DAVIS BOTANICAL SOCIETY LASTHENIA LASTHENIA, the Newsletter of the Davis Botanical Society, is published in collaboration with the staff of the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory UPCOMING EVENTS! and Center for Plant Diversity. Editor: Ellen Dean Issue Contributors: E. Dean, M. Star- buck, E. LoPresti, J. Shepard, E. Sando- val, C. Burton, D. McNair, K. Keatley Sat. April 8 Arboretum/Conservatory Plant Sale Garvey, A. Ryan, A. Shapiro, R. Thorpe Sat. April 22 Picnic Day herbarium and conserva- Design: Susan Gloystein tory open houses Layout: Ellen Dean DBS OFFICERS, 2016-2017 Sat. April 29 Arboretum/Conservatory Plant Sale President: Judy Jernstedt President-elect: Neal Williams Tues. May 2 Spring Meeting and Speaker, NOTE Membership Vice President: Tom Starbuck, Johanna Kwan, & Kate CHANGE IN SPEAKER: Tonya Kuhl will speak on Mawdsley the engineering of coffee roasting! Secretary: Ellen Dean Treasurer: Robert Rhode Sat. May 20 Field Trip to the Santa Rosa Plain Past President: Andrew Latimer Members at Large: Cherilyn Burton, Brenda Grewell Student Member at Large: Eric LoPresti Ex officio: Dan Potter, Ernesto Sandoval, Ellen Dean UC Davis Mail ID: BTNY BTNY ID: Mail Davis UC Davis, CA 95616 95616 CA Davis, University of California California of University One Shields Avenue Avenue Shields One Plant Sciences Mail Stop #7 Stop Mail Sciences Plant Center for Plant Diversity Diversity Plant for Center 8 No. 47 Winter 2017 LASTHENIA NEWSLETTER OF THE DAVIS BOTANICAL SOCIETY BLISS AT TAHOE: ANOTHER FLORA EXPLORED In 2016, Daniel McNair and I per- is dry upland mixed conifer forest and formed a floristic and vegetation survey montane chaparral. In fact, a large part of D. L. Bliss State Park on the western of the park is barren rock outcrop with shore of Lake Tahoe. Located just north sparse conifer/shrub cover, some of of Emerald Bay State Park, D. L. Bliss which is on steep slopes. is a popular destination for hiking and Despite this dry terrain, there was camping. During mid-summer, the more orchid diversity in this park than parking lot at Lester Beach, at the north the others we have surveyed. This was end of the park, is usually full. due to the numerous streams that drain In past issues of this newsletter, we to Rubicon Creek in the northern part have described our experience survey- of the park and an unnamed creek ing other state parks in and around in the southern part of the park that the Tahoe Basin (Sugarpine Point, drains into Lake Tahoe. These drain- Washoe Meadows, and Grover Hot ages and seeps support alder thickets Springs) where we encountered many and small meadows with very diverse wet to moist vegetation types. D. L. assemblages of species including Bliss differs from those parks, because manna grass (Glyceria elata), arrowleaf the dominant vegetation at D. L. Bliss ragwort (Senecio triangularis), lady fern Twayblade orchid flower. Photo: D. McNair CULTIVATING THE CONSERVATORY (Athyrium filix-femina), swamp onion Even though the Botani- (Allium obtusatum var obtusatum), bog cal Conservatory has been orchid (Platanthera sparsiflora), Sierra around for over 50 years, bog orchid (Platanthera dilatata var. we’re constantly refining leucostachys), broad leaved twayblade our strategies to get the (Listera convallarioides), Pacific enchant- most out of our greenhouse er’s nightshade (Circaea alpina), starry and outdoor spaces so as to false lily of the valley (Maianthemum meet the demands of being stellatum), ruffled starwort Stellaria( a teaching collection, while crispa), bog wintergreen (Pyrola asarifo- at the same time, keep- lia), Fendler’s meadowrue (Thalictrum ing our plants as happy as continued on page 6 possible. The Botanical Conser- vatory (officially desig- Introductory biology, BIS 2C, students present their IN THIS ISSUE nated as GH 61) is one of findings to their classmates in the Conservatory work- Bliss at Tahoe ...................................1 the many areas used for room after collecting data in the Conservatory. growing plants for a variety Photo: E. Sandoval Cultivating the Conservatory .........1 of courses at UC Davis, Biodiversity Museum Day ................3 especially for those in the College of Biological Sciences. The Conservatory functions as a museum of living plants. Every quarter, hundreds of BIS 2C stu- Wildflower Viewing .........................4 dents (600-700) and Plant Sciences students (ca. 120) visit the Conservatory to Two Rare Coastal Plants ..................5 do data collection exercises and participate in guided tours respectively. There A Day in the Marsh ..........................7 continued on page 2 1 CONSERVATORY (CONT. FROM PAGE 1) are a number of plants that, because amount of light. They are of unique growing conditions in this then cycled into the Conser- greenhouse, are only grown in Room vatory (Room B) where they A, the cool climate room. After unsuc- can be displayed