Fall 2009 Minnesota Plant Press ~ Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

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    Minnesota Plant Press Te Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

    Volume 28 Number 4 Fall 2009

    Monthly meetingsThompson Park Center/Dakota

    LodgeThompson County Park

    360 Butler Ave. E.,West St. Paul, MN 55118

    ProgramsThe Minnesota Native Plant

    Society meets the rst Thursdayin October, November, December,February, March, April, May, andJune. Check at www.mnnps.orgfor more program information.

    6 p.m. Social period7 9 p.m. Program, Society

    business

    MNNPS websiteFor current information about

    Society eld trips, meetings andother events, check the website:www.mnnps.org

    In this issueHealthy watersheds initiative ...2MNNPS is on Facebook ....... ....2Spotted knapweed ght ..........3Campus wetland restoration .. ..3Latin botanical nomenclature . ..4Aspen Parklands tour, plans ....6Plant Lore: Steeplebush .........7

    New members .......................7Your dues are due ....................7

    Nov. 5: Decorative Harvestingfrom Minnesotas Spruce Bogs,

    by Norm Aaseng, plant ecologist,

    Minnesota County BiologicalSurvey. Annual Seed Exchange .Dec. 3: Salvage Logging in

    St. Croix State Park, by GretchenHeaser, St. Croix State Park Resources Specialist. Plant of theMonth : Orobanche uni ora , one-

    owered broom rape or cancer-root, by Ken Arndt, Critical ConnectionsEcological Services, Inc.

    Feb. 4: To be announced.

    Conservation priorities,botanical workshops areamong future plansby Scott Milburn, MNNPS president

    When the board recently met for our quarterly meeting, the discussioncentered on committee direction, future programming events, and bylawchanges.

    Over the last few years, the conservation committee has been revivedunder the leadership of Beth Nixon. In an effort to re ne our efforts, the

    board decided that we need to narrow our focus. Each board member andof cer was given the task of coming up with three potential conservationissues that directly involve our mission.The board will then decide on oneof these issues to focus on in the upcoming years. Possible topics include

    biofuels, off-highway vehicle use, and sustainable forestry practices.

    The board also discussed possible 2010 symposium topics, alongwith the concept of botanical workshops for the membership. The 2010symposium committee will be the same committee as led this past yearsevent. The botanical workshops would ideally develop into annual eventswith a focus on a particular suite of species. It may be a year or two

    before we have our rst botanical workshop, since we are currently atthe conceptual stage. We are obviously open to suggestions and ask for membership participation.

    Finally, the board is going to update both the bylaws and the operationsmanual. It has been ve years since the last update, and it de nitely is timeto incorporate some changes. Boardmember Russ Schaffenberg willserve as the lead for this undertaking.Members will be informed aboutfuture bylaw changes in the Plant

    Press , and these proposed changeswill be voted on at the generalmonthly meetings. As always,we look forward to the continuedinvolvement of our members, andto hearing from you.

    Field trips being plannedFall and winter eld trips are being

    planned. For the latest information,go to the Society website.

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    Minnesota Native Plant Societys purpose(Abbreviated from the bylaws)

    This organization is exclusively organized and operated for educational and scienti c purposes, including the following.

    Conservation of all native plants.1.Continuing education of all members in the plant sciences.2.Education of the public regarding environmental protection of plant3.

    life.Encouragement of research and publications on plants native to4.Minnesota.

    Study of legislation on Minnesota ora, vegetation, ecosytems.5.Preservation of native plants, plant communities, and scienti c and6.

    natural areas.Cooperation in programs concerned with the ecology of natural7.

    resources and scenic features.Fellowship with all persons interested in native plants through8.

    meetings, lectures, workshops, and eld trips.

