Spring 2004 Plant Conservation Newsletter

8/9/2019 Spring 2004 Plant Conservation Newsletter

1/12

Recovering Americas Vanishing Flora

Conservation

Hot off the press:

CPCs latest book page 6

Spring 2004 Volume 17, Number 1

Saving a rare goldenrod inNorth Carolina page 9

Sacramento

prickly-

poppy

(Argemonepleiacantha

ssp.

pinnatisecta),

a National

Collection

species from

New Mexico.

Springtime in the Southwest:From Texas to Southern California, CPC botanists are saving unique plants

Whats your image of the South-west? For many, the region is still theWild, wild west: endless miles of or-

ange desert, dotted with cactus andbright wildflowers. But in reality, theSouthwest comprises a wide variety ofhabitats, including dry woodlands,mesic canyons, mountains, wetlands,springs, and other aquatic systems. Thisvariety of habitats supports a wealth ofbiodiversity, but these natural resourcesare facing more and more challenges.A booming economy, spurred on bygrowth in mining, oil and gas explora-tion, changes in agricultural markets,and expanded recreational use is bring-

ing land development, habitat degrada-tion and loss, and water projects thatdisrupt natural hydrology. Thesechanges are threatening a valuable natu-ral asset too often overlooked: theregions unique native flora.

The wildflowers, cactus, and othernative plants of the Southwest haveadapted to an extreme and very unreli-able arid climate. These natural trea-sures are experts at resource hoarding.They have adapted their natural pro-cesses to require as little energy as pos-sible, and save surplus resources tocombat the extreme heat, cold, anddrought.

Drought-tolerant plants, like cacti,are structurally adapted to store andlimit loss of water. Cacti use their swol-len stems to store water for future use,and limit their release of water andgases to night hours, when the tempera-tures are cooler. Some plants store their

water underground, in large tubers orroots, and limit their abovegroundgrowth forms to those needed for pho-

tosynthesis. These structures often con-tain self-defense mechanisms such asspines or chemical substances withinthe plant that discourage would-be graz-ers, thus keeping stored water safe. Forimproved drought-resistance, shrubsand trees in this region tend to have onlysmall leaves, or no leaves at all.

Wildflowers of the region have alsomanaged to adapt to the lack of water.The seeds of flowering plants have anincreased dormancy mechanism, re-stricting germination to the infrequent

rainfalls. The entire lifecycle of theseplants is accelerated to occur during therainy season. The results are often spec-tacular fast-forward blooming cycles.

Because these unique plants haveoften adapted to fill very specific nichesin the landscape, theyre particularlysensitive to the disturbances and habi-tat-loss that comes with ever-growingdevelopment of roads, subdivisions,and industry. When development orchanging land management practicesinadvertently disturbs the specific con-dition the plants need to survive, theycould be lost from the landscape for-ever.

Thats why CPC botanists around theregion are working to save the vanish-ing natural treasures of the region. Thismonth,Plant Conservation brings youa little taste of springtime in the south-west with stories of rare plant recov-ery. See pages 3 - 4 for more.

Mahogany Mystery Solved

Continued on page 4

Like many islands, Catalina Islandoff the coast of southern California hasa unique ecosystem where plants and

animals, isolated from the mainlandhave developed adaptations quite dis-tinct from their more common mainlandcounterparts. Such is the case of the fed-erally endangered Catalina mahogany(Cercocarpus traskiae), one of the rar-est shrubs in the continental UnitedStates.

An evergreen member of the rosefamily, Catalina mahogany was not dis-covered until 1897, when there was asingle population of forty individualsSince these rare shrubs had evolvedwithout the presence of mainland ani-mals like pigs, goats and cattle, the in-troduction of domesticated and later fe-ral animals had a big impact on thesmall populations. The Santa CatalinaConservancy has since fenced off WildBoar Gully, the single dry arroyo wherethe mahogany grows, to protect it frombrowsing animals. But as of last year


2/12

2Plant Conservation, Spring2004

Board of Trustees

C.W. Eliot Paine, Chairman

Kathryn L. Kennedy, Ph.D.,

President and Executive

Director

Polly Pierce, Vice-President

Emmy White Seymour, SecretaryHooker Talcott, Jr., Treasurer

Jack BakerAnne Foreman BarnesRobert Breunig, Ph.D.

Patricia R. Bush

Ann CoburnPaul Alan Cox, Ph.D.

Richard H. Daley

Julia Bissell LeisenringRichard Lighty, Ph.D.

Jonathan LoringAndrew S. Love, Jr.

John McPheeters

Ladeen MillerJanet Meakin PoorEdward Schneider, Ph.D.

Jocelyn SladenMary Ann Streeter

William A. Truslow, Esq.

Peter S. White, Ph.D.Peter Wyse Jackson, Ph.D.

Peter Ashton, Ph.D., Trustee

Emeritus

Participating Institutions

Amy B.H. GreenwellEthnobotanical Garden

The Arboretum at Flagstaff

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The Arnold Arboretum of

Harvard University

The Berry Botanic GardenBrooklyn Botanic Garden

Center for Urban Horticulture

Chicago Botanic GardenDenver Botanic Gardens

Desert Botanical GardenFairchild Tropical GardenHarold L. Lyon Arboretum

Historic Bok Sanctuary

The Holden ArboretumHonolulu Botanical Gardens

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower

CenterMercer Arboretum and Botanic

GardensMissouri Botanical GardenThe Morton Arboretum

National Tropical BotanicalGarden

New England Wild Flower

SocietyThe New York Botanical Garden

The North Carolina Arboretum

North Carolina Botanical GardenRancho Santa Ana Botanic

Garden

Red Butte Garden andArboretum

Regional Parks Botanic Garden

San Antonio Botanical GardenSanta Barbara Botanic Garden

University of California

Botanical Garden

Waimea Valley Audubon Center

St. George Village Botanic

Garden, Affiliate Institution

Science Advisory Council

Barbara A. Schaal, Ph.D., ChairMarie Bruegmann

John Fay, Ph.D.Richard Koske, Ph.D.Eric Menges, Ph.D.

Clifford Morden, Ph.D.

Larry Morse, Ph.D.Peggy Olwell

Bruce Pavlik, Ph.D.

Valerie Pence, Ph.D.Jackie Poole

Vincent Tepedino, Ph.D.Warren Wagner, Ph.D.Christina Walters, Ph.D.

George Yatskievych, Ph.D.

National Office Staff

Kathryn L. Kennedy, Ph.D.,President and Executive Director

Maria Bradford, Development

Manager

Paul Groenier,ConservationPrograms Information

Coordinator

Elizabeth Garcia-Dominguez,Communications Coordinator

Megan Cotter, Conservation

Technician

Donna Key, Administrative

Assistant

Volunteers

Lois Batchelder, Marie Bergmann,Lori Calcaterra, Nancy Fetter,Benjamin Kennedy, DavidKennedy, Dorothalyn Key, DavidLehleitner, Mary Serbi, SueSlivka, Kathy White

The Center for Plant Conser-vation is a national not-for-profitorganization hosted by the Mis-

souri Botanical Garden in St. Louisand governed by an independentboard of trustees.

A network of more than 30 bo-tanical gardens and arboreta, theCenters mission is to conserve andrestore the rare native plants of theUnited States.

Directors Letter:

Telephone: (314) 577-9450

E-mail: [email protected]:

www.centerforplantconservation.org

Plant Conservation is published quarterly. If

youd like to submit articles, pictures, or an-

nouncements, please contact CPC at (314)

577-9450 or [email protected]. Or mail items

to CPC, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166.

