~ I ' Sarracenia Summer2001 Newsletter of the Wildflower Society ofNewfoundland and Labrador. c/o Botanical Garden, Memorial University, StJohn's, NF, AlC 5S7 being. The excecutive will accept collective responsibility for running the society. (One of the advantages of not having a formal constitution!) Articles from members would be most welcome, Contents and may be sent via email to [email protected] or via regular mail to Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria L.) In Western Newfoundland Todd Boland by Henry Mann p. 22 81 Stamp's Lane St. John's, NF A winter's find, John Muir AlB 3H7 by Carmel Conway p.25 Summer Program Summer Field Trip Schedule p. 27 Besides our more extensive summer field Check list of the More Common Plants of trip, to be held between July 21-27 (see p.27), we the Avalon Peninsula (cont.) will once more have a specific location that we by Howard Clase p. 28 will visit on a monthly basis. This year we have chosen the section of the East Coast Trail Rare Newfoundland Wildflowers: Erigeron between Blackhead and Cape Spear. This route compositus (Cut-leaved Daisy) and Dryas is along a high bluff and contains varied habitats. drummondii (Yellow Mountain Avens) We will meet at the lower parking lot of Cape by Humber Natural History Society p. 31 Spear at 2:00pm and the walk will be approximately 2 hours. The leaders will be Leila and Howard Clase. The dates of the walks are as 2001-02 Executive follows: Sunday,JunelO Todd Boland Editor 753-6027 Sunday, July 1 Carmel Conway Treasurer 722-0121 Sunday August 5 Maggie Piranian Secretary 895-3904 Sunday Sept. 2 (tentative) Howard Clase Past-President 753-6415 June Russell Director 754-2996 Subscriptions for 2001/2 Ron Payne Director 576-6472 Leila Clase Director 753-6415 Send $10 to the Society at the above address giving your name, address, telephone At the AGM it was decided to number and e-mail address if you have one. continue without a President for the time Indicate if it is new or a renewal. 22 Vol. 10, No.3 Summer 2001 Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria Newfoundland have also followed humans to L.) in Western Newfoundland. Stephenville including the Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria L.), Field Chamomile by Henry Mann (Anthemis arvensis L.), Dwarf Snapdragon (Chaenorrhinum minus (L.) Lange), and the giant "There is a wilde creeping Pinke which Reed Grass (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin.). groweth in our pastures neere about London No doubt a thorough survey of disturbed areas and in other places, but especially in the great around this center will tum up some yet field next to Deptford, by the path side as you unreported species. goe from Redriffe to Greenwich" Most people immediately associate the So reads Gerard's Herbal of 1633. genus name Dianthus with carnations, the large Unfortunately the fields of Deptford are long showy flowers of gardens and the horticultural gone, now a part of industrial London. trade. In addition to carnations, Dianthus includes Deptford Pink no longer grows there "by the flowers commonly known as Pinks and Sweet path side". Not to worry. This European Williams. In old English herbals the term native grows in Stephenville and a thousand Gilliflowers (Gillyflowers, Gillofloures, etc.) is other places across North America and often used. Deptford Pink is a true wild Europe. It has made its fortune by following carnation. Together with other Dianthus species the footsteps of man along other paths which it is included in the Pink Family or have become highways, parking lots, airports, Caryophyllaceae with the Sandworts (Arenaria gravel pits, and many other human spp.), the Chickweeds (Stellaria spp. and "improvements". Yes, for the "Pinke" man is Cerastium spp.), the Campions (Lychnis spp.), continually creating and improving habitat Baby's-breath (Gypsophila spp.), Sand-spurreys where it can flourish; the dry gravely/sandy (Spergularia spp.), and others. The family open fields and patches in the wake of consists of annual or perennial herbs with "dozers" and graders. That awful four letter opposite simple leaves arising from swollen stem word of modem agriculture comes to mind. nodes. Flowers usually have 5 petals and sepals, However, you will not find this Pink listed in sometimes 4, or occasionally with no petals. any weed book. It is simply a pretty Fruits are dry capsules with many seeds. wildflower that prefers open, sunny, well­ drained fields. We and it are not really Deptford Pink has been observed at competitors, but cooperators. It helps to heal several locations in the Stephenville area along the wounds we leave behind in nature's skin roadsides and airport margins. A few specimens ' and does so with