Sanhedrin Chapter Newsletter Native Society Winter/Spring 2006

Wildflowers of China Thursday 7:00pm - February 9

The Sanhedrin chapter is delighted to host Dr. Robert Werra and his wife Marleen for a photographic journey through NW Yunnan Province, encompassing the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the Jade Dragon Mountains, and Big Snow Mountain which borders Tibet and the Himalayas. Well-known nature photographers for over 40 years, their trip with the British Alpine Garden Society, will offer us glimpses of numerous alpine treasures.

The presentation will start at 7:00pm at the Washington Mutual Community Room located on the corner of South State Street and Gobi Street in Ukiah. For more information call Gladys Telshow at 462-0490.

Next Board Meeting Tuesday Evening – March 21

This informative but casual meeting will be held at the home of Gladys Telshow, 19 Highland Drive, in Ukiah following potluck dinner at 6:30. Please bring a food item and enthusiasm to share with the group. Call Geri Hulse-Stephens with your agenda items at: 459-3689.

Field Trip Schedule

Saturday March 4 - Lichen & Moss Field Trip along Baechtel Creek, near Willits. This outing will appeal not only to the belly plant specialist but to those that prefer to look up into the trees as well. Rocky outcrops, patches of grassland, forest, woodland, and wetland habitat provide a myriad of interesting habitat to explore. Make sure to bring your handlens on this trip. Meet at the Rays parking lot in Willits at 9:00am. Contact: Matt Richmond, [email protected] Saturday April 1 – Low Gap Park Plant Watch Join Mark Albert on this delightful early season field trip to Ukiah’s Low Gap Park. Meet at the parking area just past the Playhouse, opposite Ukiah High School on Low Gap Road at 9:00am. Our annual early spring botanizing in a familiar place always leads to questioning what we thought we knew about the common local wildflowers. Everyone gets a detailed 8-page updated plant list which is a valuable reference for identifying the common spring inland wildflowers. Bring a light lunch and a hand lens. This will be our 24th year at Low Gap! Saturday April 8 - Botanical Field Trip to Maxwell Property near Willits. We will be enjoying an early spring wildflower adventure on the land of Ann Maxwell approximately 5 miles west of Willits off of Hwy. 20. The walk will be over gentle terrain through meadows and oak woodlands and along the creeks. We will assemble at 9 AM at the Safeway parking lot in Willits and form carpools leaving there by 9:15. Wear comfortable hiking boots and bring a lunch and raingear in case of showers. We will head back to the Safeway parking lot at 2PM. Contact Geri Hulse-Stephens (459-3689) or Marisela de Santa Anna (459-2681) for more information. Saturday April 15 – Spirit Run and Native Plant Materials Workshops, Redwood Valley Rancheria. This fun day will include a run, basket-making and beading demonstrations, and great food. Call Chuck Williams for more information at: 462-8984. Saturday April 22 - (Tentative) hickmanii and Senecio jacobeae monitoring, Lake Pillsbury. This is a full day event into Mendocino National Forest near Lake Pillsbury involving a shuttle trip in 4WD or high -clearance vehicles and a moderately-difficult half-hour hike to the location of Sidalcea hickmanii and Senecio jacobea populations. Number of participants is limited by the number of vehicles available. Contact Tara at 485-1198 to confirm date of trip. [email protected]

Saturday May 6 - Botanical Field Trip to Tomki Creek Headwaters. This area is accessed via Shimmins Ridge Road north of Willits and encompasses the upper valleys and ridges in the vicinity of the Tomki Creek headwaters. This is a rich area for , especially grasses because of the variety of moist, dry, and serpentine grassland habitat. There are also undisturbed oak woodlands, conifer forests, , and riparian areas to explore. We will be accompanied by the owner of the property, Ivan Samuels, who is involved in bird monitoring projects in the western U.S. Meet at the Safeway parking lot in Willits at 9:00am. Bring a lunch, good walking shoes, hat, and water. For more information contact: Kerry Heise (462-4533) [email protected] Sunday May 7 - Pt. Navarro CNPS-Mendocino Land Trust celebration of MLT’s 30th anniversary. Diverse coastal terrace prairie habitat, rare plants, dramatic ocean bluffs! Leader & information: Peter Warner 937-2278 or Louisa Morris at MLT: 962-0470.

