DAVIS HERBARIA SOCIETY LASTHENIA

LASTHENIA, the Newsletter of CAMPAIGN UPDATE the Davis Botanical Society, is published by the Society in Plans for the herbarium’s new home Vegetable Crops & Weed Science collaboration with the staff of are making good progress. The Program in the College of Agricul- the UC Davis Herbarium and architects have nearly finished the tural & Environmental Sciences, and Botanical Conservatory. design of the Sciences Laboratory Dr. Debbie Delmer, chair of the Building that will house the new Section of Biology in the OFFICERS facility, and the plans were ap- Division of Biological Sciences. President: Judy Jernstedt proved by the UC Board of Regents If members would like to Vice President: Art Shapiro at its July meeting. contribute to the fundraising Nearly $400,000 of the campaigns for either the herbarium Membership Vice President: Barry herbarium’s now $2.6 million goal or the conservatory, please call Jackie Meyers-Rice has been raised to date from a Schad at 530-754-9253. Secretary: Jean Shepard dozen contributors. Donors to the Treasurer: Elizabeth Bishay effort include local businessman J. Schad John Brinley, whose gift of securities Past President: Fred Hrusha valued at more than $10,000 was Members at Large: Evelyn Healy, received in December. Mr. Brinley is Ernesto Sandoval, Virginia a long-time supporter of the Boucher herbarium and the conservatory. Faculty and staff members have Student Member at Large: Jon Price also been stepping forward with Ex officio: Ellen Dean, Tim donations ranging from $10 to Metcalf, Jackie Schad, Kate $100,000. The Society particularly Mawdsley wishes to acknowledge the support Contributors: E. Dean, T. Metcalf, it has received from Dr. Arnold K. Mawdsley, E. Sandoval, J. Bloom, chair of the Department of Schad, G. L. Webster

UC Davis Herbarium Section of Plant Biology One Shields Avenue University of Davis, CA 95616 0942

8 No. 18 Fall 2001 LASTHENIA

NEWSLETTER OF THE DAVIS BOTANICAL SOCIETY

IN MEMORIAM, JUNE McCASKILL, DESIGNING THE 1930-2001 NEW HERBARIUM ca. 1960, A Conversation with John M. Tucker Those of you who have been reading UC Davis publications in the past few months know that John Tucker, Director for nearly 40 years of the Botany Department Herbarium (now the J. M. Tucker Herbarium), generously donated $250,000 to the herbarium building June McCaskill in the campaign. I am in the process of then-new Herbarium, designing the new space for the ca. 1960. Herbarium, which will be housed in the Laboratory Sciences Building, and it has Many of us were saddened recently by took courses from and worked closely been challenging at times. Our current the death of June McCaskill, following a with the widely known plant taxonomist, space in Robbins Hall dates from 1960, sudden heart attack on May 9, 2001. Prof. Howard McMinn. June graduated in and it was designed by none other than Her career at the University of Califor- 1951 with a degree in Botany. John Tucker and June McCaskill. What nia, Davis, spanned more than 32 years. After graduation she had a summer challenges did John and June face in First joining the Botany Department in job at CalTech in 1951, working with designing a new herbarium? 1953, she retired in 1991 as Curator several renowned experimental plant John says that he and June com- Emerita of the UC Davis Herbaria. June physiologists. She then returned to Mills pleted the design for the Robbins Hall had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease to work for two more years, helping space in record time, although they had for about a year, and had moved to McMinn in the small teaching her- been dreaming and planning for several southern California to be close to her barium and the greenhouses, and years. They based their plans on the sister and brother. serving as an assistant to Dr. Lucile design of the UC Berkeley Herbarium, June was born in Altadena, Mason in the courses she taught. and there are some distinct similarities. California, June 2, 1930, and grew up in I first met June early in 1953 at the Those of you who remember the Pasadena, where her parents had California Botanical Society’s annual Berkeley Herbarium in the old Life established a small nursery. Her father dinner in Berkeley. She had come with continued on page 3 was adept at hybridizing camellias and McMinn, who knew I was looking for a developed a number of new cultivars. herbarium assistant. Both he and Lucile IN THIS ISSUE He named two of the most attractive for Mason had recommended June highly, his wife and for June: Camellia japonica and I was very favorably impressed after Billie McCaskill and C. japonica June this one meeting. So in due course June Directors’ Corner...... 2 McCaskill, respectively. Over the years was hired in the summer of 1953. Society Profile ...... 2 the business thrived, and in time In preparation for the move to “McCaskill Gardens” became the largest Davis, she spent several days at the UC Jack Major, 1917-2001 ...... 3 camellia nursery in southern California. Herbarium in Berkeley observing the Annual Meeting ...... 5 After attending public school in whole operation of a major herbarium. Pasadena, June spent one year at She also learned the fine points of Walker Ridge Field Trip Report ...... 6 Pasadena City College, where she took a mounting specimens, working alongside Yolo County Bookshelves ...... 7 botany course. She opted to continue at the experts. This brief stint, coupled Mills College in Oakland, where she with the two years experience with Campaign Update...... Back page continued on page 4 1 DIRECTORS’ CORNER

