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Wellesley College Friends of SPRING 2005 NEWS

GYMNOSPERMS: The Naked Truth by Carol Govan and Gail Kahn, WCFH Docents

Gymnosperms are a group of - support a vascular system bearing, vascular that represent an of conducting tissues for evolutionary milestone between - () and bearing and flowering angiosperms. (phloem) so they can grow The name “” derives from taller and compete for the Greek words gymnos (naked) and . sperma (seed), referring to the fact that the immature are (here’s the naked The development of seeds part) exposed when pollinated. Cones allowed gymnosperms or fleshy seed coats protect the seeds to inhabit more land of gymnosperms, they are not enclosed than ferns in as are the seeds of angiosperms since seeds, unlike (flowering plants). , have a protective Cladistics (or covering and a supply Formerly, plants of food. Approximately were categorized by phylogenetic 144 million years ago, spinulosum, one of two mature that dominate their morphological systematics) gymnosperms were the the west end of Wet Tropic House. properties (i.e. dominant land plants. Just what they looked is a branch of as they dominated ferns in their heyday, 75-80 genera and 820 . Compare like). Now they are that gymnosperms in turn were unable to this to the angiosperms’ 257,400 species classified based on compete with the angiosperm’s shorter in 13,678 genera and 450 families. their evolutionary categorizes cycle. Gymnosperms are slow to relationships reproduce: a year may pass between Gymnosperms grow throughout most (Cladistics.) An plants. and fertilization, and the of the world and can be the dominant extinct group of seed may require three years or more to vegetation in many colder and plants called were mature. Angiosperms usually reproduce regions because many are adapted to woody plants like gymnosperms but more rapidly, which is a competitive conserving water during periods of frozen similar to ferns in that they released advantage in surviving the challenges of ground. Their are covered with a spores instead of producing seeds. As changing environments. One possible heavy, waxy cuticle, and pores (stomata) the name implies, this group explanation for the of are sunken below the surface, both of plants is an evolutionary species 65 million years ago of which decrease the rate of water ancestor of gymnosperms, is that the slow-growing gymnosperms evaporation or . They and represents a major could not keep up with the appetites include the tallest and longest living link in the transition of the giant herbivorous . individual plants: bristle cone from spore-bearing to Flowering plants began can live for over 4,000 years, and giant seed-producing plants. Some to dominate the redwoods can grow over 300 feet tall. gymnosperms, for instance the ecological niches left , are evolutionarily by the once-prevalent We have all of the four divisions closer to flowering plants than ferns, and of gymnosperms represented in the they are to other gymnosperms. cycads that the dinosaurs consumed. Wellesley College Botanic Gardens: Though a gymnosperm is now more of The major climatic changes of this Coniferophyta (conifers), Cycadophyta a descriptive term than a basis of period also resulted in a competitive (cycads), Ginkgophyta ( biloba), classification, all have seeds (not spores) advantage for flowering plants. Today and Gnetophyta (Mormon tea or and are woody (not herbaceous) to gymnosperms represent only 15 families, ). continued on page 6

1 our varied constituency. When you Notes from next visit the Gardens, be sure to stop and read the Floraphiles plant profiles, the Director check out the Plants in Bloom board and use the new Biomes and Habitats of by Dr. Duncan Himmelman, Director the WCBG guides as you explore the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens greenhouses, Hunnewell Arboretum and [email protected] Alexandra Gardens. Through these fine efforts we are compiling a core of digital Mission Statement photographs and plant information of the “The Wellesley College Botanic Farewell Tea in the Visitor Center. Duncan Gardens that will eventually be reflected Himmelman in the center flanked on left by on the Friends’ website and new Visitor Gardens are dedicated to promoting WCBG Senior Horticulturist Tony Antonucci Center displays. All of this first-rate and on right by WCBG Horticulturist David work underscores the significant role the value of plant diversity through Sommers. exceptional education, interpretation, our Friends play in “Making A Difference With Plants” and, figuratively speaking, research and public outreach.” the structural and mechanical elements, growing the Gardens! thus ensuring the continued legacy of this The years ahead will certainly be ones of The Blizzard of 2005 resulted in some important component of the Wellesley continued growth and development for of the most picturesque scenery in the College Botanic Gardens for students, all aspects of the WCBG. I am pleased to Gardens in years! Yes, it also left us faculty, staff, and area visitors. have been here to build the foundation beneath two feet of snow, making it Reflecting on other, less stressful events for much of this anticipated change, difficult to maneuver our way to the of the past several months, I realize one of the mandates of the directorship Gardens. But the warm refuge provided how quickly time flies by yet how much which I undertook when I started in by the Ferguson Greenhouses made progress we have made here at the the summer of 2001. Personally, as I the effort worth it. The houses held up Gardens within that time. The plants write this, I am on the cusp of moving admirably under the snow load, and the in the Ferguson Greenhouses have been along in my career to a new, creatively plants made it through unscathed. This successfully reorganized to underscore challenging position outside of the was good news, considering the leak a stronger vision for the collections: College. Though sad to be leaving, I that erupted in the steam pipes in the economically important plants from around have truly enjoyed sharing the energy, House the prior week as the the world. The Hydrophyte House has enthusiasm and commitment of the temperatures plummeted! Thankfully, the been embellished with water lilies, Friends to these cherished Gardens. pipe fitters came in and repaired it before taro, and species of bamboo that were My passion for all things horticultural any damage to the plants could occur. not previously included. The annual has been reflected in theirs, serving as With a mere one inch of double-paned chrysanthemum display was the best it’s inspiration for me to work diligently at glass standing between life and death for been in years according to comments from improving the Gardens. The Friends the tropical ferns, this event reminded both visitors and Friends of Horticulture. are a strong, focused group that is fully us of how important the structural Wellesley College fine arts classes, public capable of generating new ideas and goals integrity of the greenhouses is to our tours and educational programs continue to enhance their role in the Gardens invaluable collection of plants. Looking to fill the Ferguson Greenhouses with and achieving them through thoughtful to the future, the Greenhouse Planning excited “plant-speak” on a daily basis. All creativity. Thank you all for your kind Study done in 2003 provides the basis of this vibrant activity emphasizes the words and good wishes! I have taken for bringing new life to the Ferguson value of the Gardens to the College and great pleasure in working with you, and Greenhouses, including an overhaul of all greater Wellesley communities. will sincerely miss my community of people here at the College and in the Supporting these wonderful programs Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture surrounding area. I wish you well as you requires many hours of dedicated staff and move forward to a robust and rewarding 106 Central Street volunteer time. To this end, the Friends Wellesley, MA 02481-8203 future! I leave you with the following have worked unstintingly to develop a quote: 781-283-3094 broader base of assistance through both [email protected] “people power” and educational materials. “A garden is never so good as it This fall we offered a third season of will be next year.” Editorial Committee: the revised Docent Training Program THOMAS COOPER Carole M. Jansson Ely ’79 that has “graduated” approximately 25 Nancy Dean Kingman ’53 new members since 2002. These men Elizabeth Reece and women are producing exciting new Nancy Webb resources to serve the unique needs of