a dash of class. After all have been collected and are now housed in the Sir ' the old Greek Theophrastus coined the name Wilfred Grenfell College Herbarium. The stiff "Dianthus" from dios (divine) and anthus upright stems range from 20 to 53 em tall (flower), an allusion to the beauty and although reports indicate that under favourable fragrance of this group. conditions it can grow taller. One or more stems may arise from the root. A 1OX handlens will Stephenville is ideal habitat with its show that the narrow opposite leaves have short, flat gravelly plains deposited by the last stiff white hairs as do the upper stems and the glaciation and whose surface has seen inflorescence parts. Flowers are in clusters, extensive reworking during the massive U.S. usually only one or two of each cluster open at airbase development of the Second World once. The open flower measures about one War. Other species unusual to centimeter across its face. Each petal has a long 23 Vol. 10, No.3 Summer 2001 "claw" which extends down into the calyx than those of Deptford Pink, somewhat tube and attaches beneath the ovary. The resembling Sweet William, except they are broad upper part of the petal that is visible not borne in large tight clusters like Sweet (the limb) is slightly toothed and deep pink to William, but singly. Petals usually have a dark rose in color with minute white spots. Every patch or strip at their visible bases. Pink and flower cluster contains many narrow pointed white flowering forms are available in addition to bracts and individual flowers have bracts the common deep rose petals. Both species can immediately at the base of their calyx tubes. be easily grown from seed and make interesting The seed capsule opens by 4 teeth at its apex additions to wildflower gardens. Both are also releasing many roughened, dull black seeds. included in our two common field guides, the Peterson/McKenny guide and Newcomb's Guide. Dianthus armeria is an annual, or sometimes a biennial. Another smaller So next time you are in Stephenville in trailing perennial, Dianthus deltoides L., the August, look for Deptford Pink and perhaps Maiden Pink, is a very hardy species often collect a few seeds to start your own little garden grown in rock gardens and borders. It can patch of this "Olde London" wildflower. Of also be found escaped in waste places across course, don't overdo the collecting; it needs to North America, but so far I have only seen its reseed itselfto survive. If anyone would like vigor in my back yard in Pasadena. Its seeds (or plants) of the Maiden Pink, let me know. flowers are slightly larger and more showy - b Maiden Pink (Dianthus deltoides L.). a. Two terminal flowers. b. Single petal with dark patch at base of expanded portion (limb). 24 b c d Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria L.). a. Entire plant. b. Two terminal flower clusters. c. A single petal with the upper expanded visible part (limb) and long thin claw enclosed within the calyx tube in an intact flower. d. Individual flower showing bracts at the base of the calyx tube. (Illustrations by Warwick Hewitt). 25 Vol. 10, No.3 Summer 2001 A winter's find, John Muir botanising in glorious freedom around the Great Lakes and by Carmel Conway wandering through innumerable tamarack and arbor-vitae swamp, Winters are generally hard on people. For a and forests of maple, basswood, nature lover, like myself, this past winter was ash, elms, balsam, fir, pine spruce, especially hard. However, a nice surprise helmlock, rejoicing in their flowers awaited me one winter's day as I rummaged and fruit like bees in beds of through a second-hand bookstore. To my goldenrods, glorying in the fresh delight, I came upon an article about the cool beauty and charm of the bog remarkable life of John Muir. and meadow heathworts, grasses, carices ferns, mosses, liverworts Now, for many members of our society, I am displayed in boundless profession. sure he is a well-known figure. However, for John Muir "The Calypso me this was my first acquaintance. Borealis" 1864 I was soon to discover why many consider him America's most eminent naturalist and Muir, we are told, like to travel light with no environmentalist. To happen upon this blanket and only a knapsack containing the basic article caused me to dig deeper into John essentials and including a single change of Muir's life. underwear, notepad and some pencils, a small bible and a book of Robert Burns's poetry. John Muir was born in 1838 in Dunbar, Lighting a small fire to keep off the chill, he Scotland. At the age of eleven his family would prepare for sleep by burying himself in the immigrated to the United States, settling on a leaves. John would live largely on bread and the farm in Wisconsin.