July 1984 FREMONTIA A Journal of the California Native Plant Society FREMONTIA Vol. 12 No. 2 July 1984 Copyright © 1984 California Native Plant Society Phyllis M. Faber, Editor Laurence J. Hyman, Art Director Michael Zipkin, Designer MATERIALS FOR PUBLICATION Members and others are invited to submit material for publication in Fremontia and theBulletin. All time-value material should be addressed to theBulletin. Fremontia is ajournal for laymen about California plants. It hopes to be both readable and scientifically accurate. Technical botanical articles should be directed to other more scholarly journals. Please double-space copy, using wide margins and fresh typewriter ribbon, on 81-i-by-ll paper, and include name, address, and phone number on the MS. As a general rule, in the interest of consistency, botanical nomenclature will conform to Munz, A California Flora. Please identify each plant referred to by its botanical name and, if there is one, by its common name. Photographs should be black-and-white glossy prints, preferably 8-by-10 size or accompanied by negatives. Please submit two copies with MS. THE COVER: Sophie Mitchell, considered one of the finest botanical artists of nineteenth century California, painted the red thistle in the cover photograph. She lived in St. Helena and painted the wildflowers of Napa County. California Native Plant Society Dedicated to the Preservation of the California Native Flora The California Native Plant Society is an organization of laymen and professionals united by an interest in the plants of California. It is open to all. Its principal aims are to preserve the native flora and to add to the knowledge of members and the public at large. It seeks to accomplish the former goal in a number of ways; by monitoring rare and endangered plants throughout the State; by act- ing to save endangered areas through publicity, persuasion, and, on occasion, legal action; by providing expert testimony to govern- mental bodies; and by supporting financially and otherwise the establishment of native plant preserves. Much of this work is done through CNPS Chapters throughout the State. The Society's educa- tional work includes: publication of a quarterly journal, Fremon- tia, and a quarterly Bulletin which gives news and announcements of Society events and conservation issues. Chapters hold meetings, field trips, and plant and poster sales. Non-members are welcome to attend. The work of the Society is done by volunteers. Money is provided by the dues of members and by funds raised by chapter plant and poster sales. Additional donations, bequests, and memorial gifts form friends of the Society can assist greatly in carrying forward the work of the Society. Dues and donations are tax-deductible. MEMBERSHIP Dues include subscriptions to Fremontia and the Bulletin. Individual $ 12 Groups $ 18 Couple 18 Supporting 30 Retired Person 8 Life Member: Individual 350 Student 8 Life Member: Couple 400 ADDRESSES Memberships; Address Changes; Officers; General Society In- quiries; Conservation Trust Fund: CNPS, Suite D, 2380 Ellsworth St., Berkeley, CA 94704. (415) 841-5575 Fremontia (Editorial): Phyllis M. Faber, Editor, 212 Del Casa Drive, Mill Valley, CA 94941. (415) 388-6002 Fremontia (Advertising): Nancy Dale, Rancho Santa Paula #7, 500 W. Santa Maria, Santa Paula, CA 93060. (805) 525-6319 Bulletin: Jeanne Hawkins, Editor, 712 Santa Victoria, Solana Beach, CA 92075. (714) 436-2805 CNPS Botanist, Data Base: Rick York, 1416 9th St., Rm. 1225, Sacramento, CA 95814. (916) 324-3816 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL President.....................................Robert Will Vice President, Administration..........Mary Ann Matthews Vice President, Finance.....................Mary Merryman Vice President, Conservation................Adrienne Libby Vice President, Legislation...........Jo Smith, Kay Antunez Vice President, Rare Plants..............James P. Smith, Jr. Vice President, Publications...................Harlan Kessel Legal Advisor...............................Scott Fleming Recorder.................................Joanne Kerbavaz Corresponding Secretary.........................John Lane Past-President.............................Jonathan Libby DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE Jenny Fleming, Roman Gankin, Joseph Medeiros, Jeffrey Prouty, Virginia Rumble, Suzanne Schettler CHAPTER PRESIDENTS (AND DIRECTORS) Bristlecone (Inyo-Mono)..................... Vincent Yoder Channel Islands........................... Richard Burgess Dorothy King Young (Gualala) .............. Aileen Howden Kern County.................................... Lori Key Marin....................................... Sue Hossfeld Milo Baker (Sonoma County)................ Elaine Weinreb Monterey Bay................................ Alice Mehdy Mount Lassen................................ F. Jay Fuller Napa......................................... Joe Callizo North Coast............................... Dwain Goforth Northern San Joaquin Valley (Modesto)......... Roy Schmidt Orange County..............................R. John Little Riverside/San Bernardino Counties..............Judy Harpel Sacramento Valley............................ Betty Matyas San Diego................................ Jeanne Hawkins San Francisco Bay........................... Marian Reeve Sanhedrin (Ukiah)........................ Lucille McKinney San Luis Obispo........................... Eileen Pritchard Santa Clara Valley............................ John Gamon Santa Cruz........................ Adrienne Harrold Libby Santa Monica Mountains........................... Jo Kitz Sequoia (Fresno)............................ Jeanne Larson Shasta......................................... Don Burk South Coast (Palos Verdes)................ Virginia Gardner Tahoe............................... Julie Stauffer-Carville COMMITTEES AND SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS AWNPS Representative.............. R. Mitchel Beauchamp CNACC Representative........................ Leslie Hood Conservation Representatives: Coastal................................... Phyllis Faber Eastern Sierra........................... Mary DeDecker Northern California...................... Dwain Goforth Public Lands................................Jean Jenny BLM/Desert Liaison........................June Latting Conservation Trust Fund....................... Alice Meyer Escaped Exotics Committee............ Elizabeth McClintock Fellows Committee......... Lawrence Heckard/Marian Reeve Member Records/Archives Committee............ Joyce Burr Mini-Grants Committee.................... Virginia Rumble Personnel Management Committee.......... Charli Danielsen Poster Committee...........................Wilma Follette The Nature Conservancy Liaison............Barbara Malloch A TRIBUTE TO THE AMATEUR IN BOTANY by Herbert G. Baker Although I have been a professional botanist for forty years, I feel very much more in tune with the amateur botanist than you might expect. I have per- sonal reason to believe that amateurs do good science, because I myself had only two years of formal college education — and did my PhD research without a major professor—in the London University system that allows so-called "External Degrees" to be earned while one is working full-time in unrelated employment. Also, thanks to World War II and the subsequent hard times in Britain, my wife and I grew up as researchers in an environment where expensive equipment was out of the question. Consequently, we have always tried to keep the equipment necessary for our research as simple as possible, and to be as economical as we can be in operating expenses. On this basis, we believe that amateurs could con- Copy of a painting of Sir Joseph Banks, botanist himself and patron of others. The original is in the Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia. Photograph courtesy of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh. Sir Joseph Banks." tribute much more to plant science than they do at present. And we feel that they only need encourage- ment. In some respects, amateurs are hardly less well- placed to do research than professionals. In academia, administrative work and innumerable committees take up much of the so-called "research time," and profes- sionals stay productive only to the extent that they work evenings and weekends, and take vacations in botanically-determined places. Thus, in reality, the amateur has almost as much time available for research as the professional. Here I see a big difference between the Botanical Society of America (to which I have belonged for 23 years) and the Botanical Society of the British Isles (the BSBI, of which I have been a member for 35 years). This is not just a matter of numbers of members. The two societies have about equal numbers of members (between two and three thousand) even though the population of the British Isles is only about a quarter of that of the USA. The difference is that the Botanical Society of America is almost entirely made up of pro- fessionals, in institutions, whereas the Botanical Society of the British Isles is an amalgam of profes- sionals and amateurs who are often very competent. I will return to this matter of membership in botanical societies later. But how did this apparently greater emphasis on amateur botany in the United Kingdom come about? Perhaps we can get some insight by looking at the historical features of British botany. British Amateur Botanists In Britain, the 18th and 19th centuries were forma- tive times. While botany was becoming established as a science in Europe, there were few professional botanists except for apothecaries, who produced their own supply of properly identified drug plants. Other botanists were amateurs, in the sense that they were not paid for work with plants. Some were independent- ly wealthy, such as Sir Joseph Banks, whose influence was felt widely in the 18th and 19th centuries. His dedication to botany was such that he could never be considered a dilettante. Banks was the self-sponsored leader of a botanical team on Captain James Cook's first voyage to the South Seas, in HMS Endeavour. This voyage, from 1768 to 1771, was of enormous scientific and geo-political importance. Sir Joseph 3 Banks was a great figure in British botany for many years afterwards. Since he was the fortunate possessor of great wealth and excellent political contacts, in addi- tion to his own botanizing he provided financial and organizational assistance for many other collectors in their overseas activities. He was president of the Royal Society for many years and his herbarium and library were presented to the British Museum, where they served as part of the foundation of its comprehensive collections. For a while Banks was honorary director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew —when they were literally Royal Gardens. The Australian genus Banksia is named after him. He also travelled to Iceland and to Newfoundland (but I'm sure the Newfoundland Banks were not named after him). Charles Darwin was a man of independent means — at least after the voyage of the Beagle. Few other people have had such an impact on biology—evolu- tion, breeding systems, pollination biology, plant physiology, the study of insectivorous plants and much more. Except for his thinking about the early stages of evolution by natural selection, all his ideas were worked on during the years he spent at home in Down House, in Kent. With his shyness and his illness, he could never have survived the rat-race which we suffer today in the academic world. Darwin succeeded as a scientist partially because he had money enough to publish. This can prove to be a hurdle not easily overcome by the amateur botanist — particularly in these days of high publishing costs. Many of the other 18th and 19th century botanists were professionals, although not professionals in botany. For them, botany was, at least at first, a relief from the stresses of daily work. However, in this con- nection it should be noted that these people were most- ly in professions that left ample time for the indulgence of their hobby. Often they were country doctors or members of the clergy who travelled frequently along country roads and paths. They could, and did, appre- ciate floristics, phenology, and the more obvious aspects of pollination biology. An outstanding example of the country doctor in Britain is Charles Darwin's grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, who, among other accomplishments, was a very competent doctor, a philosopher, an agricultural- ist, a pioneer conservationist, and a political reformer. He is well-remembered for his biologically-inspired poetry, and for his two large books Phytologia and Zoonomia. Erasmus Darwin had more philosophical influence on his grandson than Charles was originally willing to admit, even though some of his ideas, ex- pressed in Phytologia, in which he treats plants as degenerate animals, now seem quaint. Slightly earlier, in 1776, another country doctor, William Withering, wrote a popular manual called The If Though Charles Darwin (1809-1882) regarded himself as a "Botanical ignoramus," he had an absorbing interest in plants throughout his life. Photograph courtesy of University of California, Berkeley. Botanical Arrangement of the Vegetables in Great Britain. Despite its title, this was the first manual of wildflowers to be written in English. Though we remember Withering particularly as the discoverer of the heart-stimulating power of an extract of foxglove {Digitalis purpurea), his now largely-forgotten book ran through many editions and had a strong public influence. A later variant on the country doctor type was the naval surgeon. Henry B. Guppy was surgeon on HMS Lark, when he first made significant observations on the dispersal of plants in the West Indies and in the Pacific Ocean. Naturally, he gave closest attention to dispersal by the sea itself. Country parsons contributed nobly to British 4 botany. This was to be expected because, in Nature, they could see the handiwork of God. J.C. Loudon, in the early years of the 19th century, wrote in the Magazine of Natural History that he published: "The naturalist is abroad in the fields, investigating the habits