Milkweeds a Conservation Practitioner’S Guide

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Milkweeds a Conservation Practitioner’S Guide Milkweeds A Conservation Practitioner’s Guide Plant Ecology, Seed Production Methods, and Habitat Restoration Opportunities Brianna Borders and Eric Lee-Mäder The Xerces Society FOR INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation 1 MILKWEEDS A Conservation Practitioner's Guide Brianna Borders Eric Lee-Mäder The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation Oregon • California • Minnesota • Nebraska North Carolina • New Jersey • Texas www.xerces.org Protecting the Life that Sustains Us The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs worldwide. The Society uses advocacy, education, and applied research to promote invertebrate conservation. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation 628 NE Broadway, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97232 Tel (855) 232-6639 Fax (503) 233-6794 www.xerces.org Regional offices in California, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Texas. The Xerces Society is an equal opportunity employer and provider. © 2014 by The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation Acknowledgements Funding for this report was provided by a national USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant, The Monarch Joint Venture, The Hind Foundation, SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, The Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation, The William H. and Mattie Wat- tis Harris Foundation, The CERES Foundation, Turner Foundation Inc., The McCune Charitable Founda- tion, and Xerces Society members. Thank you. For a full list of acknowledgements, including project partners and document reviewers, please see the Acknowledgements section on page 113. Editing and layout: Margo Conner. Printing: Print Results, Portland, OR. Recommended Citation Borders, B. and E. Lee-Mäder. 2014. Milkweeds: A Conservation Practitioner's Guide. 146 pp. Portland, OR: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Front Cover Photograph Seed harvest underway in a milkweed seed production field at the Native American Seed farm in Junc- tion, Texas. Photo: Native American Seed. Contents Introduction page 1 Milkweed Biology & Ecology page 3 Species Diversity and Distribution (3) Life Cycle (3) Habitats (3) Plant Morphology (4) Pollination (6) Chemical Ecology (8) Potential Toxicity to Livestock (9) Preventing Livestock Poisoning Ethnobotanical, Industrial, and Commercial Uses (10) The Value of Milkweeds to Wildlife page 13 Monarch Butterflies (14) Other Butterflies and Moths (16) Native Bees (16) Honey Bees (17) Beneficial Insects (17) Vertebrate Wildlife (18) Milkweed Propagation and Seed Production page 21 Wild Seed Collection (25) Seed Germination (28) Stratification; Additional Seed Treatments; Other Factors Influencing Germination Field Establisment (31) Table 1 - Approaches to Establishing Seed Production Fields; Drill Seeding; Transplanting, Row Spacing and Plant Spacing Managing Production Fields (42) Identification and Management of Milkweed Herbivores (44) Protecting Beneficial Insects from Pesticides; Monarch Butterflies and Other Lepidopteran Larvae; Aphids (Aphididae); Milkweed Bugs (Lygaeidae); Leaf Beetles (Chrysomelidae); Milkweed Longhorn Beetles (Cerambycidae: Tetraopes spp.); Snout and Bark Beetles (Cur- culionidae); Generalist Herbivores Plant Disease Diagnosis and Management (63) Known Milkweed Diseases; Fungi; Bacteria; Viruses; Other Organisms; Abiotic Diseases; Disease Management Strategies; Seed Harvesting (70) Hand-Harvesting; Hand Harvesting with Seed Capture Bags; Combine Harvesting; Notes on Additional Harvesting Equipment; Post-Harvest Instructions Seed Processing (78) Hand-Cleaning Without Tools or Equipment; Small-Scale Cleaning with Easy-to-Acquire Tools and Equipment; Build-Your-Own Small-Scale Cleaning Equipment; Mechanized Seed Cleaning; Mechanized Seed Cleaning with Custom Equipment; Manual Threshing Seed Viability, Testing, and Storage (94) Milkweed Marketing Opportunities (95) Using Milkweeds in Habitat Restoration Plantings page 96 Sourcing Milkweed Planting Materials (98) Case Study: Monarch-Friendly Landscaping (98) Case Study: Pollinator Hedgerows in Agricultural Landscapes (100) Case Study: Monarch-Friendly Roadside Management (102) Establishing Milkweeds from Seed (106) Conclusion page 111 Acknowledgements page 113 Appendices page 115 Appendix I: Milkweed Species Native to the United States and Canada (115) Appendix II: Known Milkweed Pathogens (123) Appendix III: Seed Availability, Seed Count Data, and Growth Characteristics of Several Milkweed Species (127) Appendix IV: Region-by-region Summary of Milkweed Seed Availability, Prior- ity Species for Use in Habitat Restoration, and an Overview of Mon- arch Population Dynamics (131) Literature Cited page 138 (This page intentionally left blank) (This page intentionally left blank) Introduction Native milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are perhaps best known for their role as the larval food plants of the monarch butterfly, their distinctive pods, and their wind-borne seeds. There are also many other fascinating aspects of milkweed biology, ecology, and history, with volumes of research conducted on the plants’ unique pollination process, novel chemical composition, and relationships with insect her- bivores. Over 70 milkweed species are native to the United States and Canada. The