Table Of ContentMARCH 2019 Part Two
Mary Foster DeDecker (1909-2000):
CONTENTS
Botanist, Environmentalist, Author, Mentor,
Mary Foster DeDecker-Part II -1 Mother ... and More
Meeting Topics - 3 by Nancy Nies
President's Message - 4
Field Trip Listings- 7 Budding Botanist
Accolades - 9
NTERSPERSED AMONG THE
memories that Mary's daugh¬
EVENTS
ters share in Sage & Sierra are
vignettes of their mother, as her
MARCH
passion for the eastern Sierra's es
Ni
16 - Field Trip: Desert Tortoise native plants grew and as she y
c
Research Natural Area taught herself botany. Here are n
a
N
16-17 - 6th Annual Spring Nature my favorite images: Mary on y
b
Festival Wind Wolves Preserve her hands and knees, holding oto
her hand lens and teaching her h
21 - Chapter Meeting, 6 pm P
young daughters the names of Mary DeDecker Native Plant Garden, Indepen¬
Program, 7 pm
wildflowers; Mary delightedly dence, CA — 10 August 2018.
30 - Field Trip, Kern National
discovering and studying al¬
Wildlife Refuge
pine plants new to her, on family pack trips into the Sierra, making notes
and taking pictures; Mary being thrilled with her 1940s purchase of Wil¬
APRIL
lis L. Jepson's A Manual of the Flowering Plants of California, at the
10 — Field Trip: Carrizo Plain exorbitant price of eleven dollars; Mary sitting at the dining room table,
in the evening after an outing, sneezing again and again as she identi¬
13 - Local Garden Tours
fied plants, using her lens and tweezers; and Mary's supportive husband
18 - Chapter Meeting, 6 pm
Paul making her a plant press, as well as cupboards in the garage to
Program, 7 pm
house her extensive specimen collection.
27 - BC Garden Fest: Plant Sale &
Wildflower Exhibit I particularly enjoyed Carol Wiens'
Bakersfield College account of a chance meeting with the
legendary mountain-climber Norman
MAY Clyde. In the course of the DeDeckers'
many trips into the Sierra, they would
16 - Chapter Meeting, 6 pm
sometimes encounter him. On one of
Program, 7 pm
these occasions, Clyde said, "Mary, I
18 — Windmill-Wildflower Hike
have a plant to show you. Maybe you can
tell me what it is." Carol goes on to say,
"Joan and I watched with fascination as he
held his enormous pack upside down and
gave it a good shake. Out came sooty pots,
bags of food, books, extra boots, and dirty
socks. And finally he found the flower that
DeDecker family, 1940s.
The California Native Plant Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of California native plants and
their natural habitats, and to increasing the understanding, appreciation, and horticultural use of native plants.
Mimulus Memo — March 2019
2
Ph had caught his attention. It was experience to exert her influence, she made a difference."
o
to a new one for Mama, and she
o mm
f a made some notes for its identifi¬ In addition to her botanical and conservation work,
p
h cation at home." Mary worked outside the home for a total of 25 years,
o
to b first as a school secretary and later at the Title Insur¬
y In Full Flower
N ance and Trust Company. Also an author, Mary had in
a
n 1966 published Mines of the Eastern Sierra, in 2000
c
y
N Mary's daughter Joan Busby reissued by Spotted Dog Press as Death Valley to
ies writes that when she and her Yosemite: Frontier Mining Camps & Ghost Towns.
sister were growing up, her In 1984, CNPS published her Flora of the Northern
mother's primary concerns Mojave Desert, California. This was an expanded
were her family and commu¬ version of the northern Mojave plant inventory that
nity, but that next came her the BLM had asked Mary to contribute to its Desert
focus on botany According Study Program, begun in 1970. "I found more plants
to Joan, her mother would here than they thought they had in the entire desert," said
correspond with botanists at Mary.
academic institutions around
the country, sending them For her work in botany and conservation, Mary re¬
Mary DeDecker — 1993. specimens from the remote ceived numerous awards. Of particular interest here is
eastern Sierra, and would the fact that she was named a CNPS Fellow in 1977,
eventually donate, to the herbarium of the Rancho and that she received the CNPS Rare Plant Conserva¬
Santa Ana Botanical Garden in Claremont, her col¬ tion Award in 1988. She was also recognized by the
lection of over six thousand specimens. Joan goes on local Sierra Club chapter, which gave her its Andrea
to say that Mary also studied the history, geology, and Lawrence Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. It
birds of the Owens Valley and the eastern Sierra, and can be said that, like a rare plant thriving in the arid
speculates that it was her mother's interrelated inter¬ Owens Valley, Mary exemplified the concept "bloom
ests that led to Mary's becoming an environmentalist. where you are planted."
