan is more conservative, with an estimate of100,000 plants there.The third cluster of Astragalus montii occupies tw oseparatepatchesof habitat on the southern end of thebig flaton op ofHeliotrope Mountain. This is wherethe taxon was first discovered by Mont Lewis andBob Thompson of the Forest service in July 1976.Subacaulescent perennial, The occupied habitat covers no more than 30 acres,probably less. Qd estimates of 1500-2000 plantswere again revised upward by extrapolation to asmany as 179,000 plants at this site. The Recovery


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Plan's more conservative estimate is 40,000 plantsthere.HABITATFEATURESThe three occurrences of the Heliotrope milkvetchshare a number of common habitat characteristics.The plants grow on level to very gently slopingsouth- and southwest-facing exposures, (rangingfrom about 10,600 to 10,900 feet in e evatfon.Microtopography varies from flat to somewhatconvex. Soils are shallow and very rocky, derivedfrom the Flagstaff Limestone. At least 85 percent,usually 90 percent or more, of the ground surface iscovered with a pavement of limestonerocks or gravel(up to about 20 cm n size),with rarely more than5percent exposed bare mineral soil. The mineralfractionof the soil ranges n texture from silt to siltyclay loam to clay loam. Soil pH varies from 7.5-8.0+,and colors include light gray, grayish brown,brown and dark brown. In general, the Heliotropemilkvetch is restricted to small, very gravellymicrohabitats that are scattered within more extensiveareasofdeeper, less rocky soils.Astragalus montii grows in association withsubalpine cushion plants and other low-growingspecies that are all mostly restricted to these areaswith high concentrationsof surface gravel. The moreabundant plants in these communities include Phloxpulvinata, Cymopterus lemrtii, Senecio ccows,Hymeiwxysacaulis, Astragaluskentrophyta,Eriogunutn brevicaule, Erigeron ursinus, Potentillaovina, PotenttdlaconcinnaandArewla rubek. Totalvegetation coverof these communities is low, withconsiderablebare ground exposed.The limestone gravel-pavement communities thatcontain Astragalus ?rwntii are scattered withinextensive, much more densely-vegetated stands ofconifers, tall forbs and grasses that are widespreadon he crest of the Wasatch Plateau. Common speciesof these widespread communities, such as Piceaengelmawai, Abies lasiocarpa, Ribes montigenwn,Astragalus miser, AchiUea mi4/IefoUwn andAgropyron trachycauhim, are absent or very scarcein Heliotrope milkvetchhabitats.As an interesting side note, both varieties of theclose1y-related Astragalus Uiwocharis also grow inhigh-etevadon limestone habitats.Adjacenthighlandssouth and southwest of the Wasatch Plateau arecapped largely by volcanic rocks. Highlands onwhich the limestone reappears, such as the Table

Cliff and Markagunt Plateaus, are host to A .iirmwcharis. Another limestone endemic with asimilardistributionis Silene petersonii.ECOLOGICALSITUATIONThere are two possible interpretations for theecologicalsituationof Astragalus montii. The first isthat this milkvetch is part of the climax vegetationinthe cushion-plant, gravel pavement communitieswhere it grows. t ranks fairly high in the structureofthese communities. Based on quantitative measuressuch as square inches of basal cover and percent oftotalvegetation composition, Astragalusmontii ranksanywhere from 2nd to 8th out of around twentyspecies.A second interpretation is that the special gravel-pavement habitats are disturbed, serai stages of themore common grassland, for bland and forestcommunities on the Wasatch Plateau. In this case,the Heliotrope milkvetch and its cushion-plantassociateswould bepioneer species that are destinednot to be maintained n any one locationindefinitely.The first interpretation seems more likely overall,especially where the gravel-pavement habitats occurin areas that areexposed to wind- uch as along theedges of Heliotrope and White Mountains. Mineralsoil accumulation probably never proceeds very farin these locationswhere wind is so prevalent andstrong.In some areas, as on the interior of White Mountain,the second interpretation may apply. Gravel-pavement habitats there may once have supporteddeeper, less-rocky soils occupied by forb or grasscommunities. Disturbance severe enough to havecaused massive soil loss has been attributed toabusive overgrazingby sheepon he Wasatch Plateauabout 100 years ago. But even if this is the case,succession of cushion-plantcommunities toward themore common grass or tall-fort communities (viaaccumulation of mineral soil) would probably bevery slow.Regardlessof their origin, the gravel-pavement sitesthat contain the Heliotrope milkvetch will probablyremain as they are for a long time by humanstandards, at least longer than several human life-spans.


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TRENDFour permanent monitoring transects have beenestablished in Astragalusmn t i i occurrences.Two ofthese arc n the Heliotrope (western) site, establishedin 1982 and 1986, respectively. Transects wereemplaceda1the Heliotrope Femn Mountain site andon WhiteMountain, both in 1988.The HeliotropeMountain transects have been re-readregularly since their establishment. R e t v visits tothe other sites have been more sporadic. Data fromthe Heliotrope Mountain site generally show thatAsiragcdus nwntii had a slight upward trend from1982 to 1988, as measured by numbers ofindividuals and percent cover. Since that time thetrend has been essentially stable - there have beenminorfluctuations but no arge changesup or down.FACTORSTHATAFFECT ASTRAGALUSMONTHSeveral types of factors may have significant effectson the numbers and viability (or even survival) ofAstragalus montii populations.One factor, over which there is no control, is theregion's climate. Fluctuations in precipitationamounts could affect population levels of theHeliotrope milkvetch and, perhaps more importantly,levels of other competing plants in the comm

Documents

1996 Utah Native Plant Society Annual Compliations