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   N A TIVE    NOTES
        

K A TE’S   MOUNT A IN   CLOVER

BILL   GR A FTON   –   Editor

WEST   VIRGINI A  N A TIVE   PL A NT   SOCIETY   NEWSLETTER

Volume  15:3                                                               DECEMBER , 2007

Dear   WVNPS   Members ,

I   hope   everyone   had   an   exciting   spring ,  summer   and   fall   and   took   many   opportunities   to   botanize .   I   attended   several   Tri - State   Chapter   trips   and   the   Fall   State   field   trip .   Getting   together   with   friends   and   fellow   botanical   enthusiasts   is   always   a   treat .   I   encourage   you   if   you   haven’t   already ,  to   take   advantage   of   these   trips   next   summer .   It’s   a   great   chance   to   learn   about   the   flora   from   excellent   botanists   such   as   Bill   Grafton ,  Donna   Ford - Werntz   and   Judy   Dumke   and   wildflower   gurus   such   as   Romie   Hughart ,  Helen   Gibbons ,  Jeff   Patton   and   many   others   who   regularly   attend   these   fields   trips   and   willingly   share   the   knowledge   with   participants .   Even   though   I   work   with ,  identify   and   read   about   plants   for   my   job ,  I   always   learn   new   things   on   our   field   trips .  

I’d   like   to   thank   our   Chapter   presidents ,  the   WVNPS   Board   and   Frank   Porter  ( Fall   meeting   host   and   organizer )  for   organizing   excellent   field   trips   and   working   to   educate   and   involve   our   WVNPS   members .

Please   remember   that   the   WVNPS   is   a   organization   for   all   seasons ,  not   just   the   growing   season .   This   winter   we   will   continue   our   annual   lecture   series   at   Marshall   University   (see   schedule   in   this   issue ).  A t   the   first   talk   in   December   I   will   present   on   the   topic   of   fire   ecology .   The   use   of   prescribed   fire   by   land   managers   is   an   important   tool   in   conserving   biodiversity   and   rare   plants .   I   will   explain   why   that   is   and   discuss   some   of   the   controversy   surrounding   the   use   of   prescribed   fire .   The   next   topic   of   our   lecture   series   in   January   features   a   similar   but   more   specific   theme ;  How   does   fire   and   other   forest   management   practices   affect   mosses ?   This   will   be   presented   by   John   Willey   a   graduate   student   at   Ohio   State   University .  A nother   graduate   student   and   colleague   of   mine ,  Gerald   Scott   will   present   his   research   on   the   effects   of   the   invasive   species   Tree - of - Heaven   on   plants   and   soils .   Many   of   you   are   probably   familiar   with   this   species   and   its   stench .    Not   only   does   this   plants   stink   literally ,  but   its   also   stinks   for   the   plants   and   soils   that   have   to   live   with   it .   Last   but   not   least ,  Jim   Boggess   of   Barboursville   will   prime   us   for   spring   wildflower   season   by   giving   us   a   virtual   tour   of   the   wildflowers   of   Barboursville   park .   Jim   will   discuss   many   virtues   and   uses   of   the   plants   he   has   photographed   at   the   park .  

Thanks   for   your   continued   support   of   the   WVNPS   and   I   look   forward   to   seeing   you   this   winter   or   next   summer .

Cheers ,

Chad   Kirschbaum ,  WVNPS   President

SILENT   INV A SION :  ECOLOGIC A L  A ND   HE A LTH   THRE A TS   OF   INV A SIVE   SPECIES

A   silent   invasion   is   taking   place   in   our   precious   forests ,  meadows ,  and   wetlands .  Little   by   little   invasive   plants   are   out - competing   native   plants   as   they   vie   for   nutrients   to   survive .  The   list   of   invasive   species   is   growing   at   an   exponential   rate .  These   invasives   arrive   in   cargo   containers   from   abroad   either   as   seeds ,  roots ,  or   plants .  They   also   are   brought   into   this   country   intentionally   by   nurseries   who   sell   them   to   unsuspecting   gardeners   who   are   delighted   by   the   flowers   and   foliage ,  but   are   completely   unaware   of   the   ecological   havoc   these   plants   can   cause   in   our   native   ecosystems . A ttempts   to   eradicate   these   invasives   will   always   be   hampered   until   the   public   is   made   aware   of   the   damage   caused   by   them .  One   solution   is   to   begin   using   native   plants   as   substitutes   for   these   invasive   species .  Native   plants   are   not   only   extremely   ornamental ,  they   are   also   well - adapted   to   the   growing   conditions   in   which   they   will   be   placed ,  requiring   little   or   no   irrigation ,  needing   no   fertilization ,  and   requiring   no   insecticides .  The   use   of   native   plants   lessens   the   destruction   of   fragile   ecosystems   that   are   inundated   with   chemicals   as   the   result   of   too   much   irrigation   and   use   of   pesticides   and   insecticides .

