The Lady-Slipper, 22:4/ Winter 2007 1 The Lady-Slipper Kentucky Native Plant Society Number 22:4 Winter 2007 Winter: A Time for Reflection on the Restorative and Contemplative Basis of Caring for Creation Five Certification Classes (A message from KNPS President Tom Barnes) planned for In today’s society we are constantly in motion, running Spring 2008 here and there and everywhere it seems. There is never a at EKU and NKU! dull moment, never a time to relax and refresh the mind, spirit, and body. When we finally do find that time, on the The KNPS Courses leading to certification in weekend or vacation or on a summer evening, where do native plant studies are listed below. The we go? We go to the back porch, or the lake, or the park courses offered in Spring of 2008 appear in or golf course. What is it we seek? We seek refreshment bold: and a respite from the hectic activities in our daily lives and we seek to find something missing in our lives, Core Courses something to return balance and meaning, something that It is strongly recommended that all 6 be taken. reconnects us to some primeval basis of our existence. Basic Botany for the Amateur Naturalist That missing entity that we all seek is nature and Plant Ecology for the Amateur Naturalist closeness to Creation. Plant Taxonomy for the Amateur Naturalist Henry David Thoreau said, “We need the tonic of Plant Communities of Kentucky wilderness, to wade sometimes in the marshes where the Kentucky Wildflowers ( Spring or Fall ) bittern and the meadow hen lurk; and hear the booming of Kentucky Trees and Shrubs snipe; to smell the whispering sedge where only some wild and more solitary fowl builds her nest, and the mink Special Topics Courses crawls with its belly close to the ground. At the same time Select at least 6 we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require How to Know the Kentucky Mosses that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land How to Know the Sedges of Kentucky and sea be infinitely wild, un-surveyed and unfathomed by Field Methods for Native Plant Research us, because unfathomable. We can never have enough Field Geology for the Amateur Naturalist nature.” Spring Wildflowers and Trees Aquatic Plants of Kentucky An interesting phenomenon is now happening within Kentucky Wildflower Keying certain faith communities with respect to environmental stewardship in that they are realizing it is their moral Most classes are offered through community obligation to address environmental issues. It is my firm education programs by local colleges and conviction that people interested in natural history and universities. Information and class schedules the environment should embrace this movement and help can be obtained by calling the college or them along for 77% of Americans consider themselves university where KNPS courses are offered. Christian and only 13% consider themselves to be secular You may also email certification coordinator, or non-religious. There is empirical evidence that Landon McKinney, at Christianity has been a significant part of the [email protected] or see environmental problem as highlighted by multiple the KNPS website at theologians but it is also as Wendell Berry has said that www.KNPS.org Christianity per se isn’t the problem, rather how people interpret and practice religion that is the problem. It is my contention that we have been in the environmental education and conservation business for many decades In this issue-- now and I would ask, with all this education and outreach, President’s Message ........................................................1 are we better off and is the environment better off today Linnaeus’ 300th Birthday.........................................2 than 10, 20 or 30 years ago? One only has to look at the Hemlocks in Peril ...............................................5 most recent NASA report that shows how quickly global The Genus Gentiana ...............................................8 climate change is causing Greenland to melt, the rising KNPS Native Plant Studies ............................................11 Calendar of Events....................................................12 Continued on page 10 2 The Lady-Slipper, 22:4 / Winter 2007 Linnaeus (1707-1778) By Dick Rauh, Vice President of the American Society of Botanical Artists What is the meaning of that L. after the scientific name of so many plants? When you find the Latin binomial of a plant in any book, it is followed by the abbreviated name of the so-called The Lady-Slipper ‘author’ of that species. The ‘author’ is intended to be published by the Kentucky Native is one of the three or four hundred Plant Society [IRC 501(c)(3)] in March, June, botanists who, over the ages, named Sept., and Dec. Deadlines are the 15th of the prior months, but Editorial Committee members new species and published their welcome article submissions at any time. findings. Without a doubt, the Send dues and inquiries