DAVIS BOTANICAL SOCIETY LASTHENIA

LASTHENIA, the Newsletter of the Davis Botanical Society, is published in collaboration with the staff of the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory UPCOMING EVENTS and Center for Diversity. Editor: Kate Mawdsley Issue Contributors: E. Dean, S. Rae, E. Grissell, K. Mawdsley, D. Potter, M. Arboretum/Conservatory Plant Sales: Saturdays, April 5, Rejmanek, M. Gonzales, K. Battenberg, April 26, May 17. All sales 9 am to 1 pm. M. Starbuck, J. Perez Z., D. McQuaid Design: Susan Gloystein Picnic Day exhibits at Botanical Conservatory and Center for Layout: Ellen Dean Plant Diversity: Saturday, April 12, 11 am to 3 pm. DBS OFFICERS, 2013-2014 President: Marie Jasieniuk Davis Botanical Society Annual Meeting with elections and President-elect: Brenda Grewell Spring Speaker: Thursday, May 8, 6:45 - 8 pm, Davis Public Membership Vice President: Patrick McGuire & Kate Mawdsley Library Blanchard Room. Russell Huddleston speaking on Secretary: Marlene Simon Vegetation and Restoration in Saudi Arabia. Treasurer: Robert Rhode Past President: Joe DiTomaso Note: Field trip to The Cedars on May 17 is FULL. Members at Large: Susan Harrison, Valerie Layne Student Member at Large: Jorge Perez Zabala Ex officio: Dan Potter, Ernesto

Sandoval, Ellen Dean

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8 No. 41 Winter 2014 LASTHENIA NEWSLETTER OF THE DAVIS BOTANICAL SOCIETY

DECIPHERING THE ROSE FAMILY

With the thought that DBS members may have ended up at numerous universities be interested in how plant systematics/ around the world, as well as botanical students are using the gardens and private companies. herbarium these days, we interviewed Over the past 17 years, dozens Dr. Dan Potter, Director of the Center for of students, postdocs, and other Plant Diversity (herbarium) and Professor collaborators have made their home of Plant Sciences, about his research and in the Potter lab, mainly focusing on the work of his graduate students. the phylogeny and classification of Research in the Potter lab the rose family (), although addresses the diversity, evolution, and others have had independent projects taxonomy of flowering , with on ethnobotany (the uses of plants a strong emphasis on cultivated and by people) or other plant families or domesticated species and their wild genera in diverse regions of the world. relatives. Many of Dan’s students have Significant outcomes have included the received grants from the Davis Botanical following: Cinquefoil (Drymocallis) in the Rosaceae. Society, which have been tremendously 1. A multi-authored international Photo: Margaret Starbuck helpful in supporting their field, collaboration that produced a new classification of Rosaceae, grouping herbarium, and lab work. Graduates phylogeny-based infra-familial genera into three subfamilies and ten tribes; 2. Research findings by Brian Vanden Heuvel that surprisingly low levels NEW PLANT TAXONOMY STUDENT of genetic diversity are present in the SCHOLARSHIP ESTABLISHED nitrogen-fixing that cause root nodulation of Rosaceae species We are happy to announce that the in subfamily , including Department of Plant Sciences has been the genera (mountain- the recipient of a donation that creates a mahogany), (mountain new endowment, The Law Family Award. misery), (mountain-avens), and The interest from this endowment will (bitter-brush); be used to provide scholarships to plant continued on page 4 science students at any level in their academic career who have a relationship with the Center for Plant Diversity her- barium and an interest in plant taxonomy. IN THIS ISSUE The endowment was created with a $25,000 donation made by E. Eric Gris- Deciphering the Rosaceae...... 1 sell and matched one-to-one by other UC Eric Grissell. New Student Scholarship...... 1 Davis donors for a total of $50,000. At the same time, a second endowment has Conservatory...... 2 been set up that will benefit the Bohart Museum of Entomology. Eric has been Remembering Jim Neilson...... 5 a staunch supporter of the Davis Botanical Society student grants fund. Some of Lichen Workshop...... 6 continued on page 3 Chinese Pistache...... 7