2 Spring Fling by Nancy Dean Kingman ’53

Spring comes early to Wellesley College’s structures (modified with one seed leaf or Margaret C. Ferguson Greenhouses. leaves) attached to a flat . Like grasses, During February and March, the display plate that actually is orchids, , house is awash with scents and sights the stem from which the and spiderwort, they of flowering plants. Various species of grow downwards. show several similar, blooming narcissi, crocus, hyacinths, A papery outer cover specific characteristics. tulips, lilies and amaryllis crowd protects the . They Look closely and you’ll greenhouse benches—a certain spring are members of the Lily see flower parts in threes, tonic for the winter-weary visitors. along with lilies or multiples thereof, and While these hardy are natives and muscari (Grape leaves clasping stems with, of the Mediterranean area and central Hyacinths). Lilies, by the usually, parallel veins. , they are often planted in New way, do not have that Narcissus by Sarah Roche So important are spring England gardens. Adapted to alternating familiar papery cover for bulbs to us they have periods of hot and cold, wet and dry—in their bulb segments. appeared for hundreds of other words, temperate regions such as Crocuses, on the other hand, belong to years in mythology, literature and song. Wellesley, MA—they thrive here and the Iris family. They grow from ; have become a regional identifier for • A Greek myth tells of Hyacinthus, solid, swollen, vertical bulb-like stems; Spring’s arrival. the beautiful youth loved by Apollo. similar to iris in purpose, but Unfortunately, the young man died The word “bulb” is used loosely to refer not in shape or location in the . when struck by a discus, but his spilled to plants with swollen food storage Corms are annuals. After flowering they blood became the flowers named for organs at or below soil level. The true whither away, leaving a tiny new corn to him. bulbs–such as narcissi, hyacinths, bloom next year. and tulips—are composed of vertical • Wordsworth wrote that when In to initiate early growth and remembering “a host of golden flowering, Wellesley’s hardy bulbs are daffodils,” his “heart with pleasure fills, With a bit of autumn planning, you can potted up and exposed to a false winter and dances with the daffodils.” enjoy your own spring magic show if (a process called “forcing”.) For this you can’t visit Wellesley’s. There are process the WCBG staff uses shallow • Many of us have sung the Gilbert and many print sources of information pots specially designed for bulbs filled Sullivan ditty from the Mikado: ‘The as well as many internet Web pages with Pro-Mix BRK, a commercial flowers that bloom in the spring tra, devoted to the subject. A few tips: mixture of , perlite, fine la... • Soil mix should be moisture bark and lime. The pots are watered well • Then there was "Tulipomania" in the retentive but well draining, and pots before going into cold frames located 17th century when tulips became "the should be roomy enough to allow between the greenhouse ranges. Buried supreme status symbols" and cost a for development. under a thick layer of peat to maintain fortune, literally. • Most important is an evenly cool moisture and an even temperature for location—refrigerator; garage, their winter quarters, they spend about And finally, this favorite that gets me bulkhead, or hole in the ground. 12 weeks growing roots and starting every time I say it or read it: Should you choose to dig a hole, to sprout leaves. cloth covers • Hippocrates vowed that if he had two be sure to insulate the pots well the cold frames which are open, unless loaves of bread, he would “sell one to with a thick layer of hay or leaves precipitation or extreme temperatures buy white hyacinths to feed my soul.” placed over them and marked by a are forecast. The staff monitors the pots stake that will show above the snow. for squirrel invasions, watering needs, Bibliography: You don't want to use a pick ax and temperature at soil level—about 38 John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations to retrieve your treasure from the degrees Fahrenheit is best. When the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Gardener’s frozen earth! bulbs sprout, they are moved into the World of Bulbs • After the cool period, place the pots small, old greenhouse, known as the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Spring out of the sun to allow the leaves to Annex, where their leaves and stems Blooming Bulbs turn green slowly. Then give them all “green up” before going on display. the light you can provide. Brian Capon, for Gardeners • Once in flower, enjoy them These spring beauties share another Royal Horticultural Society, Index of wherever you want a spot of spring. similarity. They belong to the group Garden Plants, Mark Griffiths, ed, of plants known as monocots—plants Katherine Whiteside, Forcing, etc.

3 The Healing Garden INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEALING GARDEN by Betsy Tyson-Smith Location: 145 Bolton Road, Harvard Executive Director, Virginia Thurston Healing Garden Mailing address: PO Box 145, Harvard, MA 01451 October 2004 was designated as “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” at Wellesley Services: Meditation training, College. Across campus a variety of special events featured speakers connected in acupuncture, reiki, massage, yoga, some way to breast cancer. One program, hosted by the Friends of Horticulture in the therapeutic touch; counseling for Visitor Center’s Creighton Room, was given by Betsy Tyson-Smith, M.A., Executive individuals, couples, children; groups for Director, Co-Founder of the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden, Inc., a non-profit those in treatment, those finished with treatment and those with cancer spread organization offering a community of support for those experiencing breast cancer with or recurrence; workshops for caregivers, no financial barriers to care. The Healing Garden is located in Harvard, MA. professionals (CEUs), gardening “as therapy.” Web site: www.healinggarden.net.Visit I met Ginny Thurston in 1992 at the • A koi pond with surrounds of cattails, rushes, lily pads and azaleas all our Web site often to learn of programs, breast cancer support group I facilitated volunteer opportunities, our therapists, benefiting from the cascade at at the local hospital, of which she was a reading suggestions, professional contacts, member until she died in 1999. When one side; special workshops and directions. Visit I asked her what she did to distract • A gazebo that seats a small group for Amazon.com through our site, or donate herself during the seven years of cancer iced tea, cookies and conversation; on line. treatments she told me she had a • A shade garden that blooms all white Contact: [email protected] to be “little garden she enjoyed weeding and in spring…. and more. on HG newsletter mailing list, to learn planting.” A modest statement, as usual. about the newly forming garden club, or Her garden truly was a healing place opportunities to volunteer at the HG for her. When I was asked by Bill Thurston to during special fundraisers. plan the concept of the Healing Garden Phone/Fax: 978.456.3532; 978.456.2302 Virginia and Bill Thurston bought the in honor of his wife Ginny, the mission property in Harvard, MA, in 1953, and came clear very quickly: “A community basically planned the acreage to include of support for women with breast cancer, appreciate the availability of nature’s several unique gardens. Ginny was with no financial barriers to treatment, loveliness and its impact upon them. very involved in the many community in a healing garden environment.” The Someday we will have a greenhouse, so organizations of Harvard, but gardening Garden provides the connections women we can work in nature all year round. was her passion. She was president of the need to empower them to cope well with Landscape Design Critics Council, and a the experience of breast cancer. Our We offer support groups, and individual, longtime member and a president of the therapists mainly volunteer their services couples and family counseling. In Garden Club of Harvard. She became so everyone has access to care. addition to this psychosocial support, president of State Garden we provide specific complementary Clubs as well as NE regional director, For our clients experiencing breast therapies that are complementary to and a trustee of the MA Horticultural cancer, the gardens provide the only and integrated with standard medical and of the Worcester County constancy we can take for granted: treatment for breast cancer, offering Horticultural Society. nature, daybreak and sunset, the seasons, help for side effects of treatment as well growth, renewal, harmony and safety. as fostering a higher quality of life. (See The Thurston’s ten acres of gardens I cannot stress enough the value of an sidebar on right for more details on were very well known in the area and a environment such as this for healing. services.) favorite touring spot. Highlights include: There is so much magic in nature’s beauty, and so much healing potential for The uniqueness of the Healing Garden • Meditation Garden, surrounded by a the soul. The Healing Garden is unique is in this combination of elements, for it hand-made bamboo fence, with a small in being able to integrate this type of provides a menu of services, at low to no trickling fountain and a huge quartz environment into our programs, to offer cost, to women who are walking the long rock upon which to gaze; these services here with no financial road through breast cancer. • Perennial beds featuring a large round barriers. Our clients are encouraged to Thanks to Ginny and Bill there is a stone fountain surrounded by purple wander, pick, plant, prune and , Healing Garden, a place providing Japanese iris and populated by dear if they wish. In addition, they meet in support and teaching a positive little frogs; the gardens—for picnics, walks, yoga adaptation to breast cancer, a special • trained into a magnificent tree classes and many conversations. I have environment and a community of form; numerous letters from clients who deeply support, hope, education and beauty.