about membership status abbreviation that comes up far more to: KNPS Membership, P.O. Box 1152, Berea, KY 40403. FOR ALL OTHER BUSINESS contact an than any other is the capital L appropriate Officer / Board Member below: followed by a period. This stands for KNPS Officers— the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. President: Thomas G. Barnes - Department His credit is widespread because he of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0073, 859-257- not only named the new species that 8633, [email protected] were being discovered at his time, but because he renamed all the species Vice-president: Patricia D. Haragan - 713 The young Linnaeus, dipicted holding his Greenridge Lane, Louisville, KY 40207, 502- then recognized. You may also 894-0674, [email protected] indirectly know him by the names he botanical namesake, Linnaea borealis (also or [email protected] appearing in image on page 3); gave some of our familiar genera. The www.life.uiuc.edu Secretary: Amanda McKinney - 3964 black-eyed susan Rudbeckia, was Woodchase Drive, Erlanger, KY 41018, (859) 283-5377, [email protected] named for one of his benefactors. He named the Peruvian Lily, Alstromeria, and the mountain laurel Kalmia for two of his students. It’s almost scary how he Treasurer: Kathleen Jones - P.O. Box 1152, Berea, KY 40403 remains omnipresent in the world of plant classification. KNPS Executive Board Members— Dave Luzader - 5646 Taylor Mill Rd., Taylor This year is the three hundredth Mill, KY 41015, 859-356-8581, anniversary of the birth of this [email protected] famous scientist, responsible for Jason (Zeb) Weese - Kentucky State Nature shaping the course of taxonomy Preserves Commission, 801 Schenkel Lane Frankfort, KY 40601, (502) 573-2886, for those three hundred years. [email protected] Born the son of a Lutheran Tara Littlefield - 353A Woodland Ave minister, Carl’s early attempts to Lexington Kentucky 40508, 859-333- follow in the footsteps of his 9887, [email protected] father were confounded by his Alan Nations - 13020 Mitchell Hill Rd, overwhelming interest in the Fairdale, KY 40118, alan.nations@ incitebb.com, 502-235-8068 natural sciences. During the course of his life he taught, led Native Plant Studies Certification Program Director - Landon McKinney - ASC Group, expeditions into Lapland and Inc., 1616 Burlington Pike, Suite A, into under-explored parts of Florence, KY 41042; 859-283-5377; Sweden, became a physician [email protected] Co-Directors: Ron Jones and Margaret Shea with a specialty in venereal diseases, discovered the The Lady-Slipper Editorial Committee - Landon McKinney (see contact info above) and centigrade scale, and managed Ron Jones - Biological Sciences, Eastern to name all the animals, minerals Kentucky University, Richmond, KY 40475, 859-622-6257, [email protected] and plants then known. The Lady-Slipper design and production - Amy McIntosh, 255 Sunset Ave., Richmond, Linnaeus at roughly age 68 as painted by I have always been ambivalent KY 40475, 859-626-5207, Alexander Roslin in 1775; about Linnaeus. He is not [email protected] www.obits.eons.com without his detractors who have Webmaster - Dave Luzader (see contact info accused him of lacking the depth above) to be credited with much original thinking. I have always gotten the feeling that he is regarded in botanical circles as the bearer of undeserved fame, The Lady-Slipper, 22:4/ Winter 2007 3 when compared to the legions of botanists that have very simplicity, however, proved invaluable. This done invaluable work and for the large part remain ‘sexual system’ of counting reproductive parts has unsung. Linnaeus, on the other hand, was not a bit shy long since been discredited, but at the time it enabled about singing his own praises, and they have echoed Linnaeus to form the basis for modern taxonomy. down throughout the ages. His shortcomings not Using his system and his own considerable discounted, the breadth of his interest in the natural world experience of the natural world he was able to do in provided a solid foundation for the understanding of months what earlier, more ‘natural’ systems would plants and animals that is just have take years, as new and today being questioned. unnamed species inundated Europe from throughout the In Linnaeus’ time, the Eighteenth world. Although it was arrived at Century, the nomenclature of by thinking since proven natural species was in chaos. incorrect, some of the There was no universal system framework of his hierarchy for naming plants, animals or remains: order, family, genus and minerals. The practice of adding species. The higher adjectives to a genus name to classifications have been distinguish it from its near relatives discarded only recently, as produced long lines of words and molecular data and the science of profound confusion. Every time a cladistics determined new new species was discovered it relationships. caused scientists to change all the previous names.