diverse Asclepias genus en- compasses the almost leafless desert-adapted rush milkweed with photosynthetic stems (A. subulata), the aquatic milkweed with seeds uniquely adapted for water dispersal (A. perennis), the serpentine milk- weed (A. solanoana) that only grows in magnesium and iron rich soils in a few locations in California and Oregon, and the colony-forming common milkweed (A. syriaca) that plays an indispensable role in the monarch butterfly migration, among others. Ecologists, native plant enthusiasts, and butterfly watchers have long championed milkweeds, but recent monarch butterfly declines are now focusing greater attention on these plants. Specifically, milkweed loss across much of North America is believed to be a major factor contributing to monarch population declines. With agricultural intensification as a significant cause, milkweeds are disappearing on an un- precedented scale (Brower et al. 2012; Pleasants & Oberhauser 2012). Though milkweed loss is difficult to quantify based upon limited historical data, the losses resulting from the expansion of glyphosate- resistant corn and soybean crops in the Midwest have been well documented. Hartzler (2010) showed a 90% decline of common milkweed in Iowa corn and soybean fields between 1999 and 2009. Pleasants and Oberhauser (2012) estimated a 58% decline of milkweed density in the Midwest landscape between 1999 and 2010, with a corresponding 81% decline in potential monarch reproduction in the region. Urban development and aggressive management (e.g., mowing and herbicide applications) of roadside vegetation have also contributed to landscape-level decline of milkweed (Commission for Environmen- tal Cooperation 2008). The future of North America’s monarch migration is now at risk. Both the protection of existing milk- weed stands and the restoration of milkweed populations are key components of monarch conservation. Beyond their role in supporting monarchs and a broad diversity of other invertebrate wildlife, milk- weeds are part of North America’s legacy of biological diversity and are deserving of conservation efforts in their own right. A key recommendation of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s North American Monarch Conservation Plan is to plant regionally appropriate milkweed species in areas where milkweed is a limited resource. However, commercial sources of milkweed seed are scarce in many areas of the U.S. This limited seed availability is a major barrier to monarch breeding habitat restoration. At a population scale, this lack of host plants results in fewer butterflies returning to overwintering sites in California and Mexico each year. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation 1 To address this seed shortage and the scarcity of monarch host plants, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation launched Project Milkweed in 2010. The broad objectives of this project are to promote milkweed conservation and increase native milkweed seed availability. In collaboration with the native seed industry, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and community partners, we initiated milkweed seed production in key areas of the monarch’s breeding range where seed sources had been scarce: California, the Great Basin, the Southwest, Texas, and Florida. Concurrently, we have worked to increase awareness of the role that milkweeds play in supporting native bees, honey bees, and beneficial insects (including predators and parasitoids of crop pests). The Xerces Society’s milkweed conservation work has been funded by a national Conservation Innovation Grant from the NRCS, sup- port from the U.S. Forest Service International Programs’ Monarch Joint Venture, Xerces Society mem- bers, and private foundations. Please refer to the Acknowledgements for a full list of funders. To date, there has been very little written on propagating milkweed for large-scale seed production. We have produced this guide to: 1) provide the native seed industry with
Recommended publications
  • Field Release of the Leaf-Feeding Moth, Hypena Opulenta (Christoph)
    United States Department of Field release of the leaf-feeding Agriculture moth, Hypena opulenta Marketing and Regulatory (Christoph) (Lepidoptera: Programs Noctuidae), for classical Animal and Plant Health Inspection biological control of swallow- Service worts, Vincetoxicum nigrum (L.) Moench and V. rossicum (Kleopow) Barbarich (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), in the contiguous United States. Final Environmental Assessment, August 2017 Field release of the leaf-feeding moth, Hypena opulenta (Christoph) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), for classical biological control of swallow-worts, Vincetoxicum nigrum (L.) Moench and V. rossicum (Kleopow) Barbarich (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), in the contiguous United States. Final Environmental Assessment, August 2017 Agency Contact: Colin D. Stewart, Assistant Director Pests, Pathogens, and Biocontrol Permits Plant Protection and Quarantine Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service U.S. Department of Agriculture 4700 River Rd., Unit 133 Riverdale, MD 20737 Non-Discrimination Policy The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To File an Employment Complaint If you wish to file an employment complaint, you must contact your agency's EEO Counselor (PDF) within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act, event, or in the case of a personnel action.