4 ART AND BOTANY: A Winning Combination

Last winter’s highly acclaimed juried During the second session’s extensive exhibition Native : Botanical Treasures workshop, the students participate in of the Northeastern Seaboard at the South a hands-on drawing and observation Shore Art Center (SSAC) in Cohasset, workshop on twigs, leaves and plants MA, featured scientifically accurate led by Carol Govan, WCFH Docent portraits of local native plants by 36 artists, trainer and field botany teacher, and ably many of whom study with Sarah Roche in assisted by artists Julie Sims Messenger, WCFH sponsored botanical art classes. Karyn Koulopoulos and Jeanne M. Kunze. At the South Shore Arts Center, enthusiastic In conjunction with the exhibit, the students carefully observing oak twigs. To prepare for the workshop, Carol American Society of Botanical Artists held a “Train the Trainer” exercise in (ASBA) awarded an educational • studying tropical leaves to understand the Visitor Center and invited WCFH grant to SSAC for development and the difference between plants in the volunteers and art students to sample implementation of two-session workshops tropics and plants in our temperate the program’s activities before signing co-focused on botanical art and native , up to assist with the workshops. During plants for 120 local middle school students. a fun packed two hours, twenty adults • and, in order to better “see” an This integration of art and science in the made strides towards: “Preventing Plant observation, sketching all of the above. school curriculum allowed the students to Blindness” by discovering some special learn about botanical art while exploring The Friends of Horticulture is proud plants and their winter adaptations. The connections between art and science and to partner with the South Shore Art exercises involved: improving observation skills. The first Center, Sarah Roche, and Carol Govan session consists of a slide presentation • looking very closely at oak twigs and in support of this unique educational on the history of botanical illustration, several species of dried leaves, outreach activity for local students. a gallery tour with show curator Congratulations to all who participated • observing the stages of leaf Sarah Roche and a botanical painting in the workshops and exhibited in the decomposition, demonstration. show.

Drawing in the Ferguson Greenhouses by Alexandra Roy ’08

Frequently, the Ferguson Greenhouses host Wellesley College art classes. The students are lively and excited as they observe, draw and paint. This on-location exploration of plants using an artist’s eye leads to a great appreciation of the important role plants play in our world. Alexandra’s diptych is the vertical desert scene. We thank her for sharing her greenhouse experience with us.

I am a student in Professor Joel Janowitz’s Drawing The first time that we visited the greenhouse as 1 . This course is an introduction to drawing a class, we each chose a plant to focus on and and explores a mixture of techniques such as draw it using charcoal. Our homework was to go mark making through lines, shapes, forms, values, back into the Greenhouses and draw whatever composition and perspective. We use a variety was directly next to, above or below our chosen of tools such as charcoal, ink, pencil and collage. plant. These two drawings would then combine to So far, we have been able to apply what we have form a diptych. This has been my favorite project learned by drawing still , buildings, plants, because of the energy that the Greenhouses portraits and live models. We have worked in the provide through its large collection of plants. classroom, in our rooms, and outdoors. Working amongst so many beautiful plants was very stimulating and inspiring. It was also a lot of Our most recent project has been to draw the fun to see the result of the combination of our two plants inside the Wellesley College Greenhouses drawings because originally we had started without and also to focus on its architectural structure. knowing that it was going to become a diptych.

5 GYMNOSPERMS continued from page 1 lawsoniana, C. nootkatensis, C. obtuse, can always find male and female cones C. pisifera, C. calyculata and the on this . Conifers Atlantic White Cedar C. thyoides Umbrella Pine : Coniferophyta located near the large Tulip Tree. verticillata. Native to , this Class: Pinopsida Arborvitae occidentalis and T. species has evergreen needles Order: plicata are beautiful large with that look like green Conifers represent the largest and most flat sprays of scaly leaves. Our Thuja plastic umbrella economically important group of extant plicata is located next to the Visitor spokes. We have a gymnosperms. They bear cones as Center, near the gravel path down to small one below opposed to flowers and fruit. Some, like the parking lot. the bench on the fruit look like “” but are second landing of Italian Cypress sempervirens. Cones really fleshy cones. Many conifers are the Hunnewell of Del Nickerson, former Head of the evergreen, but a few drop their leaves. Arboretum steps. , Greenhouse, received several seeds Currently, scientists classify this group , gathered from the Temple of Delphi in • , Pine into 8 families and about 50 genera. Only by Karyn Greece and planted some outside and Family 6 families are in the WCBG collection. Koulopous two inside. The outdoor trees didn’t Picea. • . The Cypress/Cedar survive our New England winters Norway Spruce Picea abies, White family has no protective like those but two now thrive over the door to Spruce P. glauca, Oriental Spruce P. usually seen on most hardy trees in our the Tropical House in our Seasonal orientalis, Blue or Colorado Spruce temperate zone. Their leaf tips grow Display /Cool Temperate House. P. pungens, are in the Hunnewell new leaves the way many tropical trees You can always find round female Arboretum. do but not when the ground is frozen. cones on them. Abies. It’s easy to tell the firs from It’s fun to try and find the male and • , Swamp Cypress the spruces even though they look female cones that sometimes look like Family (sometimes included alike and are often found together buds. in the Cupressaceae Family) in the same habitats. The firs are Juniperus: dioecious where usually soft to touch while the Dawn Redwood the male and female cones are on spruces are prickly. The spruces glyptostroboides. A deciduous conifer different trees. There are a male and also have a peg where the leaf that was thought to be extinct until female native Red Cedar J. virginiana attaches to the branch and the a Chinese scientist discovered a living right outside the Visitor Center firs have a flat circle. If you tree in in 1946. The Arnold door. Others in the WCBG are: J. see a mature cone persistent Arboretum contributed funds Hemlock chinenesis, J. horizontalis, J. sabina, and on the tree hanging down, to collect seed and distributed it branch J. scopulorum. with cones, it’s a spruce; the firs bear widely. This large tree across from their cones upright, which fall Cedar of the Tulip Tree is was one of the first canadensis, apart to release seeds. WCBG Lebanon planted at that time. by Anita has Balsam , . Ours Cypress . Sebastian A. fraseri, and Nikko is at least Deciduous . Bald Fir A. homolepsis, native to Japan. The 30 years old Cypress T. distichum (our difference between the Balsam Fir and but has yet large northern-growing the Fraser fir is mainly distribution: to produce tree does not have Balsam is native in more northern cones. Male cones the species trademark areas and Fraser is more southern. The This tree, “knees”) is north of Fraser Fir also has visible tips mentioned in the Bible, Paramecium Pond. between the scales. is located in the wedding area of the Hunnewell Japanese Cedar Larix, deciduous conifers. Arboretum. japonica. A L. decidua is native to and L. large tree kaempferi is native to Japan. False Cypress/Cedars dominates . We have . P. kaempferi the False a several collections of is a huge tree with amazing cones that Cameron these throughout the look like pineapples. Garden Botanic Gardens, some Cryptomeria japonica outside Hemlocks Tsuga. Plants are adjacent to the bridge the Visitor monoecious (male and female cones on by the waterfall, others on Cedar Center. You same plant). We have T. canadensis and Knoll and more over by Rte 135. C. Female cones its , T. diversifolia, T. sieboldii,

