January 2012 35 (1)

Sego Lily January 2012 35 (1)

January 2012 (volume 35 number 1)

In this issue:

Chapter News ...... 2 Bulletin Board ...... 3 Unidentified Flowering Object 3 2011 UNPS Members Meeting 4 Where’s in a Name?: Utah Plant Name Geography ...... 5 Utah Plant Families: The Grapes (Vitaceae) ...... 8 Escalante River Watershed Partnership: Working Cooperatively to Restore a Drainage ...... 10 The Funny Pages Botanical Dragnet ...... 11

Cisco sego-lily (Calochortus ciscoensis) was described as a new species by Drs. Stanley Welsh and Duane Atwood in the 2008 edition of A Utah Flora. It is native to Mancos Shale and other clay habi- tats of eastern Utah and adjacent Colorado. Note the pinkish-purple color and absence of a prominent purple chevron-pattern on the in- ner surface of the petals, which helps distinguish this species from the closely related Sego-lily (C. nuttallii). Cisco sego-lily gets its latin name from the tiny town of Cisco, south of Interstate 70 in Grand County. For more on Utah places names used in species epi- thets, see the article on page 5. Photo by William Gray from near Lapoint, Utah, June 2011.

Horticulture: Maggie Wolf Sego Lily Editor: Walter Fertig Important Plant Areas: Mindy Wheeler ([email protected]). The deadline for the Invasive Weeds: Susan Fitts March 2012 Sego Lily is 15 February Rare Plants: Walter Fertig 2012. Scholarship/Grants: Therese Meyer Copyright 2011 Utah Native Plant Soci- Chapters and Chapter Presidents ety. All Rights Reserved Cache: Michael Piep Officers Cedar City: Marguerite Smith The Sego Lily is a publication of the Utah Co-Presidents: Kipp Lee (Salt Lake Co.) Escalante: Toni Wassenberg Native Plant Society, a 501(c)(3) not- & Walter Fertig (Kane Co) Fremont: Marianne Breeze Orton for-profit organization dedicated to Vice President: vacant Manzanita: Walter Fertig conserving and promoting stewardship Treasurer: Charlene Homan (Salt Lake Mountain: Mindy Wheeler of our native plants. Use of content Co) Salt Lake: Bill Gray material is encouraged but requires Secretary: Mindy Wheeler (Summit Co) Southwestern/Bearclaw poppy: Mar- permission (except where exempted by Board Chair: Larry Meyer (Salt Lake Co) garet Malm statute) and must be correctly credited Utah Valley: Jason Alexander & Robert and cited. Articles, photographs and UNPS Board: Jason Alexander (Utah Co), Fitts illustrations submitted to us remain the Robert Fitts (Utah Co), Susan Fitts (Utah property of the submitting individuals Co), Ty Harrison (Salt Lake Co), Celeste Website: For late-breaking news, the or organizations. Submit permission Kennard (Utah Co), Bill King (Salt Lake UNPS store, the Sego Lily archives, requests to [email protected]. We en- Co.), Margaret Malm (Washington Co), Chapter events, sources of native plants, courage readers to submit articles for Therese Meyer (Salt Lake Co), Leila the digital Utah Rare Plant Field Guide, potential publication. By submitting an Shultz (Cache Co), Dave Wallace (Cache and more, go to unps.org. Many thanks article, an implicit license is granted to Co.), Blake Wellard (Davis Co.), Maggie to Xmission for sponsoring our web- print the article in the newsletter or Wolf (Salt Lake Co). site. other UNPS publications for reprint For more information on UNPS: without permission (in print and elec- Committees Contact Bill King (801-582-0432) or tronic media). When submitting an Communications: Larry Meyer Susan Fitts (801-756-6177), or write to article, please indicate whether it has Conservation: Bill King & Tony Frates UNPS, PO Box 520041, Salt Lake City, been previously published or submitted Education: Ty Harrison UT, 84152-0041 or email for consideration to other publications.