Conservatory gave botanical presentations and/or students to retired engineers, is busy Conservatory tours have dominated the terrarium building workshops to propagating choice specimens for the schedule this Winter and Spring with hundreds of students at Del Paso, and October 6 Arboretum Plant Faire. The 2,000 non-university visitors, from Fairbanks Elementary Scholars Acad- carnivorous and succulents being kindergarten to senior citizens and over emies and the Caesar Chavez Elemen- produced are particularly diverse and 700 University students on small, tary School Science Faire. alluring. interactive, group tours. Ruth Williams, Many Conservatory plants also Due to the threat of power outage an intern who is facilitator for the trekked across campus during winter and the resulting lethally high tempera- Students for Environmental Education and spring quarters to classes such as tures inside the greenhouses, Doug at Davis, coordinated the tours. The Introductory Plant Biology, Morphology researched and installed a device which excited student discussions as they leave and Evolution, Angiosperm Systematics, will phone the Conservatory staff as the conservatory and report of contin- California Floristics, and even a new soon as the electricity is off so we can ued understanding and appreciation course on herbs. respond immediately. Even after backup make the effort worthwhile. Off-site, The Wednesday night volunteers, a generation is installed, we will need to Intern April Levens, Ernesto, and Tim group which varies from seven to check the greenhouses to assure the seventeen individuals, junior high essential equipment is operating. The DBS Open House February 10 SOCIETY PROFILES Jackie Schad was well attended with a steady flow of animated people throughout the afternoon. Picnic Day crowds were exceptional. Seeing people turn away INTRODUCING JACKIE because of the congestion in spite of our SCHAD, DIRECTOR OF opening the south doors for easy traffic movement is a further motivation to DEVELOPMENT, DIVISION design a larger facility with multiple OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES loop paths. We would not have blueprints for a new Herbarium herbarium space in the Laboratory Sciences We wound up a very busy academic Building without the hard work of several year with record numbers of students people who took leadership roles early in the working in the herbarium. Beecher project planning stage. First, Tom Rost, Crampton’s father’s collections were Associate Dean of the Division of Biological finally mounted after nearly a century; Jackie Schad Sciences included the herbarium in the project Harold Olmo’s valuable Vitis collections in the first place. Second, Arnold Bloom, Chair collected in California, the New World of the Department of Vegetable Crops and Weed Science, with faculty tropics, and the Middle East were support, arranged for a key donation to our campaign last spring, allowing labeled after half a century; and us to stay in the project. Third, Elizabeth Bishay (whom we profiled in our interesting new weeds collected by Joe last issue of Lasthenia) was the first development director to give the DiTomaso were labeled and mounted project essential support. And fourth, Jackie Schad, current Director of after just a few months. Development of the Division of Biological Sciences has picked up the We were very lucky to have so challenge of raising funds for the project. Without the guidance of these much help in the herbarium this spring, four people, we would not have had the chance to build a new herbarium. with eight student mounters, one The main contact for those currently interested in the project, and the Graduate Student Assistant (Katie person who manages our fundraising campaign, is Jackie Schad, who has Borland), and four volunteers (Eva been Director of Development for the Division for the past two years. Many Bayon, Kook-Hyun Chung, Layne of you have met Jackie, as she holds an ex-officio position on the botanical Huiet, and Kate Mawdsley). Eva took it society board and has attended most of our events over the past two years, upon herself to refile our Ericameria including driving vans on some of our field trips. She is a delightful person according to the synonymy of the with a keen sense of humor. She is assisted in her work by Diane Forrest Jepson Manual; Layne curated the ferns; and Armida Wahl, also of the Division of