In Joan's words, Mary "worked tirelessly to protect the A Perennial Legacy
land she so cherished." The LADWP, which had in the
1930s employed Mary's husband Paul in the construc¬ When Mary DeDecker died in 2000, having led a
tion of the Mono Basin Aqueduct, was responsible full life, she left a lasting, living legacy. In studying
for Mono Lake's loss of 45 vertical feet between 1941 plants and creating an extensive private herbarium,
and 1990, and for the resulting disappearance of she had contributed a great deal to knowledge of the
meadows, ponds, trees and shrubs. In the 1970s Mary botany of the eastern Sierra and northern Mojave. In
helped found the Owens Valley Committee, a local speaking out on behalf of the area's native plants and
citizens' group formed to bring legal action against environment, she had made a difference in their pro¬
the LADWP. Mary testified at hearings and wrote tection. In authoring two books, she had shared her
articles on the importance of protecting the area's beloved eastern California with the public at large.
rare plants. Today species like Sidalcea covillei (Owens
Valley checkerbloom), a rare alkali meadow endemic, Mary had, in the course of her 91 years, also touched
are recovering, and "there is little doubt that Mary's many lives. The Bristlecone chapter's tribute explains
constant vigilance, knowledge and professional expertise that through teaching courses and leading field trips,
had a positive influence," writes Mary's longtime friend she had become "an inspirational mentor for many
Betty Gilchrist. aspiring botanists and conservationists." Of Mary's trips,
Betty Gilchrist writes: "One of Mary's natural talents
Mary DeDecker founded the Bristlecone chapter of and great interests was sharing her specialized knowledge,
CNPS in 1982. The chapter's memorial tribute calls most often on well-planned and researched field trips . . .
her "an outspoken conservationist" who worked not and her simple, charming manner drew many of us into a
only to protect the Owens Valley from the environ¬ consuming interest in botany just for the joy of it."
mental damage of water exports, but also to protect
the Eureka Dunes from off-road vehicle use. She was The Eastern Sierra Museum's Mary DeDecker Na¬
especially concerned about the harm ORVs could do tive Plant Garden, set against a backdrop of Sierra
to a rare butterfly bush found there, Buddleja utahensis. peaks and planted with over a hundred plants native
Betty Gilchrist describes Mary as "a fiery little lady with to the Owens Valley, is a living tribute to Mary. As
[a] soft, firm voice [who] was able to stand up to all manner visitors enter the garden, they see a plaque, mounted
of bureaucrats and politicians. Using her knowledge and on a piece of Sierra granite. Placed in 2002 by the
Mimulus Memo — March 2019
3
Bristlecone chapter, its wording briefly but beauti¬ \
-
fully describes the life and legacy of this exceptional
woman:
Chapter Meetings
"A pioneering self-taught botanist, her botanical discover¬
■panning TOPICS
ies and ardent commitment catalyzed protection of this
region's unique flora. As wife, mother, grandmother, friend
and community leader, she taught us to follow dreams and
work to protect the beauty and diversity of our natural Thursday, March 21,2019 - 7 pm *
world. May her memory inspire us to continue the work Presenter: Rich Spjut, President
she began." The plaque's inscription ends with Mary's Kern CNPS
words: "Oh, just let's go around the next corner to see Topic: What does Kern's flora have in
what we can find!" common with Patagonia's?
Thursday, April 18, 2019 - 7 pm
Author's note: Many thanks to Joan DeDecker Busby Presenter: Camdilla Wirth, biologist
and Carol DeDecker Wiens for their wonderful mem¬ Sequoia Riverlands Trust
oir, and to Stephen Ingram, Anne Halford and Betty Topic: The Carrizo Plain
Gilchrist of the Bristlecone chapter, for their thought¬
Thursday, May 16,2019 - 7 pm
ful tribute to Mary DeDecker.
Presenter: Jean-Philippe (JP) Marie,
manager, UC Davis Putah Creek
Riparian Reserve
Topic: Native Grasses
All chapter meetings are held the 3rd
Thursday of each month, usually
at 1300 17th Street, Room 1A or IB,
Bakersfield, CA. Check website for
33rd Annual Sierra Club
any change of venue.
