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VOL. 37, NO. 1 • WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA JOURNAL OF THE NATIVE SOCIETY

WESTERN , GORMAN, AND TEJON RANCH: IMPERILED FLORAL EXTRAVAGANZA? SERPENTINOPHILES MEET IN MAINE BOB SOOST (1921–2009)

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY FREMONTIA CNPS, 2707 K Street, Suite 1; Sacramento, CA 95816-5113 Phone: (916) 447-CNPS (2677) Fax: (916) 447-2727 VOL. 37, NO. 1, WINTER 2009 Web site: www.cnps.org Email: [email protected] Copyright © 2009 MEMBERSHIP California Native Plant Society Membership form located on inside back cover; dues include subscriptions to Fremontia and the Bulletin Bart O’Brien, Editor Bob Hass, Copy Editor Mariposa Lily ...... $1,500 Family or Group ...... $75 Benefactor ...... $600 International or Library ...... $75 Beth Hansen-Winter, Designer Patron ...... $300 Individual ...... $45 Kathryn Blassey, Editorial Assistant Plant Lover ...... $100 Student/Retired/Limited Income . $25 Brad Jenkins and Jake Sigg, Proofreaders STAFF (SACRAMENTO) CHAPTER COUNCIL Executive Director . . . . . Tara Hansen Kevin Bryant (Chair); Larry Levine CALIFORNIA NATIVE Finance & Administration Manager . (Vice Chair); Laura Camp (Secretary); PLANT SOCIETY Cari Porter Board of Directors Representatives: Development Director . . . Jack Tracey Lauren Brown, Brian LeNeve Dedicated to the Preservation of Membership & Sales Coordinator . . . Alta Peak (Tulare) . . . . Joan Stewart the California Native Flora Stacey Flowerdew Bristlecone (Inyo-Mono) ...... Conservation Program Director . . . . . Steve McLaughlin The California Native Plant Society Greg Suba Channel Islands . . . . David Magney (CNPS) is a statewide nonprofit organi- Rare Plant Botanist . . . . Nick Jensen Dorothy King Young (Mendocino/ zation dedicated to increasing the un- Vegetation Program Director . . . Julie Sonoma Coast) . . . . . Lori Hubbart derstanding and appreciation of Califor- Evens East Bay ...... Delia Taylor nia’s native , and to preserving Vegetation Ecologists . Jennifer Buck, El Dorado ...... Cindy Podsiadlo them and their natural habitats for fu- Kendra Sikes Kern County ...... Laura Stockton ture generations. Education Program Director . . . . Josie Los Angeles/Santa Monica Mtns . . . . CNPS carries out its mission through Crawford Betsey Landis science, conservation advocacy, educa- Administrative Assistant . . . . . Anna Marin County . . Carolyn Longstreth tion, and horticulture at the local, state, Ostrowercha Milo Baker (Sonoma County) . . . . . and federal levels. It monitors rare and Liz Parsons endangered plants and habitats; acts to STAFF (AT LARGE) save endangered areas through public- Fremontia Editor ...... Bart O’Brien ...... Tim Thomas ity, persuasion, and on occasion, legal CNPS Bulletin Editor . . . . . Bob Hass Monterey Bay . . . . Rosemary Foster action; provides expert testimony to Legislative Consultant .Vern Goehring Mount Lassen ...... Catie Bishop government bodies; supports the estab- East Bay Conservation Analyst . . . . . Napa Valley ...... John Pitt lishment of native plant preserves; spon- Lech Naumovich North Coast ...... Larry Levine sors workdays to remove invasive plants; Website Coordinator . . Mark Naftzger North San Joaquin . . . . Alan Miller County . . . . . Nancy Heuler and offers a range of educational activi- PROGRAM ADVISORS ties including speaker programs, field Redbud (Grass Valley/Auburn) . . . . Rare Plant Program Senior Advisor . . . trips, native plant sales, horticultural Brad Carter Jim Andre workshops, and demonstration gardens. Riverside/San Bernardino counties . . Vegetation Program Senior Advisor . . Since its founding in 1965, the tradi- Katie Barrows Todd Keeler-Wolf tional strength of CNPS has been its Sacramento Valley . . . Hazel Gordon, Horticulture Committee Chair ...... dedicated volunteers. CNPS activities Kristie Haydu Christina Lewis are organized at the local chapter level San Diego ...... Marty Foltyn CNPS Press Co-Directors . . . . . Holly where members’ varied interests influ- San Gabriel Mtns . . . Gabi McLean Forbes, Dore Brown ence what is done. Volunteers from the San Luis Obispo . . . Lauren Brown Poster Program . . . Bertha McKinley, 33 CNPS chapters annually contribute Sanhedrin (Ukiah) ...... Geri Wilma Follette in excess of 97,000 hours (equivalent Hulse-Stephens to 46.5 full-time employees). BOARD OF DIRECTORS Santa Clara Valley . . . Kevin Bryant CNPS membership is open to all. Brett Hall (President); Carol Witham Santa Cruz County . . . . Brett Hall Members receive the quarterly journal, (Vice President); Brad Jenkins (Trea- Sequoia (Fresno) . . . . Paul Mitchell Fremontia, the quarterly statewide Bul- surer); Lynn Houser (Secretary); At Shasta . . . . . Susan Libonati-Barnes letin, and newsletters from their local Large: Lauren Brown, Ellen Dean, Jane Sierra Foothills (Tuolumne, Cala- CNPS chapter. Hicks, Arvind Kumar, Brian LeNeve, veras, Mariposa) . . Robert W. Brown Vince Scheidt, Alison Shilling South Coast (Palos Verdes) ...... Disclaimer: Barbara Sattler, David Sundstrom MATERIALS FOR PUBLICATION Tahoe ...... Michael Hogan The views expressed by authors published in this journal do not necessarily reflect CNPS members and others are wel- Willis L. Jepson (Solano) ...... established policy or procedure of CNPS, come to contribute materials for publi- Mary Frances Kelly Poh and their publication in this journal should cation in Fremontia. See the inside back Yerba Buena (San Francisco) . . . . . not be interpreted as an organizational cover for submission instructions. Linda J. Shaffer endorsement—in part or in whole—of their ideas, statements, or opinions. Printed by Premier Graphics: www.premiergraphics.biz

FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 CONTENTS

THE LAST FLORAL BLOOMS: SOMETHING TO SEE, WHILE THEY ARE STILL THERE by Richard Dickey ...... 3 The western end of the Antelope Valley and the Gorman Hills are world famous for their spectacular displays of spring wildflowers. These wildflower fields are composed of a truly unique blend of plants that are not found together—and in such astonishing quantity and quality—anywhere else. This visually and biologically compelling feature of California’s biodiversity deserves the highest level of protection and management. Author and photographer Richard Dickey has been documenting these ephemeral displays for the past 23 years and shares some of his knowledge and extraordinary images of floral superabundance.

TEJON RANCH—A CONSERVATION PRIORITY by Ileene Anderson ...... 16 Tejon Ranch is the largest contiguous private landholding in California. This unique property occupies the point of biologic convergence of Sierran, Mojavean, and Californian flora and fauna. This land also straddles the vague political dividing line between Northern and . The fate of Tejon Ranch is, and should be, of critical conservation concern to all Californians, but most especially to those of us who are enamored of the enthralling beauty of masses of wildflowers and wide-open spaces.

SERPENTINOPHILES FROM CALIFORNIA AND ACROSS THE WORLD GATHER IN MAINE TO HIGHLIGHT RECENT RESEARCH ON SOIL-BIOTA RELATIONS OF SERPENTINE OUTCROPS by Nishanta Rajakaruna ...... 21 California’s serpentine outcrops have provided model settings for productive research in plant ecology and evolution for over a half-century. Serpentine outcrops are home to many of California’s endemics and provide spectacular displays of native plants every spring. Californians share their love for serpentine with serpentine enthusiasts from around the world at the recently concluded Sixth International Conference on Serpentine Ecology held in Bar Harbor, Maine.

DR. ROBERT K. SOOST: 1921–2009 by Phyllis M. Faber...... 25 Dr. Robert K. Soost was named a CNPS Fellow in 2005 in recognition of his many contributions to the conservation and preservation of California’s plant life. He became active with the Marin Chapter in 1987, and was its president from 1995-2001. To read more about Bob and his activities with CNPS, please refer to Fremontia 33(4): 30-31. 2005.

BOOK REVIEWS ...... 26

THE COVER: Gorman Hills, 2003. Bentham lupines (Lupinus benthamii), Adonis lupine (Lupinus excubitus), lacy phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia), globe gilia (Gilia capitata), thistle sage (Salvia carduacea), Bigelow (Coreopsis bigelovii), white (), desert dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata), fiddleneck (Amsinckia intermedia), and California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). Photograph by Richard Dickey, copyright 2009.

