Summer 2012 Minnesota Plant Press ~ Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

7/31/2019 Summer 2012 Minnesota Plant Press ~ Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

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Minnesota Plant Press

Te Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

www.mnnps.org

Volume 31 Number 3 Summer 2012

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.org formore program information.6 p.m. Social period7 9 p.m. Program, Societybusiness.

Oct. 4: Program to be announced.Check the website (www.mnnps.

org) for details.

Prairie ConservationPlan is implementedby Steve Chaplin, senior conservation scientist, The Nature Conservancy.

Native prairie once covered as much as 18 million acres of MinnesotaA hallmark of this prairie was its rich diversity of grasses and owering

forbs, often as many as 200 species per acre. Now, most of the nativeprairie is gone, with only about 235,000 acres surviving. Unfortunatelythe loss and degradation of prairie and other grasslands continue, dueto agricultural conversion driven by high crop prices, the expiration ofConservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts, and new technologies forrock removal and water drainage.

The Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan, developed by 10 conservationagencies and organizations, is a response to these losses. The initial drafwas completed in 2011 and is now being implemented (See http://lesdnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/mn_prairie_conservation_plan.pdf) The plancalls for three approaches: conservation of prairie core areas, developmentof corridors connecting the core areas, and local projects within thesurrounding agricultural landscape.

Prairie Core AreasThirty-six areas with concentrations of native prairie have been identied

in Minnesota. These are special places where some of our prairie heritage(the prairie biota and its physical habitat) still exist and where grass-basedagriculture remains part of the economic base. These places range from5,000 to 300,000 acres in size, totaling about 1.6 million acres. Togetherthey capture 77 percent of the native prairie in the prairie region of thestate. The goal for these core areas is to maintain or restore 40 percent toprairie or grassland and 20 percent to wetland. The remaining 40 percentwould continue to be used for row cropping and other development.

Prairie CorridorsEven if all of the prairie core

areas are protected, many prairieplants and animals will havedifculty moving between them torecolonize or claim new habitat.Such movement is essential tomaintain genetic integrity andpopulation viability, especially

Continued on page 3

MNTaxa lists statevascular plant species

MNaxa is the Minnesota DNRslist o all vascular plant species thathave been documented in the state.

For each species, MNaxaprovides the ull scientifc name,whether the species was introducedto Minnesota, current endangered

species status, and the counties andsubcounties in which the specieshas been documented.

Te DNR uses MNaxa toorganize data in various plant andvegetation databases and to generateregional or county checklists orsurvey work, projects, and reports.It is available as a statewide checklistor as a county record checklist atmndnr.gov/eco/mcbs/plant_lists.html

In this issueSociety news ...........................2New members .........................2Presidents column ..................3Wetland plants, quality ...........4Raingarden transformation ....4Native Orchids of Minnesota ...5Finding moonworts.................6Plant Lore - eyebright ..............7
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/mn_prairie_conservation_plan.pdfhttp://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/mn_prairie_conservation_plan.pdfhttp://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/mn_prairie_conservation_plan.pdfhttp://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/mn_prairie_conservation_plan.pdf


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Minnesota Native Plant Societys purpose(Abbreviated from the bylaws)

This organization is exclusively organized and operated for

educational and scientic purposes, including the following.

1. Conservation of all native plants.

2. Continuing education of all members in the plant sciences.

3. Education of the public regarding environmental protection of plant

life.4. Encouragement of research and publications on plants native to

Minnesota.

5. Study of legislation on Minnesota ora, vegetation, ecosytems.

6. Preservation of native plants, plant communities, and scientic and

natural areas.

7. Cooperation in programs concerned with the ecology of natural

resources and scenic features.

8. Fellowship with all persons interested in native plants through

meetings, lectures, workshops, and eld trips.

