Summer 2000 Number 32 Raiding Mother Earth’S Medicine Chest by Deborah White, Senior Botanist
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KENTUCKY STATE NATURE PRESERVES COMMISSION NaturallyNaturally KentuckyKentucky Summer 2000 Number 32 Raiding Mother Earth’s Medicine Chest by Deborah White, Senior Botanist Like most issues where humans are involved, the to build energy and zest, sharpen vision and hearing, in- motivation for herb dealing ranges from severe reverence crease the efficiency of the brain, restore virility and pro- to exploitation. The traditional folk and new wave have long life. It has been a gift from emperors and in some been married into a movement that has resulted in a mil- periods was more valuable by weight than gold. The genus lion dollar industry. Herb collection in parts of Kentucky name Panax is taken from the word for panacea meaning has spanned several generations. This interest in herbs “cure-all.” combined with the challenges of making a living in rural counties have resulted in increased collection for sale to American ginseng occurs throughout the eastern pharmaceutical companies. And this all adds up to im- U.S. and as far west as North Dakota. Appalachian regions pacts to these highly sought native plants. have the strongest traditions in ginseng harvest or “sang” gathering. Responsible sang harvestors did not collect until The two species that have been the most severely the seed was mature, usually around September, and dis- affected by medicinal collecting in Kentucky are American tributed the fruit on the forest floor. Patches would only be ginseng (Panax quinquefolia) and Goldenseal (Hydrastis visited on a rotation, and only certain size plants were taken. americana). While the sale of these herbs is regulated by With the rising price and demand for the root, these tech- federal law, there are no specific laws against collecting on niques that prevented depletion of these plants seem to private land with landowner permission. However, substan- have been forgotten. tial poaching has been reported from Kentucky’s public lands. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports 16,500 pounds The use of goldenseal has also grown. One request of ginseng collected from Kentucky, twice that of any other for approval to sell harvested root from Kentucky (counties state. The price of ginseng has been $400 per pound in include Floyd, Knott, Letcher, Logan, Martin, Pike and the last few years, which is driving the collection frenzy. Trimble) was for a total of 89,000 plants. All parts of the While some ginseng is now farm grown, a premium price is plants are used but, as with ginseng, the roots are thought paid by Asian companies for wild grown roots because their to have the highest medicinal value. Pulverized roots were consumers are looking for roots that look like the human traditionally prepared as a tonic for the treatment of mouth body and are thus thought to have more healing power. sores, eye conditions, blood pressure, and used as a di- Consumers in the U. S. are not so picky (a pack of ginseng uretic. can be bought from the Quickmart counter), but the We have noticed during field work that ginseng and demand has soared. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife goldenseal are seen less frequently and both have been Service calculates the minimum value of wild on KSNPC’s rare plant list at one time. We need to re- Ginseng (primarily ginsing to the state economy view the status of these species and determine whether the two Asiatic species of as $4,535,000. This number the alarming rates of herb collection should be more Panax) has been used in is based on the amount closely monitored. China for thousands of years harvested. This figure is the highest in the nation and twice that of any other state. Page 1 Carl Cook Receives Commission’s Biodiversity Protection Award by Ellis L. Laudermilk, Aquatic Biologist In 1947, eleven years after his encounter with Dr. The Commission has selected Mr. Carl Cook of Garman, Carl published his first scientific paper on Kentucky Center, Kentucky (Metcalfe County), as the fourth recipient and Tennessee dragonflies of the genus Somatochlora. His of our agency’s annual Biological Diversity Protection Award. 1951 paper documented 35 species previously unrecorded in The award, given to a Kentuckian who has contributed the list of Kentucky dragonflies published in 1924 by, you significantly to the protection of guessed it, Dr. Garman. Carl has long been Kentucky’s biological diversity, was recognized as a world authority on the presented to Mr. Cook during the Odonata, and has described or co- Commission’s quarterly meeting on described at least eight species of December 9, 1999. dragonflies and four species of damselflies new to science. While his interests in The story of Carl’s lifelong insects are widespread, his real passion is commitment to biodiversity was for the primarily stream-dwelling dragonfly transformed in 1936 when, at age 10, family called the Gomphidae. He has Carl and his family decided to visit a always generously shared information and popular (at the time) summer resort expertise