The Penstemon Issue

Home , Penstemon, Penstemon grahamii, Staminode

Sego Lily July 2011 34 (4)

July 2011 (volume 34 number 4)

In this issue:

Chapter News ...... 2 Bulletin Board ...... 3 UNPS News ...... 3 Penstemon Festival 2011 ...... 4 Wildflower Photography Techniques: Use This Checklist to Improve Your Pictures ...... 5 Ten things you Might not Know About Penstemons (but were afraid to ask)...... 6 Graham’s Penstemon Wins Reprieve ...... 8 Listing denied for Gibbens’ Beardtongue ...... 9 What Good is a Sterile Staminode? ...... 9 Bridges’ Penstemon ...... 10 Utah Botanica: Purging the Spurge ...... 11 Four Corners Tree Planting . . . 11

Above: Bush or Gilia penstemon (Penstemon ambiguus), is one of the showiest of Utah’s 96 beardtongue taxa. It also has the most distinctive flower. Unlike other Utah beardtongues, the upper lip is reflexed and the lower lip projects outward, giving the blossom the appearance of a Phlox. When in full bloom, the entire plant is a rounded mass of white or pinkish flowers. Bush penstemon grows best in sandy soil and can reach a height of 2 feet and width of 4 feet. Plants can tolerate high temperatures and wind, but should not be over-watered. Photo by Walter Fertig.

Horticulture: Maggie Wolf Sego Lily Editor: Walter Fertig Important Plant Areas: Mindy ([email protected]). The deadline for Wheeler the September 2011 Sego Lily is 15 Invasive Weeds: Susan Fitts August 2011. Rare Plants: Walter Fertig Scholarship/Grants: Therese Meyer Copyright 2011 Utah Native Plant So- ciety. All Rights Reserved Chapters and Chapter Presidents Officers Cache: Michael Piep The Sego Lily is a publication of the Co-Presidents: Kipp Lee (Salt Lake Co.) Cedar City: Marguerite Smith Utah Native Plant Society, a 501(c)(3) & Walter Fertig (Kane Co) Escalante: Toni Wassenberg not-for-profit organization dedicated Vice President: vacant Fremont: Lisa White to conserving and promoting steward- Treasurer: Charlene Homan (Salt Lake Manzanita: Walter Fertig ship of our native plants. Use of con- Co) Mountain: Mindy Wheeler tent material is encouraged but re- Secretary: Mindy Wheeler (Summit Salt Lake: vacant quires permission (except where ex- Co) Southwestern/Bearclaw poppy: Mar- empted by statute) and must be cor- Board Chair: Larry Meyer (Salt Lake garet Malm rectly credited and cited. Articles, Co) Utah Valley: Jason Alexander & photographs and illustrations submit- Robert Fitts ted to us remain the property of the UNPS Board: Jason Alexander (Utah submitting individuals or organiza- Co), Robert Fitts (Utah Co), Susan Fitts Website: For late-breaking news, the tions. Submit permission requests to (Utah Co), Ty Harrison (Salt Lake Co), UNPS store, the Sego Lily archives, [email protected]. We encourage read- Celeste Kennard (Utah Co), Margaret Chapter events, sources of native ers to submit articles for potential Malm (Washington Co), Therese Meyer plants, the digital Utah Rare Plant publication. By submitting an article, (Salt Lake Co), Leila Shultz (Cache Co), Field Guide, and more, go to unps.org. an implicit license is granted to print Dave Wallace (Cache Co.), Maggie Wolf Many thanks to Xmission for the article in the newsletter or other (Salt Lake Co). sponsoring our website. UNPS publications for reprint without For more information on UNPS: permission (in print and electronic Committees Contact Bill King (801-582-0432) or media). When submitting an article, Communications: Larry Meyer Susan Fitts (801-756-6177), or write to please indicate whether it has been Conservation: Bill King & Tony Frates UNPS, PO Box 520041, Salt Lake City, previously published or submitted for Education: Ty Harrison UT, 84152-0041 or [email protected] consideration to other publications.