MNNPS Board

of DirectorsPresident: Scott Milburn, board

member, [email protected]

Vice President: Shirley Mah

Kooyman, shirley.mah.kooyman@

mnnps.org

Secretary, program coordinator

Andrs Morantes, andres

[email protected]

Treasurers, membership data

base: Ron and Cathy Huber, ron

[email protected]

Ken Arndt: board member, eld

trip chair, [email protected]

John Arthur:board member, [email protected]

Steve Eggers: board member, steve

[email protected]

Otto Gockman: board member

[email protected]

Daniel Jones:board member,daniel

[email protected]

Peter Jordan: board member, peter

[email protected]

Mike Lynch: board member, mike

[email protected]

Stephen G. Saupe: board member

[email protected]

Field Trips: eldtrips.mnnps@

mnnps.org

Memberships: memberships

[email protected]

Historian-Archives: Roy Robison

historian-archives.mnnps@mnnps

org

Technical or membership

inquiries: contact.mnnps@mnnps

org

Minnesota Plant Press editorGerry Drewry, [email protected]

Treasurers

reportTreasurers Ron and Cathy

Huber report that on June 30, theMinnesota Native Plant Societyhad total assets of $29,170.03.For the rst six months of thisyear, income totaled $13,867.51;expenses totaled $10.087.46. Netincome was $3,780.55.

Major income items were dues,$2,348; symposium, $5,934, andorchid books, $3,593.55. Majorexpenses were symposium,$5,451.78, and orchid books,$3,231.99. Communicationexpenses (newsletter, membershipdirectory, meeting postcards,

member packets, and postage)totaled $905.59.

Sale income downProceeds from the 2012 June

Plant Sale totaled $368.50,including $331.50 from the saleand $37 from the plant auction.This total is the lowest in the lastseven years. The highest total was$911 in 2006; the previous low was$416 in 2009. The weather reducedattendance at the meeting and sale.

Welcome, newmembers

The Society gives a warm

welcome to 15 new members who

joined during the second quarter of

2012.

All are from Minnesota. Listedalphabetically, they are:

Steve Chaplin, Roseville;

Ross Collins, Excelsior;

Brian Fewell, Falcon Heights;

Laura Geris, Richeld;

Enrique Gentzsch, Minneapolis;

Gloria Gervais, Ely;

Karin Grimlund, Rushford;

Catherine Guteisch, Northeld;

Laurel Krause, Excelsior;Bram and Lori Middeldorp,

Northeld;

Bill and Anna Morrison, Ham Lake;

Jeanne Quillen, Pequot Lakes;

Karen Westphall, St. Paul.

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Field tripsThere is a waiting list for the August25 eld trip to Iron Horse Prairie.For future trips, go to the website:www.mnnps.org


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when confronted with the impactsof climate change. The PrairiePlan identies a set of corridors,each six miles wide, along vegeomorphological features that willconnect the prairie core areas: theAgassiz Beach Ridges, AlexandriaMoraine, Minnesota River, AltamontMoraine, and Buffalo Ridge. Thegoal for the corridors is to have atleast 10 percent of each section ofland (64 acres) in perennial coveras well as large (four to nine squaremile) grassland/wetland complexesspaced every six miles along thecorridor as stepping stones.

Agricultural MatrixTo maintain the full range of

local genetic variability of prairieplants and animals, we will haveto conserve not just the core areasbut also smaller grasslands andwetlands in all parts of the statewhere prairie once occurred. Thisapproach will provide small pocketsof local ecotypes scattered aroundthe state that can be the source ofpropagules for prairie and native

plant restoration projects, thefoundation of water quality andood retention efforts, and the baseof grassland-oriented recreation.

The Prairie Plan proposes thata minimum of 10 percent of eachLand Type Association in the PrairieRegion of the state be maintainedin permanent perennial vegetation.Most of the conservation work inthe Agricultural Matrix will take theform of stream buffers, grasslandstrips, and habitat restorations, butto achieve the maximal results, itwill be important to strategicallylocate the projects.