Biological Sciences. Kate helped in a thousand ways (filing, Born in South Dakota, and with a degree in English Literature, Jackie labeling the Vitis, and so much more); came to her position at Davis from UC Berkeley, where she worked as a and Kook-Hyun has been helping Jean Regional Development Director. As part of a 1.4 billion-dollar capital Shepard with control and filing.. campaign, she raised nearly ten million dollars over a three-year period. We thank all of our students and Before that position, she worked for five years with the San Francisco Tides volunteers for their hard work. Foundation, where she matched worthy projects with interested donors. The Herbarium received good news And before that, she worked in Chicago for eleven years, for the Crossroads this spring, when the University Fund, raising money from donors for grassroots organizations. We are truly increased Jean Shepard’s position to 75% fortunate to have such an experienced person directing our campaign. We time. With her increased time, she will welcome Jackie, Diane, and Armida to the Botanical Society. If you are be taking on some of the tasks required interested in becoming involved in the campaign please contact Jackie by our outreach events as well as Schad at 530-754-9253. handling our increasing load of speci- E. Dean continued on page 6 2 In Memoriam, Jack Major, 1917-2001 Jack Major, Professor Emeritus at the tion of recreational skiing. Between them of books written in French, University of California, Davis, died 1946 and 1953, Jack attended the German, and Russian. In 1975 the February 13, 2001 at the age of 83. He University of California, Berkeley, Ecological Society of America gave him had a profound impact on the direction obtaining a Ph.D. in Soil Science under its first Distinguished Service Citation, of plant ecology in the United States the direction of Professor Hans Jenny. specifically for his reviewing activity, during the second half of the 20th During this time he also met and judged to be an outstanding service to century. married Mary Cecil, thanks to an Society members. Jack’s academic home for most of introduction from brother Ted who had His forte in teaching was with his career was the Department of met Mary by chance on a rock climbing small groups and in the mountains Botany, where he taught from 1955 expedition in the Grand Tetons. She, themselves, where his great love and until retirement in 1981. His spiritual too, had a love for the mountains. knowledge of mountains, together with home, however, was in the mountains: Jack was then hired into a young his great kindness and generosity, was Uinta Mountains of Utah, Sierra weed science group in the Department a tremendous source of information, Nevada of California, Grand Tetons of of Botany at UC Davis. However, with his inspiration and encouragement for his Wyoming, Brooks Range and Juneau strong interest in the ecology of undis- many students. He was mentor to more Ice Field of Alaska, and the Himalayas turbed mountain vegetation, he gradually than 20 graduate students of his own of Nepal. This was the environment moved away from weed science, and a and to many more via correspondence that he most often shared with 1964 Fulbright Fellowship to Innsbruck, or by way of serving as a member on graduate students and those under- Austria was to cement a lifetime’s focus their thesis/ dissertation committees. graduates fortunate enough to take his on vegetation science. Besides his immediate family—brother plant ecology classes. One measure of Professor Major’s Ted, wife Mary, and sons Paul, John, Jack was born March 15, 1917 in vision and impact is that several of his and James—he left behind many Salt Lake City, UT. He received a BS in earliest papers are still cited today. Four students and colleagues who fondly Range Management in 1942 from Utah articles published between 1951 and remember his great academic gifts to State Agricultural College (now Utah 1966—on topics that ranged from the them and who join the family in grief State University). For the next several theoretical to the descriptive—have at his loss. years he served in the Army’s 10th collectively been cited 620 times in the Mountain Division, the justifiably past 25 years and continue to be M.G. Barbour, P.A. Castelfranco, famous unit of 1000 skiers and described in textbooks published a half- R.W. Pearcy, and M. Rejmanek; alpinists who trained in the mountain century later. Throughout his career, Dr. edited by M. Burke. west before participating in the Italian Major was as well known for his reviews campaign of World War II. Afterwards, of ecological books written in other The Society joins Mary Major in a number of men from the 10th went languages as he was for his research. inviting contributions to the Student on to become conservationists, The American journal Ecology alone Research Grant fund in Jack’s memory. ecologists, and leaders in the promo- published 158 of his reviews, most of Please contact Ellen Dean for details.

