Minnesota Plant Press The Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter www.mnnps.org Volume 31 Number 4 Fall 2012 Monthly meetings Thompson Park Center/Dakota Leaders give continuity Lodge Thompson County Park to Native Plant Society 1200 Stassen Lane by Scott Milburn, president simplistic task, especially when the West St. Paul, MN 55118 Continuity has been critical to editor is constantly dealing with a maintaining our Society as our president’s late column. Programs organization moves into our fourth The Minnesota Native Plant decade. We held officer elections at In the near future, we will need Society meets the first Thursday our Sept. 9 board meeting and re- someone to step forward to take in October, November, December, elected all four officers from the last over as editor of the Plant Press. February, March, April, May, and term. This will entail overseeing the June. Check at www.mnnps.org for content and format of the newsletter. more program information. I would like to point out that this It would be preferable for someone 6 p.m. — Social period will be Ron and Cathy Hubers’ to initially work with Gerry in order 7 – 9 p.m. — Program, Society eighth year as treasurer, Shirley to provide that needed continuity. I business. Mah Kooyman’s seventh year as encourage those that are interested Nov. 1: Climate Change and the vice president, my seventh year as to contact both Gerry and me. Temperate-Boreal Forest Ecotone, president, and Andrés Morantes’ by Dr. Lee Frelich, professor, fourth year as secretary. Other Issues facing Society Department of Forest Resources, positions within the organization In looking forward to this next University of Minnesota. Plant- have been held for multiple years, year and beyond, it is important of-the-Month: Pennsylvania sedge and in my view, that’s a great thing. to keep evaluating our trajectory. (Carex pensylvanica), also by Dr. We will be discussing this more at Frelich. Seed exchange. (See article New editor is needed future board meetings, but I invite on page 2.) As I learn more about other non- the membership to speak up. In my profit organizations, I am extremely last column, I mentioned the topics Dec. 6: “The eastern larch beetle: impressed by the workhorses in our of School Trust Lands and cattle Historical perspectives and current group, from Ken Arndt and field grazing on intact prairie. We need to significance to forest health in trips, to Elizabeth Heck and the continue exploring these issues and Minnesota,” by Fraser McKee, Ph.D. website. student, Department of Entomology, Continued on page 6 University of Minnesota. POM: Someone who really deserves Tamarack (Larix laricina), also by appreciation is Gerry Drewry for Mr. McKee. her contribution as editor of the In this issue Plant Press. Did anyone realize that Society news ...........................2 Feb. 7: Program to be announced. she has been in her current role since New members .........................2 Check the website (www.mnnps. 1999? How Putty-root is pollinated ....3 org) for details. Iron Horse SNA field trip ......4 MNNPS questions? Gerry has already been recognized Prairie Plan update ...................5 by the Society with a lifetime Aquatic Plants book review ....6 Go to www.mnnps.org to see the honorary membership, but she Is that plant native? ..........6 Society blog, news about field trips, deserves much more. Putting Taxa notes: Trees are ‘girls’ ...7 meetings, and committees, and all together a newsletter is not a Plant Lore: Swamp lousewort ..7 issues of this newsletter since 1982. Seed exchange Treasurers’ MNNPS Board will be Nov. 1 report for third Members are encouraged to of Directors collect seeds from Minnesota native quarter of year President: Scott Milburn, board member, [email protected] plants that are growing on their own Treasurers Ron and Cathy Huber property and bring the seeds to the report that income for the first nine Vice President: Shirley Mah tables just inside the lodge before months of the year totaled $14,018 Kooyman, shirley.mah.kooyman@ the Nov. 1 meeting. and expenses totaled $12,420. This mnnps.org Seeds must be packaged in was a net gain of $1,598. Secretary, program coordinator: envelopes or small containers and Andrés Morantes, andres. labeled with the plant’s name, Assets include $17,819 in the [email protected] scientific name (if known), habitat checking account, $8,990 in type, location of source, and name certificates of deposit, and $55 Treasurers, membership data of donor. No bulk seeds will be cash, for a total of $26,864. base: Ron and Cathy Huber, ron. accepted. [email protected] Expenses included seven- Ken Arndt is in charge of the months’ rent, $2,078, for Dakota Ken Arndt: board member, field exchange. He needs volunteers Lodge. Communication printing trip chair, [email protected] to receive the seeds, help arrange costs, including the newsletter, John Arthur: board member, john. them, answer questions, and take membership directory, meeting [email protected] down the tables. postcards, and new member packets totaled $785. Postage was $375. Steve Eggers: board member, steve. MNNPS welcomes Total communication costs were [email protected] $1,191. Otto Gockman: board member, new members [email protected] The Society gives a warm welcome The Hubers anticipate fourth- to two new members who joined quarter expenses of $2,218. Daniel Jones: board member,daniel. during the third quarter of 2012. These include $1,000 for the [email protected] Listed alphabetically, they are: Bud Markhardt memorium, Peter Jordan: board member, peter. Kaija Hermetag, Minneapolis; $505 for insurance, $344 for [email protected] Matthew Jahnke, Duluth; communications, and $265 for the Emily Peters, Minneapolis. website. Mike Lynch: board member, mike. [email protected] Stephen G. Saupe: board member, Minnesota Native Plant Society’s purpose [email protected] (Abbreviated from the bylaws) This organization is exclusively organized and operated for Memberships: memberships. [email protected] educational and scientific purposes, including the following. 1. Conservation of all native plants. Field Trips: fieldtrips.mnnps@ 2. Continuing education of all members in the plant sciences. mnnps.org 3. Education of the public regarding environmental protection of plant Historian-Archives: Roy Robison, life. historian-archives.mnnps@mnnps. 4. Encouragement of research and publications on plants native to org Minnesota. Technical or membership 5. Study of legislation on Minnesota flora, vegetation, ecosytems. inquiries: contact.mnnps@mnnps. 6. Preservation of native plants, plant communities, and scientific and org natural areas. 7. Cooperation in programs concerned with the ecology of natural Webmaster: Elizabeth Heck, [email protected] resources and scenic features. 8. Fellowship with all persons interested in native plants through Minnesota Plant Press editor: meetings, lectures, workshops, and field trips. Gerry Drewry, 651-463-8006; [email protected] 2 availability between the blooming Pollination Biology of period for A. hyemale and the earlier Aplectrum hyemale (Putty-root blooming spring ephemerals. or Adam and Eve orchid) Freshly placed pollen from another flower was never observed by Charles L. Argue, Ph.D., on the stigma. In fact, 26 hours of research associate, Department observation over four days revealed of Plant Biology, University of only about 12 individuals of the Minnesota, and MNNPS member. short-tongued bee, Lasioglossum This article is modified from his oblongum (Lovell) visiting the book, The Pollination Biology of flowers. Most merely landed on the North American Orchids, vol. 2. inflorescences, remaining for up to Springer, New York (2012). one-half minute. Only five entered Aplectrum hyemale (Muhl. ex flowers. Each entered only one and Willd.) Nutt. is chiefly an orchid remained about five seconds. None of moist, shady deciduous forests were observed bearing pollen either dominated by sugar maple, before or after the flower visit. basswood, beech, and red oak. It In one case, a bee dislodged the often occurs scattered in dense anther-cap, and although no pollen aggregations and shows a preference was removed, two pollen masses for rich, fine-textured, loamy and were observed to be in contact slightly alkaline soils. with the stigma following the bee’s Capable of withstanding a wide Aplectrum hyemale (Putty- departure. Thus, insect-facilitated variety of climatic conditions, it root) inflorescence. Photo self-pollination could be a factor. ranges from Minnesota, southern by David G. Smith (www. Although gene flow through pollen Quebec and Massachusetts delawarewildflowers.org/), may occur, the available data do to Oklahoma and Georgia; in used with permission. not confirm any actual transfer Minnesota it is restricted to the of pollen between plants, and in southeastern quadrant of the state. with no loss in seed production or Hogan’s opinion, A. hyemale is The present account provides viability (no inbreeding depression). routinely autogamous and perhaps, summary information on the agamospermous. The very limited genetic compatibility, breeding Although fruit set occurred in pollinator visitation rates in this system, pollination mechanisms, over 80 percent of flowers that species may have favored selection and fruiting success of this orchid. were left to be pollinated naturally for autogamy. Another worker, Paul (open pollinated), pollinators were Catling, has also reported autogamy Leaf measurements suggest that rarely seen. Only about one out of in Illinois and Canadian populations plants must attain some minimum 50 flowers was visited during a five- of this orchid. size before flowering, and only one day flowering period. The frequency or two individuals from aggregates of insect visits to A. hymeale was The usual sequence of events of 100 or more may flower in a only about 1/4000th of what other leading to pollination was the same given year. In a pioneering two- scientists recorded at the same in open-pollinated inflorescences year study in east central Illinois, site for earlier blooming spring and inflorescences enclosed to Kevin Hogan, from the University ephemerals.