Sego Lily May 2010 33 (3)

May 2010 (volume 33 number 3)

In this issue:

Beckwith‘s Violet Fever ...... 1, 5 Chapter News ...... 2 Bulletin Board ...... 4 UNPS State Board Meeting and Kanab Creek Botanical Foray Beckwith‘s Violet, Bonneville Violet, and Emigration Market (1942-2010) ...... 6 More Beckwith‘s Violet News . . . 7 The and the ...... 8 Botanica ...... 11 Forest Service Updates Sensitive List

Cover: Beckwith’s violet (Viola beckwithii) is the only native Utah violet with ternately compound leaves (with the main divisions fur- ther divided into narrow segments) and white and purple petals. The species occurs widely across the Great Basin but is rare and declin- ing in northern Utah as its foothills habitat is displaced by urban growth. Photo by Steve Hegji.

Beckwith’s Violet Fever

By Steve Hegji had been discovered in 2004 by Only the small population in Red Robert Fitts. Two members of the Butte Garden (discovered in 2008) This year, Viola beck- Weber State University Botany is known for sure in Salt Lake department, Blake Wellard and County. withii fever hit the Wasatch Beckwith‘s violet is primarily a Margaret Harris, following up on a Great Basin plant, found in Califor- Front. No doubt this was triggered Weber State College Herbarium nia, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and by Tony Frates's excellent presenta- specimen label, rediscovered a Utah. Development along the Wa- tion on V. beckwithii at a Salt Lake population in northern Weber satch Front in Utah has eliminated Chapter meeting in early March. I county. A number of other UNPS most of the violet‘s natural habitat. caught the fever and have concen- members have been trying to lo- The known Utah populations are trated on visiting a Utah county cate other populations this Spring. vulnerable and could disappear at population near Spanish Fork that any time. Blake [continued pg 5] 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 July 2010 Sego Lily is 15 June Rare : 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) Salt Lake: Marni Ambrose tent material is encouraged but re- Secretary: Mindy Wheeler (Summit Southwestern/Bearclaw poppy: Mar- quires permission (except where ex- Co) garet Malm empted by statute) and must be cor- Board Co-Chairs: Bill King (Salt Lake Utah Valley: Celeste Kennard rectly credited and cited. Articles, Co) and Dave Wallace (Cache Co) photographs and illustrations submit- Website: For late-breaking news, the ted to us remain the property of the UNPS Board: Loreen Allphin (Utah UNPS store, the Sego Lily archives, submitting individuals or organiza- Co), Robert Fitts (Utah Co), Susan Fitts Chapter events, links to other websites tions. Submit permission requests to (Utah Co), Ty Harrison (Salt Lake Co), (including sources of native plants and [email protected]. We encourage read- Celeste Kennard (Utah Co), Margaret the digital Utah Rare Plant Field ers to submit articles for potential Malm (Washington Co), Larry Meyer Guide), and more, go to unps.org. publication. By submitting an article, (Salt Lake Co), Therese Meyer (Salt Many thanks to Xmission for an implicit license is granted to print Lake Co), Leila Shultz (Cache Co), sponsoring our website. the article in the newsletter or other Maggie Wolf (Salt Lake Co). For more information on UNPS: UNPS publications for reprint without Contact Bill King (582-0432) or Susan permission (in print and electronic Committees Fitts (801-756-6177), or write to media). When submitting an article, Communications: Larry Meyer UNPS, PO Box 520041, Salt Lake City, please indicate whether it has been Conservation: Bill King and Tony UT, 84152-0041 or email previously published or submitted for Frates [email protected] consideration to other publications.

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May 15 at the Cedar City Visitors Chapter News Center parking lot at 581 N. Main Street. Four Utah nurseries special- Cache: Maguire Primrose Walk izing in native plants and landscap- (date TBD, dependent on flower ing will be participating. bloom). Our annual walk to view The Cedar Breaks Wildflower the federally listed Maguire‘s prim- Festival will be July 2nd thru 18th rose will begin at the First Dam this year. Two hikes per day are parking lot at 6:30 PM, where we planned at 10 AM and 1 PM. Volun- will car pool to the turn off for an teers are needed to help with hikes. easy walk to the plants. Contact Mi- To find out about volunteer oppor- chael Piep to find out the exact date. tunities, contact Peg Simons at 435- Our yearly chapter business 677-3900 or peg.simons@ meeting is tentatively scheduled for gmail.com.—Alice Maas Thursday, May 13, at 7 PM at the

Cache Learning Center. Our Escalante (Garfield County): May speaker will be announced at a later 11, Paleobotanist Dr. Ian Miller of date. the Denver Museum of Nature and The Richard J. Shaw Memorial this under 12-centered activity. Science will speak about his work on Wildflower Walk will be on Tuesday, More activities and workshops the fossil flora of the Kaiparowits May 18 at 6:30 PM. We will meet at will be taking place through the Formation on the Grand Staircase- the parking lot in Green Canyon, Intermountain Herbarium. Con- Escalante NM near Henrieville and wander up the trail, and have local tact Michael Piep for more infor- Escalante. The meeting will be a 7 botanists discuss the plants found in mation ([email protected]) - PM at the Interagency Office visitor bloom. Michael Piep center in Escalante. The Bear River Celebration will May 29, Janett Warner of Wild- be on Saturday, June 5 on the west Cedar City: The public is invited land Nursery will be selling native side of Willow Park. Bring your kids to the chapter‘s Native Plant Sale plants during the Heritage Festival and visit our booth and others for from 9 AM to 12 noon on Saturday