______Chapter News such as hosting the 2012 Penstemon festival and a native plant sale. Cache: The dates are now set, mark Merrill Johnson of Great Basin Na- your calendars, get ready to plant! tives will head this event. More infor- Cache Chapter and the Cache Mas- mation will come later as plans get ter Gardeners announce the 2012 solidified. Native Plant Propagation Workshop We also plan to start a native gar- dates. There are two times/days to den at Fremont Indian State Park mu- choose from: Thursday, March 22 @ 6 seum. Since the garden at Sam Stowe PM or Saturday, March 24 @ 9 AM. If Campground is becoming established, both sessions fill up an afternoon ses- we can direct our efforts at the mu- sion will be added on Saturday, seum which will give us a more public March 24. Registration begins Mon- presence. day, January 9. - Michael Piep A new benefit to chapter members is the 10% discount we will get at Fremont (Richfield area): Thanks local, home-owned nurseries, such as to Lisa White and welcome to Great Basin natives in Holden, Brook- Forest Service for 31 years, most lyn Gardens in Elsinore, Wildland Marianne Orton. The last two years recently as Environmental Coordi- have been chuck full for Lisa White: Nursery in Joseph, and Larsen’s Ace nator. Her career has taken her Hardware in Richfield. Be sure your she has served as chairperson of the throughout the Intermountain West Fremont Chapter while giving birth to membership is current to take advan- including Nevada, California, Idaho, tage of the discount. a baby, working in Zion National and Utah. Park, and fulfilling church callings. Our chapter has worked hard Manzanita (Kane County): After a We appreciate her energy and contri- over the past few years raising butions to our chapter. Thank you! fall hiatus, the chapter will resume its money for our events, so to cele- speaker series and member meetings We now welcome Marianne Breeze brate we enjoyed a tasty dinner at Orton as our new chairperson. She in early January 2012 (TBA). Follow- Sage Brush Grille. We are commit- ing in the tradition of the Salt Lake moved to Richfield from Panguitch ted to worthy projects in the future, last year and has worked for the US Chapter, our January meeting will be 2 Sego Lily January 2012 35 (1) Bulletin Board

2012 Rare plant meeting; March 6: Red Butte Garden and the Utah Native Plant Society will be sponsoring the annual rare plant meeting, planned for Tuesday, March 6 at Red Butte Garden’s new upstairs classroom (300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City). The format will be similar to past years and feature a series of oral presentations by researchers and agency botanists on topics pertaining to rare plant species or plant conservation. Please submit abstracts for 20 minute oral presentations or posters by February 15, 2012 to Rita (Dodge) Reisor ([email protected]) or Walter Fertig ([email protected]). We ask participants to register in advance online at the Red Butte Garden website (www.redbutte garden.org/conservation) or by calling the Red Butte front desk at 801-585-0556. A boxed lunch will be provided as part of the $15 registration fee. If there is sufficient interest, we will hold a separate meeting on March 7 to revise the UNPS rare plant species list. -W. Fertig and Rita Reisor

2012 Penstemon Festival; June 1-2: Back by popular demand, Merrill Johnson and Janett Warner, two of UNPS’s favorite native plant nursery proprietors, will be hosting another Penstemon festival on June 1-2, 2012 (see the July 2011 Sego Lily for more on beardtongues and the 2011 event). The 2012 festival will move to the Richfield area of central Utah and feature a dinner presentation by David Salmon of High Country Gardens in Santa Fe, New Mexico. See the March issue of the Sego Lily for more details on the venue, activities, and how to register to attend.

Help Wanted Collecting Milkweed Seed: Dr. Anurag Agrawal of Cornell University has contacted the Society about the availability of seed of Circle Cliffs milkweed (Asclepias labriformis). This Utah endemic is among the most toxic of all milkweed taxa, making it of keen interest to researchers studying the interactions between insect herbivores and milkweeds. If anyone has seed of this species, please contact Bill King, 801-808-6393, or [email protected] .

NEW UNPS life members—Leigh Johnson, botany professor and curator of the herbarium at Brigham Young Univer- sity (Provo) and Jeanette Townsend of Salt Lake City are the newest life members of the Utah Native Plant Society. Thanks for making this commitment to the Society!