The   intentional   and   accidental   introduction   of   alien   species   of   plants   is   one   of   the   dire   threats   to   the   natural   resources   of   the   Ohio   Valley .  One   need   only   drive   along   our   major   highways   and   look   at   the   rapid   spread   of   Kudzu   vines ,  Paulownia   trees ,  and   the   ornamental   grass   Miscanthus   sinensis   to   see   how   devastating   these   species   can   be .  Invasive   species   are   even   more   prevalent   within   the   confines   of   our   federal   and   state   forests   and   parks .  Microstegia   vimineum  ( Stiltgrass )  is   literally   choking   out   hundreds   of   species   of   wildflowers   and   grasses .  It   is   an   annual   grass   that   produces   thousands   of   seeds   per   plant   that   attach   themselves   to   any   object   that   passes   through   them . A TVs   are   one   of   the   main   culprits . A s   they   ride   along   trails   covered   with   Stiltgrass ,  their   tires   spread   the   seeds   wherever   the  A TVs   venture . A nd   all   too   often ,  the   riders   stray   off   the   trails   and   traverse   the   sides   of   the   mountains   or   along   gullies   and   cuts   dissecting   the   slopes .  Within   a   matter   of   weeks ,  there   are   green   strips   present   where   the   tires   have   dispersed   the   seeds .

Invasive   species   also   present   health   risks   to   humans .  Tree   of   Heaven  (A ilanthus   altissima )  is   not   only   invasive   but   also   poisonous .  There   have   been   instances   where   individuals   who   were   sawing   these   trees   became   seriously   ill   from   the   sap .  Another   pernicious   invasive   plant   that   is   a   public   health   hazard   is   Heraclelum   mantegazzianum  ( Giant   Hogweed ).  Originally   from  A sia   and   introduced   as   an   ornamental   plant ,  Giant   Hogweed ' s   clear ,  watery   sap   has   toxins   that   cause   photodermatitis .  Skin   contact   followed   by   exposure   to   sunlight   produces   painful ,  burning   blisters   that   can   develop   into   purplish   or   blackened   scars .

There   are   far   too   many   other   species   that   have   invaded   the   forests ,  meadows ,  and   waterways   of   the   Ohio   Valley . A  regional   effort   must   be   implemented   to   prevent   and   control   the   continued   spread   and   introduction   of   these   non - native   species .  Efforts   are   already   underway   by   both   federal   and   state   agencies   to   eradicate   specific   invasive   species .  But   it   will   prove   to   be   a   fruitless   effort   if   these   same   non - native   species   are   allowed   to   grow   in   adjacent   private   lands   and   continue   to   be   a   source   of   seeds   that   will   ultimately   spread   back   onto   public   lands .  Private   landowners ,  as   well   as   federal   and   state   agencies ,  must   be   made   aware   of   the   health   hazards   and   ecological   catastrophe   that   is   taking   place   because   of   non - native   invasive   plants .

KEYNOTE   SPE A KER :   Mark   Rose

Mark   Rose ,  of   Greensboro ,  North   Carolina ,  has   been   interested   in   native   plants   since  1954. A t   an   early   age ,  he   began   cultivating   native   orchids ,  trilliums ,  lilies   and   hexastylis .  His   primary   interest   is   in   shade   gardening   and   spring   ephemerals .  He   owned   and   operated   a   commercial   tropical   orchid   nursery   from  1964  to  2007.  He   is   a   Life   Member   of   the  A merican   Orchid   Society   Inc .;  a   fellow   in   the   Royal   Horticultural   Society   of   London ,  England ;  a   co - founder   and   Board   Member   of   the   Native   Orchid   Conference   Inc .;  and   a   member   of   the   North   Carolina   Native   Plant   Society   and   serves   on   its   board .  In   March   of  2006,  Mark   was   appointed   by   Governor   Easley   to   the   North   Carolina   Plant   Conservation   Board .

Date :  March  27, 2008

Location :   Meigs   County   Extension   Office ,  Pomeroy ,  Ohio

For   further   information   contact   Frank   W .  Porter   at   sr 2642@ dragonbbs . com  

Wvnps . org  ----------- You   can   pay   your  2008  dues   now .   Check   our   website .----------- wvnps . org

Our   winter   lecture   series   has   been   finalized   for   this   season .   See   the   schedule   below   and   feel   free   to   forward   it   to   anyone   you   think   would   enjoy   these   lectures .   Hope   to   see   you   all   this   season . 

