No. 54 Fall 2020 LASTHENIA NEWSLETTER OF THE DAVIS BOTANICAL SOCIETY STRUCTURAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT HIGHLIGHT CONSERVATORY’S YEAR! The novel Coronavirus/Covid-19 has system for our epiphyte walls. Several made this year a real roller coaster ride of us spaced out the actively used plant for the Conservatory. It slowed us down dioramas there, which weigh several beginning in April, but we still man- hundred pounds each, for better access aged to make a number of important by BIS 2B students. improvements in and around the UC Since there were fewer student Davis Botanical Conservatory. And we helpers available, Jonathon was also had a spectacular fundraising year. invaluable in transplanting and prun- We were able to hire former student ing a large number of plants both in employee Jonathon Holguin in the and outside the Conservatory, including spring of 2019, as a temporary emer- major work on the plantings at Storer gency hire, and he provided critical Hall and the Sciences Laboratory Build- help with construction and improve- ing as well as at the Biological Orchard ment projects. His first major task was and Gardens. During his 800 hours, he rebuilding the very important bottom- also assisted with many tours as well as heated propagation mist bench. In the watering and weeding. Sciences Laboratory Teaching Green- Just as Jonathon was completing house Jonathon rebuilt the watering his time with us, he helped discover a ELLEN DEAN ENDOWMENT ESTABLISHED New benches in Greenhouse 62. Photo cour- As many Davis Botanical Society tesy of E. Sandoval members know, Ellen Dean retired in February 2020 after nearly 25 situation that had major repercussions years as Curator of the UC Davis this year: The cause of a sagging roofline Center for Plant Diversity. Her last in GH 62, where we have specimens, day working in the herbarium was turned out to be structural failure of March 16. The first months of her the aluminum support columns. Both retirement were devoted to correcting continued on page 2 the proofs of her magnum opus taxonomic treatment of the Mexican and Guatemalan species of the genus Lycianthes, which will be published IN THIS ISSUE in the journal Phytokeys by the time Conservatory Report........................1 this issue of Lasthenia is published. In June she began working with the Ellen Dean Endowment ...................1 rare plant program of the California Student Research Grants ..................3 Native Plant Society. Ellen adamantly refused numerous Oak Specimen Images ......................4 pleas to let us honor her at some Blue Dicks Naming ..........................5 kind of retirement party. Determined continued on page 6 President’s Profile .............................7 1 CONSERVATORY SUPPORT (CONT. FROM PAGE 1) age and corrosion from the use of salts extraordinaire Chandler Gorman and re- butions to UC Davis over the years with for weed control prior to the advent of cent graduate Calvin Cooper did much the site being officially recognized as the herbicides may have contributed to the of the work. They did a wonderful job Joe and Emma Lin Biological Orchard failure. This discovery in mid-December of pruning and moving plants, hanging and Gardens. Johanna Kwan and Kevin occurred in time for Jonathon to work lights, shoveling gravel, installing the Hague have generously helped fund the with Marlene and me to empty a large new benches, and putting plants back in development of the California Native area in the greenhouse so that Facilities their places. plants beds there. could work on the repairs. We needed Subsequent inspection revealed that The campus planning office is de- to crowd plants on other benches in some structural columns in the Conser- signing signs to bring the Joe and Emma that greenhouse, but thankfully we vatory also needed replacement, now Lin Biological Orchard and Gardens into didn’t lose many plants even though underway. Ordinarily, tours for under- the larger campus wayfinding system. Covid-19-related factors delayed con- graduates would be happening now, and The project will include an interpre- struction until late June. this work would have been postponed tive sign explaining to visitors why this We were able to use the delay to further by class needs. teaching garden is so important and make major improvements in GH 62. The bright spot in this year has been thanking donors who made it possible. We removed old irrigation equipment the donors whose contributions enabled Shari Kawelo in the College of Biological and failing light ballasts and replaced the progress that we’ve made during Sciences development office has been the latter with a portion of the cache this pandemic. In particular, Dr. Dennis extremely helpful in making all of this of 40 