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 1 EDITORIAL USEFUL WEBSITES AND CONTACT ABUNDANCE INFORMATION bundance is the watchword of our lead article in this issue of Fremontia. Just how much is enough? And it begs a question—should we, as California Native Plant Society (CNPS): A members of the California Native Plant Society, be as concerned about preserving one of the best known, long-term, viable, and vibrant www.cnps.org with links to displays of California’s—and the nation’s—wildflowers, as we are about conservation issues, chapters, publications, policies, etc. ensuring the survival of the rarest elements of our native flora? I think that most of us would argue in favor of both, and that is the easiest answer. But, For updates on what if you had to choose? I would be extremely hard-pressed to give up the conservation issues: inspirational beauty and sheer exuberance of a good spring in the western Audubon Society Antelope Valley and Gorman Hills. The fact that these spring displays are www.audubon.org unpredictable and extremely varied makes repeated visits over the years an Center for Biological Diversity imperative for many of us, as even a poor year yields many interesting finds. www.sw-center.org Thoreau’s “faith in a seed” is demonstrably California’s reality year after year Native Plant Conservation in the western Antelope Valley and in the Gorman Hills. Nature’s faith that Campaign www.plantsocieties.org billions of seeds containing the brilliance of innumerable springs to come Natural Resources Defense will be permitted to stay in place to grow and regenerate themselves for the Council future’s ever changing spring kaleidoscope of colors and patterns that we www.nrdc.org Californian’s have enjoyed in this particular area since the days of the Gold Sierra Club Rush. Such faith will be tested by politics and developers, but we must not www.sierraclub.org fail in our efforts to conserve the best of California. Wilderness Society www.wilderness.org HELLO AND GOODBYE For voting information: I have very much enjoyed working with Fremontia. But, due to changing League of Women Voters circumstances, I no longer have the amount of time that I feel is necessary to www.lwv.org, includes online devote to the effective management of our journal. I have determined that it voter guide with state-specific is best that I step down as Fremontia Editor at this time. Should the oppor- nonpartisan election and tunity to edit and manage Fremontia arise again in the future, and if my time candidate information. commitments should significantly change, I would certainly reconsider— US Senate especially if it meant working again with our journal’s exceptional designer, www.senate.gov Beth Hansen-Winter. It has been both an honor and a pleasure working with, US House of Representatives and learning from, such a talented individual. And, for those of you who do www.house.gov not know Beth, she is quite a gardener as well, so we never have a shortage of California State Senate things to talk about. My most sincere thanks go out to Beth, Kathryn Blassey www.sen.ca.gov (my sometimes editorial assistant), and Bob Hass (Fremontia copy editor, California State Assembly and imminently, Fremontia Editor) for your talents and assistance with www.assembly.ca.gov making Fremontia the publication that it is today. Thank you to our proof- readers (Jake Sigg, Brad Jenkins, and Carol Witham), Linda Vorobik (my To write letters: immediate predecessor), and to Fremontia’s editorial board. Finally, my President Barack Obama thanks also go out to all of the authors and photographers who have The White House contributed their time and expertise to our journal—Fremontia would not 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW exist without you. Thank you, CNPS, for giving me this opportunity to share Washington, DC 20500 the wonder and beauty of our ever-present and ever-beautiful native flora. Senator Barbara Boxer This is my last issue as sole editor of Fremontia, our next issue (Fremontia or Senator Dianne Feinstein 37.2) will be transitional, and subsequent to that, the capable Bob Hass will US Senate take up the reins as Fremontia Editor. A warm welcome and best wishes to Washington, DC 20510 Bob Hass for taking on this responsibility! And, to Fremontia and everyone in Your CA Representative the California Native Plant Society, I wish you all many more years of US House of Representatives increasing success. Washington, DC 20515 Bart O’Brien, Fremontia Editor

2 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 Western Antelope Valley 2003 flowers, west view on to the Tejon Ranch near the California Aqueduct. The yellow color on the hillsides is from Bigelow coreopsis (Coreopsis bigelovii). All photographs by the author, copyright 2009. THE LAST FLORAL BLOOMS: SOMETHING TO SEE, WHILE THEY ARE STILL THERE by Richard Dickey

THE LEGACY missionaries and European settlers parades with flower-covered horses documented springtime California and buggies.1 enturies ago, explorers re- blanketed with enormous pastures turned to Europe describ- of wildflowers from San Francisco A SEA OF ORANGE ing a brilliant orange fire to San Diego. For generations po- along a mysterious shore ets, writers, and painters had ro- Visualize yourself standing Ccalled California. Telling stories of manticized California as “an Eden” amidst a sea of orange poppies, so hills and valleys ablaze with the bril- for its landscape that boggled the vast they expand miles across a liant luminescence of gold and or- imagination and stirred the heart. desert plain reaching into the far ange flowers, they referred to Cali- Late-nineteenth century Southern distant foothills. A soft wind stirs fornia as “la tierra del fuego”—the Californians honored their wild- and slowly the air is filled with the land of fire—for the vast spreads of flower heritage, celebrating with sound of flowers moving in the iridescent poppies. Early Spanish weekend wildflower parties and breeze. The growing sound of a mil-

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 3 Tejon Ranch, December 2008. This view shows the back road to the ranch with in the distance. In a good year, the entire foreground and the foothills are covered with wildflowers. lion satin petals surrounds and en- the desert in full bloom as if Mother habitat remaining, one such region velopes you. This very soft subtle Earth herself were laughing with the remains unique and largely un- sound grows to a loud ruffling and flowers. spoiled at the western tip of the An- rustling, making the landscape seem Only in California, a land steeped telope Valley, a place called Gorman to vibrate beneath your feet. with myth and lore that has become and the adjacent Tejon Ranch. Visible ripples of wind move an ethos to the world, is one still across the flowered plain like long able to witness such wonders. Once sets of waves on an ocean. Scents of home to the most prolific grass and CALIFORNIA’S FLORAL flowers invade your nose, smells like wildflower prairies of the world, the BLOOMS honeysuckle, grape, mint, - Golden State is now experiencing a licorice, and jasmine blend and hyper transformation in landscape With its distinct mediterranean morph into an incense of the desert ecology that threatens its botanical climate and varied landscape, in spring. One becomes aware of the legacy. Besieged by an exploding California’s native flora has evolved palpable sense of “giddy” energy population, this land of the fantastic a unique concentration of endemic radiating from the land. Beyond ra- is quickly evaporating into history. plants at such a global scale that it is tional explanation, a feeling of light- California is slowly being “loved to scientifically recognized and known ness and completeness flows from death.” With only islands of native as the “California Floristic Province”

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: Western Antelope Valley looking north into the Tehachapi foothills and Tejon Ranch in 2006. Goldfields (Lasthenia californica) are predominant but are starting to dry, while California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are in full bloom. • The westernmost edge of the floor of Antelope Valley in March 2005. This view is looking west on to the Tejon Ranch near the hills north of Quail Lake, and is the center of the proposed Centennial City. The colorful flowers include California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), Davy gilia (Gilia latiflora ssp. davyi), desert dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata), owl’s clover (Castilleja exserta), and goldfields (Lasthenia californica) on distant hills. • This is the proposed site of Centennial City, on Tejon Ranch property near Quail Lake in 2005. Gorman and most of the Tejon Ranch did not produce colorful displays during spring of 2005. Most of the record precipitation stopped in mid- to late-February. Lower desert and coastal blooms were prolific, but higher elevations dried out before their flowers bloomed. • Tejon Ranch, 2001. Looking west across “very windswept hills” the flowers appear smaller in height possibly due to the winds. Flowers include: Bigelow coreopsis (Coreopsis bigelovii) and phacelia (Phacelia sp.). The clouds over the mountains are the result of orographic lift of the air mass from the .