    [Show full text]
  • Aphids Associated with Papaya Plants in Puerto Rico and Florida12
    Aphids associated with papaya plants in Puerto Rico and Florida12 Alberto Pantoja3, Jorge Peña4, Wilfredo Robles5, Edwin Abreu6, Susan Halbert7, María de Lourdes Lugo8, Elias Hernández9 and Juan Ortiz10 J. Agrie. Univ. P.R. 90(l-2):99-107 (2006) ABSTRACT Aphids associated with papaya plants were collected from two sites in Puerto Rico (Isabela and Corozal) and three farms in Homestead, Florida. Between the two regions, Florida and Puerto Rico, twenty-one species of aphids from 12 genera were identified: Aphis sp., Aphis illinoisensis Shimer, Aphis spiraecola Patch, Aphis gossypii Glover, Aphis craccivora Koch, Aphis /dd/ef on/7 (Thomas), Aphis ner/7'Boyer de Fonscolombe, Hyperomyzus carduellinus (Theobald), Hysteroneura setariae (Thomas), Lipaphis pseudo- brassicae (Davis), Picturaphis sp., Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), Sarucallis kahawaluokalani (Kirkaldy), Shinjia orientalis (Mordvilko), Schizaphis rotundiventris (Signoret), Tox- optera citricida (Kilkardy), Toxoptera aurantii (Boyer de Fonscolombe), Tetra- neura nigriabdominalis (Sasaki), Uroleucon ambrosiae (Thomas), and Uroleucon pseudoambrosiae (Olive). The number of species was greater in Florida (n = 14) than in Puerto Rico (n = 11). Differences among species were also found between sites in Puerto Rico, with 10 species in Corozal and six in Isabela. Only one species, A. illinoisensis, was common at all sites sam­ pled, whereas three additional species, A. spiraecola, A. gossypii, and A. craccivora were collected in both the Corozal, Puerto Rico, and the Florida areas. The difference in species composition between Puerto Rican sites 'Manuscript submitted to Editorial Board 12 July 2005. 2The authors wish to recognize T. Adams and D. Fielding, USDA-ARS, Fairbanks, Alaska, for critical reviews of an earlier version of this manuscript.
    [Show full text]
  • Identification of Milkweeds (Asclepias, Family Apocynaceae) in Texas
    Identification of Milkweeds (Asclepias, Family Apocynaceae) in Texas Texas milkweed (Asclepias texana), courtesy Bill Carr Compiled by Jason Singhurst and Ben Hutchins [email protected] [email protected] Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas and Walter C. Holmes [email protected] Department of Biology Baylor University Waco, Texas Identification of Milkweeds (Asclepias, Family Apocynaceae) in Texas Created in partnership with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Design and layout by Elishea Smith Compiled by Jason Singhurst and Ben Hutchins [email protected] [email protected] Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas and Walter C. Holmes [email protected] Department of Biology Baylor University Waco, Texas Introduction This document has been produced to serve as a quick guide to the identification of milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) in Texas. For the species listed in Table 1 below, basic information such as range (in this case county distribution), habitat, and key identification characteristics accompany a photograph of each species. This information comes from a variety of sources that includes the Manual of the Vascular Flora of Texas, Biota of North America Project, knowledge of the authors, and various other publications (cited in the text). All photographs are used with permission and are fully credited to the copyright holder and/or originator. Other items, but in particular scientific publications, traditionally do not require permissions, but only citations to the author(s) if used for scientific and/or nonprofit purposes. Names, both common and scientific, follow those in USDA NRCS (2015). When identifying milkweeds in the field, attention should be focused on the distinguishing characteristics listed for each species.