Saturday May 13 - Botanical field trip and plant survey, Ross Property addition to Montgomery Woods State Reserve. A day to explore this splendid 1200-acre addition to the State Parks system, and assist in compiling a botanical inventory. Co-sponsored by Save-the-Redwoods League, CNPS, and State Parks. Information: Peter Warner @ (707) 937-9176; 937-2278.

Saturday May 20 - Rickabaugh Glade - Last May in 2005 late season rains resulted in the BLM closure to vehicular access the South Cow Mt. road to Rickabaugh Glade. For this reason only the small contingent of Sanhedrin members that had hiked into the Glade from the Hopland Field Station were able to visit. (The larger group, which had been abruptly halted by a locked gate, managed to salvage the day by walking into nearby Eight Mile Valley for, what turned out to be, a quite rewarding botanical visit there.)

And so this year we have planned another trip to the Glade to introduce native plant lovers to this hidden jewel, “just up the hill” from the Ukiah Valley.

Rickabaugh Glade is an 80 acre (private inholding surrounded by BLM and State of CA lands) atop South Cow Mt. in the northern part of the Mayacmas range. At approx. 3,000 ft., and containing a large vernal pool within a much wider meadow area, it stands as an island of botanical abundance and diversity unique to our area.

The plant list of 160 species compiled for the Glade by Roger Raiche in the early '90s includes Oregon Indian Pink ( Silene hookeri), Star Tulip (Calochortus uniflorus) and Naked Broom-rape (Orobanche uniflora var purpurea) - all of which were quite abundant in mid-spring of 2004. Also found there, among many other species, are Cow Mt. Manzanita (Arctostaphylos stanfordiana v. raichei) and Yellow-eyed grass (Sysrinchium californicum).

The meeting spot will be the Ukiah Long’s Drug Store parking lot (along Orchard Ave.) at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday May 20th. The drive up South Cow Mt. is approximately 10 miles. We will park in an open area at the road intersection to Rickabaugh Glade and will walk in from there, a moderate to easy 1/2 mile hike. For further information please contact Vishnu at 467-1341.

Friday May 26 - Monday May 29 (Tentative) - Invasive Plant Removal Camping Trip, Salt Pt. State Park. Includes a field trip on Sunday. Contact: Peter Warner 937-2278 for confirmation.

Saturday June 10 (Tentative) Sidalcea hickmanii and Senecio jacobeae Monitoring, Lake Pillsbury – Contact Tara Athan (485-1198) to confirm date of trip. [email protected] .

Saturday June 24 (Tentative) Botanical Fieldtrip to Duncan Peak We will meet at the Longs parking lot in Ukiah at 9:00 and carpool down to Hopland to Rd 110 that travels to the west passing Duncan peak. We have been invited to the Raven Ranch which has a diverse serpentine habitat. Both Mcnab and Sargent Cypress can be found there. There are other serpentine endemics along with many manzanita species. Road 110 itself has wonderful displays of wildflowers which will have us stopping in admiration!! Contact Chuck Williams to confirm date of trip. 462-8984.

Of Sidalcea and Senecio Tara Athan

A National Forest Foundation grant of $500 in matching funds has been received by CNPS-Sanhedrin to monitor and manage populations of the rare Sidalcea hickmanii and non-native Senecio spp. in Mendocino National Forest, east of Lake Pillsbury. These populations were first observed at this site during the 2003 Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) survey following the 2001 Lake Pillsbury fire, conducted by the US Forest Service.

The populations of Sidalcea and Senecio occur in the tractor and hand lines from the 2001 Lake Pillsbury fire, which were disturbed by these fire control measures but not burned over. It is likely that a long-lived seedbank of the Sidalcea expressed when the area was cleared for the tractor line, as this species is known to be a “fire- follower”. The Senecio seeds were probably transported to the site on equipment, and took advantage of the disturbance.

CNPS has visited the sites four times since the initial BAER observation. On July 12, 2005, I accompanied US Forest Service botanist David Isle to observe the number of individuals in each population, take photos and GPS readings and put out some flags to mark the locations for future monitoring. The Sidalcea population had 20-30 individuals, similar to the previous observation 2 years ago. Very few blooms were noted but there were some fruits and David collected a sample. The Senecio population in the hand line was observed to be in decline, with the native vegetation recovering and out- competing the weed. The Senecio species had been identified as S. jacobaea (tansy ragwort) by Fred Hrusa from a specimen David sent him in 2003. It is usually seen closer to the coast, but there have recently been some inland sitings in Idaho. Severe infestations of tansy ragwort, which is toxic to livestock, were controlled in the 1980's through biocontrol agents: the Ragwort Flea Beetle (Longitarsus jacobaeae) combined with the defoliating Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae). Also on this visit, a new Senecio population was observed in the tractor line, not far from the Sidalcea population. The species has not been confirmed for this population, but the flowers have the

appearance of the common butterwort (Senecio vulgaris), with an absence of the ray flowers characteristic of S. jacobaea.

