Utah's Mojave Desert Flora

Home , Enceliopsis, Eriophyllum lanosum, Hilaria jamesii, Hilaria rigida, Mojave Desert, Sphaeralcea gierischii

Sego Lily March 2010 33 (2)

March 2010 (volume 33 number 2)

Utah’s Mojave Desert Flora

By Walter Fertig Above: Joshua trees, chollas, creo- snow. Lack of moisture for much sote bush, bur-sage, and other Mo- of the year helps explain the jave Desert shrubs on the flanks of It is no accident that the ―deserted‖ appearance of deserts, the Beaver Dam Mountains. Photo words ―desert‖ and ―deserted‖ share which, with few exceptions, have a by Douglas N. Reynolds. the same origin. Both refer to areas very sparse covering of plants. that seem desolate and empty. High rates of evaporation and cover. High temperatures alone, Ecologists define deserts more pre- transpiration are facilitated by however, do not define deserts, as cisely to include those lands where high temperatures, and not sur- some of the driest areas on Earth are annual rates of evaporation and prisingly most deserts fall within the cold polar deserts of the high transpiration of water by plants ex- latitudes of high solar radiation, arctic and dry valleys of Antarctica. ceeds precipitation from rain and low humidity, and minimal cloud For our purposes, [continued pg 6] Copyright 2010 Utah Native Plant Society. All Rights Reserved. Utah Native Plant Society

Education: Ty Harrison Sego Lily Editor: Walter Fertig Horticulture: Maggie Wolf ([email protected]). The deadline for Invasive Weeds: Susan Fitts the May 2010 Sego Lily is 15 April Rare Plants: Walter Fertig 2010. Scholarship: Bill Gray Copyright 2010 Utah Native Plant So- Chapters and Chapter Presidents ciety. All Rights Reserved Cache: Amy Croft and Michael Piep Cedar City: Marguerite Smith The Sego Lily is a publication of the Officers Escalante: Harriet Priska Utah Native Plant Society, a 501(c)(3) President: Walter Fertig (Kane Co) Fremont: Lisa White not-for-profit organization dedicated Vice President: Kipp Lee (Salt Lake Co) Manzanita: Walter Fertig to conserving and promoting steward- Treasurer: Charlene Homan (Salt Lake Mountain: Mindy Wheeler ship of our native plants. Use of con- Co) Price: Mike Hubbard tent material is encouraged but re- Secretary: Mindy Wheeler (Summit Salt Lake: Marni Ambrose quires permission (except where ex- Co) Southwestern/Bearclaw poppy: Mar- empted by statute) and must be cor- Board Co-Chairs: Bill King (Salt Lake garet Malm rectly credited and cited. Articles, Co) and Dave Wallace (Cache Co) Utah Valley: Celeste Kennard photographs and illustrations submitted to us remain the property of the UNPS Board: Loreen Allphin (Utah Website: For late-breaking news, the submitting individuals or organiza- Co), Robert Fitts (Utah Co), Susan Fitts UNPS store, the Sego Lily archives, tions. Submit permission requests to (Utah Co), Ty Harrison (Salt Lake Co), Chapter events, links to other websites [email protected]. We encourage read- Celeste Kennard (Utah Co), Margaret (including sources of native plants and ers to submit articles for potential Malm (Washington Co), Larry Meyer the digital Utah Rare Plant Field publication. By submitting an article, (Salt Lake Co), Therese Meyer (Salt Guide), and more, go to unps.org. an implicit license is granted to print Lake Co), Leila Shultz (Cache Co), Many thanks to Xmission for the article in the newsletter or other Maggie Wolf (Salt Lake Co). sponsoring our website. UNPS publications for reprint without For more information on UNPS: permission (in print and electronic Committees Contact Bill King (582-0432) or Susan media). When submitting an article, Communications: Larry Meyer Fitts (801-756-6177), or write to please indicate whether it has been Conservation: Bill King and Tony UNPS, PO Box 520041, Salt Lake City, previously published or submitted for Frates UT, 84152-0041 or email consideration to other publications. [email protected]