1 THE CONSERVATORY - A STUDENT’S VIEW

Marisol Gonzalez is a fifth-year Wildlife employees had completed an internship and Fish Biology major with minors in with the conservatory, but Ernesto took Landscape Restoration and Native Ameri- a chance on me and my odyssey began. can Studies; she has worked at the UC My very first day at work, on a Mon- Davis Botanical Conservatory for four day in August, I was asked to sweep the years. So she was a well-qualified choice hallway of 61 (the main greenhouse that when we looked for someone to provide makes up the majority of the conserva- the student viewpoint on the work of the tory collection), and I also cleaned the conservatory. Marisol is also a wonder- benches. I remember being in awe of all ful artist (botanical and otherwise), and the plant diversity present in this rela- she painted the artwork included in our tively small space. I learned firsthand Museum Day poster and fliers. that the Ortiga Brava plant’s hypodermic During my first year at UC Da- needles caused an unpleasant stinging vis, my work with plants began with sensation on the hand. I also remember a spring internship at the UC Davis that I was only supposed to work morn- Arboretum. My only previous plant ings, but I was very eager to work, and experience was pulling weeds in the Ernesto allowed me to work full-day summertime at my local national park, shifts. and I wanted to learn how to nurture On my first afternoon, I worked and grow plants, not just how to kill on removing a weed known colloqui- Echinops. unwanted ones. I learned a lot about ally in the greenhouse as pop weed. I Painting and Photo: Marisol Gonzalez propagation, making cuttings, pruning, have since found the plant’s scientific mulching, irrigation, etc. in the Storer name, but it is not as memorable. The about and participated in teamwork garden area of the Arboretum. rest of the week was different, because aimed at the larger goal of taking care of The following summer I found that there were summer interns present and the plants in the collection. I was eligible for a work-study job on Ernesto had me tag along on some of Yet another valuable aspect of being campus and saw a listing for work in the intern activities and field trips. In a student employee at the conservatory a greenhouse. I had no idea that the doing so, I learned more plant vocabu- throughout my undergraduate career is greenhouse in question was the Botani- lary, specifically words descriptive of the fact that Ernesto and Marlene can cal Conservatory. I had never even been plant vegetative parts. I also had the both speak to my work ethic truthfully inside. I met with Ernesto Sandoval opportunity to visit such places as the when the time comes to apply for jobs and Marlene Simon, the director and germplasm repository, a part of campus when I finish school. They can honestly nursery technician, respectively, after involved with keeping all sorts of plants say that I am very persistent when it my last spring final. I didn’t know the alive, and Foundation Plant Services, comes to removing unwanted plants vast majority of greenhouse student where they test for plant pathogens. The through numerous generations and that field trips were a lot of fun, and I would I should probably take it easy on the not have visited such places otherwise. pruning. In my years helping take care of the Furthermore, Ernesto personally has greenhouse, I continued to sweep and helped me grow as an artist by asking weed and expanded my repertoire of me to paint portraits of greenhouse flow- greenhouse activities to include washing ers. Ernesto himself is a photographer, pots, scrubbing floors, transplanting and I have made some paintings based plants too big for their pots, more prun- on those , and in that process, I ing and also daily watering following a have learned to appreciate the color and watering schedule. These activities are structure of plants. At least one of my valuable, because through them I have paintings is at the Plant Biology office on learned that there is a lot of behind-the- campus, and many are at the Botanical scenes hard work involved in taking Conservatory office. Even Tim Metcalf, care of a large collection of living plants. the previous director, owns one of my I have also learned that it would botanical paintings. not be possible to do this work without There have been numerous times a larger community of student interns when a visitor tells me that they would and other student employees. The guid- love to have my job, and I smile and say ance provided by Marlene and Ernesto “thanks!” And I think to myself: I am is invaluable. So, while I now perform very fortunate to be here. many of these activities unsupervised M. Gonzalez Biodiversity Museum Day. (which has helped foster responsibility Painting and Photo: Marisol Gonzalez and accountability), I have also learned

2 RECENT GIFTS

Herbarium Endowment Conservatory Operations Beth Corbin Robert Earl Louise Jackson & Patrick McGuire Jean Gifford Sue Nichol Reynotta Hoberecht Mandy Tu & Philip Rogers Joseph Lin Frederick Ryan Carol Ludlum San Francisco Cactus and Succulent Herbarium Operations Society California Native Plant Society Dennis Walker Lewis Feldman Louis & Georgette Grivetti Davis Botanical Society Stephen & Jill Rae Conservatory Endowment Student Grants Fund Judy Jernstedt Gerald Dickinson Herbarium Gifts in Kind Dennis Walker Javier Jauregui Lazo Ellen Dean Gerald Dickinson The Law Family Endowment Daniel Potter E. Eric Grissell John & Lesley Randall Thank you for Barry Rice & Elizabeth Salvia Jack Major Student Grant Fund Melanie Truan your support! Tena Farr/ J & M Foundation