______Chapter News Conservation‖ at the June 21 meeting of the chapter in Springdale. - Fremont (Richfield area): The Margaret Malm Fremont chapter is hosting profes- sional photographer Krieg Rasmus- Utah Valley: At the last chapter sen on June 30 at 7 PM for a pho- meeting we elected new officers for tography workshop. Kreig loves the the group. Jason Alexander and outdoors, and has had a camera in Robert Fitts will serve as co- his hand since he got his first 35 mm presidents, Randall Nish will remain SLR when he was 12 years old. He the treasurer, and Susan Sims will studied photography at Snow Col- be Secretary. - Celeste Kennard lege and Brigham Young University and currently works for the Forest Service as a wildlife biologist. - Lisa Below: Example of Krieg Rasmussen’s White [congratulations to Lisa for work: Digitalis and Senecio. recently bringing a new chapter member into the world last month]

Manzanita (Kane County): The chapter hosted the annual Penste- mon festival in June (see page 4 for full story). Special thanks to Steve and Nicola Dahl, Larry Baer, and Merrill and Robert Johnson for helping make the festival a rousing success! - W. Fertig

Southwestern/Bearclaw Poppy: Ken Kingsley will talk about ―Pollinators and their 2 Sego Lily July 2011 34 (4) Bulletin Board UNPS News

2011 Scholarship winner Blake 2012 UNPS Calendar Project Needs your Chapter’s help! Hello Wellard (photographed below and Utah Native Plant Chapter members. Have you missed it? We have. The still smiling before being stabbed by Utah Native Plant calendar that is. Our Fremont Chapter wants to bring glochid spines while preparing a back the calendar and produce one for 2012. The time is upon us. Calen- hybrid Opuntia phaeacantha speci- dars need to be ready by August for fall and winter sales. Calendars are men for pressing at Zion National great marketing tools. They make great gifts. They are an effective medium Park) wrote the UNPS board a nice to get pictures and stories about native plants out to everyone. Let’s not thank you note: preach to the choir but spread our news as far as possible. ―Dear Utah Native Plant Society— Our focus is to highlight each of your chapters with a photo of your It is with gratitude that I write to choice and a brief paragraph about your chapter including any special ac- express my thanks for your generous complishments. Your contributions are due by July 8. Don’t be left out. grant in the amount of $1000. I feel Share your story and a photo; we are anxious to receive them. The task of both humbled and honored that you organizing the calendar, including the layout, graphics and fundraising is all trust me with your funds to further donated by chapter members. If your chapter is able to help sponsor the my research with the hybrid oak printing cost, we would appreciate any financial contribution you can make. population. Your wonderful grant We’re looking forward to receiving your news. Take a few minutes now will assist me with my study and my to help us; you will enjoy seeing your chapter spotlighted in the calendar. If research‖. - Blake Wellard, Univer- you can participate, or have questions, please contact Janett Warner sity of Utah, 3 May 2011 (Blake is ([email protected]) - Thanks - Fremont Chapter Calendar Committee

Sixth Annual Cedar Breaks Wildflower Festival: High snow levels this winter and spring have pushed back the start of the annual Cedar Breaks Wildflower Festival to July 8-24. Hopefully, the wait will be well worth it. High precipitation usually corresponds with exceptional wildflower viewing opportunities at Cedar Breaks National Monument, located approximately 20 miles east of Cedar City on the west rim of Cedar Moun- tain. Join local plant enthusiasts for free guided walks at 10 Am and 1 PM each day of the festival.

New Life Member: UNPS treasurer Charlene Homan is the latest life member of the Utah Native Plant Society—thanks Charlene!

Left: Cut-leaved kittentails, Synthyris laciniata, from Cedar Breaks National Monument. Many early- blooming wildflowers are the recipient of the UNPS 2011 stu- still on display at Cedar dent scholarship, which is funded Breaks this summer, thanks with proceeds from the UNPS on- to an abundance of winter line store and generous donations of and spring snow and cool society members). temperatures. Photo by W. The UNPS board recently voted Fertig. to provide Dr. Renee Van Buren of Utah Valley University a grant of $1000 to help defray printing costs for her forthcoming book on woody plants of Utah (being published by

Utah State University Press later this year). The board also recently awarded $250 to help in the tree planting at the Four Corners Monu- ment on Earth Day (see page 11).

