Mar 2010 Castilleja Newsletter, Wyoming Native Plant Society

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CastillejaAPublication of the Wyoming Native Plant Society

Mar 2010, Volume 29 No. 1

Posted at www.uwyo.edu/wyndd/wnps

In this issue:Locoism as a Team Effort . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3The Bighorn Peatland Chronicles . . . . . . . . 4Botanists Bookshelf - Top 100 Food Plants. 6That Which Does Not Kill You. . . . . . . . . .7

Sagebrush Evergreens

Evergreen-leaved sagebrush speciesprevail across Wyoming uplands, producingperennial leaves that elongate throughoutthe growing season and overwinter. Amongthem are our common species like Blacksagebrush (Artemisia nova), Big sagebrush(Artemisia tridentata) and Dwarf sagebrush(A. arbuscula). The small perennial leavesgrow in tight clumps on vegetative stemsand are they are the ones used in taxonomickeys (Shultz 2009). Also produced are

ephemeral leaves that emerge in early springon vegetative shoots and readily elongate; andlater, flowering stem leaves.

In this issue:

Above: Artemisia nova. Illustration by Linda Vorobik. From:

Shultz, Leila M. 2009. Monograph ofArtemisiaSubgenusTridentatae (Asteraceae-Anthemideae). Volume 89 : 1-131.Systematic Botany Monographs. [Reprinted with permission ofthe American Society of Plant Taxonomists and of the Author.]

Inserts: A. Branch with leafy and flowering shoots. B. Habit.C-D. Ephemeral leaves E. Persistent leaves. F. Detail of leaf

tip. G. Inflorescence leaf. H-I. Capitulum. J. Florets andcypsela; detail showing style branches.

Announcement:A new illustrated treatise on woodyArtemesia is already in its first reprinting.Additional copies of Volume 89, theMonograph ofArtemisiaSubgenusTridentatae (Asteraceae), are available for$20.00 (must be pre-paid; no discounts).

Price includes shipping (U.S.). Send ordersto: Systematic Botany Monographs,University of Michigan Herbarium, 3600

Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108-2287;citing the volume and quantity. Anyonewho uses Sagebrush in Wyoming (Beetleand Johnson 1982) or the three new Floraof North Americavolumes that treat the

Aster family (2006) will find this a welcomeaddition.


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WNPS News

Mark Your Calendars!!June 18-20 will be the 2010 Annual Meeting ofWyoming Native Plant Society, held at BelvoirRanch, with side trips to Pole Mountain and to the

High Plains Research Station. Belvoir Ranch wasrecently acquired by the City of Cheyenne, thelargest piece of public land in Laramie County. Thisevent also marks our first annual meeting inLaramie County! See the May newsletter for thefull itinerary.Questions? call Ann Boelter or Bonnie Heidel.

New Members: Please welcome the following newmember to WNPS: Marti Aitken (Walden, CO).

Treasurers Report: Balance as of 18 Feb 2010 -$1,910 in the Markow Scholarship Fund plus$1,991.38 in general funds, for a total of $3,901.38

Contributors to this Issue: Ann Boelter, BonnieHeidel, Jim Zier.

The next newsletter deadline is 15 April 2010.

NRCS Interactive PLANTS Identification KeyIf youve never identified a plant in your life, or arestumped about that weed growing in back of thehouse, this electronic key is for you. The key letsyou select multiple characteristics simultaneously (apolyclave key) to minimize the number of steps it

takes to identify a plant. It is a national tool thatcurrently enables users to quickly narrow downoptions to a particular state for select groups likegrasses and legumes.

The PLANTS identification key can be used on-lineor downloaded (http://npdc.usda.gov/technical/plantid_wetland_mono. html.) It is linked directlyto the PLANTS database of the Natural ResourcesConservation Service. Data for this key werecompiled by Dr. David Bogler of the MissouriBotanical Garden. It is the latest addition toWyoming plant identification references posted onthe Wyoming Native Plant Society homepage.

ReferenceUSDA NRCS. 2008. PLANTS Identification.Posted electronically at:http://npdc.usda.gov/technical/plantid_wetland_mono.html

Wyoming Native Plant SocietyP.O. Box 2500

Laramie, WY 82073

WNPS Board 2010President: Lynn Moore ([email protected])

Vice-President: Brian Elliott([email protected])

Sec.-Treasurer: Ann Boelter ([email protected])Board-at-large:Linda Dudinyak (09-10) [email protected] Warren (10-11)

[email protected]

Newsletter Editor: Bonnie Heidel([email protected])

Webmaster: Melanie Arnett ([email protected])Teton Chapter: PO Box 6654, Jackson, WY 83002

(Amy Taylor, Treasurer)Bighorn Native Plant Society: PO Box 21, Big Horn,

WY 82833 (Jean Daly, Treasurer)

This newsletter is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

Please renew for 2010if you havent alreadyandcast your by-lawsvote on-line or by mail.See www.uwyo.edu/wyndd/wnps .