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT (CONT. FROM PAGE 1) you may recall that one of the grants to survey the western states for oak Eric’s main reason for supporting is named for Eric each year as the galls, rearing parasitoids as he went. He students in both the Plant Science and “Grissell” award. This latest donation prepared oak voucher specimens with Entomology departments is that he is a continuation of a long relation- a press loaned by then-Curator June received support when he needed it ship with the herbarium that began McCaskill, who received the specimens in the form of jobs from Dick Bohart nearly fifty years ago. when he returned. Eric remembers (Work Study, Research Assistantship), Eric Grissell attended UC Davis as that both June and John were always much needed guidance and advice from a graduate student in the Department cheerful and willing to help any time he John Tucker, and encouragement from of Entomology (Masters, Ph.D.) from asked. As a result of this study, we have both. Dick and his wife Margaret even 1967 to 1973, studying under Richard many Grissell oak specimens in the housed and fed him for his last year of Bohart—Doctor Bohart to his stu- herbarium. study. He reflects, “In those days tuition dents. Both Eric’s thesis and disserta- Eric eventually took several ad- was not horrendous, as it is today, so tion dealt with parasitoid insects that vanced taxonomy courses from John, one could actually work part time and prey on gall-forming insects (some of who was on his Ph.D. committee. afford tuition, room, and occasionally which cause gall formation on oaks). He ended up essentially minoring in food. These days it seems as if students Any botanist at Davis during the last botany, because he had always had get by only if they have a whopping half-century knows that “Dr. Oak” an interest in plants, both botanically big loan, so any amount of help I can (i.e., John Tucker) was the foremost and horticulturally. He reports he had provide seems like a small return for the authority on the oak at the trouble deciding between insects or kindness shown to me by John, Dick, time, and so it was only natural that plants as his major. Eventually he chose and all the other professors, technicians, Eric sought out John’s help with iden- systematic entomology for a “number of and students with whom I was associ- tifications when he needed them— factors, none of which matter now that ated at Davis. which, he says, was often. I am retired.” He made entomology his The Law Family Award is named in John was extremely helpful in profession and plants his avocation. recognition of the moral support given Eric’s research, so much so that Eric He is now author of several books by family members who never under- asked if he could undertake a “special that deal with some aspect of horticul- stood my attraction to bugs but opted study” relating to oak gall densities ture including Bees, Wasps, and Ants: not to place me in a mental institution with him. Unfortunately most data the Indispensable Role of Hymenoptera in where I would have been much better were negative, which Eric attributed Gardens; Insects and Gardens, in Pursuit off.” to his lack of skills; but that didn’t of a Garden Ecology; and A Journal in E. Grissell & K. Mawdsley seem to bother John. With the aid of Thyme. He is currently working on a several small grants, Eric was able book on garden zinnias.