4 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 5 CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: A lone California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) grows with Parry gilia (Gilia parryi) in northwestern Antelope Valley, 1991. • Two yellow Cali- fornia poppies (Eschscholzia californica) on the Tejon Ranch, 1992. Color variants of California poppies and other annuals are occasionally seen in this area. • Gorman, 2003. A dreamscape of flowers: Adonis lu- pines (Lupinus excubitus), Bentham lupines (Lupinus benthamii), California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), Bigelow core- opsis (Coreopsis bigelovii), phacelia (Pha- celia sp.), globe gilia (Gilia capitata), Fremont pincushions (Chaenactis fremont- ii), desert dandelions (Malacothrix glabra- ta), and more.

flower displays. Evolved in response to an unforgiving environment with inconstant seasons, these dense flo- ral blooms are similar to blooms of ocean plankton, deploying a strat- egy of sheer numbers to ensure sur- vival of the few. Additionally, adapt- able seeds able to survive boom or bust seasons with extended droughts have further refined this genetic pool. After eons of distillations and local- ized adaptations, California is blessed with hills, valleys, and canyons of wonder; with a brief flash of life so intense that it defies imagination. Centuries of exploitation and shortsighted land-use planning have left California a completely changed state. The Great Central Valley of yesteryear is gone, transformed into a conveyor belt of produce for the USA. Agriculture, ranching, hous- ing, road building, and dams—along with the introduction of nonnative plants—have drastically altered 75% of California’s ecology. Introduced (CFP). The CFP has been designated status. Of all these plant treasures, Old World weeds from similar cli- as one of Earth’s biological hotspots none is more mercurial and fleeting mates have invaded and flourished, due to its diversity and endangered than California’s springtime wild- aggressively taking over native habi-

6 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 TOP TO BOTTOM: Gorman roadside, 2003. Thick growth of Bentham lupines (Lupinus benthamii), a few globe gilias (Gilia capitata), scattered California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), with a few fiddlenecks (Amsinckia sp.) and Bigelow coreopsis (Coreopsis bigelovii) adorn a steep south facing hillside. • Orange California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), on the Tejon Ranch, 1992. • A dark spot of color on the upper petal an Adonis lupine flower indicates that the flower has been pollinated. The younger, not yet pollinated flowers have a pale yellow spot on their upper petals. Tehachapi foothills just outside Tejon Ranch, 1998. tats, first in coastal areas and then tive plants—combined with an ab- spreading into interior regions of sence of herbivores that could con- California. Among the most damag- trol their spread, and exacerbated ing of these invaders is a myriad of by widespread fire suppression prac- fast-growing brome grasses. This tices—are irrevocably transforming unprecedented invasion of nonna- California’s natural areas. As a re-

“In the Spring, the San Joaquin Valley had a matchless sky overhead and an expanse of wildflowers that spread over the great valley like a purple carpet, so vast that a day’s ride on horseback would take one only to the middle of it.” —Arnold Rojas, 1899 –1988 5

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 7 sult, California’s widespread, dense are the Coast and Transverse Moun- right, this morphing of plant com- floral blooms of the past are becom- tain Ranges. Directly north of these munities is vividly displayed on the ing fewer, smaller, and more iso- two features is the Great Central hills above Gorman. From here and lated. Now, they can only be seen as Valley, flanked along its eastern edge stretching 30 miles northeast across patches here and there.2 with a skyscraping wall of moun- the windswept Tehachapi Moun- Although most of California’s tains known as the ; tains of the Tejon Ranch, then spill- great floral valleys are now gone3, the Sierra and the Tehachapi Moun- ing onto the northwestern Antelope several pockets of relatively undis- tains stand like a dam preventing Valley floor, is a rare unspoiled area turbed habitat remain, and contain the higher Mojave Desert from spill- of exceptional and tempermental significant and viable seed reservoirs. ing into the Central Valley. springtime beauty. These “islands” of native California However, the most intriguing of On top of the mountain in ecology have survived encroachment all the land features is the large V- Gorman, spread across 2,800 acres primarily due to isolation, rugged- shaped projection of the Mojave of south facing hillsides along Inter- ness, climate, and elevation. Possi- Desert jutting toward the Pacific state 5, lies what many consider the bly the most extraordinary one is an Ocean. Here, a massive arrow of the crown jewel of California’s wild- area of Southern California along Mojave Desert points westward, flower locations. Born from a chasm the western rim of the Antelope Val- forming an exquisitely fine point all called the San Andreas, this land is ley. Only 60 miles north of Los within 40 miles of the Pacific Ocean oddly yet aptly named Peace Valley. Angles lies a vast remnant of wilder- and framing the western tip of the Since the 1800s, the renowned hills ness that has remained virtually un- Antelope Valley. At this geomorphic of Gorman have been attracting lo- spoiled since time immemorial. junction of four bioregions—where cal and international travelers for high desert meets sea, and valleys their spectacular spring wildflower intersect mountains—nature’s forces displays, which some have compared THE WESTERN ANTELOPE have been coalescing for eons, cre- to Yosemite for their amazing natu- VALLEY INTERSECTION ating unique and diverse plant com- ral beauty. The neighboring and munities. larger Tejon Ranch property is home When viewing Southern Califor- With an exceptional number of to remaining stands of California’s nia from space imagery or looking species even relative to the area, native bunch grasses, wildflower at relief maps, there are five distinct Gorman and Tejon are ground zero prairies, and some of the oldest and geomorphic features that stand out. to overlapping ecoregions (Mojave largest oak trees in California. Prong- Foremost is the diagonal coastline Desert, Central Valley, Sierra Ne- horn antelopes and the critically en- with its enormous potential reser- vada, and Southern California) and dangered California condors roam voir of Pacific moisture. Running plant communities too numerous to free in this vast remnant of wildness parallel to shore and further inland list. When spring conditions are just that has virtually been eliminated in

8 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 “One shining morning a landscape was revealed that after all my wanderings still appears the most beautiful I have ever beheld. At my feet lay the Great Valley of California, level and flowery, like a lake of pure sunshine forty or fifty miles wide, five hundred miles long, one rich furred garden of yellow compositae. And from the eastern boundary of this vast golden flowerbed rose the mighty Sierra, miles in height, and so gloriously colored and so radiant it seemed not clothed in light, but wholly composed of it, like the wall of some celestial city.” —John Muir, 1838–19146

California and the West. Amazingly nant climates—the continental cli- also lies balanced in between three all of this is within an hour’s drive mate of the Mojave Desert and the enormous oceans of air from the from Los Angeles. mediterranean climate of California. Mojave, the South Coast, and the Where this high desert reaches close Central Valley. With surrounding to the Pacific the wildflowers are mountain passes acting as funnels, MICROCLIMATES AND exposed to bitter winter cold, high this lofty balcony is influenced by OROGRAPHIC LIFT winds, droughts, drenching rains, the slightest of atmospheric changes heavy snows, and early spring heat. between these enormous air masses, In this area of Gorman and At times in winter, frigid polar making this one of the windiest re- Tejon, the complex intersection of air moves unimpeded across the gions in the state, and an ideal habi- five geological features and four North American continent and tat for the California condor. The ecoregional climates has created washes over the Mojave Desert. combination of elevation, climate, nanoclimates within microclimates. These cold dry air masses expose and the prevailing jet stream wind Here one can witness the progres- this region to drying arctic blasts. patterns of a season have a signifi- sion in plant growth from one can- Conversely, some of the warmer Pa- cant impact on this region’s habitat yon to the next, from one ridgeline cific winter storms are laden with and its reservoir of diverse seeds. to another, and across one alluvial subtropical moisture. As these With an elevation range of 3,400 plain, depending on elevations and storms sweep in from the ocean and to 4,800 feet, a cooler, windier, or climate zones. The spring flower dis- slam into this mountainous land- predominantly cloudy winter usu- plays are particularly variable here scape they may release copious ally produces smaller displays of due to the overlapping of two domi- amounts of rain and snow. This land flowers on the steep hills and rolling

Gorman, 2003. A magnificent view of the variety and density of flowers on the steep hills: Bentham lupine (Lupinus benthamii), Bigelow coreopsis (Coreopsis bigelovii), fiddleneck (Amsinckia sp.), globe gilia (Gilia capitata), and California poppy (Eschscholzia californica).

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 9 plains. For reference, winters of av- the increasing warmth from the wildflower growth along the hilltops. erage precipitation, moderate tem- spring sun, encourages the best dis- Yet only a few miles away on the peratures, and fast moving weather plays here. flats of the Antelope Valley, there systems with quickly returning Gorman and Tejon are also home may be an abundance of flowers due spring sun, appear to produce the to the natural phenomenon called to more sunshine and warmth. Some most notable spring wildflower dis- “orographic lift.” This effect occurs seasons, lush wildflower displays plays on these highlands. Often- whenever an air mass is forced or flourish on the elevated hills of times, seasons of above-average rains pushed over rising terrain. As the air Gorman and the Tejon Ranch, while accompanied by more cloudy days mass gains altitude it expands and the adjacent valley plain lies dull with cooler temperatures appear to cools, forming clouds that may hover and brown due to spotty late rains or inhibit early growth of native plants for days or weeks over the land. With early intense heat. An important while encouraging nonnatives. Due its elevated location at the geographic note: a winter of early heavy rains to this region’s elevation, abundant convergence, a season with persis- followed by a pattern of cold, cloudy late season rains in combination with tent orographic lifting may inhibit days and drying winds seems to pro-

TOP: Gorman Hills panorama, 2008. • BOTTOM: Gorman Hills panorama, 2003.

10 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 duce scattered or desiccated flowers. Although the season of 2004-2005 was the second wettest in Southern California’s history, the rains fell from October through early Febru- ary and benefited low desert and coastal blooms. By April of that sea- son, the higher, cooler, and cloudy Gorman-Tejon region had prema- turely dried out from winds, and the floral displays were minimal.