on rare Kentucky insects with our located in Sulphur Well, Kentucky. Carl agency, and has led several expeditions in was busy collecting butterflies when he search of the rarest dragonflies. His was approached by a gentleman who personal collection of odonates has been inquired about his activities. Carl utilized for the past 50+ years by indicated that he was trying to collect odonatologists, and has been bequethed butterflies for a 4-H project. The to the Florida State Collection of gentleman asked if he had ever Arthropods (home of the International collected any dragonflies, but Carl Odonata Research Institute) at the stated that he didn’t know what University of Florida. dragonflies were. The stranger began pointing them out along the I have had the pleasure of perusing South Fork Little Barren River, some of Carl’s extensive collection, spending time with him in the field which flowed through the Carl Cook - 1999 Biodiversity Winner resort community, and asked in search of rare dragonflies, and if Carl would be willing to observing first-hand his love and collect some for a reward of 10 cents. Carl eagerly agreed, appreciation for Kentucky’s natural bringing him several specimens of the American rubyspot heritage. Sitting on the banks of the Middle Fork Kentucky (Hetaerina americana), now more appropriately referred to River, we talked about the changes in species composition as a damselfly. As it turns out, the stranger was none other he has observed at some of his favorite sites, and what the than Dr. Harrison Garman, a retired University of Kentucky future holds for Kentucky’s dragonfly fauna. Suddenly, Carl entomologist who often visited the resort. This chance exclaimed, “There goes Stylurus plagiatus!” Even in his 70’s, meeting led to what has become a 63-year (and counting) the excitement displayed by Carl in pursuit of a dragonfly is commitment to the dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) unsurpassed. The commissioners and staff extend our sincere of Kentucky and the world. The old, two-story hotels, appreciation to Carl for his lifelong contribution to the delapidated and overgrown with vegetation, still stand today identification and protection of a part of Kentucky’s biological providing a surreal reminder of a bygone era in Kentucky. diversity. Page 2 The Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) of Kentucky: An Annotated Checklist Dr. Charles van Orden Covell, Jr. The first The Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) of Kentucky: An Annotated comprehensive Checklist is the result of nearly 40 years of assimilating data on the checklist of the distribution and abundance of this diverse group of insects in the Commonwealth. Authored by University of Louisville professor, Dr. butterflies and moths Charles van Orden Covell, Jr., the 220 page book includes collection of data for 2,388 butterfly and moth species documented from the state, with special reference given to species found in 68 parks, reserves, or Kentucky other important habitats. Brief comments on the ecology of several species have also been included, but no photographs or color plates were utilized (except a color cover photograph of a male and female Diana Fritillary, Speyeria diana). Of particular interest is the section on the “In fact this is probably the history of butterfly and moth investigations in Kentucky beginning with most complete such checklist a visit to Kentucky by noted British lepidopterist Edward Doubleday in published for any U.S. state.” 1837. Published as part of the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission Scientific and Tech-nical Series (ISSN 1526-4394), copies may be ordered directly from the Commission by making check payable — Paul A. Opler, Ph.D. to “LEPBOOK.” Department of Bioagricultural - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sciences Colorado State University Order Form: The Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) of Kentucky: An Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 Annotated Checklist. AVAILABLE DECEMBER 1999 Please send ______ copies of The Butterflies and Moths (Lepidop-tera) of Kentucky: An Annotated Checklist @ $15.00 per copy + $2.00 shipping and handling for the first copy and $1.00 for each additional copy. Name__________________________________________________ Address________________________________________________ City/State _______________________________ Zip____________ Make check payable to: “LEPBOOK” _____ copies x $15.00 $______ December 1999 Mail to: 220 pages, 8 1/2 x 11 LEPBOOK + 6% KY residents $15.00 paper Kentucky State Nature Preserves sales tax ($0.90/copy) $______ ISBN 0-9673646-5-5. Commission 801 Schenkel LN + shipping $______ Frankfort, KY 40601-1403 Total = $______ Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission Scientific and Technical Series 6 Page 3 DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT by Don Dott It’s hard to believe I already have been with the completed to determine a fair market value for the timber Commission over a year and a half. A lot has happened and and mineral interests that we expect to be sold to the state.