3 DECIPHERING THE ROSE FAMILY (CONT. FROM PAGE 1)

3. Research by Sang-Hun Oh on the that poses the question “what can the phylogeny, character evolution, and degree of evolutionary relatedness historical biogeography of Rosaceae between native and exotic species tribe Neillieae, which includes the East tell us about the likelihood that the Asian genus Neillia and the primarily latter will become invasive?” Charles North American genus Physocarpus Darwin’s Naturalization Hypothesis (ninebark); states that species more closely related 4. Revised taxonomic treatments for to natives are less likely to be successful several genera of Rosaceae in the second as invaders than those that are more edition of The Jepson Manual, including distantly related. Daniel has been contributions from both Brian and investigating this question using the Sang-Hun. thistle tribe, Cardueae (Asteraceae) in Besides Rosaceae, other flowering the California Floristic Province as a plant families and genera studied in model system; his project has involved the Potter lab have included walnuts, extensive collection of Asteraceae poppies, and star . Dan has throughout California, molecular developed molecular markers to phylogenetic analyses, and multiple distinguish native North American statistical tests to determine whether A new species of Prunus from Santa Elena, species of walnut (Juglans) and invasive thistles are significantly more Colombia. Photo: Jorge Pérez Zabala hybrids, including those used widely closely related to native thistles than as rootstocks in California orchards. A non-invasive exotics are. Daniel’s studies more diversity that has been previously recent graduate student, Shannon Still, suggest the opposite of what Darwin recognized; Jorge estimates that there studied the taxonomy and phylogeny predicted: at least among thistles in may be as many as 120 species of Prunus of California poppies (Eschscholzia), California, “close relatives make bad that grow from Mexico to Argentina, including the description of two new neighbors.” Fascinating results, though whereas previous work indicated only desert species. And another recent challenging Darwin may not be the most about 25. In addition, they occur in a graduate student, Jennifer Petersen, enviable of positions! remarkable diversity of habitats and studied the origins of the tropical Another current student, Jorge across a huge range of elevations, from “caimito” or “star apple” , A. Pérez Zabala, Assistant Professor sea level to greater than 4,000 meters. Chrysophyllum cainito (Sapotaceae); this at the Universidad Nacional de The common perception that Prunus is study is the first documented case of Colombia, came to Davis as an already most diverse in north temperate regions, genetic evidence supporting the Isthmus accomplished plant taxonomist which has presumably resulted from the of Panama as a center of origin for a with experience studying the large, fact that all of the major crop species now widely cultivated crop species. widely distributed, and ecologically originated in Europe or Asia, clearly and economically important genus needs to be re-evaluated. Prunus, which includes cultivated Kai Battenberg, another current plums, cherries, peaches, almonds and student (co-advised by Dr. Alison apricots, and many wild species of Berry), is interested in the evolution and . A member of Rosaceae, of symbiotic in Prunus had been the subject of research flowering plants. This ecologically and by several previous members of the economically important phenomenon Potter lab, including students Esteban is found in disparate genera in ten Bortiri, Siew-Wai Chin, and postdoc families belonging to Romey Haberle. Those previous studies four closely related orders, but many shed light on the overall evolutionary species in those orders do not engage in relationships in the genus, especially the symbiosis. This intriguing pattern with respect to the cultivated stone- has led to the suggestion that there fruit species, their north temperate was some genetic predisposition to wild relatives, and the 40-50 species symbiotic nitrogen fixation that evolved native to tropical southeast Asia; but in the common ancestor of these plants, Jennifer Petersen collecting Sapotaceae. the New World tropical taxa had but the potential for the symbiosis was Photo: D. Potter been poorly studied. Jorge has been only realized in a few groups. Kai is focusing on these interesting New using a combination of modern genomic Dan currently serves as the major World tropical species, including and molecular phylogenetic approaches professor for four graduate students revising their taxonomy, examining to identify key genes that were involved who are pursuing research related to their relationships, and investigating in these important evolutionary events. plant systematics and evolution, two the roles that past climates played in Javier Jauregui Lazo, the most in Rosaceae and two in other groups. speciation and character evolution in recent addition to the Potter lab group One current graduate student, Daniel this little-studied group. His taxonomic is studying the systematics of Acaena Park, is pursuing an innovative project work to date has revealed significantly continued on page 5 4 DECIPHERING THE ROSE FAMILY (CONT. FROM PAGE 4)

(Rosaceae), a genus of about 45 species Hawaii, and here in California. Javier of perennial herbs with pinnately is particularly interested in exploring compound and dense heads of relationships between the South flowers and distinctively spiny fruits, American and Australasian species in due to the presence of prickles on the order to infer the number and routes of hard hypanthium that encases each migrations that have occurred during achene. Acaena is a primarily southern the evolution of the group; he is also hemisphere genus with many native exploring the genetic diversity and species in South America, including taxonomy of the variable species A. Javier’s native Chile, and in New magellanica. Zealand, where the plants are known D. Potter & K. Mawdsley by the common name “biddy-biddy”. Javier Jauregui Lazo collecting Acaena with But it also includes a few species with Potter Lab visitors. Photo: Kai Battenberg more northerly distributions in Mexico,