6 and are investigating new thunbergii, Austrian Pine P. nigra, in the collections: T. baccata, T. species that resist wooly Mugo Pine P. mugo, Korean Pine P. canadensis, T. cuspidata, and many adelgid, an insect koraiensis, Jeffrey Pine P. cultivars of T. x media. While often decimating our jeffreyi, and P. bungeana trimmed to form hedges, yews become native hemlocks. which has a wonderful bark quite large when left to grow naturally similar to that of exposing an attractive structure and Douglas fir Stewartia. bark. is debated by . There is • , scientists as being a distinct family; it is an older one behind or Yews. These also commonly called “yew.’ the observatory and a or trees have shiny, new one on the east end of alternate, simple, linear • , . Called the cedar knoll. leaves. The is Plum Pine because of a large blue- black to red that looks like a plum. Pinus. borne in round cones that Pines White Pine Similar to Taxus (yew) but with P. strobus, P. look like brains. The seeds Pitch Pine larger leaves, Podocarpus species are rigida, P. resinosa, are surrounded by a red Red Pine widespread in the southern temperate P. sylvestris, Scotch Pine, fleshy aril that make it look Scots/Scotch Pine and tropical areas. Podocarpaceae Japanese Black Pine P. , like a fruit but of course they by Carol Govan aren’t. Many are represented are the second largest conifer family, although far less well known than the pine and cypress families. Principally Economic Uses of Conifers found in temperate tropical zones, the Podocarpaceae probably contain : When the first settlers came to New England they saw white pine trees more species threatened by overcutting 150 feet tall. In proportion to its weight, pine is strong and ideal for the lengths and loss than any other needed for masts. John Wentworth, baron of the New Hampshire pineries, later to conifer family. We have Podocarpus become the last royal governor of that colony, was made Surveyor General of His macrophyllus or Buddhist Pine in the Majesty’s in America, with authority to mark every great Pine with a brand center island of the Seasonal Display/ known as the King’s Broad Arrow so the colonists knew these trees belonged to Cool Temperate House. Decussocarpus the King. The expropriation of white pine was a major factor for discontent in the rospigliosii, an important Andean American Revolution. The colonists wanted to clear their land for farming and use cloud species, is located in the pines for lumber. Most of the large pines were cut and today you can’t find many Cryptogam House. white pines over 60 feet. • . robusta or Naval Stores: This is a term that refers products from conifer , such as pitch, Queensland Kauri, is an important originally used for caulking wooden naval ships. These products include , a source of timber and copal, a resin that powder used by violinists, baseball players, and gymnasts, and , a liquid makes a particularly hard . Our solvent. The tapping of pines and other conifers for resin has been practiced since specimen is located in the central biblical times. The , foliage and resin of a number of conifers yield essential of the Wet Tropic House. Norfolk oils, which are important ingredients in , disinfectants, and cleaning Island Pine, excelsa, native products. to , is located in the Seasonal Display/ Cool Temperate House. Food: Pinaceae: Pine nuts are popular with humans in addition to birds and squirrels. The fleshy cones or “berries” of the juniper are used to flavor gin as well as sauerbraten and other traditional European dishes. Edible harvested from conifer forests have become an important item in international trade and the Japanese , which grows in forests of Pinus densiflora in Japan, is presently regarded as the world’s most expensive food. Pencils: Early American pencils were made from Eastern Red Cedar, a strong, splinter-resistant wood. By the 1900s, pencil manufacturers used other cedar species. Paper: Conifer woods are generally preferred because their water-conducting xylem vessels are longer than the xylem of . Landscaping and decoration: In addition to the many conifers sold as landscape specimens, conifer bonsai and topiary are popular specialty items. Christmas trees and evergreen boughs are an important seasonal industry. Pine mulch is a common gardening product. , Red Pine, male cones. Medicine: The anti-cancer agent taxol is found in the bark of . continued on page 11