UFO night, or “unidentified flowering emphasized the importance of object”. Please email digital photos thinking carefully about what it is beforehand ([email protected]) or you want to capture in the photo- bring some dusty old polaroids to graph. This is especially true when share and befuddle the crowd. Prizes using a medium level camera which will be awarded for the trickiest restricts your options. Especially photo and crowd favorite. stunning were some magnificent In February, chapter stalwart and landscape photos patiently stitched retired pharmacist Steve Dahl will together from multiple exposures. speak about pharmacognosy On Wednesday January 4, our (medicines from herbal plants—yeah, next meeting will be held at the REI I had to look it up too). For March, store on 3300 South, close to 3300 your umbel leader will talk about the East, starting at 7PM. Dr. Ty Harri- flora of Zion National Park. In April son, emeritus professor of biology Kanab restaurateur Victor Cooper at Westminster College, will present will discuss the flora and fauna (well, a program on “Common edible wild mostly the fauna) of Antarctica. Also plants” which are found in Salt Lake in April our spring outdoor expedi- County in the Wasatch Mountains Then the leaves … It’s quite wide- tions will resume. - W. Fertig and foothills. He continues a tradi- spread, but not common and found tion of wild fruit, greens, and mush- in most Utah counties and all western Salt Lake: Our November meeting room foraging which spans many states except Washington. The photo was held jointly with the Annual generations. There will be taste was taken at 9400 feet near Tasha Members meeting, as reported on samples of his wild jam and jelly. - Creek on Fish Lake Mountain on Au- elsewhere. We had a great turnout Bill Gray gust 10, 2010. on December 7th when Richard Jonas The November UFO was Telegraph spoke about the wizardry behind Unidentified Flowering Object: weed (Heterotheca grandiflora), a some of his great photos. It was a fine This month’s UFO comes from Bill native that barely sneaks into south- combination of beautiful flower pic- Gray with the following comments: ern Utah. tures and how to get them. As Steve “What the heck is that?” was my Do you have a UFO to share? Send it Hegji did earlier in the year, Richard first response: then I started count- in and try to stump your fellow read- ing parts which gave me a clue. ers! - W. Fertig 3 Utah Native Plant Society

2011 UNPS Members Meeting

The annual Utah Native Plant Society members meeting was held on Saturday, 5 November 2011 at Red Butte Garden in Salt Lake City. Former UNPS President Bill Gray entertained the assem- bled group with his slide show on Marcus E. Jones. Bill has recently digitized a trove of historical Jones photos housed at Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden. He has be- gun traveling across Utah and the west to relocate and reshoot sites photographed by Jones over a century ago (see the November 2011 Sego Lily for more). Part of the attraction of the annual meeting is visiting with old and new friends. Dr. Stanley Welsh attended the meeting (upper right) and held court with his own stories of Utah botanical history and adventure. Ever- dapper speaker Bill Gray (bottom right) attracted his usual share of groupies, including, from left, TNC’s Elaine York, Sylvia Gray, and Ann Mitchell. Of course the hallmark of all annual meetings is the New World potluck, here being enjoyed by Steve Hegji under the watchful eye of Susan Fitts (below).

Although he could not be in attendance, Ben Franklin was hon- ored by the UNPS board with the Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his years of service as state botanist with the Utah Con- servation Data Center (heritage program). Ben recently retired from that position and has been replaced by his long-time col- league and UNPS board member Robert Fitts. The award comes with an honorary life membership in the Society. Members at the meeting voted unanimously to renew the terms of existing board members and welcome newcomer Blake Wel- lard. Photos by Larry Meyer