relatively new lights that were Walker has made generous donations progress possible. donated by a former intern. We also over the last several years to establish an Other donors this past year are replaced old weed-infested gravel areas endowment to fund a botanical stu- recognized elsewhere in this issue of under benches in parts of this green- dent employee at the Conservatory and Lasthenia. I would like to thank all of house and replaced wonky old wooden has given current use funds until the you who helped us with over $120,000 benches with new plastic ones, some endowment was fully funded this past in donations this past year. We hope to lowered to accommodate taller plants. spring. continue to grow and improve thanks to And there was the usual assessment and Joe Lin and his late wife Emma are your support. discard of some unneeded plants and being acknowledged for his contribu- literal pruning of others. Undergraduate tions to the BOG and their many contri- E. Sandoval 2020–2021 STUDENT RESEARCH GRANTS AWARDED Thanks to the generosity of donors to Oscar Hinojosa-Espinosa: “Systematics isolation is driving the observed trait the Society (DBS), and to the Jack Major of the Adenophyllum Thymophylla Clade variations. and Larry and Charlotte Mitich endow- (Tageteae, Asteraceae).” Advisor: Profes- ments, we have awarded five grants this sor Daniel Potter. Grant Source: Mitich Paige Kouba: “A Recipe for Succession: year totaling $8,500. Although this is an Fund. Testing Shade Tolerance of Trees under unusual year due to the COVID-19 pan- This project will test whether the Simulated Climate Change.” Advisor: demic, extreme fires, and other crises, genera Adenophyllum and Thymophylla Professor Andrew Latimer. Grant Source: we are looking forward to hearing from are monophyletic, by conducting phylo- Major Fund. this year’s recipients in some form later genetic analyses using molecular data. The object of this study will be to mea- in the year. sure the impact of climate change factors, Jasmin Green: “Plant Population Diver- shade and CO2, on forest tree species. Mark Uleh: “Phylogeny and Systematics gence in Urban Systems: The Role of of the Miracle Berry and Relatives (Syn- Spatial Heterogeneity.” Advisor: Professor Alyssa Phillips: “Persistence and Evolu- sepalum, Sapotaceae).” Advisor: Profes- Mary Cadenasso. Grant Source: Major tion of Polyploidy in Andropogon gerardii sor Daniel Potter. Grant Source: DBS. Fund. Vitman.” Advisor: Professor Jeffery Ross- This project will study the phy- This study will evaluate two species, Ibarra. Grant Source: DBS. logeny and molecular genetics of the Festuca perennis (Italian ryegrass) and This research will use genomic data miracle berry plant, Synsepalum dulci- Raphanus raphanistrum (wild radish) and field experiments to examine the ficum, which produces a glycoprotein, that grow in vacant lots. It will evaluate effects of polyploidy and asexual repro- miraculin, that is a sugar-free sweet- how plant populations across vacant duction in Andropogon gerardii Vitman. ener which may have other medical lots diverge in various traits and if properties. environmental conditions or population T. Rost 2 RECENT GIFTS Ellen Dean Herbarium Endowment Donna & Raymond Olsson J. Giles Waines (in memory of Grady & Anonymous Willa & Stuart Pettygrove Barbara Webster) Sue Barnette Daniel Potter & Peter Lash Alan Whittemore Teri & John Barry Calvin Qualset Eva Bayon & Kevin McGrew Kevin Rice Herbarium Operations and Gifts in Kind Elizabeth Bernhardt & Ted Swiecki Vanessa Ringgold Joslyn Curtis Mark Bibbo Kristina Schierenbeck Jeremy Fitch Will Block Steve Schoenig & Carol Hillhouse Johanna Kwan & Kevin Hague Cynthia Bloomfield Lisa Serafini & Jim Richards Thomas Rost Laura Camp Jean & Scott Shepard Mick Canevari Doris Sloan Conservatory endowment John Chau Margaret Starbuck Sonia Cook Alison Colwell & Bruce Ponman Thomas Starbuck & Ellen Dean James Harding Lea Condon Ramona Swenson Marie Jasieniuk & Frank Roe Kelsey Craig Mandy Tu & Philip Rogers Rebecca & Fred McWhorter Christine & Christopher Dewees Peter Tucker Stephen & Jill Rae Joseph & Susan DiTomaso Petra & Ron Unger Kirk Ehmsen Jane Van Susteren Dennis Walter Endowment Joshua Erdman J. Giles Waines Dennis Walker Raphaela Floreani-Buzbee Chris Walden Holly Forbes Alice Warrick Conservatory operations Justin Garosi Alan Whittemore Ken Burtis Ronald & Diana Glick Valerie Whitworth & Michael Barbour Jill & Christopher Gorman Marisol Gonzalez Carol Witham Johanna Kwan & Kevin Hague Hazel Gordon Kyeema & Phillipp Zerbe Maud Hinchee Vera Gottlieb Donna & Raymond Olsson Emily Griswold & Nikhil Joshi Herbarium Endowment Jennifer & Jay Prahl Kevin Hague & Johanna Kwan Anonymous Vanessa Ringgold Lesley Hamamoto Mick Canevari Fernando Socorro Susan Harrison Ellen Dean