David sent photos of the Sidalcea to Stephen Hill, a taxonomist specializing in (the Mallow family), who responded as follows:

“At this time, based on the possible morphological differences as well as the very isolated occurrence of this population, that fits the pattern of the other ssp., I think that there is a good possibility that your plants represent a new and undescribed subspecies of Sidalcea hickmanii, depending on data from additional study. “

A second visit was made by Chuck Williams and David Isle on August 10, 2005. They placed some more permanent markers and made additional observations, noting evidence of heavy browsing of the apparently tasty Sidalcea.

A third visit on August 27th was organized as a CNPS event. Attending was Tara, Chuck, Vishnu and our driver and photographer, Ree Slocum. On the advice of Stephen Hill, we installed exclosures on some of the individuals in an attempt to reduce browsing. Although Stephen recommended caging 10% of the population, we enthusiastically caged about 90%. We also collected a few leaves for a genetic study of Sidalcea being conducted by staff of San Bernadino National Forest.

In November 2005, Tara and Ree returned to the site to take GPS readings, observe any effects from exclosures, check growth of foliage and seedlings and install numbered tags (goat ear tags) to locate individual plants. There was little to see, other than a few new leaves. The best outcome of the event was meeting our new National Forest contact, Julia Terry, and her husband Jake at the site. Our future plans are to return to the site twice this spring (see schedule of events). We will look for new Sidalcea recruits, monitor growth and fruiting, and finally, attempt manual removal of the Senecio to prevent it from dispersing seed.

References:

Calflora has a reference to S. hickmanii: http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=7556&ttime=1131481999

The USDA PLANTS database ( http://www.plants.usda.gov ) has an entry on Sidalcea hickmanii, but has photos only of ssp. anomala.

Another source is the Jepson Online Interchange http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/interchange.html The Jepson treatment for S. hickmanii ssp. viridis can be obtained from http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5042,5095,5103,5107

Another URL on S. hickmanii ssp. anomala is http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/ASP/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=3974

Photo documentation of the Aug. 27th visit is available at http://www.alt2is.com/cnps-sanhedrin/pages_html/projects/lake_pillsbury.shtml

2005 California Invasive Plant Council Symposium Peter Warner

As compelling and informative as ever, this year’s Cal-IPC Symposium featured presentations about weed management projects and scientific research, strategic approaches for weed management, and predictive modeling, all in an atmosphere of camaraderie and collaboration in the statewide efforts to inform the public about invasive plants and how to manage them. The theme of this year’s conference, convened on the Chico State University campus in early October, was “Prevention Reinvention: Protocols, Information, and Partnerships to Stop the Spread of Invasive Plants.” Two days of data-driven reports, success stories, creative proposals, and lively meetings were followed by Saturday field trips to four Sacramento Valley venues where weed management efforts aim to sustain the vitality of native ecosystems. Prior to the symposium, a one-day Wildland Weed Field Course brought the latest techniques in invasive plant management to land managers and practitioners of habitat restoration. A prominent approach to weed management emphasized by speakers is getting an early jump on weed infestations through “early detection” and “rapid response.” While practiced successfully statewide by agriculturally oriented government agencies for several decades, funding and support for this fundamentally sound, economically effective strategy have actually declined. Increasingly, success through this approach is being achieved at the arundo-roots level by local environmental stewards, whether by pulling out the first few weedy opportunists along a road, engaging in watershed-wide planning, raising voices in concern for a compromised viewshed or threatened native plant, or recognizing the social benefits of community-based ecological stewardship. Several speakers testified about the effectiveness of cooperation, participation, and resource-sharing in stopping nascent populations of invasives, or preventing them from establishing altogether; early, coordinated action generally results in huge cost- savings later on. Regional and statewide communication must be augmented by local partnerships that recognize the threats to resource- based and economic values posed by weeds, especially in this time of reduced governmental funding for protection of critical environmental assets. Knowledge about the biology of weeds, species distributions, and dispersal mechanisms, in addition to understanding current management practices – for better or worse – and practical limitations for management are all essential components of strategic planning for the successful control or eradication of invasive plants. Raising awareness and imparting relevance, articulating values and threats, and implementing strategic plans that address local concerns most logically belong within the realm of communities, both biological and human. Relying on remote leadership and support often results in neglect and misplaced priorities. People who care about the compromising of ecological integrity are more likely to be those most in touch with the land, those who understand how global phenomena result in negative consequences for local communities. In short, government may, eventually, follow the lead of the people, but the practical, tangible, and cost-effective alternative -- community-based ecological stewardship -- must forge ahead regardless of recklessly misinformed political priorities that do nothing to sustain life.