This newsletter is printed on recycled

paper with soy ink.

Kathryn Kennedy

The Autumn 2003 issue of CPCsPlant Con-

servation (Vol. 16, No. 4) mistakenly reported

that the Fish and Wildlife Service had proposed

downlisting the status of Virginia sneezeweed

( Helenium virginicum) from endangered to

threatened. This is not true. The sneezeweed is

in fact federally listed as threatened, and no

change to the federal listing status of this plant

has been proposed by FWS.

We apologize for the error.

CorrectionEntering my

fourth calendar yearwith CPC, I wasamazed at how timehas simply flown by.Even more amazingis that 2004 is the20th anniversary of

CPC! That doesntseem possible to me

Today, many of those bright youngstaffers are directors of departments orgardens. Weve seen a lot of change, hardwork, and challenges. The botanical com-munityour staff, institutions, directors,conservation officers, donors, volunteers,Board of Trustees, and science advisorscan be very proud of what CPC hasachieved. All deserve a large measure of

thanks. Stay tuned for a retrospective is-sue later this year, and quips and quotesas we go, reflecting on our history.

Weve made a difference. No doubt weheld off extinction for many species. To-day CPC is a vital network of 32 institu-tions, with over 600 species in our Na-tional Collection, and over 80 restorationprojects nationwide. Weve struggled andgrown, learned a lot, published books (ourthird came out in February) and estab-lished a reputation as a committed part-ner for agencies and others determinedto save our native plant biodiversity. Onespecies (Robbins cinquefoil) has been re-moved from the endangered species list.There is great hope for work in the wildwere doing with many others.

Traditionally in the years first issuewe recognize Friends, who make theCPC program possible. This is acelebratory year, one we want to be sig-nificant for its accomplishments. I hopeall of you in the CPC network and fam-ily of cooperators and supporters willstop and give yourselves a pat on thebackand then get right back to workgetting the word out, growing CPC, andsaving those species!

either. I remember the beginning. In 1984I attended the AABGA meeting in SanDiego. I heard two young men Id nevermet, Don Falk and Frank Thibodeau, ex-plain their concept for CPC. They wereconvinced botanical institutions couldhelp secure and recover the nations mostendangered plants. Their appeal for helpwith seed banking and research was fol-lowed by a vigorous discussion by manyyoung garden staff people about the prosand cons of the concept, and how muchof a contribution gardens could reallymake. Overall, there was guarded enthu-siasm, and 15 institutions signed up to seeif they could make a difference.


3/12

3 www.centerforplantconservation.or

Donations secure future of imperiled Texas plant

When the Arizona Department of Transportation plotted

a new road through one of the few remaining populationsof the Arizona cliffrose (Purshia subintegra) in the whitemesas of Verde Valley, the future lookedbleak for the tiny, bright blooms of thisfederally listed endangered plant. Butwith the help of dedicated volunteers,botanists at The Arboretum at Flagstaff,a CPC participating institution, steppedin to rescue the plants. Now, the latest re-sults show that after more than sixmonths, 84 percent of the plants are thriv-ing in their new home.

Since the plants at the proposed road

site had grown into woody shrubs five orsix feet tall, it was impossible to trans-plant whole plants. Instead, the scientistsfocused on collecting seeds and cuttings from the popula-tion over the course of a year, later growing cloned plantsin the greenhouse from these materials.

Then last spring, scientists located protected lands, ownedby the Forest Service and the county, with habitats similar tothe original site. With the hard work of many volunteers, Flag-staff botanists transplanted the greenhouse-grown plants along

with other species such as the lavender-flowered Verde Valley

sage (Salvia dorrii sspmearnsii), designated a sensitive specieby the Forest Service, which grows among the cliffrose.

Since greenhouse conditions had encouraged the plants to put out more leaves thancould normally be sustained by mesas aridclimate, the new home was made temporarilyeven more hospitable with an abovegroundirrigation system, which will be tapered ofto give the plants an opportunity to adjust.

Six months later, the progress reporshows that all the hard work is paying offWhile previous transplant experiments resulted in only 50 percent survival, this time

84 percent of the cliffrose plants are stildoing well. Department of Transportationfunds have supported twice-weekly water

ing, and when that grant runs out the work will be shouldered by volunteers from the Forest Service and the NatureConservancy, which plans to buy the cliffrose habitat currently owned by the county. And that means that the coyoteand lizards will still be able to enjoy the shade of this nativetreasure, and Arizona will have preserved another piece othe Southwests natural heritage.

Salvaged Arizona Cliffrose Thriving in Protected Habitat

Arizona cliffrose

(Purshia subintegra)

photo

byJoyceMaschinski

Yet another of the more than 600imperiled plants in the CPC NationalCollection of Endangered Plants hasbeen fully sponsored, preserving moreof Americas native flora for the future.Thanks to generous donors, the Texastrailing phlox ( Phlox nivalis ssp.

texensis) is now fully supported, ensur-ing funds that help scientists bank thisrare native plants seeds, conduct re-search on the plant, and plan for andimplement restoration to the wild.

Texas trailing phlox, a groundcreeper with thin, needle-like leaves andpink to magenta to white flowers, is sovulnerable it was once thought extinct.A handful of remaining populationshave since been found, and the specieswas federally listed as endangered in1991. This Texas native is endemic tothe Pineywoods region of southeasternTexas, where long-leaf pine savannaonce dominated.

Researchers at Mercer Arboretumand Botanic Garden, a CPC partici-pating institution in Humble, Texas, areworking with other partners to restorethis beautiful native wildflower to itsoriginal habitat. Scientists from the

Lady Bird Johnson Wild-flower Center, a CPC par-ticipating institution in Aus-tin, Texas, maintain a bankof wild-collected seeds thatensures the genetic diversityof future restorations, and

the Texas trailing phlox is ondisplay in Mercers EndangeredSpecies Garden, where visitorsoften enjoy blooms year-round.

The CPC National Col-lection is a bank of seeds,cuttings and other plant ma-

for private, state, and federal plant andhabitat restoration projects. Sponsor-ship endows a fund that provides se-cure, regular payments to the institu-tion caring for the at-risk plant, as wellrelated data management and conser-vation activities at CPCs national of-fice.

Sponsorship of the Texas trailingphlox began in April 2002 with a dona-tion from a Mercer veteran native plantvolunteer, inspiring the participation of anumber of other individuals, the RiverOaks Garden Club, the Mercer Memo-rial Trust, and the Mercer Society.

Texas trailing phlox(Phlox nivalisssp. texensis)

terial from more than 600 of the nationsmost imperiled native plants. Botanistsin the CPC network around the coun-try gather and catalogue these plant ma-terials according to strict standards de-veloped by CPCs science advisorycouncil. The materials are then storedand maintained at the participating in-stitution, preserving our options for res-toration.

National Collection material is usedto study the life cycle and germinationrequirements of these rare treasures, andplants propagated from the collectionare used by botanists and researchers


4/12


As southwest landscaping grows inpopularity, so does illegal poaching ofthreatened native cacti. In the wide-open spaces of West Texas and BigBend National Park, these rare floralgems are rapidly disappearing as col-lectors root them out of their few re-

maining populations. Now, two threat-ened desert cacti are getting a helpinghand from Desert Botanical Garden,a CPC participating institution in Phoe-nix, Arizona.

