Aquilegia Newsletter of the Colorado Native Plant Society Dedicated to furthering the knowledge, appreciation and conservation of native plants and habitats of Colorado through education, stewardship and advocacy Volume 37 – Number 2 – Special Issue ‐ 2013 ISSN 2162‐0865 (print) ‐ ISSN 2161‐7317 (online) This special issue of Aquilegia celebrates the publication th of the 4 edition of Weber and Wittmann’s Colorado Flora, as well as the enormous contributions of founders Dr. William A. Weber and Dr. John W. Marr to Colorado native plants and to the Society. The review, articles, and recollections published here provide a variety of interesting and unique perspectives on Dr. Weber, Dr. Marr, and their ongoing legacies. Enjoy! Book Review, Colorado Flora, (4th ed.), by J.L.Turner 2 “What Do Botanists Have to Say About the New Edition of Colorado Flora?” by J.L.Turner 5 “The Evolution of Weber & Wittmann’s Colorado Flora,” by J.L.Turner 6 “Recollections,” by Ron Wittmann 7 “Annotated Chronological Bibliography of Some Floras of Colorado,” by J.L.Turner 8 “Books by William A. Weber” 17 “Speech to Native Plant Society, September 2011,” by Bill Weber 19 “The Herniaria Story,” by Bill Weber 23 “Weber Finds New Colorado Species, or A Day in the Life of William Weber,” by Mo Ewing 24 “John W. Marr,” by Ruby Marr 26 “John W. Marr,” by David Buckner 27 “The Marr/Mesa Verde Link”, by Jim Erdman 28 From Reading the Forested Landscape, by Tom Wessels 29 2013 CoNPS research grant recipients John W. Marr Fund Myrna P. Steinkamp Fund 30 A SPECIAL ISSUE BOOK REVIEW Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope: A Field Guide to the Vascular Plants (4th ed.) and Colorado Flora: Western Slope: A Field Guide to the Vascular Plants (4th ed.) by William A. Weber and Ronald C. Wittmann. Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado, 2012. Print and e‐books. By Jan Loechell Turner The creation and updating of a flora for an entire state held in June 2012 at the University of Colorado with the great variety of floristic zones found in Museum. Colorado is a daunting task. Some states have no recent publications about the flora and others have A question that many of us had was whether the 4th large regional tomes that are not easily carried in a edition of Weber and Wittmann’s books would pack. Colorado botany‐lovers owe a debt of gratitude incorporate some of the new arrangements of genera to William (“Bill”) Weber and Ronald (“Ron”) and families adopted by the Flora of North America and Wittmann for producing up‐to‐date, lightweight floras other recent works such as Flora Neomexicana. For with dichotomous keys to the plants of Colorado, example, would the Scrophs be split up? The answer to geared for use in the field by both amateur and the question is no. In the new edition, for example, professional botanists. Much thought has obviously Castilleja remains in Scrophulariaceae instead of being gone into the books and it would be difficult to do a found under Orobanchaceae but the proposed changes better job of providing so much information in a field based on DNA analysis are noted under genera. The guide that is so portable (8.5 inches tall by 5.5 inches guide is meant for use in the field by amateurs and wide, just over an inch thick, and only a pound and a professionals employing observations of morphological half in weight – Eastern Slope). The volumes are a bit characteristics and ecology. Weber felt that larger than the previous ones but have the nicely introducing changes that were based on non‐ rounded corners of the earlier Rocky Mountain Flora. observable features would detract from the usability of Colorado Flora as a field guide and would serve to The books are heavily used not just here but frustrate its users. throughout the West and are used extensively for educational pursuits. If you travel to other states such A wonderful addition to Colorado Flora is the inclusion as Arizona and New Mexico, you will find them on the of the history of the herbarium at the University of shelves of herbaria and nature centers. Arizona has no Colorado, information on early botanists (Edwin James, current flora, so Colorado Flora is frequently consulted Thomas C. Porter and John M. Coulter, Alice Eastwood, by botanists there. Colorado Flora is a required text for Per Axel Rydberg, T.D. A. Cockerell, Leon Kelso, and the Native Plant Master classes through Colorado State Harold D. Harrington) and floras of Colorado, the University Extension, used to train students to identify history of Weber’s field guides, and interesting stories native plants and noxious weeds. It is also used as the that include how Weber became a botanist, how text in college courses dealing with the identification of Harrington was tricked into dining on prairie dog, and the flora. an incident in which Weber and some