2 Sego Lily May 2010 33 (3) in Escalante. conservation, is a small landscape Salt Lake: At our March 3rd meet- June 26—Dr. Jim Bowns will lead tree, and has good genetic diver- ing, Tony Frates did a great job of a field trip along the Mossy Cave sity for selecting superior clones. unveiling what we know of Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park. To try and locate the best Bigtooth Beckwith‘s violet (Viola beckwithii) – Adam Hutchins maple samples he used aerial digi- in Utah, starting with the historical tal photography and found the explorations of Gunnison and Fremont (Richfield area): Come location of desired trees with lati- Beckwith and the strange fact that joint the Fremont Chapter for a tude and longitude found on Marcus Jones never collected it night of camping and fun in the new Google EarthTM images. Larry is within a few miles of where he lived Sam Stowe Group Site at Fremont also experimenting with the in Salt Lake City. Since the talk, we Indian State Park on Friday, June propagation of Rubber rabbit- have had a flurry of activity, high- 11th. Potluck dinner starts at 6 PM brush (Ericameria nauseosa), lighted by new discoveries described with hotdogs provided by the chap- Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), elsewhere in this issue of Sego Lily. ter; bring a side to share, drinks, Greenleaf manzanita (Arcto- On April 7th, Mitch Power, the and roasting sticks. Take Exit 17 off staphylos patula), and Fremont‘s new director of the Garrett Herbar- I-70 to reach the park. Saturday mahonia (Mahonia fremontii). ium at the Utah Museum of Natural morning, June 12, we will caravan Larry is actively looking for any History, made a tour de force of un- down the Three Creeks Road (FS interesting specimens of native earthing evidence for climate change road #106) to see the flowers on the woody plants that might have po- buried in sediments, including pre- Devil‘s Dance Floor on the Fishlake tential for propagation and land- historic records of plant distribu- National Forest. The road is dirt but scaping. He would be happy to tions from pollen analysis. Some usually in good condition for two visit with people (Larry.Rupp amazing computer animations wheel drive. Meet at the Sam Stowe @usu.edu, 435-797-2099) who tracked the migrations of various group site by 10:30 AM and bring a may know of such plants and is conifers as the ice ages fluctuated, camera and lunch if desired. Camp- also able to help individuals pro- and also showed how coastlines ing on June 11th is free to all Utah tect their ―ownership‖ rights to shrank as the ice sheets melted. We Native Plant Society members, so if any plants they discover. - Lisa were left with a lot of food for you have friends that are thinking White and Lydia Jakovac thought. about becoming members please let The following field trips and them know about the event. Contact Manzanita (Kane County): On meetings are open to the public. Lisa White at Lisa_Ogden @nps.gov the evening of Thursday, May Please contact the listed person to for more info. 20th we will be visiting the Coral get details of when and where to Larry Rupp, professor and exten- Pink Sand Dunes north of Kanab meet, so they can keep you posted. sion specialist from Utah State Uni- as part of the week-long ―Amazing For general inquiries, contact Bill versity, spoke about ―selection and EarthFest‖. Meet at the Grand Gray (cyberflora @xmission.com). propagation of native plants for low- Staircase-Escalante NM visitor Sunday, May 2nd: Emigration water landscaping‖ at our February center at 6:30 PM sharp to car- Canyon, Pinecrest, 10 AM. This is a 19 chapter meeting. Water conser- pool or caravan to the Dunes. very gentle walk along an old rail- vation has long been of critical im- On May 29th, I will lead a hike road grade. It is notable for having portance in Utah. The state contin- on the East Rim Trail of Zion NP a combination of plants that repre- ues to emphasize water conservation starting from the east entrance sent habitats of both lower and through smart controller technolo- trailhead. We will explore sand- higher elevations. Contact Ty Harri- gies, pricing structure incentives, stone outcrops and Carmel lime- son (tyju@xmission. com, 801-255- and public water conservation gar- stone caprock in search of several 3167). dens. There is increasing interest in rare species and try to find Wednesday, May 5th: Salt Lake native plants for water conservation, Cryptantha humilis (reported for Chapter meeting at REI (7 PM). as shown by the establishment of the park, but not confirmed with a Kipp Lee will talk on Gardening with groups such as the Intermountain photo). Plan to meet at the Native Penstemons. The talk will Native Plant Growers Association GSENM visitor center parking include both the natural history and which provides information on how area at 8 AM to carpool to the the horticulture of these colorful to use the wonderful diversity of park. The trip will be limited to 12 native plants which are well adapted intermountain native plants in the people and entrance fees may ap- to our climate. They are a beautiful home landscape. ply unless sufficient numbers of and important addition to any na- Larry stressed attractive color, drivers have entry passes. tive dry garden. Contact Marni marketable form, ability to be grown See the Bulletin Board on page Ambrose ([email protected], in nursery situations, and tolerance 4 for more activities.—Walter Fer- 801-512-3033). of poor , pests, cold, and tig ([email protected]) May 7-9, Horseshoe Canyon drought in identifying the ideal wa- camping trip: Horseshoe Canyon is ter conserving plant. One such spe- an outlier of Canyonlands National cies being investigated is the Big- Park, famous for its wonderful pic- tooth maple (Acer grandiden- tograph panels. There are also tatum). It has potential for water many interesting native plants in the 3 Utah Native Plant Society area, which lies between the San Southwestern: Wednesday, May Bulletin Board Rafael Swell and the Green River. 5, 7 PM: ―Fire in the Pines: Restor-