Windmill-Wildflower Hike Meeting times:
May 18 6 pm — Discussion groups on plant
identification and native plant gar¬
by Paul Gipe
T dening
he sierra club's windmill-wildflower 7 pm — Program presentation
hike meets at the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) trail-
* This meeting will be held at the Larry
head kiosk at the junction of the Tehachapi-Willow
Reider Bldg., 2000 K St., Rm. 204
Springs Road and Cameron Road. It's a six-mile hike
Bakersfield, CA
with a car shuttle on the PCT from Cameron Road-
North.
Dress appropriately and bring a lunch and water.
Contact Paul Gipe (661-325-9590) for details and to
arrange carpooling from Bakersfield. Note: this is a
hike and not a CNPS
function. Botanists are
welcome as there is
CNPS is the leader for providing reliable
little time for keying
plants. information on California native plants and
plant conservation. Comprehensive infor¬
mation about California's flora and vegeta¬
tion communities is available throughout
the state for conservation and educational
purposes. CNPS's leadership influences
personal ethics and actions, as well as pub¬
lic policy for native plant protection.
Mimulus Memo — March 2019
4
President's Message: smooth tubercles on its
fruitlets,7 compared to the
Conflicting Taxonomy of Menzies'
transverse wavy ridges on
Fiddleneck, Amsinckia menziesii the fruitlets of var. interme¬
(Lehmann) Nelson & J. F. Macbride dia, a widespread variable
species, the type8 from
by Richard Spjut
A Bodega Bay. However, var.
mong early spring californica has not been rec¬
flowers in Kern County are ognized in recent floras, the Amsinckia cf. inter¬
species of fiddleneck classified in name not even mentioned media, Bitter Creek
the genus Amsinckia. We often see in Maynard Moe's updated Nat'l. Wildlife Refuge.
them in great masses. Yet, I can't and revised Twisselmann Five-lobed calyx, with
always confidently identify them flora (2016).9 Moe distin¬ one lobe split halfway;
at glance, except for two that lack guished eight species and mericarps with trans¬
hairs on the stem, A. furcata and A. one variety in his key, that verse wavy ridges - Mar.
vernicosa; only the latter of the two generally follows Ronald 2010.
recognized by Twisselmann (1967)1 B. Kelley and Fred R. Ganders in the 2nd ed. (2012) of
who reported it "scarce in the Temblor the Tepson Manual who distinguished eleven species
Range, usually in dense colonies in and four varieties for all of California, preceded by
light often gypseous soils." Ganders alone in the first edition (1993).
Amsinckia vernicosa, Bit¬ As many as 209 fiddle¬ The main difference in the Jepson Manuals
ter Creek Nat'l. Wildlife neck species have been is the addition of A. retrorsa in JM2, first
Refuge, distinguished by recognized, but only by described by Suksdorf (1900).10 In JM2, it
shiny stems without hairs. W. Suksdorf (1931).2 The is distinguished in part by having simple
genus is predominantly found in western erect stems with rela¬
North America, most diverse in California tively soft appressed to
South Coast Ranges, and introduced else¬ reflexed hairs, in contrast
where around the world, except for few to A. menziesii with coarse
that naturally dispersed to South America. spreading to reflexed
What follows is a taxonomic review of cur¬ hairs. These differences
rently-applied scientific names for Men¬ seem minor compared to
zies' and related fiddlenecks according to variation in other species,
the International Code of Nomenclature especially A. intermedia.
(ICN); names we often take for granted by Amsinckia vernicosa, Bit¬ Twisselmann cited A.
publishing them without their authors in ter Creek Natl. Wildlife retrorsa in syno-nymy of
our newsletters. Amsinckia menziesii was Refuge. Four-lobed calyx A. menziesii, which he re¬
first described by Johann Lehmann (1830);3 (or three-lobed and one ported rare in the Temblor
he named it Echium deeply divided) sur¬ Range.