    MNNPS Boardof Directors

    President: Scott Milburn ,[email protected]

    Vice President: Shirley MahKooyman, shirley.mah.kooyman@

    mnnps.orgDerek Anderson , board member,[email protected]

    Ken Arndt, board member, eldtrip chair, [email protected]

    Michael Bourdaghs , boardmember, [email protected]

    Angela Hanson , board member,[email protected]

    Elizabeth Heck , board member,webmaster, [email protected]

    Dylan Lueth, board member,[email protected]

    Elizabeth Nixon, board member,conservation committee chair, [email protected]

    Erika Rowe , board member,[email protected]

    Russ Schaffenberg, board

    member, [email protected]: Ron and Cathy

    Huber, [email protected] Huhn, program

    coordinator, 612-374-1435Secretary: Andrs Morantes,

    [email protected] Trips: eldtrips.mnnps@

    mnnps.orgMemberships: memberships.

    [email protected]: Roy

    Robison, [email protected]

    Technical or membershipinquiries: [email protected]

    Minnesota Plant Press Editor:Gerry Drewry, 651-463-8006;

    [email protected]

    Mississippi RiverBasin HealthyWatershedsInitiative planned

    The USDA Natural ResourcesConservation Service is developinga new initiative in Minnesota and 11other states to help improve water quality and the health of relatednatural resources in the MississippiRiver Basin.

    The program will be concentratedin priority basin watersheds inArkansas, Kentucky, Illinois,Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota,Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and

    Wisconsin. $320 million has beenallocated for the initiative. NRCS and its partners will work

    with producers in these prioritywatersheds to help them voluntarilyimplement conservation andmanagement practices which avoid,control, and trap nutrient runoff.They will use a conservation systemsapproach to control soil erosion,manage surface and drainage water,improve soil quality, and providewildlife habitat, thereby reducing the

    MNNPS is on Facebook

    by Michael BourdaghsThe MNNPS can now be found

    on Facebook. This is a socialnetworking website where users cancreate their own pro le page, joinnetworks of other users organized

    by interests, and communicate in avariety of ways.

    Have an announcement, want tostart a discussion, or share a great picture with other members? Youcan do all of these quickly and easilyon Facebook.

    To nd the MNNPS Facebook page, go to www.facebook.com andlog in. First time users will have tocreate a new account and personal

    page. Type Minnesota Native PlantSociety in the Search box, and thenclick the Become a fan link.

    amount of nitrogen and phosphorusreaching basin waters.

    The watersheds will be selectedin consultation with state technicalcommittees, using a consistentwatershed evaluation process.

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    MDA releasesweevils to fightspotted knapweed

    The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is alerting farmers andother landowners about spottedknapweed ( Centaurea stoebe ), aninvasive weed that is showing upwith increasing frequency in parts of Minnesota. It is considered a threatto agriculture and the environment.Seedhead and root weevils are beingused to help control it.

    Spotted knapweed has attractive pink owers, but it is not a goodneighbor, Geir Friisoe, MDA plant

    protection director said. When it

    becomes established in an area, itcrowds out forage plants and other desirable vegetation. This can leadto loss of pasture productivity,erosion problems, and degradationof wildlife habitat.

    There are extensive infestationsin the northwest part of the state, andit has been found recently in severalcentral Minnesota counties. Spottedknapweed arrived in North Americain the early 1900s as a contaminantin crop seed.

    The MDA has teamed up with theDepartments of Natural Resources(DNR) and Transportation (Mn/DOT) to introduce seedhead weevilsat multiple sites in Chippewa Countyto reduce the spread and impact of knapweed in that area.

    Seedhead weevils lay their eggson knapweed owers, and the larvaeeat developing seeds. The larvae of the root weevil feed and developin knapweed roots, weakening or killing the plants.

    Small infestations can becontrolled by gloved hand-weeding,followed by herbicide treatmentto kill remaining seeds. Weevilsmay be the better option for larger sites. For additional information,go to www.mda.state.mn.us/plants/

    badplants/skw-origin

    MNNPS helps fund nativeplantings for campus wetland by Andrs F. Morantes

    If you commute west of the State Fair Grounds on Como Ave., youmay notice an urban green space on the north side of the road. This urbanwetland is known as Sarita Wetlands, and it serves as a major componentin stormwater drainage for the University of Minnesota St. Paul campus.In recent years, the campus community has promoted the restoration of thisgreen space, and MNNPS has contributed to the efforts.