WAXING AND WANING OF THE BLOOMS

With favorable moisture, tem- perature, and wind, the floral bloom may last for several weeks, or it may be shortened dramatically by a sud- den early heat wave. This region’s flowers are particularly vulnerable to wind damage; most visitors ob- serve it is helpful to arrive earlier than later in the bloom, before winds can play havoc with the flowers’ frag- ile petals. Even after many years of photo- graphing wildflowers, I have still not come up with a way to predict what

TOP TO BOTTOM: Gorman Canyon, 2003. At dusk, the white flowers of evening snow (Linanthus dichotomus) begin to open. • Gorman Canyon, 2001. The exact same view, two years earlier. • Gorman Hills, 2003. The line of trees and shrubs marks a water seep or slow spring (one of around 64 such water features) on the Gorman Hills. • Gorman Hills, 2003. The top of the hills are covered with spectacular displays of wildflowers.

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 11 will be blooming in any particular spot. And, I have never observed a location bloom with exactly the same wildflowers, colors, combinations, or densities from year-to-year. In fact, there are actually specific loca- tions I have recorded that have flow- ered only once in my 23 years of documenting and photographing these fleeting floral landscapes. A typical bloom pattern may start out with coreopsis (Coreopsis bige- lovii) or goldfields (Lasthenia cali- fornica) being the first to show col- ors, perhaps followed a few weeks later by owl’s clover (Castilleja ex- serta), gilia (Gilia spp.), phacelia (Phacelia spp.), and lupines (Lupin- us spp.), while California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) may reach their peak later when the earlier col- ors are starting to fade. There is al- ways a unique waxing and waning of the blooms, which varies tremen- dously from one season to the next. During the same season, this bloom- ing cycle may also vary between ad- jacent locations within the western Antelope Valley. Occasionally though, there are rare seasons when all the colors of the flowers crescendo together, pro- ducing the most amazing symphony of music for the eyes. Some of the most notable recent years in the Tejon Ranch area were the spring blooms of 1988, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001, and 2003, along with local- ized areas of the Ranch in 2005. In the Gorman Hills, the blooms of 1981, 1985, 1988, 1992, and 2001 produced some of the best displays. Observers have described the sea- son of 2003 as one of the most memorable in their lifetimes. With relatively average but later season TOP: Gorman, 2008. The same view as below, but in early winter, vividly makes the point rainfall, the 2003 bloom produced that preserving displays of California’s native annual wildflowers requires astute land management and faith that the seed bank residing in the soil will survive to bloom again an intensely dense and varied dis- when conditions are right. • BOTTOM: Gorman, 2003. This view shows Gorman Post Road play with all the hues of the palette and the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5), with motorists exiting from their cars for a peaking in unison. Most amazing closer look at the flowers. The darkest blue is primarily Bentham lupine (Lupinus benthamii) were vast smears of deep blue across with a few royal desert lupines (Lupinus odoratus) mixed in. The lighter blue-lavender is the slopes from enormous stands of primarily lacy phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) along with a few globe gilia (Gilia capitata), other flowers are yellow Bigelow coreopsis (Coreopsis bigelovii) and orange California 30-inch tall Bentham lupines (Lu- poppies (Eschscholzia californica). During 2003, the blooms peaked in mid-April and pinus benthamii). Some locals com- lasted for two weeks. That year, the Bigelow coreopsis dried out first. mented, “In all my lifetime, I have

12 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 never seen the hills with so much sandy browns, occasionally teasing blue.” It has since become known as us when seasons are marginal. But the year of the “Big Blue.” this is a patient land, waiting as a Blended into the display were wise Methuselah for just the right the varied colors of royal desert lu- conditions, as if the moon, planets, pines (Lupinus odoratus), pygmy lu- and stars need to be in alignment in pines (Lupinus bicolor), Adonis lu- order for the magic to happen. When pines (Lupinus excubitus), globe gilias the cycles of rain, sunshine, and tem- (Gilia capitata), lacy phacelias perature are perfect, this landscape (Phacelia tanacetifolia), coreopsis, transforms itself into a vision of goldfields, popcorn flowers (Cryp- Eden. It is a moment in time, when tantha spp.), desert chicory (Ra- millions of flowers in the wilderness finesquia neomexicana), white layia become the landscape, when the ag- (Layia glandulosa), evening snow gregate of tiny, delicate details over- (Linanthus dichotomus), and Califor- whelms and becomes the bigger pic- nia poppies. The hills of Gorman ture. This land represents the were so mesmerizing and stunning epitome of the “Secret Garden” that Geomorphic features of Southern Califor- that hundreds of motorists speeding writers have romanticized and writ- nia graphically demonstrate the unique by on the nearby Interstate 5 slowed ten about for centuries, as one could position of the Gorman-Antelope Valley area. Image courtesy of the Space Shuttle to gawk, while semitrailer drivers live a lifetime on this land and never Endeavour—Mission SRTM (Shuttle Radar exuberantly sounded their air horns see the same scene ever again. Topography Mission) C-Band, Interferomic with what can only be described as Radar, STS 99—February 2000. “happy toots.” Many motorists even chose to exit the freeway for a closer GORMAN AND TEJON tunity to experience one of the nat- view. PAST ural wonders of California, and of the world—spectacular wildflower THE SECRET GARDEN For hundreds of years Gorman blooms. and Tejon have remained remote Similarly, the owners of Tejon The wildflowers of Gorman and and on the sidelines, fortuitously Ranch have, for the most part, also Tejon are undeniably a remarkable escaping Southern California’s ex- been careful not to overgraze their and mysterious natural phenom- plosive growth. The private prop- land and are mindful about allow- enon. After eons of isolation, adap- erty owners of the past had, for the ing the land to recover. Tejon Ranch tation, and specialization, these deli- most part, been commendable stew- has also protected sensitive areas by cate little flowers live in the world- ards of the land. Their self-sustain- sectioning them off from grazing. class CFP that has evolved on a time ing operations impacted the envi- Although there are varying opin- frame beyond human comprehen- ronment relatively little. For ex- ions regarding the impact of grazing sion. Here is a land where extremes ample, the Ralphs family (of Ralphs on the environment, there is a grow- of geological features and unique Grocery Company) originally owned ing amount of evidence that shows microclimates have created the and leased the largest holding of that when grazing is conducted re- world’s heaviest, tallest, and oldest Gorman’s 2,800 acres since the early sponsibly, it may function as a bio- living plants. These wildflowers, 1900s. They grazed small numbers logical control to clear lands of ag- little DNA ingredients of life, have of cattle and moved them regular- gressive weeds, and is therefore ben- discovered the secrets to surviving ly to prevent overgrazing. Using a eficial. While Gorman and Tejon for years and decades with little or ratio of one cow per acre, they tai- have survived relatively intact due no water. They are clever survivors lored this operation to climate and to decades of good stewardship, both that appear as fleeting visions, at soil conditions. During seasons of now stand at a crossroads. best for a few weeks but sometimes drought the hills were not grazed, only for a few days. Once thought allowing the land to recuperate. Most by many to be a regular seasonal importantly, the Ralphs family dis- VOICES FOR event, these wildflower blooms are allowed any grazing during the wet CONSERVATION now acknowledged to be rare, pre- season, from mid-November to late- cious, and uncertain things. April, which permitted the native GORMAN For years on end, the highlands flora to regenerate. Their dedication of Gorman and Tejon may look un- and sensitivity to the land gave gen- In the mid-1990s, the status of assuming and covered in their warm erations of Californians the oppor- Gorman shifted dramatically when

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 13 Gorman, 1992. This incredible hillside full of wildflowers gives one the feeling of being in a Monet painting. new owners took over the property. tor Michael O’Brien, conducted an students’ report states. “Conven- Soon after 2000, plans were pro- intensive ten-week-long environ- tional wisdom holds that man’s hand posed for a water extraction plant mental survey. In it they docu- has weighed so heavily on the land requiring extensive grading into the mented the need for, and feasibility that little remains of California’s hills and storage tanks for produc- of, preserving 2,800 acres as a pro- original state. Yet . . . Gorman Post ing bottled water. Other developers tected wildflower park and habitat Road is considered one of the best have expressed interest in building sanctuary. wildflower sites in Southern Cali- homes on the hills. In the fall of “For generations, this spring dis- fornia.” The Gorman water extrac- 2005, students of UCLA’s Extension play has drawn lovers of wildflow- tion facility was eventually denied Landscape Architecture Program, ers, particularly devotees of the state due to a CEQA lawsuit filed by the under the guidance of their instruc- flower—the California poppy,” the Sierra Club’s Condor Group Chap-

