V11-3, Spring 1998

Vol No 3 Kelsqa uniflora ll Spring l99E &lseyn NE\TSLETTER of the MONTANA NATIVE PLANT SOCIEfi RenaenaBERrNG MoNra.NA's BoreNrcAL Hlstonv Landscaping at Lewis and Clark Centennial of Center nears completion Rydberg's and by Wayne Phillips Ecologist Wayne Philips. This plan used Bessey's native plants as a design element to imple- In May 1998 the Lewis and Clark Na- ment the mitigation objective above, be- Exploration tional Historic Trail Interpretive Center cause native plants were believed to be, l) opens along the Missouri River near Giant of more value for historical interpretation, by Judy McCarthy Springs in Great Falls, Montana. Native 2) adapted to the site, reducing long-term plant landscaping of the Center grounds is maintenance costs, and 3) more attractive, In August of 1997, while sorting planned for completion a few weeks be- blending better with the adjacent site. through some recently collected plants fore this opening. Most of the plants used Seed collection began in earnest in the from the Spanish Basin, Gallatin County, in this landscaping were grown from seed fall of 1995. Forest Service employees Montana, I had occasion to reference collected at the construction site. Many of and local volunteers from the Montana Orytropis besseyi in the Montana State the plants used in this landscaping are the Native Plant Society collected local native University herbarium (MONT). The same species collected and described by seed from ten shrubs, 18 wildflowers and mounted specimen I examined was one Meriwether Lewis during the 1804-06 five grass species at and near the proposed of the newly-named stemless locoweeds expedition. construction site. This seed was sent to the collected by Rydberg and Bessey in the These actions culminate ten years of Forest Service nursery at Coeur d'Alene, Spanish Basin, and was named on the planning and fund raising for this Center, Idaho to be germinated and grown in con- spot, perhaps, for Bessey by Rydberg.t which began when Congress authorized tainers for transplanting at the Interpretive This sheet reads, "Collected in the the construction of Center in the spring Spanish Basin, Gallatin County, Montana the 27,000-square- of 1998. - part of the collections of the foot building and The Coeur "Exploration of the Yellowstone and associated site de- d'Alene Nursery Montana, 1897." This aroused my curios- velopments. The was successful in ity. What was Per Axel Rydberg, an environmental as- germinating most of Easterner (actually, a Swede) doing in sessment for the the native seed col- Montana in 1897? Center included the lected from the con- Apparently, in 1897, Mr. Wm. E. statement, "The loss struction site. Over Dodge of New York City, financed this of some native veg- 3000 containers of Exploration to Yellowstone and Montana etation species plants of 28 native as the first of the New York Botanical (from development) species were grown Garden's field pursuits. Per Axel Rydberg can be partially mit- from the locally col- was selected to lead, and he chose Ernst igated by collecting lected native seed. Bessey of the University of Nebraska to native seed from the In some species, the accompany him. Expenses for the frip project area for use plants produced were $672.14, and supported the men in in site landscap- from the seed were the field from June until September, ing...". unsuccessful, or 1897. They based in Bozeman and col- In the fall of were below the lected plant specimens as they traveled 1995 funding for number called for in first to the Bridger Mountains, Spanish the Center was se- the revised land- Basin, the Madison River Valley, Yel- cured. A landscape scape plan. To sup- lowstone Park, and then returned by way plan was developed plement the land- of the Yellowstone River Valley to Trai! by Lewis and Clark scape plan needs, Creek Pass back to Bozeman. National Forest 990 plants of six Rydberg and Bessey collected 800 landscape architect species of native different species and 20,000 specimens Ron Yates and continued on p. I0 continued on page l0 FROM THE PRESIDENT WAYNE PHILUPS Wildcrafting of Native Herbs Echinacea, poses a serious threat to our native flora. In my view, herbs Notive Plsnt Source Guide "When Paul Buck knelt down to for the herb market should be grown examine fresh diggings last summer commercially, which is easy to do in The new edition of "Source Guide in a native tallgrass prairie (in the case of Echinacea. Unfortunately, for Native Plants of Montana" is still Oklahoma) he couldn't believe the some herbalists have perpetuated the available, but going like hotcakes, damage done. Just a few days before, belief that wildcrafted herbs according to Linda Iverson. To order the field had been carpeted with one are"better." your