Growing Knowledge

A botanical legacy OSU’s Herbarium shows what grew in in the past — and what may grow here in the future

By Richard R. Halse A herbarium is a collection of dead, dried . All the plants have been pressed flat, then glued onto a sheet of archival quality paper, along with a label, and stored on shelves inside cabi- nets. Labels have information on where, when and who collected the . The Oregon State University Herbarium currently has about 450,000 dead, dried specimens of flowering plants, ferns, pines, algae, mosses, liv- erworts, molds and mushrooms. The emphasis of the collection is on plants found growing naturally in Oregon, but the herbarium also has specimens col- lected from all over the world. Many of the plants represent culti- vated species found growing in flower or vegetable gardens, parks, arboretums and nurseries. Because they are all dead and dried, the plants are low mainte- nance — no water or fertilizer required. The herbarium can be thought of as a kind of library that has plants instead of books. The specimens are actively being used in all types of research, and their scientific value is incalculable.

Reading the leaves Global climate change is being investigated by looking at the dates of flowering times. Research has shown that many plants are flowering earlier in the year than in the past, which may be an indication of global warming. A relatively recent tool in the study of plants is DNA analysis, which can

Figure 1. The OSU Herbarium documents plants that have been found growing naturally in Oregon, ▲ including weeds such as spatulaleaf loosestrife (Lythrum portula). show how closely one group of

An ongoing series provided by Oregon State University in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and in partnership with OAN may 2014 ▲ DIGGER 33 ▲ osu herbarium

plants is related to another group. It can a weed identified you can find instruc- also be used to detect new species. tions at http://plant-clinic.bpp.oregon- DNA can be extracted from many state.edu/plant-weed-identification.] of the plants in the herbarium — even Many of the plants people send in from some plants that were collected are native wildflowers, and some are 50–100 years ago. plants being cultivated in gardens. Herbarium specimens are used to However, most are weeds. The document the distribution and habitat correct identification of weeds can be preferences of rare species. The her- important in determining the appropri- barium also provides the foundation of ate control methods. information used to compile the upcom- ing new flora of Oregon by the Oregon Weeding out the flora Flora Project (www.oregonflora.org). A weed is a plant growing where One of the primary uses of speci- it is not wanted. They are an interesting mens in the herbarium is to aid in and ever-changing part of Oregon’s flora. identifying plants. When a sample has Weeds come and go over time. been tentatively identified, it can be New ones are constantly appearing compared to a named specimen in the on the scene. Most are not native to herbarium. Each year, the herbarium Oregon. For example, Lythrum por- receives several hundred plant samples tula (spatulaleaf loosestrife) was first from people who would like the plant found in Oregon in 1982 in Multnomah Figure 2. Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a noxious weed initially detected in Oregon in 1952. identified by name. [If you want to have County (Fig. 1). It has now spread It has since spread widely throughout the state.

34 may 2014 ▲ DIGGER southward to Coos County and west- ward through the Coast Range to the Oregon Coast. It is an inconspicuous, DIGGER small plant that seems to fit into its hab- itat without attracting much attention. The same cannot be said for its Marketplace relative, Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) (Fig. 2). This plant was first collected in Oregon in Polk County in 1952. It did not attract much notice HOSTETLER and was not even included in a flora of FARM DRAINAGE Oregon published in 1961. The plant seemingly started to 503-266-3584 • Plastic Tubing 3"-24" • Laser Grade spread rapidly in the 1970s. It is now Control • Open Ditch for Buried found from Malheur County westward Irrigation • Plows and Trenches • to the Pacific Ocean beaches in Lincoln Pot-n-Pot Drainage • Oldest Drainage Firm in Oregon • Newest Subsurface Marketplace DIGGER County. Purple loosestrife is listed as Irrigation Techniques a noxious weed in Oregon and most other states in the U.S. Materials and Not all introduced plants become Technical Assistance weedy. heterophyllum (purple Canby, OR Available anther field pepperweed), a member of the mustard family, was first collected in Oregon in Benton County in 1927, then again in 1932 (Fig. 3). The next collections were in 1991 in Linn and Marion counties. Schurter The plant has been collected sporadically in various places since then. So, while Nursery around, it may be difficult to find. Arborvitae–Emerald green Virescens Boxwood Japanese Maples Otto Luyken Skip Laurel Various sizes & Varieties 503-932-8006

Your contribution Supplies for Small Growers today helps SEED STARTING - Pots Trays Inserts prepare the nursery Plug Trays ______industry leaders of OREGON Labels - large variety size, color & tomorrow. NURSERIES shape of blank plant pot & row markers FOUNDATION ______Weed control, fertilizer, tapes & ties, Contact the Oregon Association watering, and more of Nurseries for more information ______http://www.AAAmercantile.com 503.682.5089 or 800.342.6401 http://stores.ebay.com/AAA-Mercantile http://www.amazon.com/shops/AAAmercantile Figure 3. Purple anther field pepperweed (Lepidium heterophyllum) has been sighted in The ONF is a nonprofit 503(c)3 corporation. Donations may be Enter coupon code DIGGER for a 15% discount Oregon, but not that frequently. It was collected tax-deductible; consult a qualified tax attorney or accountant. for a limited time at AAAmercantile.com in 1927, 1932, 1991, and sporadically since then.

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Some native plants can be weedy. Epilobium ciliatum (willow herb), a member of the evening primrose fam- ily, is common in disturbed and wetland habitats throughout Oregon (Fig. 4). It is often sent to the herbarium for iden- tification by nurseries. The seeds of this plant are small, with tufts of hairs at one end; the wind can carry them some dis- tance from their origin. They readily ger- minate and grow in the soil of flats and pots found outside of the greenhouse.

Identification proves daunting Humans have introduced and culti- vated many species of plants in Oregon. Some of these have escaped and become a naturalized part of Oregon’s flora, including such common plants as apple (Malus domestica), sweet cherry (Prunus avium), rye (Secale cereale), honesty Figure 4. Willow herb (Epilobium ciliatum) is a native plant that pops up like a weed at some nurseries. (Lunaria annua), field poppy (Papaver It is common in disturbed landscapes in Oregon.

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36 may 2014 ▲ DIGGER rhoeas) and hazel (Corylus avellana). Other plants may be thought of as waifs; they are rarely found grow- DIGGER ing outside of cultivation, and so far have not established themselves in the wild. This category includes plants such Marketplace as the potato (Solanum tuberosum), oregano (Origanum vulgare), snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) and Australian tree fern (Sphaeropteris cooperi). All of these plants might be considered weeds. Cultivated plants that are sent to the OSU Herbarium for identification /"5*7&/634&3:--$ may cause special problems for many - Over 300 species grown from seed reasons. There are no books that list or - Hard to find natives - Drought tolerant, high elevation provide keys for identification of the

- Quaking Aspen specialists Marketplace DIGGER cultivated plants of Oregon. Some refer- - Highest Quality bareroot seedlings - Containers from 4”-25 gallon ences include keys to aid in the identifi- cation of cultivated plants, but many are quite old. New species of plants from ‘Roots to grow on’ around the world are constantly being Phone: 541-757-6520 Fax: 541-738-2607 brought into cultivation. www.sevenoaksnativenursery.com Ideally, plants sent to the her- barium will have flowers and/or fruits, but sometimes they do not. Samples that are sterile are almost impossible to identify. Sometimes the identification of a cultivar is requested. For example, someone might send in a branch of an apple and want to know if it is a Rome Beauty, a Red Delicious, a Fuji apple or something else. The OSU Herbarium does not have the resources or ability to provide this level of identification. Specimens of Oregon plants have been collected in the past and continue to be collected. These are all added to the herbarium. The samples tell us what plants — whether native, cultivated or weedy — were growing in Oregon in the past. They show which plants are here presently, and may help predict what will be here in the future. These dead, dried plants have become part of Oregon’s botanical ¸(YIVY]P[HL¹ legacy. ¸(YIVY]P[HL¹ Dr. Richard R. Halse is a senior instruc- ¸(YIVY]P[HL¹ tor and curator of the Herbarium in *VU[HPULYHUK) ) the Oregon State University Department of Botany and Plant Pathology. He     can be reached at 541-737-5297 or (PDLO&+1XUVHU\#DROFRP [email protected].

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