14 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 insult to injury, the current owners the largest contiguous, private land- have permitted (some local residents holding in California. Situated 35 suggest they have encouraged) ex- miles south of Bakersfield, 67 miles tensive overgrazing with 1,000 north of Los Angeles, and straddling sheep, followed by 300 cattle, from the Tehachapi Mountains, this enor- November 2006 to at least the publi- mous ranch of wild canyons, moun- cation date of this article (July 2009). tains, and alluvial plains is now This is the first time in recent threatened with ambitious develop- memory that grazing has been al- ment under the new management. lowed on Gorman during three con- In 2000, landholder Tejon Ranch secutive wet seasons. As a result of Company (TRC) announced plans this poor stewardship, the hills are for three unprecedented proposals: in a very distressed state; many of a luxury resort community called the burned spots, along with con- Tejon Mountain Village, expansion tinuous winter grazing, are resulting of Tejon’s Industrial Complex, and in large areas of barren, loose soil. building a new city (to be named The Gorman Hills were designated a Centennial City) on the desert with Sensitive Ecological Area by the Los over 70,000 residents. Angeles County Department of Re- The Center for Biological Diver- gional Planning (in 1976), but local sity, Sierra Club, Natural Resources residents express frustration with the Defense Council, Audubon Califor- County’s inability to protect the land. nia, Environment Now, Endangered (As of the writing of this article, cattle Habitat League, and Planning and are still on the hills.) Conservation League originally voiced concerns and entered into TEJON RANCH talks with TRC with the expressed goal of preserving this rare remnant Adjacent to Gorman is the of pristine land. 270,000-acre Tejon Ranch, which is The TRC, with a well-funded

Gorman, 1992. Highway weary travelers, getting out of their cars on Gorman Post Road, seem to lighten up and smile, recognizing they were witness to something very special and rare in nature, a remnant of the great floral blooms of California’s past.

ter, and prevailed primarily because studies showing impacts to the local water supplies were inadequate. In August 2006, a suspicious fire with five ignition points burned 4,864 acres of Gorman and parts of adjacent Tejon Ranch.4 Many can- yons of the Gorman Hills, as well as areas with converging hills, experi- enced high burn temperatures and were left severely charred. To add

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 15 TEJON RANCH—A CONSERVATION PRIORITY

ejon Ranch is a hotspot for biological diversity (Layia leucopappa), calico monkeyflower (Mimulus T and is a haven for rare and endemic species, pictus), and the Piute Mountains navarretia (Navarretia ancient oak trees, condors, rare native plant com- setiloba). munities, intact watersheds and streams, wildflower Tejon is perhaps best known for its beloved wild- fields, and the largest extent of native grasslands left flower fields, which make up in unparalleled intensity in California. The ranch is surrounded by protected and scale what they might lack in listed species. The public and private lands and is a vital linkage corri- overwhelming seasonal floral show, painting the vast dor connecting the southern Sierra Nevada to the landscape of hills and gullies with ephemeral color, is of the coastal mountains. The world-renowned and is an irreplaceable piece of our federally listed endangered Bakersfield cactus (Opun- California natural heritage. All of these natural trea- tia basilaris var. treleasei) sures are threatened with destruction from private land grows on Tejon along with development. numerous other CNPS 1B The Tejon Ranch Company has recently proposed a plants, including striped series of urban sprawl developments that jeopardize the adobe lily (Fritillaria stri- integrity of the wildflower fields of Tejon Ranch. Tejon ata), Tejon poppy (Esch- Mountain Village is a massive development proposed scholzia lemmonii ssp. for the western side of Tejon Ranch near Lebec. This kernensis), delicate blue- development would compromise 28,500 acres of oak- cup (Githopsis tenella), studded mesas and canyons that are vividly striped with Comanche Point layia coreopsis and poppies in years of well-timed rains.

ABOVE: This unusual color form of California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) was observed in the western Antelope Valley in 2009. • OPPOSITE TOP: Tejon Ranch, 1992. This view is a perfect example of the extreme richness of western Antelope Valley’s wildflowers. Bigelow coreopsis (Coreopsis bigelovii), Adonis lupines (Lupinus excubitus), and California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) dominate the view. The photographer estimates that there are 700,000 to 1,000,000 individual flowers in this image. This area only bloomed for two consecutive years with Bigelow coreopsis and California poppies, but the Adonis lupines have bloomed every year with varied vigor and height. • BELOW: Antelope Valley, 1991. This view is looking northward to the Tejon Ranch and the Tehachapi Mountains. This specific location has grown in with perennials and subshrubs since this photograph was taken, and has never bloomed like this again. California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), Davy gilia (Gilia latiflora ssp. davyi).

16 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 These wildlands are essential to the survival and recov- ery of the endangered California condor, too, but are proposed as a sprawling upscale resort of vacation homes, hotels, golf courses and commercial space around a small lake. As if this wasn’t enough, the Tejon Ranch Company also wants to build a new city on the best wildflower fields and native grasslands left in California. The Cen- tennial Development is proposed to cover 11,600 acres with 23,000 homes, one of the largest single develop- ment projects ever considered in California. Additionally, the 1,100 acre Tejon Industrial Com- plex East will cut off a linkage corridor for the state and federally protected San Joaquin kit fox around the south end of the San Joaquin Valley, so that diesel trucks can bring overseas cargo to warehouses to be built on pro- ductive valley farmland and adjacent wildflower fields. its botanical bounty from destruction by poor plan- While several large conservation organizations have ning, please go to www.savetejonranch.org. agreed to the destruction of over 41,000 acres in hopes Ileene Anderson that the remaining 235,000 acres will be conserved at some point in the future, other organizations, including Ileene Anderson, 2733 Cardwell Pl., Los Angeles, CA 90046. the Center for Biological Diversity, remain opposed to [email protected] the location of the developments because of the unique plant communities and habitats that they will impact— To view the map of the proposed plan for Centennial City, areas like the outstanding wildflower fields and the look to these two websites: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ largest native grasslands left in the state. Condor critical exuberance/3570250661/ (note that you can toggle be- habitat needs to be fully protected if these magnificent tween the aerial photo of the site and the developer’s plan birds are to rebound from near extinction. To learn on this website) and also at http://www.tejonranch.com/ more about what you can do to protect Tejon Ranch and centennial/index.asp# (from there, click on “Site Plan”).

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 17 public relations campaign, skillfully opposition to Tejon’s projects, re- Post Road onto Highway 138. Con- maneuvered through two years of gardless of their environmental im- tinue east past Quail Lake and watch protracted negotiations. The out- pact. If real estate sales fall short the massive Mojave “V” suddenly come was a conservation agreement and the conservancy becomes de- open before you. You will see two with little or no public input. This funct, thousands of acres of irre- diverging mountain ranges, one to pact, finalized in May 2008, was an- placeable habitat will have been bull- the northeast and one to the south- nounced with a high-profile media dozed and graded with no guaran- east spreading out across the hori- conference showcasing Governor tees of preservation. zon and disappearing beyond the Arnold Schwarzenegger shaking In 2007, the Center for Biologi- Earth’s curve. Pull over, park your hands with senior representatives cal Diversity withdrew from these car and step out, take in the view, from the Tejon Ranch and all na- negotiations based on concerns and make a mental note. You are tional environmental groups that about the impacts that uncontested standing at the very finite point of had been involved in the negotia- development might have on this sen- an extremely large and unique land tions, except the Center for Biologi- sitive landscape. “Tejon Ranch is a feature in California. Here is a land- cal Diversity. Presidents, CEOs, law- true gem of California and can never scape that is captivating no matter yers, directors, real estate agents, be replaced,” said Ileene Anderson, the season; this is a vast, wild, open consultants, and representatives ex- staff biologist at the Center. “Once space, an American savannah filled changed self-congratulations and ci- these sprawl cities are built, they with grasslands, wildflowers, ante- gars for their accomplishment, hail- will further fragment Southern Cali- lopes, condors, desert, and sur- ing it as “good for California and fornia from the rest of the state. rounded by mountains with an infi- good for Tejon’s shareholders.” Coupled with the hit that the Cali- nite horizon to the east. The much-touted settlement fornia condor will take, this agree- Then take a look to the north, calls for creating a conservancy of ment deals away one of the greatest just over the hills near Quail Lake 178,000 acres, to be owned and man- environmental opportunities that and visualize a city of 70,000 resi- aged by TRC and funded by the fu- California has ever seen. And it will dents sprawling 3.5 miles across the ture sale of houses. Approximately be lost forever.” desert, replacing the sea of orange 140,000 acres of this conservation poppies. Envision roads and utili- easement covers property that is too ties expanding outward from this deep, steep, and rugged for com- THE LAST OF AN AMAZING center. Could such a development mercial use, and which therefore LEGACY really be “light on the land” and would never have been developed sustainable, as the developers claim? anyway. The pact also prohibits con- I encourage anyone who has not The enormous disruption of soil and servation groups who are partners had the opportunity to take a drive the steady vehicle traffic would cer- to the agreement from raising future any time of the year along Gorman tainly hasten the invasion of exotics

View from the top of Gorman Hills, 2001. Peace Valley and the San Andreas Fault are below at the bottom of the hill. Bigelow coreopsis (Coreopsis bigelovii) and California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) dominate the view.

