,--------~---------.,-----~---• -- . --.. No 37 L--_ _ .__-, ' '_Sp_.r_ing_2_0_00_-r-F-,-,,-h,-,-' e=-., -,-N"-"e=w-,-"s,,-,-le=t,,-,,,t=e-,---r .=o-,-f ~t, he AI berta Native Pla:ntCourlciI In this issue ... Saying good-bye to Beryl Hallworth Beryl Hallworth ................... 1 Bonnie Smith Flowering dates on the University Prairie ............. 5 When is a rare plant report Beryl Hallworth, former Assistant Curator of not acceptable? ............... 7 the Herbarium, Department of Biological AGM 2000 ............................. 8 Sciences, University of Calgary, passed away at Book review ......................... 9 her residence on March 16 at the age of 89 Rare plant communities, years . Beryl was employed as Assistant Curator part 3: Limber pine ......... 10 from 1967, shortly after her arrival in Canada News and notes .................. 12 from the United Kingdom, until she retired in 1978. During her tenure Dr. Charles Bird was Curator of the Herbarium. Beryl spent these years identifying plants, arranging labs, encour­ aging students and developing intriguing displays. She continued her association with the University and was practically synonymous with the departmental herbarium up to the time of her passing. She is fondly remembered by numerous undergraduate and graduate students, as well as fellow staff as an always enthusiastic and friendly teacher and colleague. In total, she donated over 1600 specimens to the herbarium collection, mostly from western Cahada but also from locations as far afleld as England and Spain. Following her retirement she remained at the herbarium working on a project to catalogue Editor: Chris Manderson the approximately 6000-specimen Nonnan she published articles on Norman Sanson, Co-editor: Ksenija Vujnovic Sanson plant collection from the Banff Mu­ Marion Moodie and David Thompson, plus a Reader: seum. She received a monthly honorarium from booklet entitled 'Pioneer Naturalists of the the Department of Biological Sciences for this Rocky Mountains and the Selkirks' written Contributors: work and produced a catalogue of this collec­ with Monica Jackson. During the 1990s, Mrs. Lorna Allen tion over a period of four years. The Sanson Hallworth began a project to write a book on David Galbraith collection was of great historical value as it had the plants of Kananaskis Country. This book was Joyce Gould been collected during the late 1800s and early published in 1997 with Beryl Hallworth as Bonnie Smith 1900s mostly from Banff National Park w here senior author. Her publications will stand as Don Stiles Sanson worked as a park warden and meteor­ memorials to her dedication to botany and ologist. teaching.This remarkable woman continued to Still a tireless worker, Mrs. Hallworth contin­ work on projects right up to the last moment, The Alberta Native ued working on a variety of projects involving most recently a continuing study of the plants Plant Council safeguarding Nose Hill as a protected area, associated wi th the University prairie located Garneau P.O. 52099, identifying plant specimens in the herbarium behind her residence. She was very interested in Edmonton, AB T6G 2T5 and working on histories of the expeditions of pioneer naturalists to western Canada. In 1975 see Beryl, page 3 • Plant species at risk: COSEWIC list updated David K. Galbraith On May 8,2000, COSEWIC, the Committee on the Alberta species on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, updated its list COSEWIClist ofspecies at risk ofextinction in Canada. The present Endangere~ changes to the list ofspecies at ri sk in Canada are the tinyCryptanthe Cryptantha results of the annual COSEWIC meeting, held in April. In minima all, the status of 141 species of plants and animals were Threate'ned reviewed at this year's meeting. Both the species specialist slender mouse-e-ar--cress Hal/molobos groups that review individual status reports and the actual virgata comm.ittee itself were particularly busy this year as they sand,verbena Abronia micrantha have reviewed the status of many species that have been WEstern blueflag Iris missouriens;s listed in the past. This activity is to ensure that the list is western sprderwort Tradescantia up-to-date when the federal Species at Risk legislation occidentalis hopefully becomes the Species at Risk Act later this year. Of Vulnerable the 18 species that were listed for the first time by Bolander's quillwort Isoetes bolander; COSEWIC in 2000, six are plants: Soapweed (Yucca glauca), a 'hare-footed locoweed Oxytropis/agdpus threatened species in Alberta. Status: Threatened smooth goosefoot Chenopodium tuberculed spike-rush Eleocharis tuberculosa (NS) subglabrum Status: Special Concern soapweed' Yucca glauco large-headed wooly yarrow Achillea millefolium var. megacepha la (SK) hldeterminate Turner's willow Salix turnol'ii (SK) .Kananaskis whitlow-cress Draba kananaskis felt-leaf willow Salix alaxetlsis (NU, SK) little barley Hordeum pusillum .. sand dune short-capsuled willow