Even with substantial new publicconservation funding, the successMinnesota has in maintaining andrestoring its prairie heritage willlargely depend on private actions.In areas of the world where largeareas of native grasslands have

Prairie planContinued from page 1

survived, it is usually because localresidents can earn a greater netreturn from grass-based agriculture,such as grazing livestock, than theycan by tilling and annually plantingthe land. That will need to be thecase in Minnesota as well if we wantto have more than scattered public

reserves and wildlife managementareas.

The Prairie Plan endorses theuse of public funding and landsto catalyze the growth and healthof grass-based agriculture in theprairie core areas. Minnesota needsto protect its remaining prairies, butit also needs to buffer and reconnectthem with restored grasslands andwetlands.

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Presidentscolumnby Scott Milburn

The Societys Board of Directorswill meet later this summer to electthe ofcers for next year. This will

be the rst board meeting with ourlatest board additions, Steve Eggersand John Arthur. Steve is a formerboard member from the earlier daysof the Society, and John has been anactive member in recent years. Theywill complement the existing boardand help provide an exciting year.

Looking forward to the upcomingyear, we need to explore twoparticular topics. Besides discussing

the ecology and biology of plants, Ibelieve it is imperative that we alsodiscuss policies and laws as theypertain to our natural resources.Specically, I would like to providean opportunity for us to explore theissue of School Trust Lands, as wellas the push to allow cattle grazing atlocations with intact prairie.

Members should question anumber of the issues surroundingthe School Trust Lands, includingthe proposed land swap of theselands within the BWCA in a House

bill. We also need to look at therecent power play, where electedofcials have sought manageriacontrol over these lands. Thepremise behind the concept ofextracting resources from a setarea of land within each townshipwas to provide nancial supportfor schools. Times change, and soshould this policy and the mindsetof continuous resource extractionunder the disguise of serving ourchildren. These lands provide only$26 per student annually.

How would politicians managethese lands? They may beunder the false impression thatthe management of lands is arudimentary task. For instanceconsider the certication process

for selling timber. The market placesays timber needs to be certiedWill these politicians continue theexisting practices that meet therequirements for certication? Ifthey dont, the product sits. Thatmay be their agenda, with thepoliticians moving in a direction tosell off this land to private interests

The other issue is the pushto allow cattle grazing on lands

with intact prairie. This has beengaining momentum, perhaps due toa combination of group think andappeasement to a vocal industryThis is not the West, where cattleroam on large tracts of land. Wedont know who is going to managethese efforts, what monitoring willtake place, and what safeguards wilbe in place to protect the integrityof these sites. We hear about aquaticinvasive species, but what about

terrestrial invasives and grazing?Some may argue that invasives areof little concern, but how muchpractical experience do they have?Visit a place like Blue Mounds StatePark where the wild carrot (Daucuscarota) is problematic, or the remotesite of Caribou WMA.

These issues should providemotivation for all of us to beengaged.


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by Michael Bourdaghs, MinnesotaPollution Control Agency. This is asummary of his talk at the Feb. 2,

2012, MNNPS meeting.Minnesota has a policy to achieve

no net loss in the quantity, quality,and biological diversity of thestates wetlands, but how do weknow if these goals are being met?A variety of wetland monitoring andassessment approaches are neededto answer this question. Trackingwetland quantity through projectaccounting and an ongoing DNRstatewide status and trends aerial

photo survey is well established.Our ability to track wetland quality,on the other hand, continues toimprove as the science behindwetland quality monitoring andassessment evolves.

Wetland plant communitiestend to respond in predictablepatterns when exposed to humanimpacts such as changes in wetlandhydrology, physical wetland

alterations, or excess nutrient andsediment loading. Responses tothese stressors include changesin the species composition and/or community structure. In severecases, wholesale changes can occurwhere a native plant communityis replaced by invasive species.These plant community responsesintegrate the effects of impacts overtime. They can be measured andthus be used to indicate wetland

quality.