18 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 Tejon Ranch, 1988. California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) curiously flower in large depressions. This phenomena may be due to protection from the wind, increased warmth, and/or possible access to more moisture. Or possibly, the winds blew the seeds across the landscape and they collected in these depressions. into an otherwise pristine and pre- I have traveled thousands of Here, we have the opportunity to served wilderness. The energy, trans- miles across our state, over decades preserve a place that is truly rare portation, and water needs of this of time, and have witnessed the most and unique, not only to California new city would likely take far more amazing floral blooms; but no place but to the world. As concerned citi- resources than the tax base will sup- in California can compare to the zens, we need to be proactive and port. Gorman and Tejon are inter- stunning wildflower displays that make our voices heard. We need to twined. If Tejon’s proposed projects occur at the western Antelope Val- influence our policymakers to do are built, the roads and utilities ley junction, when for its brief mo- the right thing and conserve these would then be in place and available ment in time, it transforms itself two sensitive areas so that they will for use by Gorman’s housing devel- into the most beautiful place on still be around for future genera- opers, who have admitted their Earth. It is truly the secret garden, tions to enjoy. projects are not feasible unless the incomparable to any other, and de- infrastructure is already built. If serves protection. these projects proceed, how will we Here in the hills of Gorman and FOOTNOTES explain to future generations why the Tejon Ranch is the symbolic and 1 Hedrickson J. 1989. Tournament of we allowed the bulldozing of such physical intersection of our past and Roses; The First 100 Years. Knapp an irreplaceable natural resource? future environmental directions. Press, Los Angeles, CA.

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 19 ABOVE: Western Antelope Valley, 1988. Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) are near their westernmost occurrence, and goldfields (Lasthenia californica) bloom in early spring. The view in the distance is looking north-northeast on to the Tejon Ranch and the Tehachapi Mountains. • LEFT: Photographer Richard Dickey on the hills of Gorman in April 2009. Photograph by Rose Bryan.

Self-published, Pasadena, CA. Digi- ros, Vaqueros and Buckeroos, and Lore talized in July 2008: http://books. of the California Vaquero are among a google.com/books?id=YxQpAAAAY few of his stories that provide invalu- AAJ&printsec=to c&source=gbs_v2_ able information from when “Califor- summary_r&cad=0. Pages 139–140 nia was still young,” as he liked to say. describe wildflower areas that no 6 Muir, John. 1992. John Muir: The Eight longer exist. Wilderness Discovery Books. Moun- 4 Quail Fire, Los Angeles County, 2006. taineers Books, Seattle WA. (Quote is http://dpw.lacounty.gov/wrd/Fire/file/ from page 613.) http:/books.google. 2006_fire/Quail.pdf com/books?id=9QjeR4qHG10C& 5 Rojas, Arnold R. 1964. The Vaquero. pg=PA613&dq=john+muir+golden+ McNally and Loftin, Santa Barbara, flowerbed#PPA614,M1. CA. (Quote is from page 58.) Digi- talized May 2008: http://books.google. Richard Dickey, 955 N. Croft Avenue #2, 2 Minnich, Richard A. 2008. Cali- com/books?id=5d1kAAAAMAAJ&dq= Los Angeles, CA 90069. rdickey@feral fornia’s Fading Wildflowers: Lost the+vaquero&q=purple+carpet&pgis flowers.com Legacy and Biological Invasion. Uni- =1#search_anchor. Rojas wrote a col- versity of California Press. Inference, lection of stories documenting, re- synopsis and proposed ideas from counting, and romanticizing the Cali- All images and textual content are copy- book. fornia vaquero. Several books were right 2009 Richard Dickey; none of the 3 Wood, John Windell. 1917. Pasadena, later pieced together from his col- images or text may be copied, distributed, California, Historical and Personal. lected stories: These Were the Vaque- or printed without written consent.

20 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 SERPENTINOPHILES FROM CALIFORNIA AND ACROSS THE WORLD GATHER IN MAINE TO HIGHLIGHT RECENT RESEARCH ON SOIL-BIOTA RELATIONS OF SERPENTINE OUTCROPS by Nishanta Rajakaruna

erpentine loosely refers to a here in California, Coyote Ridge the conference included Albania, broad group of minerals as- (Santa Clara County) and Edgewood Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech sociated with the weather- Park (San Mateo County), were re- Republic, Cuba, France, India, Iran, ing of ultramafic (high iron cently highlighted in the Winter 2008 Italy, Japan, Morocco, New Cale- Sand magnesium-containing) rocks. issue of Fremontia, the journal of the donia, New Zealand, Portugal, Rus- Soils associated with such rocks of- California Native Plant Society. sia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, ten differ from more widespread United Kingdom, and eastern USA, soils, being less fertile and having SIXTH INTERNATIONAL making it one of the most truly in- high concentrations of heavy met- CONFERENCE ON ternational of the 6 Serpentine Ecol- als. The extreme chemical and physi- SERPENTINE ECOLOGY ogy conferences held to date. The cal nature of such serpentine soils conference was a testimony that ser- (JUNE 16-23, 2008) generates habitats that are biologi- pentine outcrops are fast-attracting cally unique. Thus, it was no surprise that 17 a wide range of researchers from of the total 51 oral presentations at across the world as model habitats the recently concluded Sixth Inter- for ecological studies. SERPENTINE ECOLOGY IN national Conference on Serpentine Serpentine ecology conferences CALIFORNIA Ecology (www.coa.edu/serpentine) have their origins in California. The in Bar Harbor, Maine, were based on first conference was held in 1991 at Serpentine ecology is not a for- studies from California’s serpentine the University of California, Davis. eign concept to California’s botanists. outcrops. Twelve of the 93 delegates Subsequently, conferences have been After all, serpentine is the state rock attending the conference were from held in New Caledonia (1995), and serpentine outcrops within the California or were presenting on South Africa (1999), Cuba (2003), Californian Floristic Province har- California’s serpentine soil-biota re- and Italy (2006), always highlight- bor 12.5% of California’s endemic lations. Other regions represented at ing a region with intriguing serpen- plants (Safford et al., 2005). The 176 species endemic to Californian Participants of the Sixth International Conference on Serpentine Ecology. The 93 serpen- serpentines is a remarkably high tinophiles represented 21 countries. Photograph courtesy of the College of the Atlantic. number given that only 670 taxa are associated with serpentine soils in California, a substrate covering less than 1.5% of the state. California has been blessed with many botanists who have had life-long love affairs with the state’s serpentine outcrops, in particular the half century-long professional commitment by Cali- fornia native and pioneer of serpen- tine research Arthur Kruckeberg. Serpentine outcrops throughout California provide settings for spec- tacular displays of our native plants. The fascinating stories associated with soil-biota relations of Califor- nia’s serpentine have been well doc- umented (e.g., Kruckeberg, 2002; Alexander et al., 2007). Efforts to conserve two such unique habitats

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 21 well-botanized serpen- PRESENTATION tine body in coastal HIGHLIGHTS FROM Maine (Rajakaruna et al., 2009) for the mid- CALIFORNIAN SERPENTINE conference tour, and ENTHUSIASTS the magnificent Mount Albert, Gaspésie Provin- Several presentations from Cali- cial Park, Québec, for the fornia’s serpentine enthusiasts high- post-conference tour. lighted the need to address pressing The highlight of the issues in biodiversity and conserva- mid-conference tour tion with respect to serpentine biota. was the confirmation Susan Harrison (University of Cali- that a fern discovered in fornia, Davis) and Ellen Damschen 2004 by the author was Green Mountain maid- Serpentine endemics of the New Idria area, enhair fern (Adiantum California (FROM TOP TO BOTTOM): Rayless viridimontanum; Pteri- layia (Layia discoidea); Talus fritillary (Fritillaria falcata); San Benito evening daceae), an allotetrap- primrose (Camissonia benitensis). Photo- loid derivative of Aleu- graphs by Ryan O’Dell. tian maidenhair fern (Adiantum aleuticum) and the common maid- enhair fern (Adiantum pedatum). Green Moun- tain maidenhair fern was previously only recorded from a few sites in Québec and Vermont and is globally rated as vulnerable (G3; www. natureserve.org). TOP: A serpentine endemic of the New Idria area, San Topics discussed Benito monardella (Monardella antonina ssp. benitensis), at the Sixth Interna- with a tarantula hawk wasp (Pepsis formosa). Photograph tional Conference on by Ryan O’Dell. • BOTTOM: Recently-discovered Green Mountain maidenhair fern (Adiantum viridimontanum) Serpentine Ecology were from Deer Isle, Maine. This fern was previously recorded grouped under the from only Vermont and Québec. Photograph by the author. themes of geology/soils, biota, ecology/evolution, tine soil-biota relations. The confer- physiology/genetics, and applied ences provide an opportunity for the ecology, illustrating the multifac- gathering of serpentinophiles from eted effects of unusual geologies around the world, every two to four in generating and maintaining years, to share and discuss their biodiversity. Participants included findings related to the broad and botanists, zoologists, ecologists, interdisciplinary field of serpentine pedologists, geologists, microbiolo- ecology. The meetings provide a set- gists, evolutionary geneticists, and ting for serpentinophiles across conservation biologists. Attendees many disciplines and many regions of the conferences are a unique to establish profitable collabora- group of researchers that work tions; the conference in Maine was across disciplines in effective col- no different from its predecessors. laborations to explore the fascinat- The conferences always feature a ing relationships that exist between mid- and post-conference tour to extreme geologies and life, from cells regional outcrops. This year’s par- and whole-organisms to communi- ticipants visited Deer Isle, Maine, a ties and ecosystems.