DESIGNING THE NEW HERBARIUM (CONT FROM PAGE 1) Sciences Building will remember that decades; the Chair of the Botany Plant and Poisonous Plants each floor of the herbarium had a long Department at the time (Vernon in the spring semester. He didn’t have a counter by the windows which looked Cheadle) told them to plan with the teaching assistant or help collecting out onto a courtyard filled with ponds, future in mind. material for his courses until after the large trees (including a Metasequoia), John remembers coming over to move to Robbins Hall. and plants used for teaching botany. The look at the construction of the space— The new space that we are cur- Robbins Hall herbarium certainly has a the building was open and anyone could rently planning for the UC Davis long counter and windows, although we enter. He would come and check to see Herbarium will have a temperature- look out onto a roof! The arrangement how it was going. Then one sunny controlled collections area to help us of the herbarium cases, which are Saturday, it was finished, and he came in combat our insect infestation, a movable placed in aisles perpendicular to the alone to see the wonder of it all—a aisle system for the herbarium cases and aisle that parallels the windows, was beautiful (air-conditioned!) new space, library, a larger area for identifying also taken from the Berkeley herbarium. new metal herbarium cabinets, and a plants, a larger mounting area, a When it was new, the Robbins Hall new office. computer room, and a freezer/storage herbarium had rows and rows of empty All of this was a far cry from the room with an area to examine cases; 61 new cases were installed as space the herbarium occupied in the unfumigated plant material. We part of the move. Also included in the 1950s in the Botany Department appreciate John Tucker’s having the Robbins Hall herbarium were a large annex—a World War II surplus green vision to see the importance of a new library area with tables (since taken up metal building. The herbarium had one space for the UC Davis Herbarium with more herbarium cases), a storage row of cabinets (perhaps 16 by 1960), twice! The space that he and June room (our current library), John’s office and John and June sweltered in the designed served its users well for (our current computer room), a desk for summer heat as they identified speci- decades, and he is now helping us on to June near the entrance, and the mount- mens. John not only directed the the next phase. Thank you, John. ing station. June and John thought the herbarium, but he also taught introduc- space was large enough to last for tory botany in the fall semester and E. Dean 3 IN MEMORIAM, JUNE McCASKILL, 1930-2001 (CONT FROM PAGE 1) McMinn, had prepared her very well for Arboretum since her earliest years at Award, Botany Department, UCD, 1974, her new position. Davis. In 1971 when the university 1987; selection (as one of 18 partici- Initially her most important suffered a severe cutback in its budget, pants nationwide) to attend a workshop responsibility was to take care of the the Arboretum was especially hard hit. on Developing, Managing, and Main- frequent requests for plant identifica- Many in Davis—townspeople as well as taining Collections at the Smithsonian tions, as a public service. These came the campus community—were deeply Institution, , D.C., 1977; from farmers and farm advisors, concerned and quickly rallied to express Award of Excellence, California Weed veterinarians and horticulturists, and support . Thus the Friends of the Davis Society, 1985; Oral History in the also from the general public. Usually a Arboretum was born. From its inception Women in Botany Project: “June specimen was involved—either fresh or June was actively involved, serving as McCaskill, Herbarium Scientist, pressed and dried. On occasion, membership chairman for over twenty University of California, Davis,” 1989. however, the “specimens” arrived so years. Her special interest in the Friends’ Regional Oral History Office, Bancroft thoroughly pulverized as to be recogniz- trip program led her to participate as Library, UC Berkeley; Award of Distinc- able only as plant material or decom- organizer and tour leader. Begun in a tion, College of Agricultural and posed and reeking from shipment in a small way, the trips soon became more Environmental Sciences, 1991. plastic bag. With her cheerful accep- ambitious. Working with travel agencies, tance of these and other duties, and she organized and led a number of longer J. M. Tucker with her careful and meticulous work tours, which contributed materially to habits, June proved to be an ideal fund-raising for the