Virtually all the success stories and worthy endeavors communicated at the 2005 Symposium originated from motivated individuals who are taking responsibility for improving local weed management. Effective campaigns from across the state include the development of local ordinances that require the pursuit of “best management practices” during ground-disturbing projects, the reduction of weed dispersal through conscientious use of tools and materials, such as equipment-cleaning and the use of weed-free straw and mulch, and the institution of ecologically holistic, experimental management as a strategic approach to restoring ecosystems. In Montana, a pilot project to prevent new weed infestations relies on not only local people who work close to the land, but also on the keen noses of

canines – weed-sniffing pooches (where have we heard that before?): a great retirement opportunity for dogs that flunk out of Police Academy or Sheepdog School. The implementation of preventative measures has not entirely gone to the dogs, and need not be restricted to the realm of local ecological management and information development. Opportunities for cooperation at a broader geographical scale include interstate strategic planning to limit weed introductions to new areas, sharing spatial inventories of weeds on web-based resource networks (statewide weed mapping and the Cal-IPC weed list are just two such examples), and exploiting potential for widespread participation in detection from conservation groups with inherent expertise – including CNPS!

While the theme of prevention was prevalent, several speakers feted the success of invasive plant management projects on weeds that have already become ecological and economic liabilities. In reality, we know that the work of habitat restoration never ends, so even with a theme of prevention we heard a lot about what’s being done once the opportunity for prevention, at least locally, has come and gone. Given that every weed population is a potential source of infestation somewhere else, near or afar, removing weeds, thereby reducing dispersal potential as well as restoring to dominance native species, is actually a vital component of preventative strategy. Specifically preventative measures – such as proper debris disposal and cleaning equipment – are necessary and complementary elements to habitat restoration; any comprehensive, integrated response to reducing the negative impacts of species invasions must include both. Recent efforts to erase plant invasions and restore native species habitat in California range from volunteers manually removing annual grasses, to the use of weed wrenches and power equipment, and on to the judicious application of prescription fire and herbicides. Flaming (not burning!) is a relatively unexplored technique that could yet be developed as a treatment on numerous weeds – just be sure to know your plant’s biology, fire ecology, and safety practices well before discovering what ignited propane can accomplish.

In addition to symposium presentations on management, the Wildland Weed course demonstrated a wide array of technological and cultural methods for treating invasive plants. The instructors continually emphasized a prerequisite for managing any invasive plant: knowledge of its biology and ecology – life history, growth pattern, habitat requirements, season of flowering and seed production, and so on. In a fitting culmination to the symposium, the field trips to the Sacramento River, Sutter Buttes, Stony and Red Bank Creeks, and Bidwell Park highlighted the challenges, trials, and successes of projects past and present, and provided inspiration for future efforts in maintaining and restoring California’s irreplaceable natural diversity.

For further information on this year’s symposium, including ordering the proceedings and other valuable reference materials, please visit the Cal-IPC website: www.cal-ipc.org, and consider joining an organization that reveres our priceless native plant heritage and is working closely with CNPS to achieve lasting protection of wild lands and native plant habitat.

Remembering Red Mountain - 39º 54.8’ N 123º 39.645’ W Vishnu

California is well endowed with a plethora of Mill Creeks, Black Buttes, Red Mountains and Bear Valleys but these were not all created equal in terms of biological significance. Last June it was to one of these “Red Mts.” that the Sanhedrin Chapter organized an early summer field trip. This particular 4,079 ft. Red Mt. is located in far northern Mendocino county and although only 4 miles from Hwy. 101 proved to be one of the chapter’s most strenuous adventures to date.

Why exactly this was true I’m still not sure but the roads tended to peter out to trails and then to traces, for instance, and the surrounding chaparral brushing noisily against vehicle sides left scratches that fastidious truck owners later found challenging to remove.