friends were mistaken for cattle rustlers. A list of books on In 2012, the fourth edition of Weber and Wittmann’s botanical history and exploration are provided to Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope and Colorado Flora: inform and excite readers about botany. Weber is an Western Slope was published. This two‐book set of field entertaining story‐teller and skillful writer, so the guides represented almost seven decades of work. The anecdotes and background information about plants first edition was written by Weber alone and the found throughout the guides make for enjoyable revisions were produced by the team of Weber and reading. Although it has been re‐named “A vade Wittmann. The new edition was welcomed with a party mecum [handbook or guide] for the field botanist,” the 2 introduction remains almost the same as that in the Weber’s keys are designed for ease of use and that has previous edition with minor additions and word been achieved. The dichotomous keys are left‐justified changes. rather than indented which not only saves space but saves time searching for the other half of a couplet and Maps of Colorado’s counties, river systems, and major thus wear and tear on the users’ eyes and nerves. The topographical features are included as are charts of the families, genera within the families, and species within elevations of some Colorado’s towns and mountain the genera are arranged alphabetically. This is a great passes. The introductory material contains a wealth of convenience and allows the user to quickly locate the information. Tips on recognizing the larger plant species of interest. families found in Colorado may help the user skip parts of the key and go directly to the families. Weber states, Fascinating information is provided for each family, and “Success using a field guide comes when one knows the information may be historical, about the structures the large families without using a key.” (2012, p. xxxix) of the plants, about pollination, or other identifying The Eastern Slope volume provides characteristics of features. The derivation of the names of family, genera, the high plains, the mountain front, the intermountain and species is provided and the habitat and distribution parks, North Park, South Park, the San Luis Valley, the are usually indicated. Common names for families, Sawatch Range and Upper Arkansas Valley, as well as genera, and species are often included, although the Wet Mountain Valley and Spanish Peaks. The Weber expresses some strong opinions about the use Western Slope volume provides descriptive of common names. The current edition includes information about the northern section, the middle updated information and adds new species that have section, the southern section, and Middle Park. In been discovered since the publication of the previous addition, a variety of other useful topics are discussed edition. including endangered species, non‐native plants, pronunciation of scientific names, and plant collection What is it that makes Weber & Wittmann’s floras so techniques. good? There are a number of features that combine to make the books so usable. They are arranged The books contain a section of black and white alphabetically by family, genus, then species, so it is not botanical illustrations and the new edition contains necessary to consult the index. Information about the scanned images of Botrychium from the Ada Hayden families and genera are included. They are geared for Herbarium. Drawings of Botrychium have also been amateurs and professionals to use in the field and are a incorporated into the key. There is a bibliography, convenient size, designed to fit easily into a pack. Their which is a new feature to Colorado Flora, a glossary, size makes them more affordable (under $30 and only and illustrations of plant structures. Common and $22 for the Kindle eBook). The key is left justified and scientific names have been integrated into one index, a easy to follow with a number at end the of line time‐saving feature. The color photos have been directing users to the next couplet. The flora covers a eliminated from the last two editions by the publisher limited geographical area, which means it covers a because of cost. limited number of species and can therefore employ simpler keys. The common and scientific names are The dichotomous keys are fairly sleek and integrated into one index, in contrast to earlier straightforward, beginning with a key to the families. editions, which divided them into separate indexes. The key to the angiosperms is divided into five groups: They are kept up‐to‐date with revisions. They are parasites/saprophytes, aquatics, vines, monocots, written to be simple enough for the amateur and a woody dicots, and herbaceous dicots. The latter group glossary of terms is included for easy look‐up.