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PROGRAMS Everyone is welcome to attend membership meetings in the Recreation Room of the San Francisco County Fair Building (SFCFB) at 9 th Avenue and Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park. The #71 and #44 buses stop at the building. The N-Judah, #6, #43, and #66 lines stop within 2 blocks. Before our programs, we take our speakers to dinner at Changs Kitchen, 1030 Irving Street, between 11 th and 12 th Avenues. Join us for good Chinese food and interesting conversation. Meet at the restaurant at 5:30 pm. RSVP appreciated but not required - call Jake Sigg at 415-731-3028 if you wish to notify. June 6, THURSDAY, 7:30 pm Mosses are from Mars, Vascular Plants are fromVenus Speaker: Brent D. Mishler The bryophytes are the most diverse set of land plants aside from the flowering plants. The group includes three quite distinct lineages: mosses, hornworts, and liverworts; some familiar species are frequently encountered in mesic forests and along streams, while a number of less familiar species are in tropical rain forests, arctic tundra, and desert boulders. The bryophytes have an ancient history they are remnant lineages surviving today from the spectacular radiation of the land plants in the Devonian Period, some 400-450 million years ago. Yet despite their diversity, phylogenetic importance, and key roles in the ecosystems of the world, study of many aspects of the biology of bryophytes has lagged behind that of the larger land plants, perhaps because of their small size and how few scientists specialize in them. In this talk, you will hear a summary of what we do know about their biology, as an encouragement for you to get to know them better. Two questions to intrigue you: Are bryophytes biologically like their larger cousins, just smaller versions? If not, in what ways does bryophyte biology differ from that of the larger vascular plants? The short answers: No, and, in almost every way possible! The groups didn’t evolve on different planets, but their differences could almost make you think they did. They certainly adopted very different approaches to being land plants on this planet. Many aspects need much more study, but what is known about bryophyte biology suggests that in general the bryophytes differ in most ways in their genetics, physiology, ecology, and evolution from vascular plants. Brent D. Mishler is Director of the Jepson Herbaria at UC Berkeley, as well as Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, where he teaches phylogenetic systematics, plant diversity, and island biology. He received his PhD from Harvard University in 1984, then was on the faculty at Duke University for nine years before moving to UC Berkeley in 1993. His research interests are in the systematics, evolution, and ecology of bryophytes, especially the diverse moss genus Syntrichia, as well as in the phylogeny of green plants. He is also interested in more general topics involving the theoretical basis of systematic and evolutionary biology, such as phylogenetic methods and the nature of species. He has been involved in developing electronic resources to present plant taxonomic and distributional information to the public, and for research applications of these data, including to the California flora. He is one of the founders of, and incoming President Elect for, the CNPS Bryophyte Chapter. August 1, THURSDAY, 7:30 pm Insect Apocalypse? Is insect biodiversity and biomass declining? What do the recent studies mean? Speaker: Dr. Leslie Saul-Gershenz Dr. Leslie Saul-Gershenz is Associate Director of Research, Wild Energy Initiative of the John Muir Institute of the Environment at UC Davis where she researches native solitary bees and their nest parasites. She will discuss several recent studies that have documented a large decline in insect abundance, biodiversity, and biomass in Europe, Puerto Rico, and California, looking at changes in insect populations over a 30- year period. Each study used different methodologies and pointed to different causes of declines. She will also speak about her current bee study to understand the impact of utility-scale solar energy development in Californias deserts, and look at how activities outside protected areas affect protected areas, such as national parks and reserves. Insects, plants, and underground resources are inseparable within their ecosystems; conservation management policies need to reflect these complex relationships. Leslie studies the chemical ecology, pollination ecology, and complex parasite-host interactions of solitary native bees and their nest parasites across the western US, including the Mojave Desert, the coastal sand dunes of Oregon, and eastern Washington. She has also collaborated on a bee inventory in the Mojave Desert, providing evidence that this amazing ecosystem is a biological hotspot for both native bees and plants; they found at least 170 species of bees in the intersection between the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. NEWS YERBA BUENA THE YERBA BUENA CHAPTER OF THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY FOR SAN FRANCISCO AND NORTHERN SAN MATEO COUNTY CONTENTS Programs page 1 Field Trips page 2 Activities pages 2,3 Volunteer Spotlight page 3 Mountain Journal page 4 Native Gardening page 5 Volunteers Needed page 6 Habitat Restoration page 6 Chapter News page 7 Vol. 33 No.2 June 2019 NO PROGRAM in July FUTURE PROGRAM September 5Plants of the Farallon Islands Speaker: Peter Pyle Lycopodium clavatum by Margaret Kemp