Salix brachycarpa (SK) flo ccose tansy Tanacetum huronense liar. jloccosum (SK) Many plant species that have been previously listed by COSEWIC were reassessed. Most Extinct-a species that no longer ofthese reassessments did not result in any change to the listed status of the species exists anywhere involved. The status of ten plant species was changed by the reassessment: Extirpated-no longer exists in the wild in Canada, but still occurs elsewhere. Uplisted to Endangered Endangered-in imminent risk of apple moss Bartramia stricta (BC) extinction or extirpation. blunt-lobed woodsia Woodsia obtusa (ON, QC) Threatened-likely to become false hop sedge Carex lupuliformis (ON, QC) endangered if present limiting factors are few-flowered club rush Scirpus verecundus (ON) not reversed. goat's rue Tephrosia virginiana (ON) Special Concern-exhibits charac­ golden paintbrush Castilleja levisecta (BC) teristics that make it particularly sensitive Uplisted to threatened to human activities or natural events. phantom orchid Cephalanthera austiniae (BC) This item /.Vas originally posted on e-Inail soap weed Yucca glauca (AB) Canadian Botanical Conservation Network western silver-Ieaft aster Virgulus sericeus (ME, ON) discussion list cbcn-I, ilIld is reprinted with Downlisted to Threatened the permission qf the author. For more slender mouse-ear-cress H alimolobos vil~ata (AB, SK) information, visit the CBCN web page at <vvww.rbg.ca/cbcn>. Dallid Galbraith is The complete list ofspecies at risk can be found on the COSEWIC web site at the Coordinator of the Canadian Botanical <www.cosewic.gc.ca> . Conservation Network at the Royal Botanical The function of COSEWIC in listing species at risk of ex tinction in Canada is Gardens i11 Burlington, Ontario. evolving. Changes are taking place both because of the p ending Species at Ris/~ Act and also because of changes in the international community's approach to endangered species management. Recently, COSEWIC reviewed its use of extinction risk catego­ ries. The categories presently used by COSEWIC include: • Spring 2000 Beryl, from page 1 preserving this area in a natu ral state for her outstanding contributions to natural ; Ifirsf rnefS.eT}d HaHwprth in,197] the enj oym ent of all Calgarians. Beryl history in Alberta. At the time of her death Mfl\eli hwasfakiri g a'vascular plant Hallworth's dedication to teaching botany she was collaborating on a booklet about taxonpmy,course fromD r. Bob G.gilvie and natural history was exemplary. She another natural area, the University Reserve at the Univ€rsityofCa!gary. 1got to inspired many students to pursue their Lands, easily accessible fro m her residence. ·'k now ~ryl really weHwhen I start ed own interes ts and to continu e to strive Beryl Maybury Hallworth (nee Evans) 'wor krFlgon myMa~ter 's thesis under towards their goals. was born near J)'rJBird ih thefall of 1973. She was included in CardifI,Wales. She Over the ye.af slmade many visits to the Who's W ho of receive d her B.Se. 6eryl'shQme, eitherOformeetings of I first met Beryl Hallworth in the Canadian Women in H on. from Univer­ t he {fFNS] Natural Areas €ormmittee, 1988. fall of 1977, when I enrolled in the sity College, Or just to soda fizeHf i tw~ s summer, Beryl was always University of Calgary as a gradu­ Cardiff, U niversity land the weatherwas good; she .. busy, ever enthusias­ ate student, studying under Dr. ofWales, United ;frequently'Suggested awalk on the tic, and very produc­ Bird. We kept in touch regularly Kingdom in 1932 un iverSitygrassl~1I1d behind·fter home, tive yet she always followed by a after I graduated, and I was al­ lw hi chliery '~oon 'betam'e known 'a s had time for people, Diploma in lBeryl's PhHr ie~ ways impressed by her ever­ particularly students, Education in 1933 ~ SliieliferanY:knewevery plantthere. or for that matter, inquiring mind and wide range of as well as two First BerylseemedLto have ad aptitude for anyone with a interests. Knowing Beryl has Class Diplomas identifying problematic.weeds, ques ti on regarding shaped my life. I regarded her as (Royal H orticul­ ~articula rlo/ so rri e QttfIe nasty plants. Many times a role model and an inspiration tural Society) from J::henopods,'iI'nd Imadegoqd use of she could be seen Usk Agricultural on how to live.Thank you Beryl ­ 'her-talents when I had the thance. talking away to a College, South Beryl Wa $ , a '~pi ri tedl womal"lf pleas­ the world needs more people like student or herb arium W;u es in 1934. She ,ant <)110 articulate, b.ut n Q;t afraid to visitor cli sc ussing, you. - Kathleen Wilkinson. married Herbert sp.eak' her mind..l f.aink the most with great enthusi­ Hallworth in 1942. ag itated.1ever sawher wa6 w hen asm, some interesting She taught Biology some:graduate,student$ made eight topic or another. She in grammar schools ;cups of tea from ; ~n e : tea bag.As far as was a natural teacher with a generoll s (p ublic and private) in the United K.ingdom ::Berylwas wncerned,'t hatwassimply spirit.