4 Sego Lily January 2012 35 (1)

Where’s in a Name: Utah Plant Name Geography By Walter Fertig

Coming up with a unique species name can be hard, especially in large genera. Pretty soon all the obvious descriptive terms are taken (aurea, rubra, longifolia, minima, pubescens, etc.), and there are only so many colleagues and benefactors to commemorate (fremontii, jonesii, torreyi, wis- lizeni, etc.). Geographic names can come to the rescue of the tongue-tied tax- onomist. Such terms may describe general environmental fea- tures such as mountains (montana), valleys (vallicola) or bodies of water (lacustris, riparia). Vegetation types are popular too, such as forests (sylvatica), mead- ows (pratense, campestris), alpine tundra (alpina), or deserts (deserta, arida). Coordinates are also commonly used for north (borealis), south (australis), east (orientale), or west (occidentale). More specific place names are often used to describe the primary Above: Zion shooting star range of a species. These can be a region, such as novae-angliae (Dodecatheon pulchellum var. zi- whole continents (africana, euro- (New England). Ludoviciana can onense), named originally by Alice refer to the state of Louisiana, Eastwood from Zion Canyon, Utah. pea, asiatica) or individual coun- Photo by W. Fertig. tries (japonica for Japan, gallicum but more is used for the Louisi- for France, canadensis for Canada, ana Purchase. Louisiana sage- 6). Nathaniel Lord Britton and mexicana for Mexico, etc.). Coun- wort (Artemisia ludoviciana) is a Joseph Rose even named a cactus try names can provide a valuable widespread western species that genus Utahia, though it is lumped clue for deducing the nativity of barely enters prairies of north- with Pediocactus today. species. For example, salt-cedar ern Louisiana, while the Louisi- At least 63 Utah place names has the scientific name Tamarix ana broomrape (Orobanche ludo- have been used for naming vascu- chinensis for its native land, China. viciana), another common west- lar plant species. Often these lo- The epithet americana refers to erner, is completely absent from calities are at or near the spot species from the United States or the Pelican State. where the type specimen was col- the “Americas” (North, Central, or Nearly all of the western lected. Some of the place names South). Many states have also states appear in plant species’ are now obscure, or the authors been Latinized for use in plant names in Latinized form. Utah is have had fun in tweaking common names. Common eastern species especially rich in plant names names into Latin. Use the map often have the name virginiana bearing the epithet utahensis or and legend on the following pages (Virginia), caroliniana (Carolina, utahense (depending on the gen- to find a place name near your either North or South), or pensyl- der of the genus name). At least town that has been given botani- vanica (Pennsylvania). Some- 33 species have ‘Utah’ in their cal immortality. times geographic names describe scientific name (see list on page

5 Utah Native Plant Society

Plant species named Utahensis or Utahense: Agave, Amelanchier, Astragalus (right), Atriplex gardneri var., Buddleja, Camissonia scapoidea var., Cirsium neomexi- canum var., Croton texensis var., Cryptantha, Cynan- chum, Cystopteris, Dodecatheon dentatum var., Erig- eron, Fendlerella, Ivesia, Lathyrus pauciflorus var., Lo- nicera, Lotus, Lupinus caudatus var., Lupinus lepidus var., Mimulus glabratus var., Montia perfoliata var., Mortonia scabrella var., Opuntia erinacea var., Pen- stemon, Phacelia, Physaria, Polygonum douglasii var., Sarcocornia, Selaginella, Swertia, Symphoricarpos oreo- philus var., and Yucca.