______spreading the word about native Chapter News Sego Lily plants. With new President Lisa March 2010 White, the chapter has planned Vol. 33, No. 2 many activities over the next few months to get the community in- In this issue: volved and excited about natives. For any of you Facebookers, be sure Utah’s Mojave Desert Flora . . . . 1,6 to fan our new page (search for Fre- Chapter News ...... 2 mont Native Plant Society), and Bulletin Board ...... 3 keep checking back there or on the Annual Rare Plant Meeting UNPS website for upcoming events. Phragmites Workshop The chapter has once again done Wildland Shrub Symposium a calendar as a fund-raiser, and we Purge Your Spurge now have a PayPal account set up so UNPS Life Member Update folks can pay for them online. For Utah Botanica ...... 4 more information (or to purchase a Astragalus equisolensis back on calendar!) contact Janet Nielson at BLM Sensitive list [email protected]. As another White Dome Update way to raise funds, chapter members Zion National Park Pulls into are again offering spring yard clean- The Lead on Plant Species up services to anyone who would Richness Escalante (Garfield County): like us to come get their landscapes What’s in a Name? Hilaria . . . . . 5 On Tuesday, April 13, Walter Fer- in tip-top shape. Penstemon grahamii and Pen- tig will speak about the Deer Creek Aside from weeding and main- stemon scariosus var. albi- bio-blitz held near Boulder in taining the native plant gardens the fluvis on Oil Shale ...... 10 2007-2008. chapter has planted over the past Department of Corrections: couple of years, members will be Update on Erigeron glabellus . 11 Fremont (Richfield area): The going on hikes, having campouts, Fremont Chapter is going strong participating in fairs and festivals, 2 Sego Lily March 2010 33 (2) and having wonderful food at pot- Bulletin Board luck meetings. The chapter is also trying to get local schools involved Utah Annual Rare Plant Task Force Meeting, March 9-10, 2010: in many of the activities, and is Red Butte Garden and the Utah Native Plant Society are sponsoring this working with science teachers at all year’s state rare plant meeting. The main meeting is on Tuesday, March 9th levels to try and get natives into from 8:30 AM to 5 PM and will be held at the Fort Douglas Officer’s Club on their curriculum. - Lisa White the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City (this was the same site as our 2008 meeting). This meeting will include talks and posters on various Manzanita (Kane County): On topics related to rare plants and plant conservation biology in Utah and the Monday, March 8, Carolyn Shelton region. There is a registration fee of $15 for the Tuesday meeting which in- (a.k.a. Professor CZ Shelton, certi- cludes lunch and free parking. To register, see an updated agenda, find a fied botano-therapist) will dust off map to the meeting site, or sign up to give a presentation, see the Red Butte her lab coat for another entertaining Garden website (www.redbuttegarden. org/conservation/RPTF) or contact performance as she discusses Com- Rita (rita.dodge@ redbutte.utah.edu) or Kipp (Kipp_Lee@ comcast.net). panion Plantings. Regular Manza- On Wednesday, March 9th rare plant enthusiasts can participate in a nita meeting attendees may recall working group meeting on revising the 2009 UNPS rare plant list Professor Shelton’s previous one (published in the November 2009 issue of the Sego Lily and available on the woman, off Broadway show about UNPS website as a downloadable excel file). This meeting will be held at ―Sex in the Garden‖ a few years ago. Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City from 9 In her new presentation, the Prof Am-12 PM. Rather than go through the entire list from A-Z, we plan to only will describe garden plants that discuss those species for which there is new information or which may need work well together to ward off insect a change in status. pests, attract pollinators, and look good at the same time. The meeting Phragmites Workshop, March 10: The US Fish and Wildlife Service, will be held in the Grand Staircase Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah State University, and Bear Lake Visitor Center at 7 PM. Watch are sponsoring a one-day workshop on the Common reed Our April meeting will be on (Phragmites australis) at the Bear River Bird Refuge, Brigham City, UT Tuesday, April 6 at 7 PM and feature from 10 AM to 3 PM. Dr. Karin Kettenring from USU will be on hand to retired Forest Service fire ecologist discuss new research on differentiating native vs non-native strains of Com- Roger Hoverman speaking on wild- mon reed, its spread, and possible control mechanisms. For more informa- land fire and prevention measures.– tion or to RSVP, contact [email protected]. W. Fertig 16th Wildland Shrub Symposium, May 18-20, Utah State Univer- Utah Valley: We are starting sity: Since 1983 the Shrub Research Consortium (a group of 27 different Plants and Preschoolers in April. institutions) has sponsored meetings of researchers and land managers in- On Thursday, April 8th at 10 AM we terested in shrubland ecology. This year’s theme is ―Threats to Shrubland will be hiking up the main trailhead Ecosystem Integrity: Linking Research and Management‖. The meeting will in Rock Canyon. If you are coming include invited keynote speakers, six concurrent technical sessions, a poster from Salt Lake, get off I-15 at Uni- session, and field trips. For information on submitting an abstract, registra- versity Parkway and follow it until tion, and accommodations, go to http://wss2010.usu.edu/. you are near BYU and turn east onto 2230N which becomes 2200N until Purge Your Spurge and Native Plant Sale, May 15, 10 Am-3 PM: you get to North Temple Dr On May 15 the Salt Lake County Weed Program, Bonneville CWMA, Salt (2300N), then follow this east to the Lake Conservation District, and Utah Native Plant Society invite you to the parking lots at the trailhead. The 4th annual ―Purge Your Spurge‖ event. Don’t miss out on this great oppor- road makes a sharp turn to the tunity to rid your landscape of the garden thug, Myrtle spurge (a.k.a. Don- south and becomes Foothill Drive. keytail spurge or Euphorbia myrsinites) and receive 5 free native plants Do not turn south—just head from the Intermountain West in exchange. After receiving your free plants, straight into Rock Canyon. There is consider adding to your landscape by purchasing companion plants from a Utah Heritage Garden just as you our native plant sale. enter the parking lot. Drive to the Bring your bagged Myrtle spurge to the Salt Lake REI located at 3285 top parking lot near the restrooms. East 3300 South on May 15 from 10 AM to 3 PM. For more information Utah Valley will be hosting a trip contact the Salt Lake City Weed Program at 801-468-2861 or on the web at to Price Recreation Area the first www.weeds.slco.org. For a list of plants available at the native plant sale, go weekend in June. On June 5th, we to the Salt Lake Conservation District website at will be hiking to some Bristlecone www.saltlakeconservation.org or call Noelle at 801-542-8208. pines on a trip led by Kim Despain. More details to follow in the next UNPS Life Member Update: UNPS board member Ty Harrison became issue of the Sego Lily, or by contact- the society’s 36th life member in December 2009. Thank you, Ty. ing me at [email protected] —Celeste Kennard