and searching out the habitats of birds, insects or plants, not only invigorating his health but affording him ample opportunity for frequent intercourse with his parishioners. In this way the clergyman at last becomes an advisor and friend, as well as a spiritual teacher." Notable Floral Accounts In Britain, it is notable that the country clergymen included the Reverend Miles J. Berkeley, who is said to have personally named over 6,000 species of fungi, making him Britain's leading 19th century mycologist. However, the contributions of most of the clergymen were to the production of local floras of vascular plants and bryophytes. Most plant collectors who have been responsible for introducing exotic species to horticulture have been professionals, but there have been some amateurs who were in foreign lands primarily for some other pur- pose. These have included religious missionaries, such as the Reverend William Colenso, who in 1834 went out from England to the colony of New Zealand. There he collected and described species of plants for 65 years, giving special attention to those of the moun- tainous regions. He was elected, presumably in absen- tia, to fellowship in the Royal Society (of London), and Sir Joseph Hooker dedicated one volume of the Flora of New Zealand to him. Less completely in the country, lawyers have made their contribution. Probably the most famous of these in the 19th century was George Bentham, a taxonomist and flora composer who we most readily think of as part of the team of Bentham and Hooker. This team represents the perfect example of the ability of an amateur and a professional to work together in harmony—which they did at Kew. Bentham was the compiler of the floras of Hong Kong and of Australia, as well as a contributor to many others, and he wrote a British Flora, which was subsequently revised by Hooker. The greatest work of this team was the pro- duction of Genera Plantarum—z. conspectus of the world's flora at the generic level, and a new systematic arrangement of the families of plants. Among the statesmen who were botanists, one man stands out —Sir John Lubbock, later Lord Avebury. A neighbour of Charles Darwin, he was, among other accomplishments, a banker, a member of Parliament, a Privy Councillor, an essayist, an archaeologist, and an entomologist — as well as a botanist. Between 1870 and 1905 he wrote more on these subjects than anyone, and became renowned as an expositor of biology for the amateur. His rewards were elevation to the peerage, many honorary degrees, and election to scholarly societies. 19th Century Naturalists In the 19th century, among the well-to-do there was a romantic movement in relation to nature. This con- trasted sharply with the grim aspects of Victorian life for those without wealth —the very long working hours in the factories of the Industrial Revolution, child labour, strict moralizing and harsh discipline from the family and from society. The surprising thing is that, even in the smoky industrial cities of northern England, some working-class people managed to find the time to join in the appreciation of nature. In the latter part of the 19th century, there were field clubs centered around particular public houses or taverns in the industrial cities. Some members of the working class made signifi- cant botanical contributions to the study of local floras and of plant biology. Outstanding among these was Thomas Belt whose father had run a nursery. He was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and he joined the gold rush to Australia in 1851. After that, this largely self- instructed man became a prospector or manager of gold mines successively in Australia, Brazil, Nicaragua, Russia, Canada, and the United States. Belt is most famous for his book The Naturalist in Nicaragua, published in 1874, in which he shows that he had read and appreciated Darwinian evolutionary principles and followed them in describing nature. In this book, he described the mutualistic interaction between pugna- cious ants and acacias, whereby the acacias reward the ants that protect them from herbivores. The plants provide extra-floral nectar and protein-rich food bodies (Beltian bodies) on the tips of the leaflets. Belt also correctly described the true story of the leaf- cutting ants of the American tropics and their use of the excised bits of leaves as a medium on which to grow a nutritious fungus. He noted that introduced trees such as citrus were more frequently attacked by the leaf-cutting ants than trees native to Nicaragua, and he hypothesized that this was due to the native trees having been naturally selected for chemical protection from the ants. Not bad for 1874! Thomas Belt also published a number of papers on the geology of the countries in which he worked. And, to me, it is a sobering thought that when he died, in Denver, in 1878, at the age of 45, he had accomplished more as an amateur with very little time for botaniz- ing than most of us have achieved in much longer pro- fessional careers. 5 I could expand this paper indefinitely by quoting examples from the European mainland of amateurs who have left indelible marks on botany, through dedicated work. No one should forget Gregor Mendel, the geneticist, even though in his time people forgot him. Gulielma Lister was an amateur in the sense that she was of independent means, but certainly botany was her life work. Daughter of the naturalist Arthur Lister, she edited and revised his monograph The Myceto- zoans (slime molds) twice during her career. She was sought after as a botanical illustrator and kept exten- sive field notebooks of drawings and watercolors which are now housed in the British Museum. In 1904, when the Linnaean Society was opened to women, she was elected as a "fellow." She was active in both the British Mycological Society and the Essex Field Club, and served as president in both these organizations. More recently in Britain, some of the most produc- tive amateurs have also been busy in their non- botanical professions. George Claridge Druce was a pharmacist who com- piled county floras and did pioneering work on topographic botany, greatly enlarging the picture that had begun to be formed in the 19th century. It was Druce who transferred a faltering Botanical Exchange Club into the Botanical Society and Exchange Club — and helped build up a cadre of topographic botanists who subsequently founded the Botanical Society of the British Isles. Druce was elected Mayor of Oxford, where the University finally gave him an honorary degree. The University now possesses his herbarium as a reward. All of these people contributed to making field botany an activity that could be indulged in by any interested person. 20th Century Amateurs In 20th century Britain, it became common for a middle class household to possess at least a book on flower identification. My parents, who were school teachers, knew the names of all the common wild flowers in our part of Sussex, and this was not con- sidered at all unusual. The great standby at home was Flowers of the Field, first published in 1851 by a clergyman school-teacher, the Reverend C.A. Johns. This book ran through at least 29 editions, up until the 20th century! Incidentally, the system of plant classification used by Johns was Linnaeus' "Sexual System" although Vic- torian prudery was apparent in his total avoidance of that term for it. He also pandered to the niceties in all editions by referring to the submerged animal traps of bladderwort (Utricularia) as air-bladders, ostensibly 6 serving a flotation function for the stem. Butterwort (Pinguicula) is similarly excused from being a horri- ble carnivore, and sundew (Drosera) doesn't appear in the book at all. But I hope that I have made it clear that a great deal of solid botany was contributed by these amateur botanists of the centuries gone by. Much of the development of botany in the domesticated British landscape was of a sort that could be duplicated in the New World, but I suggest that it has not yet developed as fully here because people have been busier combatting and controlling nature, and have not had as much time to study it in a relaxed and abstract way. But anyway, conditions are much more equivalent today. In North America, as in Britain, there is a sizeable segment of the population that wants to get out and observe nature. For them, The New Naturalist series of books is published very success- fully in Britain (and in the United States). This series was begun during World War II, and it caters at a high standard to the public that is interested in the natural world. And, in North America, amateurs continue to con- tribute significant information on pteridology and on the study of other non-flowering plant groups. But it has to be admitted that, at the turn of the cen- tury, professional botany moved rather quickly away from the taxonomic and floristic emphases that pre- vailed in Victorian times. Laboratory and experimental work involved plants of which the amateur had never heard. Microscopes, both optical and, more recently, of the electron varieties, have made fashionable the studies of fine structure and molecular biology that are beyond the amateur's easy understanding. Ex- tremely expensive equipment for observation, record- ing or experimentation, and computer facilities for the processing of accumulated data have become apparent necessities. In the university libraries, to which the public is usually not admitted, there has been an accumulation of massive amounts of biological litera- ture written in a jargon that only the initiated can comprehend. Tasks for the 20th Century How on earth can the amateur contribute in these circumstances? Well, first of all, I should say that the amateur can still contribute significantly along lines that are traditional but are capable of improvement and expansion. We could do very well with a mapping of the North American flora, at least on a series of local bases. This might be analogous to the produc- tion of the Atlas of the British Flora, which was com- piled by the activity of many amateurs and groups of amateurs each taking responsibility for a square ten kilometers on a side. The information was then brought together by an experienced professional. Now, under the eyes of professionals, amateur botanists in Britain are making surveys of variation within individual taxa. For example, a survey of the black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) complex is being undertaken with supervision from the Cambridge University Botanical Garden. Pollination biology is another area where the amateur can perform valuable research. We are getting away from just the study of individual species and their pollinators, and are realiz- ing the importance of treating the subject in an eco- system context. There are also some extra opportunities that were not available previously. For example, the University of California has set up a University Research Expedi- tions Program and a similar scheme is operated by the Center for Field Research on behalf of the Earth Watch Institute. Members of the public volunteer for expeditions to various parts of the world. These expe- ditions are designed to provide information for the research program of a particular professional research- er who will lead the expedition. The volunteers thus have an opportunity to satisfy the urge to participate in research and, as part of the preparation for the expe- dition, they receive some technical training. I think this is an excellent idea, but I would suggest that it would be still more beneficial if the volunteers could put the training they have received to good use in more indi- vidual efforts when the expedition is over. It should be more than a memorable experience. And we have to remember that some of our ama- teurs of the future will already have received graduate training. Many of these botanists could productively use laboratory and library facilities, if these could be made available. How can their needs be accommo- dated? One feature of the Botany Department at the University of California at Berkeley has been the ap- pointment of qualified amateurs as unpaid Research Associates. Two of these who have brought their exper- tise to the department are Marion Cave, expert in cyto- taxonomy and embryogeny (particularly of the Lilia- ceae), and Lauramay Dempster, an authority on bedstraw {Galium). Opening up the laboratories, the common rooms and the libraries in this way could be further augmented by letting the empty spaces in classrooms be occupied by qualified auditors. Botanical garden programs can be, and are being, improved as far as public instruction is concerned. Dr. Robert Ornduff is doing this at Berkeley. The Univer- sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill provides an example in the excellent programs initiated by Dr. Ritchie Bell, who has been particularly successful in mobilizing amateurs to note cases of native plants be- ing menaced by development, and as a last resort, to transplant them. 7 The equipment problem need not be as serious as it seems to be to some people. Even in a home laboratory there is plenty of good botanical research that can be carried out with simple equipment, aided by what Barry Tomlinson has called "a good eye." And miniaturization and drastic reduction in the prices of computers have put the statistical treatment of data back in the realm of the possible for the amateur. The chemical botanist R. Darnley Gibbs of McGill University used an admirable series of simple tests for groups of chemicals in plant material—some, for phenols, being as simple as pressing a lighted cigarette on leaves for 3 seconds, or dipping the leaves in hot water and noticing the coloration produced around the damaged area. This simple test for cyanogenesis from glycosides can be very important for those who would study the interactions of plants and herbivores. Irene Baker uses a variety of simple spot tests and chromato- graphic techniques for sugars, amino acids, lipids, phenolics and alkaloids in nectar. In this way, large- scale preliminary surveys can be made, so that other researchers with more sophisticated equipment can follow up on selected taxa. As to the needs of amateurs for a forum in which to