    [Show full text]
  • Physiological and Chemical Studies Upon the Milkweed (Asclepias Syriaca L) Fisk Gerhardt Iowa State College
    Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1928 Physiological and chemical studies upon the milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L) Fisk Gerhardt Iowa State College Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Agricultural Science Commons, Agriculture Commons, and the Plant Biology Commons Recommended Citation Gerhardt, Fisk, "Physiological and chemical studies upon the milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L)" (1928). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 14748. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/14748 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMl films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMl a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overiaps.
    [Show full text]
  • Danaus Plexippus)
    1. Species: Monarch (butterfly) (Danaus plexippus) 2. Status: Table 1 summarizes the current status of this species or subspecies by various ranking entity and defines the meaning of the status. Table 1. Current status of Danaus plexippus. Entity Status Status Definition NatureServe G4 Species is Apparently Secure At fairly low risk of extinction or elimination due to an extensive range and/or many populations or occurrences, but with possible cause for some concern as a result of local recent declines, threats, or other factors. CNHP S5 Species is Secure At very low risk or extinction or elimination due to a very extensive range, abundant populations or occurrences, and little to no concern from declines or threats. Colorado None N/A State List Status USDA Forest R2 Sensitive Region 2 Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species Service USDI FWSb None N/A a Colorado Natural Heritage Program. b US Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service. The 2012 U.S. Forest Service Planning Rule defines Species of Conservation Concern (SCC) as “a species, other than federally recognized threatened, endangered, proposed, or candidate species, that is known to occur in the plan area and for which the regional forester has determined that the best available scientific information indicates substantial concern about the species' capability to persist over the long-term in the plan area” (36 CFR 219.9). This overview was developed to summarize information relating to this species’ consideration to be listed as a SCC on the Rio Grande National Forest, and to aid in the development of plan components and monitoring objectives.
    [Show full text]
  • Limited Fruit Production in Hancornia Speciosa (Apocynaceae) and Pollination by Nocturnal and Diurnal Insects1
    BIOTROPICA 37(3): 381–388 2005 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2005.00050.x Limited Fruit Production in Hancornia speciosa (Apocynaceae) and Pollination by Nocturnal and Diurnal Insects1 Reisla O. Darrault2 and Clemens Schlindwein Departamento de Botanica,ˆ Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Professor Moraes Rego,ˆ s/n, 50670-901 - Recife, PE, Brazil ABSTRACT Frequency and efficiency of pollinator visits strongly influence the reproductive success of self-incompatible plants. We investigated the breeding and pollination systems of Hancornia speciosa, a small tree that produces fleshy berries used in the Brazilian fruit industry. Observation and experiments were carried out in Northeastern Brazil. Thirty-three species of the visitor were recorded. Hawkmoths (Sphingidae), bees (Euglossini and Centridini), and butterflies (Nymphalidae and Hesperiidae) with long mouth parts were effective pollinators of H. speciosa. Access to nectar, the only reward for flower visitors, is determined by corolla tube length. Nylon threads of various diameters and dried mouth parts from a number of flower visitors were used in experiments to simulate flower visits. The number of pollen grains removed during such simulated visits showed no significant difference. Although xenogamic, H. speciosa presented a low pollen/ovule ratio (77). This might be related to the high efficiency of its pollination mechanism. Flowers of H. speciosa had 76 ovules on average. Seed set varied from 1 to 25, indicating that individual flowers received different amounts of outcross-pollen. Fruit production of hand cross-pollinated flowers increased by 90 percent when compared to natural pollination, suggesting pollinator limitation of H. speciosa. RESUMO Afrequenciaˆ e a eficienciaˆ das visitas dos polinizadores influenciam fortemente no sucesso reprodutivo de plantas auto-incompat´ıveis.