22 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 Serpentine barrens of the New Idria area of San Benito County. Photograph by the author.

(Washington University, St. Louis) agement, Hollister Field Office) many rare Californian endemics, in- presented their ongoing research on highlighted his research on the flora cluding Camissonia benitensis the effects of climate change on of the New Idria serpentine mass in (Onagraceae), Fritillaria falcata (Lili- California’s serpentine plants, stress- San Benito County and the chal- aceae), Layia discoidea (), ing that plants associated with lenges and triumphs associated with and Monardella antonina ssp. beni- serpentine may be more likely to re-vegetating serpentine barrens of tensis (Lamiaceae). The conference go extinct under predicted climate the region. New Idria is home for also highlighted another area of change scenarios growing interest, the than their non- Californian native and pioneer of serpentine ecology research, Dr. Art study of plant-fungal serpentine counter- Kruckeberg (right), with fellow serpentine researchers Dr. Dick Walker (left) relations in serpentine parts. Their concep- and Dr. Rosalina Berazain-Iturralde (center), following a field trip to a soil. Shannon Schech- serpentine outcrop in Cuba. Photograph by the author. tual framework for ter (University of Cal- assessing the impacts ifornia, Berkeley) pre- of climate change sented her disserta- on serpentine en- tion research on the demics parallels the relationships between recent models high- plant ecotypes of Col- lighted by David linsia sparsiflora (Scro- Ackerly (University phulariaceae) and dis- of California, Berke- tinct arbuscular myc- ley) and colleagues orrhizal fungi (AMF) (Loarie et al., 2008) assemblages, showing on the effects of cli- that serpentine and mate change on Cal- non-serpentine eco- ifornia’s endemic types of C. sparsiflora plants. Ryan O’Dell have distinct AMF as- (Bureau of Land Man- sociations. Her work

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 23 was recently published in the jour- did serpentinophiles realize how the Humboldt Field Research Insti- nal Molecular Ecology (Schechter their model habitat for ecological tute, Steuben, Maine as part of a and Bruns, 2008). A noteworthy studies could be linked to extrater- special issue of their journal, North- addition to the serpentine confer- restrial research! eastern Naturalist. The publication ence was the participation of Dawn has been made possible from gener- Cardace, a researcher from the ous support from California Native NASA Ames Research Center, UPCOMING PROCEEDINGS Plant Society, USDA Forest Service Moffett Field, California. She high- AND CONFERENCE (Pacific Southwest Region), Missouri lighted her work on how serpen- Botanical Garden, Maryland Native tinization processes can create mi- Overall, the conference was an Plant Society, Maine Space Grant crobial habitats in the cool, dark immense success, providing an ef- Consortium, Barrick Gold of North subsurface on Earth and possibly fective stage for serpentine enthusi- America, College of the Atlantic (Bar other planetary bodies. A central asts to gather and share their work Harbor, Maine), and several private goal of her work is to link mineral- on rocks, soils, plants, insects, other donors. The next conference is ogy and habitability to remotely biota, and even extraterrestrial re- scheduled for 2011 in Portugal with target extraterrestrial microbial ha- search associated with this unique a post-conference tour to explore bitats in the ongoing search for life habitat. The proceedings of the con- serpentines of Spain. We look for- beyond Earth’s boundaries. Little ference will soon be published by ward to an even stronger California presence at the next conference.

REFERENCES Alexander, E.B., R.G. Coleman, T. Keeler-Wolf, and S. Harrison. 2007. Serpentine Geoecology of Western North America. Oxford University Press, New York. Kruckeberg, A.R. 2002. Geology and Plant Life: The Effects of Landforms and Rock Type on Plants. University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA. Loarie, S.R., B. Carter, K. Hayhoe, R. Moe, C.A. Knight, and D.D. Ackerly. 2008. Climate Change and the Fu- ture of California’s Endemic Flora. PLoS ONE 3(6): e2502. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0002502. Rajakaruna, N., T.B. Harris, and E.B. Alexander. 2009. Serpentine geo- ecology of eastern North America: a review. Rhodora 111: 21-108. Safford, H.D., J.H. Viers, and S.P. Harrision. 2005. Serpentine ende- mism in the California flora: A data- base of serpentine affinity. Madroño 52: 222–257. Schechter, S.P. and T.D. Bruns. 2008. Serpentine and non-serpentine eco- types of Collinsia sparsiflora associ- ate with distinct arbuscular mycor- rhizal fungal assemblages. Molecular Ecology 17: 3198–3210.

Nishanta Rajakaruna, Department of Bio- logical Sciences, San José State Univer- sity, One Washington Square, San José, CA 95192-0100. nishanta.rajakaruna@ sjsu.edu

24 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 DR. ROBERT K. SOOST 1921–2009 by Phyllis M. Faber

he Marin Chapter of CNPS yanthes trifoliata (a new family, has lost a treasured friend, Menyanthaceae, for Marin County). Bob Soost, who died on Beginning in 1999, Bob actively March 6, 2009 at his home in represented the Marin Chapter on TInverness. Bob was the Marin chap- numerous committees and advisory ter president from 1995-2001 and groups such as the Marin-Sonoma continued as the Marin representa- Cooperative Weed Management tive at state board meetings until Area, the Fire Management Program 2006. He was a grand source of for Point Reyes, the Bayfront Corri- knowledge for so many on numer- dor Open Space Plan, and the Marin ous topics. Bob also volunteered for County Coastal Plan. Bob was al- the Point Reyes National Seashore ways an enemy of invasive species, rare plant monitoring project for whether they were French or Scotch many years and was a great source broom or wild turkeys; and was an of information for the park. His loss eternal and active supporter of pre- will be felt for a very long time. serving California’s native flora. A Bob was a research plant geneti- Bob Soost does not come along of- cist with the Citrus Experiment Sta- ten and he is hugely appreciated and tion, which later became part of the Bob Soost. Photograph by Stacy J. Clinton. sorely missed. University of California, Riverside. He became a full professor and chair- Inverness, Bob joined CNPS and also Phyllis M. Faber, 212 Del Casa Dr., Mill man of the horticulture department. became actively involved with the Valley, CA 94941. [email protected] He helped develop important (pat- group monitoring rare plants at the ented) varieties of citrus, including Point Reyes National Seashore. They and Gold Nug- have added two new native genera get mandarin. to the known Marin flora, Tofieldia After retiring and moving to (Triantha) occidentalis and Men-

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VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 25 BOOK REVIEWS

Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of Cali- tion. These include classification, ecol- Throughout this book the photog- fornia and Nevada. Stephen Ingram. ogy, the story of the yucca and the raphy is consistently striking. One Cachuma Press, 2008. 244 pages. yucca moth and an explication of using wishes that many of these portraits, of $35.95 hard cover, $25.95 soft cover. packrat middens to assess changes in both plants and landscapes, were folio In a rather crowded field, this book vegetation. As is the case throughout or even poster size. Original paintings is a welcome addition to the succulent the book, Mr. Ingram’s writing style is by two different artists appear at the plant literature. Books on cacti and/or friendly and lucid, an essential practice beginning of each genus entry but the other succulents abound, and those in such a densely fact filled volume. compelling photographic work out- treating native plants and especially In the species profile section, which flanks these. desert flora are increasingly frequent. comprises the bulk of the book, the Following the species entries, This volume stands out on a number plants are arranged alphabetically chapter four covers conservation and of fronts. First is its unorthodox geo- within the two families (Cactaceae and cultivation and provides a concise over- graphical realm combining California Agavaceae). (Ocotillo and Nolina are view of these somewhat interrelated and Nevada. Second, two groups treated briefly at the end of this sec- topics. In discussing soil mixes no (Cactaceae and Agavaceae) that are tion.) Each entry is restricted to two mention is made of using sand, one of botanically far flung yet commonly re- facing pages, with more pages given to the best and least expensive compo- garded as “cactus” by the layman are treat multiple infraspecific taxa. Each nents for growing cacti and other desert treated together. Finally, we must con- species is represented by several pho- plants. In terms of where these plants sider the hallmarks of any good mod- tographs as well as a distribution map will fare best, either in a desert envi- ern book – captivating illustrations and that is expertly drafted and highly use- ronment or in cismontane California, substantive text. ful. Text for individual entries is en- the author provides some helpful indi- At the beginning of the book the gaging and original, and will provide a cations but it will be for the grower to author presents nearly 30 pages of ex- wealth of cogent information for even discover which species thrive in a given planatory and introductory informa- the most experienced naturalists. location or only tolerate a foreign cli-