menziesii, in honor of rounding smooth fruitlets
Archibald Menzies who (mericarps) angled at Amsinckia menziesii is also
collected it along the margin - Mar. 2010. treated differently in the
Pacific Northwest Coast, Jepson Manuals and other
June 1788. literature, notably Abrams
(1951 ),n Ray & Chisaki (1957),12 Munz
Prior to Suksdorf (1931), J. F. Mac- (1959), Cronquist et al. (1984), and
Amsinckia douglasiana, bride (1917)4 revised the genus Welsh et al. (2017).15 For example, the
Bitter Creek Nat'l. Wild¬ Amsinckia, recognizing 23 species, plant is described either decumbent to
life Refuge, four-lobed and Brand (1928)5 described ten ascending in JM2, or "upright" (Munz Amsinckia re¬
calyx. Mericarps with more. Since Suksdorf, interpreta¬ 1959) to "strictly erect" (Welsh et al. 2017). trorsa, collect¬
cobblestone (tessellate) tions of the fiddleneck species and Lehmann's 1830 description, — "caulis ed by Suksdorf,
surface - Mar. 2010. varieties vary widely; for example, herbaceous, erectus, angulatus, sulcatus, Possible type
Twisselmann (1967) recognized five retrorsum hispidissmus," clearly states (US), NMNH,
species and two varieties, among which is A. interme¬ the plant is erect with hispid retrorse Smithsonian
dia Fischer & Meyer (1836) var. californica (Suksdorf) hairs; this agrees with images I have Institution
Hoover (1943),6 originally collected from Caliente in seen of putative type specimens at BM terms and con¬
Kern County. Twisselmann distinguished it by the and lectotype at MEL.16 ditions 3.
Mimulus Memo — March 2019
5
Columbia and Idaho south to the Wil¬
Amsinckia menziesii taxonomy is lamette Valley and eastern Oregon," A.
further complicated by what mate¬ retrorsa extending further south to
rial Lehmann used for naming and southern California.
describing the species. Although
Lehmann had described Echium In summary, the lectotype for
menziesii in 1830, he described the Echium menziesii corresponds to A.
genus Amsinckia in 1831, in a Ham¬ lycopsoides, which is the type species
burg seed list, based on A. lycopsoides. for the genus, and after the name
This species was described in a later was transferred to Amsinckia, it was Amsinckia cf. rostrata,
Kern River Canyon.
seed list, January 1836,17 from plants later discovered to be a synonym of
Mericarps with pimple¬
grown from seed collected by Doug¬ A. lycopsoides. What is identified in
Echium men¬ like tubercles (muricate),
las "above the rapids of the Columbia," Kern County and described else¬
ziesii, collected
distinguished by the corolla bearded where in literature as A. menziesii Mar. 2009.
by Menzies,
inside around the throat and by the may be A. micrantha, which has
putative type
stamens inserted near the base. It been regarded as a synonym of A.
(BM), anno¬
was not until 1916 that E. menziesii menziesii.
tated by P. Ray,
was transferred to Amsinckia by Nel¬
"? isotype."
son & Macbride (Bot. Gazette 61:30-47). A logical choice for Echium menziesii
Attribution 4.0
lectotype might have been Menzies'
International.
Another fiddleneck named by Lehm¬ specimen at BM questioned isotype
ann, Eithospermum lycopsoides (1830, Pugillus 2: 28), was by Ray (BM001024959), later accepted
collected by the Scottish by Cronquist et al. (1984) as isotype,
naturalist, John Scouler, evidently under the presumption
Amsinckia eastwoodiae,
along the "Straits of de Fuca of a holotype at MEL;20 however,
San Joaquin Valley near
in N.W. America." It is not the BM and MEL specimens are not
foothills of Tehachapi
the same as Lehmann's the same. The designated lectotype
Mts. near Arvin. 5-lobed
1831 A. lycopsoides. It was (MEL 101643) — determined to be A.
calyx, mericarps with
renamed A. scouleri by I. M. lycopsoides by Lassen — is support¬
Stegosaurus-1 ike back¬
Johnston (1935)18 that has ed by the historical annotations on
bone - Mar. 2010.
since been synonymized the specimen indicating that it was
Amsinckia cf. micrantha,
under A. spectabilis Fisher from the Lehmann Herbarium, that
March 2005, vacant lot
& C. A. Meyer (Welsh et al. it was collected on Menzies Island
along Pegasus Drive
2017). [by Douglas and Scouler, 02 May
before developed.
1825, now Hayden Island, in the
Leaves wide spreading.
Surprisingly, Amsinckia Columbia River near Portland], and
See illustrations in JM2,
menziesii was not men¬ that it was identified in the field as
A. menziesii, and in E.
tioned by Abrams (1951). Myosotis (Johnston, 1935)]. These
Retief and A. E. van Wyk
Perhaps he may have attributes along with an extracted
2001. S. African J. Bot.
questioned its validity. P. flower mounted separately on the
67:287-293. A. retrorsa.