    [Show full text]
  • Glacial Lake Albany Butterfly Milkweed Plant Release Notice
    UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE BIG FLATS, NEW YORK AND ALBANY PINE BUSH PRESERVE COMMISSION ALBANY, NEW YORK AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY EASTERN NEW YORK CHAPTER TROY, NEW YORK AND NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION ALBANY, NEW YORK NOTICE OF RELEASE OF GLACIAL LAKE ALBANY GERMPLASM BUTTERFLY MILKWEED The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, announce the release of a source-identified ecotype of Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa L.). As a source identified release, this plant will be referred to as Glacial Lake Albany Germplasm butterfly milkweed, to document its original location. It has been assigned the NRCS accession number, 9051776. This alternative release procedure is justified because there is an immediate need for a source of local ecotype of butterfly milkweed. Plant material of this specific ecotype is needed for ecosystem and endangered species habitat restoration in the Pine Barrens of Glacial Lake Albany. The inland pitch pine - scrub oak barrens of Glacial Lake Albany are a globally rare ecosystem and provide habitat for 20 rare species, including the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). The potential for immediate use is high and the commercial potential beyond Glacial Lake Albany is probably high. Collection Site Information: Stands are located within Glacial Lake Albany, from Albany, New York to Glens Falls, New York, and generally within the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, just west of Albany, New York. The elevation within the Pine Barrens is approximately 300 feet, containing a savanna-like ecosystem with sandy soils wind- swept into dunes, following the last glacial period.
    [Show full text]
  • Monarch Handout
    All About Monarch Butterflies Presented by Rebecca Schoenenberger UCCE Master Gardener Santa Clara County Master Gardener Program Master Gardener program volunteers are trained by the University of California Cooperative Extension. Our mission is to develop, adapt and extend research-based horticultural information and educational programs to the residents of Santa Clara County. Master Gardener Help Desk • E -mail questions using our website: http://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/help-desk • Call the Help Desk: 408-282-3105 (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday) Bring specimens to the Master Gardener Help Desk Office during Help Desk hours: • 1553 Berger Drive, Building 1, 2nd Floor, San Jose, CA 95112 • Call or bring specimens to the Master Gardeners at the Gamble Garden library in Palo Alto: 650-329-1356 Fridays only, 1-4 p.m. In winter, please call before coming to Gamble. About Monarchs - Life Cycle & Metamorphosis - Migration - Habitat - Threats - Conservation Life Cycle - Egg - Larvae (5 instars) - Pupa - Adult Migration - Eastern: Southeastern Canada, Eastern USA & Central Mexico - Western: Southwestern Canada, Western USA Pacific Wintering Habitat - California Wintering Sites: UCCE Master Gardener Program of Santa Clara County http://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu ‣ Ardenwood Historic Farm, Fremont, CA ‣ Lighthouse Field State Beach Monarch Grove, Santa Cruz, CA ‣ Natural Bridges State Park, Santa Cruz, CA ‣ Pacific Grove Sanctuary, Pacific Grove, CA ‣ Point Lobos State Park, Carmel, CA ‣ Morro Bay State Park, Morro Bay, CA ‣ Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, Oceano, CA ‣ Ellwood Mesa Open Space, Goleta, CA Habitat - Food ‣ Larvae = Milkweed ‣ Adult = Nectar - Shelter ‣ Monterey Pine, Monterey Cypress & Eucalyptus ‣ Moderate Weather Extremes - Space ‣ International Western (California) Shelter Trees • Monterey Pine - Pinus radiata - Fast growing, but short lived.
    [Show full text]
  • Vinca Major L
    A WEED REPORT from the book Weed Control in Natural Areas in the Western United States This WEED REPORT does not constitute a formal recommendation. When using herbicides always read the label, and when in doubt consult your farm advisor or county agent. This WEED REPORT is an excerpt from the book Weed Control in Natural Areas in the Western United States and is available wholesale through the UC Weed Research & Information Center (wric.ucdavis.edu) or retail through the Western Society of Weed Science (wsweedscience.org) or the California Invasive Species Council (cal-ipc.org). Vinca major L. Big periwinkle Family: Apocynaceae Range: Primarily California, but also Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and much of the southern and eastern United States. Habitat: Riparian corridors, moist woodlands, forest margins, coastal habitats, and disturbed sites such as roadsides and old homesteads. Grows best under moist, shady conditions on sandy to medium loam soil, with acidic to neutral pH. Can also tolerate drought, full sun, heavy clay and slightly alkaline soils. Foliage is susceptible to frost damage. Origin: Native to central Europe and the Mediterranean region. Introduced to the United States in the 1700s as an ornamental and for medicinal uses. Impacts: Under favorable conditions, plants spread invasively and can develop a dense ground cover that outcompetes other vegetation in natural areas. Big periwinkle is becoming a dominant woodland understory in many areas of California. Infestations around old homesteads have been present for many years and serve as nurseries for further spread. Some plants in the dogbane (Apocynaceae) family are extremely toxic, although poisoning due to the ingestion of big periwinkle is poorly documented.