The Chisos Hedgehog cactus

Can a plant be loved to death?( Echinocereus chisoensis var.chisoensis), found only in Big Bend Na-tional Park, offers beautiful bright-pinkblooms with crimson centers. Unfortu-nately, there may be less than a dozensites of this threatened desert cacti left inthe wild. Illegal commercial poaching of

this showy cactus has contributed to itsdecline. In partnership with botanists atthe Park and at Angelo State University,Kathy Rice of Desert Botanical Gardenis testing germination requirements forthe cactus.

First, researchers from theUniversity conducted con-trolled cross-pollinations of in-dividual plants growing in thewild. Then, the resulting seedswere collected and sent to theGardens greenhouse, where

trained volunteers grew theseed into plants and recordedthe germination success of eachseed. These plants will be re-introduced into the wild in mid-

April, tucked under larger nurseplants to ensure their survival. The in-formation from the experiment willhelp researchers understand the relativegenetic strength of the wild-growingpopulation.

Another at-risk cactus found at Big

Bend, Lloyds mariposa cactus(Sclerocactus mariposensis), is prizedfor its diminutive size. Like the ChisosHedgehog cactus, Lloyds mariposacactushas been decimated in many ar-eas by over-collection.

But as with all our imperiledplants, there are other threats push-ing the species towards extinction.Development of a road outside of BigBend National Park will destroy oneof the 30 remaining sites for this spe-cies, so Rice will salvage the plants

there. Once safely in the greenhouse,new seed will be propagated to aug-ment the Gardens seed bank, thus providing greater genetic diversityfor future restoration projects.

only five genetically unique individualplants were known to exist.

Now, thanks to work done at theRancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden,a CPC participating institution in

Claremont, California, yet anotherCatalina mahogany individual has beenadded to the ranks. Using moleculargenetic analysis, researchers at RanchoSanta Ana have determined that an in-dividual shrub, collected in the 1920sand currently growing on an estate inBerkeley, Calif., is indeed a pureCatalina mahogany plant.

Confirmation of the identity of thisindividual shrub, long separated fromother members of its species, increasesthe known genetic material of this

taxon by twenty percentan importantachievement to maintain genetic diver-sity as plants are cross-bred to increasethe number of healthy individuals.

In the Rancho Santa Ana green-houses, botanists have used cuttingsfrom this newly identified plant topropagate additional plants, and willcontinue lab work and propagation ofthis taxon.

Mahogany MysteryContinued from page 1

The Santa Barbara Botanic Gar-den has been developing a database,through grant support, on the distribu-

tion of approximately 400 plant spe-cies considered by regional botaniststo be rare in the central coast regionbetween Monterey and Ventura coun-ties. This area, the central coastbioregion, is the focus of the Gardensconservation program, especially withregard to potential candidates for CPCsponsorship.

Last year, several species were iden-tified as deserving special attention, in-cluding the Nipomo Lupine (Lupinusnipomensis) and the Arroyo de la Cruz

Manzanita (Arctostaphylos cruzensis).Previous reports had cited twelve

different occurrences for the Arroyo dela Cruz manzanita, with about half lo-cated on public lands.However, field-work conducted through collaborationwith the Los Padres National Forestfound only one occurrence, with onlyfive plants, on public lands. In Decem- ber 2003, the population was aug-

mented with an additional 25 plantssecured as cuttings the previous year.This year, plans include securing seeds

and additional cutting to establish ad-ditional populations.Recently, the Garden also identified

another species, satintail grass(Imperata brevifolia), as deserving spe-cial conservation attention. Severalbotanists have wondered whether thisspecies was native or exotic, rare orinvasive.

Prompted by a recent treatment inthe Flora of North America, and com-ments from local botanists, the Gardenhas gathered information that strongly

suggests this species is probably native.Whats more, it is represented by onlya few remaining populations in Cali-fornia, and may be rare or extirpatedin its previously known distributionfrom California through Arizona toTexas.

The Garden has begun efforts to se-cure conservation collections from theremaining California populations.

Updating Conservation Priorities:Species Surveyed in Southern California

Chisos hedgehog cactus

(Echinocereus chisoensis va.r. chisoensis)photobyMichaelGar

dner


5/12


Meet the Network:

Dr. Ed Guerrant, Berry Botanic GardenA native of the suburbs of Los An-

geles, Ed Guerrant, Conservation Di-rector and Seed Bank Curator at theBerry Botanic Garden, says that liv-ing right on the edge of suburbia gavehim a love of the mountainous open

spaces near his home. As an under-graduate at the University of Washing-ton in the late sixties and early seven-ties, he was a zoology major until hesampled courses in botany and tax-onomy. At that point I said, Okay,Im a botany major, he reports. Hetook off one term to collect ferns inHawaii and then finished his Bachelorof Science degree in both zoology andbotany.

After several years working for theUS Forest Service in the mountains of

southern California, traveling, andworking as a VW mechanic, Ed re-turned to school for his masters de-gree in biology at Sonoma State Col-lege, studying pollination ecology ofyellow larkspur (Delphinium luteum,now in the National Collection at UCBerkeley). Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Ed reflects. Now I realize Ishould have counted these plants, be-cause their numbers have declined sodramatically. At that point, I was busycomparing it with two close relatives,the hummingbird-pollinated D.nudicaule and the bumblebee-polli-nated D. decorum. I knew this waswhat I wanted to do, so I went to Ber-keley for my PhD in Botany, studying

the ecological and developmen-tal bases of evolutionary shapechange in plants.

I remember one truly eurekamoment. I had noticed that theflower of the hummingbird-pol-

linated plant, which was clearlyevolutionarily derived, looks justlike the buds of the more primi-tive ones. So I dissected the budsand was able to describe thegrowth mathematically; thegrowth-size-shape trajectory ofthe hummingbird pollinated spe-

should know more about.At the same time, though, Ed con

tinues to conduct research and restoration for endangered plants in the Pacific Northwest, pursuing partnership

with federal agencies to maximize theimpact of and to help pay for this important work. For example, one majolong-term project with the BLM is focused on how an understanding opopulation biology can inform our reintroduction efforts. Based on computer modeling work I did in preparation for writing a chapter in CPCs second book,Restoring Diversity: Strategies for reintroduction of endangereplants, I hypothesized that we shouldbe better off starting with not the smallest propagule possible, but somethingbigger. We are testing that hypothesiwith Western Lily (Lilium occidentale)which we planted in 1996, and have been monitoring ever since. So farwere definitely seeing a huge survivorship advantage of plants that were puin as small bulbs over seeds. Ultimatelywere interested in restoring the population, but the science of reintroductionis so new that we need to do these thingwith controlled experimental reintro

ductions, to learn as much as possiblefrom the process.Much of Eds work focuses on plant

in the CPC national collection of endangered plants, such as Koehlers rockcress (Arabis koehleri var. koehleri) andGentners mission-bells (Fritillariagentneri). But recently the large, BLMsponsored project to develop nativeplants for use in post-forest-fire resto

Continued on page 6

cies was the same as the bumblebee pol-linated species, but it grew a bit moreslowly, so that when it reached maturityit still looks like a bud. I discovered thatwhat seems to be a huge morphology

shift could result from small changes indevelopmental rates. That became thefirst chapter of my doctoral disserta-tion.