    The recent efforts began in the winter of 2005 when students fromthe Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology (FWCB) Club andUniversity staff outlined a vision for having an on-campus living laboratoryto complement the education of natural resource studies. To achieve anurban space with a diversity of native insects, birds, and other subjects for study, the vision outlines a need to restore the native vegetation.

    The efforts continued during the spring of 2006 and 2007 with tree

    plantings to increase the diversity of the future canopy and removal of someof the heavy boxelder and cottonwood cover. In 2008, MNNPS PresidentScott Milburn guided student planning for increasing the herbaceousdiversity in the wetland shorelines and surrounding woodland uplands atSarita.

    Most recently, FWCB students planted shoreline vegetation in thespring of 2009. Funding for plant material in 2009 came partly fromMNNPS, which donated $250 to the student-led project. Plantings in 2009included wild owers such as boneset ( Eupatorium perfoliatum ), monkey-

    ower ( Mimulus ringens ), and great blue lobelia ( Lobelia siphilitica ), and

    a variety of sedges, including bristly sedge ( Carex comosa ), fringed sedge(Carex crinita ), and needle spike-rush ( Eleocharis acicularis ).This project is a unique ongoing effort that is only possible through

    the continued cooperation and leadership of FWCB students, campusstaff, professors, and outside organizations like MNNPS. While studentleadership in the project changes from year to year, several campusfaculty have played a major role in the project, most notably Professor Peter Jordan, a past presenter for MNNPS. To date, the university has notof cially committed to sponsoring the project. Therefore, future successof this project will continue to rely on volunteers, grants, and donations.

    DNR seeks volunteersfor varied projectsThe DNR needs assistance with

    collecting prairie seeds, brushingtrails, bud-capping trees, surveyingtrail users, installing tree shelters,transcribing historical interviews,and river clean-ups throughoutMinnesota.

    Volunteer opportunities are posted on their website at www.

    dnr.state.mn.us/volunteering/index.Individuals, families, and groups arewelcome to participate. Childrenunder the age of 16 must be under adult supervision to volunteer.

    If a DNR opportunity is notlisted for your area, contact your local DNR of ce to inquire aboutavailable volunteer positions. For the number and location of your localof ce, call the DNR InformationCenter, 1-888-646-6367.

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    by Rebecca Dolan, Ph.D., Butler

    University Friesner HerbariumIntimidated by multisyllabicLatin plant names? Understandingwhy Latin names are used maymake them more tolerable. Hereare some principles to help you dealwith them effortlessly.

    Formal scienti c names of plantsand other organisms are givenin Latin so that the language isinternational and unchanging. I canlook at a paper or book in Japaneseor Russian and still distinguishscienti c names. While visitingmy sister in Holland, I bought awild ower identi cation book written in Dutch but illustrated withvery nice photographs and Latinscienti c names. Thus I could learnthe plants and see their relationshipswith our North American ora.

    Common names are importantand often carry historicalinformation, such as medicinal usesof plants, but they have limitations.For example, very rare plants maynot have common names. Some

    plants share common names, andsome plants have different commonnames in different parts of thecountry. The use of scienti c Latinnames overcomes these problems.

    Pronunciation of Latin is mucheasier than English. All letters are

    pronounced; there are no silentvowels or consonants. The maintrick is knowing where to placethe emphasis. Most words havethe emphasis on the next-to-the-last syllable; others may have theemphasis on the syllable before that.Take comfort in knowing that even

    professional botanists pronounce

    the same names differently. Itdoesnt really matter.

    Heres another trick: Think about what a Latin term means.Often the term relates to someobvious feature of the plant. A

    botanist describing a new speciesmust follow international rules of

    botanical nomenclature. The newname given the plant must be anoriginal combination of genus andspecies names, but the choice of aspeci c epithet (or species name) isentirely up to the investigator.

