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NPSO Logo Bulletin of the Native Plant Society of Oregon

Dedicated to the enjoyment, conservation, and study of Oregon's native vegetation.

August 1998

Volume 31 · Number 8

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In This Issue

State News

July 30 - Aug. 1, 1999

Annual Meeting: The 1999 Annual Meeting will take place in the high country of McKenzie Pass, and will be hosted by the Emerald Chapter. Mark your calendars!

Aug. 8, Sat.

Board Meeting: 10 A.M. Room 301 Hoke Center, Eastern Oregon University, See the July, Bulletin for directions.

Chapter News

Blue Mountain

 

Meeting: No meetings in the summer.

Corvallis

Meeting: No meetings in the summer.

Aug. 22, Sat.

Field Trip: Help finish boardwalk at Jackson-Frazier Wetland Park. This wetland was established in 1992 and a 3/4 mi. boardwalk is almost finished. Come to the park at the end of Lancaster St., in northeast Corvallis. Meet at 9 A.M., work until 1 P.M. Bring sun hat, gloves, lunch, water, energy. For more information, call Justen Whittall,( policy), or Esther McEvoy,( policy).

Emerald

 

Meeting: No meetings in July or August.

Aug. 1, Sat.

Field Trip: Matthieu Lakes and Yapoah Crater, McKenzie Pass. Meet: S. Eugene H.S. parking lot, 19th and Patterson, 7:30 A.M., to car pool. Bring lunch, sturdy hiking boots for a hike of up to 8 mi., sunscreen, sunshades, and lots of water. Leader: Bruce Newhouse, ( policy).

Sept. 28, Mon.

Meeting: 7:30 P.M. Science Building, Main Campus, Lane Community College, Eugene. "Getting Acquainted with the Indiana Dunes." Dr. Glen Cole, former curator, Chicago's Field Museum, will talk and show slides of some interesting dune communities, including prairie remnants and oak savanna.

Oct. 26, Mon.

Meeting: 7:30 P.M. Science Building, Main Campus, Lane Community College, Eugene. "Mushrooms." Ankie Camacho, Oregon State University and LCC mycologist, will talk about fungi, on this, the evening following the Mount Pisgah Arboretum Mushroom Show.

High Desert

 

Meeting: No meetings in the summer.

Aug. 22, Sat.

Field Trip: Broken Top Volcano. Our annual trek to view the spectacular, glaciated scenery and alpine wildflowers in the high Cascades west of Bend. This is a 6 mi. R.T., moderate to strenuous hike, with 1700 ft. elev. gain. We will do mostly off-trail hiking through the Three Sisters Wilderness, so number is limited to 12. Pre-registration is required. Call trip leader, Stu Garrett,( policy), eves. to sign up.

Klamath Basin

 

Meeting: No meetings in the summer.

Mid-Columbia

Aug. 5, Wed.

Meeting: Wolftree staff members Dale Waddell and Russ Hirschler will tell us about their non-profit organization, which offers outdoor-based science education programs for school children.

Sept. 2, Wed.

Meeting: 7:30 P.M. Mosier School. Some Oregon Department of Agriculture folks will give a talk on the ecological impact of introduced weeds.

North Coast

 

For information on the North Coast Chapter, call Christine Stanley, ( policy).

Portland

 

Meeting: No meeting in August.

Aug. 21 - 24

Fri. - Mon.

Field Trip: Mt. Ashland, Cook and Green Pass, Pilot Rock. All to be included, plus a possible side trip to Illinois River Valley, if time allows. Shane Latimer takes us t o his old stomping grounds and we'll see some rare endemics to this area of the Siskiyous. Three species of Botrychium, the rare Mt. Ashland lupine, Saussurea species, and Brewer's weeping spruce, will be some of the highlights. Trip is limited to 15 so pre-registration is required. For reservations, travel and lodging information, call Greg Stone,( policy).

Siskiyou

 

Officers: Newly elected officers are: Jennifer Beigel and John Roth, co-presidents; Linda Mazzu, vice president; John McClendon, treasurer; Darlene Southworth, conservation chair.

 

Meeting: There will be no meetings during the summer.

Aug. 1, Sat.

Field Trip: Dutchman's Peak/Observation Peak (high Siskiyous, west of Mt. Ashland; alpine plants). Leader: Barbara Mumblo. Meet: USFS Star Ranger Station (7 mi. S. of Ruch on upper Applegate Rd.), 9 A.M. Bring lunch, water. Easy hike.

Aug. 8, Sat.