3 Utah Native Plant Society Utah Botanica Odds and Ends from Utah Botany

Astragalus equisolensis back if populations trend downward or species, 999 to 991 (Glen Canyon on BLM Sensitive list: As re- habitat is lost. The BLM action National Recreation was a distant ported in the September 2008 issue means that on-going and future third with 889 species). of the Sego Lily, Horseshoe milk- development actions on BLM- Now that the dust has settled on vetch (Astragalus equisolensis) was administered lands (including the 2009 field season, Zion National dropped as an official candidate for mineral leases) will need to con- Park has emerged as the new and potential listing under the Endan- sider the needs of this species be- undisputed champion. Twenty-one gered Species Act in 2006. This nar- fore moving forward. new species were discovered in row endemic of the Uinta Basin in 2009 and another 12 new species for NE Utah and adjacent NW Colorado White Dome Update: The the park came to light from exami- is known from an estimated 10,000 Nature Conservancy recently pur- nation of unmounted specimens plants and is threatened by habitat chased another 161 acres of White from the Zion herbarium. With a loss from ongoing oil and natural Dome from the School and Institu- net increase of 32 species (cor- gas exploration and development. tional Trust Lands Administration recting for one false report), Zion Although candidate status does not (SITLA). The White Dome Pre- now has 1023 confirmed and re- confer the same legal protection as serve is located south of St. George ported vascular plant taxa, of which actual listing as Threatened or En- on the Arizona state line and is a 871 are native species. dangered, land management agen- gypsum-rich desert site that pro- Exotic species make up a large cies typically attempt to minimize vides habitat for two federally component of the new species for activities that might harm candi- listed rare plants, the Dwarf bear- the park. Ryan Meszaros and col- dates and lead to their official listing claw poppy (Arctomecon humilis) leagues from Northern Arizona Uni- by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. and Siler’s pincushion cactus versity documented a number of With its candidate status lost, (Pediocactus sileri) as well as introduced species in the Crater Hill Horseshoe milkvetch was potentially many other uncommon Mojave and Kolob Terrace areas of Zion off the radar screen in planning and plants and animals. More land while monitoring the recovery of implementing energy projects in the remains to be purchased by TNC vegetation following recent wild- Uinta Basin. and the Utah Department of fires. Among their discoveries were Transportation toward the ulti- Forage kochia (Bassia prostrata), mate goal of an 800 acre preserve Common sow-thistle (Sonchus ol- that will not only protect rare plant eraceus), Wild oats (Avena fatua habitat but also provide open var. fatua), Chilean chess (Bromus space in the growing St. George trinii), and Grain sorghum (Sor- area. Plans to construct a series of ghum bicolor). I found some other walking trails and educational exotics in trailside settings and at signs in the preserve are still being the East Entrance burn, including developed. TNC is also working to Redroot pigweed (Amaranthus ret- purchase additional SITLA acreage roflexus), Holosteum (Holosteum in the vicinity to protect the En- umbellatum), and two alien alys- dangered Holmgren’s milkvetch sums (A. desertorum and A. par- (Astragalus holmgreniorum). viflorum). Park vegetation and fire staff also recorded Common hack- Zion National Park Pulls into berry (Celtis occidentalis) and Hi- malayan blackberry (Rubus dis- the Lead on Plant Species color). Richness: In the July 2009 is- Not all the new plants were exot- sue of Sego Lily, I reported on the ics, however. Among the natives relative species richness of Utah’s were Desert milkweed (Asclepias 14 national parks, monuments, erosa), Wright’s perezia (Acourtia recreation areas, and historic sites wrightii), Woolly desert-marigold In June 2009, the Utah state managed by the National Park Ser- (Baileya pleniradiata), Greasewood BLM stepped in and added Horse- vice and the Bureau of Land Man- (Sarcobatus vermiculatus), Fluff- shoe milkvetch back to the bureau’s agement’s National Landscape weed (Filago californica), and official list of state Sensitive plant Conservation System. At that Grand Valley desert trumpet (Eriog- species. Sensitive species are those time, Grand Staircase-Escalante onum inflatum var. fusiforme). identified by the BLM that might National Monument held a slim What additional discoveries await in qualify for listing as Threatened or lead over Zion National Park in the 2010? - Walter Fertig Endangered in the future, especially total number of documented 4 Sego Lily March 2010 33 (2)