7 WCFH Memorial Gift Fund

Recently, the WCFH Dear Friends of Horticulture, Memorial Gift Fund It is a great pleasure for us to have Jesse Weaver Brown remembered by Wellesley’s Friends of Horticulture. was the recipient of Her passion for nature, botany, and teaching others will be honored by support for Wellesley students. I gifts in memory of write to tell you about my grandmother, Jesse Sewell Weaver Brown, a graduate in Botany from Wellesley some wonderful folks in 1912. I have asked my parents and siblings for their thoughts and put all that together here with my own recollections. who found pleasure in many facets of Jesse Sewell Weaver Brown was born in Louisville, Kentucky, the daughter and second child of Charles Wellesley College Parsons Weaver and Anna Mary Sewell Weaver. She graduated from Girls High School before matriculating at Wellesley. Evidently weak in Latin, she translated ‘stabat mater’ as ‘there is the stabbed including its Botanic mother’ on her entrance exam (she must have had redeeming features). At Wellesley she majored in Gardens. Just as their Botany, took courses in religion and history, and had a lead part in one or more drama productions. She spirits inspired others in graduated in 1912, and taught for a couple of years afterward. While at Wellesley she visited her brother personal horticultural William Gaulbert Weaver, who was a cadet at the Military Academy at West Point and there she met his passions, so will these roommate, Albert Eger Brown, whom she married in 1914. The Browns had two children, Jean Fontaine (my mother) and Albert Eger Jr. Their family moved often being in the military, which, along with the memorial grants help wars (WWII and Korean) made gardening and botanizing difficult for Jesse Brown. Her daughter Jean Wellesley College remembers a lovely sunken garden at the side of their house in Grand Forks, North Dakota, into which students pursue new her mother backed the car- thereby disrupting a stand of rhubarb. Also at that time, the Brown children’s botanical passions bedtime reading was ‘How to know the wild flowers’ although they much preferred ‘Uncle Wiggly.” – a continuing piece of When I was growing up, we often visited our Brown grandparents, whom we called Ma and Fa, at their their legacy. WCFH home in Asheville, NC, and at their summerhouse in Highlands, NC. At those homes, my grandmother wants to share with was finally able to garden, and botanize to her heart’s content. They imparted to us their love of the you their stories as told outdoors, and a working naturalist knowledge. My sister Jesse remembers Ma’s vast knowledge of stars, all by those who knew the constellation names and where to find them at different times of the year. When we went out walking in the woods, Fa gave us advice on avoiding poisonous snakes and a snake stick, and Ma encouraged us them best—their family to look for certain flowers in bloom. My brother recalls the garden in Asheville, and Ma’s concern for members. Thanks to the boxwood hedge lining the walk to the front door – over her objections, John insisted he needed to Liz Van Volkenburgh teach the dog how to jump the hedges, which he did only partly well leading to steady decline of the and Betsy Billington boxwood hedges during our visits. I remember that Ma had a copy of Gray’s Manual of Botany on the Howerton for sharing side table in the living room. I think they let me read that book in lieu of conducting polite conversation with our membership during ‘cocktails’ (ginger ale and cranberry juice). It struck me as a most important book, and although it seems a bit strange thinking of it today, I am pretty sure that once I enrolled at Duke (where my mother and to those who graduated in 1937), the reason I became a Botany major had in part to do with the idea that I might finally cared enough to send a be able to master that book. Alas, I turned out to be inept at remembering plant names, but my forte special gift. became fascination for how plants work, and asking questions about . Luckily for me, Ma’s classical interests in horticulture and botany were taken up by my mother, who enjoyed botanizing and took me through a number of botanical gardens and woods walks when I was growing up. Her passion and enthusiasm influenced my father and husband, who are plantsmen and gardeners, and especially my brother John, whose photographs of leaves and flowers grace our homes, and reminding us of his pleasure gardening with his wife Linda. Jesse Weaver Brown gardened whenever it was possible; she was always interested in studying plants wherever she was. In addition, she was extremely well informed on a multitude of subjects, a fascinating dinner guest, one with an open and receptive mind to all kinds of people, one with a strong sense of honor as well as an understanding of human beings – a loving wife, mother and grandmother. We thank you for remembering her in these ways. Elizabeth Van Volkenburgh Professor of Biology, University of Washington Liz Van Volkenburgh graduated with a B.S. in Botany from Duke in 1973, and received Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from the University of Washington in 1980. She is now a Professor of Biology at the UW specializing Jesse Weaver Brown ’12 in the physiology of leaf growth. To learn more about Liz’s research where “Plant physiology, electrophysiology, circa 1965 and physiological ecology are the topics we address. How do leaves grow? How do plants behave in adverse circumstances? Do plants have a ‘nervous system’? These are our questions; come see how we go after them...”… check out The Van Volkenburgh Lab’s Web site http://depts.washington.edu/vanvlab/

8 Dear Friends – Watch our Fall

Individual gifts were made to the Friends of Horticulture Newsletter for in memory of my mother, Jane Barcus Billington ’37. She an update on would just be pleased to know that in some small way she was helping to perpetuate your good work with Wellesley the Friends of students. Horticulture While not a Wellesley graduate myself, I feel fortunate Memorial Books to have been surrounded by so many of my mother and my grandmother’s Wellesley friends. The essence of Non Gift Fund which Ministrari sed Ministrare abounded. She felt that Wellesley Jane Barcus Billington ’37 was a wonderful place to learn new things, try new things, in 1993 assists in the meet people and expand one’s horizons. As a young child, acquisition of she took me to an open night at the Observatory where she as a college freshman had her eyes opened in so many ways. She felt that a Wellesley education prepared one books and other for life. library collection Mother learned her love of gardening and horticulture from my grandmother, resources on botany Corinne Locke Barcus Crane ’06, an accomplished gardener. Mother had beautiful perennial beds and she found special delight in gifts of plants from friends’ gardens. and plant science, The Colchicum autumnale (fall crocus) and some of the lilies in my garden have been handed down from my grandmother to mother to me! Mother was a life long learner as well as the and was forever taking notes while watching PBS’ “The Victory Garden.” occasional botanical

I recall that Mom went on a number of Friends of Horticulture trips and enjoyed them illustration title for very much. She also enjoyed meeting fellow Wellesley alumnae on these trips, and she found your newsletter informative. She loved visiting the Greenhouses and marveled the art collection. at how the tropical plants thrived. We came even when Mother wasn’t totally mobile and was using a walker in her last few years. It was great that even though the aisles are narrow, we seemed to manage navigating through. Getting out into such a beautiful, nature filled environment is so meaningful for individuals who spend much of their time indoors. And I think those experiences are appreciated at a heightened level – at least in Mom’s case. We did enjoy the walk near the lake in front of the College Club and up towards the Chapel. Mother always thought Wellesley a wonderful refuge.

Kind regards, Betsy Billington Howerton

If you would like to honor a special friend, who like Jane Barcus Billington and Jesse Weaver Brown, found the Wellesley College Contributions may be sent to the Friends Office: Botanic Gardens a special place, please consider a donation to the WCFH Memorial Gift Fund, which was established to Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture honor the memory of those who were advocates of promoting 106 Central Street Wellesley, MA 02481-8203 education in horticulture and the botanical sciences. The

gift funds supports plant science students through research Please make your check payable to grants and travel assistance to attend scientific meetings and underwrites the hiring of student interns who gain horticultural “WCFH Memorial Gift Fund” experience by working in the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens.

9 HORTICULTURAL TIDBIT: Propagating Seed by Maureen Bovet DS ’92

For the home gardener and the • the Display House hosts an ahead-of- Several of the Display House spring professional alike, growing plants from season flower show. show-stoppers such as Foxglove (Digitalis seed is often a cost-wise necessity and purpurea), Canterbury Bells (Campanula The specific conditions for preferable to purchasing or medium) and Columbine (Aquilegia are almost as varied as the seeds mature specimens. Here in the Ferguson species) are biennials. They germinate themselves. Staff research starts with Greenhouses, the WCBG staff gets busy and grow the prior summer and then seed packet information. Additional propagating seed when: spend most of the winter resting in cold details come from reference books. frames located between greenhouse • special collection species can only be Collected or swapped seeds seldom ranges. Brought into the Annex acquired from seed provided by other come with instructions and that is when Greenhouse’s warmth, they revive and botanic institutions, reference books are handy. then move to the Display House once • plants do not readily transplant or need Before germination some seeds blooming starts. growing conditions as rigorous as their require a cold or a warm dormancy, eventual planting site, Other seeds need to have the seed coat and some even require both warm • weather is not conducive to shipping softened or broken. Frequently, this is and cold periods. Recently, the staff live plant material, done simply by soaking seeds in water. potted up seeds requiring sixty days of • multiples of a single species are Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor) and cold, moist stratification. These New requested for the outdoor gardens, class Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) seeds England native plants—Iris versicolor, use or research, should soak for several hours or overnight Iris prismatica, Magnolia ashei, and • replacement of larger growing before planting. For tougher seed coats Geranium malculatum—will be used specimens in WCBG Collections such as those of Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), in the Hunnewell Arboretum and the are needed to keep the species scarification is necessary. Lightly filing Alexandra Botanic Garden to restore representative right-sized for a the seed works just fine to break the seed former colonies of native species crowded glasshouse, coat. out by invasive species. continued on page ?