Have your views about plant con-servation changed during your timeat Berry Botanic Garden? When Istarted in 1989, the thought of actuallydoing plant conservation was very ex-citing, but I wasnt at all sold on the ideaof seed banks. I was skeptical: in ourzeal to preserve plants in the seed bank,are we actually hurting them in the wild?But the group of colleagues at CPC re-ally helped to educate me tremendously.I came to appreciate the proper role forex situ as a means to an end: supportingspecies survival in the wild. Im nowconvinced that ex situ really is a netgood, and Ive become quite vocal inthat regard.

Big projects youve been workingon lately? Ed spent countless hours co-editing with Kay Havens and MikeMaunder, and writing parts of, CPCs

latest book,Ex Situ Plant Conservation,Supporting Species Survival in the Wild,now available through the CPC website,www.centerforplantconservation.org.The book is in many ways a compre-hensive summary statement of what weare working to do here at Berry, Edsays, and it gave us a great opportu-nity to ask the most knowledgeablepeople in various fields to write chap-ters about topics the editors thought we

Ed and Berry intern Sydne Record take

a break after monitoring threatened

plants as part of a BLM project.

Ed Guerrant with sons Correy and Grady.

photobyKiraDonnelly


6/12


network

The Fairchild Tropical Garden, aCPC participating institution in Miami,has appointed Mike Maunder to itshelm. Mike has worked with CPC formany years, first as the Director ofConservation at the National TropicalBotanical Garden in Hawaii, and, since2002, as Director of Horticulture at

Fairchild. He was a co-recipient (oneof three) of CPCs Star Award in 2002,in recognition of his dedication to plantconservation through the work of edit-ing, along with Ed Guerrant of BerryBotanic Garden and Kayri Havens ofChicago Botanic Garden, CPCs latestbook,Ex Situ Plant Conservation: Sup-porting Species Survival in the Wild.We are delighted to congratulate Mikeon his new post!

Longtime CPC officernew director of Fairchild

The product of many hours of collabo-rative work in the field and in the labora-tory, CPCs latest book is now available.Ex Situ Plant Conservation: SupportingSpecies Survival in the Wild is the firstbook to address integrated plant conser-vation strategies and to examine the sci-entific, technical, and the strategic basesof the ex situ approach. It outlines the role,value, and limits of ex situ conservationas well as updating best managementpractices for the field.

Edited by three CPC conservation of-ficers, the book is sure to become a use-ful guide for all who are involved in natu-

ral resource management and conserva-tion around the country.Order your copy today at http://

www.centerforplantconservation.org/Publications.html

Also available from the website isthe newly revisedPlant ConservationDirectory, including over 800 entries ofprofessionals working in plant conser-

New CPC publications now available

ration has also allowed for useful in-

vestigations. Were testing seed ger-mination of a bunch of different things,which is all ultimately directed towardsdeveloping germination protocols andother data for using natives for restor-ing fire-damaged lands. By choosingwhich populations to examine, we wereable to begin to address the question ofwhat is an appropriate seed source fornative plants. I always try to piggybackas much knowledge gaining ability aspossible on each of our projects, since

there are so few resources available forplant conservation.Describe a day in your life:

Theres no typical day, which is oneof the wonderful things about my work.There are different seasons; during fieldseasons, when we go out and monitor,there will be a few intensive field days.For now, though, a typical day includeschecking all the machinery and tem-peratures and monitoring the seed ger-

Profile: Ed GuerrantContinued from page 5

mination experiments. Then I try towrite as much as I can; Im currentlywriting a couple of articles with other

CPC folks. And of course theres al-ways a lot of administration stuff.

What inspires you? I have a strongdesire to do something meaningful, some-thing that will be lasting, that feels gooddeep down. I feel Im really making theworld a better place for humanity, andthats really what drives me. Youreswimming against the tide, but were sav-ing species that would otherwise go ex-tinct, and that could open up long-termpositive gains for humanity. I really feel

that what Im doing makes a differenceand thats what keeps me going.What his co-workers say about him:

One of the best things about workingwith Ed is that he appreciates the big pic-ture of conservation practice while at thesame time having the specific details towork in the field. Hes been a great men-tor; Ive really learned a lot from him. Andrea Raven, Conservation Biologist atBerry Botanic Garden.

vation from all over the United States.Organized by state with a improved,user-friendly format, the directory is aninvaluable resource for anyone inter-ested in connecting with others work-ing on plant conservation.

20 Years of CPC

Who are these young men?

In 1982, these two students, FrankThibodeau and Don Falk, realizedthat no major environmental grouphad considered endangerment in theplant kingdom, and they knew bo-tanical institutions could do some-thing to change that. With the helpof other key founders, these twoyoung men went on to found the Cen-ter for Plant Conservation. Twentyyears later, we applaud their vision.


7/12


ws & notesThe Rare Care team at the Univer-

sity of Washingtons Center for Ur-ban Horticulture, a CPC participating

institution in Seattle, has been awardedthe national joint US Forest Service andBureau of Land Managements Conser-vation Project Award. This prestigiousaward recognizes a project with out-standing conservation accomplish-ments for ... native plants and theirhabitats on public lands.

The nomination names Rare Care asa leader in conservation work in Wash-ington State [that] provides a valuableservice to state agencies and privategroups as well as the federal agencies

in Washington State.We are thrilled with this honor, says

Sarah Reichard, CPC conservation of-ficer and assistant professor at the Uni-versity of Washington. It is tremendousrecognition of the hard work of our staffand volunteers and validates the trust of

Last year saw the generous sponsor-ship of two plants in the CPC NationalCollection of Endangered Plants by theEdward K. Love Conservation Founda-tion. Annual support for the Virginiasneezeweed (Helenium virginicum) andthe small whorled pogonia (Isotriamedeoloides) is now secure through thisgenerous gift of $20,000. The EdwardK. Love Conservation Foundationnamed for the father of CPC board mem-ber Andrew Love, has been a long-timesupporter of plant conservation, having

sponsored eleven plants in the collectionin 2001. We are very appreciative of thevision and far-sightedness of the EdwardK. Love Foundation, and the tremendousassistance it has given to conservation ofimperiled plants over the years, saidKathryn Kennedy, CPC director.

Rare Care wins national award

Whats harder than finding a needle

in a haystack? How about combing un-forgiving southwestern landscape fora small, rare plant that grows amongmixed desert shrubs along the steepshale slopes of Utahs Green River For-mation? It may be daunting, but itsworth it, according to JenniferLewinsohn, conservation botanist atRed Butte Garden and Arboretum, aCPC participating institution in SaltLake City.

The White River Penstemon (Pen-stemon scariosus var. albifluvis), a pe-

rennial herb that grows from 15 to 30cm tall and offers delicate lavender orpale blue flowers in May and June, is acandidate for listing under the federalEndangered Species Act. This taxonwas discovered in the mid-1970s byLarry England, the botanist at theUSFWS in Utah at that time. The number of individuals was estimated at22,780 plants in 1994, and approxi-

mately 73 percent of those individuals

occur on BLM lands. Threats to thistaxon include livestock grazing, oil andgas exploration and development, andrecreational off-road vehicle use.

Throughout April and May,Lewinsohn, along with Drs. Sylvia Tortiand Vincent Tepedino, will be workingwith the Bureau of Land Managementto select two populations for long-termmonitoring of this and another candidatePenstemon species, Grahams Penste-mon ( Penstemon grahamii). Once thelong-term monitoring plots are estab-

lished, ecological and life history datawill be collected on both taxa.