6 Sego Lily January 2012 35 (1)

Key to Map of Utahensis 21. Ciscoensis (Cisco): Calochor- 43. Abajoensis (Abajo Mount- tus ains): Erigeron, Draba 1. Anserinus (Goose Creek): 22. Piscator (Fisher Mesa): 44. Kachinensis (Kachina Natu- Astragalus Astragalus ral Bridge): Erigeron 2. Negundo (Box Elder County): 23. Moabensis or Moabense 45. Monumentalis (Monument Astragalus lentiginosus var. (Moab): Astragalus coltonii Valley): Astragalus 3. Loganum (Logan): Eriogonum var., Lepidium, Lupinus arg- 46. Navajoa or Navajoense brevicaule var. enteus var. (Navajo Mountain): Penstemon, 4. Crawfordensis (Crawford 24. Rafaelensis (San Rafael Trifolium andinum var. Mountain): Cymopterus Swell): Astragalus, Phacelia 47. Fumariensis (Smoky Mount- 5. Bonnevillensis (Lake Bonne- 25. Salina or Salinensis (Salina ain): Sphaeralcea ville): Atriplex gardneri var. Canyon or Salina Pass): Cir- 48. Mammilariensis (Nipple 6. Ibapensis (Ibapah): Cymopter- sium wheeleri var., Elymus Bench): Phacelia us, Hackelia 26. Musiniensis (Musinea Peak): 49. Wahweapensis (Wahweap): 7. Eurekensis (Eureka): Astrag- Astragalus, Senecio Astragalus lentiginosus var. alus 27. Canone (Canyon Range): 50. Escalantinus (Escalante): 8. Wasatchensis (Wasatch Trifolium andinum var. Astragalus newberryi var. Range): Aster, Ivesia gordonii 28. Desereticus (Deseret): As- 51. Tabulaeus (Table Cliff): var. tragalus, Penstemon humilis Astragalus limnocharis var. 9. Duchesnensis or Duchesnicola var. 52. Canaani (Canaan Peak): (Duchesne): Artemisia nova var., 29. Domensis (House Range): Physaria chambersii var. Astragalus, Craetagus douglasii Primula 53. Panguicense (Panguitch, or var., Cymopterus, Penstemon 30. Derensis (Desert Experi- Panguitch Lake): Astragalus 10. Argylensis (Argyle Canyon): mental Range): Arabis hol- argophyllus var., Eriogonum Phacelia boellii or Boechera holboellii 54. Pariense or Pariensis (Paria): 11. Uintahensis or Uintaense var. Iris, Pediomelum (Uinta Mountains or Uinta 31. Wahwahense or Wahwahen- 55. Kanabensis (Kanab): Yucca Basin): Chrysothamnus sis (Wah Wah Range): Erig- 56. Markaguntense (Markagunt nauseosus var., Erigeron speci- eron, Trifolium andinum var. Plateau): Cirsium clavatum var. osus var., Mentzelia multicaulis 32. Friscanum (Frisco): Tri- 57. Zionis, Zionensis, or Sionis var., Papaver, Penstemon, folium (Zion Canyon or Zion National Stephanomeria tenuifolia var. 33. Castoreus or Castorea Park): Astragalus, Chrysopsis 12. Vernalensis (Vernal): Penst- (Beaver County): Senecio or (Heterotheca), Dodecatheon pul- emon angustifolius var. Packera chellum var., Draba asprella var., 13. Saurinus or Saurinum 34. Marianus (Marysvale): Erigeron, Eriogonum racemosum (Dinosaur National Monu- Lupinus sericeus var. var., Haplopappus (Ericameria), ment): Astragalus, Eriogonum 35. Flumensevera (Sevier Jamesia americana var., Lathyrus lonchophyllum var. River): Mentzelia multicaulis brachycalyx var. 14. Pomariensis (Orchard Creek var. 58. Parunuweapensis (Parunu- Draw in Dinosaur National 36. Awapensis (Awapa Plateau): weap Canyon): Trifolium Monument): Gutierrezia Erigeron variegatum var. 15. Cyanomontanus (Blue Mount- 37. Loanus (Loa): Astragalus 59. Canaani (Canaan Mountain): ain): Penstemon scariosus var. 38. Aquariensis (Aquarius Plat- Erigeron 16. Yampaensis (Yampa River): eau): Castilleja 60. Concordius (New Harmony): Penstemon acaulis var. 39. Henrimontanensis (Henry Astragalus 17. Equisolensis (Horseshoe Mountains): Astragalus 61. Virginensis or Virginense Bend): Astragalus 40. Ruinina (Ruin Park): Krasch- (Virgin River): Cirsium, Crypt- 18. Albifluvis (White River): Pen- eninnikovia lanata var. antha, Encelia frutescens var. stemon scariosus var. 41. Imperialis (Imperial Can- 62. Georginum (St. George): 19. Wetlandicus (Pariette Wet- yon): Gilia Lepidium lasiocarpum var. lands): Sclerocactus 42. Coloradoensis (Colorado 63. Castoreus (Beaver Dam 20. Desolaticola (Desolation River): Astragalus kentrophyta Mountains/Wash): Astragalus Canyon): Aquilegia var. newberryi var., Opuntia phaea- cantha var. 7 Utah Native Plant Society