Galleta or Hilaria (Pleuraphis) What’s in a Name: jamesii is the most common and widespread of the Hilaria species in Hilaria the United States, where it ranges from southern Wyoming and north- By Walter Fertig ern Nevada to southern California, northern Mexico, and southwestern Kansas. It is especially abundant in desert grasslands and rocky canyons of southern Utah, Arizona, and New Left: Galleta (Hilaria jamesii) from Chase Mexico. As a warm season or ―C4‖ (1950). The spike-like inflorescence of Hi- perennial grass, Galleta is more wa- laria consists of clusters or fascicles of three ter efficient than many grasses, and spikelets (bottom right) with two staminate so can photosynthesize at high tem- spikelets on either side of a one-flowered, peratures and under relatively seed-bearing pistillate spikelet. The whole droughty conditions. The species unit falls from the grass stem as one, expos- also flowers and produces seed in ing the distinctively zigzag shaped stalk. As grasses go, Galleta is one of the showiest mid-summer rather than spring, native species, especially when the spikelets and so tends to be less impacted by are fully opened. winter and spring grazing than ―cool season‖ grasses. Galleta provides nutritious forage for native herbivores and domestic livestock when it is green, but is less palatable once its curly leaves have dried and cured. Galleta is nonetheless an important range grass and tends to be more Depending on the author- tolerant of heavy grazing than many ity, between seven and ten other natives. species are currently recog- Big galleta (Hilaria rigida) re- nized in the genus Hilaria. places Galleta over much of the Mo- These species are found pri- jave Desert. In protected situations marily in the deserts of the it can form dense clumps with stems southwestern United States over 3 feet tall. Although the flowers and Mexico but some taxa of the two galletas are very similar, extend south to Central H. rigida can be easily recognized There is nothing funny America and Venezuela. As a by its white-woolly leaf sheaths about the name Hilaria. It group, the Hilarias can be recog- (those of H. jamesii are glabrous). commemorates the 19th century nized by their distinctive, spike-like In Utah, Big galleta occurs com- French naturalist and author Au- inflorescence consisting of clusters monly on the rocky slopes of the guste Saint-Hilaire. From 1816- of three spikelets at each node. Beaver Dam Mountains and in some 1822 Saint-Hilaire traveled exten- The outer pair of spikelets contains areas is the dominant grass. It can sively in South America and staminate flowers, while the cen- also grow among Joshua trees, Creo- amassed nearly 60,000 specimens tral spikelet produces a single, sote bush, Blackbrush, and other of vascular plants, insects, birds, seed-bearing pistillate flower. warm desert scrub species. Accord- mammals, and other animals. Most When mature, the cluster of fuzzy ing to the Utah Flora Big galleta is of these collections represented spe- flowers is surprisingly showy for a restricted to Washington County, cies that were new to science. Saint- wind-pollinated species. The but Mary Barkworth and colleagues Hilaire co-authored an early flora of flower clusters fall as a unit when also include San Juan County in its Brazil along with works on plant the seed ripens, revealing the dis- range in their recent Manual of geography, morphology and a popu- tinctive zigzag pattern of the upper Grasses for North America. lar account of his travels across stem. True Hilaria species have In warm climates, Galleta is South America. German botanist the hardened, outermost bracts of sometimes grown in reclamation Carl Sigismund Kunth (of Hum- the three spikelets fused at the base projects or as an alternative to a boldt, Bonpland, and Kunth fame) into a cup and are called vine mes- Kentucky bluegrass lawn. Once es- was a contemporary of Saint-Hilaire quites. Other species with more tablished it needs little water and and also worked extensively in membranous and unfused bracts can withstand heavy foot traffic. It South America in the early 1800s. are sometimes segregated into the can even out-compete weedy annu- Kunth honored St. Hilaire by nam- genus Pleuraphis and include the als in well-drained sites and facili- ing the new grass genus Hilaria af- grasses commonly called galleta tate the recovery of other native spe- ter him. and tobosa. cies. And that is no laughing matter.