In addition, the breeding system,pollinators and pollinator requirementsof each taxa will be studied over thenext two years. Studying the breed-ing system of rare plants enables us todetermine if pollinators are necessaryaccomplices for the plants sexual re-production, explains Tepedino. Once

Botanists seek vanishing plantsGoing on a wildflower hunt along Utahs Green River

that has been shown, we need to iden-tify the important pollinators and learn

something of their natural history sothat any management decisions canalso plan for their needs.

If all goes well in this 6th year ofdrought for the state of Utah, research-ers will be able to collect seed in lateJuly. This will add to an ex situ seedcollection that will allow further re-search and could be used to help re-store this plant to its natural wild habit

White River Penstemon (Penstemon

scariosus var. albifluvis)

Left to right: Kathleen Clarke, BLM

Director; Carolyn Alfano, Rare Care

Program Manager, and Dale Bosworth,

USFS Chief.

ph

otobyRodClausnitzer

Edward K. LoveFoundation sponsors twoCPC plants

those who have supported us.


8/12


Growing the CollectionAlong the Road to Recovery

Along the Road to Recovery is a CPC

series highlighting the steps to recovery

for imperiled plant species. For an

overview of the road to recovery, see the

Winter 2003 issue of Plant Conservation,

available on the CPC Web site at

www.centerforplantconservation.org.

If youve been following our Roadto Recovery series, you know thatplant restoration takes many steps. Lastissue, we told you about the care con-servation botanists must take to appro-

priately collect and store seeds of im-periled plants. But even once the seedsare safely stored, the research keepsgoing. Botanists need to learn about thebiology of the species, the way the seedgerminates and the way the plant growsto maturity and reproduces. Much canbe learned about imperiled species inthe lab that can be used to better under-stand the species in the wild: their rela-tionship to nature, and how we can helpthem to recover from endangered orthreatened status. Work that we do in

a greenhouse always informs the workthat we do in the field, explains KimMcCue, CPC conservation officer atMissouri Botanical Garden. But theopposite is true also. We take observa-tions from both places.

The work of documenting how aplant grows best begins in the field, saysKayri Havens of Chicago Botanic Gar-den. When in the field collecting seed,we also collect habitat information anduse that to determine germination andpollination protocols, she explains.

Once the seeds are in the lab, someare brought into the greenhouse to serveas propagules. However, this is moredifficult than it may seem. These seedsare not like seeds you buy at the gar-den center, add water, and they grow,notes McCue. A lot of effort has goneinto the domestication of those species.This is not the case with these wild or-ganisms and they often require verydifferent strategies.

So conservation botanists set to workdeveloping germination protocols.First, they must get the seed to germi-nate, or sprout, using existing protocolsas a trial. In many cases, however, thereare no existing protocols, so our scien-tists must start from scratch. They usetheir observations from the field, orwhat they suspect happens in nature asa guideline.

They can also use species that areclose relatives or within the same fam-

ily as a guideline. Usually species inthe same genus germinate in the sameway, notes Havens. A conservationbotanist can usually guess that seedswith a hard seed coat need to be scari-

fied (define) or nicked. Similarly, if fewseeds of a rare plant are available, sci-entists will use the seeds of a more com-mon close relative to practice.

Sometimes, figuring out germinationprotocols can take lots of time and manytrials. Sometimes, a botanist may thinkshes got the process down to a Tonly to find out the plant performs dif-ferently in the wild than in the green-house. With beach jacquemontia(Jacquemontia reclinata), we have nodifficulty germinating it in the green-

house, shares Joyce Maschinski ofFairchild Tropical Garden. But wehave had real problems determiningwhat it needs in the field. Greenhousetests indicated that the plant should ger-minate well. We outplanted on a dune,using PVC pipe to protect the plants,and watered according to the protocolswe had developed, but germination inthe field was extremely low. Thereslots of interest from land managers todo reintroductions, so were workingwith moving existing plants into the

wild in further experimental reintroduc-tions. Were concerned about whetherthere is possibly a problem with seeds produced by particular populations.Weve done genetic studies, and stilldont know for sure if that is the prob-lem.

Another example is the Arizonacliffrose (Purshia subintegra ). With thiswoody shrub, we had difficulty propa-gating from cuttings. It turned out thatthe time of year that you collected thecuttings determines if it would root ornot: if the stems were too woody, itwont work; and if they were too soft,it wont work. We also found that seedgermination required a cold stratifica-tion period of about six weeks, and heatwas also needed to get them to root.

Once germination protocols are es-tablished, the work moves on to settinggrowth protocols. We try growingthem in a media that matches where

they occur in nature, says Havens. Forexample, we always grow species fromthe Pitcheri genus in sand because it isa sand dune species. To truly under-stand the biology of the species, weneed to grow the plant to flowering andhave it complete its life cycle, and un-derstand how it is pollinated. SaysMcCue, You can have a healthy robustplant and not know if it will flower.

And once they do flower, botanists workto find out if the species is self-compat-ible (that is, it can successfully polli-nate itself), of if it must be out-crossed(that is, it must receive pollen from adifferent individual). This is done byhand pollination tests and bagging theflowers to isolate them from unintendedpollen.

After the long process of determin-ing these various protocols, CPC bota-nists contribute information to updatea database maintained in our nationaloffice. This way, the hard work of onescientist can be shared with the profes-sional conservation community.

Pynes ground-plum (Astragalus

bibullatus) seeds are scarified (above)

and then soaked in warm water (below)

before being sown in the appropriate

medium at Missouri Botanical Garden.

photosco

urtesyofKimMcCue


9/12


by Megan CotterHow powerful is the mes-

sage of plant conservation?Just hearing about our workcan often move people to ac-tion. Weve heard many storiesof donors and volunteers

moved to help CPC in our fightto save Americas vanishingflora.

This past summer, a work-ing botanist was inspired to addhis work to our cause afterhearing a National PublicRadios Science Friday discus-

tion. However, the little goldenrod ishanging on, and there is still a chanceto save it from extinction.

The last population occurs on pri-

vate land, and the North Carolina PlantConservation Program has been work-ing with the corporation that owns the property to develop a conservationagreement that would allow botaniststo monitor the population and the sur-rounding area. Conservationists hopethe corporation will eventually signsuch an agreement, and in the mean-time conservation efforts are proceed-ing slowly.

Permission has been granted to col-lect seed from the plants in the popula-

tion, and we have collected seed fromall individuals that flowered this year,which was about 75 percent of thepopulation, Randall reports. There aresome invasive exotic plants that occuraround the population, but as of yet,the botanists have not been given per-mission to remove them from the area.

Together, Randall and Copenhaverhave received a $4,000 grant to studythe cytogenetics of this species andother aspects of the biology of the plant.Copenhaver and his graduate students

at the university will be trying to de-termine the genetic variance present inthe existing population and at the popu-lation being cultivated at NCBG.

One of the important issues in con-servation when trying to recover a population is genetic variation,Copenhaver explains. You get a bottle-neck of genetic fitness: a populationwith little genetic variability, giving the

population decreased resistanceto changes in the environment.

The North Carolina Botanical Garden will also be workingto compare the genetics of thisplant in the wild with the genet-ics of cultivated collections

Randall is concerned, as aremany botanists, that after seedfrom a wild population is collected and grown in cultivationthe subsequent generations maybe selected for the cultivated environment and also inbred, thuunsuitable for reintroduction.