Utah Plant Families: The Grapes (Vitaceae) By Walter Fertig

It is no accident that the words vital, vitality, and Vitis all share the same Latin root, Vita. Accord- ing to Webster’s Dictionary, vital means to be “necessary or essen- tial to life” and vitality is “to have mental or physical vigor.” Vitis is Latin for the grape, one of man- kind’s oldest cultivated fruits and the source of revitalizing food and drink for millennia. Vita also lends its name to the grape family, or Vitaceae, a group of 11-14 genera and approxi- mately 700 species found throughout the tropics, subtrop- ics, and north temperate zone. Members of the grape family tend to be woody vines with tendrils that help them clamber over other vegetation, buildings, or walls. The tendrils are thought to be modified branches and are usually located opposite the leaves, rather than in their axils or at their tips as in other tendril-bearing plants. Grapes and their relatives are also characterized by small, incon- Above: Vitis arizonica in fruit from Loy Canyon, north of Sedona, AZ. Photo © spicuous, 4 or 5-parted flowers Max Licher. with a prominent nectary disk and their signature fleshy berries. culture). Parthenocissus berries cissus. It occurs in hanging gar- Two genera in the Vitaceae oc- are an important foodstuff for dens and shady canyons associ- cur in Utah. The creepers or deer and songbirds, but because ated with springs and seeps in woodbines of the genus Partheno- of their concentration of oxalic Garfield, Kane, and San Juan coun- cissus are represented by one na- acid are inedible to humans. ties. Unlike the Virginia creeper, it tive species and two introduced Virginia creeper (Parthen- lacks adhesive disks and supports ornamentals. The genus name ocissus quinquefolia) is native to itself with branched tendrils. As a translates as “Virgin” (Partheno) eastern North America but intro- result, it tends to spread over the “ivy” (Cissus, also the name of the duced in Utah for landscaping ground and low-growing vegeta- largest genus of the grape family, purposes. It forms woody vines tion, rather than climb. mostly found in the tropics). Colo- up to 15 feet tall that are sup- Grapes (Vitis) differ from the rado botanist Bill Weber says that ported by unusual tendrils that creepers in having simple leaves this name has been corrupted end in an adhesive disk. These that are palmately veined and over time to “Virginia creeper.” disks fasten so well to wood or lobed (but not divided into leaf- The creepers can be distinguished masonry surfaces that they can lets) and edible berries. The flow- by their palmately compound cause damage if forcibly re- ers of the grape are distinct in that leaves that turn vibrant red, scar- moved. the petals are fused at their tips let, or purple in the fall (thus mak- Thicket creeper (P. vitacea) is into a cap-like structure that is ing the plants popular in horti- Utah’s only native Partheno- shed at maturity to reveal the sta-