26 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 mate. Many low or high desert plants Natural areas that are ideal for vis- dices, as well as a key to the genera will survive in proximity to the coast iting to observe a great diversity of treated, a glossary, comprehensive bib- (creosote, saguaro, Joshua tree, etc.) cacti, agaves, and yuccas in the two liography and index. These generous but will always lack the vitality they states are discussed in chapter five. At references include resources for horti- exhibit in situ. the back of the book are eight appen- culture (nurseries), education, and

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA 27 conservation, a comparative table of much to recommend, and much to We learn, for example, the role of characters for cholla species, habitat comprehend. algae in Nature’s world as well as in summaries, and species checklists. Dylan P. Hannon, Monrovia, CA the world of the human for treating Mr. Ingram’s contribution is a wel- liquid waste, production of biodiesel come addition to the modern botani- Ecology: A Pocket Guide (revised and hydrogen as well as to stiffen pud- cal literature regarding xerophytes of and expanded), Ernest Callenbach. dings and other liquid foods. the Southwest. Physically the book University of California Press, 2008. We also learn that growth is a func- handles well and is a fine production 192 Pages, 6 line illustrations, 2 maps. tion of plants, animals, and humans, on high quality paper. In terms of $13.95 soft cover. as well as countries, and companies cost, the prices given here represent What a different world this might too. Organisms grow to maturity en- an excellent value. This volume has be if its leaders and decision makers abling them to occupy their niches. were to universally know and under- Can we analyze human societies in stand the ecological insights and prin- much the same way as ecosystems ciples so eloquently presented in this when it comes to the flow of energy book. An excellent example is the Cali- and the physical circulation of mat- fornia Native Plant Society, which ex- ter? Are there not parallels in the cels in blending knowledge of natural throughput of energy in nature as well history with administrative decision- as for steel, concrete, paper, plastics, makers it interacts with. Its Rare Plant and other materials? Is not sustain- program is just one of many examples. ability as important to a natural eco- So is the Conservation Conference it system as it is to economic survival? organized in January 2009. Are there not lessons to be drawn The title implies a “pocket text- from overgrazed pastures? Does not book” but I think of it in a different human habitat include water, sunlight, context. While it deals with informa- necessary temperature range, hiding tion, it seems more involved with “lan- and nesting places, food chains and guage.” It deals with terms usable in a the like? nonacademic atmosphere, such as leg- The book talks about ecological islatures and boards of directors. principles, but includes the context of It discusses these ecological con- human interactions with these prin- cepts in alphabetical order starting with ciples. Although these parallels are Air and ending with Zoos. These short, made, this is not a book of finger- concise entries are mini-essays inter- wagging lectures. It is a book of weaving the natural world and its in- thoughtful commentary that may be teractions with the human world, in a useful to decision makers of all sorts. manner understandable to those deci- Maybe copies of this book should be sion makers involved with the vocabu- presented by CNPS chapters to local lary of “product” and “profit.” planning board members as well as to Sacramento-based administrators. In the author’s own words, here is an example of how even a busy admin- istrator can appreciate the easy-to-un- derstand nature of this book. “This book is designed so you can dip into it, lay it down or put in a pocket, and come back to it later.” It is, “A com- pact introduction to fundamental con- cepts of ecology . . . ” Listed, but not discussed, are four “Laws” of Ecology. • All things are interconnected. • Everything goes someplace. • There is no such thing as a free lunch. And best of all, • “Nature bats last,” although I pre- fer the way I first heard it, “Don’t mess with Mother Nature. She al- ways gets the last laugh.” Norden H. (Dan) Cheatham, East Bay Chapter

28 FREMONTIA VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 Join Today! CNPS member gifts allow us to promote and protect California’s native plants and their habitats. Gifts are tax-deductible minus the $12 of the total gift which goes toward publication of Fremontia.

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(CONTRIBUTORS: continued from back cover)

Nishanta “Nishi” Rajakaruna is an Assistant Professor in Plant Biology at San MATERIALS FOR José State University, and has conducted research on the ecology and evolution of PUBLICATION serpentine plants since 1996. He has botanized on serpentine outcrops in Califor- Members and others are invited nia and Maine, British Columbia and Québec (Canada), Cuba, Italy, South Africa, to submit material for publica- and Sri Lanka. tion in Fremontia. Instructions for contributors can be found on the CNPS website, www.cnps. org, or can be requested from Fremontia Editor, Bart O’Brien at [email protected] or c/o Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gar- den, 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont, CA 91711.

Fremontia Editorial Advisory Board and reviewers Susan D’Alcamo, Ellen Dean, Kathleen Dickey, Phyllis M. Faber, Holly Forbes, Pam Muick, John Sawyer, Jim Shevock, Jake Sigg, M. Nevin Smith, Linda Ann Vorobik, Carol W. Witham

VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009 FREMONTIA California Native Plant Society Nonprofit Org. 2707 K Street, Suite 1 Sacramento, CA 95816-5113 U.S. Postage PAID Address Service Requested A.M.S.

CONTRIBUTORS FROM THE EDITOR

Ileene Anderson is an ecologist with the Center of Biologi- first saw Richard Dickey’s photographs of the western cal Diversity where her focus is on the conservation of Antelope Valley and Gorman Hills at an exhibit at the California’s native plants and animals. Her projects cover a I Theodore Payne Foundation a number of years ago, and wide area of central and Southern California and include knew that his is a talent that is both rare and special. It is the Tejon Ranch. From 1997 to 2005, she was CNPS’s South- indeed a pleasure to bring this small sample of his impres- ern California Regional Botanist. sive oeuvre to the pages of Fremontia. These photographs, taken at the peak of spring beauty and during the depths of Rose Bryan, a long time resident of the Gorman Hills, has early winter dormancy drive home the temporal aspect of continually been a staunch advocate and leader for the pro- our flora that few people realize and appreciate. California tection and conservation of this designated Sensitive Envi- has much more impressive seasons than oblivious outsiders ronmental Area. can imagine, as Rick’s images so amply portray. If you have Norden H. (Dan) Cheatham is a frequent book reviewer for the opportunity to attend any future exhibit of Rick’s photo- Fremontia. He is well known for the Cheatham & Haller veg- graphs you simply must do so as many of these original etation classification system from the 1970s that was origi- images are up to six feet or more across and the colors and nally developed for the UC Natural Reserves System. forms are incredibly expressive. Unfortunately, some of the exceptionally beautiful ar- Stacy J. Clinton is Dr. Robert K. Soost’s granddaughter. eas depicted in Rick’s images are, quite shockingly, threat- Richard Dickey is a noted photographer of California’s floral ened with development by the Tejon Ranch Corporation abundance, architecture, and fashion. For the past 23 years, (and others). Ileene Anderson deftly outlines reasons that he has been photographing western Antelope Valley and the resonate as a call to action for the conservation and preser- Gorman Hills. To purchase or view his fine art native plant vation of the highly valued ecosystems of Tejon Ranch. photography, visit his website at www.feralflowers.com. Serpentine areas of California are magnets for botanists. It is no wonder that there are now ongoing international Phyllis M. Faber is a former long-time editor of Fremontia conferences focusing on these beautiful and intriguing habi- and is currently Editor for the California Natural History tats. Nishanta Rajakaruna shares his experiences attending series of the University of California Press. She is a CNPS the most recent such conference in Bar Harbor, Maine. Fellow and is a noted conservationist, wetland biologist, and We sadly acknowledge the passing of Dr. Robert Soost, author. one of our CNPS Fellows from the Marin Chapter. Phyllis Dylan P. Hannon is curator of tropical plants and conserva- Faber provides an overview of some of Bob’s many accom- tory collections at The Huntington Botanical Gardens in San plishments. Marino, California. Rounding out this issue are reviews of two highly rec- ommended books: Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of California Ryan O’Dell is a Natural Resources Specialist in botany and and Nevada by Stephen Ingram, and Ecology: A Pocket Guide soil science for the Bureau of Land Management’s Hollister by Ernest Callenbach. Field Office. —Bart O’Brien

FREMONTIA (continued on inside back cover) VOLUME 37:1, WINTER 2009