Lassen (1988),19 who an¬ MEL herbarium specimen — reveal¬
notated Amsinckia types at ing stamens inserted near corolla Amsinckia cf. inter¬
MEL and BM, stated "Am¬ base — corresponds to Lehman's media, 5-lobed calyx;
sinckia menziesii, correctly 1830 description of E. menziesii: "Fil- mericarps with unusual
a synonym of A. lycopsoides, amenta brevissima subaequalis, versus distinctive scale-like-
has been used mainly for two basin tubi inserta." Further, Menzies' tubercles, collectively
distinct species: A. micran- specimens at BM have been an¬ resembling a pine cone,
tha Suksd., and A. retrorsa notated A. intermedia by Lassen. A Tejon Ranch Conser¬
Suksd.; both are lectotypified critical unresolved issue is whether vancy. Mar 2015.
here." Interestingly, both Lehman's original material includ¬
Amsinckia cf. micrantha were recognized by Abrams ed BM or other specimens of Echium menziesii; for
fruit from plant above, (1951); the type locality the example, the handwriting of Echium menziesii appears
five-lobed calyx, the same for both species, and similar on BM and MEL specimens. Aside from this,
lobes lanceolate, spread¬ their geographic ranges the occurrence of A. menziesii in California has been
ing. Mericarps densely overlap: "Upper Sonoran and "in need of verification" (Kelley & Ganders, Jepson
covered with icicle-like Transitions Zones mainly east eflora "unabridged note"), and that A. retrorsa has been
tubercles. of the Cascades from British treated as a synonym (Ray & Chisaki 1957), or variety
Mimulus Memo — March 2019
6
Continued from page 5... dispersing unit. Amsinckia fruit, a microbasarium (De Candolle
1813. Theorie elem. bot. 383), develops from a bicarpellate
(Reveal & Schuyler 1999).21 Perhaps more taxonomic gynoecium; each of two carpels divide at maturity into half-car¬
weight should be given to mericarp features for pels, called mericarps, in the literature commonly referred to as
"nutlets."
distinguishing fiddleneck species; e.g., key in Tepson
8 Application of names of taxa at the rank of family or below is
192522 and images shown above from http://www.
determined by means of nomenclatural types. ICN Art. 7.1).
worldbotanical.com/amsinckia.htm. Holotype—specimen or illustration indicated by the author; or the
only specimen used by the author; isotype—duplicate of holo¬
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: type. If no type indicated, a lectotype may be designated from the
syntypes (ICN Art. 9.3).
Literature/library sources consulted include online
9 Moe, L. Maynard. Kern County Flora. 2016. CNPS.
Tropicos and Biodiversity Heritage Library. Thanks
10 Suksdorf (1900). Deutsche Bot. Monatsschr. 18(9): 134.
also to staff at the National Herbarium of Victoria
11 Abrams, L. 1951. An Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States: Wash¬
at Melbourne (MEL) for providing high resolution ington, Oregon, and California, Vol. 3: Geraniaceae to Scrophula-
image of their Amsinckia menziesii lectotype, and riaceae, Geraniums to Figworts, pp. 603-609. Stanford University
reference to BM and Jstor where images of types are Press, Stanford, CA.
also available; to Pina Milne, Collections Manager; 12 Ray, P. M. and H. F. Chisaki. 1957. Studies in Amsinckia I. A syn¬
opsis of the genus, with a study of heterostyli in it. Amer. J. Bot.
to Rita Macheda for producing the image, and to
44(6): 529-554.
Angharad Johnson, Digitizing Officer. Thanks also
13 Munz, P. (with D. Keck) 1959. A California Flora: p. 587-589,
to Dr. Mark Carine, Principal Curator-in-Charge, Univ. Calif. Press, Berkeley, CA.
Algae, Fungi and Plants Division, Department of 14 Cronquist A, A. H. & N.H. Holmgren, J. L. Reveal, and P.L. Hol¬
Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London mgren. 1984. Intermountain Flora 4: 276-278.
(BM) for providing high-quality images of specimens 15 Welsh, S. L., K. E. Panter, S. M. Colegate, D. R. Gardner, P. S
Cuneo, T. Z. Davis, B. L. Stegelmeier, and C. A. Stonecipher.
collected by Menzies of Echium menziesii. Images of
2017. Taxonomic review of Amsinckia. Int. J. Pharmacognosy and
type specimens for other species at other herbaria also
Phytochem. Res. 4: 24-35.
consulted and cited above.