CPC Publicity Inspires Collaboration to Save Imperiled Goldenrod

sion featuring Dr. Kathryn Kennedy,CPC president. Gregory Copenhaver,assistant professor at the University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill happened

to be listening.As a professor and researcher ofbotany, he knew he could personallymake a difference. A visit to our website informed him that the North Caro-lina Botanical Garden was a CPC par-ticipating instution, and coincidentally,also part of UNC-Chapel Hill!Copenhaver called Johnny Randall,Assistant Director for Conservation andCPC Conservation Officer at theNCBG, to offer his assistance, and wassoon helping to plan research and re-

covery projects for an intensely threat-ened goldenrod growing on the banksof the Yadkin River in central NorthCarolina.

The Yadkin River Goldenrod (Sol-idago plumosa) was discovered byJohn K. Small in August of 1894. Itwas lost to science for 100 years, until1994, when two botanists, AlanWeakley and Steve Leonard, workingindependently, each spotted the rareplant within three days of each other.Today, this imperiled goldenrod is

known from only one population oc-curring on the riverbank of the YadkinRiver Gorge.

Yadkin River Goldenrod is a highlyspecialized species, requiring the shel-ter of rock crevices near a body of wa-ter to survive and flourish. This par-ticular environment was more abundantbefore the Yadkin River was dammedtwice upstream from the lone popula-

This is probably affected by theirgenetic variation, but that is somethingwe will be testing, Randall explainsHe will be comparing the success of

subsequent generations of cultivatedgarden volutneer individuals (plantsthat grow without botanist help) withwild type plants in experiments.

Randall will also look at in situ per-formance of the garden volunteer prog-eny planted along the Yadkin RiverThe garden-grown volunteer individu-als will be removed from the YadkinRiver site prior to flowering in order toprevent interbreeding with the naturallyoccurring plants.

The results of this study will be

something to watch for, as they providefundamental insights into the conser-vation value of garden-grown plantsand the importance of genetically di-verse ex situ germplasm collections.

Yadkin River Goldenrod (Solidago plumosa) remains in the

wild at only one site in North Carolina.

photobyJohnnyRandall

Let your voice be heard forAmericas imperiled flora!

There are many ways that you canhelp the Center for Plant Conservationcontinue to recover rare, native plantsOur Friends and Donors are the back-

bone of our native plant conservationefforts. We can help you show you carein several different ways:

-Honorary and memorial gifts- Stock gifts- Gift friendships- Plant sponsorshipsYou can help us grow! Visit our

website to learn more, or call us a(314) 577-9450.


10/12


CPC DONOR SOCIETY

Presidents Circle ($5,000 +)

Mr. and Mrs. William H. T. Bush

Mr. and Mrs. Francis W. Hatch

Julia B. Leisenring

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew S. Love, Jr.

John and Connie McPheeters

Mr. C.W. Eliot Paine

Polly and Daniel Pierce

Mrs. Mary Ann Streeter

Jane and Hooker Talcott

Conserving Donors ($1,000 -

$4,999)

Mr. and Mrs. Thom Duncan

Mr. Robert Gumnit & Mrs.

Frances H. Graham

Carolyn and Mark OMalley

Mr. and Mrs. Richard D.

Phippen

Dr. Donald E. Schnell

Mr. and Mrs. Todd R. Schnuck

Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Seymour

Ms. Jocelyn Sladen

Ms. Nancy C.H. Winter

Preserving Donors ($500 -

$999)

Anonymous

Mr. and Mrs. Bill Anderson

Mr. and Mrs. James M. Barrett,

III

Peter P. Blanchard III

Ann B. Coburn

Paul A. Cox, Ph.D.

Mr. Robert Cull

Mr. and Mrs. Carl J. Deutsch

Mrs. Jane Fordyce

Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Holton

Kathryn and David Kennedy

Kroeger Charitable Foundation

Mrs. Susan Lammert

Ms. Ann Lennartz

Jonathan B. Loring

Ms. Janine Luke

Mr. and Mrs. David O. Phippen

Ms. Joanna PhippenMary and Ted Pockman

Janet Meakin Poor

Miss Margaret M. Schneider

Mr. and Mrs. James Wilson

Benefactors ($250 - $499)

Anonymous

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ansehl

Ms. Susan Bernstein

Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr.

Dr. Robert Breunig

Mr. David H. Buchanan

Ms. Josephine Bradley Bush

Mr. and Mrs. Francis H. Cabot

Ms. Winona P. Char

Ms. Sarita B. Choate

Dr. and Mrs. John Constable

Mr. Richard H. Daley

Mr. and Mrs. Leo A. Drey

Mr. and Mrs. Phil Duryee

Ms. Joan Lee Faust

Dr. and Mrs. Ira Gall

Mr. Casey Galvin

Nada H. Granberry

Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood R.H.

Greenwell

Mr. and Mrs. Troy E. Key

Mr. John W. Kourik

Mr. and Mrs. E. Desmond Lee

Mr. and Mrs. Panagiotis

Manginis

Mr. David L. Martin

Mrs. Henry Meyer, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Douglas Payne

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Peck

Ms. Carol L. Ross

Mr. Peter Sparks and Ms.

Clytie Mead

Dr. Edward Schneider

Mrs. John L. Thorndike

William and Miriam Truslow,

Esq.

Tulsa Zoo Friends

Mrs. Emily Wade

Dr. Robert B. Zevin

CPC FRIENDS

Sustaining Friends ($150 -

$249)

Mrs. Herbert K. Allard

Mrs. Barbara H. Baldwin

Jim and Mary Ann Bell

Bill and Alice Boardman

Billy Boothe

Ms. Elspeth Bopps

Mrs. Graham M. Brush, JrMrs. Kathleen Burnett

Robert and Maureen Cates

Mrs. Clarissa Chandler

Mrs. Hugh Chatham

Mrs. Jean Cornuelle

Ms. Ann Dickinson

Mr. John E. Dodge

Mrs. F.A. Eustis II

1stLt. Alfred Guhl USMN (Ret.)

Mr. and Mrs. Startevant Hobbs

Mrs. Garrett Horder

Mr. William C. Hunter

Mrs. Stuart H. Jacobs

Mrs. Graham M. Jones

Dr. Roger Maddux

Ms. Mary M. McCracken

Mrs. Ruth C. Mead

Mrs. Phebe Miner

Benton Kealii Pang

Alex and Mary Patterson

Dr. and Mrs. Walter S.

Peterson

Ms. Jackie Poole

John C. Pritzlaff

Mrs. Edward A. Purtell, Jr.

Mr. William Robertson IV

Ms. Louise B. Rowe

Ms. Suzanna Slivka

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith

Ms. Louise G. Smith

Mary R. Stanley

Dr. and Mrs. Walter St. Goar

Mr. Gerard B. Townsend

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tschudy

Dr. Christina K. Walters

Mrs. Robert York White

Mr. Rolla J. Wilhite

Dieter Wilken and Beth Painter

Ms. Dena G. Willmore

George and Kay Yatskievych

Family Friends ($75 - $149)

Anonymous (2)

Mr. Ethan D. Alyea, Jr

Ms. Tracy H. Beiser

Mrs. Robert L. Black, Jr.

Mr. Edward Blau

Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Blucke

Robert and Laura Boyd

Ms. Valerie Brackett

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Briggs

Miss Dorothy A. Brown

Mr. Lalor Burdick

Ms. Kathleen Burnett

Dr. Philip D. Cantino and

Heather CantinoMr. and Mrs. J. Martin

Carovano

Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Carr III

Mr. David Challinor

Mr. and Mrs. Melville Chapin

Mrs. F.J. Coyle

Ms. Maggie Daly

Mr. David L. DeKing

Mr. John E. Dodge

Mr. and Mrs. Dirk Dreux

Dr. and Mrs. Bohdan Dziadyk

Sam and Marilyn Fox

Dr. Kristine Garrigan

Nancy S. Gay

Treesa Germany

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Goedecke

Dr. and Mrs. Leslie Gottlieb

Linda and Richard Grawin

Mr. and Mrs. Richard L.