Winter   Lecture   Series

Fire   Ecology   of   the  A ppalachian   Foothills

Chad   Kirschbaum ,  Wayne   National   Forest  

Wednesday ,  December  12 th  

Silvicultural   Effects   on   Forest   Mosses   in   Vinton   County :  Ohio   Records   and   Species   Trends

John   Wiley ,  Ohio   University

Wednesday ,  January  16 th  

Tree - of - heaven   its   history ,  biology ,  and   invasion   into   the   deciduous   forests   of   southern   Ohio  

Gerald   Scott ,  Ohio   University  

Wednesday ,  February  13 th  

The   Wildflowers   of    Barboursville   Park

Jim   Boggess

Wednesday ,  March  12 th

All   Lectures   will   be   held   at   

Marshall   University

Science   Building   Room  376

6 :30  –   7:30  P . M . Free

Public   welcome !   Please   join   us   for   a   series   of   talks   about   wildflowers ,  mosses ,  ecology   and   invasive   species . 

 

wvnps ------------ wvnps ------ 2 008  dues   are   now   due -------- wvnps --------- wvnps ---------

WVNPS   BO A RD   MEETING  :  Will   be   held   in   Charleston  ( Saturday ,  January  19, 2008

Back - up   date   will   be   February  19 th .    Time   and   place   on   website   and   by   email .    We   hope   to   have   a   guest   speaker   talking   about   invasive   species .

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Summary   of   the  A nnual   Joint   Meeting   of   the   Torrey   Botanical   Society ,  the   Philadelphia   Botanical   Club ,  and   the   Botanical   Society   of  A merica ,  Northeastern   Section  ( June  17-21,  2 007).  

By   Elizabeth   Byers ,  with   thanks   to   Larry   Klotz   and   Ed   Miller   for   their   notes   on   the   event

The   meeting   took   place   at   Davis   and   Elkins   College   in   Elkins ,  West   Virginia ,  and   featured   a   program   of   three   all - day   field   trips   plus   four   evening   lectures .   This   was   the  60 th   BOTSOC   foray .  The  42  full - time   and   five   part - time   participants   represented  11  northeastern   states   plus   the   District   of   Columbia   and   Florida .   

The   field   trip   leaders   were   Jim   Vanderhorst ,  Elizabeth   Byers ,  and   Brian   Streets   from   West   Virginia   Natural   Heritage   Program ;  Dr .  Katherine   Gregg   of   West   Virginia   Wesleyan   College ;  and   Leah   Ceperley   from   Canaan   Valley   National  

Wildlife   Refuge .   Evening   lectures   were   given   by   Elizabeth   Byers ,  Katherine   Gregg ,  Bill   Roody  ( West   Virginia   DNR ),  and   Rodney   Bartgis  ( The   Nature   Conservancy ).   Larry   Klotz   was   the   Chair   for   this   meeting ,  Marcia   Minichiello   was   the  A ssistant   Chair ,  and   Karl  A nderson   again   served   as   Treasurer .   The   next   meeting   for   June  2008  will   be   in   southern   New   Jersey   and   organized   by   Ted   Gordon   and   Walt   Bien .

The   program   opened   on   Sunday   evening   with   a   slide   presentation   by   Elizabeth   Byers   on  " High   elevation   wetlands   of   the  A llegheny   Mountain   region ."   We   distributed   field   trip   materials ,  including   maps   and   a   checklist   of  733  species   which   have   been   documented   at   the   field   trip   sites .   On   Monday   morning ,  we   departed   for   Cheat   Mountain  in   the   area   of   Gaudineer   Knob .   We   began   with   an   upland   limestone   forest   on   west   flank   of   Cheat   Mountain .   This   was   the   lowest   elevation   stop   of   the   day ,  and   was   situated   along   a   band   of   Greenbrier   limestone   that   forms   a   ring   around   the   entire   Tygarts   Valley   River .   The   forest   here   is   successional ,  with   black   cherry   and   slippery   elm   over   a   rich   herbaceous   layer .   There   was   an   abundance   of   land   snails .  This   area   also   had   lots   of   black   cohosh  (A ctaea   racemosa )  in   bloom   and   blue   cohosh  ( Caulophyllum   thalictroides )   in   fruit ,  Goldie’s   shield   fern   ( Dryopteris   goldiana ) ,  and   other   calciphiles .  In   the   dense   shade   of   June ,  the   spring   ephemerals   had   disappeared ,  except   for   wild   leek   flowers  ( Allium   tricoccum ) ,  which   are   known  ( and   relished )  as   “ramps”   to   the   locals . 