16 BM (Museum of Natural History in London), CAS (California
Academy of Sciences), GH (Gray Herbarium, Harvard University
ENDNOTES: Herbaria, Cambridge), MEL (National Herbarium ofVictoria at
1 Twisselmann, E. C. 1967. A Flora of Kern County, California, p. Melbourne, Australia), UC (University of California, Berkeley), US
321-322. (United States National Herbarium, Smithsonian Institution Dept.
Botany). Acronyms for herbaria [Herbarium singular] accord¬
2 SuksdorfW. 1931. Untersuchen in der Gattung Amsinckia.
ing to Index Herbariorum, Thiers, B. [continuously updated]: A
Werenda Beitrage zur Pflanzenkunde 1 (5-8):47-113. Wilhelm
global directory of public herbaria and associated staff. New York
Nikolaus Suksdorf (September 15, 1850 - October 3, 1932) was
Botanical Garden's Virtual Herbarium, http://sweetgum.nybg.org/
a German-American botanist, who specialized in the flora of the
science/ih/.
Pacific Northwest. He was largely self-taught and is considered
one of the top three self-taught botanists of his era for the Pacific 1 7 Fischer, F. E. L. and C. A. von Meyer. 1836. Index seminum, quae
Northwest; the other two being Thomas Jefferson Howell and Wil¬ Hortus Botanicus Imperialis Petropolitanus 2.
liam Conklin Cusick" (Wikipedia, accessed 2-17-2019). 18 Johnston, I. M. 1935. Studies in Boraginaceae, XL J. Arnold
3 Lehmann J.G. C. (1830). Minus Cognitarum Stirpium, Pulgillus I, Arb.16: p. 197-205.
Enumeratione Plantarum Ominum 2: 28-30 19 Lassen, P. On the genus Amsinckia. Svensk BotaniskTidskrift 82:
4 Macbride J. F. 1917. A revision of the North American species of 140-150 [In Swedish, English summary).
Amsinckia. Contributions from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard 20 Stafleu, F, A, and R. S. Cowan. 1979. Taxonomic Literature, H-Le,
University, issue 69, pp. 1-16. Harvard University Press, Cam¬ 2nd ed. Noted under Lehmann: the Boraginaceae in the Lehmann
bridge, MA. herbarium "were acquired by O. W. Sonder (now at MEL) accord¬
5 Brand A. 1928. Decas specierum novarum octava. Repertorium ing to information provided by A. B. Court."
Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis 25: 210-214. 21 Reveal, J. L., G. E. Moulton, and A. E. Schuyler. 1999. The Lewis
6 Jepson, W. 1943. A California Flora. Cunningham, Curtis & and Clark Collections of vascular plants: Names, types, and com¬
Welch. ments. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 149: 1-64.
7 Fruitlet defined in Spjut 1994, Systematic Treatment of Fruit Types, 22 Jepson, W. L. 1925. A Manual of the Flowering Plants of Califor¬
NYBG Memoirs Vol. 70. A part of a fruit that functions as a seed- nia. Univ. California Press. a
Comparison of handwriting of Echi¬
um menzierii on labels of type speci¬
mens at MEL (right) and BM (left).
Right specimen lower label, Myoso-
tis, Menzies Island, N. (North) W.
(West) C. (Coast) America, Scouler,
bottom left corner, annotated by P. ' r
- >/
M. Ray on packet containing frag¬ v‘
- A jftX
ments. .4^. <
Mimulus Memo — March 2019
7
FIELD TRIPS to have CNPS members participate in this
by Patty Gradek with Rich Spjut important project. The Committee provides
a potluck lunch. Please bring something to
share with the group. In the afternoon we
ERN CNPS FIELD TRIPS ARE OPEN TO ALL.
Occasionally, numbers will be limited by the will drive to nearby areas to observe desert
land owners or agencies. We welcome you to join us wildflower blooms.
to see and learn about our native plants and their
habitats, to learn to identify plants, or to photograph Please RSVP to Lucy at [email protected]
them. If you are skilled in plant identification, you by March 12 at 8 pm. Those who RSVP will
can help us all learn. be given the location to meet the morning Desert Tortoise
Preserve Committee. Inc.
of March 16 and the meeting time. We will
Please always dress in layers, wear boots or shoes likely be leaving the meeting location about
you can hike in, and bring food and water. You 7:30 am. Plan on this being a full day. Lucy will RSVP to
may also want to bring a hat, sunscreen, binoculars, the Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee for all attend¬
camera, plant lists and useful references such as ing with/ from CNPS.