copy just send $6 (MNPS of the prairie's most beautiful Personally, I have decided to members) or $8 (non-members) to wildflowers, the ...purple coneflower. boycott wildcrafted herbs and to urge Linda at HC 88 Box 3733,8ig But now the flowers' subtle pinks and commercial herbalists to obtain their Timber, MT 5901l. pale lavenders were missing, with plants strictly from commercial Clayton Berg of Helena recently deep gashes and mounds of raw earth growers. What is your opinion on sent a note to the editors of the"Source marking where the plants once stood. this? Should the Montana Native Guide" expressing his concern about (Medicinal plant)gatherers had taken Plant Society develop a policy in this the origin of native species plant every plant out of a field of at least regard? material listed in the guide. His point 40acres. There wasn't a single one is that plants of a "native species" that Ieft...". (from Gary Lantz forNational Spring! originated in a climate far different Wildlife Magazine). from where you intend to plant them Coneflower (Echinacea) is the top On March 14, I traveled from may be no more adapted locally than selling herbal product in the U.S. with Raynolds Pass to Great Falls on a "exotic species." In addition, planting sales of about $80 million annually. beautiful sunny day. I couldn't resist of native species from a non-local Purple coneflower (E. purpurea) is the urge to stop from time to time to seed source runs the additional risk of grown commercially, but most other search high energy slopes for my first "polluting" the local gene pool, thus Echinacea species are dug from wild wildflower of the year. I found reducing the fitness of local populations, or "wildcrafted". The skunkbush sumac buds swollen and populations of that species. For herb industry is paying as much as ready to burst, but no flowers. Then, example, Montana's state grass, $21 a pound for wildcrafted noticing the catkins of alder along bluebunch wheatgrass, occurs from Echinacea roots (from Gary Lantz). Little Prickly Pear Creek, I stopped at Montana south to west Texas. The genus Echinacea is unique to Canyon Creek to investigate. When I Bluebunch wheatgrass seed collected North America, with nine species thumped a male catkin there was a in west Texas is probably genetically represented. Two rare species of spray of yellow pollen. Yes, it is different from Montana plants, and Echinacea in the southeast U.S. are spring! not well adapted to conditions in listed as "endangered" by the U. S. I have been keeping a record of the western Montana. Fish and Wildlife Service. date of the first wildflowers along the For small native plant gardens In Montana, nalrow-leaved purple Rivers Edge Trail here in Great Falls. around your house, this is much less coneflower (E.angustifolia) occurs in I'll bet manyof you have a similar of a problem than it is with large the western, south-central and eastern habit. When did you see your first rehabilitation projects. If you have a parts of the state according to Robert wildflower this spring? What was it? concern about the origin of the seed of Dorn, but is probably most abundant If you will send me your earliest 1998 the nativespecies you are buying, ask in the southeastern corner. There flower observations (species and date) the grower/seller where the original have been several reports of herb I will summarize the results for the seed came from. If you wish to grow companies advertising to purchase summer meeting and in the next native species from localsources, wildcrafted Echinacea roots in Kelseya. Happy hunting! See you at please follow the MNPS guidelines Montana. Seeley Lake on July 10. for growing them from seed, rather I believe that the commercial than transplanting them from the wild. wildcrafting of native species, like Wayne can be reachijd at 2601Third Ave. North, Great Falls, MT 59401 e-mail: [email protected] Page2 Kelseya Spring 1998 by Peter Lesica plant is stunted with as real flowers perform company of the other than by numerous short leaves for plants; they affect mating. themselves. Roy found Buffercups are usually the instead of a normal, tall But since the fungus can't that buttercups produce a large first flowers on the grassy hills flower stem. Near the tip of produce flowers of its own, it pollen reward for visiting around Missoula. They rarely the stunted stem the leaves are resorts to forcing its host to insects but have little nectar. occur on the stony ridgetops, clustered and yellow with the do the job for it. But that's On the other hand, the fungal but prefer the deeper soil of reproductive strucfures only part of the story. pseudoflowers produce no the slopes and flats. Often at of the fungus.

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