The Minnesota Pollution ControlAgency (MPCA) has an activeresearch program to developwetland quality monitoring andassessment techniques. Mostrecently, the MPCA has focusedon an approach called the FloristicQuality Assessment (FQA). FQArelies on a measure called theCoefcient of Conservatism (C),

which is a numerical ratingfrom zero to 10 that reectshow restricted a particular plant

species is to intact natural habitats.Species that have narrow habitatrequirements and/or little toleranceto human disturbance have highC-values, and vice versa. Forexample, the Small white ladysslipper (Cypripedium candidum)is typically only found in intactwet prairies and has a C = 10value. Box elder (Acer negundo),on the other hand, can be found inmany disturbed habitats outside

the oodplain forests where itnaturally occurs and has a C =1 value. Metrics derived fromvegetation data and the C-valueshave been found to be robust andreliable wetland quality indicators.

In 2007, the MPCA completeda project to assign C-values to theMinnesota wetland ora. Sincethen, work has progressed todevelop a simplied Rapid FQA

sampling approach and data drivenassessment criteria that can be usedto turn FQA metrics scores intomeaningful categories of wetlandquality for all of the wetland typesin Minnesota. This will allownatural resource professionalswith a moderate level of wetlandbotanical expertise to make rapidand scientically robust wetlandquality assessments, which canthen be applied to their specic

management questions.

The MPCA is currently usingFQA as the primary assessmentapproach in a statewide wetlandquality survey. Wetlandsare rst sampled randomlystatewide. Because the sample isrepresentative, the results reectthe overall quality of Minnesotaswetlands. This survey, inconjunction with increased

monitoring for wetland projectswill begin to provide an answer asto whether we are achieving nonet loss of wetland quality andbiological diversity in Minnesota.

Plants are keys toquality of wetlands

Rainwater plantransforms mall

parking lotThe results of the extreme

makeover of the Maplewood Malparking lot will be featured at itsgrand opening Saturday, Sept. 15from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the east mainentrance of the mall. This rainwatermanagement project includes 16rainwater gardens and 200 trees.

The event will include a

ribbon-cutting ceremony with theFarmsworth Aerospace MagnetSchool marching band and studentparade; tours and displays; showand tell with landscaping artistsand experts; and photo ops withtheir mascot, Leap Frog. Grantinformation and applications to makeover home yards will be availableas will information on a Girl Scoutservice project for clean water.

The mall is located at 3001White Bear Ave. N., MaplewoodFor additional information, contactLouise Watson at 651-792-7956, orgo to the Ramsey-Washington MetroWatershed District website at wwwrwmwd.org

Ancient seeds grownRussian scientists have successfully

grown narrow-leafed campion plantsfrom seeds buried by an arctic

ground squirrel 31,800 years agoThe frozen Silene stenophylla seedswere found in an ancient burrowon the banks of the Lower KolymaRiver in northeastern Siberia by aRussian research team. The scientiststook cells from the placentas in theseeds and grew them in culture dishesinto whole plants. The plants appearidentical to the present-day narrow-leafed campions, but their petals arenarrower and more splayed-out.

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Ditches are a favorite location for Minnesotas state ower, the showy ladys slipper, Cypripedium reginae.

Scott Milburn took this photo on Highway 371 south of Cass Lake in Cass County in June 2012.

Book by Welby Smith, publishedby the University of MinnesotaPress, 2012. Softcover, 285 pages;seven by 10-inch format; colorphotos, black-and-white drawings,range maps. $34.95Review by Ron and Cathy Huber

The sign-in sheet for the MNNPSMay monthly meeting showed 126attendees, but the actual headcountwas over 140 a new all-timerecord. The reason? Welby Smithgave a fascinating presentation tolaunch the sale of his new book,

Native Orchids of Minnesota.