for visitors. cessfully growing Amborella trichopoda, If left more than a week or the most ancestral of all the flowering two in this display space, plants, we’ve now found a perfect spot they slowly die or lose vigor in Room A for this species. Multiple from a combination of lack plants are currently being propagated of sunlight and overstimula- so that Intro Biology students can see tion (folding) of the leaves. them in one of their labs. On a side note, when grown Some of you may be familiar with as a houseplant, Venus fly the 3rd floor greenhouse on top of the traps usually die in a matter Sciences Laboratory Building (SLB). If of weeks from insufficient the Conservatory is a museum, then light and/or overstimula- Conservatory interns plant South African bulbs and Cali- the SLB greenhouse is a combination of tion. Nepenthes, carnivorous fornia native annuals at the BOG in late February, 2017. production facility and small farm. Er- low light understory plants Photo: E. Sandoval nesto and Marlene regularly propagate from Southeast Asia—better and grow crops in SLB for the current suited as houseplants, are also grown in examples of camouflage in plants. or upcoming quarters. For example, Room B to display their varied pitch- Moreover, we have discovered that corn plants have to be planted every ers and methods of obtaining nutrients many plants, especially as they approach quarter 60 days before they are needed, from a variety of prey. maturity, grow much better outdoors and teosinte plants, the perennial ances- Outside areas with varying amounts and in ground beds than they do in any tor of corn, are divided and placed in a of protection and exposure round out of the greenhouses, either as a result of short day chamber 75 days before they our ability to grow a diverse array of diurnal temperatures and/or appropriate are needed. The plants are then brought plants for teaching purposes. Outside, light levels. The South African cycad, out into the SLB-GH two weeks before between GH 61 and 62, a variety of Stangeria eriopus, which makes cones they are seen by students in their labs. subtropical and other more temperate nearly year round and is used in Plant All this is done so that students can species thrive. Mature Sarracenia, a tem- Development and several other courses, see living, flowering specimens of both perate to subtropical genus of pitcher has been doing quite well in the breeze- species and compare domesticated and plants from eastern North America, are way between GH 61 and our adjacent wild-type in Lab 5 of BIS 2C. grown outdoors to provide appropri- workroom. We’re considering planting Adjacent to and east of the Botanical ate diurnal temperatures and seasonal it out in a shady area at the southwest Conservatory is yet another greenhouse climate changes. When grown indoors corner of Storer Hall so that this plant (GH 62) where a variety of plants are under insufficient light, these plants can further reach its growth potential. grown for teaching purposes that, for are much more susceptible to thrips. Last are the various outdoor plant- several reasons, cannot be grown in the In addition, the indoor plants can’t at- ing beds and areas around the Sciences other two greenhouses. Venus fly traps, tract insects to digest like those grown Laboratory Building, the south and west of which we have multiple varieties, are outdoors; therefore the leaves of the sides of Storer Hall, and the developing grown in the middle room of GH 62 so outdoor plants are brought in for gory Biological Orchard and Garden (BOG) that the plants can receive an abundant display to show insectivory on tours. adjacent to the Mann Lab. A number Potted Ginkgo trees are also grown of plants used in BIS 2C and 2B as well outside in this area and cycled into the as multiple upper division courses are SLB greenhouse on a quarterly basis to grown on the east side of the Science guarantee leafy specimens all year round Laboratory Building. This includes the for BIS 2C and several other courses. biodiversity sampling beds adjacent to Over the years, we’ve discovered the Center for Plant Diversity. that many species from subtropical and Want to see for yourself? The out- temperate climates will also grow and door growing areas around the Sciences perform better when grown outside Laboratory Building and Storer Hall and rather than in the greenhouses. On the BOG are, of course, always open, the west side of the Conservatory a and the greenhouses are generally open number of stone plants (Lithops) and to the public Monday-Friday from 9-5 related Aizoaceae are grown outdoors and on weekends by special arrange- The loss of this majestic Coast Live Oak in to receive their seasonal temperatures. ments such as paid group tours. We front of Storer Hall due to an unidentified Doug Walker, who recently retired, has also open the Conservatory for campus Phytopthora infestation was a major loss.