Blooming trees covered with delicately While is an ongoing team effort by the entire scented, soft-yellow inflorescences are a horticulturist staff, primary responsibility for this task falls to David wonderful treat for winter-weary visitors. Sommers, WCBG Horticulturist. During the four years David has worked During a February 2004 visit to the Ferguson at the Ferguson Greenhouses, he has Greenhouses, David Stone, WC Trustee continued his journey of learning. He Emeritus, observed growing and does a lot of reading to increase his blooming in the Display House. Mr. Stone knowledge and soaks up the training was inspired to gift the WCBG seeds from his he gets on the job, at conferences, and family’s Stone Acacias—locally well-known from specialized classes. as frequent stars of the New England Spring As a young boy growing up in nearby Show and many other regional flower Needham, David remembers a shows since the late 1940’s. About fifty seeds fascination with strawberry plants from a variety of well-flowering species of the tended by his sister in their family’s Australian native Acacias yielded a strong crop. garden. The tasty results of that Already the resulting seedlings are in larger growing season probably helped start pots and on their way to be a focal point of the him on his passion for plants. Nearby WCBG Collection. Thank you Mr. Stone! David Sommers and the Acacia Winslow Nursery also whet his appetite seedlings. for the growing world. Hairy Wattle (Acacia vestita) While the healing and nurturing aspect of plant care is strongly attractive Knife Leaf Wattle (Acacia cultriformis) to David, the challenge of germinating seed holds a special thrill. David’s Wattle (Acacia uncinata) curiosity has led many successful sowings. He fondly recalls raising Papaya Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) (Carica papaya) with fruit ripening in under two years, Ponderosa lemon Cootamundra wattle (Acacia baileyana) (Citrus limon ‘Ponderosa’), a Coffee tree (Coffea sp.), and a tiny flowering Sydney Golden Wattle (Acacia longifolia) Hibiscus sp. now blooming in the Warm Temperate House.

10 GYMNOSPERMS continued from page 7 FROM THE WCBG FLORAPHILES VISITOR CENTER DISPLAY Cycads Cycads Class: Cycadopsida What do you know about your family history? Can you trace your ancestors back Order: Cycadales 100 or even 200 years? Cycads are a group of plants whose ancestors we can trace Family: Cycadaceae back for 300 million years. That makes them one of the oldest families of plants Latin: : a palm tree. (Although in existence. Even though there are few species of cycads alive today, back in the palm-like, these plants are not palms.) period (200 million years ago), cycads comprised 20% of all the plants that Location: Wet Tropical House grew on the Earth. For this reason, the Jurassic is often called the Age of Cycads Cycads evolved in the era At that time, the Earth was warmer than today, and cycads had a world-wide and reached their peak in the distribution, from Siberia to the . Plant-eating dinosaurs munched on era, often called the “Age of Cycads and cycads, which may be why cycads developed tough, leathery leaves, spines, and Dinosaurs.” The record indicates poisonous roots and seeds: to discourage from eating them! leaf that cycads were globally distributed, have been dated to the time when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. extending from Alaska and Siberia to the Like tree ferns and palm trees, cycads have a sturdy trunk topped by a crown Antarctic. Fossils have been found on of large compound leaves. But unlike ferns and palms, cycads are cone-bearing every continent, a feat that was possible gymnosperms. Gymnosperms have an ancient type of plant , pre- because of the generally warmer climate dating the development of flowers. Conifers are another example of gymnosperms. of the Mesozoic era, and higher moisture than today. Cycads have a special set of roots that grow on and above the soil surface, called coralloid roots because they resemble coral. Coralloid roots are unique to cycads, Cycads include 9 to11 genera and 250 and are of interest to scientists because they can fix nitrogen from the air. This species in two families: Cycadaceae ancient group of plants has a lot to teach us about and adaptation. (Cycas), and (Stangeria, Bowenia, Ceratozamia, Dioon, , , Microcycas, and palms are angiosperms. • Mexican Palm Dioon Zamia) found mainly in tropical or Cycads are dioecious, with edule. (Pronunciation: dy- subtropical areas. Cycads are considered separate plants bearing male OH-awn; from the Greek dis the most primitive of all the surviving and female cones. They (twice) and oon (egg); refers to gymnosperms. Although they are widely typically have tough, leathery the paired seeds.) Located on grown as landscape and indoor specimens, leaves, which in many the north bench of the Tropic many now face species bear thorns. Cycads House, opposite the large extinction in Economic Uses are unique in possessing coned cycad (Dioon spinulosum) their native coralloid roots (so called growing in the center bed. of Cycads habitat. The because they look like coral). • Gum Palm Dioon spinulosum. This Although various only cycads These adventitious roots host symbiotic large specimen, growing to the cycad species have native to the that fix atmospheric northwest of the Sago Palm in the been used as food United States nitrogen, changing it to something the center bed of the Tropic House, is sources, most are several plants can absorb. thought to be male because of the require extensive species of appearance of its cones. processing before Zamia, possibly Cycads in our greenhouses include: all variants • Encephalartos ferox. (Latin: ferox= being used as food as • Sago Palm . The largest of Zamia fierce) Located in a pot between our they contain many of our cycads, located in the center bed integrifolia, large center- unique bioactive of the Tropic House, is often said to which grow in bed cycads, compounds and are look like a man with upraised arms. An the sandy woods this Cycad known to be highly original planting of Margaret Ferguson, of Florida. has stiffly poisonous. Known one branch of this cycad became too arching tall and during Harriet Creighton’s as sago or While often sharply spiny directorship was cut down for use at Florida arrowroot, visually similar leaflets. It is the Flower Show. At the time this was the starchy pith of to palms and a less thorny held at Raynham Greyhound Park, in a Florida cycads was ferns, Cycads are relative of tent that was inflated by blowers. One collected by Seminole very different: Encephalartos horridus, a cycad species night the blowers failed and the tent Indians and used to ferns have spores we had for 15 years in the Tropic collapsed, but the Wellesley College make bread. instead of seeds, House whose heavily armored leaves cycad held the tent up. continued on page 14