Although originally slatedto be an updated edition of hisrst (1993) book on Minnesotaorchids, this new revision is greatlyexpanded, treating 49 wild orchids(six additional from 1993), withemphasis on their identication,habitat, and natural history.

Exciting new discoveries are

presented on the seldom notedsubterranean aspects of orchidslives. This fascinating material iswell explained in the book and wasthe main thrust of Welbys Mayprogram.

A one-page preface is followedby an extensive introduction. Thisincludes basic orchid biology, theroles of mycorrhizal fungi, andhabitat discussions. Two pages ofFrequently Asked Questions aboutOrchids are followed by severalpages of pictorial keys to orchid

genera.

The following 237 pages ofGenera and Species Accountsprovide the real meat-and-potatoes of this book, enhancedby anatomical drawings, rangemaps, and beautiful color photos,showing details of the plants, theirunderground features and oftentheir habitats.

The book concludes with a two-page phenology, seven pages ofglossary, an extensive ve-pagebibliography, and the index.

One might expect such a lavishlyillustrated book to be much higherpriced, but virtually everyonecan enjoy having a copy on their

bookshelf. MNNPS members alsoreceived a substantial discount onthe price.

Book review

Native Orchids of Minnesota isWelby Smiths newest book

Excerpt fromNative

Orchids of Minnesota[Showy ladys slippers] do best

in partial shade or direct sunlight, notin deep shade. You will most oftennd these conditions in a mossyforested swamp under a thin canopy

of conifers, or sometimes in a not-so-mossy swamp under hardwoodsor tall shrubs. Sometimes showyscan be found in open wetlands suchas seepage fens or sedge meadowsInto this last category I would putthe odd roadside ditch where showyssometimes make a brief appearanceI say brief because roadside habitatstend to get scraped or graded on aregular basis.

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Stalking and fndingrare native plants

Range? Yes again, we found Bascendens and B. lineare in 2007So, is there a chance of nding themin other habitats outside the ironrange? Apparently so. We foundBascendens last year all the way up inLake of the Woods County.

In southeastern Minnesota, therewas one isolated collection of prairiemoonwort, B. campestre, from abedrock bluff prairie in 1993. Is itlikely that could be the only place itoccurs in that part of the state? Wesearched a number of prairies overa period of six years and found 12populations in four counties.

There were no collections ofmoonworts from Koochiching or

Roseau counties, and only three(two species) from Lake of theWoods County. Two of thosecollections, dating from 1894, werefrom an island in the middle of thelake. But habitats looked especiallygood, at least to us. We spent along weekend in each of 2009 and2010 on the hunch that we couldnd them there. We did. In 2011we applied for a contract from the

distributions, even new species.Only six percent of the moonwortrecords in the Natural HeritageDatabase predate 1990. Signicantpieces of the puzzle of moonwortsin North America were comingfrom here in Minnesota.

Each new piece of informationprompted new questions. Many ofthese could be addressed at our levelof expertise. Three of the most rarespecies of moonworts in Minnesotawere rst found in tailings basinson the Cuyuna Iron Range Botrychium ascendens and B.spathulatum in 1998, andB. linearein 2005. Could any of these befound on mine dumps as well? Yes,we looked and found two of them,B. ascendens andB. spathulatum, in2008. And what about the Mesabi

by Malcolm and Rosemary MacFarlane, volunteers, Minnesota DNRCounty Biological Survey.

Our experience with rare native plants has been a 30-year journeywith many side trips, chance encounters, frustrating attempts to acquireexpertise, and a measure of dumb luck. It started with photography andended in moonworts. There was never any grand plan. The photographywas pure entertainment, at least to start. The accumulating images pushedus in directions we had not anticipated nor were we properly preparedto go. Neither of us can claim to be a botanist. But we were enticed byinterests-turned-obsessions, each in its way more compelling than the last,until we found ourselves a part of a long and grand tradition of amateurbotany in Minnesota.