Arboretum. Destina- Note: Space limitations required abridging assistant and co-worker. tions between 1982 and 1996 included Dr. Tucker’s article. A full version is Expanding the herbarium’s library Santa Barbara, Southern California, available on request from the Herbarium. became an important early priority, and, Hawaii, Canada, the Mid-Atlantic states, A previous article about June appeared in over the years, her efforts to use the Costa Rica, Catalina Island, Texas, Lasthenia in the Spring and Fall issue, most authoritative references were an Scandinavia and Russia, the Atlantic 1992: “Our Lady of the Weeds carries on,” important factor in the accuracy of her Seaboard from Charleston to Montreal by G. L. Webster. identifications. And it was this high and New Zealand. The Society invites contributions to the level of accuracy, as well as her prompt, In the summer of 1985 June Herbarium building campaign in June’s dependable, and helpful responses that participated in a very different kind of memory. Please contact Ellen Dean or earned her an ever-widening “clientele” tour, a UREP expedition to Greece led Jackie Schad for details. among California agriculturists. by Prof. Louis Grivetti, a cultural As June’s reputation grew, she became a nutritionist at UCD. His broad objective highly valued source of information for was to study the food habits in rural NEW FORMAT, agriculturists of many stripes, as well as Greece. June, with a team of 10 other academic faculty at UCD and elsewhere, participants, collected and pressed NEW LOGO veterinarians, regional poison centers plants for 135 miles along the and police officers in various communi- Peloponnesus Peninsula. Approximately Alert readers ties. Although she was never called to 2,500 specimens resulted. For June it of Lasthenia testify, she provided plant identifications was a frequently exhausting but will have that were highly useful in two murder tremendously exhilarating experience. noticed the trials, as well as in a number of drug In 1991 the Herbarium also faced a professional cases, e.g., marijuana. grim future. Director Grady Webster was new layout of the Davis Botanical Her service to Fresno County Farm emeritus and unreplaced; June was Society newsletter which premiered Adviser Bill Fischer led to co-authorship approaching retirement; the budget was with the last issue. We owe this new of the Growers Weed Identification reduced. Again a support group was format to Susan Gloystein, who also Handbook, a loose-leaf book published formed, the Davis Herbaria Society. Its created the DBS logo, which com- by UC Agricultural Publications. She first members, in 1991 were Grady bines the oak theme of the Tucker established several new weed records for Webster, June, and Dr. Larry Mitich. Herbarium and the rare grass California, one of which was apparently Others soon joined the founding trio, emblematic of the Crampton “new” to the Western Hemisphere, and within a year or so the new organiza- Collection with the cycad logo of the Monochoria vaginalis, a member of the tion was functioning vigorously. June Botanical Conservatory Greenhouse. Pickerel Weed family (Pontederiaceae). agreed to continue in the herbarium on a Susan lives with her family in Davis Throughout her years in the part-time basis. The new Director/ and is employed as a graphic herbarium, part-time student assistants Curator, Dr. Ellen Dean, was eventually designer with Sutter Health. She were her main source of additional help, appointed starting July 1, 1995. came to our attention because she either for pay or as interns for university June eventually rose to the top level did the design and composition of credit. June was always very patient and in her classification at the University, the Jepson Prairie Manual. The Davis helpful in training and supervising Principal Museum Scientist. Always Botanical Society has clearly ben- them, and in time developed an quiet and unassuming, she received efited from Susan’s expert eye for informal but comprehensive course in recognition that was clearly earned by design and her strong interest in herbarium procedures. She once years of dedicated service, performance things botanical, and we thank her estimated that over 35 years she had of sterling quality and a willingness to for her efforts on our behalf. had close to 200 student assistants. help in many ways. Awards and honors J. Jernstedt June had also been interested in the included: Outstanding Performance 4 ANNUAL MEETING ELECTS OFFICERS, HEARS DR. KIM STEINER The annual business meeting of the Davis Botanical Society was briskly conducted by Judy Jernstedt, 2000-01 President. After a concise review of the year’s activities, officers and Board members for the coming year were elected by acclamation. New officers and the terms they will serve (as we continue to phase in the staggered terms approved last year:

President-elect: Barry Meyers-Rice, one year Vice President, Membership: Bill McCoy, one year Grady Webster, Kim Steiner, Mary Burke, and Judy Jernstedt chat Secretary: Jean Shepard, one year after the Spring program. Treasurer: Elizabeth Bishay, two years Members-at Large: Emily Griswold, Mawdsley,Tim Metcalf, and Jackie necessity of one day seeing the South Evelyn Healy, Ernesto Sandoval, Schad. African flora in person, Kim reported on one year Grady Webster introduced the his investigation of the morphological Student Member-at-Large: Tanya Sher speaker, Dr. Kim Steiner, who has specialization of oil-secreting flowers in Khan, one year. recently returned to California from some genera of the Scrophulariaceae South Africa to become Research and Orchidaceae and also of the oil- Art Shapiro will succeed to the presi- Botanist in the Botany Dept. at the collecting bees of the family Melittidae dency, and Judy will become Past- California Academy of Sciences. Kim which pollinate them. An extended and President. Continuing as ex officio received his Ph.D. in botany from UC convivial reception concluded the well- Board members are Ellen Dean, Kate Davis, where he was Grady’s student. attended evening. Using slides that confirmed the absolute K. Mawdsley

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR BOTANICAL SOCIETY VOLUNTEERS We have had so much help this past Barry Meyers-Rice has kept our year in putting on our talks, field trips, membership up to date, and Eliza- and classes, that I wanted to take a beth Bishay has kept our finances moment to thank a few people. One straight. Jean Shepard has done a aspect of our events that we take pride great job as secretary, and Kate in is that the refreshments are always Mawdsley has done an excellent job terrific! This past year, a number of as editor of our newsletter. Several people have been responsible for this people helped us with field trip including: Kate Mawdsley, Judy organization or leadership including: Jernstedt, Tim Metcalf, Grady and Ernesto, Fred Hrusa, Jon Price, Barbara Webster, Charlotte Mitich, Evelyn, and Jean. This year for the Layne Huiet, Mandy Tu, Johanna first time, we gave out awards to Majorie March, Johanna Kwan, Kwan, Ernesto Sandoval, Marjorie thank volunteers that have helped us Mandy Tu, and Charlotte Mitich March, Bill McCoy, Evelyn Healy, again and again with events planning display their volunteer appreciation Jackie Schad, Jean Shepard, Carol and refreshments over the past years. awards. Witham, Barry Meyers-Rice, and yours The awards went to Marjorie March, truly. Many of these people are due Charlotte Mitich, Johanna Kwan, and thanks in other capacities, because as Mandy Tu. Mandy, whom many of board members, they have taken on you met on our field trips, has moved other tasks throughout the year. Judy, to Oregon, and we all wish her well. as board president, has done an excellent job of keeping us on track. E. Dean

5 RECENT GIFTS

DBS SPRING FIELD TRIP: In memory of G. Ledyard WALKER RIDGE WALKABOUT Stebbins Rick & Shirley Arthur There was almost nothing to see when Fred led us up the creek a little to Fred Hrusa declared that we had observe some interesting cypresses. reached the peak moment of the DBS They were strangely intermediate In memory of Jack Major Spring field trip to Walker Ridge in between Sargent cypress and MacNab Pearl Ramcharan Crowley Colusa County. It was the “almost” that cypress (Cupressus macnabiana); both Peter M. & Magdalene L. caught most of our attention. Up to this grow on serpentine, but are usually Crowley point we had seen oodles of notables, quite distinct from each other. This Carol L. Hotton but we wouldn’t have suspected this. made me squirm a little, since I Having made our first few stops not thought everything was supposed to Mary Cecil Major long after crossing onto serpentine soil be well defined: weren’t those botanists Cimarron Software, Inc. near the beginning of Bear Valley Road, doing their jobs when they described we knew we were in for a full day of these things? As Fred emerged from In memory of Larry Mitich serpentinizing. Calochortus and Clarkia the cypress grove and into a clearing flowers consorted by the dusty road, his pace quickened. Treading gleefully Ron & Maureen Fitch and we of course paid our respects. It’s a onto a moonscape, Fred announced, John G. & Ann Foster little surprising how similar Clarkia “This is it, this is the peak moment of Ernest & Jean Gifford