11 PROGRAMS AND COURSES

INSPIRED CONTAINERS with Alison Campbell Saturday, May 21, 2005 HOR 0512 ON THE ROAD WITH THE FRIENDS OF 9:30 Registration; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Workshop Wellesley College Botanic Gardens’ Visitor Center HORTICULTURE Bring your favorite container to this workshop and we will Mount Desert Island, Maine provide the plants, soil, , and inspiration for you July 26-29, 2005 to come away with a winning container garden. While learning the tricks of the trade from Alison Campbell, a local Join us as we journey by coach from Wellesley College professional landscape designer, you will create a dazzling to Maine for a four day exploration of Maine’s autumn or summer arrangement suited to your own yard, front extraordinary horticultural offerings. Our tour starts steps, patio, deck, or porch filled with an exciting array of fall with a mid-day stop at the Costal Maine Botanic plants. The skills Alison teaches you will easily carry through to Gardens in Boothbay, a living museum of conservation, containers gardens of spring and summer. research and education. Alison and Molly Campbell are an award-winning mother- daughter team specializing in custom designed container Then we are off to Mount Desert Island to spend gardens. Based in South Natick, their seasonally changing the next two days and three nights immersed in the containers are featured at numerous retail stores and private horticultural glories of this special place. We look at homes around the Boston area. Their innovative use of plant what makes this island ecosystem unique and how it materials and a strong eye for color and texture help to create has been tamed and untamed. With Barbara Rappaport memorable designs, each one as unique as the setting around it. Check them out on the Web: www.henandchick.com. ’44, a long-time Maine resident as our garden travel guru, we plan visits to premier public gardens as well as Class size is limited to 15 participants. explorations of private gardens of Wellesley alumnae Containers should not to exceed 14” in diameter and should and friends. have drainage holes. Since garden trekkers are ever ready to see more, we Members $44.00 / Non-Members $55.00 plan to make a garden stop or two on our way back to the College on day four. BEYOND THE GARDEN GATE: The Life of Celia Laighton Thaxter HOR 05FL For more information contact the Friends’ office: Co-sponsored with Friends of Wellesley College Library 781-283-3094 or [email protected] Sunday, May 15, 2005 2:30 p.m. Reception 3:00 p.m. Book Talk GROWING PARK STEWARDS IN THE CITY Wellesley College Collins Cinema Sunday, May 22, 2005 HOR 05AM Come and hear Norma Mandel ‘55 speak on her book, Beyond 3:00 p.m. Arboretum Tours and Visitor Center Reception the Garden Gate: The Life of Celia Laighton Thaxter. Thaxter 4:00 p.m. Meeting and Program (1835-1894) was raised on the Isles of Join the Friends as we continue to celebrate Shoals off the New Hampshire Coast Wellesley Women in the World of Horticulture. and became the hostess of a popular Come and hear Wellesley class of 1981 Alumna summer salon at her family resort Christine Poff describe her journey from psyche on Appledore Island. In the winter, major to the Executive Director of the Franklin she lived in Boston where she was Park Coalition and her stops along the way. part of the extensive literary circle of Then Christine will expound on her exciting Annie and James Fields, a publisher work at this local park including restoring woodlands, creating of authors such as Henry Wadsworth educational venues, and involving neighborhoods. Although Longfellow and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Franklin Park is not a “tended garden”, the grounds are a Members and Guests — No Fee cherished, Olmsted-designed green space so close to the city — a place for people from all walks of life to meet and share the outdoors. WCFH and WCAB Members– Free--RSVP only/Guests $5.

12 ART CLASSES

THE LANDSCAPE IN SPRING: DRAWING SUMMER A Study in Natural Settings WCC 0503 WITH COLORED PENCILS: Wednesdays 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. Seminar with Carol Ann Morley BAC 0601 May 4, 11, 18, 25; June 8, 15, 22, 2005 Tuesday, July 12 – Thursday, July 14, 2005 Wellesley College Botanic Gardens’ Visitor Center 9:30 a.m. Registration; 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Seminar This seven session watercolor course for intermediate and Wellesley College Botanic Gardens’ Visitor Center advanced levels covers color, direction of natural light and This introductory course on colored pencils will give you the cast shadows, elements of atmosphere and linear perspective, opportunity to learn about the versatility of the medium. Using simplifying to suggest complex masses, and modeling form a wonderful color vocabulary, colored pencil incorporates with light and color. Participants will have study segments in aspects of both painting and drawing. You will learn some the ideal setting of the College’s Hunnewell Arboretum and interesting pencil techniques including impressed line, sgraffito Alexandra Botanic Garden. and burnishing as well as some basic color theory that will Sue Swinand, a visual artist and Magna Cum Laude graduate help you read the natural color of flowers and give botanical from Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, has taught painting rendering form and visual depth. All levels of students welcome. at the Worcester Art Museum for over 15 years and has been Carol Ann Morley is a freelance artist and illustrator specializing an adjunct painting and design instructor at Clark University in drawings about nature. Her work is in private and public since 1992. She has been teaching at Wellesley College Botanic collections, including The Hunt Institute for Botanical Gardens since 1998. Documentation and The Shirley Sherwood International Seven Class Series: Members $165 / Non-Members $210 Botanical Art Collection. Carol currently resides in New Hampshire and is the founder of the Botanical Art and Illustration Certificate Program at New York Botanical Garden. ADVANCED BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION: Class size is limited to 12 participants. A Summer Tutorial with Linda Funk BAC 0525 Monday, June 13 – Thursday, June16, 2005 Bring your own lunch or walk to local shops. 9:30 a.m. Registration; 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Seminar Members $225 / Non-Members $275 Wellesley College Botanic Gardens’ Visitor Center This course will cover all aspects of the traditional art of FLOREGIUM with Sarah Roche and Carol Govan botanical watercolour drawing. Using live plant materials, Tuesdays, August 9 and 16, 2005 BAC 0602 instructional focus will include composition, observational skills 9:30 a.m. Registration; 10:00 a.m. –3:00 p.m. Seminar and sketch development, and drybrush watercolour technique. Wellesley College Botanic Gardens’ Visitor Center Students will be encouraged to practice the skills and self- discipline required to produce drawings combining scientific Observe botany in action in Wellesley College’s meadows with precision and artistic beauty. There will be emphasis on process, Carol Govan, a naturalist with an extreme case of botanical not product, and on developing the individual’s unique abilities, enthusiasm, and then record what you see with pencil sketches though we will work toward producing a finished drawing. and dry brush watercolor techniques under the guidance of Enrollment is limited to provide for individual attention. Sarah Roche, botanical illustrator and teacher. At the end of our two days, we will have created a flora for the WCBG of the Linda Funk is an artist with thirty years of experience in design meadows in the Hunnewell Arboretum and Alexandra Botanic and illustration. Specializing in pencil, drybrush watercolour, Garden. gouache and metalpointe drawing, she teaches at the New York Botanical Garden, College of the Atlantic, and the Farnsworth Bring your own lunch or walk to local shops. Museum of Art in Maine. Limited to 15 participants. Class size is limited to 12 participants. Members $60 / Non-Members $75 Bring your own lunch or walk to local shops Members $425 / Non-Members $475

Check our Web site www.wellesley.edu/FOH or contact the office 781-283-3094 or via email [email protected] to be sent a program brochure about the rest of our programs.