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Locoism as a Team Effort

White locoweed (Oxytropis sericea) is featuredprominently in the first publication on poisonous plantsof Wyoming (Beath 1921) and more recently in Weeds ofthe West(Whitson et al. 2000). It is a native perenniallegume present in nearly all counties of the state andresponsible for livestock poisoning across the state andwestern North America. The poisoning associated withlocoweed affects the nervous system, potentiallycausing crazy behavior that can be fatal in livestock,hence the name locoweed (loco crazy, in Spanish).

Livestock poisoning by White locoweed is attributedto the alkaloid swainsonine. It was originally thoughtthat the alkaloid was directly produced by White locoweed.White locoweed and other papilionaceous legumes respondto low soil nitrogen by forming root nodules where

Rhizobiumbacteria fix nitrogen that becomes available tothe plant. Only recently have root nodule levels andnitrogen fixation levels in White locoweed plants beenlinked to increases in swainsonine concentrations.It turns out that the real producer of swainsonine isan endophytic fungus, Embellisiasp. White locoweedappears to operate fungal farms for its own defense,in a three-way pact of cooperation linking levels ofnodulation, nitrogen fixation and swainsonine production(Barillas et al. 2007). BH

Left: Oxytropis sericea

syn. Spiezia lambertiivar. sericea(Nutt.) Ryd.From: Rydberg, P.A. 1921. Flora of Nebraska: Part 21. Rosales.University of Nebraska Lincoln.

ReferencesBarillas, J.R., M.W. Paschke, M.H. Ralphs, and R.D. Child. 2007. White locoweed toxicity is facilitated by a fungal endophyte and

nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Ecology 88(7): 1850-1856.Beath, O.A. 1921. Poisonous plants of Wyoming. Wyoming Extension Service Circular 37. Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station,

Laramie, WY.Whitson, T.D., L.C. Burrill, S.A. Dewey, D.W. Cudney, B.E. Nelson, R.D. Lee, and R. Parker. 2000, 9 th ed. Weeds of the West. The

Western Society of Weed Science in cooperation with the Western United States Land Grant Universities CooperativeExtension Services and the University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.

Native Seed Collection Opportunities (Intern and Contract)

with Wyoming BLM in 2010

The Wyoming Bureau of Land Management still has funding and opportunities for Interns with theirNative Plant Materials Development Program(http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/plant_conservation.html) and for contractor assistance collectingseed in north-central Wyoming. Inquiries may be directed to Adrienne Pilmanis at 307-775-6035 or byemail ([email protected]).


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The Bighorn Peatland ChroniclesBy Jim Zier

Montane peatlands are hidden jewels thatcan be found in many of Wyomings mountainranges. Peatlands are common across the northernboreal latitudes, but in the Rocky Mountains

peatlands occur as scattered and often isolatedhabitats. Peatlands are a unique kind of wetlandwhere plants grow on substrates consisting of thepartially decomposed corpses of plants that livedthere previously. These organic soils (peat) formunder stable, saturated water regimes whereanoxic conditions prevail and decomposition andnutrient cycling are limited. Peatlands are thusclosely tied to local hydrological conditions that canbe influenced by both climate fluctuation anddisturbance.

Northern boreal peatlands have been shownto be self-perpetuating and self-stabilizing to acertain degree, and have recently been referred toas complex adaptive systems. The physicalproperties of peat impart a sponge-like behavior tothe peatland, stabilizing hydrological change(Belyea and Baird 2006). But peatlands are alsoknown to suddenly shift from one communitystructure to another in response to disturbance orclimatic change. For example, an environmentdominated by submerged and floating-leavedaquatics may suddenly shift to a community

dominated by sedges and even woody shrubs ortrees, then perhaps shift back to an aquaticcommunity thousands of years later.