We shall be dry camping, probably ing Ponderosa Pine Forests in Zion 12-13 June 2o1o: UNPS State near Goblin Valley State Park—the and Across the Southwest‖. Joel Board Meeting and Kanab group campsite at the park is not Silverman, lead Fire Effects Moni- Creek Botanical Foray— The available. Contact Bill Gray tor from Zion National Park will Manzanita (Kane County) Chapter ([email protected], 801- discuss fire ecology and share his of UNPS will be hosting the state 532-3486). interests in native plant communi- board‘s annual southern Utah board Tuesday evenings in May: ―Woad ties and the impacts of invasive meeting on Saturday, June 12 at 4 Runner‖ weeding project. Join the exotic plants across the landscape. PM at the Village cafeteria at Best Salt Lake Watersheds Department The talk will be held at Spring- Friends Animal Sanctuary, ca 7 for the 5th annual Dyer‘s Woad pull dale‘s Canyon Community Center. miles north of Kanab. The board in the City Creek watershed on —Barbara Farnsworth meeting is open to society members Tuesday evenings from 5:30-8 PM. but does focus mostly on arcane - May 11: meet at Morris Mead- Utah Valley: The Utah Valley board business. ows trailhead. University Herbarium is planning All UNPS members are invited to - May 18: meet at Ensign Peak a series of regular events in coordi- come to the Best Friends Sanctuary trailhead. nation with the Utah County Chap- on the morning of June 12 and June - May 25: meet at City Creek ter. First, Jason Alexander, the 13 (starting at 8 AM both days) to Guard Station. Contact Vanessa herbarium curator, will be pre- participate in a ―botanical foray‖ of Welsh ([email protected], senting a talk on floristic projects the Best Friends Sanctuary. A foray 801-483-6884). currently underway at UVU. is analogous to a bio-blitz (see the Saturday, May 15th, 4th Annual These projects include many op- January 2010 Sego Lily for discus- Purge Your Spurge event and Native portunities for members to volun- sion of the Deer Creek effort near Plant Sale (10 AM). Myrtle spurge, teer their time and contribute to Boulder, UT) in that teams of bota- frequently planted as a succulent the botanical knowledge of the nists visit different habitats within a ground cover, has been declared a state. The talk will be held at Utah study area over a 24 hour period to noxious weed because of the way it Valley University in PS110 on record all of the species that they has invaded our foothills. Pull it Tuesday, May 25th at 7 PM. Park- can. While a bio-blitz typically in- from your yard and exchange it for ing is available near the entrance cludes all species (vertebrates, in- horticulturally approved native to the new library (Lot N). Second, sects, plants), a botanical foray is plants at REI (33rd S and 33rd E) we will be discussing the possibil- focused solely on plants. The Best from 10 AM to 3 PM. Check out the ity of having a regular herbarium Friends Sanctuary includes an un- important information about the volunteer day starting in June. dammed reach of Kanab Creek cov- plant‘s nasty juice (www.weeds. Tentatively, this is scheduled for ered by riparian woods and thickets slco.org/html/education/edMap_ Saturday, June 26th from noon of Coyote willow, Yellow willow, calendar.html). Contact Sage Fitch until 4 PM. For further informa- and Fremont cottonwood, as well as ([email protected], 801-440-7537). tion on either of these events, or if Navajo sandstone slickrock, sage- Wednesday, May 19th: City Creek you would like to volunteer in the brush and saltbush grasslands, pin- Canyon Weeds tour. (6 PM). Join herbarium on a regular basis, yon-juniper woodlands, sand dunes, SLC watershed specialist Vanessa please email Jason at alexanja@ and hanging gardens. The area has Welsh for a special tour to see first uvu.edu. never been thoroughly inventoried hand the serious weed problem and Utah Valley will be hosting a and the results of the foray will be what is being done towards control. trip to Price Recreation Area on made available to Best Friends to Meet at the City Creek Canyon gate Saturday, June 5th. Kim Despain educate visitors on the biodiversity and shuttle to the Pleasant Valley will lead the hike to a Bristlecone of the sanctuary. area (Area 12). Contact Vanessa pine forest. For info contact Manzanita chapter vice president Welsh (vanessa. [email protected], 801 Celeste (celeste2byu.edu) or Kim Jana de Peyer, a founder of Best -483-6884). Despain (801-375-8267). Friends and local resident, will host Saturday, May 22nd: Big Springs Plants and Preschoolers re- a potluck gathering Saturday eve- Park, Provo Canyon (9:30 AM). sumes on Thursday mornings ning for board members and UNPS Steve Hegji of the Utah Valley Chap- from April-October. We will be members participating in the foray. ter will lead a modest hike open to hiking many canyons in Utah For more information on the event, members of all UNPS chapters. Ex- County this year. These are all kid or to rsvp, please contact me at pect to see plenty of violets, wood- friendly hikes. If you want to get [email protected]. Hope to see many land stars, and other moisture- on our hiking list, send an email to of you in sunny southern Utah in loving plants. Contact Steve Hegji [email protected]. —Jason Alexan- early June—Walter Fertig (steve_hegji@ yahoo. com, 801-473- der & Celeste Kennard