unguiculata (elegant clarkia) and the trip!” He was standing in what was Lucky & Helen Harke Calochortus elegans (splendid mariposa an almost completely bare hillside. Let tulip) are, both with their slender stems me remind you of the word “almost” James & Catherine Murray and cerise goblet flowers. We had only here. Because there, on a hillside with Robert & Roswita Norris gone a mile or two on the dirt road and all the lushness of a mall parking lot, Patty Sanui already we had stopped four times. was a funny little plant having a grand William A. & Madeline P. Would we ever make it to Walker old time. It was a Streptanthus or jewel Ridge? Thank the stars that Bear Valley flower. I can’t say what it was, Williams itself was kaput; despite its fame as a but then neither can anyone else. It wildflower mecca, the place was just didn’t seem to fit the key no matter To the Herbarium endowment achieving a toasty brown at this point in how many times we doubled back, Cole & Priscilla Hawkins the season. We began the bump-and- started over, or looked at a more swerve part of the trip as we ascended “typical” specimen. Fred concluded Judith A. Jernstedt Walker ridge. No, we’ll stop again. And that it might well be something new or Claire Kremen again. Such oddities as the itsy-bitsy at least the far-flung end of something Marjorie March California threadstem flax (Hesperolinon known. I squirmed again. And then I William F. McCoy californicum) and the shamelessly blaze- couldn’t help but crack a serpentine Ramona A. Robison orange flowers of Green’s senecio smile. (Senecio greenei) thankfully made the Cynthia Roy stops well worth it. J. Price Alan Whittemore We opted for lunch in a serpentine meadow, which sounds like an oxymo- To the Student Grants Program ron and yet looks like a meadow. Aside from some of the usual things we see in E. Eric Grissell meadows were some serpentinicolous favorites like Stachys albens (whitestem DIRECTORS’ CORNER For Unrestricted DBS Use hedgenettle), which is famous for its (CONT. FROM PAGE 2) Stephen P. Rae white woolly leaves and infamous for its Maxine Schmalenberger carpet factory smell. After some men shipments and plant identifica- moseying near the ridge summit, we tions. We thank the University for decided to cool off in Kilpepper increasing her time. Books Canyon. Working our way down into Finally, I have been working on the L.A. Baptiste the canyon, we entered the shade of plans for the new Herbarium and Robert Campbell Sargent cypresses (Cupressus sargentii), seeking funding for moving the Marcel Rejmanek yet another serpentinaceous treat, this collections. Along with teaching this TM time with an agreeable Pine Sol scent. spring, I have been supervising a plant As we walked along the rocky creek collection project at Quail Ridge Slides bed, we happened upon the stream Reserve, which is located on Lake Charlotte Mittich orchids (Epipactus gigantea) and the Berryessa. The final product will be a lingering blooms of a few western plant list for the reserve. If you are azaleas (Rhododendron occidentale), interested in volunteering in the which were near and dear to our trip herbarium or with plant collecting, leader, Fred Hrusa, whose graduate please contact Ellen Dean at 752-1091 Thank you research involved these plants. or [email protected]. 6 YOLO COUNTY BOOKSHELVES THE BOTANICAL SAGA OF LA FRONTERA On April 24 a celebration was held at Sonora between Pinacate and the mouth Sciences the UC Davis Herbarium to commemo- of the Colorado River. The list of (AIBS) in rate the publication of two botanical contributing and collaborating individu- San Diego in books written and edited on the als is long, and Richard Felger has August premises. The first, Plant Diversity of an displayed impressive entrepreneurship 1995. The Andean Cloud Forest, by Grady Webster in orchestrating these collaborations symposium and Robert Rhode, was reported on in and obtaining financial support for was the First the last issue of Lasthenia; the second, publication. Past published within three weeks later, is This is easily the most detailed flora President’s discussed below. By one of those strange yet published of any area along the Symposium synchronicities, within a few weeks 3,000 km borderline between the of the another book on the La Frontera area, United States and Mexico. The text Botanical by Richard Felger, also appeared. A averages more than 1 page per native Society of “golden age” for the botany of La species, and the discussions of taxa are America Frontera may be blossoming. detailed and critical. Not all species or (BSA). By virtue of my retiring the genera are illustrated, but the selected previous year as President of the BSA, Flora of the Gran Desierto illustrations borrowed from various the responsibility of organizing the sources will be helpful to users. The symposium fell to me. Since we were and Rio Colorado of North- introductory section is comprehensive, meeting only a few miles from the western Mexico. with maps, photographs, and discus- Mexican border, it seemed a good idea sions of climate, geology, vegetation, to have international participation with By Richard S. Felger. history of human effects and scientific Mexican botanists on botanical prob- University of Arizona Press, Tucson. 