So, why go there? This particular Red Mt. Area contains (4) List 1 species and is the southernmost locality for many species normally found in the (much) more northerly Siskiyous and Klamath Ranges. With the generous and able guidance of Jennifer Wheeler lead botanist for the Arcata BLM field office and with the assistance of Clara Sander, another BLM botanist we had a very busy and productive day in the field locating some of these unusual flora.

The CNPS List 1 species, 3 of which were found, include Kellogg’s Buckwheat (Eriogonum kelloggii), Red Mt. Catchfly (Silene campanulata ssp. campanulata), Red Mt. Stonecrop (Sedum eastwoodiae) and Mendocino Gentian (Gentiana setigera). The endangered taxon, MacDonald’s Rockcress (Arabis macdonaldiana) was also seen as was a good, much photographed, specimen of Dwarf Lupine (Lupinus lepidus var. sellusus).

Family wise the Liliaceae are particularly well represented on Red Mt. also and this enabled observations of many family members not found in our area. Some examples are: White Bog Hastingsia (Hastingsia alba), Bog Asphodel (Narthecium californicum), Tofieldia occidentalis ssp occidentalis, Beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax), and Bolander’s Onion (Allium bolanderi). Other notable Lily family members which we did not locate or were too early to identify but which are found on Red Mt. are: Siskiyou Hastingsia (Hastingsia serpentinicola) and Bolander’s Lily (Lilium bolanderi).

One of the refreshing features of this area – or any area, actually, that contains them - are the fens. Fens, not common in our part of California, although there is Inglenook Fen near 10 Mile River on the Mendocino coast, are marshy areas through which a stream flows. And, as opposed to a marsh, the soil in a fen is not acidic but tends to be either alkaline or neutral. It was in these areas that the Tofieldia and Narthecium were found as well as the orchid, California Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium californicum).

Interestingly, my most visually memorable Liliaceae of the day was a fairly common one, Sickle Leaf Onion (Allium falcifolium), commonly associated with serpentine soils. What made it especially appealing on Red Mt. though was our finding it at peak and abundant bloom on large, otherwise bare flats of damp brick-red soils. The deep purple-magenta blossoms against the red soil was particularly striking.

Because of difficulty of access – either hiking in for a couple of hours or being escorted in, as we were, by BLM personnel in high clearance 4x wheel drive vehicles – this area is beyond the scope of “regular” outings. Also we were a bit early going in on June 23. Most of the plants we sought to find were located but would have been in better bloom 2 weeks later. (There are exceptions. The Arabis had bloomed earlier and likely would not have been recognizable 2 weeks later.) This is a special area but not for everyone. Certainly some of us plan to return.

Participants were: Jennifer & Samantha Wheeler, Clara Sander, Marisela de Santa Anna, Geri Hulse-Stephens, Ruth & Rob Kirkpatrick, Chuck Williams, Ann Howald, Peter Warner, ML Carle, Gene Cooley and Vishnu.

Note from the editor: Please check out the Sanhedrin Chapter Website at: www.cnps-sanhedrin.org. All past Sanhedrin newsletters articles can be accessed here as well as information on native plants, events, and projects. For inquires contact the webmaster, Tara Athan at: [email protected]

CNPS – Sanhedrin Chapter Tara Athan 1551 Road D #1 Redwood Valley, CA 95470

California Native Plant Society – Sanhedrin Chapter

Winter / Spring 2006 NEWSLETTER

Membership Information

The California Native Plant Society is an organization of lay persons and professionals united by an interest in the plants of California. It is open to all. The society, working through its local chapters, seeks to increase the understanding of California’s native flora and to preserve this rich resource for future generations. Varied interests are represented. Dues are tax deductible. You will receive this newsletter, the informative quarterly journal Fremontia, and a statewide news bulletin.

Student/Retired/Limited Income . . $20 Make your check out to “CNPS” Send newsletter materials to: Individual or Library ...... $35 noting your affiliation to the Family or Group ...... $45 Sanhedrin Chapter, and mail to: Kerry Heise Supporting ...... $75 Editor – CNPS Sanhedrin Chapter Plant Lover ...... $100 California Native Plant Society 453 Mendocino Dr Patron ...... $250 1722 J Street, Suite 17 Ukiah, CA 95482 Benefactor ...... $500 Sacramento, CA 95814 Life ...... $1000 Or email to: [email protected]