REMEMBERING JIM

This past July, a truckload of specimens he produced a book, The Flora of the and people drove up to our loading dock Mayacamas Mountains, which describes to deliver the herbarium and notebooks of the flora of the range of mountains James “Jim” A. Neilson, Jr. to the Center separating Napa and Sonoma counties. for Plant Diversity. Jim’s wife, Dianne Once again, his work was backed up by McQuaid, children, and two friends were hundreds of herbarium specimens. all present for this moment, and we spent Jim left his plant specimens and time discussing Jim’s work, before they collection materials to the UC Davis had to get back on the road for the long Center for Plant Diversity. However, it is trip back to Colorado. Stephen Rae, one his contribution to plant ecology and his of the Center for Plant Diversity Research support of other professionals that will Associates, knew Jim and was happy to leave a larger mark. When the California write the following tribute to his botanical Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) expertise. The curation of Jim’s herbarium was enacted, Ecoview Environmental is being supported by contributions from Jim pressing plants as a graduate student. Consultants served as an example of Photo: Courtesy of Dianne McQuaid. Jim’s family and friends. what a consulting firm could do. Local James A. Neilson, Jr. (Jim) is a inventoried vegetation and investigated agencies within the San Francisco Bay name familiar to anyone who has used revegetation in the Lake Tahoe basin. Area and North Coast used them as a specimens in any major California During this time, he created an model to guide the works of other firms. herbarium. Jim passed away on unpublished checklist of the vascular Jim also encouraged beginning botanists April 1, 2013 at home in Colorado. flora of the Tahoe Basin supported by to practice their trade, often offering His long dedication to California the many herbarium specimens that he part-time employment with Ecoview. I included significant contributions to collected. benefited from such encouragement and our understanding of the ecology and In 1969 together with a group of learned how to apply my training at UC natural history of our native flora. botanical and zoological researchers Davis in the real world. Jim’s life in California began at age and faculty, he founded Ecoview S. Rae five when the family moved to a farm Environmental Consultants (EEC). in Sutter County. He graduated from His group wrote some of the earliest Sutter High School, where he played environmental impact reports for basketball. In 1947 he received his private and public projects in California. bachelor’s degree in botany from UC I had met Jim in Jack Major’s office Berkeley. Coming to Davis, Jim earned in 1968 and began to work with the his master’s degree in Plant Science from firm, including work on environmental UC Davis in 1961, followed by his Ph.D. impact contracts with Lake, Napa, and in Plant Ecology in 1964. His major Sonoma counties. EEC also developed professor was Dr. Jack Major, eminent environmental impact statements for vegetation ecologist. federal agencies such as the Army Corps After several years teaching of Engineers. Jim focused on geothermal elsewhere, Jim brought his family back resources in Lake and Sonoma counties to California. During three years as and became the acknowledged authority Jim (second from left) with Jack Major (far an Assistant Research Ecologist with on the effects of development on the left) and other graduate students. the UC Davis Institute of Ecology, Jim native flora of that region. At this time, Photo: Courtesy of Dianne McQuaid. 5 ONIONS AND GARLIC IN THE HERBARIUM

You never know what you will find world. The Mann Allium collection was in the herbarium. In addition to the one of the many half-curated collections California native plants and specimens that I inherited in 1995 when I arrived from around the world collected by UC at UC Davis. It was in an old cabinet in Davis researchers, we have hundreds the hall outside the herbarium in Rob- of grape, tomato, safflower, and chili bins Hall. pepper specimens; we also have plenty Since my arrival, Jean Shepard and of wheat, rye, barley, and alfalfa. Our I (and many of our volunteers) have specimens often document important addressed the curatorial needs of eighty research and breeding programs that percent of such collections, and in 2013, once existed (or still exist) at UC Davis. we finally repaired and curated the And so, we have onions and garlic (the Mann onion collection with the help of genus Allium) that document the onion volunteers. The specimens are now fully and garlic studies carried out by Louis incorporated into our main collection in K. Mann, a professor of Vegetable Crops the monocotyledon aisles (in the family (back then it was Truck Crops). Alliaceae – the onion family). Our onion and garlic collection Many thanks to volunteer curator Volunteer Allium curators Laura Soito, Diane consists of pressed specimens of the Nancy Crosby for her patience in repair- Velasco, and Ninh Khuu. Photo: E. Dean many Allium species that Dr. Mann grew ing dozens of specimens. Many thanks from seed or bulbs at UC Davis. The also to our Volunteer Sunday curators of old onions, but this was another job collection includes both wild California for sorting, refoldering, and filing the well done, folks! natives and Allium from around the specimens. Not everyone likes the smell E. Dean

LICHENS FOR BEGINNERS

On Saturday, January 11, 26 DBS and CNPS members and others took a “liken” to lichens in an upstairs classroom of the Sciences Laboratory Building on the UC Davis campus. Pam Kirkbride, self-taught botanist and lichenologist, field- trip coordinator for the Sacramento Valley chapter of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS), and all-round ultra- organized woman, introduced us to the structure, function, and taxonomy (including some nomenclature) of lichens. Pam gave a very organized PowerPoint presentation and introduction to keying before turning us loose on a group of unidentified foliose and fruticose lichen specimens which we had to match to names on an excercise sheet. We used her abbreviated dichotomous key as our ID tool, although sever- al comprehensive references were available in the room. The ID exercise proceeded smoothly for most of the participants, as Pam and Ellen Dean circulated to explain jargon and point out representative characteristics useful in keying. In the afternoon, we took a short field trip to Wragg Can- yon Road near Lake Berryessa. This locality has oaks covered with lace lichen (Ramalina menziesii) and old man’s beard (Usnea species). On the rocks near the road, there were crus- tose lichens - a form that we had not seen in the morning lab. In the field, we tested our new knowledge, laughed at our mistakes, shared ideas, and enjoyed the ambiance. The course raised money for both the herbarium and CNPS, and the CNPS share was donated to the SPLASH ver- nal pool program in Sacramento. This joint CNPS-herbarium offering presented an overview of lichens for those with no Unknown lichens on excercise sheet. prior experience and an opportunity for those with some ex- Photo: Stephen Rae perience to practice identification skills with known materi- als. It was, all in all, a worthwhile experience at a reasonable cost. Thank you, Pam, for a great day. S. Rae & E. Dean 6 CHINESE PISTACHE - A TICKING TIME BOMB?

Based on the most recent taxonomic as has been demonstrated for Pistacia revision, the dioecious genus pistachio terebinthus and P. lentiscus. Another, (Pistacia, Anacardiaceae, cashew or not mutually exclusive, option was sumac family) consists of nine species that fruits with insect-predated seeds and three subspecies. In California, turn red. After dissecting 100 red fruits everybody knows Pistacia vera, from eight trees growing in different cultivated pistachio, native to the parts of Davis, I concluded that about Middle East. Two more species are 60% of fruits had either parthenocarpic commonly cultivated in California: (without fertilized ovules) or aborted Pistacia atlantica (Mt. Atlas mastic tree, seeds. About 40% of seeds in red odd-pinnate leaves and 7-9 leaflets, fruits were infested with larvae of rachis winged) and P. chinensis (Chinese the chalcid seed wasp, Megastigmus pistache, even-pinnate leaves and 10- pistaciae. This wasp species, native 16 leaflets, terminal leaflet commonly to the Mediterranean and western present in seedlings, leaf rachis not Asia, was first found in California winged). Pistacia atlantica, native to in 1967. Obviously, it now provides Chinese pistache: panicles of drupes. Only North Africa and Middle East, has been green/blue drupes contain viable seeds.. a spontaneous biological control of reported as spreading in at least eight Photo: M. Rejmánek Chinese pistache in California. counties in California. Based on my observations, only 1 in Placerville (M. J. Bower, personal to 20% of seeds on P. chinensis trees in communication), along Big Chico Davis are viable; those are consistently creek in Bidwell Park in Chico (Warren in pale green/metal blue drupes. Roberts, personal communication), and Moreover, if bird fruit-removal rates I am finding more and more seedlings/ are higher for red fruits (which is often saplings in western Davis. Each mature female tree produces tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of drupes. Seeds are apparently dispersed by American robin, European starlings, yellow-rumped warblers, and cedar waxwings, and several other bird species. Why this species was not already more invasive was a mystery to me. To my surprise, I found that most of the seeds of this species were empty. This is consistently the case in red drupes. Later I learned that deceptive fruits (fruits containing empty seeds) may reduce predispersal Spontaneous sapling of Chinese pistache. seed predation by insects and/or birds, Introduced eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus Photo: M. Rejmánek niger) eating drupes of introduced Chinese Pistacia chinensis is my current pistache in front of Walker Hall on the concern. This is a very popular UCD campus. Photo: M. Rejmánek ornamental tree because of its reddish leaves and fruits in the fall. It is the case), there would be an even lower among the five or ten most commonly chance that this species would spread. planted trees in California cities. It Nevertheless, with more trees being was introduced to California about 90 planted and the maturation of earlier years ago, but it has been planted more planted trees, propagule pressure will often recently. Native to China, Taiwan likely increase. Is it a ticking time and the Philippines, the species was bomb? I wouldn’t wait. I would, at least, mentioned in the first edition ofThe limit future planting of this beautiful, Jepson Manual (1993), but, surprisingly, but suspicious tree. Of course, planting not in the second (2012). However, this only conclusively male individuals species has been recognized as invasive would be also safer. in Australia (New South Wales), central Texas, Oklahoma (riparian corridors M. Rejmánek around Oklahoma City), and North Spontaneous seedling of Chinese pistache. Carolina (Raleigh and Cary). It is freely Photo: M. Rejmánek regenerating along the Hangtown Creek 7