5 Utah Native Plant Society

Utah’s Mojave Desert Flora [continued from page 1] though, deserts can be defined as Elements of the distinctive Mojave Above: Limey sandstone in the Beaver hot, dry, arid lands with minimal flora creep northward to the base Dam Mountains support the yellow- cover of plant life. of the Bull Valley and Pine Valley rayed Baird’s nakedstem (Enceliopsis Biogeographers typically recog- mountains where it merges with nudicaulis var. bairdii) and a variety of low shrubs and bunchgrasses. Photo by nize five major desert areas in the the Great Basin Desert. To the Douglas N. Reynolds. lower 48 states, three of which occur east, the Hurricane Fault forms a in Utah. Two of these, the Great good boundary between the floras Basin and Colorado Plateau, are of the Mojave and the Colorado pulses: winter and a summer mon- considered ―cold deserts‖, an oxy- Plateau. Outside of Utah, the Mo- soon. The Mojave differs in primar- moron perhaps, but relevant in that jave abuts the Sonoran Desert of ily having winter rain , though occa- winter temperatures are commonly southeast California, southern Ari- sionally snow will fall at higher ele- below freezing and much of the zona, and northwestern Mexico. vations and a slight monsoon effect year’s precipitation comes in the The only desert it does not border may be present in the eastern Mo- form of snow. By contrast, the is the Chihuahuan which is cen- jave. These differences in the timing state’s third desert, the Mojave, is a tered in north-central Mexico, of precipitation, coupled with varia- ―warm desert‖ characterized by rela- southern New Mexico, and west- tions in soil, bedrock geology, and tively mild winters and most pre- ern Texas. At 140,000 square km, base elevation account for the floris- cipitation coming as rain. the Mojave is the smallest desert in tic differences between the major The Mojave Desert extends from North America. warm desert types. south central California and south- Like the Mojave, the Chihua- The Chihuahuan is dominated by ern Nevada to extreme southwestern huan and Sonoran deserts are clas- Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) Utah and northwestern Arizona. In sified as warm deserts. The Chi- and Tarbush (Flourensia cernua), Utah, the Mojave is essentially re- huahuan is distinctive in that the an aromatic, fall-flowering shrub stricted to the vicinity of St. George, majority of its rainfall comes in the with sticky leaves in the sunflower the Beaver Dam Mountains and summer months. In the Sonoran family. Desert grasslands were an Beaver Dam Wash to the west. desert, rain comes in two seasonal historically important component, 6 Sego Lily March 2010 33 (2) though their abundance has dimin- ished in recent decades. A high number of summer annuals occur in the Chihuahuan Desert in response to the seasonality of its rainfall. Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) is often considered the signature species of the Sonoran Desert (especially in the highlands of Arizona), but other dominant species include Creosote bush, White bur sage (Ambrosia dumosa), Blue palo verde (Cercidium floridum), and Teddybear cholla (Opuntia bige- lovii). Because of its two main periods of rainfall, winter and summer annuals are abundant in the Sono- ran Desert. Due to its geographic location, the Mojave has floristic elements of the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, and Sonoran deserts. Some ecolo- Above: Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) underground by creeping rhizomes gists have questioned whether the is one of the signature plants of the and the spacing of plants may be Mojave should even be recognized Mojave Desert. It is unusual in the due to toxic secretions that prevent as a biological region distinct from Yucca genus (and among monocots in new plants from growing in the gaps the Great Basin at its north end or general) for its tree-like growth form between shrubs. Clones of Creosote the Sonoran at its southern bound- and clusters of relatively short leaves bush tend to grow outward in a ring ary. Floristically, however, the Mo- (the specific epithet brevifolia means from their point of origin, reminis- jave Desert has more than 200 en- short leaf). In many years Joshua cent of the ―fairy rings‖ of mush- demic annual plants (found no- trees produce dense spikes of creamy rooms. Some clones have been aged where else). Dr. Steven Mc- white flowers in late March or April. Photo from the Beaver Dam slope by to 9000 years, making Creosote Laughlin of the University of Ari- W. Fertig. bush one of the most long-lived of zona recently conducted a Principle all plants. Components Analysis of species lists (Pinus monopylla) and Utah juni- Geneticists have also discovered from across the western US that per (Junip-erus osteosperma) at that Creosote bush populations in confirmed the existence of a distinc- higher elevations. In Utah, Joshua the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihua- tive Mojavian floristic component. tree is largely restricted to the huan deserts differ in base chromo- Centered in south-central California, slopes of the Beaver Dam Moun- some number. Chihuahuan plants the Mojave element defines the flora tains and adjacent outwash plains have a base of N = 13 chromosomes, of the Mojave Desert and influences (plants in St. George itself were while those of the Sonoran Desert species composition of adjacent ar- planted). Much of this area are double (N = 26) and the Mohave eas. burned in 2005 from lightning- are triple (N = 39). Morphologi- In terms of vegetation, the caused fires that spread rapidly cally, the shrubs also differ between boundaries of the Mojave Desert through the unnaturally dense un- the deserts, with Chihuahuan plants closely matches the native range of derstory of introduced annual generally having a V-shaped form Johsua tree (Yucca brevifolia). grasses. and Mojave plants being rounded Named for its outstretched arms Creosote bush occurs in all of (Sonoran plants are intermediate). that reminded pioneer settlers of the the warm deserts of North Amer- Perhaps the most unusual feature biblical story of Joshua wildly ges- ica but is conspicuously absent of the Mojave Larrea plants is the ticulating in the direction of the from the Great Basin and the Colo- orientation of their leaves. All Creo- Promised Land, Joshua tree is the rado Plateau. In the Mojave, Creo- sote bush leaves have a characteris- most arborescent of all the Yuccas of sote bush is the dominant species tic butterfly-like shape, with the leaf North America. Joshua tree forests of lower bajada slopes and rocky divided into 2 wedge-shaped seg- typically occur on the midslopes of valley bottoms, especially where ments tilted towards each other at a rocky colluvial fans or bajadas that soils are well-aerated and non- slight angle (much like the half-open form below steeper limestone- saline. Stands of Creosote bush wings of a lepidopteran). In the Mo- sandstone bedrock outcrops. It is are often remarkably uniform, jave, Creosote bush leaves generally found mostly at higher elevations in with individual shrubs evenly face towards the southeast, and can the Mojave Desert and becomes re- spaced rather than clumped (as provide a compass of sorts for those placed by the ubiquitous Creosote most plant species usually are). who are lost. bush on lower slopes and valley bot- Creosote plants are connected toms and by Single-leaf pinyon 7 Utah Native Plant Society