1337). —Bill Gray

4 Sego Lily May 2010 33 (3)

Beckwith’s Violet Fever (continued from page 1) had this to say about the population (ca 200 plants) in northern Weber County: ―This population of Viola beckwithii is at risk of disappear- ance. The residential and economic activity in the area have already taken a toll on existing plants, and there are plans for further residen- tial development.‖ Similarly, the small population (ca 100 plants) that I‘ve been visiting in Utah County could easily disappear. Al- though there are no current indica- tions of impending development, the site is dotted with mysterious and relatively fresh trenches and holes. I first visited the Utah County site on March 20, 2010 with Robert and Susan Fitts and Kim Despain. It took a while for us to find the plants because they were just emerging, but eventually we found four small groupings of plants. The leaves were small and tightly bunched and only west. Two-thirds of them occupy a Above: Beckwith’s violet is character- two plants had flower buds. I have ized by bi-colored flowers and finely returned to the site a half dozen quarter mile long, narrow band at an elevation of 4840-4855 feet. lobed, ternately-divided leaves. Photo times since then and plan to con- The other third are evenly split be- by Steve Hegji. tinue periodic visits this season until tween two groups about 30 meters the plants are no longer visible. At upslope from the narrow band. this point I have located 14 sparse pollinate, and that seeds from I could not spot any morpho- groups of plants at the site. either type of flower can be fertile. logical differences among the Dr. Stan Welsh accompanied me There is some conflicting inform- plants and the accompanying pho- on one visit and we decided that the ation in this regard concerning Viola tographs are typical examples. The population could support taking a beckwithii. A better understanding leaves are ternately compound and specimen, which has been added to of propagation characteristics will folded along the midline - more so the BYU herbarium. It is only the be important to any conservation when they are young. The upper 8th specimen in the herbarium‘s efforts. collections, the first collected by Dr. two petals appear dark purple What's in store for the future? when in bud stage or just opening Welsh, and the first since 1933. Blake Wellard will be checking out up. They age to a deep maroon The plants grow in the open another Weber county site based on spaces between clumps of oak. Poa color, and some had yellow streaks a second WSU Herbarium specimen at the base. The lower three petals label. He also plans to check on secunda and Gutierrezia sarothrae are white, becoming yellow toward some possible locations in Davis dominate in those spaces. The vio- county, where the violet has never lets can be found growing adjacent the center of the corolla. The mid- dle one has numerous maroon/ been collected. I will continue to to, underneath, or intertwined with purple guidelines and the two side visit the Utah county site and make other plants, but mostly occur in the observations. Others are looking for interstices. Also noticeably present petals are slightly bearded. it along the Wasatch Front. Tony Species of Viola typically have are Artemisia, Zigadenus, Calochor- Frates has engaged several of us to tus, Hedysarum, Crepis, and a vari- chasmogamous flowers that open try and find evidence of cleistoga- ety of small forbs. fully and are available for cross- mous flowers as the season pro- pollination. Many also have cleisto- gresses. Hopefully a follow-up Sego The is thin, overlying a deep Lily article can report on our find- layer of mixed sand and gravel, and gamous flowers that do not usually open, form at or below ground ings. is undoubtedly well-drained. The level, and are self-pollinated. Stud- Next year, why don't you catch plants are found near the inflection ies of some other Viola species the fever and join us in searching point between the steeper slope to for, and learning about, this beauti- have shown that the chasmoga- the east and the flatter terrain to the ful plant. mous flowers can also self-

5 Utah Native Plant Society Beckwith’s Violet, Bonneville Violet, and Emigration Market (1942-2010)

By Tony Frates

In Dr. Walter P. Cottam's 1939 paper "A New Violet from Utah", he indicated that on April 17, 1937 he noticed "a beautiful violet that was strikingly different from any species heretofore reported from Utah" found on a vacant property at the corner of 13th South and 17th East. The elevation, while not noted in the article, was at about 4500 feet. In a footnote, he further indicated that, "this property, as well as most of the bench land which harbors Viola beckwithii, is fast being utilized for residences." In the main text he then went on to say that this prop- erty and "neighboring areas to the east have been known to harbor one of the few relict colonies of Viola beckwithii T. & G. once so widely distributed over the Bonneville bench lands along the Wasatch Front." And he noted that growing in the same area was Viola pur- purea. Dr. Cottam noted that four essen- tially similar plants were found growing over about a one acre area. Above: Viola bonnevillensis, the hy- purea this new form really was (see One of these became the type speci- brid between Viola beckwithii and V. illustration by Dr. Seville Flowers, men (no. 7067 deposited at the Uni- purpurea described by Walter Cottam above, which was included in the versity of Utah's Garrett Herbarium) in 1939 from specimens collected in a article showing intermediate charac- vacant lot in Salt Lake City. Note the and the others "were carefully re- ters; V. beckwithii normally has moved to the garden for study." broader, pinnately lobed leaves (true beckwithii has more finely subdivided, deeply dissected leaves) and there- Where those plants were taken is ternately compound leaves). Illustra- fore support the validity of Viola unknown. They apparently contin- tion by Seville Flowers. bonnevillensis as a separate species. ued to survive for some time since Later taxonomists never had the Cottam indicated later in the article opportunity to see V. bonnevillensis. that, "the hybrid nature of this plant sufficient population did not exist Doc Cottam was very familiar with is further suggested by the fact that that could easily sustain the loss of the local flora and with V. beck- for the past two years flowers have any plants taken. In this excep- withii. In 1937 his botanical field appeared on the garden specimens tional case, it seems clear that the experience and knowledge was al- without the production of fruits." plants were removed out of fear ready vast. Cottam, born in St. It was suspected that at one point that the area was about to be com- George in 1894, was one of the first these few plants could have been pletely lost by encroaching devel- two people to obtain a BYU master's transplanted to Cottam's long-time opment and could result in the degree in 1919, established the first Sugarhouse residence but some re- extinction of a species which herbarium at BYU and began teach- cent urban field work conducted by would be lost to science forever. ing there. In 1931, he became affili- Dr. Ty Harrison suggests that the And in fact that might have ated with the University of Utah landscaping of the former Cottam been exactly what occurred. Had where as botany professor he would residence has significantly changed plants been found even sooner and teach and pursue numerous scien- over the years, and there appears to in greater abundance, perhaps a tific investigations for the rest of his be little chance that the plants are better assessment could have been lengthy and fruitful career. The fact still in existence there. made as to how stable of a cross Normally a botanical collector between V. beckwithii and V. pur- would not remove plants where a 6 Sego Lily May 2010 33 (3)

intersection at 13th So. and 17th East. It likely was one of the devel- opments that was ultimately situ- ated on the vacant lot where the type specimen for V. bonnevillensis was taken. Today V. beckwithii has almost completely been lost from the Salt Lake valley and V. purpurea is also mostly missing from lower elevation habitats that it too once frequented. It is sad to think that the type habi- tat of a species (or at the very least a site that might have provided a text book illustration of evolution in pro- gress for future generations of stu- dents) may have been lost as a result of a vacant lot having been trans- formed over a 73 year period into little more than a vacant parking lot. that this plant appeared strikingly Above: Emigration Market in Salt Selected References: different to Cottam is significant, Lake City, probable type locality of Cottam, W.P. 1939. A new violet and it can be inferred that his men- Viola bonnevillensis, closed its doors from Utah. Bull. Univ. Utah 29(13): 3-7 tor and friend Albert O. Garrett also in April 2010 after 68 years. What Martz, M. 1999. Why Hurry started as a vacant lot supporting saw these plants. Garrett also made Through Heaven? Salt Lake City, UT: hybrid plants in 1937 may be destined a number of V. beckwithii collec- Red Butte Garden & Arboretum, Univer- to become vacant again. But will the sity of Utah. 253 pp. tions in the Salt Lake valley. Cottam violets return? Photo by Tony Frates. in fact in his article references ob- servations made by Professor Garrett over many years that V. beckwithii produces abundant seeds from petaliferous flowers while V. purpurea produces seeds only from cleistogamous flowers (and that V. beckwithii was not known to pro- duce cleistogamous flowers). So publication of the name Viola bonnevillensis was delayed for two years from the time of discovery while plants in a garden setting were observed. Cottam's 1939 article indi- cated that future work to verify the hybrid origin of the species was go- ing to be required; as far as it is known, that work did not occur. Current treaments of the Violaceae treat the name V. bonnevillensis as a synonym of V. beckwithii. The Emigration Market at 1706 More Beckwith’s Violet News E. 1300 South in Salt Lake City opened in 1942. The market re- On April 5, 2010, Margaret Harris and Blake Wellard of the Weber State cently closed on April 3, 2010. The University Botany Department rediscovered a population of Viola troubled economy coupled with beckwithii in Weber County from a 1966 herbarium specimen. The latest competition and no doubt owner population estimate is over 400, with more likely to be found. Botany fac- antics (the last owner, a SLC coun- ulty and students have been searching for new localities in the area. cilperson, became involved in sev- This population is greatly threatened from a future subdivision. Some eral controversies resulting in some plants have already been lost to development. Red Butte Gardens and WSU boycotting the store) led to the mar- Botany Department, among others, are investigating some conservation ket's demise. The market was lo- options such as seed collection and plant relocation. WSU Botany is also cated at the southeast corner of the considering micropropagation. - Blake Wellard

7 Utah Native Plant Society

The Cactus and the Beetle

By Dorde W. Woodruff monitoring, it is impossible to know the rate at which the Scleros are be- The cactus borer beetle, ing killed, or to know what killed (Moneilema sp.) eats cacti from them unless they are freshly dead. without as an adult, and from within Some monitoring studies or surveys as a larva. Although somewhat op- state the cause of death (if possible portunistic (especially the adults), to determine), although some do they are known as using various spe- not. cies of Opuntia (prickly pear) or It is often possible to tell that a Above: the cactus borer beetle plant is infested. The areoles of the Cylindropuntia (cholla) as hosts. In Moneilema semipunctatum. Photo by plant will be too close together, indi- fact, Opuntia longhorn beetle or Robert Pearson. Opuntia borer beetle are alternate cating that it is not metabolizing common names. The beetle is now an important well, and is not healthy. The apex However, in the last 30 years or factor in the health and survival of will look shriveled, it will not flower so, some of these have Utah populations. It when the others are in anthesis, or it changed hosts from certain mem- is possible that the beetle will may have a discolored patch on its bers of the cactus subfamily Opun- make threatened or endangered side. It may be asymmetric, though tioidiae to those of the subfamily species out of many Sclerocacti this can result when it is stepped on (the barrels, balls, and that have until now not been or otherwise injured. hedgehogs) and become a constant threatened. This photo (below) of a recently menace to these other cactus spe- Moneilema is not lethal for killed Uinta Basin hookless cactus cies. Knowledge of the threat these Opuntia plants, which can propa- (S. wetlandicus) shows what the animals pose to our rare native cacti gate vegetatively. The result of beetle does to a Sclerocactus plant. has been slow to develop and their predation on Sclerocactus The female lays her eggs at the bot- spread. Every book referring to plants varies a little with the spe- tom of a cactus. The larva burrows them lists various cholla and prickly cies. Those that more readily pro- into it and eats the cactus from pear species as their hosts. duce offsets may make a new head within. Pathogens may also move The Utah cacti most affected by from an eaten plant. Sclerocactus into the injured flesh. The larva pu- these beetle borers are the members parviflorus (Smallflower fish- pates in the plant or in the soil of the genus Sclerocactus, and the hook), our most common species, nearby — authorities are unclear beetle species is Moneilema semi- dies. The larva will have severed whether it is one of these or both— punctatum. This species can be dis- the top of the root, dooming the and emerges as an adult beetle. It is tinguished from other U. S. species plant. also not known how many individ- of its genus by having more than one Dying plants will then progress ual plants one female can infect. white antenna segment. It has been to a skeleton of spines with the sparsely collected throughout Utah, cactus‘s cylindrical or globose and into adjacent southern Idaho, shape and some dry crumbly flesh southwestern Colorado, northwest- at the base. The skeleton will break ern New Mexico, northern Arizona, down into separate spine clusters. then on into southern Nevada, the Finally, the spine clusters will be- eastern Sierra, southern California, come indistinguishable from other and adjacent northern Baja Califor- woody litter on the desert floor. nia. There may be some M. annula- Sometimes after the spine clusters tum in the very northeast of our disintegrate you will see an empty state. basal ring of spiny areoles with the M. semipunctatum is a black bee- center silted in. This process can tle about an inch long, with the two be hastened by wind or distur- wing covers (or ‗elytra‘) fused into bance from animals. one . These wing covers have It is difficult to know the details evolved for protection of the body of a beetle kill on a colony of Scle- rather than the wings, as the insect rocactus unless you catch it in the is flightless. ―Semipunctatum‖ process. The time sequence of dis- means that some of the rows of im- solution of a dead Sclerocactus has pressed dots on its body are not very not been quantified, and will de- Above: A federally Threatened Sclero- deep (or only partially punctate). pend on disturbance. Without cactus wetlandicus plant eaten by cactus borer beetle. Photo by Dorde Woodruff. 8 Sego Lily May 2010 33 (3)

In my early years of working with Sclerocactus from 1960 through the early 1970s (as I went from cacto- phile to master‘s degree) I never saw mass mortality. I‘ve seen no cause for mass mortality other than these beetles since becoming active in cac- tus research again in 2005. Only a few species of Sclerocactus are monitored, so we really don‘t know what is happening with the others. Not being able to read the future, no one in the 1960s was document- ing the health of Sclerocactus popu- lations. One exception was an un- usual population of S. parviflorus I observed (and photographed) in 1962 on a 6 km stretch of road along Cottonwood Wash in what is now Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM). The popula- tion was not only uniquely abun- dant, large, and many-headed, but there were many white or pale pink flowers instead of the usual bright pink. I went back in 2005 intending to document this wonderful popula- Above: Numerous individuals of related activities tion — and they were gone. Instead healthy Sclerocactus parviflorus can - commercial and residential ex- of being able to see hundreds right be seen in this faded Ektachrome pansion photo from 1962 along the Cotton- from the car, I couldn‘t see any. The -road building and maintenance wood Road in the future Grand Stair- - construction and maintenance old photos were useful although Ek- case-Escalante National Monument. tachrome, sadly, deteriorates badly In 2006, only 8 dead plants were of powerlines and pipelines (see photo at right) — we didn‘t found in the same area. Photo by - off-road vehicles know that at the time. I matched the Dorde Woodruff. - commercial and private collect- photo stations and did repeat pho- ing tography. With lots of walking, I did - livestock grazing, trampling, find a very few cacti hidden in flour- verdae on Mancos shale, have a and soil disturbance ishing cheatgrass. better chance of re-establishing. - natural threats, such as herbi- How did this happen? But even there, after a mass kill vory by different insects or mam- Study has shown that this terrible the beetle will have selectively re- mals, unusual or erratic weather disappearance was relatively recent. moved the best seed producers of a events, erosion, and competition Beetles weren‘t totally responsible, population — the largest, oldest - for some species, restriction to a but they were a large factor. A ones that they prefer. The popula- narrow edaphic range and limited change in grazing regime increased tion, if or when it recruits from the habitat availability competition. I could still find some seed bank, may not have time for - climate change undissipated cactus skeletons from large plants to mature before an- Moneilema has always been beetle kill. In 2005 an army of other round of beetle kill. known to be opportunistic, using cheatgrass moved in. Skeptics say that the beetles are other cacti for adult food if not for After a beetle kill, cheatgrass is just part of the natural cycle. But larvae — but only occasionally, and the biggest threat to the recovery of this is not true. As far as we know, always preferring chollas or prickly Sclerocactus populations. The cac- Moneilema hosting regularly and pears. So when did this host- tus must re-establish from the seed preferably on Sclerocactus and switching occur? bank in the soil. Competition from other Cactoideae is a new thing, at The first observations of the cheatgrass is likely to be devastating a time when our native plants are beetle switching hosts to Sclerocac- to the survival of the tiny, slow- facing many new threats. tus were in the late 1970s. Larry growing, vulnerable cactus seed- Sclerocactus at present faces England of the Salt Lake office of the lings. Also cheatgrass is subject to many threats, many of them man- Fish and Wildlife Service made one fire, to which small cacti like Sclero- made: of these very first observations. He cactus have no resistance. Sclero- - oil and gas exploration and was originally hired by the BLM in cactus populations in environments production Vernal because of a flurry of oil and where cheatgrass has not become - coal or other mining and gas development at that time. None established, such as S. mesae- of these early observations appeared 9 Utah Native Plant Society in print right away. People had no geography of Moneilema, suggests idea of the significance of this. At three possible causes: 1) competi- first no one knew the identity of the tion with other insect species or borers. within Moneilema species; 2) a A few written accounts began ap- scarcity of host species; 3) evolu- pearing in the 1980s, for some of the tion of a distinct race or races of Cactoideae species other than Scle- insect species with a different host rocactus. In the 1990s Moneilema preference. Reasons 1 and 2 don‘t was identified as the agent. Ron seem likely. No other insect has Kass‘ 2001 papers in the Proceed- the modus operandi of Moneil- ings of the 3rd Conference on Rare ema, and Opuntia and Cylindro- and Endangered Plants, and in puntia species are not scarce. An Western American Naturalist, were hypothesis would be that some the first readily-available, detailed, beetles found that Cactoideae were published reports of this host- effective hosts, and a genome with switching, in this case of M. semi- that host preference began to de- punctatum to S. wrightiae. velop, thrive, and increase. Chris It is a common experience in re- Smith in a study of Sclerocactus Above: Healthy young adult Sclerocac- cent years to visit a Sclerocactus mesae-verdae in 2000, did collect tus parviflorus from the Andy Miller population that is pleasingly numer- material for genetic analysis, but Flats in the Orange Cliffs of Utah. ous, only to find on each revisit the was unable to complete it due to Photo by Dorde Woodruff. plants are harder to find. For in- lack of funds. stance: populations of S. wetland- Moneilema is quite willing to from the wild* without treating icus in the southern end of its distri- use new cacti for hosts opportunis- them with insecticide so that any bution; S. parviflorus adjacent to I- tically. Arizona growers or collec- hidden larvae will not hatch out bee- 70 at the west end of Salina Canyon; tors of either native or exotic cacti tles ready to infest other Cactoideae the yellow-flowered S. parviflorus such as the South American Echi- in their gardens. Mark Dimmitt of east of Hite on U95; a unique popu- nopsis loathe this beetle. Culti- the Arizona–Sonora Desert Museum lation of S. wrightiae x S. parviflo- vated cacti are better watered and in Tucson, concerned about the Mu- rus in the — all of fertilized, protected from competi- seum‘s gardens, considers these were healthy and numerous, tion, and thus especially succulent Moneilema the most injurious insect until quite recently. In as short a and tempting dainties for a cactus- predator of cacti in the U. S. period as three years, live individu- eating insect. This phenomenon needs more als have become scattered and Reports of Moneilema species observation and documentation. scarce. In a 2006 reconnaissance of hosting on Cactoideae other than Because the present-day cycle of S. pubispinus and S. spinosior sites Sclerocactus have been scattered beetle kill and recruitment from the at the south end of their range throughout this same time period seed bank is a multi-year cycle, (some known to be of great abun- of the 1980s on. These reports monitoring or observation needs to dance) plants were few and scarce. with their date of publication are: be done over the long term. Also, it‘s In the 1960s and early 1970s, if you Cochise pincushion, Coryphantha counterintuitive to make a specimen found one S. spinosior or S. pu- robbinsorum, in southeastern Ari- of Sclerocactus from a population bispinus plant, it would always be in zona in 1985; Acuña cactus, Echi- that is doing badly. But when it‘s a colony. nomastus johnsonii ssp. acuñen- clear that a plant is infested, it is North of the Badland Cliffs, S. sis, in southwestern Arizona in almost certainly doomed, and the wetlandicus and S. brevispinus do 1992; Escobaria sneedii in south- presence of a larva would document not show extensive beetle kill. Kipp eastern New Mexico in 2003; Star the kill. Beetles can be searched for Lee reported a numerous and cactus, Astrophytum asterias, in near twilight, though Smith in his healthy population of S. pubispinus northeastern Mexico in 2007; 2000 study did not find many. It near its northwestern limit. This Siler‘s pincushion, Pediocactus only takes one egg-laying female and other information suggests that sileri, in southwestern Utah and beetle to kill a 20-year-old cactus. while the host-switching beetle has northwestern Arizona in 2008, Sclerocactus is challenged by been known to be widespread for based on a 2006 report; Scarlet modern-day adverse factors as never more than three decades, the hedgehog cactus, Echinocereus before. How much will the beetle amount of beetle kill has increased coccineus, and other hedgehog contribute to downward spirals of in recent years, and seems to have species in Colorado in 2009. Larry Sclerocactus species? We already spread from the south. But we really England observed beetle predation know that it is a factor in the ill don‘t have enough data. on our Pediocactus despainii and health and sketchy prospects of So we have some idea of when P. winkleri in the 1980s, and took colonies of Sclerocactus wrightiae. this host-switching occurred, but photos. why is it doing this? Christopher Cactophiles in Utah have * only through legally permitted collect- Smith, whose PhD dissertation and learned not to bring Sclerocactus ing, lest you worry subsequent papers were on the bio- 10 Sego Lily May 2010 33 (3) Utah Botanica Odds and Ends from Utah Botany

Forest Service Updates Additions to the US Forest Service Intermountain Region Sensitive Plant List - For the (Region 4) Sensitive Plant Species List, March 30, 2010 first time since 1994 the Intermoun- tain Region (Region 4) of the U.S. Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) Forest Service has revised its list of Angelica wheeleri (Wheeler‘s angelica), Uinta, Wasatch-Cache Sensitive plant and animal species. On March 30, 2010, the service offi- Asteraceae (Compositae) cially added 38 plant species to the Erigeron garrettii (Garrett‘s flea- Sensitive list, of which 13 are known bane), Uinta, Wasatch-Cache from Utah forests. Another 17 plant species were dropped from the Sen- Brassicaceae sitive list for Region 4 (which in- Draba abajoensis (Abajo Peak cludes national forests in Utah, draba), Manti-LaSal southern Idaho, Nevada, western Wyoming, and eastern California). Draba brachystylis (Wasatch draba), None of the dropped species were Uinta?, Wasatch-Cache from Utah‘s six national forests

(Ashley, Dixie, Fishlake, Manti- Draba burkei (Burke‘s draba), Wa- LaSal, Uinta, and Wasatch-Cache). The Forest Service defines Sensi- satch-Cache tive species as “those plant and ani- mal species identified by a Regional Draba ramulosa (Mt. Belknap Forester for which population vi- draba), Fishlake ability is a concern, as evidenced by significant current or predicted Draba santaquinensis (Santaquin downward trends in population draba), Uinta numbers or density or significant current or predicted downward Lepidium montanum var. alpinum trends in habitat capability that (Wasatch pepperwort), Uinta?, would reduce a species' existing Wasatch-Cache distribution.” Sensitive species re- ceive special management attention Fabaceae (Leguminosae) which helps ensure that they do not Astragalus iselyi (Isely‘s milkvetch), Manti-LaSal need to become federally listed un- der the Act. Fumariaceae Projects that may impact the habitat Corydalis caseana ssp. brachycarpa (Wasatch fitweed), Uinta, Wasatch- of Sensitive species undergo scru- Cache tiny to determine how they might adversely impact populations, vi- Orchidaceae ability and the ecology of the species Cypripedium parviflorum or C. calceolus var. parviflorum (Lesser yellow as a whole. Sensitive species pro- lady‘s-slipper), Wasatch-Cache grams are therefore critical and cost effective programs that in the long Primulaceae run not only help to preserve bio- Dodecatheon utahense or D. dentatum var. utahense (Wasatch shooting logical biodiversity but also save tax star), Wasatch-Cache dollars and represent excellent long term investments. Rosaceae See the table for a list of what was Ivesia utahensis (Utah ivesia), Uinta, Wasatch-Cache added in Utah. For a complete re- gion wide list that incorporates Two additional species (Botrychium simplex and Viola charlestonensis) these changes, see www. unps.org/ that are listed as Sensitive region-wide occur in Utah, but not on US Forest miscpdf/R4TESList 2010.pdf or Service lands and are thus excluded. simply click on the ―Rare plants‖ tab at www. unps.org and scroll down to Top: Utah ivesia (Ivesia utahensis) illustration by W. Fertig the link provided there in the Forest Service (Utah/Region 4) section. —Tony Frates. 11 Utah Native Plant Society

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