The   group   then   ventured   into   the   balsam   fir  ( Abies   balsamea )   swamp   at   Blister   Run .     This   is   perhaps   the   finest   stand   of   balsam   fir   in   WV   near   the   southernmost   extent   of   the   species   range .  This   large   swamp   hosts   numerous   wetland   plants   including   several   rare   species .   We   saw   several   pad   orchids  ( Platanthera   orbiculata ) .  One   was   in   perfect   bloom   which   greatly   pleased   the   photographers . 

Lunch   was   at   the   Gaudineer   Picnic  A rea .     Gaudineer   Knob   is   over  4400  feet   elevation   and   is   clearly   in   the   “spruce   zone . ”    The   picnic   area   is   surrounded   by   a   young   spruce   forest   with   a   ground   carpet   of   the   liverwort   Bazzania   trilobata .  At   the   lunch   stop ,  we   enjoyed   a   southern   beauty ,  the   southern   mountain   cranberry ,  ( Vaccinium   erythrocarpum ) .  Its   fruit   dangles   like   deerberry   but   is   red   when   ripe .  Mountain   wood   fern  ( Dryopteris   campyloptera )   and   a   budding   woodland   orchid   ( Platanthera   clavellata )    were   additional   highlights .  We   then   ventured   into   the   old   growth   spruce   forest   at   Gaudineer   Scenic  A rea .     This   is   a   rare   old   growth   remnant   of   upland   spruce   forest   in   WV ,  said   to   have   survived   the   loggers   by   a   surveyors’   error ,  so   that   ownership   was   in   question .   Ed   Miller   observed   that   in   the   Adirondacks   of   New   York , A LL   of   the   adjacent   landowners   would   have   logged   and   asked   questions   later . A  loop   trail   meanders   through   the   stand   which   is   near   the   ecotone   of   the   red   spruce   and   northern   hardwoods   ecosystems .  

The   final  ( or   first ,  if   you   were   in   the   second   group )  stop   of   the   day   was   the   high   elevation   river   scour   prairie   on   the   Upper   Shavers   Fork   River .     Our   northern guests   enthusiastically   waded   the   river   to   what   they   attractively   called   an    “ice   meadow” .   Ed   Miller   said   it   reminded   him   strongly   of   the   ice   meadows   on   the   upper   Hudson   River ,  which   also   have   sticky   tofieldia  ( Triantha   glutinosa )   and   a   green   orchid  ( Platanthera   flava ) .  Two   rare   Central  A ppalachian   endemics ,  Barbara   buttons  ( Marshallia   grandiflora )   and   long - stalked   holly  ( Ilex   collina )   provided    a   geographic / botanical   thrill   to   the   group .   Other   highlights   were   smooth   azalea   ( Rhododendron   arborescens ) ,  Carolina   tasselrue  ( Trautvetteria   caroliniensis ) ,  glade   St .  Johnswort  ( Hypericum   densiflorum )   and   a   pretty   phlox  ( Phlox   maculata ) .

Monday   evening ,  Kathy   Gregg   gave   a   fascinating   slide   presentation   entitled  " Do   orchids   hedge   their   bets ?"   Tuesday   morning   we   set   out   in   windy ,  threatening   weather   for   Dolly   Sods .    Luckily ,  the   rain   and   lightning   and   held   off   until   the   afternoon ,  and   we   were   able   to   enjoy   the   spectacular   views   and   breathtaking   expanse   of   mountain   laurel   in   bloom .   We   began   with   a   brief   stop   in   the   upland   forest   at   Laneville   Cabin .   Dolly   Sods   is   drained   by   the   high - gradient   Red   Creek ,  which   crosses   the   Greenbrier   limestone   at   this   point .   We   looked   at   the   transition   from   the   rich   deciduous   forest   to   the   high   elevation   spruce   zone .   There   is   a   small   colony   of   exotic   but   uncommon   strawberry - raspberry  ( Rubus   illecebrosus )   at   this   site ,  with   a   large   white   flower   and   pleasant   odor .   We   then   drove   up   to   the   top   of   the   ridge   and   visited   the   beautiful   shrub   and   bog   communities   along   the   Northland   Loop   Trail .   Lunch   was   at   the   Red   Creek   Campground ,  followed   by   a   brief   visit   to   the   tall   shrub   community   and   views   of   the   Ridge   and   Valley   ecological   province   on   eastern   side   of  A llegheny   Front .

The   last   stop   of   the   day   was   at   Bear   Rocks .   Here   the   landscape   was   covered &