desert riparian vegetation. Stream- sides and seeps may be lined by forests of Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), Velvet ash (Fraxinus velutina), Goodding's willow (Salix gooddingii), Red willow (S. laevigata), Coyote willow (S. exigua), and Seep-willow (Baccharis sp., not really a willow, but a relative of sagebrush and rabbitbrush). Es- tablishment of cottonwood and willow forests is strongly linked with periodic major flooding events which create barren, alluvial ter- races suitable for seedling establish- ment. Tamarisk (Tamarix chinen- sis), an introduced species, has dis- placed native riparian vegetation over much of the desert. An estimated 2400 vascular plant species occur in the Mojave, of which nearly 1000 range into southwestern Utah. The rich diversity of Mojave species contributes to Wash- ington County having the highest vascular plant species richness of any county in the state. Many of the Mojave species are uncommon in Utah, because they occur at the very edge of their main range (what are Above: Creosote bush (Larrea triden- soils that overlie a subterranean often called peripheral species for tata) is one of the predominant species hardpan or caliche layer. Often being at the periphery of their distri- of the warm deserts of the Southwest, composed of calcium carbonate, bution, not for being unimportant). including the Mojave. It can be recog- the stone-like caliche layer re- nized by its bright yellow 5-petaled Other rare Mojave taxa have limited stricts water and root penetration. flowers that yield white-fuzzy round global distributions centered on fruits and the distinctive “butterfly White bur-sage (Ambrosia southwest Utah or adjacent parts of wing” leaves covered by shiny resin. dumosa), wolfberry (Lycium spp.), Arizona and Nevada. These so- Photo by W. Fertig. Nevada ephedra (Ephedra ne- called endemic species include sev- vadensis) and various cacti may be eral that are listed as Threatened or The sticky foliage of Larrea tri- dominant or co-dominant with Endangered (like the Dwarf bear- dentata imparts the characteristic Creosote bush on gravelly colluvial claw poppy, Arctomecon humilis aroma of the Mojave Desert. It is fans and valley bottoms. Low- and Holmgren milkvetch, Astraglus also irresistible to a number of de- lying areas with fine-textured sa- holmgreniorum) or are candidates sert insects, including several line soils support communities for listing (such as Gierisch’s globe- moths, midges, and other bugs that dominated by various shrubby mallow, Sphaeralcea gierischii). are largely dependent upon the members of the goosefoot family The great diversity of plant spe- plant for their livelihood. One of the (Chenopodiaceae), including cies in the harsh Mojave Desert more interesting of these insects is Shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), might seem perplexing given the the Lac Scale which forms the black Fourwing saltbush (A. canescens), great challenge all species face in gummy bands commonly seen on and Winterfat (Krascheninnikovia deriving adequate moisture from a Creosote bush twigs. During World lanata). Many of the shrubby generally parched landscape. But War II scientists studied the poten- chenopods are able to grow in soils desert plants have several tricks to tial use of this gum as a replacement with a high salt content that inhib- help them cope. These can be boiled for shellac when supplies from its moisture uptake for most down to three main strategies: Burma were cut off due to the Japa- plants. Chenopods are able to re- avoid, ignore, and adapt. nese occupation. move excess salt from their inter- Avoiders grow, flower, and set Differences in landscape position nal fluids to retain a functioning seed only during those times follow- and soil properties help explain the osmotic balance. When nibbled, ing heavy winter or summer rains. distribution of other important these species have a salty flavor. The best known of the avoiders are vegetation types in the Utah Mojave. In those rare areas with peren- the several hundred species of annu- Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosis- nial water, the Mojave can support als that germinate, grow, flower, set sima) is abundant on a variety of seed, and die all within one growing 8 Sego Lily March 2010 33 (2) season. Nearly 38% of all plant species in the Utah Mojave Desert em- ploy this strategy. Annuals are especially common in the spring following an atypically moist winter, when they may carpet bare ground with