Field Trip: Mt. Elijah/Bigelow Lake, Siskiyou Mountains (just south of Oregon Caves; late summer wildflowers, wildlife). Evening/night hike. Bring sack supper, water, flashlight, jacket. Leaders: Maria Ulloa (wildflowers), Mary Bell (wildflowers), Lee Webb (wildlife). Meet: Interagency Visitor's Center, Cave Junction, 5 P.M., return by 11 P.M.

Aug. 21 - 23

Fri. - Sun.

Field Trip: Cottonwood Creek Basin, east side of Mt. Thielsen. 3 day/2 night moderate backpack Leader: Wayne Rolle. Limit 12 (wilderness area). Call Wayne, ( policy), NO LATER THAN Aug. 15, for details and to reserve a place.

South Coast

 

For information on the South Coast Chapter, call Bruce Rittenhouse, ( policy).

Umpqua Valley

 

Meeting: No meetings in July or August.

Willamette Valley

 

Meeting: No meetings in the summer.

Aug. 1, Sat.

Field Trip: Canyon Creek Meadows. Joint NPSO/Salem Audubon Society trip. Offers great wildflowers and some good birds, such as the gray-crowned rosy finch (seen last year). This is an interesting area on the east side of Three-Fingered Jack. Expect to do significant hiking with lunch on the trail. Be prepared for temperature changes, etc. Bring binoculars and a flower book. We will car pool from K-Mart South parking lot, Mission St., 7 A.M. For more information, call Walt Yungen,( policy), evenings.

Aug. 6, Thurs.

Field Trip: Berry Botanic Gardens. Visit Rae Selling Berry's historic estate, now called The Berry Botanic Garden, in Portland. Rae Berry's garden includes a large rock garden -- home to many exquisite alpine plants, several water features -- one with carnivorous plants -- and our native plant collection. Get the "inside story" on Berry's work with rare and endangered plants. We will tour the seed vault, peek into the seed bank and view the conservation laboratory. Three hr. walk, easy hiking, led by Andrea Raven, Berry's conservation biologist. Meet: Berry Garden Visitor's Center, 10 A.M. Bring lunch and eat on the back patio or in the gazebo in the rhododendron forest. Call ( policy), for directions.

Aug. 8, Sat.

Field Trip: Soosap Meadows. Join BLM botanist, Marilyn Lowery, on a trip into the Soosap Meadows ACEC in the west Cascades to see a variety of habitats, including talus slopes, old-growth coniferous forest and a spectacular wet meadow. Moderately difficult. Expect to eat lunch at the meadow. Meet: 8 A.M., BLM parking lot, corner of Commercial and Fabry roads. Call Marilyn Lowery, ( policy), for more information.

William Cusick

 

Meeting: No meetings from May to September.

Aug. 22, Sat.

Field Trip: Seven Devils area in Idaho. Details have not been worked out. Contact Bob Ottersberg, to discuss ideas, at ( policy) (home),( policy) (work), 1803 Cedar St., La Grande, OR 97850. E-mail: rjotters@oregontrail.net.

 

We may conduct a couple of other field trips in August. Watch the La Grande Observer for announcements, or contact Barbara Russell, same address and home phone as Bob Ottersberg, e-mail is brussell@coni.com.


President's Message

I have some exciting news to report. Kareen Sturgeon has held an informational meeting in McMinnville for those who might be interested in starting a new chapter of NPSO. Kareen invited me to attend her meeting and I was impressed with the number of people who expressed an interest in a local chapter. Each person who attended was asked to tell the group about their interests and purpose in wanting to join a chapter of NPSO. The responses indicated a healthy diversity of interests. This should give the chapter vitality and produce an interesting mix of programs and activities.

More exciting news comes from the Oregon Flora project. The checklist of Asteraceae in Oregon has been completed and is available. If you request a copy, please send a contribution to the Oregon Flora if you have not done so already. The completion of this list should give all of us even more incentive to give this project our whole-hearted support.

This brings me back to the report from the vision task force. Last month I quoted a part of the conclusion of this committee titled Meta-Vision. The next conclusion reached by the committee was titled Simple Vision and it was stated as follows:

"Mike Fahey didn't need a taskforce to formulate a vision sufficient for NPSO's modest needs for the moment. He already had one and he had been giving it voice in one form or another in his President's Message in each bulletin: Oregon contains within its borders, one of the most diverse assemblages of plants anywhere in the country. This fact is not widely appreciated. A systematic inventory of this treasure is underway. The inventory will become the single most important tool for future enjoyment, conservation, and study of that treasure. It is a simple vision, and it translates into simple action: commit a significant fraction of NPSO's resources in money and volunteer effort , toward successful completion of the Oregon Flora Project. NPSO is committing itself to that course of action. That is enough for a small organization of volunteers for now."