Understanding long-term vegetationdynamics and the nature of sudden changes inmontane peatlands is the focus of my research inthe Bighorn Mountains. The majority of my sitesare basin peatlands associated with the glacialkettle topography of the area. However, there arealso good examples of flow-through patternedpeatlands similar to those characteristic of borealregions. Many peatlands in this area haveimpressively deep peat sediments that can exceed10 meters. Radiocarbon dates from the bottom ofcores indicate that these wetlands beganaccumulating sediments between 11,000 and12,000 years ago in the wake of glacial retreat.Today, these are rich and unique sites floristically,containing at least five sensitive vascular plantspecies designated by the U.S. Forest ServiceRocky Mountain Region. They include: lesser

panicled sedge (Carex diandra),English sundew(Drosera anglica), slender cottongrass(Eriophorumgracile), Chamisso's cottongrass(Eriophorumchamissonis), and lesser bladderwort(Utricularia

minor). My collections of the first three speciesrepresent new records for the Bighorns.

Drosera anglica.From: Britton, N.L., and

A. Brown. 1913.Anillustrated flora of thenorthern United States,Canada and the BritishPossessions. Vol. 2:204. Courtesy of

Kentucky Native PlantSociety. Scanned byOmnitek Inc.

One of the cool things about peatlands isthey record their own histories. If you collect asediment core from a peatland, you obtain a recordof the organisms that occupied that spot throughtime. Macrofossils, in the form of seeds, roots, andvascular and bryophyte plant remains are

preserved in the sediments. Insect remains arealso common. A systematic detailed analysis ofmacrofossils allows one to gain insights into apeatlands developmental history.

Collecting cores from a peatland can beadventurous, particularly from thin floating matsthat extend over deep water. My coring barrelonce hit a beaver lodge buried several metersbelow a floating mat. As I tried to push throughthe beaver lodge the floating mat sank deeper anddeeper, until I was obliged to abandon the effort,

standing as I was in thigh deep water. The peatsurface directly above the old beaver lodge waselevated above the surrounding mat creating adrier micro-environment. It seemed at the time anideal place to set-up a coring rig. Judging by thedepth of burial, the old beaver lodge must havebeen at least 2000 years old, yet the peatlandsurface was still being influenced by its entombedpresence.


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Above: Jim Zier (right) and Rusty Sayer (left) collectinga core in the Bighorn Mountains.

I collected sediment cores along transectsacross several peatlands in the Bighorn Mountains,described them in the field and hauled them backto the lab for a variety of analysis. Along thelength of each core, 10 cm by 1 cm cookies arecut at regular intervals. Samples are then sievedand picked for macrofossils. Macrofossils ofvascular plants and bryophytes are identified and

supporting data collected, such as loss on ignition ameasure of the amount of organic matter in thepeat, and bulk density an indication of peatcomposition. Radiocarbon dates are used toconstrain the timing of ecological events.

The histories of these peatlands showdifferent patterns of change emerging at differenttime scales. For example, at millennial scales thereare periods of remarkable stability that can last forthousands of years followed by an abrupt change incommunity structure. These are high magnitudelow frequency events that are easily seen in a corewhen collected, as sharp boundaries betweendarker muddier sediments and lighter coloredfibrous peat. The darker sediments are oftenpopulated with macrofossils from aquatic plantssuch as yellow pond-lily (Nuphar lutea), floatingpondweed (Potamogeton natans), bulrushes(Scirpus spp), and interestingly noddingwaternymph (Najas flexilis),a species presently notdocumented as occurring in Wyoming. Although

nodding waternymph apparently went extinct at mysites around 7000 years ago, Wyoming botanistsshould be on the lookout for this annual aquaticspecies.

Najas flexilis. From: Britton, N.L.,and A. Brown. 1913.An illustratedflora of the northern United States,

Canada and the British Possessions.Vol. 1: 90. Courtesy of KentuckyNative Plant Society. Scanned by

Omnitek Inc..

At centennial or even decadal time scaleslow magnitude high frequency changes occur. Forexample, the relative abundance of bryophytesversus vascular plant remains fluctuates back andforth. Species often turn over regularly, but there

may be longer periods of time when one speciesdominates the record. Sometimes the record isrich in macrofossils, but sometimes not. Woodyremains can be abundant, then absent, thenreappear. The amount of charcoal incorporated inthe sediments fluctuates back and forth, perhapsindicating periodic upland fires (although fires seemto be uncommon on the actual peatland surface).Determining whether or not these shifts in speciescomposition are a result of changes in hydrology,succession, or a byproduct of the samplingtechnique is a challenging task.