their colorful flowers. A smaller subset of Mojave annuals respond to rarer summer moisture events. In dry years annuals may be quite uncommon or even fail to emerge, per- sisting underground as seeds. Some perennial plants also act like annuals in that they remain below ground during unfavorable years as dormant bulbs, corms, or roots. They may flower in profusion following a wet winter, but do not typically complete their life cycle and die in the weeks immediately following their emergence. An ex- ception are some of the monocarpic water loss and may also protect Above: Woolly eriohphyllum perennials, like Utah century-plant themselves from further evapora- (Eriophyllum lanosum), a common annual of the Utah Mojave Desert. Photo (Agave utahensis) that only flower tion by being coated in waterproof waxes or dense hairs, orienting by Laura Fertig. once following extended periods of vegetative growth (though not for a their leaves away from maximal exposure to the sun, and having water less likely. century) and then die after expend- Despite all of these adaptations, ing all of their food reserves on a light, reflective coloration. Many species will even shed their leaves life is still a challenge for the plant massive fruit and seed crop. species of the Mojave Desert. Their Ignorers are a small subset of in mid-summer to reduce water loss. Such species often have survival has only gotten more diffi- mostly perennial species that occur cult in recent years with the advance where water is available at or near green stems that take the place of leaves as the main surface for con- of civilization. Extensive areas of the surface or within reach of their habitat have been lost to new devel- deep roots. These species include ducting photosynthesis. Cacti have taken leaf reduction opment as St. George and other cit- cottonwoods, willows, seep-willows, ies have grown and spread. Expand- Catclaw acacia (Acacia greggii), to the extreme. The protective spines of most cacti are the only ing populations bring increasing Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis), demand for outdoor recreation and Honey mesquite (Prosopis glandu- remnants of their former leaves. The swollen stems of the cactus are impacts on fragile desert soils from losa), and various cattails, grasses, off-road vehicles and mountain and forbs restricted to perennial green for photosynthesis and also store moisture for later use. This bikes. Increased disturbance facili- streams and springs. Ignorers don’t tates the invasion of exotic annual technically possess adaptations to water is held within fibrous and gummy tissue. It is only in B weeds, such as Mediterranean and persist drought conditions and can- Arabian grass (Schismus barbatus not survive in areas where water is Western movies that one can pro- cure drinking water by slicing a and S. arabicus), Red brome no longer available. (Bromus rubens), Filaree (Erodium The adapters are plants that have cactus in half! Many desert grasses and cicutarium), and Sahara mustard evolved physiological or anatomical (Brassica tournefortii). These ag- defenses to minimize water loss. shrubby members of the goosefoot family have developed an alterna- gressive species compete with native The most common trait of adapters annuals for water, nutrients, and is the reduction of leaf size. In wet tive photosynthetic system to more efficiently absorb carbon dioxide space and often provide less cover or climates, plants tend to maximize nourishment for desert wildlife. their leaf area so as to capture more from the atmosphere while reduc- ing water loss. These ―C4‖ plants Worse still, the dense growth of an- sunlight for photosynthesis. Big nuals provides tinder for summer leaves are a severe handicap in the (shorthand for the four-carbon sugars used in their version of wildfires, like those that consumed desert as their large surface area and much of the Joshua tree forest in the abundant stomates (microscopic photosynthesis, as compared to the three-carbon sugars used by Beaver Dams in 2005. holes in the leaf surface for taking Get out and enjoy the Mojave up atmospheric gases) are prone to most ―C3‖ plants) are able to capture atmospheric gases during the wildflowers this spring, but remem- severe evaporation of water and po- ber, their continued survival may tential over-heating. Desert plants night when air temperatures are cooler and evaporation of precious depend on each of us lending a typically have small leaves to reduce hand. 9 Utah Native Plant Society

Penstemon grahamii and Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis on Oil Shale

By Robert and Susan Fitts

Surveys for Penstemon grahamii have been conducted for the past three years by the Utah Natural Heritage Program and Red Butte Gardens. P. grahamii had been a candidate for listing as an Endan- gered species for many years but was recently dropped from the candidate list by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The renewed inter- est in mining oil shale has led to a lawsuit for listing the species, and the BLM has sponsored surveys by Red Butte Gardens, while the En- dangered Species Mitigation Fund, Uintah County and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service have funded the Utah Natural Heritage Program surveys. We began the Heritage Pro- gram surveys in 2007 near Park Canyon and Evacuation Creek near the Colorado – Utah border, where geologic maps showed the most oil shale. Penstemon grahamii had been mapped there in the 1980’s. We found them in most of the known locations and many other sites. In 2008 we surveyed canyons south of the White River and found Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis and Penstemon grahamii with other unique Uinta Basin plants: Aquile- gia barnebyi, Astragalus lutosus, and Eriogonum ephedroides. Penstemon grahamii is a peren- years 2004 to 2005. Penstemon nial. The waxy blue leaves of the Above: White River penstemon rosettes can be found at all times of (Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis) scariosus var. albifluvis also showed the year. Our first experience look- from the Uinta Basin. By Robert and signs of damage: 18% in 2008 and ing for Penstemon grahamii was in Susan Fitts. 42% in 2009. October. We traveled to the site Dark layers of oil shale are often where Red Leaf Resources would seen near colonies of Penstemon demonstrate their technique for ex- study; 46% for 2007 and 2008 and grahamii. The Heritage program tracting shale oil. The Penstemon 44% for 2009. This is surprising surveys were in the plateau and can- grahamii flower stalks were brown, considering we were looking in yon landscape south of the White and the seeds had fallen but the different places each year. It is not River. The dark oil shale layers are leaves stood out against the white unusual to see Penstemon gra- found in the cliffs just below the shale chips of the Green River For- hamii rosettes with flower stalks mation. canyon rims, in the eroding slopes from the previous year, but no In May, large pink flowers ap- below the cliffs, and on the white pear. The flowers are glorious, but flowers at all in the present year. knolls of the Green River Formation. the green rosettes stand in contrast Insects and mammals feed on the The Mahogany layer is the thickest to barren soil and are often spotted plants. Red Butte Gardens kept oil shale layer, and is found near the before the flowers. The ratio of track of the number of plants dam- top of cliffs in the White River area. flowering plants to rosettes was aged by herbivores. The number Thinner layers of oil shale are found nearly the same for the past three ranged from 4.7% to 68% in the in the steep slopes below the cliffs. years of the Heritage Program 10 Sego Lily March 2010 33 (2)

Walking along the canyon rims above the Mahogany layer is the easiest way to find Penstemon grahamii. For some reason, the points on the canyon cliffs seem to be especially good habitat for Penstemon grahamii. Other good places to look include the heads of small canyons, along shelves of oil shale on eroding slopes, saddles in ridgelines, and low white knolls. Over six thousand Penstemon grahamii plants were found in the canyons south of the White River by the Heritage Pro- gram surveyors in 2008 and 2009. Many more were also located in the Evacuation Creek area by Red Butte Gardens and the Utah Natural Heri- tage Program. This is significant in that a previous estimate of Penste- mon grahamii numbers was about six thousand total. Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis is also found south of the White River. In fact the name albifluvis means White River. It was named Department of Corrections: by Larry England of the US Fish and Update on Erigeron glabellus Wildlife Service. The two Penste- mon species have their own favorite habitats, and Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis often grows in areas with some sandstone where no oil In our January 2010 issue, Tony shale can be seen. It is common to Frates described his re-discovery of find it along dry waterways. It Smooth fleabane (Erigeron glabel- grows in places with pinkish-colored lus) in Salt Lake County. Two as- rock chips and emerges from talus tute readers questioned whether on steep slopes, where it would be the photo on page 4 of the issue unusual to find Penstemon gra- was actually E. glabellus or one of hamii. Penstemon scariosus var. the other tall, aster-like daisies. albifluvis is blue, but we found a few Closer inspection of the photo sug- specimens of beautiful white flower- gests that it actually depicts three ing plants along the Colorado bor- individuals of Erigeron speciosus, der. It is taller than Penstemon gra- which can be distinguished by their hamii and always stands out in its leafier stems. The photo at right habitat. was provided by Tony but was left After nice camping in May, on the cutting room floor during swarms of mosquitoes, gnats, and final production of the issue. It no-see-ums descended on us in comes from the same area that June. We had to resort to head nets, Tony described and is a better ex- long sleeves, and gloves for survey- ample of true E. glabellus. My ing, camping, and even eating. apologies for not catching this be- Other endemic plants in the area, fore the January issue was final- including Aquilegia barnebyi, ized. Eriogonum ephedroides, and Astra- While on the subject of daisies, galus lutosus, seem to grow right reader Peter Lesica from Missoula, along with Penstemon grahamii. Montana provided another photo of Smooth fleabane (above) that he calls ―Have a nice daisy‖.—W. Fer- tig

11 Utah Native Plant Society

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