Kern County Flora and the Tepson Manual, or any
book you like. We try to meet at a spot where we can Bring your food to share, water, drinks, hat and
park some cars and carpool to our location to save sunscreen, dress in layers, and wear long pants. Wear
the air, gas, money and make sure that we will have boots if you have them. There are restrooms as we
adequate space to park. CNPS does not arrange car enter California City in the morning and we will stop
pools; each person does so at the meeting place. If again on our way home. There are beautiful long
you ride with another driver, please remember to views, friendly people from the Desert Tortoise Pre¬
offer to help pay for gas. serve Committee, a good chance of seeing abundant
desert wildflowers, and a great potluck lunch!
All trips are by reservation only, so we know whom
to expect, and how many will be participating in
March 30, Saturday
each field trip. Each trip will have the contact person
KERN NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
listed. Please email the contact person by four days
With Geoff Grisdale
before the field trip and indicate the names of those
Contact: Fred Chynoweth - [email protected]
who will attend. Please also provide a cell-phone
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm, Tuesday, March 26
number, in case we need to reach you that day, and
indicate whether you will be driving a four-wheel-
Geoff Grisdale, Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Fish
drive, AWD or high-clearance vehicle. We may need
and Wildlife Service, will take us on a tour of the
to limit participation for some trips if we don't have
Kern National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge includes
an adequate number of four-wheel-drive, AWD or
a Desert Research Natural Area for endangered
high-clearance vehicles for all the participants.
Tipton kangaroo rats, San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-
nosed leopard lizards. We're expecting to see good
IMPORTANT: If your plans or your party's
wildflower displays at that time.
plans change and you will not be attend¬
ing, it is critical — for safety, planning
We will meet at the BLM parking lot at 3801 Pegasus
and courtesy reasons — that you call or email the
Drive at 7:45 am and will form carpools. We will leave
contact person and let them know you will not be
by 8:00 am and arrive at the Refuge around 8:30am.
there.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service is limiting this trip
to 15 people.
March 16, Saturday
DESERT TORTOISE RESEARCH If you would like to attend, RSVP to Fred Chynoweth
NATURAL AREA at [email protected] by March 26 at 8 pm. Let Fred
with Lucy Clark and Jill Estrada know what vehicle you will be driving, since we would
Contact: Lucy Clark - [email protected] like to have a couple of larger vehicles to transport peo¬
RSVP Deadline: 8 pm, Tuesday, March 12 ple from the headquarters to wildflower destinations.
Restrooms are available at the Refuge headquarters.
We have been invited to join the Preserve Manager Bring your lunch, water, sunhat, and sunscreen, and
and volunteers of the Desert Tortoise Preserve Com¬ wear boots. There may be wet areas to walk through.
mittee for their work day at the Natural Area on We will leave the Refuge about 12:30 pm and arrive
March 16th. The focus for this work day is to remove back at the BLM parking lot by 1:00 pm.
invasive species from selected areas. They are excited
Mimulus Memo — March 2019
8
You are welcome to take photos and may want to bring
water and sun protection. We assume the participants
will drive their own vehicles to each location. Please
RSVP to Monica Tudor at the above email address.
Participants will be given the addresses of the gardens
after RSVPs.
April 10, Wednesday
April 27, Saturday
CARRIZO PLAIN NATIONAL MONUMENT
BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE GARDEN FEST,
with Denis Kearns
CNPS NATIVE PLANT SALE &
Contact:
WILDFLOWER EXHIBIT
Denis Kearns - [email protected]
RSVP Deadline: 8pm, Friday, April 5
(See description on next page) This is the
time and place of our Annual Spring
Botanist Denis Kearns will lead us on a trip to this
Native Plant Sale. We also will have a
wild and beautiful place. The trip will be limited to
display of local wildflowers collected,
20 people, due to limits prescribed for such tours in
identified and labeled by our member-
the BLM Management Plan. Therefore, if you want to
volunteers.
attend, we suggest you contact Denis at cyclanthera®
netscape.net early, because only 20 people will be al¬
lowed to participate.
ell
Please meet at the parking lot of the BLM office at pb
m
3801 Pegasus Drive at 8:30am for carpooling. If you a
C
have a four-wheel drive or AWD, please let Denis h
a
n
know that when you RSVP and plan to drive it. We Di
will leave promptly at 8:45am and this will be a o:
ot
full-day field trip. There are restrooms at the Visitor Ph
Center at Carrizo. Bring your lunch, water, a sunhat, A sampling of local wildflowers identified and labeled
sunscreen and boots you can hike in. from the 2018 wildflower exhibit.