Thus, peatlands chronicle their own historybut interpreting the story is not always easy.Processing and analysis of sediment cores is verytime intensive. The sediment cores provide a veryrich data set temporally but are limited spatially. Iam left scrutinizing 10 cm core segments collectedfrom a much larger peatland. Additionally, variousplant species have characteristics that mightincrease or decrease the probability of beingpreserved in the peat. For example, an under-represented species might have originally consisted

of many individuals but reproduced vegetatively, orhad a high germination rate so that few seeds gotincorporated into the peat, or its seeds just do notpreserve well. An over-represented species mighthave originally consisted of only a few individualsbut produced large quantities of seeds thatdispersed and preserved well. Noddingwaternymph (Najas flexilis) may be a goodexample of an over-represented species.


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To assess the relationships between themacrofossil assemblages preserved in the peat andthe plant communities in which they came from Ihave launched a taphonomic study. Taphonomy(from the Greek Taphos literally meaning studyof the grave) is the study of how organisms mayor may not get preserved or fossilized in sediments

in order to better understand biases in a fossilrecord. Surprisingly, there have been few effortsto investigate taphonomic relationships with regardto peatland macrofossils. My study will compare thecharacteristics of modern peatland plantcommunities with representation in the top 5 cm ofpeat, and will help resolve how distance andabundance might influence representation in a coresample. These efforts should increase my ability tointerpret past peatland response to environmentalchange and determine which changes occurring ina core are meaningful and which are not.

Wyomings peatlands are fascinatingsystems to explore and study. These habitats arebiodiversity hotspots that harbor a disproportionatenumber of rare plant taxa relative to the small areathey occupy. Peatlands are also importanthydrological features on the landscape, acting likesponges that hold large quantities of water. We

are fortunate indeed to have these beautifulwetlands. Peatlands also record their own historiesand by learning to better interpret their story wecan improve our understanding of these uniqueand valuable ecosystems.

I thank the WNPS for financial support of thisresearch through the 2008 Markow Scholarship.

Jim Zier ([email protected])Program in Ecology and Department of BotanyUniversity of Wyoming

Botanists Bookshelf Natives of Yore

Top 100 food plants: The worlds mostimportant culinary crops.By E. Small. 2009.NRC Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 656 pp.ISBN-13 978-0-660-198798-2 [soft cover] Price: US$34.95 From: http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/books/books/9780660198583.html

Review by Bonnie Heidel

This book presents the top culinary hits of the

Plant Kingdom in a seamless treatise on agriculture,anthropology, botany, and nutrition, with a dash ofBetty Crocker thrown in.

What does a book about food plants of theworld have to do with native Wyoming plants? There isexactly one entry for a native Wyoming plant, Commonsunflower (Helianthus annuus). The 99 other plants arenon-natives, many of which can be found in Wyoming

fields, gardens and grocery stores. It is good to bereminded of our skewed alliances in the Plant Kingdom.The roster-of-100 represents the species- or species-

groups that comprise 90% of the plant food supplywithin every country of the world.

The book abstract declares that all categories offood plants are covered, including cereals, oilseeds,

fruits, nuts, vegetables, legumes, herbs, spices,beverage plants and sources of industrial food extracts.With all due respect to culinary breadth, what I foundmost intriguing is that every effort is made to recountthe origins of crop plants as native plants in the wild.

Think of this as 100 short stories. Time andagain, the reader is reminded that fact can be moreamazing than fiction. The text is fluid, the headings are

simple, the illustrations exquisite, and the research andcitations are robust. This literary fare can be browsedby anyone to their personal taste and it makes a

valuable library reference.

Domesticated varieties of Common sunflowers

arose around 1000 BC within the area marked by theUnited States, but domesticated sunflower seeds were

recently found in Mexico from 5000 BC, suggesting itarose independently even earlier. So how did Russia

become the worlds leading producer of a NorthAmerican crop by the mid-19th Century? Foods that wererich in oil were prohibited by the Holy Orthodox Churchof Russia during Lent and Advent. But the sunflowerwas not on the banned list. Hence, sunflower oilproduction soared in Russia. Common sunflower wasnt

discovered in U.S. agriculture until the 1940s andonly recently arrived back in Wyoming as a crop plant.


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THAT WHICH DOES NOT KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER(Adapted from Conservation Maven, Research Briefs, reviewby R. Goldstein, Jan 19, 2010http://www.conservationmaven.com/)

Could Nietzsche have been referring toWyoming native grasses? Over the past few years,University of Wyoming restoration ecologists havemade a surprising discovery - the invasion of exoticplants may enhance the competitive ability ofnative species when later faced with new exoticinvasive plants (Ferrero-Serrano et al. 2009).