Greaves

Dr. Edward Guerrant

Dr. and Mrs. James L. Hamrick

Mr. and Mrs. Henry R. Hatch

Mr. and Mrs. Laurin Hall

Healy

Dr. Derral R. Herbst

Mrs. Jane Heyward

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Janssen

Ms. Donna Key

Mr. Edwin Kurtz

Mrs. L.W. Lane, Jr.

Mr. David J. Lehleitner

Ms. Mary Lehmann

Ms. Carol Loeffler

Mr. Larry Loftis

Mrs. Penny A. McCord

Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Meigs

Mrs. R. Kendall Nottingham

Mr. Randy Nyboer

Mrs. Ruth OBrien

Bill and Flo Oxley

Mrs. Ella Quintrell

Tom Record and Voula

Kodoyianni

John and Phyllis Reynolds

Ms. Patience Ferris Sandrof

Dr. and Mrs. George F.

Schnack

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Schow

Mr. and Mrs. Perry Scott

Ms. Virginia Skeel

Mr. and Mrs. Richey Smith

Lisa and Jason Spangler

Mrs. Donald Straus

Mr. and Mrs. Robert TateVincent Tepedino, Ph.D.

Mr. and Mrs. W. Michael

Thompson, Jr.

Mr. Jeffrey Uhlich

Mrs. William Van Cleve

Mr. Peter Van Dyke

Mr. James Vanalen

Polly and Ralph Victor

Mr. Thomas C. Vogelsang

Stephen G. Weller and Ann K.

Sakai

Mr. Warren M. Wells, Jr.

Dr. Peter S. White

Mr. and Mrs. Neile Wolfe

Dr. and Mrs. Peter Wyse

Jackson

Friends ($35 - $74)

Anonymous (8)

Ms. Katherine M. Aleric

Mr. Charles B. Ames Jr.

Dr. E.N. Anderson

Mrs. Henry Adams Ashforth

Dr. John S. Baker

Dr. Burton V. Barnes

Mrs. Philip Bartow

Jessie Laurel Benjamin

Mr. David Berkshire

Ms. Ilse E. G. Biederman

Mr. John D. Birkhoff

Mrs. Francis Blake

Mr. Stefan J. Bloodworth

Ms. Eleanor F. Bookwalter

Mr. Michael Bostwick

Mr. and Mrs. M.W. Bouwensch

Maria and Gene Dobbs

Bradford

Carolyn Summers Brittenham

and David Brittenham

Mrs. Mackintosh Brown

Mr. Willis Brown

Ms. Carolyn S. Caldwell

Julia Cannon Wertenbaker

Mr. James M. Cardwell

Mr. and Mrs. Jack L. Carter

Dr. James T. Carthel

Ms. Lillian Chance

Ms. Kim Coffey

Mrs. Melissa Colbert

Connecticut College Arboretum

Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Conolly

Ms. Roberta Coughlin

Ms. Linda F. Cummin

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Curley

Mrs. Helen DamonMs. Frances T. DeLamater

H. Lenox Dick

Ms. Marilyn Donahue

Mr. Harold Draper

Mr. and Mrs. Lee F. Driscoll, Jr.

Dr. Christopher Dunn

Ms. Ann Earley

Ms. Catherine Felton

Ms. Mychelline A. Fiadhiglas

Mrs. Alice C. Fick

Ms. Mary Fleming Finlay

Trish Flaster

Ms. Cynthia Frawley

J. Reid A. Freeman

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen R.

Freidberg

Ms. Rebecca Frischkorn

Ms. Lisa L. Gould

Ms. Terri Gouveia

Ms. Joanne Granzow

Robert Gustafson

Mrs. William A. Haebler

Dr. William Hahn

Mrs. Karen S. Haller

Ms. Marilyn F. Hanson

Ms. Catherine Harrington

Ms. Jessie M. Harris

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Harris

Ms. Sally Havens

Dr. Kayri Havens

Mr. C. Stewart Havens

Alice Long Heikens

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Henson

Mr. Daniel A. Hill

Mrs. Eleanor Hoffman

Ms. Sarah Ruth Horst

Mrs. Calvin Hosmer III

Mr. and Mrs. Michael G.

Hubbard

Dr. Cynthia Huebner

Mrs. Harry Hull

Katharine C. Hunvald

Carol F. Hutchins

Ms. Kendra Hutchins

Todd B. Hyer

Mrs. Francisca P. Irwin

Mrs. Niels Johnsen

Mr. Philip H. Jones

Ms. Virginia C. Jones

Mr. Bela Kalman

Mr. John Karel

Bill Koogler

Mr. Don Kurz

Mr. Christopher A. Laughton

Ms. Erica LeisenringMs. Kate Lepis

Mr. David Liittschwager

Ms. Barbara Lipscomb

Dr. and Mrs. Eric Lopatin

Mr. and Mrs. A. Lee Lundy, Jr.

Mrs. Charles Lyman

Ms. Kay MacNeil

Mr. and Mrs. Joe Maierhauser

Dr. Eugene Majerowicz

Mrs. James R. Malm

Center for Plant Conservation 2003 FriendsDonations from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003


11/12


Give the gift that keeps on growing!The Center for Plant Conservations efforts are made possibleby the Friends of CPC. All Friends receive a complimentary sub-

scription toPlant Conservation, the CPC newsletter. Plus, Friends

will receive our new Friends benefits, with distinticive botanical

illustrations of the imperiled plants that your gifts support. The

benefits feature artwork by botanical illustrator Bobbi Angell

Please use the form below either to renew your support or

enroll as a new Friend. Your gift will contribute in an im-

portant way to the vital work of saving Americas most

imperiled plants.

$35 ............. Friends

$75 ............. Family Friends

$150 ........... Sustaining Friends

$250 ........... Benefactors

$500 ........... Preserving Donors*

$1,000 ........ Conserving Donors

*

$5,000 ........ Presidents Circle Donors**These Donors will receive periodic informational updates about the progressof the Center.

This is a gift membership for a new Friend. (Please list name,

address and phone number of recipient on the form at right.)

Please send this completed form and payment in enclosed envelope,

or mail this form to: Center for Plant Conservation, P.O. Box 299, St.

Louis, MO 63166

Enclosed is my check for $ _______________ made payable

to the Center for Plant Conservation.

Please charge my: VISA Mastercard

Card No.

Name on card

Expiration date

Please print your name as you wish it to appear in the newslet-

ter Honor Roll.

Your name

Friends name (if needed)

Address

City State

Zip Telephone

(Dr., Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, Anonymous)

(Dr., Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, Anonymous)

Dr. William H. Martin III

Mrs. Elizabeth I. McBratney

Mr. Charles McClaugherty

J. Barka McDermith

Mr. and Mrs. Harold R. McEuen

Dr. Meredith McKinney

Mrs. William L. McLean

Mrs. James D. McMurrey

Mrs. Margaret M. Melim

Ms. Kateri MeyerMs. Rebecca Mowry

Dr. and Mrs. Richard H. Munson

Ms. Carol Jane Nash

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Neill

Ms. Betty Lou Nicol

Ms. Diana M. Niskern

Nelson and Marilyn Norden

Mercer OHara

Mrs. Ralph T. ONeil

Ms. Marilyn Ortt

Ms. Mary Thorpe Parker

Mr. Perry Peskin

Mr. and Mrs. Roger A. Peters, Sr.