8 Sego Lily January 2012 35 (1) mens or carpels (individual flow- began about 5000 BC, and was Wine grapes are prone to many ers are often of just one sex). widely established in Egypt and diseases and insect infestations, Grapes are also strong climbers by the Middle East by 3000 BC. especially when grown in mono- means of tendrils, but these never Egyptian hieroglyphics depict cultures. In the 1800s, the Euro- have adhesive disks at the tip. wine-induced drunkenness, pean wine industry was nearly Among his other scholarly pur- while wine-growing wiped out by an aphid-like insect suits, Charles Darwin studied the (viniculture) is discussed in the pest called Phylloxera vitifoliae mechanics of tendril growth and ancient Sumerian Epic of Gil- that was accidentally imported motion, and even wrote an entire gamesh. with North American grapes. The book on the topic (On the Move- The most widely grown spe- industry was saved when growers ments and Habits of Climbing cies is the Wine grape (Vitis vi- learned to graft the flowering Plants, 1865). Grape tendrils ini- nifera). Its origin is as cloudy as stems of V. vinifera on to more tially are straight until they reach an unfiltered Bordeaux, but most hardy rootstalks of North Ameri- something to attach. Tendrils of- authorities believe the wine can species which were more ten exhibit negative phototropy, grape evolved in southwestern naturally resistant to the sap- or an attraction to dark places, Asia or the Middle East. The sucking insects. such as crevices. When contact is Phoenicians introduced the cul- Another significant grape mal- made with a surface, the tendril ture of grapes throughout the ady is Pierce’s disease which begins to coil (from the middle, Mediterranean, where it pros- causes leaf wilting and can kill rather than the tip) and expand to pered in the warm, dry climates afflicted plants. The disease is hold the stem firmly in place. Oc- of Greece and Italy. Wine grapes caused by a bacterium Xylella fas- casionally tendrils produce leaves later spread across Europe and tidiosa (Xf) that clogs the water- or flowers, lending support to the on to China and the New World. transporting xylem tissue of the view that they are actually modi- About 65 species of wild stem and is spread by leafhop- fied inflorescences. grapes occur in the northern pers. Arizona grape is especially The fruit of the grape, of course, hemisphere, with the majority of resistant to Xf and has attracted is what interests most people. species found in eastern North the attention of crop scientists Grapes can be eaten fresh, dried America and China. Not all of interested in creating hybrids or as raisins or sultanas*, fermented these species are suitable for genetically engineering the wine into wine, or pressed into non- direct consumption. One excep- grape**. Domestic grapes are alcoholic juice. The seeds and tion is the North American fox or among the most heavily sprayed leaves are also edible. Grapes are Concord grape (Vitis labrusca). commercial crops, so any advance especially high in flavonoids, such This species is characterized by in disease prevention is of eco- as resveratrol, which are impor- a fruit skin that easily slips off nomic and health benefit to hu- tant antioxidants that help pre- the pulpy seed. Concord grapes man consumers of grape products. vent damage to blood vessels, pre- are edible, but are most com- The Arizona grape is also note- vent blood clots, and reduce so- monly used for jams or juicing. worthy for being the only plant called “bad” cholesterol. Other This species, and V. vinifera, are host of a species of seed beetle kinds of antioxidants found in widely planted in Utah, espe- (Amblycerus vitis). Female beetles grape seeds and grape juice help cially in the warmer portions of lay their sticky eggs on the surface reduce the risk of heart attacks, the state. of mature grapes. After they diabetes, and cataracts. Our only native grape is the hatch, the larvae bore into the Archaeologists have recently Arizona grape (Vitis arizonica). fruit and consume one of the four discovered wine residues in Neo- This species occurs in moist, seeds inside. Each larva then pu- lithic crockery from the Republic shady river canyons and hanging pates inside the seed before of Georgia dating to 6000 BC. Re- gardens bordering the Virgin emerging as an adult. So, appar- searchers believe these earliest River and its tributaries in ently appreciation of Vitis is not wines were derived from wild Washington County. It is espe- limited to humans after all. grapes. Domestication probably cially abundant in Zion Canyon . The fruit of Arizona grape is not particularly tasty to humans be- ** In 2007, scientists mapped the entire *A fancy word for a raisin derived from a cause of its leathery skin, but is genome of Vitis vinifera, making the wine seedless grape. grape just the fourth plant species to have relished by birds. all of its genetic tea leaves read.

9 Utah Native Plant Society

Escalante River Watershed Partnership: Working Cooperatively to Restore a Drainage By Kris Pack (adapted from the Escalante River Watershed Restoration newsletter, Summer 2011)

The Escalante watershed in- cludes more than 15,000 acres of riparian and canyon vegetation, with a total area of 1.6 million acres. Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and Tamarisk (Tamarix sp.) are very aggressive invaders that were brought into the area for erosion control after the 1930s Dust Bowl. Over the past 30 years these plants have spread, replacing native vegetation in Escalante and Boulder, and along the Escalante River. These invasive trees generally create imbalances with broad im- plications. Russian olive causes river channelization, eventually transforming a riparian site to a relatively dry upland. Studies are showing that Russian olive is shading the river corridor, cooling the water temperature, and changing the habitat of native Above: The Escalante River Water- jects on woody invasive plant re- warm water aquatic species of the shed in south-central Utah (between moval in the Escalante watershed. Escalante River. Boulder Mountain and Lake Powell) These projects were funded Russian olive also interferes through a combination of private with farming operations and wild- ERWP was to control Russian and federal grants and contracted life management efforts by form- olive and other woody invasive through TNC’s office in Moab. ing dense, monospecific stands. species. The ERWP has grown The first project was 12 acres of By removing Russian olive, both over the past two years to in- private land in Boulder. The area private and public lands could see clude federal and state agencies, was an old pasture that had been decreased fire danger, easier ac- local government representa- taken over by Russian olive. Boul- cess to the river, and increased tives, nonprofit organizations, der Community Alliance and TNC private property values. businesses, local landowners, worked together to organize the Created in 2009, the Escalante and citizens. ERWP is in the fi- project in cooperation with the River Watershed Partnership nal stages of completing a strate- landowner. Canyon Country (ERWP) brought together a di- gic action plan which will serve Youth Corps was awarded the verse group of private and federal as a road map for restoration contract for removal. The crew agencies (including The Nature projects along the entire water- used hand saws and chainsaws Conservancy [TNC], Grand Stair- shed, from the headwaters in the and treated all cut stumps with case-Escalante National Monu- aspen forests of the Aquarius herbicide. Burn piles were cre- ment, Glen Canyon National Rec- Plateau to the confluence of the ated with most of the debris. reation Area, and Dixie National Escalante River with Lake Pow- The second project was on Hwy Forest) to achieve restoration ell. 12 at the confluence of Calf Creek goals for the Escalante River. A In the fall of 2010, ERWP com- and the Escalante River. Russian major impetus for forming the pleted three demonstration pro- olive and tamarisk were removed

10 Sego Lily January 2012 35 (1) from 11 acres upstream from the bridge. Utah Conservation Corps The Funny Pages was awarded the contract for removal. The last project was at the trick was to Caryophyllaceae bit of headwaters, 5 miles west of Esca- feminine apparel from some dis- lante. The project was 46 acres of play counter. private, state, and BLM land. “Boys,” said Sadie, “I’ve stolon Wildland Scapes based in Moab my last bit of lingerie— I’m going was awarded the removal con- straight. And to prove I’m Cereus, tract. Because of the density and I’m going to lead you to Pericycle size of this project, a timber axe Pete’s hangout.” and wood chipper were used for We hoped that Sadie’s change removal in addition to chainsaw Botanical Dragnet of heartwood mean that she crews. Local landowners were wouldn’t stele anymore. She took By John “Barney” Baxter us to Pete’s hideout, a sleazy invited to a demonstration to see Reprinted from the newsletter of how this type of equipment apartment that he had rented the Wyoming Native Plant works. from those notorious slumlords, Society, February 1991 Phil O. Dendron and his wife, My name is Joe Friday. I was Rhoda Dendron. “Culm awn out, born in Raceme, Wisconsin. My Pete,” I yelled, “You ought to see buddy Spike and I are just umbel the nice nucellus fellows have for cops, but we can go anywhere a you. Yew won’t pine away— catkin, and we always get our yew’ll spruce up fir a change when man. you cedar cell.” It was warm in Los Angeles. It His only anther was to fire a was so warm that Spike and I pistil from a window. We let him were beginning to drupe, and we rachis with fire for a while, then were about to go to Abies bar we broke down the door. He had and get plastid when a call came exhausted his ammunition, and in that a supermarket had been the floor was littered with Brassi- This pair of photos show how held up. We drove down there caceaes. “Boys,” he said, “I’m glad successful the project has been so and talked to a checker. She was it’s over. I lost my shoes, and mito- far. The top photo is a typical sec- palea and nervous. “Don’t pani- sis cold.” tion of the Escalante River domi- cle, Ma’am,” I said, “I just want Sadie warned us that the sap- nated by Russian olive. The the FAX.” wood try to escape, so we took lower photo shows the same “Well, lemma see,” she said, him to the station and locked him reach two weeks after crews re- “this guy came in with a pistil, up in a guard cell. Later she moved the invasive trees. and I knew he meant to stigma cracked up, so we sent her to the up, so I gave him all the cash. insane xylem. Then our Irish po- Then I watched him pedicel lice chief, Luke O’Plast, gave me a away on his pericycle. It had one raise* so now I have a funiculus to petal missing.” jingle in my pocket. I also have my I could tell by the style of ca- name over my office door inflores- per that it was the work of Peri- cence lights, and I feel quite supe- cycle Pete, the notorious super- rior ovary the whole thing. market bandit. We spent a week — Ament — looking for apetalous pericycle, Editor’s Note: The late Dr. John Baxter, in with no success. We were deep addition to being a celebrated mycologist, in glume. Then one day there was the botanical “Poet Lariat” of Wyo- was a knock awn the door. ming. Drawing by Jane Dorn. “Come in,” I said, and who *Later, the chief was talking promotions. I should walk in but Sadie the thought, “Is he Cereus, or is epigynous a Shoplifter, a gal whose favorite curve?” 11 Utah Native Plant Society

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