Mike Fahey, President


NPSO Items for Sale

Oregon's Rare Wildflower Poster depicts Punchbowl Falls and three of the Columbia River Gorge's endemic wildflowers. Text on the back describes the natural history of the Gorge and the mission of the NPSO. Available from Stu Garrett, 21663 Paloma Dr., Bend, OR 97701 ( policy). Individual may order posters at $12 each, plus $3 per order for shipping. Posters are mailed in tubes. Chapter treasures may contact Stu for wholesale prices to chapters.

NPSO Window Stickers are decals with NPSO's trillium logo in green over an opaque white background, for use inside car windows. Available from Stu Garrett, $1, minimum order five.

NPSO's Original Wildflower Poster depicts 13 Oregon wildflowers in a striking artist's rendition. Soon to be a collector's item. Available from Stephanie Schulz, 84603 Bristow Rd., Pleasant Hill, OR 97455, $5 each, plus $3 per order for shipping. Posters are mailed in tubes.

Conservation and Management of Native Plants and Fungi: Proceedings of an Oregon Conference on the Conservation and Mangement of Native Vascular Plants, Bryophytes, and Fungi. Edited by Thomas N. Kaye, Aaron Liston, Rhoda M. Love, Daniel L. Louma, Robert J. Meinke, and Mark V. Wilson, with a foreword by Reed F. Noss. Available from NPSO Conference Proceedings, 804 Jefferson Ave., La Grande, OR 97850. ( policy). $20 plus $5 for shipping for the first copy, $2.50 for shipping, each additional copy.

 


Saving Seed

Seed can be gathered from any flowering plant which has set and matured seed. Many varieties of flowering plants in our gardens are F1 hybrids, so may not breed true. Hence, there may be some surprises when horticultural varieties are grown from seed you collect in your garden. Seedlings of most native plants, on the other hand, will resemble their parents, as they are the same species. But, only a very small percentage of seed should be gathered from native plants, allowing most of the supply to remain on the plant for natural distribution.

Seed should be fully mature when harvested. Dry seeds and nuts of most trees and shrubs are best collected when ripe; they begin to fall naturally. Also, mature seed heads turn brown, so can be easily identified. Some pods disperse seeds quickly, so are best gathered just before opening. You can judge stage of seed pod maturity by comparing with those already dropping seed. It is often possible to remove seed from recently opened pods or capsules by shaking seed into a container without removing the pod or capsule from the plant. When collecting in one's own garden or an easily accessible place, cover seed heads with a paper bag or cheesecloth tied closely around the seed head's stem to catch seed as it is released.

Place gathered seed heads and pods in paper envelopes or bags. Remember to label at once with scientific name, date, place collected and type of habitat. Do not use plastic bags, as this may encourage mold and insect activity. Spread out your collections on newspapers or trays to dry thoroughly at room temperature in a dry sheltered location. Since certain drying pods explode with great force, cover with a screen or perforated lid to contain the seed. Improve air circulation by turning over and rearranging the material each day.

When the seed is dried, clean it to remove bits of pods, stems, foreign seed and any insects present. Cleaning can be accomplished by sifting, winnowing, or both. Coarse pieces of unwanted material can be removed by sifting through a kitchen colander, strainer, or screening with suitable hole sizes. Start with the large holes and reduce in succeeding siftings.

Winnowing is accomplished by placing small quantities in a deep bowl and gently blowing out bits of pod as seeds are stirred. Or, place seed on a large tray or sheet-cake pan and blow across the seed to remove large pieces of unwanted materials. Then gently tilt the tray toward one end. The seed will roll to the low end, but friction holds back the flat particles. Remove with your finger or a cloth. Then tilt the tray in the reverse direction and repeat until seed is clean. Large seeds can be place on a table top, spread out, and removed from any litter by pressing on them with your fingertips and drawing them to the end of the table into a container below the edge.

Seed of fleshy fruit is ready for gathering when the fruit is ripe, as indicated by its size and color. You can also check the degree of milkiness of the seed and the hardness of the seed coat. To remove seed, mash the fruit and discard as much pulp as possible. Wash seed and spread out to dry. A second washing will remove any bits of pulp and mucilage. Spread on newspaper to dry thoroughly.

Store dry, clean seed in paper envelopes, correctly labeled, in a covered jar in the refrigerator at a temperature just above freezing. Stored seed must be kept cool and dry for maximum longevity. Remember that a seed is a living organism. While it is dormant, there is no cell division and therefore no growth, but there is a tiny flow of energy from a slow rate of oxygen consumption used in cell respiration. Moisture and heat increase respiration, thus using up the seed's stored energy and decreasing its vitality and life span.