April 13, Saturday
May 18, Saturday
NATIVE GARDEN TOUR IN BAKERSFIELD
WINDMILL-WILDFLOWER HIKE
with Monica Tudor
WITH THE SIERRA CLUB
Contact: Monica Tudor - [email protected]
with Paul Gipe
RSVP Deadline: 8pm, Tuesday, April 9
Contact: Paul Gipe — [email protected]
This native garden tour will visit up to three native
(See description on page 3.) This is not an official Kern
plant gardens in Bakersfield. It will be an opportunity
CNPS field trip, but there are often flowers out for
to see different species in bloom and various ways to
viewing in the course of the six-mile hike. There is
landscape with natives. Plan on this being a morning's
little time, however, for close flower investigation.
activity.
Mimulus Memo — March 2019
9
Unscheduled Field Trips In Memoriam:
(A note from President Rich Spjut) Field trips will prob¬ Sandy Hare
ably be scheduled on short notice, one week or so in
hy Georgette Theotig
advance. I will schedule a field trip in July for either
Mt. Pinos or Mt. Abel. I will also check with the HE NATURAL WORLD RECENTLY LOST A
Forest Service in a few weeks to ask the prognosis for very good friend. Sandy Hare, who passed away
Sunday Peak. Tentatively we would like to go there on October 23, was a strong advocate for resource
in mid-June. protection of the public lands of eastern Kern County.
Sandy and her husband, Jon, were residents of Te-
Check your e-mail for notification about these pos¬ hachapi for many years.
sible field trip opportunities. ft
Both were employed by the Tehachapi Unified
School District, and also owned and operated a na¬
tive plant nursery in Sand Canyon. Sandy led class
field trips to Red Rock Canyon State Park annually,
introducing countless first graders to the mysteries of
the desert. Her love of the natural world compelled
her to become an impassioned activist for protec¬
tion of the public lands north and east of Tehachapi,
chiefly in BLM Study Areas offered for wind energy
and for establishing the Middle Knob ACEC.
The challenging job of resource documentation was
accomplished by leading many public field trips,
taking photographs, and engaging botanists, geolo¬
gists, and archaeologists in the effort to record the
vast resources of the BLM parcels. Sandy's meticulous
field survey forms were submitted to county and state
agencies and became a valuable record in defense of
resource protection.
Annual I have fond memories of Sandy and me exploring the
pinyon pine/juniper woodlands together, botanizing
^Garden Fest and discovering the natural treasures there. Sandy
was especially excited to locate two species: Kern
buckwheat (Eriogonum kennedyi var. pinicola) and
Spanish needle onion (Allium shevockii) on our hikes.
Saturday, April 27, 2019, 9am — 4pm;
Thanks to Sandy's thorough and relentless efforts, we
Free admission. Free Parking now have a larger resource record for the vast public
G
lands of eastern Kern County. Thank you, Sandy, for
arden fest is an open house featuring your much appreciated work, and for inspiring us to
Bakersfield College's environmental, horticul¬ do our part in protecting the natural world.
ture and agriculture programs that draws thousands
of visitors to the BC campus for a day of family fun. For those who knew her, a celebration of life will be
• 150 vendor booths featuring gardening, held at Red Rock
farmers'market, cooking, outdoor leisure, arts Canyon on Satur¬
and crafts, environmentally-friendly home im¬ day, April 6th. For
provement ideas. information Con¬
tact Carol Rush me
• carnival games and prizes presented by BC stu¬ a
at carol@redrockrr- G
dent clubs and organizations n
cia.org or Bugs h
o
J
• seminars on gardening with live radio broadcast Fontaine at ioe@ y
s
e
hosted by BC Plant Professor Lindsay Ono and redrockrrcia.org <**? urt
o
landscape professional Dale Edwards. o c
ot
• "Grilling with the Chef' meat and vegetable grill¬ Ph
ing demo. Spanish needle onion (Allium shevockii)
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CNPS-Kern Chapter
c/ o Dinah Campbell, Editor
3806 Dalehurst Drive
Bakersfield, CA 93306
[email protected]
California \ |ativ6
'Plant
) Society
KERN CHAPTER
imulu
Inside this Issue:
MARY FOSTER DEDECKER - PART II
FIDDLENECK'S CONFLICTING TAXONOMY
2019 FIELD TRIPS
DATES & TOPICS