3 Utah Native Plant Society

Penstemon Festival 2011

Several years ago, Merrill John- son had an idea: bring native plant lovers together for a weekend to celebrate penstemons. In 2009, Merrill held the first penstemon festival at his nursery, Great Basin Na- tives, in Holden. Merrill provided dinner and a slide show, and the next day took participants on a field trip to see many of the colorful beardtongues of the eastern Great Basin. In 2010, a second festival was planned, but had to be cancelled because Mother Nature did not co- operate (the cool, wet spring kept the penstemons from flowering in time). Hoping for better luck in 2011, the festival was planned for early June and moved to the more Penstemon-friendly confines of Kane County, Utah. pah Road, we found a healthy Above: Thompson’s penstemon The Manzanita/Kane County patch of Utah penstemon (Penstemon thompsoniae) is charac- Chapter of UNPS took up the chal- (Penstemon utahensis) and terized by its matted growth form and lenge of hosting the 2011 festival. Eaton’s firecracker (P. eatonii) in spoon-shaped leaves covered by scale- like hairs. It was observed on the Merrill was invited to sell his native full bloom. I handed out a key to trees, shrubs, and wildflowers limey Carmel Sandstone outcrops at the Penstemon species of the the mouth of Lick Wash on the 2011 (including many Penstemons, of Grand Staircase and led the group course) at a plant sale to kick off the Penstemon Festival field trip. Photo in a quick lesson on plant identifi- by Paul and Catherine Thalmann. festivities on Friday afternoon, June cation and the simple pleasures of 3. More than 30 local plant lovers peeling open Penstemon flowers to descended on the Kanab Farmer’s examine the anther morphology. flowered Penstemon x jonesii, a Market to buy up the plants. Siler’s penstemon (P. linarioides hybrid between a red and blue Later that evening, a group of 30 var. sileri), named for local pio- beardtongue species. A springtime plus penstemon aficionados assem- neer rancher and amateur plant flash flood in the wash appeared to bled at the Kanab Holiday Inn for a hunter Albert Siler, was also in have scoured out the site where catered Italian dinner and presenta- bloom. this species had been found in pre- tion on ―Stalking wild Penstemons At Lick Wash the group found vious years. in Utah and Wyoming‖ by your the charming mat-forming The festival concluded with a UNPS President. The lecture fo- Thompson’s penstemon (P. lunchtime stop at Kanab Master cused on basics of beardtongue tax- thompsoniae) in full bloom at the Gardener Larry Baer’s farm at onomy, biology, and ecology (an mouth of the slickrock canyon. Deer Springs. One of Larry’s spe- excerpt of the talk is on pages 6-7), This species is named for Kanab’s cialties is the cultivation of wild illustrated with photos of a variety of other pioneer botanist of the 19th penstemons, and the crowd was common and rare western species. Century, Ellen Powell Thompson not disappointed. One of the most Heather Heaton of Cedar City won (sister of John Wesley Powell). unusual finds in the Baer garden the door prize (a Bigtooth maple We were also momentarily side- was Sand-loving penstemon (P. generously donated by Merrill) by tracked by other blooming species, ammophilus), a local endemic that correctly identifying the mystery including the rare Paria breadroot apparently seeded itself into beardtongue photo at the end of the (Pediomelum pariense). Lick Larry’s flowerbed. At day’s end, slide show. Wash itself presented a challenge each participant received a potted On Saturday, June 4, 35 penste- for hikers to make it through a re- penstemon from Mr. Baer. maniacs took a morning field trip to cent boulder slide. While we saw Merrill Johnson would like to Lick Wash on Grand Staircase- many interesting wildflowers take the penstemon festival on the Escalante National Monument to (including Lori’s columbine, Aqui- road again next year. Wouldn't see some beardtongues in the wild. legia loriae), we were stymied in your chapter like to sponsor the At our first stop, along the Skutum- our hunt for the unusual burgundy 2012 event? - W. Fertig 4 Sego Lily July 2011 34 (4)

Wildflower Photography Techniques: Use this Checklist to Improve Your Pictures

By Steve Hegji

I’m going to give you a six-step checklist you can follow that will instantly improve your wildflower photographs. Even better, it requires no technical knowledge. I’ve printed this checklist on a business card and keep it in my camera bag. When I find myself getting sloppy, I pull it out for a quick reminder of what I ought to do. Step 1: Before you take the picture, think for a minute and try to define what elements of the scene attracted your attention. It may be a single element such as color, form, or contrast with the background. More often it’s a couple elements in conjunction. Think about it until you can define what excites you about the picture. As an example, take a look at my photograph of Utah Penstemon (Penstemon utahensis), and see if you can discern what attracted my attention. I’ll give you my answer at the end of the article. Step 2: Imagine the composition out of my bag moved a dial. Learn Above: Utah Penstemon (Penstemon that will emphasize the elements from my mistakes. utahensis) is one of the earliest beard- you picked out in step 1. If you do Step 4: Make the camera as sta- tongue species to bloom in Utah, often this, you’ll stand a better chance of ble as possible. Tripods make nice appearing by early April. Unlike other reddish-flowered penstemons composing a picture that highlights stable ―triangles‖ and I carry one, those elements and minimizes eve- that are adapted for hummingbird but probably only use it on a cou- pollination, Utah penstemon has a rything else. For example, don’t ple pictures out of every 1000. prominent lower lip suitable for bees snap the first flower you come to, You can make impromptu trian- to land. Utah penstemon closely re- look for the best one you can find - gles with your body and objects sembles the aptly-named Penstemon in terms of flower condition, light- around you. Lay on the ground confusus with pale pink to magenta ing, and background. Be aware of with your elbows forming two legs colored flowers. Hybrids occur in the your focal plane and depth of field of a triangle and with the camera Pine Valley Mountains. Photo by so that your image is sharp where held tightly to your forehead as the Steve Hegji. you want it to be. In my photograph third leg. Hold the camera against of the Utah Penstemon, I positioned a tree, or a rock. Even resting it on step so don’t hesitate. After all, it’s myself so that the background was top of your hiking pole is better just digital and costs you nothing well outside the area of focus, and so than nothing. extra except a little discipline. that the long dimension of the co- Step 5: Adjust your camera to I hope you find these six steps rolla and calyx lay along the focal get the effect you want and take simple and eminently usable. I plane, making their images nice and the picture. For those of you with know that if you follow them you’ll sharp. highly adjustable cameras this can be pleased with your results. Give Step 3: Check the camera settings get technical. I suggest you make it a try next time out! Oh, and by before you snap the picture. I’ve yourself familiar with the tutorials the way, the areas that interested often taken a series of pictures and at www.cambridgeincolour.com. me about the Utah Penstemon moved on, only to later realize that Step 6: Check the results, and were the glands on the flower and the camera settings were all wrong – retake the picture if necessary. the color of the margins of the ca- either because I’d left them that way This might be the most important lyx lobes. Did you find your eye previously, or the act of pulling it drawn to those elements? 5 Utah Native Plant Society

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Penstemons (but were afraid to ask)

Text & Photos by Walter Fertig

It is difficult to find anyone who does not like penstemons. But the true penstemonophile should be able to demonstrate a high PIQ (Penstemon Intelligence Quotient). The following ten Penstemon fac- toids are offered to help Penstemon fanatics impress their friends and neighbors. 1. Just what is a Penstemon? Penstemons are perennial wildflowers characterized by large, colorful petals fused into a slender to inflated, bilaterally symmetrical corolla tube. The mouth of the corolla resembles a pair of lips, with the upper lip consisting of two lobes and the lower lip with three. In some species the rim of the corolla or the Above: Fleshy penstemon Plantaginaceae is now difficult to tube is hairy or glandular. The ma- (Penstemon carnosus) from the can- define based on morphological char- jority of Penstemon species have yon of the Escalante River, Garfield acters and appears quite ―unnatural‖ blue or purple flowers, though occa- County, Utah. Note the white-hairy to the casual observer. Of course, staminode below the bluish-white sional species are white, pink, yel- future biosystematic research may low, or red. fertile anthers in each flower. undo these latest assumptions as 2. The scientific name Penste- well—stay tuned for where Penste- mon does not translate as ―five sta- sacs and is incapable of producing mon and other conventional scrophs mens‖ as often cited in the popular end up! literature. It is true that the Greek pollen. Staminodes may function to either block nectar robbers from 5. Penstemon is the largest genus suffix ―penta‖ means five (as in a of vascular plants restricted to North five-sided shape, or pentagon). But gaining access, or help position pollinators to receive a blast of and Central America. Some 240- according to beardtongue expert 270 species are recognized, ranging Noel Holmgren, the ―pen‖ in Penste- pollen to the correct portion of their anatomy (see more on stami- from Alaska to Guatemala. In the mon comes from the Latin word past, a single beardtongue species paene meaning ―nearly‖. Thus Pen- node function on page 9). 4. Traditionally, penstemons was recognized in eastern Asia, but stemon actually means ―nearly a that species has been transferred to stamen‖, in reference to the sterile have been placed in the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae), along its own genus, Pennellianthus. Only fifth stamen found in each beard- Carex (sedges) and Astragalus tongue flower. If the genus were with such familiar genera as Cas- tilleja, Mimulus, and Pedicularis. (milkvetches) have more species in named for having five stamens North America than Penstemon. (hardly a unique character among Recent genetic studies suggest that the scrophs are an unnatural as- Utah has the largest number of dicots), the name would be Penstemon taxa of any state, with 73 ―Pentastemon‖! semblage of genera that really be- long to multiple families. If ac- species and an additional 23 distinct 3. The common name beard- varieties. At least 34 species and tongue also refers to the sterile, fifth cepted, the Scrophulariaceae be- comes greatly reduced, consisting varieties are endemic to the Beehive stamen, technically known as the State. With 31 taxa, Garfield staminode. Typically, the staminode only of Limosella, Scrophularia, Verbascum, and Buddleja in Utah. County, Utah has more types of is widest at the tip (vaguely resem- Penstemon than any other county in bling a tongue in shape) and beset Penstemon, along with Collinsia, Veronica and others would be the United States. with crinkly, golden-yellow hairs 6. Anther characteristics are (the beard). In a few species, the transferred to the Plantaginaceae or plantain family (formerly a among the most useful features for staminode lacks hairs, and is thus identifying different species of Pen- beardless. Unlike the other four small family of minutely 4-petaled weedy species). While this may stemon. Each of the four fertile sta- stamens of the Penstemon andro- mens of a Penstemon flower consists ecium, the staminode lacks anther reflect evolutionary origin, the 6 Sego Lily July 2011 34 (4) of a pair of anther sacs joined at the ing and do not offer a landing sur- base by a long stalk or filament. The face. The anthers of hummingbird area where the two anther sacs meet flowers also tend to release their is called the connective. Penstemon pollen quickly, to take advantage anther sacs split open at maturity to of their speedy pollinators. release their pollen along one or two 8. Why are there so many Pen- lines of dehiscence. These sutures stemon species? Beardtongue evo- may be located at the very tips of lution has been greatly facilitated each anther sac, across most of the by the ability of different species to sac’s face (sometimes including the hybridize when they come into connective), or only across the top of close contact. Some hybrids have the connective. Anthers also differ even formed between blue and in size, color, degree of hairiness, red-flowered species that normally and shape (with sacs either oriented have distinct pollinators. One at right angles to each other or being such example is Fuchsia penste- horseshoe-shaped). The variability mon (P. x jonesii), a burgundy- in anther appearance and dehis- colored species restricted to south- cence is frequently correlated with ern Utah that originated from the pollination biology of the Pen- crosses between the blue-flowered stemon plant. Smooth penstemon (P. laevis) and Above: Atwood’s penstemon (P. at- woodii), a Utah endemic from the Kai- 7. Flower color and shape in Pen- red-flowered Firecracker penste- parowits Plateau. stemon is largely driven by its pri- mon (P. eatonii). Dr. Mikel Ste- mary pollinators: bees or humming- vens of Brigham Young University seems to have a Penstemon named birds. Beardtongues with blue, pur- is currently studying the genetic in their honor. Among those im- ple, pink, or white flowers tend to be diversity of Utah Penstemon spe- mortalized are Duane and Judy At- pollinated by bees, while those with cies to uncover past episodes of wood, Rupert Barneby, D.C. Eaton, orange, yellow, or red flowers are hybridization and back-crossing. Seville Flowers, Ben Franklin, John serviced by hummingbirds. Among A recent study by Dr. Andrea C. Fremont, Albert Garrett, Edward the bee-pollinated species, those Kramer and colleagues from the Graham, Sherel Goodrich, Larry with inflated (ampliate) corolla Chicago Botanic Garden and Uni- Higgins, Marcus E. Jones (twice), tubes are usually pollinated by large versity of Illinois at Chicago sug- the entire Holmgren family, Edward -bodied bees, while those with slen- gest that pollinator behavior may Palmer, Edwin Payson, Per Axel der tubes are visited by small bees. also influence genetic structure Rydberg, Ellen Powell Thompson, Most bee pollinated flowers have a and divergence of Penstemon Ivar Tidestrom, Lester Ward, and sturdy lower lip to provide a landing populations. Kramer’s research Sereno Watson. Clearly, with so platform. Hummingbird-pollinated team studied two bee-pollinated many species to name, taxonomists species have flowers that are droop- species (P. deustus and P. pachy- ran out of morphological characters phyllus) and one hummingbird- and place names to describe new pollinated one (P. rostriflorus) on taxa! Below: Palmer’s penstemon (Penstemon isolated mountain tops across the 10. A large number of Penstemon palmeri), one of the few strongly aro- Great Basin and found that the matic beardtongue species. species are vulnerable to extinction. bee-pollinated taxa were more ge- In recent years, two narrow endem- netically distinct in each mountain ics of the Uinta Basin (Penstemon range than the bird-pollinated spe- grahamii and P. scariosus var. cies. The researchers attributed albifluvis) have been candidates for this to the limited foraging range potential listing under the Endan- of honeybees, which were far less gered Species Act. In all, 24 of likely to cross valleys between Utah’s penstemons are ranked as mountain ranges to spread pollen species of extremely high, high, or than the wide-ranging humming- watch conservation priority by the birds. Genetic isolation on moun- Utah Native Plant Society. Many of tain tops can, over time, result in these species are threatened by min- the formation of new varieties or eral development, off-road vehicle species. Not surprisingly, there recreation, grazing impacts, habitat are many more blue and purple destruction, or over-collection by (bee pollinated) taxa of Penstemon gardeners. Because rare penste- than there are red or orange mons occur in so many different (hummingbird-pollinated) forms. habitats and regions, they are a good 9. Just about every famous umbrella for the conservation of less (and not so famous) western bota- showy or charismatic wildflowers. nist of the last two centuries 7 Utah Native Plant Society

Graham’s Penstemon Wins Reprieve

Judge rules that US Fish and Wildlife Service acted “capriciously” in claiming threats were no longer present

On June 9, 2011, US District Court judge Walker D. Miller sided with conservation groups and ordered the US Department of Interior to reconsider a decision de- nying Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection to Gra- ham’s penstemon (Penstemon grahamii). This pinkish- purple wildflower in the figwort family (Scrophular- iaceae) is threatened by oil and gas drilling, oil shale development, off-road vehicle disturbance, and sheep grazing in its limited range in the Uinta Basin of north- eastern Utah and adjacent Colorado. Graham’s penstemon was proposed for listing as Threatened under the ESA in January 2006, following a court settlement between the US Fish and Wildlife Ser- vice (USFWS) and several conservation groups, including the Center for Native Ecosystems and the Utah and Colorado native plant societies. In December 2006, USFWS withdrew its listing proposal, citing a lack of imminent threats to the species. Judge Miller’s ruling overturns the Service’s 2006 no-listing decision, citing it as ―arbitrary and capricious‖. The court reinstated the 2006 proposed rule to list the species as Threatened and ordered the USFWS to make a new, final decision on the plant’s protection. ―The court’s decision makes it clear that FWS cannot set aside science and avoid full consideration of the multiple threats that incrementally push a species closer to extinction,‖ says Meg Parish, attorney for the conservation groups. The Service’s decision to not list Graham’s penste- Above: Graham’s penstemon in flower, by Susan Meyer. mon in 2006 was strongly influenced by testimony pro- Penstemon grahamii is restricted to the Uinta Basin of north- vided by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Ac- eastern Utah and adjacent Colorado and has been under cording to a 2009 report by the Union of Concerned consideration for listing under the Endangered Species Act Scientists, BLM officials in Washington provided mis- since 1975. leading statements about the potential for Graham’s penstemon to co-occur with sites proposed for oil shale ators. All three outside reviewers of the Service’s draft development and oil and gas drilling and downplayed listing decision agreed with the need to protect this spe- the threats to the species. In particular, the BLM ―no cies under the ESA. listing team‖ suggested that the penstemon occurred In the June 2011 ruling, the court found the USFWS primarily on steep slopes where drilling or development failed to consider the best available science showing the would not occur. The BLM also convinced USFWS that threat posed by oil and gas development, livestock graz- it would develop its own conservation measures for ing, and off-road vehicles. ―Proper multiple use man- Graham’s penstemon that would make listing under the agement of public lands requires a balanced approach. ESA unnecessary. In Utah’s Uinta Basin, that balance has been tremen- Unfortunately, data from independent scientists did dously skewed. The American people must demand not corroborate the BLM’s assertions. The majority of that its government officials act with honesty and integ- known populations of Graham’s penstemon occur on rity, and that they solely use the best available science in flat or gently sloping sites, well within the parameters making natural resource decisions without undue influ- for mineral development. Furthermore, recent BLM- ence by other policies, agendas, or interests. This deci- funded studies of pollination biology showed that exist- sion is a step in that direction‖ says Tony Frates, con- ing penstemon populations were not growing and there servation co-chair of the Utah Native Plant Society. –W. were concerns about the survival of the plant’s pollin- Fertig, from wire sources

8 Sego Lily July 2011 34 (4)

Listing Denied for Gibbens’ Beardtongue What Good is a Sterile Staminode?

In August, 2009, the US Fish and By Peter Lesica Wildlife Ser- Reprinted from Kelseya, the newsletter of the vice an- Montana Native Plant Society nounced it was review- Penstemons are one of our favorite and most familiar groups of na- ing the status tive plants. That’s understandable because there are lots of them and of 29 of 206 most have colorful, showy flowers. In fact, Penstemon is the largest ge- plant and nus of plants among those found only in North America. Of the 250 animal spe- species, the majority occur in the western U.S. The great diversity of cies peti- penstemons makes them a great group for gardening, but it also allows tioned for us to study how flowers evolve without having to go too far from home. listing under Beardtongue is the common name applied to many members of the the Endan- genus Penstemon. It refers to the fact that all penstemons have a sterile gered Species stamen called a ―staminode‖ that is hairy to some extent in the majority Act by the of species. Penstemon flowers are pretty simple, so the staminode is WildEarth Guardians. On June 8, easy to see. There are six slender, whitish stalks inside the corolla. Four 2011, the Service issued a final decision have elongate sacs at their tips; these are the fertile stamens, and the on five of these species, including the sacs contain pollen. One of the two remaining stalks comes from the Gibbens’ beardtongue (Penstemon gib- top of the ovary; this is the style that carries pollen tubes to the young bensii), a narrow endemic of SC Wyo- seeds. The other sacless stalk is the staminode. ming and adjacent NE Utah and NW Evolutionary biologists believe that the pollen-bearing function of the Colorado. The Service ruled that Gib- staminode was lost during the evolution of penstemon’s two-sided, two- bens’ beardtongue did not warrant list- lipped flower from more primitive, radially symmetrical tube flowers. ing under the Act because they Flowers of these less advanced groups have five functional stamens. But ―...found no factors that cause [this] five doesn’t divide evenly into the two halves of the bilaterally symmet- species to be endangered or threat- rical penstemon flower, so apparently the function of one of the five sta- ened‖. USFWS also noted in their de- mens was lost as flowers evolved toward being two-lipped. cision that Gibbens’ beardtongue is Organs that no longer serve their primary function are called vestig- already listed as Sensitive by the BLM ial. Vestigial organs eventually meet one of two fates: they cease to be in Wyoming and Utah and one popula- produced, or they evolve to serve a new function. tion is protected by the Wyoming Na- There has been a good deal of speculation about the function of the ture Conservancy. penstemon’s staminode. Some researchers considered it useless, while Gibbens’ beardtongue is presently others felt it prevented nectar robbing or otherwise facilitated pollina- known from 9 locations in the tri-state tion. area, covering about 270 acres. The Recently two biologists from Calgary sought evidence for staminode species occurs mostly on barren, ero- function in two hummingbird and two bee-pollinated penstemons. sive shale or sandstone slopes of the Lawrence Harder and his student Jennifer Walker-Larsen removed the Browns Park Formation and Laney staminode in some flowers through a small slit they cut at the base of member of the Green River Shale. the corolla. In red, bird-pollinated penstemons there was no difference Population size is estimated at 11,000- in pollination between flowers with and without a staminode. However, 14,000 plants, with the majority occur- the bee-pollinated species were a different story. In the narrowly tubu- ring in Wyoming. The primary threats lar flowers of Penstemon ellipticus, the staminode impeded visiting to Gibbens’ beardtongue are loss of bees. They spent more time in the flower and consequently went away habitat from mineral exploration, road with more pollen on their bodies. Researchers also looked at Penste- and pipeline construction, OHV recrea- mon palmeri, a species with a pouch-shaped corolla. In it, the stami- tion, herbivory, and drought. Recent node acts like a lever, causing the style to be pressed against the back of monitoring studies in Wyoming sug- the bees when they land in the spacious flower. gest several populations have declined The results of Walker-Larsen and Harder’s study suggest that the since the 1990s. evolution of the staminode is taking several different directions within The only Utah population of Gib- the genus Penstemon … depending on the shape and color of the flow- bens’ beardtongue is found on state ers. lands in the Browns Park area on the Colorado state line. - W. Fertig

9 Utah Native Plant Society

Bridges’ Penstemon

By Walter Fertig

The vast majority of Penstemon species have blue, purple, or rarely white flowers and are pollinated by bees or other members of the insect order Hymenoptera. A much smaller subset of penstemons have evolved orangish or red flowers and are pollinated by hummingbirds. In addition to differences in flower color, bee-pollinated beardtongues tend to have stout, tubular flowers that will support the weight of a bee, Above and right: Bridges’ penstemon present their flowers at right angles (Penstemon rostriflorus) is one of 4 red or scarlet-flowered Penstemon to the stem to provide a level land- species native to Utah. All of the red- ing platform, and release their pol- flowered species are pollinated by len slowly. hummingbirds which are attracted to Despite their reputation for in- red blossoms. Photo by Al Schneider dustriousness, bees can be sloppy (www.swcoloradowildflowers.com). about picking up pollen and much can be wasted. Flowers are wise to be thrifty in dispensing their pollen, other Penstemon species. P. rostri- especially as additional bees are al- florus is the only species with this ways likely to come along anyway. anther type that is not blue or bee- By contrast, hummingbird- pollinated. Taxonomists speculate pollinated penstemons have down- that it may have evolved from a ward-pointing flowers and don’t blue-flowered species to take ad- need to offer a landing site. These vantage of the more reliable polli- species also tend to dispense their nation services of hummingbirds, pollen quickly to maximize the visit but changes in anther morphology from a hummingbird, as the birds have been slower in occurring than are more efficient at pollen collec- changes in flower color or shape. tion and delivery than bees. Penstemon rostriflorus grows Bridges’ penstemon (Penstemon in shady canyons or dry mountain rostriflorus) is a scarlet-red flow- slopes with Gambel’s oak, Ponder- ered penstemon with most of the osa pine, sagebrush, or pinyon- normal adaptations for humming- juniper vegetation. It ranges from bird pollination: red blossoms, the Sierra Nevada of eastern Cali- downward-pointing corollas, and no fornia to southern Utah and Colo- specialized landing surface for rado and south to northern Ari- smaller insect visitors (indeed the zona and New Mexico. In Utah, Bridges’ penstemon occurs from lower lip of the corolla is distinctly logg’s name P. rostriflorus preceded Piute and Millard counties south coiled backward and shorter than bridgesii and had to be used instead to the Arizona border. Its range the upper lip). A research team led due to the rules of botanical nomen- overlaps with that of Beardlip pen- by Maria Clara Castellanos recently clature. In fairness, ―rostriflorus’ or stemon (P. barbatus), a look-alike discovered that this species differs beaked flower is a more descriptive that differs in technical anther from the typical hummingbird name. Unfortunately, the original characters. model in being quite miserly in its type specimen of P. rostriflorus was The species was originally dispersal of pollen. Part of this may destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco named P. bridgesii by Asa Gray be due to the unusual shape of the earthquake and fire, despite the he- after its first collector (a Mr. pollen-producing anthers of P. roic efforts of Alice Eastwood of the Bridges), which accounts for its rostriflorus, which open only across California Academy of Sciences to common name. Years later, tax- the top of the anther, rather than rescue most of the invaluable type onomists learned that Albert Kel- along all or most of its length as in collection.

10 Sego Lily July 2011 34 (4) Utah Botanica Odds and Ends from Utah Botany

Purging the Spurge: Myrtle spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites) is a perennial, yellowish green-flowered succulent that has been planted as a nursery species in the Salt Lake area since at least the 1950s. In recent years the species has escaped from cultivation in northern Utah and started to displace native vegetation in the foothills of the Wasatch Range. Alarmed by its spread and potential health risks (the milky sap from broken stems is an irritant), Salt Lake County added Myrtle spurge to its official noxious weed list in August 2007. On May 14, 2011, the Salt Lake County Weed Program and its part- ners (including Salt Lake Conserva- tion District, REI, US Forest Service, Bonneville Cooperative Weed Man- agement Area, Utah Division of For- estry, Fire and State Lands, and the Utah Native Plant Society) sponsored the fifth annual ―Purge your Spurge‖ event at the 3300 South REI store in Salt Lake City. Mem- bers of the public who brought bagged Myrtle spurge plants dug up from their yards or community were rewarded with free native plants to grow as replacements. Four Corners Tree Planting: Above: Juniperus monosperma and Though an arbitrary point on the Cercocarpus ledifolius at the Four map, the Four Corners where Corners monument. Photo by Plant a Wish. Left: Spurge purger at Gran- Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and deur Peak. Photo by Tony Frates. Arizona all share a common border, has long attracted interest. the San Juan/Four Corners Native The Four Corners monument cele- Plant Society. Additional funding brates native culture and provides for the plantings came from the visitor services to intrepid travel- San Juan Chapter of the Native ers, but has long lacked a botanical Plant Society of New Mexico; the education component. Arizona, Utah, and Colorado na- On the same day over 30 volun- This oversight was corrected on tive plant societies; the Garden teers (including Salt Lake County Earth Day, April 22, 2011, when Club of Durango, the Soil Sisters of Mayor Peter Corroon) pulled Myrtle dozens of volunteers descended on Durango, Mesa Verde Gardeners, spurge and Dalmatian toadflax the monument to plant native the Farm and Ranch Enterprise of (Linaria dalmatica) infestations trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. In the Ute Mountain Ute Indian tribe, from nearby Grandeur Peak open all, 58 specimens were planted, and many individual donors. space area (above). Each of the each blessed by Ute Mountain Ute This summer educational signs hardy spurge purgers received and Navajo tribal members and will be placed at the plantings to vouchers for free native plants for celebrated with dancing, drum and provide the Navajo, Ute, English, the REI plant sale. flute music, and feasting. Spanish, and scientific names of Of course the battle to purge Myr- The event was sponsored by each of the native plant species. tle spurge continues every day—have Plant a Wish, the Four Corners - Tony Frates, Al Schneider, and you bagged your spurge yet? Monument Heritage Council, and Walter Fertig

11 Utah Native Plant Society

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