discuss their findings, appropriate societies are necessary. In Britain, the BSBI provides the link be- tween professionals and amateurs, and regional societies in North America such as the Torrey Botanical Club, have long accepted amateurs as members. The California Native Plant Society is primarily devoted to the practical preservation of the native flora of California. These amateur botanists are alert to the danger that weeds may pose to the native flora, and they will form task-forces to go out and root them up. This is understandable because California does seem to attract some of the grossest weeds—like Pampas grass (Cortaderia jubata) from South America and several kinds of broom (Cytisus) from Europe. Similarly, members of the Washington Native Plant Society have been instrumental in revegetating with native species certain disturbed areas in the national forests. But even with the negative qualities of intro- duced weeds, the careful study of the success of these plants may be very rewarding scientifically and prac- tically—and I believe it should be encouraged. So, I appeal to biology departments and botanical societies such as our own to open up their facilities to a greater extent to qualified amateurs, and to sweep away the distinction between amateur and professional. The material in this article was presented as the presidential address at Botany '80, the joint meetings of the Canadian Botanical Associa- tion and the Botanical Society of America, in Vancouver, British Columbia, July 1980. It is reprinted with permission from the Univer- sity of Washington Arboretum Bulletin. Mary DeDecker, shown in the Last Chance Mountains, specializes in rare plants on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. She has made significant contributions to the rare plant program. CNPS RARE PLANT PROGRAM - A JOINT VENTURE The CNPS Rare Plant Program, an ambitious state- wide program that has produced the largest body of rare-plant information of any state in the U.S., is a product of both professional and amateur botanists. (See Fremontia, January 1982.) Over three hundred individual volunteers have contributed information to the 1984 CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California, the latest publication in a sixteen year statewide effort to collect current and reliable data on native plants. Beginning in the late sixties, professional and amateur botanists worked together to develop lists of rare plants from herbarium and field studies. These lists of plants were painstakingly evaluated and mapped. Chapter members throughout the state have been field check- ing the data and are presently developing a system to update and revise lists annually. This well-organized sus- tained effort probably has no equal in the world. A CNPS Rare-Plant Program office has been estab- lished in the California Department of Fish and Game office in Sacramento. It is now a major supplier of rare plant information to the endangered species data base of the California Department of Fish and Game Natural Diversity Data Base Program. Information from this program is being used increasingly by local, state, and federal agencies and private organizations as a basis for their land use planning, management, and acquisition efforts. For example, it provided the basis for the site selection process in The Nature Conservancy's 15.5 million dollar Critical Areas Program, that is setting aside representative habitat areas in California. CNPS is justifiably proud of its rare plant program. -Rick York 8 THE EVOLUTION OF A BOTANIST by Gordon H. True, jr. In 1929 I graduated from the University of Cali- fornia with a major in Animal Science, and two years later I earned a Masters Degree in parasitology. During all this time my only exposure to botany was a one- semester course required of all first-year students in the College of Agriculture. Other than that, I had the run-of-the-mill biologist's casual interest in native plants. Having a Masters Degree in parasitology, I decided to study for a doctorate in the same field. I became interested in working on the life-history of a louse fly parasite of California Quail and its role in the trans- mission of a blood parasite, the causative organism of a "quail malaria." After contacting what is now the Department of Fish and Game for permission to col- lect material for study, I was offered a part-time job as parasitologist in the Bureau of Education and Research. The part-time job became full-time, and I wound up in Southern California with a brand new wife and an extensive quail management project. Good-bye, parasitology! When I began my study of quail management I realized immediately how handicapped I was by my lack of knowledge of the native plants that quail need for food and cover. Since it was a little late to go back to college to study systematic botany, I bought a ten- power lens and a copy of Jepson's Manual of the Flowering Plants of California, and went to work. Gordon True in Sequoia National Park. Photograph by Margaret Williams. Having had no experience with botanical keys, I began by collecting plants that I knew and "keying them out." If I came up with the wrong name I retraced my steps to determine where I had gone wrong. I can recommend this procedure to anyone who enters the field of systematic botany entirely on his own. When I began on the unknowns I had to find a knowledgeable botanist to check my identifications. I had heard of Dr. Philip A. Munz, Professor of Botany at Pomona College. I went to Pomona, intro- duced myself and explained my problem. He was a very busy man with extensive teaching and research responsibilities, but he reluctantly agreed to look at my first collections. Through luck and my wife's keen eyesight the first ones included several very rare specimens, one of them a species of Oenothera, Dr. Munz' specialty. From then until he left Pomona for Cornell, he was always glad to see me and my bundles. He even unveiled the mystery of making a useable plant press and suggested sources of corrugated card- board, blotters and other items of equipment used by botanists collecting plants in the field. After two years with the quail project in Southern California I was transferred to an administrative post in the newly reorganized Bureau of Game Conserva- tion in San Francisco. During the next 10 years as I traveled throughout California on Fish and Game assignments I always carried my plant collecting equip- ment with me, and my wife and I amassed some 3000 native plants. In San Francisco I met John Thomas Howell and the legendary Alice Eastwood, then curator of the Department of Botany of the California Academy of Sciences. Mr. Howell was particularly helpful in check- ing my identifications. Although I kept the bulk of my private collection at home, the Academy was always provided with duplicates of specimens of particular interest. My statewide interest in native plants continued until 1946 when an automobile accident forced me to apply for physical disability retirement. I "retired" to a dairy ranch near Grass Valley in the Nevada County foothills. For many years, unable to use a hand lens or microscope, I collected plants only occasionally. About 19601 had begun to notice cows coming in from pasture with some peculiar burrs adhering to their coats. This was like the smell of smoke to an old fire horse, and I couldn't rest until I found the plant responsible. I dropped in on my old friend John Thomas Howell in San Francisco with some pressed specimens of the burr-producing plant which he iden- tified as Agrimonia gryposepala, a widespread but un- common member of the rose family. Mr. Howell, whom I had not seen since my retire- ment from wildlife work, suggested that I begin a serious collection of Nevada County plants and even- tually publish an annotated checklist. Since my eyesight had improved to the point that I could use a lens again, I agreed to return to the botany business. During the next two or three years I made a com- plete collection of the plants on my ranch, along the road from the ranch to Grass Valley, and even in parts of the high country. I gradually amassed a considerable list of plants but I knew that, milking cows twice a day and doing all the other things that make a suc- cessful ranching operation, I could not do justice to Nevada County flora. In 1963, with the price of milk about equal to the cost of production, I disposed of the cows and the ranch and moved to the Bay Area. I reestablished my association with the Academy of Sciences and became virtually a full-time botanist. I made regular field trips to Nevada County and also had the privilege of organizing Sierra Nevada plants that John Thomas Howell had collected over many years. Sorting and naming this huge collection sharpened my botanical skills, particularly in such groups as the grasses, sedges, and rushes. I also developed a real affection for the Leguminosae and the Boraginaceae, particularly the genus Cryptantha. In 1973 with Fred Ross, I made a collection of the plants of the Palomarin area of Point Reyes National Seashore. We mounted and assembled dried and iden- tified specimens from the area in loose-leaf binders deposited in the library at the Point Reyes Bird Obser- vatory as a reference collection. In April 1973 I published a preliminary flora, The Ferns and Seed Plants of Nevada County, California which was distributed to professional botanists and others interested in Nevada County plants. Since this time many additional plants have been collected, and I am contemplating the publication of a second edi- tion of the preliminary flora. Although still continuing my Nevada County studies, I am engaged, with John Thomas Howell, Mrs. Margaret Williams of Reno, and others in com- piling a list of the plants of Peavine Mountain, just southwest of Reno, Washoe County, Nevada. Being a botanist—a self-taught botanist —has in- volved a lot of hard work but has provided a few thrills, too. I rediscovered Lemmon's clover, Trifolium lemmonii, which had been lost to science since 1907, and at the east end of Castle Peak Ridge I found myself face-to-face with Eriogonum torreyanum.; Torrey's buckwheat had not been seen in its type locali- ty for almost a century. This article is reprinted with permission from the Point Reyes Bird Observatory. Readers will be saddened to learn that Gordon True died on March 9, 1984 in his home near Novato, California. He will be missed by his many friends in CNPS. 10 The marshes in the North Columbia Diggings are the only sites reported west of the Mississippi where eastern cranberries grow. Photographs by John Willoughby. A FRESHWATER MARSH AT NORTH COLUMBIA DIGGINGS by Dale Pendell Few residents of San Juan Ridge in Nevada Coun- ty know of its location and those who do call it the "cranberry bog." The freshwater marsh at the North Columbia Diggings is listed in Munz's A California Flora as a reported site for cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), the only one west of the Mississippi Valley. Actually, there are two large marshy areas in the North Columbia Diggings, a vast remnant of the days of hydraulic mining. One marsh, in the upper west pit area of the Diggings, is near Lonesome Lake and a less well-known site, hidden in the east pit, is one the local residents call Valley of the Moon. Cranberries grow in profusion in both marshes, but the lower marsh in the Valley of the Moon is more interesting botanically. The topography of the Valley of the Moon is worthy of its name. Cliffs, pyramids, and buttes of cemented gravel rise from the floor of a sun-bleached gravel basin. Many parts of the Diggings are nearly impene- trable: steep ravines form deep maze-like moats, and quicksand lies hidden in washes. Shallow wetlands, in the center of the Valley, are too soft to support a man's weight —the unwary pedestrian will sink up to his calves in boggy sand and mud. At the far eastern end of the Valley, an artesian spring feeds a small lake, while small seepages are abundant throughout the valley. When one walks around in the Valley of the Moon, chips and shards of fossilized trees clink against white stones underfoot. One can easily forget that the site is actually in the yellow pine belt of the Sierra 11 rtjMfe: v™''^w:} >y :WT'' l^T^^C :4$\ •'/•'-- --:•*' kiflflfcr «iiT Cliffs and buttes of cemented gravel remain today where once there was a pine-covered mountainside. Nevada, and that the Diggings themselves were once a pine-covered mountainside, hardly distinguishable from any other ridge in the foothills. History of the Marsh Today, the North Columbia Diggings cover about 2300 acres of upper San Juan Ridge at 2600 to 2800 feet elevation. During the early Cenozoic era, the Dig- gings were part of the ancestral Yuba River, which flowed south to north. Gold, weathered out of the veins created by the Mesozoic intrusions in the Sierra area, was deposited in the gravel of the river. It is thought that, sometime during the Miocene, a basalt flow blocked the river, and that a large lake formed in the area where the Diggings now are. The still water of the lake, fed by another ten million years of warm rain, collected between three hundred and five hun- dred feet of gravel. In the Pliocene era, uplifting of the present Sierra resulted in the lake emptying and the rivers running east to west. "One of the largest ex- posed gravel deposits in the world" of auriferous gravel was left between the South and Middle forks of the Yuba River. The new rivers concentrated two kinds of gold: that weathered from quartz veins associated with the Sierra uplift, and that concentrated by ancient rivers from Mesozoic volcanos, now intersected by the newly formed Yuba River. From this double concentration, Deer Creek, which runs through Nevada City, gained its earlier name "Pound Creek," because a miner's take was said to average a pound of gold a day. The finger- picking gold was quickly picked, however, and by the mid 1850's interest shifted to hard-rock mining and to bench gravels. Companies were formed, and plans were made to mine the largest "bench" deposits of them all, the Tertiary river itself, the "gravel range" on San Juan Ridge. To make a profit from gravel in which the gold value was only pennies a yard required ingenuity and much preparation. Eventually, at a cost of several million dollars, mining companies built over two hundred miles of flumes and ditches, diverting water from the high country of the Sierra to San Juan Ridge. Giant monitors, fed by twelve or sixteen inch dredge pipes, blasted the partially cemented gravels apart with water under several hundred feet of head pressure. In a little over a decade, companies were able to pay off their investments and make great profits. Hydraulic mining, however, was to be short-lived. By 1880, silt equivalent to a dozen centuries of erosion had been deposited in drainages of the Yuba River. In some places, tunnels over two miles long, lined with riffle boxes, emptied rushing gravel into the river. In the Central Valley, the river bed rose by thirty- five feet and Marysville and surrounding farmlands were flooded. Today, much of the silt and mud around the edges of San Francisco Bay can be identified as Nevada County gravel. After fifteen years of hydraulic mining there were such severe ecological consequences, including major damage to farmers in the Sacramen- to Valley, that, in 1884 in the first major environmen- tal law decision in California, Judge Lorenzo Sawyer ordered the hydraulic mines to shut down until they could control their sediment tailings. Entire mountain 12 sides had been washed away. By 1884 the Diggings were a lifeless wasteland. Nothing green was left rooted. The Marsh Flora Today in this man-excavated valley, one finds a flora as unique and evocative as the landscape. It is probable that seeds were brought down from the high country in the flumes and ditches, since one of the distinctive marks of the Diggings flora is the presence of plants species usually associated with higher elevations: lodge- pole pine (Pinus murrayand), sierra-laurel (Leucothoe davisiae), tinker's penny (Hypericum anagalloides), Juncus macrandrus, J. orthophyllus, and Sisyrinchium elmeri. Plants typical of higher elevations are most abundant in low areas of the Valley of the Moon, as one would expect if they had been imported via a water course. Up out of the Valley of the Moon, the Diggings are generally drier, and the topography somewhat gentler. Wet areas do exist, however, in addition to Lonesome Lake and Cranberry Bog as there are several well- defined ponds and at least one vernal pool. Over most of the Diggings, bleached gravel supports manzanita, principally Arctostaphylos viscida, but also an occa- sional large-berried Arctostaphylos mewukka where the Diggings border upon the forest. There are also areas in the Diggings where conifers have reestablished themselves, generally yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa) and, less commonly, sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana). Their growth is generally sparse and stunted. The most obvious of the montane species in the East Pit area is lodgepole pine (Pinus murrayand). Trees are extremely stunted, one tree about fifteen years old being less than a meter high. The largest lodgepole pine in East Pit is about fifteen feet high and appears by node count to be a little less than fifty years old. As might be expected in an area of light-colored gravels, the acidophilic Ericaceae are well represented in the Diggings. In addition to manzanita, Iabrador tea (Ledum glandulosum), sierra-laurel, and western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale) are found. Flower- ing spiraea (Spiraea douglasii), common around lakes and wet areas, makes the Valley of the Moon a par- ticularly beautiful place in early summer. Sandy shallows covering several hundred acres of the lower Diggings area are characterized by seeps which keep the whole area inundated with an inch or two of water throughout the year. In addition to cranberry, this wetland area is dominated by species of Juncaceae and Cyperaceae. Some of the more domi- nant species of the Juncaceae are Juncus marginatus, J. macrandus, J. acuminatus, and J. effusus var. exiguus; of the Cyperaceae are Carex laeviculmis, Scir- pus diffusus, and a little beaked rush Rynchospora glomera var. minor. Gramineae are represented prin- cipally by panic grass (Panicum pacificum), Danthonia californica var. americana, and Andropogon virgini- cus. Club-moss (Lycopodium inundatum), one of the most primitive vascular plants, grows from creeping stems that criss-cross back and forth across the sand. In between one sees the sticky, reddish rosettes of an insectivorous sundew (Drosera rotundifolid). Two of the Diggings plants, beaked rush and club- moss, are on "List 4" of the second edition of the Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California published by the California Native Plant Society. Beaked rush is known from scattered locations in California and it grows vigorously in the East Pit on the Diggings. While beaked rush has no legal pro- tection, it is rare enough to be on the sensitive plant list of the Tahoe National Forest, and collecting it is forbidden. Perhaps the rarest plant, in terms of Cali- fornia flora, is club-moss (Lycopodium inundatum), which is known elsewhere in California only from Humboldt Bay where it grows less profusely than in the marshy flats of the Valley of the Moon. There is something exciting and mysterious about this plant that grows so well in this marsh. One wonders what Eastern cranberries grow in profusion in the east pit marsh in North Columbia Diggings, a remnant of a once extensive hydraulic operation. Photograph by the author. 13 brought it there, and why it is proliferated so suc- cessfully in this particular marsh, while it is not found in the upper Cranberry Bog, nor in the neighboring Malakoff Diggins State Park, only five or six miles away. The East Pit of the Diggings may represent the largest and healthiest population of this species of club- moss in California. Golden-eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium californicum) grows only in one location in the Lower Marsh, where the soil is more muddy than sandy. It grows submerg- ed in several inches of water along with Scirpus dif- fusus and Typha latifolia. According to Munz, golden- eyed-grass is a coast range species while Sisyrinchium elmeri is a smaller plant of higher elevations. It ap- pears that the golden-eyed-grass of the North Colum- bia Marsh represents a range extension of Sisyrinchium californicum, or perhaps an intermediate form be- tween Sisyrinchium californicum and S. elmeri. Status and Future of the Marsh The future of the marsh in the Valley of the Moon and, indeed, of the Diggings is very uncertain. At present the many dirt bikers and four-wheel drivers who visit the Diggings on weekends are a threat to the marsh. While many of the recreationalists stay in the upper Diggings area, an admitted dirt-bikers paradise, increasing numbers of the more skilled and daring riders are descending the cliffs into the Valley of the Moon. I have seen these bikers perform quite extraordinary feats, climbing and descending nearly vertical cliffs, but I have also seen them, unknowing- ly and uncaringly, crush through the orchid (Spiran- thesporrifolia) and other rare plants of the Diggings. The North Columbia Diggings are owned by the San Juan Gold Corporation, which in turn has leased them to the Placer Service Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of St. Joe Minerals. This firm has recently been acquired by the Fluor Corporation. Placer Ser- vice is conducting "experimental drilling," (some sixty holes are planned, each one several feet across) to determine the feasibility of large scale open pit strip mining. If this were to occur, the entire wetland area of the Valley of the Moon would be obliterated. Local residents, through the San Juan Ridge Taxpayers Association, have succeeded through the hearing pro- cess on the use permit in having a number of restric- tions placed on the current use permit, including an injunction to stay out of the wet areas of the marsh. Members of the San Juan Ridge Taxpayers Associa- tion hope that legal recognition of the fragility of the marsh will be of value as later decisions about their mining proposal are made. An Environmental Impact Report (E.I.R.) is being prepared for both test drill- ing and full-scale open pit mining of the entire Dig- 14 gings. In the past, Fluor Corporation paid for an En- vironmental Assessment which will provide data for the E.I.R. No funds have been provided for new field work, and the adequacy of the report is in question. For example, Lycopodium inundatum was not iden- tified in the botanical survey of East Pit. If plans of the Fluor Corporation are approved, full-scale open pit mining will begin in the near future. Wetlands of the Valley of the Moon will be the first target. Miners claim that since it was mining that created the Diggings in the first place, they ought to be free to return and finish the job. They consistently deny the presence of any unique, rare, or endangered plant species. What they fail to recognize is one of the most unusual exam- ples of one hundred years of plant succession to occur in the Sierra Nevada. Spiranthes porrifolia, a small orchid growing in the marsh, is sometimes carelessly crushed by off-road vehicles. EDITH MURPHEY: PIONEER BOTANIST IN MENDOCINO by Skee Hainan n "I fell in love with the mountains of Mendocino, the redwoods, and the open range. This was still wild country with Indians living all about—deer, fox, coon, fish, bobcat, and mountain lion." In 1968, Edith Van Allen Murphey, pioneer botanist and authority on uses of native plants among the Indians of the western United States, died just short of her ninetieth year in Mendocino County. She had homesteaded there in 1902 among the Indians. Dur- ing her lifetime, Edith was range botanist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, plant collector, librarian, and author. Her written works included newspaper col- umns on her work and journeys among Indians, infor- mation on poisonous range plants, and Indian Uses of Native Plants. Edith, like her contemporary Lester Rowntree, felt most at home in the high country of the West. On solitary packtrips, or with a twelve-year-old Indian boy to care for the animals, she was the first knowledge- able botanist to collect specimens in Mendocino Na- tional Forest north of Covelo. In her years with the Indian Service on reservations throughout the West, she managed to journey up the various peaks from which the tribes' most valued medicinal and dye plants were gathered: Chief Mountain in Montana; Wind River Range in Wyoming; Mt. Emmons in Utah; Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson in Oregon; and the Rockies above Fort Hall in Idaho. From East to West Edith Van Allen was born into a prosperous family on February 10, 1879, in Albany, New York. Her mother died at Edith's birth, and as a motherless child Edith was given unusual outdoor freedom by her father. In her early years Edith had run free through the wildflowers on her family's large land holdings with her brother and boy cousins, but at the age of four she was sent with her sister to convent schools and later to the equally-strict Albany Female Academy. Graduation set Edith free for serious study at New York State Library School. There, in the Capitol building, she began an elevator acquaintance with the new governor, Theodore Roosevelt. His stories of his ranch years in the Territory of North Dakota, its Indians, and its wildlife, added to Edith's budding Edith Van Allen Murphey, librarian in New York City at the turn of the century. Photograph by Robert J. Lee, courtesy of Edward C. Dearing. curiosity about Indians of the West. In addition to her library courses, Edith began her own study of Indian history and languages. By the time she was nineteen, Edith had been entrusted with the organization of two new libraries in Albany, the Pruyn and the Henry Hud- son. She went on to New York City as librarian at the Y.M.C.A. Shortly thereafter, Edith found herself moving westward, at last, to her next job at the Univer- sity of California at Berkeley. A Homesteader at Twenty-Three There, Edith catalogued books in foreign languages in the daytime, and at night studied Russian, Middle High German, and Ancient French. After a year her 15 A fire lookout tower now stands on Anthony Peak, which was 01 by William T. Follette. eyes gave out and her oculist forbade any close use of them for a year. Unable to continue her library work, Edith per- suaded two women acquaintances to go with her to Sherwood Valley in Mendocino County to look for homestead land. They found adjoining plots along Dutch Henry and Long Valley creeks. Almost im- mediately, Edith married Arthur Lloyd, a homesteader already established next to her chosen land. The Sherwood Pomos taught the young couple how to live on the native plants and how to smoke salmon and venison. An Indian woman friend taught Edith the construction of the intricate basketry of the Pomos. In Mendocino County men made baby baskets called sekahs and when Margaret Lloyd was born in 1904, an Indian neighbor made her a basket. Within a few years, a series of disasters occurred: Edith lost a second baby, and Margaret became violently insane as a result of a river-crossing accident followed by a fall and had to be confined to a state hospital. The marriage was torn asunder, and Edith left the homestead. Over the next twenty years, again, but both husbands died Edith married twice as had her daughter Margaret. Increasingly her life became centered around plants and Indians. Before his death in 1925, Edith and her third hus- band, Will Murphey, farmed a small poverty-stricken ranch, Hidden Valley, two miles out of Covelo. The seasons of flowers in the hills above and her continu- 16 part of the view from Edith's cabin. Photographs ing involvement with Indians kept Edith going. Lucy Young, an aged seeress at the nearby Round Valley Reservation, became Edith's revered teacher. Lucy lived to be one hundred and two. Among other things, Edith absorbed an understanding of the importance of grasses from Lucy. Drawing on her childhood expe- riences, Lucy detailed the destruction and loss of Cali- fornia's nutritious native grasses by stock brought in by the Spaniards. Overgrazing eliminated fine grasses with protein-rich seed that was used by the Indians as winter reserves. Introduced grasses with protein-poor seed that came with the Spaniards' cattle took over with resulting widespread starvation for Indians. Edith was inspired by Lucy's understanding and knowledge. When Murphey died she spent eight months alone on the ranch teaching herself botany from Willis Linn Jepson's Flowering Plants of Cali- fornia. At the end of that time, Edith sold the little ranch and was ready to apply for a job using her botanical knowledge. Plant Collector and Explorer The concept of conservation was not widely understood in the mid '20s. Many interested in pre- serving rare plants thought protection meant taking plants out of the forest, instead of protecting the forest habitat. Carl Purdy's wildflower garden near Ukiah, supplied by his team of collectors ranging from the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Pacific, was con- sidered a plant haven, the salvation of plant species. Edith longed to have a part in "saving" the flowers. She wanted it badly enough to agree to be cook for the Purdys half the year to earn the freedom of moun- tain trails from April to September. The first season Edith's packer was twelve-year-old Ace, a Covelo Indian boy. Ace was steeped in his people's natural history lore, and Edith learned more of Indian uses of plants from him as they traveled the forest trails. As Edith's confidence and competence increased, she often journeyed alone, collecting wildflower seed and offering them for sale. Her great interest was in sharing her discoveries with botanical scholars that in- cluded Alice Eastwood, Herbert Mason, and Willis Jepson. Jepson was so intrigued by all her specimens Edith found sheets of Washington lilies growing just outside the Mendocino Wilderness Area "saturating the air with sweetness." that he made a special trip to Covelo; and when Penstemon purpusii was found at 6,500 foot Buck Rock, north of Anthony Peak, Alice Eastwood, then in her seventies, persuaded Edith to arrange an expedi- tion for her to visit the site. Ranchers, loggers, and sheepherders through the forest were amazed to see a solitary small woman in breeches and boots in the high mountains. Some thought they were seeing double. "There's another woman just like you who's collecting seeds, too!" Lester Rowntree and Edith both were five feet tall, blue-eyed, curly haired; both were ahead of their time in wearing pants and traveling alone. Though their trails in the forest often crossed, and they later ex- changed seeds by mail, they never actually met. The more Edith learned of plants, the more she wanted to know of their Indian uses. For years she and aged Lucy had explored the hills above Covelo. When Lucy was ninety, she and her husband Sam finally shared a long-planned journey with Edith—a horse- back trip up South Fork Mountain, the Indians' sacred peak and source of their most valued medicinal plants. All day, as Lucy sat astride her horse, she slowly and clearly re-created her people's past at each stream, meadow, and grove. For years Lucy had described "Shasta lilies in sheets." At Horse Ridge in Trinity County, just outside the Wilderness Area, Edith finally saw them—sheets of Washington lilies (Lilium wash- ingtonianum var. minus) were "sticking their heads through low oak brush on all sides, saturating the air with sweetness." Indian Service Lucy's recollections of kidnappings, massacres, starvation, redoubled Edith's attempts to ease the cur- rent deprivation for Indians. In 1935, she began work- ing with the Indian agencies in Nevada. Upon her arrival, Edith found dead bloated cattle lying in the fields. Her homestead and ranch years had taught her to recognize the effects of overgrazing and injurious range growths, and she went to work leading the ranchers by undertaking autopsies to prove the presence of poison plants in stomachs of the dead animals. She instructed stockmen in poison plant con- trol and was soon appointed range botanist by the U.S. Indian Commissioner. At the same time, Edith began recording the uses of plants by Nevada Indians — Shoshone, Paiute, Washoe—for the U.S. Plant Bureau. Recording plant uses took Edith through all of Nevada. She learned from older Indians of the original vegetation of the land. At Owyhee, a Western Sho- shone Reservation on the Nevada-Idaho border, Edith came on a bumper crop of ricegrass (Oryzopsis 17 A view to the north of Anthony Peak in Mendocino County. hymenoides). Under her leadership, Indian women harvested in their age-old method of hand winnow- ing, five tons, 10,000 pounds —of seed. Their harvest reseeded two other reservations where the valuable grass had been lost. Edith taught natural history to Indian children while they taught her Indian uses of plants. She socialized with the Indians and encouraged them to share their information and wisdom with her. The Shoshone named her Bahai Wakidu, the Seed Seeker. At the end of her five years in Nevada, Edith had collected over 9,000 herbarium sheets, 900 seed samples, and over two tons of plant material for chemical evaluation of medicinal properties. From Nevada, Edith went on to the Blackfeet Reser- vation at Browning, Montana, where she and the school children compiled a mimeographed booklet, Materia Medica of the Blackfeet. When World War II began, Edith's experience in reducing losses from stock poisoning and increasing nutritious pasture lands in Nevada was seen as a valuable means of increasing meat production, and she was assigned to work with Indian stockmen throughout the West. Her experiences with the Wind River Reservation, Wyoming; the Uinta-Ouray, Utah; the Warm Springs Confederated Tribes, Oregon; and Fort Hall on the Snake River, Idaho, involved far more than meat production, however. She continued recording plant uses and seed collecting, with particular interest in medicinal, basketry, and dye plants. Edith's official Indian Service ended with World War II, but her service to Indians continued as long as she lived. Her knowledge of stock poisoning plants was compressed in a rancher's range guide, The Stockman's Pocketbook. Two national radio personalities honored Edith in her seventy-fifth year. Mary Margaret McBride chose her as "the woman most representative of the American way of life, in unusual botanical work, and the most unpaid service to Indians." Edward R. Mur- row devoted an evening's program to her as "unusual agriculturist, and advisor to Indians." At eighty, Edith completed her years of winnowing and organizing her plant-use notes from many tribes. Indian Uses of Native Plants has seen four printings.1 Near her ninetieth year, Edith's tired body had had enough of her determined spirit's prodding. In her sleep, she died. ^Indian Uses of Native Plants may be purchased from Mendocino Historical Society, 603 Perkins St., Ukiah, CA 95482, $3.20 including postage. 18 SOPHIE MITCHELL'S WILDFLOWER PAINTINGS by joe Callizo and Virginia Wisdom Words like "magnificent," "lovely," and "exquisite" are often applied to the Sophie Mitchell paintings. Each watercolor depicts a tastefully arranged bouquet of California wildflowers. One painting displays: baby blue eyes (Nemophila menziesii) in various shades of blue, cream cups (Platystemon californica) with delicate yellow petals and paler centers, and a few woodland-star (Lithophragma heterophylla) as white and clean as fresh snow, all against a background of dark-green maidenhair fern (Adiantum sp.). Another painting features two yellow calochortus {Calochor- tus vestae) with a few light purple brodiaea (Triteleia laxa) surrounded by scattered florets of wild oats (Avena sp.) A third shows scarlet monkey flower {Mimulus cardinalis) with a glistening white spray of virgins-bower {Clematis ligusticifolia). There are over sixty-four such paintings, each one so carefully rendered that the species of flowers can readily be iden- tified for most. At the time of Sophie Mitchell's death in 1940, no Sophie Mitchell with her husband, James, and sons, John and James, in 1889. Photographs courtesy of the Napa County Museum. Scarlet monkey flower and virgins-bower. more than thirty-eight of her watercolor paintings were known to exist. In 1976, sixty-four of her watercolors were discovered in New England and passed into the hands of the Haydn Foundation for the Cultural Arts in Ardsley, New York. Since the works were signed with initials only, no one there knew who had painted them. They were dated, however, and a few clues were found in an accompanying scrapbook. When the wildflowers rendered were identified as species native to California, inquiries were made at the Santa Bar- bara Botanical Garden. Staff member Jacqueline Broughton correctly determined that many of the plants portrayed were native to north-central Califor- nia. Additional detective work led her to living members of the Mitchell family. They confirmed the watercolors to be the work of Sophie Alstrom Mitchell of St. Helena. In 1976 the Napa County Museum 19 Association (then known as Vintage Hall) purchased fifty of the Mitchell paintings from the Haydn Foun- dation. In 1982 fourteen more were acquired, thus returning the whole collection to St. Helena, its place of origin. A Child from Sweden Sophie Alstrom Mitchell (1858-1940) was born in Carlshamn, Sweden. Little is known about her father, Johan Nordstrom, except that he was an artist of some talent, a textile designer, and that he died before Sophie was born, leaving mother and child in poor cir- Baby blue eyes, woodland-star, and maidenhair fern. cumstances. In 1860, with the help of Sven Ahlstrom, a family friend, Sophie and her mother, Marie Nord- strom, an aunt and an uncle, all arrived in Califor- nia. Sven Ahlstrom had arrived in Boston in 1851 and had traveled to California the following year to begin a career in the hotel business at San Francisco's Orien- tal Hotel. On the day of her arrival in San Francisco, Marie Nordstrom and Sven Ahlstrom were married. In 1862 the Ahlstrom family moved to St. Helena where they purchased the White Sulphur Springs Resort, a popular spa catering to the elite society of San Francisco and the Bay Area. Sven Ahlstrom laid out interesting trails in Sulphur Springs Canyon for his guests to follow, giving them such names as "Path to the Moon," "Enchanted Flat," and "Maidenhair Falls." It was here that Sophie developed her love for wildflowers. Sophie Alstrom (the family dropped the "h" in Ahlstrom) was educated in the St. Helena schools. Her remarkable talent for watercolor painting and her knowledge of botany were developed at the Ladies Seminary in Napa where she graduated in 1879. In 1883 Sophie married the Reverend James Mitchell, founder of the First Presbyterian Church in St. Helena. On his missionary travels in Napa and neigh- boring counties, he would collect and bring Sophie new species of native flowers to paint. Accounts of this period acknowledge her talent: "As many know, Sophie is a master of watercolors, and excels in the wildflowers of our state." Throughout their life together, Sophie was a devoted assistant to her hus- band. She displayed fresh flowers in their church each Sunday and taught in the church Sunday school for many years. She lived and worked in the family home in St. Helena where she and her husband had raised their two sons, John and James, until her death on August 30, 1940. Sophie Mitchell has become known as one of the finest botanical artists of nineteenth century Califor- nia. She had a very steady hand for meticulous work and her own way of arranging flowers. Using fine camel's hair brushes and paper imported from England, she applied transparent watercolor over a base of white paint, a technique that gives a translucent quality to her work. Throughout her lifetime she used only this medium and always on a background of gray- green paper. Her collected works were shown in 1894 as part of the Napa County Exhibit at the Midwinter Fair in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Since their return to California, Sophie's paintings have traveled to the Strybing Arboretum in San Fran- cisco and to Filoli at Woodside. A request has been received for an exhibit in her native Sweden. The entire collection has currently been on display in St. Helena in a major exhibit. Sophie Mitchell's paintings of the California wildflowers are home at last. LACE LICHEN: AN INDICATOR OF AIR POLLUTION by Janet H. Wood Lace lichen {Ramalina menziesii) may prove to be a valuable indicator species for pollutant levels in many areas of California. Lichens do not survive where air quality is poor. For over one hundred years investi- gators have been gathering data on lichen deteriora- tion around cities and industrial complexes. There are perhaps fifty percent fewer lichen species on conifers in the mountains adjacent to the Los Angeles Basin than there were at the turn of the century. Deterio- rated lichen communities of the San Bernardino Mountains correlate with high oxidant and sulfur dioxide levels. Ramalina menziesii (known as R. reticulata prior to 1970) is a very distinctive fruticose lichen, characterized by its unique lace-like reticulations and overall growth pattern that reminds one of Spanish moss. It is the largest North American lichen species with a total width of over eight inches and length of over six feet. The fruticose form of lace lichen drapes around the trunk of a valley oak. Lace lichen, usually found draping oak trees, is a good indicator of air pollution. Photographs by the author. Lace lichen is usually found draping oak trees but is also an epiphyte on Monterey cypress, Monterey pine, California bay, sycamore, and bigleaf maple. Some of the lichen's most luxuriant growth appears on dead or diseased trees, perhaps from increased light and greater nutrient availability from leaching of bark. There are three main growth patterns for Ramalina menziesii: first, a form with torn and matted thalli characteristic of the populations of Monterey, Point Lobos, and Mendocino that are subject to coastal fog, wind, and salt spray; second, a form that is highly reticulate with a narrow main thallus found in inland areas such as the Carmel Valley, the eastern slope of 21 Lace lichen is the largest North American lichen species and grows to lengths of over six feet. the Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Rosa, and the Santa Ynez Valley; third, a form with a broad thallus and coarse reticulations found in foothill regions where heavy morning ground fog occurs such as in parts of the Santa Ynez Valley, Napa Valley, San Luis Obispo, Lompoc, and Hunter-Liggett Military Reservation (Monterey County). The typical gray-green color of stiff air-dry lichen becomes bright green, soft and pliable with moisture uptake. Lichens can absorb water directly from the air as well as from rain or dew. Water is absorbed through all parts of the plant as there are no root-like struc- tures nor stomates for evaporation control as are found in vascular plants. Lace lichen acts as a crude device for measuring humidity, demontrated in water- uptake studies for several samples of Ramalina men- ziesii conducted on Figueroa Mountain Road in Santa Barbara County. After especially heavy rains, masses of lace lichen can be found at the bases of trees. There can be as much as a three hundred percent increase in mass from moisture absorption, causing strands to break. Lichens generally do not remain on the ground long since they are consumed by cattle or deer. In graz- ing areas, few lace lichen are found on branches below six feet. The Columbian black-tailed deer uses Ramalina menziesii as an important dietary item during the winter. The future of Ramalina menziesii is equally depen- dent upon maintaining the trees upon which it grows as well as maintaining the quality of air. From examin- ing early studies of California lichens and herbarium specimens it is apparent that lace lichen has had a dif- ferent distribution in the past. For example, R. men- ziesii was once found on large coast live oaks in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles County, but it no longer grows in an area so close to the Los Angeles basin. Recent experimental transplants of healthy R. menziesii from the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County to the Santa Monica Mountains turned yellow and were dead within three months. This was attributed to air pollution since chlorosis or bleaching of lichens is a symptom of air pollution The lace-like reticulations of lace lichen are reminiscent of Spanish moss. stress. High concentrations of sulfur dioxide at low pH values, typical of acid rain, break down chloro- phyll resulting in photosynthesis and reduced respira- tion in the plants. Many more field and laboratory studies could be carried out on lace lichen, including baseline studies on its present distribution. When there is deteriora- tion of Ramalina menziesii in an area where it was once abundant, air pollution certainly is strongly suspect. As the quality of air deteriorates, so goes the lace lichen. 22 u*?C Cluster development on the Sea Ranch terraces has left much of the coastal prairie grass land relatively undisturbed. Photograph by the author. WHAT HAPPENS TO NATIVE GRASSES WHEN GRAZING STOPS? by Kathleen A. Dwire Livestock was removed from the coastal prairie- covered sea terraces at Sea Ranch when residential development began in the mid-1960s. Prior to develop- ment the perennial grassland prairie was grazed con- tinuously over a one hundred year period, mostly by sheep and to a lesser extent by cattle and horses. Sea Ranch, a private residential development, was estab- lished in the 1960s and stretches out along the north- ernmost ten miles of the Sonoma County coastline. The Sea Ranch Homeowners Association has reserved almost ninety-five percent of the extensive sea terraces as permanent open space where they allow research to be conducted. Because of past land uses and the cur- rent management program, grasslands at Sea Ranch provide a unique study site for the investigation of plant succession and the response of different grass species, including natives, following the cessation of grazing. In 1974, Theodore Foin and Mary Hektner from the Division of Environmental Studies at University of California, Davis, began a research program at Sea Ranch to document the successional changes occur- ring in the coastal grassland community on the sea ter- races. Two publications have resulted to date: a flora of Sea Ranch grasslands and a detailed vegetation analysis. Additional data and information were pub- lished in a chapter on coastal prairies in Barbour and Major's Terrestrial Vegetation of California (1977). Foin and Hetkner have found a rich diversity of peren- nial native grasses at Sea Ranch. Three native peren- nial grass species are found in the mixed grasslands: purple needlegrass (Stipa pulchra), California oatgrass (Danthonia californica), and blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus), in addition to an Australian perennial, hairy oatgrass (Danthonia pilosa), and two introduced annual grasses, soft chess (Bromus mollis) and fox- tail fescue (Vulpia bromoides). Since 1974, Foin, Hetkner, and other members of a Sea Ranch research 23 group that I joined in 1979 have observed a marked increase in the abundance of two introduced peren- nial grasses, sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum) and velvet grass (Holcus lanatus) invading mixed grassland meadows. We are following this suc- cession with interest. Status of Native Grasses According to Bartolome (1981), purple needlegrass (Stipa pulchra) is "the most common native bunchgrass in Northern California and, along with several close- ly related species, widespread in the south as well." It is found on drier sites in many plant communities throughout California, and is once thought to have California oatgrass spikelets. Drawings by the author. been the major species of inland pristine California grasslands. California oatgrass (Danthonia californicd) is a densely tufted perennial grass with a range extend- ing from Tulare County west to Monterey County, and northward along the coast to British Columbia. California oatgrass grows in many plant communities along the northern coast of California, and typically occurs on dry, open sites. Purple needlegrass and California oatgrass have decreased in many areas in California from over- grazing, and the meadows at Sea Ranch are probably no exception. At Sea Ranch, both grasses are found in the mixed grasslands, in open and disturbed areas, along roadsides, and occasionally in the meadows now increasingly dominated by introduced perennial grasses. Neither purple needlegrass nor California oat- grass form dense stands, but occur as individuals and occasionally as small clumps of individuals. Current distribution of purple needlegrass and Cali- fornia oatgrass at Sea Ranch is a result of past graz- ing practices. Both species may have occurred in abun- dance before the area was grazed. California oatgrass is a highly palatable species and livestock prefer it to other grass species. While this native appears to benefit from light grazing, it cannot withstand heavy or con- tinuous grazing pressure. Purple needlegrass is more resistant to grazing than California oatgrass, par- ticularly if seed production is ensured, and tends to recover faster. In the mixed grassland stands at Sea Ranch, I have observed increased seed production and growth of individual plants of California oatgrass and purple needlegrass over the last three seasons. In ad- dition, there has been a slight increase in the number of California oatgrass plants and a marked increase in the number of purple needlegrass plants each year. In open sites, roadsides and disturbed areas, purple needlegrass has competed well against the introduced annuals and is increasing steadily. The climate at Sea Ranch, where summer fog reduces seasonal drought stress, has probably contributed to this success, and plays an important role in reducing any advantage annuals may have over perennials in drier habitats. Blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus) is a tufted perennial native grass, with tall reproductive stems and coarse foliage. This species rarely forms dense stands; indi- viduals, or small clumps of individuals, are found in many plant communities throughout the West. At Sea Ranch, scattered blue wildrye individuals occur occa- sionally in the more open areas of perennial grasslands and lupine-dominated meadows. There has been no noticeable change in the abundance of blue wildrye in these areas; however, in the mixed grassland, where blue wildrye is more common, it has been increasing slightly but steadily. I have observed a few new plants in my study areas each spring. The role of the cessa- tion of grazing on the localized increase of blue wildrye is uncertain. Since the foliage is 'stemmy' and coarse, livestock utilize only the new growth of this species as forage. The slight increase is apparently at least part- ly due to blue wildrye's ability to compete with intro- duced annuals in the more open grasslands. Hairgrass (Deschampsia caespitosa var. holciformis) 24 is the most abundant native grass occurring at Sea Ranch. It is characteristically found in wet and poor- ly drained areas of grasslands, freshwater marshes, and the moist swales and seeps of coastal scrub and lupine- dominated plant communities. This large bunchgrass, with stems up to three feet tall, can form thick, dense stands. Because of its habit of dense growth and the fact that it is utilized by many types of livestock, hair- grass is considered a valuable forage species. It is much more tolerant of grazing than most of our native perennial grasses, and has the ability to withstand and recover from continued grazing. Accordingly, hair- grass was found to be the most widespread native grass when the meadows were initially sampled in 1974. Since 1974, however, the Sea Ranch research group has observed a decline in the abundance of hairgrass. Dense stands are slowly being invaded by sweet vernal grass and velvet grass. In greenhouse studies, we have found that hairgrass competes poorly against these species as a seedling. In the field, we have observed very few seedlings and young plants—an indication that hairgrass is not colonizing any new areas or replac- ing itself when an older plant dies. The existing stands of hairgrass consist mostly of large, older, well- established plants. We have also noticed that both seed production and seed viability are highly variable depending on a number of environmental factors. Since this species is thought to be long-lived, we expect that hairgrass will be present at Sea Ranch for a long time. It is possible that hairgrass did well while Sea Ranch was being grazed, but is now slowly declining as it 'loses ground' to introduced perennials. Reedgrass (Calamagrostis nutkaensis) is a large reed- like perennial native grass that forms tough, impene- trable clumps. Like hairgrass, it is generally found in moist habitats of a number of different plant com- munity types. At Sea Ranch, reedgrass is restricted to the wettest sites, such as seeps and boggy areas where the soils remain saturated year round. Reedgrass re- mains constant in frequency and abundance in the meadows at Sea Ranch; however, we do not find it colonizing any new sites. It is not known whether this is the result of poor competitive ability on drier sites or whether reedgrass is restricted to the wettest sites because of very high water requirements. We do not observe other species invading reedgrass areas. Even aggressive colonizers like sweet vernal grass and velvet grass have difficulty getting established in dense, thick reedgrass stands located in the wettest locations. Like blue wildrye, the foliage of reedgrass is too coarse to be of any value as forage, and, except as new growth, it is not utilized much by livestock. It is probable that reedgrass is the grass least affected by former grazing practices at Sea Ranch. Less common native grasses which have been col- lected at Sea Ranch include: California brome (Bromus carinatus) which occurs occasionally on the headlands and in mixed and perennial grasslands; rye (Elymus pacificus) and bentgrass (Agrostis blasdalei), which rarely occur in sandy areas near bluffs; dune bentgrass {Agrostis pallens), found rarely to occasionally on areas of moving sand; chess {Bromus vulgaris), a rare plant found in deep shade along ravines; saltgrass (Dis- tichlis spicata), which occurs occasionally towards the base of some bluffs; red fescue (Festuca rubra), occur- ring occasionally in the grasslands; pacific panic grass (Panicum pacificum), which is found rarely to occa- sionally in the grasslands; Dallis grass (Paspalum dila- tatum), restricted to the Highway 1 roadside; and Cali- fornia barley (Hordeum californicum), occurring com- monly on the headlands. Future Work at Sea Ranch The land use history and current management plan at Sea Ranch provide an excellent opportunity for observation of native grasses in a north coast grassland. Most existing information about native grasses is restricted to their inability to compete with introduced annuals in a typical Mediterranean climate. We hope to gain new insights into the biology and ecology of California's native perennial grasses. 25 GROWING NATIVES PART I: SEEDING by Nevin Smith One of the most rewarding aspects of my work has been trading thoughts and experiences in the propaga- tion of California's native plants with other plant en- thusiasts. While some of our conclusions may be appli- cable primarily to a nursery setting, many will be useful to a home gardener. Contrary to popular and even professional myth, California natives are not generally difficult to propa- gate. A few species have proven sufficiently difficult to grow by conventional methods to keep the myth alive. Early identification of a gardener's goals will lead to the selection of an appropriate technique: how many new plants are desired? how much effort and material is one willing to expend on the process? what are desirable features to have in the plants obtained? how much "parent" stock is available and in what condi- tion? Close consideration needs to be given to the status of native plant population. If material for propagation is to be taken from the wild, it is essen- tial to know which method will be least disruptive to the plant in the natural state. In the case of rare plants no material should be removed. Typical of the lily family, seeds of Trillium ovatum need a period of cold before they germinate. Drawing by Nancy Baron. 26 Seeding offers certain unique advantages. Given the wealth of viable seed set by many plants (sometimes hundreds per pod, with many pods per plant), vast rates of multiplication may be possible with little disturbance either to the "parent" plant or to the pro- cess of natural succession. When one considers this rate, the small bulk of most seeds, and the simplicity of the sowing technique, seeding becomes the most economic among propagating alternatives. Since none of the resulting seedling individuals will be genetical- ly identical to the parents, there is always an element of surprise. (I often grow a batch of seedlings just to see what may turn up.) Seedling variation provides an obvious method of reconstructing a diverse natural set- ting in disturbed areas. Disease- or pest-prone species may suddenly acquire genetic resistance through muta- tion or recombination which may insure that at least some individuals survive. For ornamental purposes, where greater consistency of a specific feature is desirable (as in a hedgerow) patience may be a factor, since seedlings may take several years to reach a useful size or to produce flowers and fruit. Obtaining Clean Seed Perhaps the most difficult step in seeding is the step of obtaining the seeds. The site where a plant was ad- mired in bloom may yield only a tangle of dried vegeta- tion, or, perhaps, the seeds are already shed, or the pods eaten or filled with insect larvae in place of seeds. Careful observation and timing are critical for seed col- lection. It may be necessary to visit the same site repeatedly—every few days for some small annuals, every week or two for many herbaceous perennials, and at least once a month for large-fruited shrubs and trees. Small plants can be marked with bits of colored yarn or tape. If pods are explosive like Ceanothus pods or open widely, bags of cheesecloth or other small- mesh netting can be tied over immature pods, catching seeds as they are released. By the time pods dry and change from green to yellow or tan, the seeds may already be ripe inside. Extraction is the next step if the seed collection has yielded pods or berries rather than clean seeds. Place pods in paper or other porous bags to finish drying as necessary. Plastic should never be used as mold will quickly destroy the pods. Some pods will open like urns or salt shakers when dry and seeds will pour out; others will remain closed or nearly so, and these can be crushed or simply rolled between thumb and forefinger to split them along their seams. Hard pods are crushed with a rolling pin, jar, or other smooth, hard object (not a hammer). Seeds must be separated from pod fragments and other chaff as organisms involved in decay attack unsprouted seeds and seedlings. To separate seed from chaff, pour the mixture into a cup or pan, tilt it and tap it repeatedly from beneath. Heavier seed will filter to the bottom. The easiest method to use for extracting seed from ber- ries is to put the berries in a bowl or jar, barely cover them with water, and allow them to ferment. After thoroughly mashing the berries, swirl the mixture in successive rinses of water, each time pouring off floating skins and pulp which separate from seeds that are heavier and sink. Seed Storage and Treatment Store seeds in porous bags or envelopes in a cool, dry, shaded spot for one to several months since heat, moisture and light contribute to rapid deterioration. Many, though not all, of our natives will germinate only in the presence of both moisture and cold since they are adapted to fall and winter rains. Summer- planted seed may sit idle until fall and rot away. Seed borne and collected in fall and winter may be planted immediately. Some seeds like acorns and the seeds of toyon are actually harmed by dehydration. While waiting for fall to arrive, assemble materials for sowing. Clay seed pans or other shallow pots make ideal containers for small seed lots, while larger plastic or wooden flats are suitable for large lots and conve- nient for sowing smaller batches of several species at once. Avoid deep vessels. Typically, young seedlings draw water only from the top inch or two of their medium, and the rest may become soggy and decay, promoting root diseases. A wide variety of porous materials or blends serve as a sowing medium. Use commercial potting soil or other UC-type mix, incor- porating sawdust or other organic material and sand, and I like to mix additional coarse sand or perlite. The organic component in the mixture retains moisture while perlite keeps the particles separated, helping to drain away excess moisture and providing better air circulation about the roots. Some species need pretreatment that mimics the effects of natural elements. Many chaparral species are adapted to germinate following fires and have hard impermeable coats, sometimes further dressed with a layer of wax. Abrade larger seeds with a file or sand- paper, and consider various heat and chemical treat- ments for smaller seeds. Burning-over a seeded area with a layer of pine needles is a traditional method; however, if the fire is too hot, it incinerates seeds. I often soak hard-coated seeds in antiseptic strength (usually three percent) hydrogen peroxide for a half an hour or so. Seeds with heavy wax coats, such as Dendromecon, can be shaken first for a few minutes in white, not leaded, gasoline to dissolve the wax. Seeds of Cercis and other shrubby legumes are com- monly placed in nearly, though not quite, boiling 27 water, taken immediately off heat and allowed to soak overnight or longer to imbibe water and swell. Though hydrochloric acid has been prescribed to simulate the effects of digestive juices on the seeds of edible ber- ries, I have successfully germinated the same seeds using peroxide or subjecting them to a natural or arti- ficial winter. Stratification is mandatory for some high- elevation species and can assist in the germination of others. Usually carried out in the fall, seeds are sub- jected to temperatures lower than the averages of our lowland winters. Mix seeds with several times their volume of moist but not wet sand or perlite, place the mixture in a plastic bag or jar, and store in a refrigerator for a few weeks to a few months. Many bulbs and some trees and shrubs (e.g., Mahonia and Acer) will actually sprout while still under refrigera- tion and can be removed and planted at this time. Sowing the seed can follow a short route from envelope to pot. Sowing is a simple process, though one requiring considerable care. Fill each container to within one-fourth to one-half inch of its rim with a sowing medium to permit adequate watering. Level and gently water it, then relevel if necessary. Next, distribute seeds uniformly over the surface to reduce tangling of seedlings and to give each as much grow- ing space as possible. Large seeds may be pressed into the medium, while small ones are shaken from a fold- ed paper or by hand. I often place them in my palm, then rub them out with circular motions between thumb and forefinger. Or, they can be mixed with a larger volume of sowing medium and distributed in almost any manner. Barely cover the seeds with more of the sowing medium; the amount varies with the size of the seeds, but it is essential that they be surround- ed by moist medium until they germinate. Gently water the completed seed flat or pot until it is thoroughly moistened. Too much force or volume will wash the seeds either out of their container or into dense clumps around the edge. Finally, label the container to pre- vent later confusion and set it away in a shady, pro- tected spot to await germination. This can vary by species from several months, but in the interim keep the surface of the medium constantly moist. After ger- mination containers may be allowed to dry just a bit between waterings. At this stage be alert for signs of rummaging by birds and beasts and protect containers with netting if necessary. To sow directly into the open ground for massed displays of annuals the same general rules apply. Work up soil well and rake or dribble in seeds or scatter seeds and cover them with a light mulch, using straight soil or a soil organic amendment mix. Again, the surface must be kept moist prior to germination, and water- ing only gradually reduced until seedlings become well established. Protective measures against birds, rodents and insects are virtually mandatory. Transplanting Unless they are terribly crowded or showing patches of disease, seedlings should remain in the sowing con- tainers until they are firm and reasonably easy to handle, usually one-half inch or more tall. To speed the process along, apply a complete fertilizer at about half the strength recommended for established plants. Next, place plants in intermediate containers to prepare them for the open ground. Traditionallly two to four inch pots are used but deep narrow tubes or equivalent spacing in open flats is acceptable. Begin the transplanting process in a sheltered spot with a good supply of potting mix on hand. I use some- thing much like the sowing mix, but with a little less perlite. Moisten the mix, for seedling roots are quick- ly killed by contact with dry soil. Tease the seedlings apart and select stronger healthier individuals for planting. Tip-prune the roots to promote branching (I do this even for tap-rooted trees) or cut them back as necessary to get them into their new containers without coiling or folding. If roots are cut severely, tops must also be cut or the plants must be heavily pro- tected for a few days to prevent wilting. Pot the seed- lings, taking care to get the stems upright and not to bury them much beyond the junction of roots and shoots. Gently tamp the medium around the plants, and water them immediately. Shelter young transplants well at first. Gradually they can be exposed to drier air and brighter light until they have filled their containers with roots when they are well acclimated to outdoor conditions. Water them more and more frequently, especially in warm weather. Regular, though light, fertilizing is also beneficial. One more container stage can provide an added assurance of survival. Conventionally a one-gallon can or six- inch pot is used. This time both planting and growing can take place in full exposure. The final planting-out is the least controllable stage and deserves the most favorable conditions possible. If the transplants are established at midsummer, it may be better to untangle tightly bound roots in fall than to plant in the summer heat. In any case, watering both the plant and hole into which it goes is a must, prior to planting. If there are not too many individuals, use cones of cardboard or foil to protect the plants tem- porarily from sun and wind. Use cones or cylinders of fencing material to discourage animal depredation and cones or baskets of small-mesh fencing or hard- ware cloth below the plants to discourage gophers and moles. Good luck, your seedlings will reward your patience by growing into strong healthy plants. Part II: Vegetative propagation, the second article in this two-part series, will appear in the October 1984 issue of Fremontia. 28 BOOK REVIEWS Bromeliaceae Andreanae by Edouard Francois Andre. An accounting of His Explorations & Collections in Colombia, Ecuador, & Venezuela. Translated and annotated by Michael Rothenberg, Editor. 211 pages, 46 plates. Big Bridge Press, Pacifica, CA & Twowindows Press, Berkeley, CA. 1983. $175.00. The visitor to the American tropics is overwhelmed by the variety and beauty of bromeliads, a family of plants with some 2000 species native only to the New World (except for one species in West Africa). Early collectors introduced plants into European conservatories; and ornamental flora of today includes a remarkable variety of bromeliads—house and conservatory plants in temperate areas, container plants for outside or inside in the subtropics, and ground covers and specimens in the tropics. In 1875, when Andre was commissioned by the French government to collect in the northern Andes of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, the bromeliad family was still poorly known with probably fewer than 300 species described. Andre had long had an interest in bromeliads and was prepared to collect and handle "nasty" specimens with their spiny leaves and rosette habit. Fortunately they survive more mistreatment than some ornamental plants and Andre was able to bring back a number of plants for cultivation in Europe along with herbarium specimens, extensive notes, and illustrations. These formed the basis for the publication in 1889 of a monograph which Read and Smith state re- mained the most scholarly work on bromeliads of the region for more than half a century. It added almost one hundred species new to science. Rothenberg's splendidly produced volume is an annotated translation from the French. It will be prized by all bromeliad afficionados. Victoria Padilla, a name familiar to all who know bromeliads in horticulture, has provided a fascinating illustrated account of Andre's life and in particular his adven- tures in the northern Andes. Collecting in the tropics is dif- ficult at any time and in the last century was even more so. I marvel, for example, that Andre cites collections from Zamora in southern Ecuador. In 1960 I found the trip to Zamora, though probably the richest bromeliad flora I have seen in the Andes, still a challenge. Lyman B. Smith and Robert W. Read, names well-known to both the bromeliad grower and the botanist, have written the introduction which emphasizes the importance of Andre's collections. Mr. Rothenberg, a grower and active member of the Bromeliad Society, has translated and carefully annotated the entire volume providing the currently accepted names for the species mentioned. In addition to the excellent reproduction of the 39 plates and one map Mr. Rothenberg has added five additional plates from Andre's travelogue account of the trip and a magnificent color plate of Aechmea drakeana original- ly published in "Revue Horticole." Since the original French volume is not widely available in the United States, this book will be of value to all who study the family, botanists and horticulturists alike. The volume is a collector's prize, limited to 600 numbered copies displaying fine bookmaking. The typeface is Garamond on 100 pound Cameo Dull paper. The book is bound in cloth over boards with a leather spine. A few copies are still available at $175.00. Mildred Mathias Where Have All the Wildflowers Gone?, by Robert H. Mohlenbrock. MacMillan Publishing Company Inc., New York. Hardbound, xiv + 239 pp., illustrations. 1983. $15.95. Subtitled "A Region-by-Region Guide to Threatened or Endangered U.S. Wildflowers," this book is an interesting collection of stories, anecdotes and personal field observa- tions on one hundred and twenty U.S. rare plants. Fifty- five of the nearly seventy (as of January 1984) Federally listed U.S. taxa are included. Each plant discussed is illustrated: eighty with excellent line-drawings and forty by sharp color photos. A short foreward and introductory chapter introduce the rare plant problem to the reader, but fail somewhat to fully convey its magnitude and importance. The potential for technological utilization of rare plants as a natural resource, for example, is discussed in only one paragraph. Mohlenbrock lets us know that 1,700 or so plants are under review as candidates for Federal listing, but the reader has to delve within the recesses of the text to discover that California and Hawaii account for the vast majority of this number. Eight chapters provide a collection of regional narratives discussing fifteen or so plants each. His stories provide scads of interesting tid-bits as well as useful historical and endan- germent data. Here we learn the saga of the infamous Fur- bish's lousewort (Pedicularis furbishiae), the illusive round- leaf birch (Betula uber), or the obscure clay phacelia (Phacelia argillacea), among others. Mohlenbrock's discus- sions provide us with information on the discovery and naming of each plant, on its general distribution, and, in many cases, on its population status. His prologue is an original verse, 'The Endangered Species List' (with the author's apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan). It is worthy of emulation, if set to the tune of the California Floristic Province. All fifteen California plants presently protected under the Endangered Species Act are included, but only scant men- tion is given to a few of the hundreds of our endemics that biologically meet the criteria for listing. A short (four page) concluding chapter, "It's Up to Us" is a plea to get involved. The book is accompanied by four appendices: 1) Federally listed plants as of September 1, 1982 (note that, contrary to this appendix, Zizania texana is not a California plant); 2) the status of other species mentioned in the book; 3) "Plants Not Found in Several Years and Presumed to be Ex- tinct"; 4) and a glossary of botanical terms. This 'Presumed Extinct' appendix is somewhat dated: ten of the forty-three California species reported as missing had been rediscovered well before publication of this book (CNPS members should also correct two entries in Appendix 3 as follows: Eriophyl- lum lanatum var. hallii for E. "lanatus"; Sedum (Congdonia) pinetorum was last seen in 1913 [not 1939]). Mohlenbrock's book is useful as an information reference 29 on the plants it includes. He is to be commended for a cap- tivating, popular-level book. California botanists, however, would do well to remember that it sorely neglects many western endemics presently in jeopardy. A biogeographically representative book of this nature should have a California chapter six inches thick! Dean Wm. Taylor BOOKS RECEIVED Roadside Plants of Southern California by Thomas J. Belzer. 1984. 158 pages. A portable field guide with high-quality color photographs of native plants commonly seen along the roadside or hiking trails of Southern California. Available from Mountain Press Publishing Co., P.O. Box 2399, Missoula, MT 59806. $8.95 postage paid. The Book of Cacti and other Succulents by Claude Chida- mian. 1984. 260 pages, 78 illustrations. A reprint edition of a classic book on the selection and proper cultivation of cacti and other succulents. Available from Timber Press, P.O. Box 1631, Beaverton, OR 97075. $13.95 paperback. Intermountain Flora Volume Four: The Asteridae except the Asteraceae by A. Cronquist, A.H. Holmgren, N.H. Holmgren, J.L. Reveal and P.K. Holmgren. 1984. 573 pages. The third volume published in this herculean endeavor. Available from Scientific Publications Office, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, N.Y. 10458. $77.50 U.S. orders, clothbound. A River No More by Philip Fradkin. 1984. 360 pages. A paperback release of a detailed account of the political, geographical and historical background of the Colorado River, exploited to the point that no water has reached the river's natural outlet, the Gulf of California, in twenty years. Available from the University of Arizona Press, 1615 East Speedway, Tucson, Arizona 85719. $10.95 paperback. Bellamy's New World by David Bellamy. 1983. 192 pages. A trip across North America looking at soil types, flora and fauna and some speculations about the future in a book dedicated to Hans Jenny, California's noted soil scientist. Available from David Bellamy, British Broadcasting Cor- poration, Villiers House The Broadway, London W5 2PA, U.K. £9.95 clothbound. NOTES AND COMMENTS Corrections The April 1984 edition of Fremontia should be corrected to read Volume 12 Number 1. More on the Foxtail Pine In response to Jacob Sigg's article, "The Foxtail Pine of the Sierra" {Fremontia ll(l):3-8), Diane Ryerson described the existence of krummholz forms of foxtail pines (Fremontia 11 (4):30) at two sites. She notes the Monarch Lake site is in the Mineral King area on the west flank of the Sierra, and Red Lake is east of the Sierra crest approximately thirty- two air miles NNE of Mineral King. Restoration Ecology Symposium A group of distinguished scientists from the United States and Great Britain will assemble at the University of Wisconsin-Madison October 11-12, 1984 for a two-day sym- posium on the scientific value of attempts to restore ecological communities and ecosystems. The symposium, sponsored by the UW Arboretum, will also consider the role of experimental ecology in the develop- ment of the science and art of ecological restoration, accord- ing to William R. Jordan, III, editor of the biannual Restora- tion & Management Notes, who is working with the Arbo- retum committee organizing the event. The symposium will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Arboretum, which was established in 1934, and which, under the early direction of biologists such as Aldo Leopold and John Curtis, became a pioneer in the development of restoration techniques. Speakers scheduled for the two-day meeting are: John Aber, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Anthony Brad- shaw, University of Liverpool; John Cairns, Virginia Poly- technic Institute; Grant Cottam, University of Wisconsin- Madison; John Ewel, University of Florida-Gainesville; Michael Gilpin, University of California-San Diego; John Harper, University College of North Wales; James Mac- Mahon, Utah State University; Michael Miller, Argonne Na- tional Laboratory; William Piatt, Tall Timbers Research Sta- tion; Michael Rosenzweig, University of Arizona; Joseph Shapiro, University of Minnesota; and Patricia and Earl Werner, Michigan State University. The program will also include a poster session. Proposals for poster displays are welcome and must be received by September 1. Registration $40; $50 after September 28, 1984. For further information contact Nancy Dopkins, 1207 Seminole Highway, Madison, WI 53711, (608) 262-2746. CLASSIFIED ADS Classified ad rate: 50$ per word, minimum $12; payment in advance. Address advertising inquiries and copy to: Nancy Dale, 500 W. Santa Maria #7, Santa Paula, CA 93060. Nurseries and Seeds CALIFORNIA NATIVE BULBS-Mail order list available in July. Shipments in October. C.H. Baccus, 900 Boynton Ave., San Jose, CA 95117. (408)244-2923. 30 G & N NATIVE PLANT NURSERY (near Walnut Creek). Ground covers, shrubs, trees. 1-5-15 gallon sizes. Discounts to landscapers & CNPS members. Appt. only. (415) 934-5471. YERBA BUENA NURSERY, 19500 Skyline, Woodside, Califor- nia 94062. (415) 851-1668. Specializes in California native plants and native and exotic ferns. Open every day except holidays, 9-5. Owner Gerda Isenberg. CALIFORNIA FLORAL NURSERY-wholesale and retail. Native plant nursery offering a wide selection of herbaceous perennials, ground covers, shrubs and trees. Delivery San Francisco Bay Area, send for list. P.O. Box 3, Fulton (nr. Santa Rosa), CA 95439. (707) 528-8813. WILDFLOWER SEEDS are available in packets or bulk from a selection of 30 species plus 10 mixtures. For a full color chart with cultivation notes send a legal SASE (20C) to Moon Mountain, Box 34, Morro Bay, CA 93442. Retail/Wholesale. SOCIETY FOR PACIFIC COAST NATIVE IRIS offers seeds of garden hybrids, species. Send self-addressed, stamped envelope, $1 per packet, to LaRue F. Boswell, 1821 Gross Lane, Concord, CA 94519. Publications A TREAT FOR PLANT LOVERS -Pacific Horticulture is the West's own garden magazine. Handsomely printed, excellent color photographs. Quarterly. $10. P.O. Box 485, Berkeley, CA 94701. THE FOUR SEASONS, occasional journal of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden, founded by celebrated writer-conservationist James Roof, the only journal devoted to California native plant botany and horticulture presenting both technical and popular articles in every issue. $8.00 for 4 issues. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley, CA 94708. GUIDE TO THE REGIONAL PARKS BOTANIC GARDEN (vol. 1) by Walter Knight. With an introduction covering history, soils, climate, and many other special topics, the long-awaited up-to-date guide treats every species in the east half of the garden, with notes on collection localities, morphology, horticulture, and Indian uses. Each garden section with a geographic discussion, plus a detailed map of beds, with all species identified by bed numbers. $7.00 covers guide, postage, and handling. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley, CA 94708. OLYMPIAD ROSE PHOTOGRAPH. Beautiful original 5x7 color photo with 8x10 double overmat, suitable for framing, $8.51. Satisfaction guaranteed. SASE for catalog. Dick Carey Photography, Box 662, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. FIELD GUIDES and other natural history books for western regions (California, the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, etc.). Wide selection of titles available. Write for current catalog: Ceanothus Book Service, P.O. Box 515, Dept. F, Windsor, CA 95495. A FLORA OF THE TAHOE BASIN and Neighboring Areas and Supplement by Gladys L. Smith is again available. Supplement of 46 pages added of all new material, published in Wasmann Journ. Biol. 1983. Includes new records from Nevada side of lake, nomen- clature updated, all correlated with Flora by page no. for easy reference. 278 pages, total price $10.75. Available from Gladys L. Smith, 730 28th Ave., S.F., CA 94121. A limited number of sup- plements available at $4.35. Fall - 1984 - Tours OCT 3-17. Pilgrim's Route from Conques to Santiago de Compostela — SERENISSIMA. OCT 20-NOV 9. Oleg Polunin's expedition to Western Sikkim for Rhododendron seeds. DEC 23-JAN 4. Traditional Christmas in London, Norwich & Edinburgh —music, dancing. 407 Jackson Street, Room 205 San Francisco, CA 94111 (415) 981 -6640 Susan M. Smith Joan Curry 1310 McGee Avenue, Berkeley CA 94703 415/526^704 Closed Thursdays. 31 TABLE OF CONTENTS A Tribute to the Amateur in Botany 3 by Herbert G. Baker The Evolution of a Botanist 9 by Gordon H. True, Jr. A Freshwater Marsh at North Columbia Diggings 11 by Dale Pendell Edith Murphey: Pioneer Botanist in Mendocino 15 by Skee Hamann Sophie Mitchell's Wildflower Paintings 19 by Joe Callizo and Virginia Wisdom Lace Lichen: An Indicator of Air Pollution 21 by Janet H. Wood Native Grasses at Sea Ranch 23 by Kathleen A. Dwire Growing Natives—Part I: Seeding 26 by Nevin Smith Book Reviews 29 Notes and Comments 30 NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS Herbert Baker is Professor of Botany at University of California, Berkeley. His primary interest is in plant evolution. Joe Callizo is an active member and president of the Napa Valley Chapter of CNPS. Kathleen Dwire studied succession in the Sea Ranch grass- land as her master's degree thesis topic from U.C. Davis. She is currently working for the Forest Service at the Inter- mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station in Logan, Utah. Skee Hamann lives in Middletown and has made a fifteen year study of botanical pioneers. This article is the third in a series (see Ja 76 and Ja 82). Mildred Mathias is Emeritus Professor of Botany at UCLA and a founding member of the University of California's Land and Water System. She was made a fellow in CNPS in 1980. Dale Pendell is an amateur botanist and a former editor of KUKSU: Journal of Backcountry Writing. Nevin Smith is the proprietor of the Wintergreen Nursery in Watsonville and a frequent contributor to Fremontia. Dean W. Taylor is at the Forestry Sciences Lab at Oregon State University. He is a past member of the CNPS Board of Directors. Gordon True recently died in Marin County. He was a self- taught botanist and published a preliminary flora, "The Ferns and Seed Plants of Nevada County, California." John Willoughby is Botanist/Range Conservationist with the California State Office of the Bureau of Land Management. Virginia Wisdom is past director of the Napa County Museum in St. Helena where she continues her interest in wildflowers. Janet H. Wood studied and wrote about lace lichen for her master's thesis. She is a member of the Santa Monica Chapter of CNPS. Rick York is CNPS Rare Plant Coordinator and is the sole full-time employee of this organization. Printed on 100% Recycled Paper a \ l< i* M\ «Vi i/ f 70 00 t/> n etu ft C SL t 5" n ^ 3 n a "0 n O rni s -< "• a " n; £u age CJ 03 Z O — o c O m <' Ol ™» 3Z n 3 inte z° Pla n o -t 3 a. $5 <•> o * * n n n iet ** -< y cd C z o -t -» 3 *" tr 3 =. 2. ¦^ • ¦o "* n > "0 o ? n — o ^ v£ & a> 0 ff\ ~ era ^ va :»> n W