13 GYMNOSPERMS continued from page 11 characteristic. Starting this class, a member of the Ephedraceae at the leaf stalk, the veins continuously family, is current in the WCBG made it an unfriendly plant for a divide in twos. is the sole collections. greenhouse setting. surviving species of order , • Ephedraceae: Mormon tea or joint fir • Zamia wallisii. a group of gymnosperms more is the name given to several Ephedra Located on the ancient than conifers and first species found in the Western United bench next to appearing 300 million years States. Ephedra sp. is in the Desert Monstera deliciosa in ago. Ginkgo species ranged House: a grassy-looking low the Tropic House. throughout the temperate with jointed green stems and simple, Zamia is unique parts of the world, but became deciduous leaves. Ma Huang among cycads in extinct except in China, and () is producing the even there it is no longer the source of the largest leaflets. At found in its wild state. The one point, this extinction of its seed disperser that suppresses appetite, particular plant (perhaps a dinosaur?) may stimulates the nervous system, produced seeds, have precipitated its decline. and has decongestant properties. a triumph for our The continued existence of Since ephedrine is chemically WCBG horticultural staff as Z. wallisii Ginkgo biloba was due to its cultivation by similar to adrenaline is considered difficult to grow and Buddhist monks in Chinese monasteries, (epinephrine), it is rarely produces seed cones. palaces, and temple gardens. First as a Jointed Fir, food source, the edible nuts came to be a powerful cardiac Ephedra valued for their herbal properties. It was . Ginkgo “discovered” by Western plant collectors Because of in the 18th century, and quickly become its stimulating Class: Ginkgoopsida a popular specimen tree in many parts effect on the Order: Gingoales of the world. Additionally, its tolerance nervous system, Family: of urban conditions has led to its being ephedra was found in some popular Chinese: Ginkyo meaning “silver widely planted as a city street tree. weight loss and energy products. apricot” (gin=silver, kyo=apricot) is a chemical relative Location: Cool Temperate/Display The ginkgo is dioecious: male and (isomer) of ephedrine that is much House and in Hunnewell Arboretum female reproductive structures carried on less of a stimulant and therefore a safer separate plants. The twinned orange- compound. brown seeds have a large edible kernel surrounded by a fleshy seed coat, which • : is a decomposes at maturity and smells like peculiar plant found in the Namib rancid butter or old gym socks. For this deserts of named for its reason, most ginkgoes planted today discoverer Austrian botanist Friedrich are male trees. All of the ginkgoes at Welwitsch. Oldest living specimens are Wellesley College are male. There is a believed to be 1500 to 2000 years old. gingko tree in the arboretum by Mirror Based on its appearance and growth Pond. There are a few in the greenhouse , it is considered one of the most annex that go through winter dormancy bizarre plants on earth. It has a short outside before being brought inside woody trunk and produces only two to start new leaves for the students to leathery, strap-like leaves its entire life. Ginkgo biloba leaves and examine. These lie on the ground, growing from fruit by Anita Sebastian their bases as their ends get torn and battered by the wind and sand. Gnetopsida The ginkgo or maidenhair tree is a deciduous tree with fan-shaped leaves Division: Gnetophyta • Gnetaceae: is a or small that turn a brilliant gold in the fall. Class: Gnetopsida tree with opposite, simple, pinnately- The name “maidenhair” comes from Order: Gnetales veined leaves. This family is confusing its similarity of its leaves to the leaflets to plant taxonomists because of the of the maidenhair fern (Adiantum sp, Three families Gnetaceae, Ephedraceae, presence of flowers or flower-like found in the Fern/Propagation House). Welwitschiaceae (Gnetum, Ephedra, structures, and is the reason that The leaves have a unique vein pattern Welwitschia) are diverse and do not gymnosperm is more a descriptive called dichotomous venation, a primitive appear related. Only one specimen of term today.

14 WELLESLEY COLLEGE VISITORS’ VOICES FRIENDS OF HORTICULTURE by Mary Gottmann DS ’98 www.wellesley.edu/FOH email: [email protected] office: 781-283-3094 Despite an early season snowstorm, the Ferguson Greenhouses’ Display House wore its autumnal gown of chrysanthemums with REGISTER FOR ALL PROGRAMS elegance on the night of November 16 for WCFH’s annual Pizza and Mums. Wellesley students strolled appreciatively through Make your check(s) payable to: Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture the candle lit Greenhouses. Here are some of their comments on the evening: Mail to: Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture “The Greenhouse was absolutely breathtaking! I’m so glad I came; 106 Central Street wonderful program.” Wellesley, MA 02481-8203 —Elizabeth Fulham ’07 I love coming to The Greenhouse, and like seeing events like this NAME: ______which show it off. The perfect thing for a cold night!” —Darcy Hachley ’07 ADDRESS: ______

“I love visiting The Greenhouse! I first came with my studio art class PHONE: HOME ______and have enjoyed visiting ever since. I heard about this event from a friend, and hope to attend in years to come.Thank you! PHONE: WORK ______—Kaitlyn Lucey ’08 “This was great! I enjoyed looking at, not only the mums, but also E-MAIL ______the other plants in The Greenhouse. (I loved the pizza, too.) If applicable: Wellesley College Class of ______—Frances Pong ’05 “I think everyone would be significantly happier if they came and hung out with the plants. Ferns don’t tell you to do your homework.” MEMBERSHIP IN THE FRIENDS OF HORTICULTURE —Julia Lord ’07 (for the academic year July 2004-June 2005) And, one last succinct comment: Young Alum: $15 Donor: $250 Member: $50 Supporter: $500 “I love pizza--and I love mums!” Sponsor: $100 Sustainer: $1000 and beyond —Michelle Kim ’05 (thank you)

Plan a visit soon to the Greenhouses and the rest of The MEMBERSHIP TOTAL______Wellesley College Botanic Garden—fabulous places to stroll for (Separate check for membership, please, made payable to: relaxation and nourishment of spirit. Choose to wander the lush Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture) indoor warmth of the Greenhouse ranges, to enjoy the beauty in our outdoor areas—or give yourself the benefit of enjoying both! INSPIRED CONTAINERS HOR 0512__Saturday, May 21, 2005, M $44/NM $55 Colors in Winter BEYOND THE GARDEN GATE by Meira Ilana Appell, frequent WCBG visitor HOR 05FL___Sunday, May 15, 2005, Free Silent song vibrates with fervent energy GROWING PARK STEWARDS IN THE CITY Moist bursts of purple framed in a scallop of green HOR 05AM__Sunday, May 22, 2005, M RSVP/NM $5 Intersperse with thin stems and melancholy blossoms THE LANDSCAPE IN SPRING: Lavender snowflakes, prickly paddles of life, WCC 0503___Spring 2005, M $165/NM $210 Scarlet trumpets fall from honeysuckle ADVANCED BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION-LINDA FUNK BAC 0525___June 13-16, M $425/NM $475 Magenta juice seeps into deep veins that tickle a tattered edge DRAWING SUMMER FLOWERS-CAROL ANN MORLEY Felt like down covers sweet healing green BAC 0601___July 12-14, M $225/NM $275 Mitt size sherbet flowers open to reveal horns of FLOREGIUM-SARAH ROCHE AND CAROL GOVAN bubble gum pink BAC 0602___Tuesdays, August 9 & 16, M $72/NM $90 Ruffled inner flow like tears of joy PROGRAM TOTAL______In this fortress of rainbow energy, I can breathe the truth Make your check payable to: of beauty Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture. Allow it entrance as gratitude and affirmation of life Please include a separate check for membership, if applicable. Thank you.

15 PAID Boston, MA Boston, U S Postage Non Profit Org Non Profit Permit No 12548 Permit WELLESLEY COLLEGE Friends of Horticulture Science Center 106 Central Street MA 02481-8203 Wellesley,

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