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  • PROGRAMS

    Everyone is welcome to attend membership meetings in the Recreation Room of the San FranciscoCounty Fair Building (SFCFB) at 9th Avenue and Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park. The #71 and #44buses stop at the building. The N-Judah, #6, #43, and #66 lines stop within 2 blocks. Before ourprograms, we take our speakers to dinner at Changs Kitchen, 1030 Irving Street, between 11th and12th Avenues. Join us for good Chinese food and interesting conversation. Meet at the restaurant at5:30 pm. RSVP appreciated but not required - call Jake Sigg at 415-731-3028 if you wish to notify.

    June 6, THURSDAY, 7:30 pmMosses are from Mars, Vascular Plants are from VenusSpeaker: Brent D. Mishler

    The bryophytes are the most diverse set of land plants aside from the flowering plants.The group includes three quite distinct lineages: mosses, hornworts, and liverworts;some familiar species are frequently encountered in mesic forests andalong streams, while a number of less familiar speciesare in tropical rain forests, arctic tundra, and desertboulders. The bryophytes have an ancient historythey are remnant lineages surviving today fromthe spectacular radiation of the land plants in theDevonian Period, some 400-450 million years ago. Yetdespite their diversity, phylogenetic importance, and keyroles in the ecosystems of the world, study of many aspects ofthe biology of bryophytes has lagged behind that of the largerland plants, perhaps because of their small size and how fewscientists specialize in them. In this talk, you will hear a summaryof what we do know about their biology, as an encouragement foryou to get to know them better.

    Two questions to intrigue you: Are bryophytes biologically like theirlarger cousins, just smaller versions? If not, in what ways doesbryophyte biology differ from that of the larger vascular plants?The short answers: No, and, in almost every way possible! The groups didn't evolve on different planets,but their differences could almost make you think they did. They certainly adopted very differentapproaches to being land plants on this planet. Many aspects need much more study, but what is knownabout bryophyte biology suggests that in general the bryophytes differ in most ways in their genetics,physiology, ecology, and evolution from vascular plants.

    Brent D. Mishler is Director of the Jepson Herbaria at UC Berkeley, as well as Professor in the Departmentof Integrative Biology, where he teaches phylogenetic systematics, plant diversity, and island biology.He received his PhD from Harvard University in 1984, then was on the faculty at Duke University for

    nine years before moving to UC Berkeley in 1993. His research interests are in the systematics, evolution, and ecology of bryophytes, especiallythe diverse moss genus Syntrichia, as well as in the phylogeny of green plants. He is also interested in more general topics involving thetheoretical basis of systematic and evolutionary biology, such as phylogenetic methods and the nature of species. He has been involved indeveloping electronic resources to present plant taxonomic and distributional information to the public, and for research applications of thesedata, including to the California flora. He is one of the founders of, and incoming President Elect for, the CNPS Bryophyte Chapter.

    August 1, THURSDAY, 7:30 pmInsect Apocalypse? Is insect biodiversity and biomass declining? What do the recent studies mean?Speaker: Dr. Leslie Saul-Gershenz

    Dr. Leslie Saul-Gershenz is Associate Director of Research, Wild Energy Initiative of the John Muir Institute of the Environment at UC Daviswhere she researches native solitary bees and their nest parasites. She will discuss several recent studies that have documented a large declinein insect abundance, biodiversity, and biomass in Europe, Puerto Rico, and California, looking at changes in insect populations over a 30-year period. Each study used different methodologies and pointed to different causes of declines. She will also speak about her current beestudy to understand the impact of utility-scale solar energy development in Californias deserts, and look at how activities outside protectedareas affect protected areas, such as national parks and reserves. Insects, plants, and underground resources are inseparable within theirecosystems; conservation management policies need to reflect these complex relationships.