In the wake of noxious weed invasions,some native grasses persist within communitiesdominated by exotics, though the influence of thisexposure on native populations is poorlyunderstood. Selection for traits contributing tocompetitive ability may lead to native plant

individuals that are more resilient in the presenceof exotic invaders. In this way, long-termcoexistence with an exotic may confer competitiveadvantages to experienced survivors and bepotentially beneficial to restoration.

Populations of a cool-season grass, needle-and-thread (Hesperostipa comata) and a warmseason, alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides) werecollected from sites invaded by Russian knapweed(Acroptolon repens; syn. Centaurea repens) andfrom adjacent non-invaded sites to assess theirrelative competitive ability when grown in thegreenhouse with a new exotic species, Canadathistle (Cirsium arvense). ExperiencedS. airoidesand H. comata(from withinA. repensinvasions)generally appeared better able to tolerate the

presence ofC. arvensein terms of biomass andother standards.

The authors conclude: The ability tocompete with new invaders may be driven bygeneral competitive traits rather than species-

specific coevolutionary trajectories. Irrespective ofcompetitive mechanisms, the conservation of nativespecies populations within weed invasions mayprovide an important restoration tool by retainingunique components of native gene pools selectedby competitive interactions with exotics.

One basic question is whether the grassesfrom invaded sites truly have a genetic-basedcompetitive advantage or whether other factorsmight be at play. For example, the study authorsconcede that differences in soil microbialcommunities from invaded sites may conferadvantages to native plants from those areascompared to non-invaded settings.

Another question is whether restorationpractitioners can actually take advantage ofwhatever competitive advantages do exist. Theauthors note that seed suppliers are reluctant touse native sources from invaded sites because theywant to minimize contamination of the supply withnon-native seeds that can often be small and hard

to detect.

ReferenceFerrero-Serrano, A., Hild, A., & Mealor, B. 2009. CanInvasive Species Enhance Competitive Ability andRestoration Potential in Native Grass Populations?Restoration Ecology.1-7.

Wyoming Reclamation & Restoration Symposium: Successes and Challenges

April 6-7, 2010Hilton Garden Inn & UW Conference Center in Laramie, WY

The Wyoming Reclamation and Restoration Symposium is the first meeting of its kind in Wyoming, for allprofessionals involved in Land Reclamation and Restoration. The symposium will feature speakers fromland reclamation and restoration contractors, seed and plant materials producers, resource extractionindustries such as mining and oil and gas producers, pipeline and power transmission line installers, windenergy producers, highway construction contractors, and regulatory agencies. The symposium goal is toprovide a forum for discussing recent advances and current challenges in Wyoming, sharing ideas amongpractitioners in our field. There will be a poster session during the Reception on Tuesday evening. Forregistration information, go to: http://www.uwyo.edu/wrrc-symposium/ or call: 307-766-3576.


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Upcoming EventsWyoming Reclamation / RestorationSymposium*,April 6-7, 2010, Laramie, WY.Sponsored by University of Wyoming. Contact:www.uwyo.edu/wrrc-symposium .

2nd Annual Native Plant Species Seminar,April 27, 2010 at Teton Science School, Jackson,WY. - co-sponsored by Teton Conservation Districtand Teton Science School. Contact:www.tetonconservation.org .

National Native Seed Conference,May 17-21, Snowbird, UT Cosponsored by Bureauof Land Management and Institute for AppliedEcology. Contact: www.nativeseed.info/

American Penstemon Society Meeting,June 4-6, Craig, CO. Contact:www.apsdev.org/welcome.html .

2010 Wyoming Native Plant SocietyMeeting*, June 18-20, Cheyenne, WY. See Maynewsletter and check www.uwyo.edu/wyndd/wnps.

*See this issue for additional details.

Wyoming Native Plant Society is a non-profitorganization established in 1981, dedicated toencouraging the appreciation and conservation ofthe native flora and plant communities ofWyoming. The Society promotes education andresearch on native plants of the state through its

newsletter, field trips, and annual studentscholarship award. Membership is open toindividuals, families, or organizations. To join orrenew, return this form to:

Wyoming Native Plant SocietyP.O. Box 2500, Laramie, WY 82073

Name: ________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________

______________________________________________

Email: ___________________________________________ $7.50 Regular Membership___ $15.00 Scholarship Supporting Member

($7.50 goes to the Markow Scholarship Fund)

Check one:

_____New member_____Renewing member

__Renewing members, check here if this is an address change.

Wyoming Native Plant SocietyP.O. Box 2500Laramie, WY 82073

Documents

Mar 2010 Castilleja Newsletter, Wyoming Native Plant Society