[Adapted by Mariana Bornholdt from "Seed Gathering and Storing" by Viola Sobolik ( policy)), Willamette Valley Chapter]


Book Review

Green Afternoons: Oregon Gardens to Visit, by Amy Houchen. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis (101 Waldo Hall, Corvallis, OR ( policy)). 2 Indexes. iv + 250 pages. $17.95 (softcover).

The author energetically covers 76 gardens, all but three in Oregon, acknowledging a broad interpretation of "garden" to include "Ö.not only traditional , stand-alone gardens but also plantings of interest in such places as parks, college campuses, farms, and community gardens. It includes an arboretum at a freeway rest area, old-fashioned flowers planted in the island of a visitor center parking lot, climbing roses dressing up a cyclone fence around a ballfield, and a display of ornamentals at an agricultural experiment station." In addition, six "Gardens in the Works," to be newly opened by year 2000, are included.

There is a potential for omissions with a liberal definition of "garden". Missing are the spring splendor of places like the Wooden Shoe Farm at Canby, Schreiner's Gardens at Brooks, Cooley's Gardens at Silverton, Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery at Medford, the fine alpine garden in Eugene's Alton Baker Park, and others. All present worthy public displays in season.

Still there is much to admire about this useful reference. All gardens listed are reasonably accessible to visitors. The material is well organized. The gardens are conveniently grouped according to geographic areas. The populous Portland/Vancouver area is represented by four distinct garden areas. The Willamette Valley likewise has four areas. Southern Oregon, the Coast, and Central Oregon are the other areas included. Separate pages are devoted to each garden, so small gardens don't get lost among the larger.

The discussion of each garden is divided into Seasons of Interest, Directions (to find the garden, garden hours, admission policies, etc.), Labels (of plants, botanic and/or common), Background, and What to See. Public Transit information is given for the Portland area, Special Events are listed, and garden availability for public use is given when appropriate. Maps locating each of the gardens are well drawn, easy to read, and accurate. Address, and usually telephone number, is provided for each garden.

A strength of Green Afternoons is the background information. It often includes history of garden ownership and development. Nearly always it tells of the people involved, sometimes of well-known citizens in Oregon history. Details of garden organization are provided where it enhances a garden visit. All this helps to place each garden in perspective.

In What to See the author provides directions for touring a garden, leading you on a tour. This can be most helpful to the first time visitor. A number of plants growing in a garden are given in the discussion, but the number mentioned is often a small fraction of those present, and not always the most interesting or unique in the garden. Admittedly, listing more of the plants is hardly a practical alternative, considering the vast number grown. While a garden's specialties, emphasis, or attractions appear to occasionally be missed or inaccurate, "What to See" generally gives good, interesting, and helpful information.

There are two indexes. The General Index provides an easy referral to major topics and other general information. The Plant Index lists, in alphabetical order, plants mentioned in the book, by both botanical and common names, if given that way within the text. It should be remembered, however, that the Plant Index includes a small fraction of plants to be found in most of the gardens. The Plant Index may still be helpful in one's search for a specific plant.

For NPSO members some of the gardens include Pacific Northwest natives in their plantings, and with at least two of them, the natives are a major feature of the garden.

Wilbur L. Bluhm, Willamette Valley Chapter


Mill Creek Falls Knapweed Pull -- Saturday and Sunday, August 14 - 15

Mike Igo led a hike into Mill Creek Falls during the NPSO Annual Meeting in May. While there, we noted that fire road disturbance dating from the 1978 "School Marm" fire introduced diffuse knapweed into this unique, isolated community of west-side plants in the middle of the desert. We vowed to return and remove it.

Mill Creek Falls is a spectacular, towering waterfall, that drops into a deep, north-facing basalt canyon on South Fork Mill Creek, in The Dalles Watershed, an area not open to public access. The mist-filled canyon at the base of the

 

falls is a cool oasis on a hot August afternoon, that supports a plant community reminiscent of similar settings in the Western Gorge. Here, however, thimbleberry thickets and towering western red cedar grow surrounded by a parched landscape of oak, juniper and sage.

This weekend work party will be a privileged opportunity to visit this unique spot. Mike Igo has made arrangements with The Dalles Watershed to gain entry. Party size will be limited to 10. We will camp Saturday night within one mile of the falls. Access to our campsite will be by 4WD trail.

We've contacted the Pacific Coast Rover Club, which has expressed interest in providing transportation by Land Rover into our campsite. This will be a primitive camp with no water or other facilities.Contact Mike McKeag,( policy), mmckeag@teleport.com to sign up, and for additional information, including meeting time and location Saturday morning.

Michael McKeag, Portland Chapter


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Last Modified August 3, 1998