Mr. Donald A. Philipp

Dr. Arthur M. Phillips III

Elizabeth B. Porter

Ms. Harriet Provine

Mr. and Mrs. Sam Pupillo

Mr. David Read

Mrs. J.P. Reath

Dr. and Mrs. Donald Rhoades

Mr. and Mrs. Allen R. Rhoads

Ms. Mary Rimmer

Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Rosen

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley L. Russ

Ms. Marguerite Saecker

Dr. Elizabeth F. Sayman

Dr. Fred C. Schaffner

Mr. Bernie Schiff

Mr. Peter J. Schweinsberg

Mr. Thomas H. Seiler

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan A.

Shaw

Mr. Richard Simmers, Jr.Ms. Julie Simms and Mr.

Joshua Levy

Ms. Floris B. Skinner

Dr. James P. Smith, Jr.

Dr. Stephen C. Smith

Dr. Richard W. Spellenberg

Mr. Charles Spencer

Ms. Gwen Stauffer

Mr. Bret Steiner

Guy and Edie Sternberg

Joie Stolt

Dr. I. Jack Stout

Ms. Kim Strader

Mrs. Anne P. Strain

Ms. Paula Stuart

Rev. James M. Sullivan

Ms. Molly Sullivan

Jeanie Taylor

Mr. Andrew Thomas

Mr. Marvin Thomasson

Mr. George Thornburgh

Anita Tiller and Charles

Densmore

Ms. Teri D. Tillman

Mr. Howard Turner

Ms. Peggy A. Turner

Ms. Irene Unger

Ms. Karen Vail

Ms. M. Elizabeth Vining

Mr. Alan L. Wade

Mrs. Ruth H. Wadlington

Mrs. Mary M. Walker

Ms. Judith Walther

Mr. Russell WaltonMr. and Mrs. Steven C. Walton

Ms. Patty Jo Watson

Mr. Garrett Webb

Mr. Paul R. Weissich

Dr. Carla A. Wise

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis E.

Wisnosky

Mr. Paul Wright

Mrs. John N. Wrinkle

Donations < $35

Dr. Henry M. Brennecke

Mr. Dana D. Craig

Creve Coeur Womens Club

Mrs. F. Reed Estabrook, Jr.

Mr. Emmanuel Goldman

Mrs. Robin Inman

Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Johnson

Ms. Katherine M. Kuester

Mrs. Andrew Marshall

Ms. Sabra Petersmann

Mrs. Samuel M. Ryburn

Ms. Virginia Ullman

Mr. Daniel Yonts

Tribute Donations

In Memory of Mrs. Albert

Blanke

Mrs. Martha Simmons

In Memory of Mrs. Hemberger

Mrs. Ann Witter

In Honor of Sylvia Duryee

Mrs. Jocelyn Horder

In Honor of Stephanie Mayer

Mr. James K. MarshallIn Honor of Linda and Eliot

Paine

Ray and Mike Thompson

GARDEN CLUB SOCIETY

Conserving Friends

Garden Club of St. Louis

Santa Fe Garden Club

Benefactors

Garden Club of Cleveland

Sustaining Friends

Broadmoor Garden Club

North Country Garden Club of

Long Island, Inc.

Family Friends

Fort Orange Garden Club

The Garden Club of Barrington

The Garden Club of Denver

The Garden Club of Englewood

The Garden Club of Honolulu

The Garden Club of Michigan

The Garden Club of Orange &

Duchess Counties

The Garden Club of Princeton

Green Tree Garden Club

Milton Garden Club

Rye Garden Club

Three Harbors Garden Club

Friends

Garden Club of Dublin

Garden Club of Irvington-on-

Hudson

Garden Study Club of New

OrleansGuilford Garden Club

Short Hills Garden Club

Twin City Garden Club

FOUNDATION GRANTS

AND AWARDS

Dorrance Family Foundation

Caleb C. and Julia W. Dula

Foundation

Fairweather Foundation

Fidelity Foundation

Quail Hill Foundation

Starflower Foundation

CORPORATE MATCHING

GIFTS

These businesses and

foundations have matched

employee contributions to CPC:

Boeing Company

ExxonMobil

Home Depot

New York Times Company

Foundation

Safeco

PLANT SPONSORSHIP

GIFTS

Catalina Mahogany

Karen T. Telleen-Lawton (In

honor of Cindy, Scott,

Courtney and Lindsay

Jenkins)

Texas Trailing Phlox

Mr. David C. Berkshire

Ms. Suzzanne Chapman (In

honor of Ann C. Baumer

and Derek Chapman)

The Mercer Memorial Trust

The Mercer Society

Anita Tiller and Charles

Densmore (In Memory of

Ruth Lina and Werner

Gerhard Tiller)

Small Whorled Pogonia

Edward K. Love Conservation

Foundation

Virginia Sneezeweed

Edward K. Love Conservation

Foundation

ENDOWMENT GIFTS

The Estate of Ms. Susan R.

Loskot


12/12

P.O.Box299

St.Louis,MO63166-0299

NonprofitOrg.

U.S.Postage

PAID

St.Louis,MO

PermitNo.1039

Centerfor

Conservation

AddressServiceRequested

Plant Profile: Queen of the Night

Queen of the Night is currently not sponsored.To sponsor or partially sponsor this plant,please contact CPC at (314) 577-9540, [email protected].

by Megan CotterTo say the odds are stacked against

this cactus is an understatement. Queenof the night (Peniocereus greggii var.transmontanus) , also known as desertnight-blooming cereus, occurs as onlyone known population in the east cen-

tral portion of Arizona. This rare cac-tus grows in the shade of another, morecommon desert the plant, the creosotebush ( Larrea tridentata). This nurseplant provides sturdy branches to sup-port the slender stems of the Queen ofthe Night cactus.

As its common name implies, thiscactus blooms only at night, and eachflower lives for only that one night.Each plant may produce 3-5 flushes offlowers from late May to early June,leading to red, fleshy fruit that is a treatfor local birds.

But the rare bloomings must draw aunique audience of the hawk moths re-quired for pollination. Each hawk mothmay have to travel a significant distanceto find the next fragrant flower to com-plete the pollination process. Unfortu-

nately, the use of pesticides isdecreasing these moth popu-lations.

Human actions are hurtingthis spectacular plant in otherways as well. The cereusnatural habitat is being de-

stroyed by urban develop-ment.

Furthermore, the cereushas a long history of religious,medicinal and ornamentalpopularity, causing it to be asought after species for com-mercial collectors. Collectorsoften dig up the entire plant, playing a large role in thedepletion of the population.

The cactus produces alarge underground tuber thatgrows on average to the size of a bas-ketball and is thought to have been usedas a food source for Native Americans.

Queen of the night is maintained inthe National Collection of EndangeredPlants at Desert Botanical Garden, aparticipating institution in Phoenix, Ari-

photobyLyndaPritchett-Kozak

zona. Botanists there have three cut-tings growing successfully in cultiva-tion and a seed bank of about 10,000seeds. Now, their hope is to restore thisextraordinary plant to its natural rolein the ecosystem.

Documents

Spring 2004 Plant Conservation Newsletter