As we acquired expertise, our interests slid slowly from the common

to the rare. We were drawn through a series of obsessions with orchids,lichens, endemic species, relicts, disjuncts and species of exceptionallyunique and rare habitats. We crossed paths with folks who had a wealthof unique expertise, which they shared most generously. These encounterspresented us with lifelong friendships and opportunities to participate innew ways, in new discoveries.

So, by way of a very circuitous path, we found ourselves in June of lastyear in the middle of Koochiching County, on hands and knees, in theubiquitous cloud of black ies, bleeding from the temples, nose to nosewith a curious little moonwort. We were having the greatest time.

Part of the allure of moonworts was the ood of new information, new

Botrychium simplex. Photo byMalcolm MacFarlane.

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Botrychium ascendens, arare moonwort. Photo byMalcolm MacFarlane.


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Plant Loreby Thor KommedahlWhat is eyebright?

Eyebright is Euphrasiahudsoniana, in the gwort family,but the taxonomy is confusing andit may be listed as other species,

e.g., E. arctica. Of the hundreds ofdescribed species, E. hudsonianais recognized by the IntegratedTaxonomic Information System.

How did it gets its names?Eyebright (E. ofcinalis) was

called Eyebryghte by WilliamTurner in England (1548).Euphrasia means good-cheer inreference to its use in eye lotions.Hudsoniana refers to its being

found along Hudson Bay andsometimes called Hudson Bayeyebright. Arctica (perhaps asynonym) points to its circumpolardistribution.

What does the plant look like?It is an annual herb and has small,

opposite, toothed stem leaves andwhite to pale-blue owers that looklike eyes. Petals have an upper lipthat may be two-lobed or notched

and a lower lip that is three-lobed.There are four stamens. Stems arehairy. The plant is a semiparasite

with roots attached to grasses(For this reason some have placedeyebright in the broomrape family.)

Where does it grow?This native species grows along

the north shore of Lake Superiorin rock ssures and ledges, and itblooms from June to September.

Does it have medicinal uses?Milton inParadise Lostsuggested

it was mankinds rst medicine:

Michael from Adams eyes thelm removed,Which the false fruit, thatpromised clearer sight,Had bred; then purged witheuphrasy and rueThe visual nerve, for he hadmuch to see.

Eyebright has been a folk remedyfor eye ailments, coughs, andearaches. Because the blossomslook like eyes, they were thoughtin medieval times to benet eyemaladies. Cotton Mather in Boston1724, remarked, A plain Eye-brightwater constantly or frequently usedwill continue to the eye-sight abrightness to be wondered at. Ithas been reported in recent times

that members of this genus containanti-inammatory and antibacteriacompounds.

County Biological Survey, andthat allowed us to spend the entiremonth of June.

From 2009 through 2011, wemade nearly 200 collections fromthese three counties, includingnine species of moonworts and arare grape fern. The rarest of thesewere B. ascendens, B. lunaria, B.minganense, and B. simplex var.tenebrosum, which was unusuallyrobust and signicantly west of itsknown range.

Minnesota is richer in moonwortspecies than anyone would havepredicted just a few years ago.Discoveries of species here thatwere thought to be limited to the

western states and provinces wouldbeg the question: might there beothers? We believe that we foundone in 2008, B. pedunculosum,on a mine dump west of Hibbing.Conrmation awaits genetictesting, but so far prospects lookgood.

Euphrasia hudsoniana var.ramosior. Photo by PeterDziuk.

Euphrasia ofcinalis (above), European eyebright, is rapidlyinvading the Arrowhead. Photographer Peter Dziuk says it is almostidentical to E. hudsoniana, and the two species may hybridize.

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Directions:

Take Highway 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.

Minnesota Native Plant Society

P.O. Box 20401

Bloomington, MN 55420

Summer 2012

Documents

Summer 2012 Minnesota Plant Press ~ Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter