Marcus E. Jones (1852-1934)

Sego Lily November 2011 34 (6)

November 2011 (volume 34 number 6)

By William H. King

Marcus (Mark) Jones was born in Jefferson, Ohio in 1852 but Above: “The entrance to Zion”. later moved with his parents to a farm in Iowa. He graduated from what is Marcus Jones's wagon at Spring- now called Grinnell College in Iowa in 1875 where he subsequently taught dale, probably May 14, 1894. Note: Latin and botany for four years and got his Masters degree. During the sum- all of the Jones photos in the elec- mers, he collected plant specimens from Iowa, Colorado, and in 1879, from tronic version of this issue can be Utah. He sent many of these specimens to Asa Gray at Harvard or George magnified up to four times using Engelmann in Missouri for determination. Duplicate sets were sold around the typical pdf viewers. world. On February 18, 1880, he married Anna [continued on page 4]

Horticulture: Maggie Wolf Sego Lily Editor: Walter Fertig Important Plant Areas: Mindy Wheeler ([email protected]). The deadline for the Invasive Weeds: Susan Fitts January2012 Sego Lily is 15 December Rare Plants: Walter Fertig 2011. Scholarship/Grants: Therese Meyer Copyright 2011 Utah Native Plant Soci- Chapters and Chapter Presidents ety. All Rights Reserved Cache: Michael Piep Officers Cedar City: Marguerite Smith The Sego Lily is a publication of the Utah Co-Presidents: Kipp Lee (Salt Lake Co.) Escalante: Toni Wassenberg Native Plant Society, a 501(c)(3) not- & Walter Fertig (Kane Co) Fremont: Lisa White for-profit organization dedicated to Vice President: vacant Manzanita: Walter Fertig conserving and promoting stewardship Treasurer: Charlene Homan (Salt Lake Mountain: Mindy Wheeler of our native plants. Use of content Co) Salt Lake: Bill Gray material is encouraged but requires Secretary: Mindy Wheeler (Summit Co) Southwestern/Bearclaw poppy: Mar- permission (except where exempted by Board Chair: Larry Meyer (Salt Lake Co) garet Malm statute) and must be correctly credited Utah Valley: Celeste Kennard and cited. Articles, photographs and UNPS Board: Jason Alexander (Utah Co), illustrations submitted to us remain the Robert Fitts (Utah Co), Susan Fitts (Utah Website: For late-breaking news, the property of the submitting individuals Co), Ty Harrison (Salt Lake Co), Celeste UNPS store, the Sego Lily archives, or organizations. Submit permission Kennard (Utah Co), Margaret Malm Chapter events, sources of native plants, requests to [email protected]. We en- (Washington Co), Therese Meyer (Salt the digital Utah Rare Plant Field Guide, courage readers to submit articles for Lake Co), Leila Shultz (Cache Co), Dave and more, go to unps.org. Many thanks potential publication. By submitting an Wallace (Cache Co.), Maggie Wolf (Salt to Xmission for sponsoring our web- article, an implicit license is granted to Lake Co). site. print the article in the newsletter or For more information on UNPS: other UNPS publications for reprint Committees Contact Bill King (801-582-0432) or without permission (in print and elec- Communications: Larry Meyer Susan Fitts (801-756-6177), or write to tronic media). When submitting an Conservation: Bill King & Tony Frates UNPS, PO Box 520041, Salt Lake City, article, please indicate whether it has Education: Ty Harrison UT, 84152-0041 or email been previously published or submitted [email protected] for consideration to other publications.

______In this issue: remnant granaries. On the way out, we were treated to a second county Marcus E. Jones (1852-1934) . . . 1, 4 record for the viney and sticky Chapter News ...... 2 Spreading four –o’ clock (Mirabilis Bulletin Board ...... 3 oxybaphoides) in full flower. Two Through the Lens of Marcus Jones 5 records in one afternoon—not a bad Utah Plant Species Named by day’s fun. - W. Fertig Marcus E. Jones ...... 10 Jonesiana: Utah Species Named By and For Marcus E. Jones . . . . . 11 The Legacy of Kimball Harper . . . . 14 A Tribute to Kimball Harper . . . . . 15

Chapter News

Escalante: The chapter’s annual holi- aeology. Among the highlights of day party will be the second week of the trip was finding wild hops December at the Slot Canyons Inn. (Humulus lupulus var. neomexi- For more information, contact Robert canus) draping juniper and cotton- (826-4297). woods at the head of a small side canyon (photo at right). This is ap- Manzanita (Kane County): For our parently the first record of hops September outing, an intrepid band of growing wild in Kane County. After members hiked Kanab Creek Canyon thrashing through the brush (and at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary avoiding some poison ivy), we to explore fall wildflowers and arch- reached an alcove with rock art and

2 Sego Lily November 2011 34 (6) Bulletin Board

UNPS Annual Meeting, 5 November 2011: The Salt Lake Chapter will be hosting the annual Utah Native Plant Society members meeting and potluck on Saturday, November 5 at Red Butte Garden from 1-5 PM. Past Society Presi- dent Bill Gray will address the group about his project to catalogue and relocate photo points in Utah and the southwest taken by pioneer botanist and noted curmudgeon Marcus E. Jones. Dr. Gray’s work has been funded, in part, through a small grant from UNPS. The meeting will also include the election of new society officers and board members and is an excellent opportunity to socialize with kindred native plant lovers.

2012 Rare plant meeting: Red Butte Garden and the Utah Native Plant Society will again be sponsoring the annual rare plant meeting, planned for March 6 at Red Butte Garden. Look for more information on submitting abstracts or en- rolling in the January Sego Lily.

Revised Utah BLM Sensitive Plant List: In April, the BLM Utah State Office issued an updated Sensitive Plant Species List for Utah containing 109 species. This new list supersedes the previous state Sensitive list, issued in August 2002. The 2011 list contains 29 species that were not on the 2002 roster, including several that were formerly listed or candidates for listing under the US Endangered Species Act (such as Astragalus equisolensis, Erigeron maguirei, Penste- mon grahamii, and P. scariosus var. albifluvis) and others that are either new to science (Camissonia bolanderi and Frasera ackermaniae), or had been thought to be less threatened in the past. Another 19 species formerly listed as BLM Sensitive have been dropped from the 2011 list, including Aquilegia loriae, Astragalus uncialis, Iris pariensis, Lomatium graveolens var. clarkii, and Penstemon ammophilus. Species that are already listed as Threatened or Endangered under the US En- dangered Species Act are not included on the BLM Sensitive list. The 2011 and 2002 lists are both posted on the UNPS webpage (Rare Plants tab) for reference. To qualify for Sensitive status, a species must be native to the state, found on BLM-managed lands, is undergoing or predicted to undergo a significant decline placing it at risk of extirpation, or is de- pendent on specialized or unique habitats on BLM lands that are threatened with alteration.

Salt Lake Chapter: Our September digitize a collection of his glass evening-primrose (Oenothera del- meeting was the annual ‘UFO night’, slides and negatives at Rancho toides) in late fruit (showing the “bird which was highly successful. Four- Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Cali- cage” of coiled fruiting capsules). teen members had submitted about fornia. At our November meeting, I Although photographed by Bill King 60 photos of Unknown Flowering will talk about this aspect of Jones’s in southern Nevada, this species is Objects from their travels around the work, and compare some of the old also found in the desert areas of SW state, and we had a great time figur- photos with contemporary shots of Utah and is one of the earlier flowering out what they were. As always, the same places. The meeting will ing species in the spring. This there were some wonderful pictures be held on Saturday, November 8th month’s UFO (below) is a 5 foot tall, of highly unusual, common but beau- at Red Butte Garden from 1-5 PM. fall-flowering herb from the Shivwits tiful, and downright puzzling plants. In December, our meeting will be Indian Reservation outside of St. In October, Bill King gave the first at the regular time and place: 7 PM, George. Any guesses? installment of a two part set on the Wednesday, December 7th at REI. great botanical explorer Marcus E. Richard Jonas has provided great Jones, who botanized Utah and other photos for our UFO night for many western states for over four decades years. On this occasion he has the from 1880. He amassed a huge num- floor to himself as he introduces us ber of specimens, naming hundreds to some of his favorite “Utah Wild- of new species and varieties. In addi- flower Hotspots” - places he visits tion to botany he was a geologist, regularly to track down their spe- mining engineer and general cial plants. He will also talk about ‘promoter’. Bill painted a picture of a how he gets such wonderful pic- very complex man who was dedi- tures using a relatively simple cam- cated to his goals, but opinionated era setup. - Bill Gray and difficult to get along with. Of course the same was true of a number Get Well Soon: Best wishes to of other scientist-explorers of the late UNPS stalwart and cactophile Dorde 19th Century as well. Woodruff, currently recuperating Jones photographed extensively on from a nasty spill. his travels, and left a large archive of Unidentified Flowering Object: old photos. I have been working to The September UFO was a bird cage 3 Utah Native Plant Society

Marcus E. Jones (1852-1934)

[continued from page 1] Elizabeth Richardson, another teacher at Grin- nell. They moved their residence to Salt Lake City. Upon arriving in Salt Lake, they immediately set out for St. George and began collecting plants in March. In the spring of 1882, Marcus was collecting plants with 3 other botanists, including Charles C. Parry, near Ensenada, Mexico. The group came upon a new rose which is now called Rosa minutifolia. Marcus thought that he had spotted the rose first. Parry left the group early and headed to San Diego and subsequently published the description of the rose first. Mar- cus accused Parry of stealing his rose. Parry retaliated and had Marcus banned from publishing in several of the top botanical journals. This created a great life-long animosity between the two. Subsequently, Marcus was more careful whom he collected collecting plants in the Intermoun- Above: Escarpment milketch (Astragalus tain area, a territory he guarded striatiflorus) is one of over 50 Astragalus with, choosing mainly to collect with species or varieties named by Marcus E. personal friends, students, relatives jealously from other botanists with his sharp tongue and pen. He also Jones from Utah. The type of A. striatiflo- or just by himself. rus was purportedly taken from Spring- collected throughout much of the Marcus never had a full-time per- dale, Utah in the fall of 1894. Welsh has manent job in Utah, but made his liv- West and in Mexico. In 1894, he col- questioned whether the type actually came ing from collecting and selling plant lected 50,000 specimens as a special from Washington County in the vicinity of specimens and teaching. He was an field agent in southern Utah for the the future Zion National Park, or rather occasional mining consultant and also United States Department of Agri- from western Kane County, where the plant made plant books for souvenirs, culture. In his lifetime, he described is still found today. In any event, this spe- over 700 taxa of plants, most of cies has not been recorded from the Spring- which he sold to a distributor. Mar- dale area since. Photo by W. Fertig. cus was also a writer, photographer which he believed were new to science. The majority of these names and publisher, printing and publishing his own works, including his own remain in use today. Marcus had many other interests: men sheets (and many more un- botanical journal (Contributions to mounted), to Pomona College in Cali- Western Botany). He is also well He recorded changes in the level of the Great Salt Lake and he wrote fornia for $25,000 (this collection known for his monograph on the ge- now resides at Santa Ana Botanic Gar- nus Astragalus. This treatise was to articles about it and other water issues. He sailed the Great Salt Lake dens in Claremont, California). He have been just one part of a Flora of moved with his herbarium collection the Great Plateau, but was never com- in his catamaran boat. He also wrote tourist guide booklets about to southern California where he spent pleted. His wife Anna supported his many more years collecting. He died activities first as a school teacher Salt Lake and Utah. He promoted the Deep Creek mining district in in a car accident in his Model T in then by running a boarding house 1934 in San Bernardino while return- and taking in sewing while he wan- another booklet. He was an expert witness in court cases, testifying ing from a plant collecting trip. dered the West in search of plants. Marcus Jones undoubtedly made Marcus, Anna and their three children about the negative effects of smelter smoke. He was a life-long member one of the most extensive collections lived for many years in central Salt of Utah plants ever. For more infor- Lake City. He separated from her of the Congregational Church and was a preacher himself. mation on his collections see Lee W. sometime after 1912 and she passed Lenz’s 1986 biography of Jones enti- away on September 10, 1916. In 1923, he sold his personal herbarium collection, consisting of tled “Marcus E. Jones, Western Geolo- A voracious plant collector, Marcus gist, Mining Engineer & Botanist.” spent almost all of his time and effort more than 20,000 mounted speci-

4 Sego Lily November 2011 34 (6)

It should be clear from Bill King's RSA felt that it would take major and labeled by Jones, with the excep- article that Marcus Jones was quite a time and effort to obtain funds to tion of a few that had lost their labels. remarkable man, though not a god, scan and digitize the collection, so I There was no apparent system to the with an enormous passion for the offered to develop rapid photo- numbering, except for sporadic subjects that really caught his atten- graphic methods to convert the im- groupings of related slides, and only tion. He diversified in order to make a ages into digital format. UNPS rarely were they dated. One possibil- living from the various subjects he awarded me a small grant, I built a ity is that Jones made most of them loved. pair of special purpose light boxes, after moving to Pomona in 1923, and One of his indulgences was photog- and just after Thanksgiving 2010 we that they were used to illustrate his raphy, at a time when cameras were made our first trip to RSA – the be- lectures there. His sources were becoming more practical for use in ginnings of an ongoing detective mainly his own photos spanning the field. As was typical he went story. 'We' in this context includes about 30 years, but they were liber- wholeheartedly into this endeavor, my wife Sylvia who came to play an ally supplemented by maps and by starting with his first camera in 1884. indispensable part in the project. photos taken from books and maga- He owned a series, 'splurging' on a Initially somewhat skeptical, being a zines. Pictures of Sulu warriors from new model when some significant birder rather than a botanist, she the Philippines are intermingled with journey was being funded by a geo- became increasingly fascinated by those of glaciers in Switzerland - and logical or mining enterprise. Not only Jones's extraordinary life. Preceding Jones hadn't visited either place. His that, he set up his own darkroom, our trip Irene Holiman at RSA had numbers go as high as 695, of which sensitized his own photographic pa- assembled a team of volunteers who we have so far accounted for 601, or per, did his own printing, etc. He also began the process of cleaning and roughly 85%. experimented with etching his own cataloguing the slides. plates for use in his printing equip- Capturing the Images ment. Perhaps he became the poorer Nature of the Collection Top quality scanners definitely for it financially – but we benefit im- There were two main categories: give top quality results for making mensely from his indulgence in other 5x3 inch glass projection slides, and digital images of flat objects such as ways. various glass negatives, mostly photos. They do, however, tend to be Most frequently his subjects were about 7x5 or 8x5 inches. Almost, but labor and time intensive. My priority scenic or geological, rather than bo- not quite all were in black and was to get high quality images as effi- tanical – why waste money on an ex- white. They had been stored in ciently as possible, so as to make best pensive glass plate when you can col- wooden boxes and were quite dirty use of my limited time at RSA. To do lect the plant itself! This article is a after 80 years or so. Some of the this I constructed two simple viewing preliminary report on my work with negatives were in very poor shape, boxes, both using diffuse light from a a collection of Jones's glass slides that having been directly exposed to the window, reflected off a sheet of art- was rediscovered last year. elements. The slides, however, con- ist's foam-board to provide an even Early in 2010 Bill King and Tony sisted of two pieces of glass taped background. More details of the pho- Frates were in contact with Harvey together with the image between. tography will be made available on Brenneise, then the librarian at Ran- We don't yet know whether the the UNPS website, but a general idea cho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSA) emulsion is directly on one of the is included here. in Claremont, California. This is glass pieces or on a celluloid film The first "box" consisted of two where Jones's major collections sandwiched between the two. I sus- pieces of foam-board: the reflector ended up after his move to Pomona pect the latter, though either way and another piece with a hole cut out College in 1923. Brenneise mentioned the emulsion has been better pro- to act as a frame for the slide. This that they had discovered a cache of tected. On the downside, once the enabled us to simultaneously photo- his old photographic slides and nega- sandwich is made you may not be graph the surface with its label, and tives in the basement, perhaps a sure which way round the slide the image illuminated from behind. thousand in all! It immediately struck should be viewed! By doing so we created a robust link me that this find could give us a We decided to start work on the between the image and its label, plus glimpse into the West of a hundred slides and leave the negatives for correct viewing orientation. A simple years ago, as seen through a very spe- later. An unexpected bonus was the point and shoot camera was used for cial pair of eyes. fact that they were all numbered this essentially cataloguing photo.

5 Utah Native Plant Society

The second box was made to provide a framework in which the only light getting to the camera came through the slide from the reflector, Left: “Bullion Fall ensuring the cleanest image. For this Marysvale”. A typical job I used a 12 megapixel camera rig- slide made from one of idly mounted with the box. It was Jones’s original photo- directly linked to and controlled by a graphs with his hand- laptop computer: at all times what written label. This is our the camera was seeing was displayed low resolution photo on the screen. For each slide I took combining transmitted three different exposures: normal, and reflected light. It is underexposed, and overexposed, us- printed actual size (3” ing both jpeg and the camera's 'raw' high), but cropped on setting in which no information gets the left. Jones had it thrown away. All the images went flipped horizontally in directly to the laptop's hard drive for the slide. See text for future processing. more discussion. The Digital Images Back in Salt Lake City I started work on a database to keep track of the images and various information such as the RSA volunteers' transcrip- some interesting things emerged. be made, though more work is needed, tion of the labels. The handwritten Several times Jones's horse and and a few more slides are still surfac- labels were often almost undecipher- buggy materialized from an obscure ing. About 500 are based on his origi- able, especially for people unfamiliar blob. Another time the old bridge nal photos in the field, two-thirds of with Utah geography. Thus 'Leather over the Grand (Colorado) River at which were from Utah. Small num- Gate' eventually morphed into 'Castle Moab appeared out of the mist bers from Nevada, Colorado, southern Gate' – don't laugh until you see the above the river. Idaho and northern Arizona bring the handwriting! Magnifying the label's Quite unexpectedly it turned out total for the Intermountain region to digital image proved decisive in many that most of Jones's slides of indi- roughly 360. The second large group- cases, but others still remain inscru- vidual plants, of which there are few ing comprises Montana (90), Wash- table. Additional information that is anyway, are made from photo- ington (22) and northern Idaho: Jones being pieced together for each slide graphs printed in books or maga- made several trips north in the years includes State, County, location, GPS zines! This is clear from the printing before 1910 to study the flora of Flat- coordinates, date, plant identity when 'screens' which show as a regular head Lake and what was to become appropriate, etc. Eventually it is grid. The same is true of a few travel Glacier National Park, and to feed his hoped to make this information avail- photos that one would really expect passion for glaciology. In addition able to the public as an interactive to have been taken by him. Jones there were much smaller numbers of database that they can search – and did much of his own printing. Per- slides from other areas: Iowa where send us comments on photo loca- haps in the 1920s at Pomona it was he had grown up, California where he tions. simpler for him to re-photograph retired, and Washington, DC where he Image quality is quite variable. The from printed sources, his own or worked on his specimens at the U.S. immediate impression is one of being otherwise, rather than hunt down National Herbarium in 1895. washed out: not crisp blacks through the negatives. Until we can track Overwhelmingly the slides are of whites, but dark gray through light more of the original sources they places interesting for their scenery, gray. This reflects a more limited to- will remain unclear as to who made mining or geology, and botany as nal range in the originals, probably the photos. such is peripheral. Still, many of them with some deterioration during stor- do show habitats as they were a hun- age. They are definitely not some- Slides from Jones Originals dred years ago, and I have begun the thing that improves with age. We can The slides represent only a sam- process of trying to trace Jones's restore some dynamic range by com- ple of the photos taken by Jones – as original locations to retake the photos bining the multiple exposures when mentioned before they may have been as closely as possible. Some efforts images are especially interesting, but made mainly to illustrate lectures at have been rewarded with very close that is quite time consuming. Pomona, so are not representative of fits, while others show places that At full resolution on the computer his whole output. A preliminary ac- have disappeared or been changed screen the images are magnified to counting of the approximately 600 beyond recognition. The remainder of about 60 x 40 inches. At this scale slides that we have from him can now this article is devoted to sampling a

6 Sego Lily November 2011 34 (6) few of the more noteworthy before and after pairs, and putting them in the context of his travels.

1894: Jones's Big Year In 1894 Jones was hired as a special agent of the US Department of Agriculture to survey plants in the general area of the Colorado River. It was a very big deal and enabled him to travel widely in Utah, plus a little in Nevada and Arizona. He carried a camera which was bought in 1891 at the start of a mining survey that he undertook to western Utah and Ne- vada. It used large glass negatives approximately 8x5 inches and was his main one until about 1905. The earlier slide shown of Bullion Falls near Marysvale was taken with this camera. It provided our first certain iden- tification of a photo from this trip: we also found the original negative with '1894' written directly on the glass. He used the same image in his book Utah, published in 1902. The negative and the book have the correct hori- zontal orientation, while the slide is reversed. At the time Marysvale was a busy town serving the productive mines up Bullion Canyon. Jones spent over two weeks here, first from May 30 to June 6, and again from August 21 to Sep- tember 2. The mining camps afforded him lodging and access to the high Tushar Mountains. This photo was likely taken on the summer trip: as- pen are in leaf above 8000 feet, there is no snow visible, and the falls are relatively slow flowing. His journal Above: "St. George from the South" Photos were taken from Bloomington Hills, for August 24 records that he next to the present Interstate 15 (Jones, 4/27/1894; Gray, 5/11/2011). "Botanized around camp and especially on the cliffs at the falls." We were unable to approach the falls from the base at the end of June 2011, tions. Only then did he start botan- In the Bloomington Hills. Visiting because the water was much too high. izing, with a visit to the areas south there in May of 2011 I climbed a knoll For the big trip Jones outfitted a and west of St. George, to which next to the freeway and took the com- horse and buggy and hired a young they returned on April 24. He was panion photo. man, Hugh Webb, as driver and gen- very familiar with the territory as St. George had been settled in eral 'roustabout' (at least for the first he spent about 6 months there 1861. The LDS temple, clearly visible part). Starting in mid March Webb when first moving to Utah in 1880. dead center in Jones's photo, was went ahead, but got stuck in a bliz- On April 27 they went south to completed in 1877. Much of the land zard at Holden, north of Fillmore. the mouth of the Santa Clara River. was swampy, as is apparent in Jones's Jones followed by train and met him It was there that Jones took the photo, and had to be stabilized before there. It took them almost another 2 above photograph of St. George. construction. Main Street runs diago- weeks to travel from Holden to St. Satellite imagery from Google Earth nally in the left foreground, while the George under very difficult condi- enabled me to locate his viewpoint Santa Clara River flows from left to

7 Utah Native Plant Society

development on the right and shrubs on the left. Overall the photos from Zion suggest that vegetation is now richer in the main canyon bottom, probably reflecting a lower local pres- sure from agriculture rather than any significant natural change. My best estimate for the date of this photograph is the afternoon of May 14, 1894. Jones's stay in Salt Lake was very brief, merely long enough to pick up supplies, and he was back on the road. This time he was starting on a big loop to the high Henry Mountains in southeast Utah. It was now July and August, and they were heading by horse and buggy through Utah's mid- summer heat. Many place names have changed since then, but his route is clear: he traveled what is now US 89 to Salina, then across by way of Loa, Thurber (Bicknell), Junction (Fruita), Pleasant Creek (Notom), and Blue Valley (later Giles, now a ghost town west of Hanksville). At Caineville, close to Blue Valley, Jones collected the type of Cleomella cornuta (Rocky Mountain Stinkweed). It is now included in Cleomella palmeriana - which Jones had also been the first to describe. This plant was blooming there in May this year. In those days the road through Capitol Reef went through Capitol Wash, and Jones took some notable photos as he traveled through in both Above: "Capitol Wash" Arrows at base of Jones's photo indicate the Dwarf Moun- directions. Sylvia and I spent several tain Mahogany (Cercocarpus intricatus) discussed in the text and the horse and days there in May 2011. It was diffi- wagon heading up-canyon into the narrows (Jones, 7/31/1894; Gray, cult finding some of his locations until 5/25/2011). we realized that Jones's left-right ori- entations were more or less random for that part of the trip. We ourselves right at the foot of the knoll. A new On May 1 Jones set out on a long probably looked a bit strange, walk- freeway bridge is under construction loop that would take him to Cedar ing through the gorgeous canyon in my photo: the picture was taken City and back, east to Zion, south to scenery with our eyes glued to the from a point slightly forward of Pipe Spring in Arizona, then back to printed photos! Very little has Jones's, to avoid including any of the Salt Lake City by way of Marysvale. changed in the past 117 years, except giant billboard under which I was He took many pictures along the for some of the gravel bars and their standing. way, and collected many thousands shrubbery. Though minor, these Apart from extensive urbanization of plant specimens. changes made it impossible to get the photo shows a dramatic change The cover photo is a gem from exact duplicates of some of the pho- on the knoll itself. A monoculture of this part of the trip, showing his tos. As with Zion, the canyon vegeta- Red Brome (Bromus rubens) has re- wagon at the entrance to Zion in tion appears on the whole to be placed what seems to have already Springdale near the beginning of the denser, including places where there become threadbare grazing land by loop. Although I was able to locate has probably never been heavy im- 1894. Today's vegetation has no more his photo point fairly accurately, pact from humans. nutrition, but far greater fire poten- and duplicate the skyline, the fore- Our most revealing picture from tial. ground has become cluttered by Capitol Wash is one taken while Jones

8 Sego Lily November 2011 34 (6) was on his return journey, coming Overall it was an amazing journey, a full day’s wagon journey for passen- through in late morning from Notom and we are lucky to have some of gers to cover the 30 miles from the on July 31, 1894. Once we had fig- his original photographs preserved. railroad at Crescent Junction to Moab, ured out the correct orientation we and they often took lunch at these found an excellent fit as shown in the Other Journeys halfway houses. Heavy freight wag- preceding photo. Later, while fading There are far too many journeys ons took 2 days and stayed overnight. between old and new images on the and slides to describe in detail, but I Jones visited Moab several times, and computer I noticed a shrub in the will end with a couple from the this photo may have been taken in foreground that seemed not to shift Moab area of eastern Utah. Jones June 1913. position (left arrow in photo on pre- visited Moab several times from One thing that has made this pro- ceding page). Returning the next day 1913, and took many photographs. ject particularly enjoyable is the re- we located a vigorous Dwarf Moun- Among these were some early at- sponse we get when showing local tain Mahogany (Cercocarpus intrica- tempts at color photography. people these old photographs. One tus) that could well be 150-200 years Sadly, at least for his slides, the incident stands out especially. I had old! Inside a dense tangle of living emulsion proved to be unstable. used Google Earth to roughly locate a branches were others that may be the Mostly all that remains of the color site at Moab, despite Jones having his originals seen in the old photo. is a series of globs where it melted directions backward. On the spot I A number of other shrubs on the in the overheated projector of was unable to get it right until an old- right side of the picture are also candi- Jones's day. Perhaps the best pre- time resident came to see what I was dates for having been established by the served is one of the old Courthouse doing. He pointed me up to the top of time of Jones's visit. Clearly visible in Stage Station near Moab, which was some cliffs and allowed me access the wash in the original (right arrow in razed in the 1960s to make way for through his property. The reward photo) is the horse and buggy heading the Potash railroad. This is not to was a breathtaking viewpoint above up-canyon. Use higher magnification to be confused with an earlier station the valley with vistas north and south see it here. whose ruins still stand to the north - and an essentially perfect reproduc- On his outward journey through of Highway 191. The earlier one tion of Jones's photo. Obviously the wash on July 19 Jones collected was abandoned because the route things have changed a lot because of the type specimen of Poison Milk- developed major problems with urban development, which continues weed (Asclepias labriformis); it was sand and mud. In those times it was apace. blooming there for us on May 23. One thing that Jones seems not to have done: add his name to the his- toric “Pioneer Register”. This is a sandstone face in Capitol Wash where others have left their names immort- alized in paint, scratches and chips, or outlined by bullet holes. He probably felt far too dignified for such antics. On his way back to Salt Lake Jones spent almost two weeks botanizing around Fish Lake. The high country must have felt wonderful following his blistering desert journey. After just two nights at home he was off again, this time heading to- wards the north rim of the Grand Canyon. En route he made his second visit to Marysvale and the Tushar Mountains, where he photographed Bullion Falls. When he finally returned home on October 15 he had traveled over 2000 miles in the wagon, plus another thousand by train. At a rough estimate he collected about 50,000 specimens including many duplicates. He Above: "Courthouse Wash Station" About 1913. An early attempt at color partly worked to identify and catalog these melted in the projector. The station was located near Moab, but razed in the over the winter and spring at the Na- 1960s tional Herbarium in Washington, DC.

9 Utah Native Plant Society

Utah Plant Species Named by Marcus E. Jones

The following list includes the species and varieties named by Marcus E. Jones that are still recognized in the flora of Utah. Annotations include common names, type locality, and date first collected or published. All types were collected by Jones and all localities are from Utah unless indicated otherwise.

Apiaceae (parsleys) Cymopterus basalticus (Shadscale spring-parsley) Wah Wah Mts, Beaver Co. (1906) Cymopterus coulteri (Two-leaf spring parsley) Juab, Juab Co. (1880) Cymopterus duchesnensis (Duchesne spring-parsley) Myton, Duchesne Co. (1908) Cymopterus ibapensis (Ibaph spring- parsley) Deep Creek Valley, Tooele Co. (1891) Cymopterus lapidosus (Echo spring- parsley) Echo, Summit Co. (1890) Cymopterus purpureus var. rosei (Rose’s spring-parsley) Richfield, Sevier, Co. (1899) Cymopterus terebinthinus var. pet- raeus (Rock spring-parsley) Pali- sade, NV. (1882) Lomatium grayi var. depauperatum (Depauperate lomatium) Dugway, Tooele Co. (1891) Lomatium juniperinum (Juniper lomatium) Coalville Summit Co. (1889)

Asclepiadaceae (milkweeds) Asclepias labriformis (Circle Cliffs milkweed) Capitol Wash, Wayne Above: "Moab, Utah, looking northeast" About 1913. In fact Jones was looking Co. (1894) south from a viewpoint above the north end of town. The major road visible in Asteraceae (sunflowers) the modern photo is Main Street; 100 West is on its right. Elks Lodge is at bot- Aster wasatchensis var. wasatchensis tom left, with my 'wagon' in the parking lot. (Markagunt aster). Tate Mine near Marysvale, Piute Co. (1894) Acknowledgements: It is a real References: Chrysothamnus albidus (White rab- pleasure to acknowledge the help of Jones, M. E. , 1894, Diary and Field bitbrush) Wells, NV (1882) many people who assisted in this pro- Notes, in Lenz, 1986. Chrysothamnus nauseosus var. glareo- ject. Bill King, Tony Frates, and Har- Jones, M. E. , 1919, Botanical Itiner- sus (Marysvale rabbitbrush) Marys- vey Brenneise first got me involved; ary. Unpublished: original type vale, Piute Co. (1891) UNPS provided a grant to get the pro- script provided by RSA. Chrysothamnus nauseosus var. tur- ject underway; Irene Holiman at RSA Lenz, L. W., 1986, Marcus E. Jones. binatus (Dune rabbitbrush) Canaan organized a team of volunteers, in- Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Ranch, Kane Co. (1894) cluding Kathleen and Jim Ritchie, who CA. provided us with welcome hospital- Cirsium calcareum (Caineville thistle) ity. I especially thank my wife Sylvia Henry Mts, Garfield Co. (1894) who assisted in many phases of the Cirsium clavatum (Fish Lake thistle) work. Fish Lake, Sevier Co. (1894) 10 Sego Lily November 2011 34 (6)

Utah Plant Species Named by Marcus E. Jones, continued

Encelia frutescens var. resinosa (Bush encelia) Little Colorado River, AZ. (1890). Erigeron nauseosus (Marysvale daisy) Marysvale, Piute Co. (1894) Haplopappus scopulorum (Spindly goldenbush) near Cedar City, Iron Co. (1894) Parthenium ligulatum (Low fever- few). 10 miles S of Theodore, Duchesne Co. (1908) Perityle tenella (Dixie rock-daisy). Springdale. Washington Co. (1894) Platyschkuhria integrifolia var. des- Jonesiana: Utah Species Named By and For ertorum (Desert bahia) Cisco, Grand Marcus E. Jones Co. (1890) Townsendia mensana (Plateau townsendia). Theodore, Duchesne Co. By Walter Fertig Above: Rimrock milkvetch (Astragalus (1908) desperatus): Jones was “desperate” for Townsendia montana (Mountain Love him or hate him—and most a new name for this species that wasn’t of his contemporaries tended to the already taken. Photo by W. Fertig. townsendia) Alta, Salt Lake Co. (1879) latter, Marcus E. Jones was un- Townsendia strigosa var. prolixa matched in his knowledge of the Because of his vast field experi- (Strigose townsendia) Chepeta flora of Western North America. ence, Jones tended to have a better Well, Duchesne Co. (1908) This knowledge was earned concept of natural species than many Viguiera longifolia var. annua through extensive travel by horse- of his more herbarium-bound col- (Southern goldeneye) Named by drawn wagon, train, and automo- leagues. In all, Jones named over 700 Jones in 1895, lectotype collected bile. For 55 years Jones traversed new species and varieties of vascular by Marsh in New Mexico. the West, from Montana to Mexico plants over his lengthy career. At Xylorhiza venusta (Cisco woodyaster) and Iowa to California, collecting least 305 of these new taxa came Cisco, Grand Co. (1890) several hundred thousand speci- from Utah, of which over 120 are still mens along the way.* For Jones, recognized today. No other botanist Boraginaceae (borages) collecting plants was a source of before or since Jones has named as Cryptantha decipiens (Beguiling crypt income (he sold duplicate sets to many new species from the Beehive anth) Yucca, AZ (1894) museums, universities, and private State. Dozens of additional species Cryptantha mensana (Carbon crypt- collectors) and to escape some of were named by other botanists based anth) Emery, Emery Co (1894) his own personal demons by trad- on type specimens first collected by Cryptantha virginensis (Virgin River ing civilization for the wilderness. Jones. cryptanth) La Verkin, Washington Plagued throughout life by severe While Jones discovered and named Co. (1894) headaches and emotional scars a wide array of species, he had a spe- from a strict, fundamentalist up- cial fondness for the milkvetches Brassicaceae (mustards) bringing, Jones seemed to find his (Astragalus). Jones named over 50 Arabis pulchra var. gracilis (Muncie only joy in botanical discovery. In- Astragalus species from Utah alone. rockcress) Argus Mts, CA (1897) teracting with other people was not With so many new milkvetches to be Arabis pulchra var. pallens (Desert his strong suit. described Jones became concerned rockcress) Westwater, Grand Co. about running out of original names. (1891) In an 1891 paper in the journal Zoe, Caulanthus crassicaulis var. glaber * The exact number of collections Jones Jones named one new species Astra- (Smooth spindlestem) Sink Valley, made is not known due to his peculiar galus desperatus to reflect “...the state numbering system. Rather than provide Kane Co. (1890) of mind a person is in who tries to a unique number per specimen, Jones Caulanthus crassicaulis var. major often used a number to indicate the invent a name for a new species in (Slender wild cabbage) Henry Mts, locality, followed by letters for each this immense genus without getting Garfield Co (1894) unique species. In later years he one already occupied.” Jones spent Thelypodiopsis elegans (Elegant thel- stopped numbering his collections alto- years studying the complex relation- ypody) Westwater, Grand Co. gether (thus the high percentage of ‘s.n.’ ships within this large genus, culmi- (1891) or sine numero values after his name). nating in his self-published 1923

11 Utah Native Plant Society

Utah Plant Species Named by Marcus E. Jones, continued

Capparaceae or Cleomaceae (capers) Astragalus detritalis (Debris milk- Thompson Springs, Grand Co. Cleomella palmeriana (Palmer’s vetch) 4 miles above Theodore, (1891) stinkweed) Green River, Emery Co., Duchesne Co. (1908) Astragalus rafaelensis (San Rafael (1890) Astragalus duchesnensis (Duchesne milkvetch) Cedar Mt near Wood- milkvetch) 13 miles below Theo- side, Emery Co. (1915) Chenopodiaceae (goosefoots) dore, Duchesnce Co. (1908) Astragalus sabulosus var. sabulosus Atriplex gardneri var. falcata (Jones’s Astragalus eastwoodiae (East- (Cisco milkvetch) Cisco, Grand Co. saltbush) Weiser, ID. (1899) wood’s milkvetch) Westwater, (1890) Atriplex gardneri var. utahensis Grand Co. (1891) Astragalus serpens (Plateau milk- (Basin saltbush) Salt Lake City, Salt Astragalus ensiformis (Pagumpa vetch) Loa Pass, Wayne Co. (1894) Lake Co. (1879) milkvetch) 4 mi above Pagumpa, Astragalus straturensis (Pine Valley Atriplex graciliflora (Blue Valley or- AZ (1894) milkvetch) Silver Reef, Washington ach) Blue Valley, Wayne Co. (1894) Astragalus eurekensis (Eureka milk- Co. (1894) Atriplex saccaria var. cornuta (Blade vetch) Eureka, Juab, Co. (1891) Astragalus striatiflorus (Escarpment orach) Green River, Emery Co. Astragalus flavus var. argillosus milkvetch) above Springdale, Wash- (1894) (Clay milkvetch) Green River, ington Co., UT (may actually be Emery Co. (1890) from Kane Co, UT or N AZ) (1894) Crossosomataceae (crossosomas) Astragalus flexuosus var. diehlii Astragalus subcinereus var. silerianus Glossopetalon spinescens var. aridum (Diehl’s milkvetch) Farnham, Car- (Siler’s milkvetch) Sink Valley, Kane (Nevada greasebush) Leptantha bon Co. (1898) Co. (1890) Mine, NV (1897) Astragalus kentrophyta var. colo- Astragalus toanus (Toano milkvetch)

Fabaceae (peas) radoensis (Canyon kentrophyta) Toano Range, NV. (1891) Astragalus aretioides (Cushion milk- Lee’s Ferry, AZ. (1890) Astragalus wetherillii (Wetherill’s vetch) Named by Jones in 1898, Astragalus laccoliticus (Laccolite milkvetch) Named by Jones in type collected by Engelmann in WY milkvetch) Henry Mts, Garfield 1893, type byAlice Eastwood from Astragalus argophyllus var. martini Co. (1894) Grand Junction, CO. (Martin’s milkvetch) Named by Astragalus lentiginosus var. palans Astragalus woodruffii (Woodruff’s Jones in 1923, type collected by (Straggling milkvetch) Named by milkvetch) San Rafael Swell, Emery Martin from Soda Springs, ID. Jones in 1898, type from Alice Co. (1914) Astragalus argophyllus var. pangui- Eastwood in Montezuma Canyon, Astragalus zionis var. zionis (Zion censis (Panguitch milkvetch) Pan- San Juan Co. milkvetch) Springdale, Washington guitch Lake, Garfield Co. (1894) Astragalus lentiginosus var. scorpi- Co. (1894) Astragalus asclepiadoides (Milkweed onis (Scorpion milkvetch) Named Dalea lanata var. terminalis (Woolly milkvetch) Cisco, Grand Co. (1889) by Jones in 1923, type from Pur- dalea) El Paso, TX. (1894) Astragalus beckwithii var. purpur- pus, Morey Peak, NV. Lathyrus pauciflorus var. utahensis eus (Sagebrush milkvetch) Aurum, Astragalus lutosus (Dragon milk- (Utah sweetpea) Salina Canyon, NV (1893) vetch) White River, Uintah Co. Sevier Co. (1894) Astragalus bisulcatus var. major (1908) Lupinus polyphyllus var. prunophilus (Johnson milkvetch) Johnson, Kane Astragalus moencoppensis (Moen- (Meadow lupine) Robinson, Juab Co., (1890) kopi milkvetch) Moencoppa, AZ. Co. (1909) Astragalus coltonii var. coltonii (1890) Psorothamnus nummularius (Jones’s (Colton’s milkvetch) Castle Gate, Astragalus musiniensis (Ferron indigo-bush) Green River, Emery Carbon Co. (1889) milkvetch) S of Ferron, Emery Co. Co. (1914) (1894) Astragalus coltonii var. moabensis Gentianaceae (gentians) (Moab milkvetch) Named by Jones Astragalus newberryi var. castoreus (Beaver Dam milkvetch) Beaver Gentianella tortuosa (Jones’s gentian) in 1898, type from Alice Eastwood Panguitch Lake, Garfield Co. (1894) near Monticello, San Juan Co. Dam Mts, Washington Co. (1894) Astragalus oophorus var. caulescens Swertia utahensis (Utah swertia) Astragalus cymboides (Canoe milk- Buckskin Mts, Kane Co., UT or Coco- vetch) Huntington, Emery Co. (Egg milkvetch) Loa Pass, Wayne Co. (1894) nino Co., AZ. (1890) (1894) Astragalus desperatus var. desper- Astragalus pinonis (Pinyon milk- Hydrophyllaceae (waterleafs) atus (Rimrock milkvetch) near vetch) Frisco, Beaver Co. (1880) Phacelia ambigua (Jones’s phacelia) Cisco, Grand Co. (1890) Astragalus preussii var. latus Needles, CA. (1894) Astragalus desperatus var. petro- (Preuss’s milkvetch) Green River, philus (Rock-loving milkvetch) Emery Co. (1891) Liliaceae (lilies) San Rafael Swell, Emery Co. (1914) Astragalus pubentissimus var. pea- Calochortus ambiguus (Jones’s mari- bodianus (Peabody’s milkvetch) posa) Flagstaff, AZ. (1884) 12 Sego Lily November 2011 34 (6) opus: “Revision of the North American Utah Plant Species Named by Species of Astragalus”. This work was Marcus E. Jones, continued a significant improvement over earlier monographs that attempted to Liliaceae (lilies) split Astragalus into multiple genera Eremocrinum albomarginatum (Sand based on fruit characters that defied lily) Green River, Emery Co. (1890) ready organization. Despite an awk- ward taxonomic key, Jones’s treat- Loasaceae (stickleafs) ment was the standard for the next Mentzelia integra (Virgin stickleaf) 40 years until replaced by Rupert Rockville, Washington Co. (1894) Barneby’s modern classification. Much of Jones’s scientific work was Malvaceae (mallows) self-published in Salt Lake City. Like Sphaeralcea cespitosa var. cespitosa (Jones’s globemallow) Wah Wah other local western botanists of the Above: Chrysopsis (or Heterotheca) late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mts, Beaver Co. (1906) jonesii, a Navajo Sandstone endemic first Jones felt stymied by the leading tax- collected by Marcus Jones near Spring- Onagraceae (evening-primroses) onomists of the East Coast, who felt dale, UT and named in his honor by Oenothera primiveris var. bufonis that new species from the West Blake. Photo by W. Fertig. (Early evening-primrose) Darwin needed their stamp of approval be- Mesa, CA. (1897) fore being published. Jones’s acerbic Woodson (an Amsonia), Edwin Pay- personality, isolation, and erratic be- Poaceae (grasses) son (Cryptantha jonesiana), Sidney havior no doubt also contributed to Calamagrostis scopulorum (Jones’s Blake (Chrysopsis or Heterotheca his estrangement from the greater reedgrass) Springdale, Washington jonesii), Liberty Hyde Bailey (a botanical community. Fortunately, Co. (1894) Carex), William Maxon (Pellaea science is ultimately self-correcting Elymus salinus (Salina wildrye) Salina jonesii), and Francis Pennell (a and Jones’s scholarship has passed Pass, Sevier Co., (1894) beautiful hybrid Penstemon). Oth- muster, so that his contributions ulti- Stipa arida (Mormon needlegrass) ers who honored Jones after his mately were not lost or hampered. near Marysvale, Piute Co. (1894) death were Alice Eastwood (a vari- Despite his numerous personal Stipa coronata var. depauperata (De- ety of Cycladenia humilis), Arthur shortcomings, at least 16 Utah plant pauperate needlegrass) Detroit, Cronquist (an Erigeron), David Keck species were named jonesii, jonesiana, Juab Co. (1891) (Penstemon marcusii), John Beaman or marcusii in his memory. The earli- Stipa pinetorum (Pine needlegrass) (a Townsendia), and Edgar Wherry est is Plagiobothrys jonesii named by Panguitch Lake, Garfield Co. (1894) (a variety of Phlox austromontana). Asa Gray in 1886 and based on a type specimen collected by Jones in Nee- Despite some literature references Polemoniaceae (phloxes) dles, California. Indeed, Jones col- to the contrary, Jones’s one-time Gilia scopulorum (Rock gilia) St. lected the type specimens for 15 of mentor turned bitter rival, C.C. George, Washington Co. (1880) the 16 species named for him by oth- Parry did not name the beautiful Ipomopsis aggregata var. maculata ers (the lone exception being Oxytro- Aquilegia jonesii of the northern (Scarlet gilia) Soldier Canyon, Chi- pis oreophila var. jonesii, named by Rockies for Jones, but rather for huahua, Mexico (1903) the gentlemanly Rupert Barneby for General William Jones, an early ex- Ipomopsis depressa (Low gilia) Des- his fellow legume-ophile in 1952). plorer of Yellowstone . eret, Millard Co. (1880) Per Axel Rydberg, another great gen- Jones himself deemed few of his Phlox gladiformis (Daggerleaf phlox) tleman botanist, named two taxa for contemporaries worthy of a specific Cedar Canyon, Iron Co. (1894) Marcus (varieties of Lepidium monta- epithet. One exception was Cle- num and Lupinus sericeus), despite omella palmeriana, named for Gen- Polygonaceae (buckwheats) Jones later deriding him in print as a eral William Palmer who helped Eriogonum batemanii var. batemanii “bughole botanist” (for naming new finance some of Jones’s early field (Bateman’s buckwheat) Price, Car- species based on the number of per- work to repay Jones for finding and bon Co. (1898) forations attributable to insect fo- returning his lost wallet (Welsh Eriogonum batemanii var. ostlundii livory). Likewise, John Coulter (with 1982) Say what you will about (Elsinore buckwheat) Elsinore, Jones, but he was an honest man! Sevier Co. (1898) Joseph Rose) named a variety of Cy- mopterus purpureus after Jones de- References: Eriogonum bicolor (Pretty buck- spite being warned (and ignoring) Welsh, S.L. Utah plant types—historical wheat) Thompson’s Spring, Grand Marcus’s threat to stay “off his perspective 1840 to 1981—annotated list, Co. (1891) and bibliography. Great Basin Naturalist 42 Eriogonum corymbosum var. aureum ground” in the western United States (2):129-195. (Williams 2003). Williams, R.L. 2003. “A Region of Astonishing (Golden buckwheat) St. George, Others to name taxa for Jones dur- Beauty”: The Botanical Exploration of the Washington Co. (1894) ing his lifetime included Robert Rocky Mountains. Roberts Rinehart, Eriogonum flexum (Bent buckwheat) Lanham, MD.

13 Utah Native Plant Society Utah Plant Species Named by The Legacy of Kimball Harper Marcus E. Jones, continued

Moencoppa, AZ (1890) By Tony Frates awarded a grant in 1987. An abstract Eriogonum nummulare (Coin buck- relating to that project entitled wheat) Dutch Mtn, Tooele Co. Some words, like legacy, are of- "Demography of the Endangered (1903) ten used to the point where their Dwarf Bearclaw Poppy” and a re- Eriogonum panguicense (Panguitch meaning becomes dull. In the case search update appeared in the May buckwheat) Panguitch, Garfield Co. of Kimball T. Harper (1931-2011), 1989 Sego Lily. Another of Harper’s (1890) however, he truly left a legacy of graduate students at BYU, Loreen All-

passionate students-turned- phin, studied Erigeron kachinensis, Primulaceae (primroses) scientists, and a more informed, (for which UNPS also contributed a Primula incana (Silvery primrose) impassioned citizenry. grant). With another student, Lori above Tropic, Garfield Co. (1894) When I returned for my second Armstrong, he published a report on

Ranunculaceae (buttercups) stint on the board of the Utah Native the federally listed Clay phacelia, Pha- Ranunculus andersonii var. juniper- Plant Society (UNPS) in 1999, Dr. celia argillacea which appeared in the inus (Juniper buttercup) 18 mi W of Harper was a fellow board member May/June 1992 Sego Lily. St. George, Washington Co. (1894) (continuing until about 1993). I It was Dr. Harper who very early was lucky to hear him speak several on encouraged the idea of experimen- Rhamnaceae (buckthorns) times and to interact with him and tal plantings with respect to reviving Ceanothus martini (Utah mountain- Dr. Renée Van Buren during Bear- the Clay phacelia. He also urged the lilac) Manti Canyon, Sanpete Co. claw poppy field outings in Wash- weeding of the Clay phacelia preserve (1895) ington County organized by The which TNC's Elaine York reported on Nature Conservancy (TNC) in 2001 in the July/August 2002 issue. In that Rosaceae (roses) and 2002. I last visited with him article Elaine wrote, “Dr. Harper's Ivesia sabulosa (Sevier ivesia) head of during a Fish and Wildlife Service passion for Utah's native plants is Sevier River, Garfield Co. (1894) recovery plan meeting at Utah Val- obvious. His eyes light up when he Physocarpus alternans (Dwarf nine- ley University in 2004 where he speaks of several - dwarf bearclaw bark) Duck Creek. NV (1893) was a Scholar in Residence after poppy, evening primrose, bitterroot,

Scrophulariaceae (figworts) having retired from many years of and clay phacelia. “ Penstemon cleburnei (Fuzzy-tongue teaching at BYU. He encouraged the In the March/April 1997 issue, penstemon) Named by Jones in conservation efforts of UNPS, as UNPS published “Status of knowledge 1908 based on Aven Nelson type well as persuading numerous indi- of Astragalus holmgreniorum and A. from Green River, WY viduals to become deeply involved eremeticus var. ampullarioides” au- Penstemon confusus (Mistaken pen- in plant ecology, range manage- thored by Dr. Harper. Both of these stemon) Detroit, Juab Co. (1891) ment, and botany. taxa were later federally listed. With Penstemon deustus var. pedicellatus Dr. Harper was one of the origi- Renée Van Buren, he also worked on (Hot-rock penstemon) Schell Creek nal members of UNPS when it was the Autumn buttercup, Maguire's Range, NV (1891) founded in September 1978. He daisy, Arizona willow and many other Penstemon dolius (Jones’s penste was the keynote speaker at the sec- species mentioned in various news- mon) Deep Creek Mts, Tooele Co. ond meeting of the society held on letter articles. With Van Buren, Har- (1891) November 30, 1978. Kim studied per published an article in Western Penstemon eatonii var. undosus the ecology of biological soil crusts North American Naturalist in 2004 (Undulate penstemon) St. George, (referred to also as microbiotic or which analyzed the population dy- Washington Co. (1894) cryptogamic soils) and one of his namics of Dwarf bearclaw poppy over Penstemon pachyphyllus var. congest- talks on that topic was discussed in a 16 year period and was referenced us (Rockville penstemon) Rockville, the Nov/Dec 1990 issue. Dr. Harper in the Sego Lily and read at a Red Washington Co. (1894) led many field trips for UNPS, TNC Butte-UNPS rare plant conference. Penstemon procerus var. aberrans and other organizations. For UNPS The foregoing outline provides (Smallflower penstemon) Soldier he led field trips relating to the Ari- only a brief glimpse into Dr. Harper's Summit, Wasatch Co. (1894) zona willow (see May/June 1997 life and his contributions to UNPS. It Penstemon pseudospectabilis Sego Lily). In February of 2000 he is just the tip of the iceberg. His work (Spectacular penstemon) Chimi- gave a workshop on the grass family ran deep into the foundation of an heuvis Mts, AZ (1903) followed by a field trip in July 2000. increasingly lost science that hope- Kim Harper frequently partici- fully will never be forgotten. Reference: Welsh, S.L.., N.D. Atwood, S. pated in the rare plant meetings Rather than cite each Sego Lily arti- Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins. 2008. A Utah started by the UNPS in the 1980s. cle here, the reader is referred to the Flora, fourth edition, revised. Print Ser- He was the graduate advisor to Newsletters section of the UNPS web vices, Brigham Young University Provo, Deanna Nelson to whom UNPS site at www.unps.org. UT. 14 Sego Lily November 2011 34 (6) A Tribute to Kimball Harper (1931-2011)

By Renee Van Buren

Kimball Taylor Harper, 80, passed away on Sunday, October 2, 2011 in Spanish Fork, Utah. He was an excep- tional scientist, teacher, and mentor, and a friend to many. Kim contributed much to our understanding of plants and their place in the land- scapes of the intermountain west. His influence on hundreds of students is evidenced by so many who have cho- sen careers in plant science, range management, plant ecology, plant conservation and plant taxonomy and who are now making contributions across the Country. Students have honored him with various awards, such as “Outstanding Teacher” in 1986, 1987, 1989, and 1994 at Brig- ham Young University. In addition, Kimball was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and he received the Presi- dent’s Public Service Award from The Nature Conservancy in 1987. Kim served the Ecological Society of America (ESA) as a member of the Cooper Award Committee (1987-88) and two terms as a member of the Editorial Board for Ecology and Eco- logical Monographs (1965-67 and 1975-79). He was chair of the Merit Awards Committee of the Botanical Society of America from 1980 to 1982, and a member of the National Academy of Science Mono Lake Eco- system Study Committee, from 1985 Caroline Frances Stepp. Kim contin- until 1996. After serving an 18- to 1987. BYU recognized Kim’s ac- ued his studies at BYU and com- month LDS mission with Caroline, he complishments in various ways, such pleted an M.S. degree in Range Man- became “Botany Scholar in Resi- as with Karl G. Maeser Distinguished agement and Plant ecology in 1960. dence” at Utah Valley University, Faculty awards in 1980 and 1993, Kimball then traveled with his fam- where he made significant contribu- and the College Professorship Award ily to Madison, Wisconsin where he tions to the University herbarium, of the College of Biology and Agricul- completed his PhD in Botany with tutored many students and mentored ture in 1993. Grant Cottam at the University of many faculty members. Kim’s legacy Kimball Harper was born in Oak- Wisconsin in 1963. continues at UVU through a generous ley, Idaho in 1931. After attending Dr. Harper’s academic career be- endowment for students of botany. public schools there he served a 2- gan at the University of Utah where The University has named a lecture year mission for the Church of Jesus he taught botany classes from 1963 hall for him in the Pope Science Build- Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, after to 1973. He was befriended and ing. which he was drafted by the U.S. greatly influenced by Walter Cottam Anyone who had the great pleasure Army and served for two years in while there. In 1973 he accepted a of Kim Harper’s company enjoyed his Korea. Upon completion of his tour of position at Brigham Young Univer- wit, curiosity, integrity, and delightful duty, he studied agronomy at BYU, sity as Chair of the Department of personality. He touched our lives and completing his baccalaureate degree Botany and Range Science. He con- we are better because we rubbed in 1958. That same year he married tinued as a faculty member at BYU shoulders with this gentle man. 15 Utah Native Plant Society

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