673 explorations, and statistics of the flora. lems of common interest. The meeting pp. Jan. 2001. $75.00. The summary of the flora indicates a emphasized with environmental total of 510 native species (plus 79 problems along the border, especially The Pinacate volcanic shield and the introduced), which is low for an area of related to the recent spread of Gran Desierto, in northwestern Sonora 15,000 square kilometers, but this is not maquiladoras and urban sprawl. directly south of the U.S./Mexican surprising for such an area of extreme After six years of editing, with a list border, occupy the driest place in North aridity. Although it isn’t pointed out in of authors only partly corresponding to America and one of the most austere: the introduction, there are even a few the original symposium participants, the from the flanks of the Pinacate volcano endemic species, including Heterotheca volume has appeared with a beautiful and the many craters below it stretch thiniicola and Senecio pinacatensis. dust jacket graced by leaves of Quercus fields of rough lava, and beyond that the This monumental work, evidence of arizonica and Q. mcvaughii and a barren sand dunes that stretch westward great dedication by the author, carries foreword by Frederick Gehlbach. The stretch to the horizon. It is difficult to on the tradition of desert floras by contents include a preface and epilogue imagine a less likely place for flourish- Shreve and Wiggins, and establishes a by the editors; 13 chapters; an appendix ing plant life. However, a variety of high standard for future floras of areas on oak taxonomy; and a glossary of shrubs and cacti persist, and in some within La Frontera. plant names. Considerations of conflict years when there are winter or early of interest preclude a critical analysis of spring rains, a colorful tapestry of Changing Plant Life in La the individual chapters, but it can be spring annuals covers the sandy plains noted that the volume covers a number and extends into the craters and Frontera: observations on of aspects of plant life in La Frontera: volcanic cinders and ridges. Pinacate vegetation in the United flora and vegetation, climate, and the eastern half of the Gran paleohistory, history of land use by Desierto have been designated as a States/Mexico borderlands. settlers, effects of fire and grazing on Biosphere Reserve, but because of the By Grady L. Webster and Conrad J. vegetation communities, floristics of lack of surface water (except in a few Bahre (editors). University of New strand vegetation, and taxonomy and scattered tinajas), the area remains Mexico Press, Albuquerque. 260 pp. ecology of oaks (a very important undeveloped, to the delight of visiting Mar. 2001. $60.00. component of upland communities). In geologists, botanists, lizard ecologists, my opinion, the most lasting effect of and other desert connoisseurs. the book may prove to be its delineation Richard Felger, who works at the This book is a multi-author volume of La Frontera as a distinctive transect Arid Lands Institute in Tucson, is with 13 chapters, an appendix, glossary, that needs to be studied and monitored probably best known for his 1985 book foreword, preface, and epilogue. Three as social and economic changes occur in on the Seri Indians, People of the desert of the articles have Mexican co-authors, the dramatic suture zone between and sea. However, in 1980 he had which seems appropriate for a work on Anglo-American and Latino-Mexican already published (in Desert Plants) an the U.S./Mexico border regions, even civilizations. article on the vegetation and flora of the without considering its history. Special thanks are due to the co-editor, Gran Desierto. His book on Flora of the Changing Plant Life in La Frontera Conrad Bahre, for his expert editing and Gran Desierto therefore reflects exten- is the outgrowth of a symposium that cartography. sive field work, for more than 25 years, took place at meetings sponsored by the in the great arid stretch in northwestern American Institute of Biological G. L. Webster 7