    The name usually re ects a physical trait of the plant, but itmay indicate where the plant was

    rst collected, the geographic areawhere it grows, the name of the

    person who rst collected it, or someone who has done a lot of work

    with related plants.Personal names are Latinized,

    and generally the genus and speciesnames end with matching masculine(-us ) or feminine ( -ia ) endings.Some terms are borrowed fromGreek and Latinized.

    We can use these terms toexamine names for some oaks.All oaks are in the genus Quercus .White oak is Quercus alba , scarletoak is Quercus coccinea , and redoak is Quercus rubra . However,Quercus nigra is water oak, and

    black oak is Quercus velutina ,apparently because of velvety hairson the undersurfaces of the leaves.

    Reprinted with permission from INPAWS Journal: News and Views from the Indiana Native Plant and Wild ower Society, Spring 2009.

    Whats in a name? Mastering Latin nomenclature and pronunciation of botanical names

    Commonly encounteredMinnesotaepithetsby Shirley Mah Kooyman, MNNPS vice president and Minnesota

    Landscape Arboretum coordinator angustifolia (narrow-leaved)

    Lavandula angustifolia (Englishlavender)

    argentea (silvery) Salviaargentea (silver sage)

    aurea (golden) Potentillaaurea (golden- owered potentilla)

    borealis (northern) Linneaborealis (twin ower)

    caeruleum (deep blue) Polemonium caeruleum (Jacobsladder with blue owers)

    candidum (white) Liliumcandidum (lily with white owers)

    coccineus (scarlet) Phaseoluscoccineus (scarlet runner bean)

    cernuum (nodding) Trilliumcernuum (nodding trillium)

    esculentus (edible) Abelmoschus esculentus (okra)

    farinacea (mealy) Salvia farinacea (mealy sage, mealy cupsage)

    graveolens (aromatic) Pelargonium graveolens (rose-scented geranium)

    hirta (hairy) Rudbeckia hirta(black-eyed Susan)

    latifolia (broad-leaved) Typhalatifolia (cat-tail with wide leaves)

    maculatum (spotted) Lamiummaculatum (spotted dead nettle),Geranium maculatum (wildgeranium)

    nana (dwarf) Betula nana(dwarf birch)

    odoratus (scented) - Lathyrus

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    odoratus (sweet pea), Resedaodorata (mignonette)

    of cinale (medicinal) Taraxacum of cinale (dandelion),Calendula of cinalis (potmarigold)

    pallida (yellow) Echinacea pallida (yellow- oweredcone ower), Impatiens pallida (yellow- owered impatiens)

    palustris (growing in bog) Caltha palustris (marsh marigold)

    pratensis (of meadows) Salvia pratensis (meadow sage), Trifolium pratense (red clover)

    pumila (dwarf) Mahonia pumila (dwarf Oregon grape)

    procumbens (prostrate) Sanvitalia procumbens (creepingzinnia), Gaulteria procumbens (creeping wintergreen)

    radicans (rooting stem) Campsis radicans (trumpet

    How botanicalnames arecreatedby Shirley Mah Kooyman

    Pre x: macro (large, Astermacrophyllus )

    Suf x: orus ( owered, Trillium grandi orum )

    Genera l personality : debile(weak, Sedum debile )

    Color: argenteus (silvery, Salviaargentea )

    Markings : maculatus (spotted,Geranium maculatum)

    Shape: campanulatus (bell-shaped, Agapathus campanulatus )

    Texture : laciniatus (slashed, Rudbeckia laciniata )

    Directio n: cernuus (nodding,Trillium cernuum )

    Habitat : montanus (of mountains, Centaurea montana )

    People: Kalmia (for Peter Kalm,a student of Linnaeus, Kalmialatifolia)

    Places: neapolitanus (Naples,Italy, Allium neapolitanum )

    creeper)reptans (creeping) Polemonium

    reptans (creeping Jacobs ladder)sativa (cultivated) Lactuca

    sativa (lettuce), Cannabis sativa (hemp)

    scandens (climbing) Cobaea

    scandens (cup and saucer vine)sinensis (of China) Camellia

    sinensis (tea), Miscanthus sinensis (silver grass)

    suaveolens (sweetly scented) Mentha suaveolens (mint)

    sylvatica (of woods) Myosotis sylvatica (forget-me-not)

    tomentosum (hairy) Cerastiumtomentosum (snow-in-summer)

    virgatum (wand-like) Panicumvirgatum (panic grass)viridis (green) Salvia viridis

    (salvia with green bracts)vulgaris (common) Linaria

    vulgaris (common toad ax)

    Lynden Gerdes, on Seahorse Lake, is documenting rare ora of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. He was participating in the ongoing Minnesota County Biological Survey of the Border Lakes. Photo by Scott Milburn, who was also on the survey team.

    Searching for rare plants

    DNR studying how toincrease diversity ofplants, insects to aidgrassland birds

    The DNR is conducting aresearch project on increasing plantdiversity and insect populations to

    bene t grassland birds and their broods, including pheasants, prairiechickens and meadowlarks.

    The project is being conductedon portions of 15 state WildlifeManagement Areas and one federalWaterfowl Production Area whichwere originally planted with a heavyrate of grass and few if any broad-leaf plants. Prescribed burns will beconducted on each research unit.They will be interseeded with forbs.For details, go to http://news.dnr.state.mn.us/index.php/2009/09/17

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    DNR preparing 10-year forest plan forAspen Parklands

    The DNR is preparing aSubsection Forest ResourceManagement Plan for the AspenParklands ecological subsection innorthwestern Minnesota. They hopeto implement the plan in 2010.

    The plan is to provide strategicdirection for vegetation managementof the Aspen Parklands, to identifyharvestable timber stands, and tooutline harvest levels for the next

    decade.The state manages about 12 percent of the area. Forests andwoodlands (96,000 acres) will beconsidered for forest management;state brushlands and prairies(250,000 acres) will be consideredfor biomass. The remainder of statelands (9,000 acres) is in state parksor scienti c and natural areas andwill not be considered for forestmanagement.

    A public comment period washeld Sept. 15 30. The planningteam will now produce a documentthat addresses issues and provides adraft list of forest stands for possibleharvest. They will seek publiccomment on that draft plan. For additional information, go to www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/subsection/aspenparklands/index

    MNNPS members tourthe Aspen Parklandsby Derek Anderson

    The prairie-aspen parkland is a Canadian ecoregion that extends acrossManitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. A small section also extends intonorthwestern Minnesota, adding an under-appreciated facet to the statesfabled reputation as the meeting place of major biomes. As a follow-up tothe Native Plant Societys spring symposium featuring this biome, nearly40 plant society members and local citizens attended a series of eld tripson the weekend of July 11-12.

    Many of the natural features of this landscape are the legacy of GlacialLake Agassiz, which left the level Red River Valley in its former lakebedand a series of beach ridges on its former eastern shore. The beachesthemselves support dry prairie and savanna communities. Between theridges, the interbeach zones support wet brush prairie, including the habitatof Minnesotas largest populations of western prairie fringed orchid.

    Saturday trips included a choice of explorations of Polk CountysAgassiz Dunes SNA and Thorson Prairie WMA with University of Minnesota, Crookston, instructor Rhett Johnson; or joining DNR botanists Derek Anderson and Nancy Sather to learn about the life historyof the western prairie fringed orchid, assist with the annual census of

    owering plants, and assist with demographic monitoring. A number of trip participants remained in the area to help DNR monitoring crews later in the week. A thank you is extended to all who helped; the monitoring

    could not have been completed inthe short owering window if itwere not for volunteers.

    On Sunday, about 25 peopleexplored Skull Lake WMA andCaribou WMA with Robert Dana,who spent several years as anMCBS plant ecologist documentingnative plant communities inKittson County. Another groupaccompanied Nancy Sather, whoseavocation is landscape history, ina retracing of the Pembina TrailOxcart route along the beach ridgesfrom Old Mill State Park in Marshall

    County to Hwy. 2 in Polk County,stopping to view prairies and theOld Crossing of the Red Lake River along the way.

    Above: Western prairie fringed orchid, Platanthera praeclara.

    Right: Some of the eld trip par -ticipants exploring the savanna.

    Photos by Derek Anderson.

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    Plant Loreby Thor Kommedahl What is steeplebush?

    Steeplebush, Spiraea tomentosa ,is a member of the rose family. It issometimes called hardhack.What do its names mean?

    Spiraea comes from the Greek word speira , a wreath. Theophrastusapplied this name for plants usedin making garlands. The namesteeplebush comes from the ower cluster, which is shaped like a churchsteeple or spire. Tomentosa refersto the tawny, woolly undersides of leaves. Hardhack means hard tocut.Where do the plants grow?

    It is native to the east-centralcounties in Minnesota. It growsin swamps and wet meadows, andoften appears abundantly after a

    re.What do the shrubs look like?

    The woody shrubs grow up tofour feet tall. The alternate leavesare egg- or willow-leaf-shaped andhave hairy undersurfaces; the veinsare prominent. The red, pink, or magenta owers are borne closely

    packed (6-10 per centimeter of axis)in panicle-like clusters and produce brown fruits (follicles) that matureSeptember to mid-October, splittingopen in November and December toshed seeds in winter.Does it have edible or medicinalproperties ?

    It is not edible. Roots and leaveswere used as an astringent by OsageIndians and by herbalists. TheBlackfeet Indians made tea from itto serve as an enema and for vaginalinfections. It was a country remedyfor dysentery.

    Spiraea species contain methylsalicylate and other salicylates thatare ingredients in aspirin. In fact,the term aspirin is derived as afor acetyl and spir from Spiraea. (Acetylsalicylic acid is aspirin.)The in is a standard suf x

    because the salicylates were found

    in Spiraea . As an in ammatory,Spiraea extracts lack the side effectsof aspirin. Of course, salicylic acidwas named from willow ( Salix species), which also contains aspiriningredients.

    Spiraea tomentosa ower and

    shrub. Photos by Peter Dziuk.

    Reminder: Its time to pay your dues

    The Society now operates ona calendar-year basis, so dues are

    payable in January. Members may pay at the November or December meeting, if they wish. (We do notmeet in January.)

    We do not send out dues notices,so this reminder will be the onlyone that you receive.

    You can download themembership form from our website(www.mnnps.org) or get one at ameeting.

    Mail the form or just send theinformation and your check to:Minnesota Native Plant SocietyP.O. Box 20401Bloomington, MN 55420.

    Membership categories $15 - Individual $15 - Family (Two or moreindividuals at the same address) $8 - Student (Full time) $8 - Senior (Over 62 or retired) $20 - Institution $25 - Donor

    Include your name, full address,telephone number (work and/or home) and e-mail address.

    MNNPS welcomesnew members

    The Society gives a warmwelcome to four new members who

    joined during the third quarter of 2009. They are:

    Debra Gagner, MinneapolisDiane Lindgren, EdinaJim Mulvey, St. PaulRamsey Conservation District,

    Arden Hills

    MNNPS fnancesTreasurers Ron and Cathy Huber

    report that on Sept. 30, the Societyhad total assets of $26,255.82.Income for the year totaled$11,003.26 mostly from dues andthe symposium. Expenses totaled$9,909.92; the largest were for thesymposium and Dakota Lodge rent.

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    Directions:Take MN Hwy. 52 to the Butler Ave. E. exit in West St. Paul.Go west on Butler 0.2 mile to Stassen Lane.Go south on Stassen Lane to Thompson County Park.

    Fall 2009

    Minnesota Native Plant SocietyP.O. Box 20401Bloomington, MN 55420