    [Show full text]
  • Lyonia Preserve Plant Checklist
    Lyonia Preserve Plant Checklist Volusia County, Florida Aceraceae (Maple) Asteraceae (Aster) Red Maple Acer rubrum Bitterweed Helenium amarum Blackroot Pterocaulon virgatum Agavaceae (Yucca) Blazing Star Liatris sp. Adam's Needle Yucca filamentosa Blazing Star Liatris tenuifolia Nolina Nolina brittoniana Camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris Spanish Bayonet Yucca aloifolia Cudweed Gnaphalium falcatum Dog Fennel Eupatorium capillifolium Amaranthaceae (Amaranth) Dwarf Horseweed Conyza candensis Cottonweed Froelichia floridana False Dandelion Pyrrhopappus carolinianus Fireweed Erechtites hieracifolia Anacardiaceae (Cashew) Garberia Garberia heterophylla Winged Sumac Rhus copallina Goldenaster Pityopsis graminifolia Goldenrod Solidago chapmanii Annonaceae (Custard Apple) Goldenrod Solidago fistulosa Flag Paw paw Asimina obovata Goldenrod Solidago spp. Mohr's Throughwort Eupatorium mohrii Apiaceae (Celery) Ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia Dollarweed Hydrocotyle sp. Saltbush Baccharis halimifolia Spanish Needles Bidens alba Apocynaceae (Dogbane) Wild Lettuce Lactuca graminifolia Periwinkle Catharathus roseus Brassicaceae (Mustard) Aquifoliaceae (Holly) Poorman's Pepper Lepidium virginicum Gallberry Ilex glabra Sand Holly Ilex ambigua Bromeliaceae (Airplant) Scrub Holly Ilex opaca var. arenicola Ball Moss Tillandsia recurvata Spanish Moss Tillandsia usneoides Arecaceae (Palm) Saw Palmetto Serenoa repens Cactaceae (Cactus) Scrub Palmetto Sabal etonia Prickly Pear Opuntia humifusa Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed) Caesalpinceae Butterfly Weed Asclepias
    [Show full text]
  • Plantderived Differences in the Composition of Aphid Honeydew
    Plant-derived differences in the composition of aphid honeydew and their effects on colonies of aphid-tending ants Elizabeth G. Pringle1,2,3, Alexandria Novo2, Ian Ableson2, Raymond V. Barbehenn2,4 & Rachel L. Vannette5 1Michigan Society of Fellows, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 3School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 4Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 5Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 Keywords Abstract Aphis nerii, Asclepias spp., carbohydrate, – – cardenolides, Linepithema humile, milkweed, In plant ant hemipteran interactions, ants visit plants to consume the honey- phloem chemistry, tritrophic interactions. dew produced by phloem-feeding hemipterans. If genetically based differences in plant phloem chemistry change the chemical composition of hemipteran Correspondence honeydew, then the plant’s genetic constitution could have indirect effects on Elizabeth G. Pringle, Michigan Society of ants via the hemipterans. If such effects change ant behavior, they could feed Fellows, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, back to affect the plant itself. We compared the chemical composition of hon- Michigan 48109. Tel: 734-615-4917; eydews produced by Aphis nerii aphid clones on two milkweed congeners, Fax: 734-763-0544; E-mail: [email protected] Asclepias curassavica and Asclepias incarnata, and we measured the responses of experimental Linepithema humile ant colonies to these honeydews. The compo- Funding Information sitions of secondary metabolites, sugars, and amino acids differed significantly This work was supported by a Michigan in the honeydews from the two plant species.
    [Show full text]
  • 2004 Vegetation Classification and Mapping of Peoria Wildlife Area
    Vegetation classification and mapping of Peoria Wildlife Area, South of New Melones Lake, Tuolumne County, California By Julie M. Evens, Sau San, and Jeanne Taylor Of California Native Plant Society 2707 K Street, Suite 1 Sacramento, CA 95816 In Collaboration with John Menke Of Aerial Information Systems 112 First Street Redlands, CA 92373 November 2004 Table of Contents Introduction.................................................................................................................................................... 1 Vegetation Classification Methods................................................................................................................ 1 Study Area ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Figure 1. Survey area including Peoria Wildlife Area and Table Mountain .................................................. 2 Sampling ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Figure 2. Locations of the field surveys. ....................................................................................................... 4 Existing Literature Review ......................................................................................................................... 5 Cluster Analyses for Vegetation Classification .........................................................................................
    [Show full text]