    Leslie studies the chemical ecology, pollination ecology, and complex parasite-host interactions of solitary native bees and their nest parasitesacross the western US, including the Mojave Desert, the coastal sand dunes of Oregon, and eastern Washington. She has also collaboratedon a bee inventory in the Mojave Desert, providing evidence that this amazing ecosystem is a biological hotspot for both native bees and plants;they found at least 170 species of bees in the intersection between the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.

    N E W S

    Y E R B ABUENA

    THE YERBA BUENA

    CHAPTER OF THE

    C A L I F O R N I A

    N A T I V E P L A N T

    S O C I E T Y F O R

    SAN FRANCISCO

    AND NORTHERN

    SAN MATEO COUNTY

    CONTENTSPrograms page 1Field Trips page 2Activities pages 2,3Volunteer Spotlight page 3Mountain Journal page 4Native Gardening page 5Volunteers Needed page 6Habitat Restoration page 6Chapter News page 7

    Vol. 33 No.2 June 2019

    NO PROGRAM in July

    FUTURE PROGRAMSeptember 5Plants of the Farallon IslandsSpeaker: Peter Pyle

    Lycopodium clavatumby Margaret Kemp

  • Members and non-members are encouraged to attend theseFREE walks. Signups generally not requiredjust meet at thespecified place and time. If rain or high wind is forecast, werecommend checking with the contact (listed at the end of thetrip description) a couple of hours before the trip.

    June 8, SATURDAY, 10am-NoonThe Daly City Dunes, San Bruno MountainLeader: Doug Allshouse

    Imagine a 300-foot deep sand dune system that dates back about125,000 years when San Bruno Mountain was almost an island, andits 2 miles from the ocean! Located at the mouth of lower ColmaCanyon, the dunes are a remnant of the Ancient Colma Dune Formationthat once stretched from Colma to the Presidio, but now is fragmentedby development in western San Francisco and Daly City. A piece ofthis site is relatively intact and supports a specific ecosystem not usuallyfound at such a distance from the coast. Of great interest is the presenceof San Francisco lessingia (Lessingia germanorum) an endangered duneplant now found only in the Presidio and the Dunes, its only knownpopulation in San Mateo County. Also present at the dunes is SanFrancisco spineflower (Chorizanthe cuspidata), dune suncup (Camissoniastrigulosa), contorted suncup (Camissonia contorta), miniature suncup(Camissoniopsis micrantha), California suncup (Camissoniopsis bistorta),and blue beach lupine (Lupinus chamissonis). There should be a greatbloom of farewell-to-spring (Clarkia rubicunda) on the backside and apopulation of California pipe vine nearby (Aristolochia californica),which means the sighting of beautiful Pipe Vine Swallowtails (Batusphilenor) and their larvae is a distinct possibility. Wear sturdy shoessuitable for sand. Thiers Street intersects Hillside Boulevard abouthalfway between the Mission Street/John Daly Blvd intersection andEast Market Street. Turn onto Thiers Street and meet at the HilldaleSchool at the junction of Thiers and Florence Streets. Contact Dougat [email protected], text or call 415-269-9967 if you havequestions or need directions.

    June 22, SATURDAY, 10am-NoonNative Plant Gardens of the Baker Beach ApartmentsLeader: Lewis Stringer

    Can coastal native landscaping provide aesthetic beauty for residentswhile providing ecological benefits for wildlife? Join Presidio Trustrestoration ecologist Lewis Stringer on a walking tour of the formermilitary housing complex that is enveloped with a diverse communityof central coast dune scrub plants. Throughout the hike, restorationgoals, techniques, and the sites history will be discussed. The hikeshould take approximately 2 hours or less and will involve some slightlyhilly terrain. We will begin near 1599 Pershing Drive where streetparking is available. The area is also accessible via the Muni #29 bus.

    July 14, SUNDAY, 8am-10amLate Bloomers and Birds of Devils Slide (RSVP required)Leaders: Eddie Bartley, Bob Hall

    Join CNPS Yerba Buena board members on a foggy walk to see oneof the most dramatic stretches of coast anywhere. Devils Slide Trailin Pacifica is a 2.6-mile out-and-back walk along a former segmentof Highway 1 that offers flora and fauna such as Wights paintbrush,coast angelica, peregrine falcon, and rock wren (plant list from PedroPoint Headlands: http://www.pauldonahue.net/plant_list.html ).We will meet in the SOUTH parking lot on the Montara side. Parkingis extremely difficult. Car-pooling is advised. At this time, the onlypublic transportation service available is provided by SamTrans, Route17 on Highway 1. This trip will be limited to 20 people. RSVP [email protected]

    FIELD TRIPS

    PLANT ID WORKSHOPS ON SUMMER BREAKThere are no workshops at SFSU during the summermonths of June, July, and August. The workshops willresume in September and continue through the fallsemester. Check the September newsletter for dates andtimes.

    THANK YOU SFSU BOTANY GRAD STUDENTS!Once a month, eight times per year, three botany graduate studentsat San Francisco State University lead a Plant ID Workshop for CNPSYerba Buena members. For an hour and a half the grad students helpinterested members key and identify native plants. Our membersenjoy learning to identify native plants; the grad students all enjoysharing their love and knowledge of botany and watching thecollaborative energy that ensues from people learning together; andeveryone has a great time.To show our appreciation, the chapter board voted to give each studentan honorarium of $100, a small gesture given all that they do. Wewould also like to acknowledge and thank Mila Stroganoff who hascoordinated the program since 2013.

    These dedicated young people were also asked to tell us somethingabout themselves. They obliged; following are excerpts

    ACTIVITIES

    (ACTIVITIES continued on page 3)

    2

    (clockwise fromupper left) Tito Abbo,Richard Graham-Bruno, MorganStickrod

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  • from what they wrote. The full submissions are on the chapter websitehttp://cnps-yerbabuena.org.

    Morgan Stickrod is a graduate student at SFSU in the Parker Lab. Forhis thesis research, he is investigating seed banks and vegetationdynamics of a brackish tidal marsh. Specifically he is looking at therelationship between dispersal and establishment among representativetaxa at Rush Ranch Open Space (Solano County), and how keystructural processes relate to limitations and tolerance thresholds ofthe federally endangered Suisun Thistle (Cirsium hydrophilum var.hydrophilum; Asteraceae). Outside this particular project, he has beeninvolved in vegetation mapping of Southeast Farallon Island, censusand monitoring of the federally endangered Fountain Thistle (Cirsiumfontinale var. fontinale), and occasional environmental consulting work,as well as helping out with CNPS rare plant surveys. He has also beenan employee of the San Francisco Botanical Garden for the past threeyears.

    Morgan graduated with a BS in Ecology (focus in Plant Biology) fromthe University of North Carolina at Asheville. While living in thesouthern Appalachians, he worked for the Blue Ridge Parkway (NPS)developing the permanent herbarium collection and doing rare plantmanagement work. He was also involved in several long-term researchprojects in Great Smoky Mountains National Park studying potentialresistance in Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and Carolina Hemlock(T. caroliniana) to the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (Adelgid tsugae). He iscurrently looking into PhD programs, interested in the overlap ofecology and systemics, and potentially interested in teaching.

    Tito Abbo is a senior undergraduate majoring in Botany with a

    Chemistry minor at SFSU. He discovered his passion for botany asa teenager while visiting the Ruth Bancroft Garden (RBC) in WalnutCreek. He went on to complete an internship and docent training atthe RBC under the tutelage of curator Brian Kemble. He is scheduledto graduate from SFSU in the fall of this year as a member of Phi BetaKappa honor society and is currently preparing his PhD applications.He intends to pursue a doctorate in plant systematics and is consideringstudying plants in the parasitic family Orobancaceae.

    Tito has a complimentary interest in the medicinal properties ofplants. He sees medicinal plants as the area where his interests inchemistry and botany most strongly align and enjoys using chemistryto extract medicinal compounds from plants. Before coming to SFSU,he studied Clinical Herbalism for four years at the Ohlone HerbalCenter in Berkeley.

    Richard Graham-Bruno is a second-year masters student in the plantecology lab of Dr. Tom Parker at SFSU, with an expected graduationin 2019. His current research concerns the distribution andestablishment limitations of the Suisun thistle (Cirsium hydrophilumvar. hydrophilum), a federally endangered tidal wetland species thatoccurs at Rush Ranch in Solano County. Throughout this project, hehas spent a lot of field time in the tidal wetlands of the San FranciscoEstuary becoming familiar with the species composition of theseunique vegetation communities. He hopes to work in restorationecology or land management after graduation, areas where he couldhave a direct impact on public lands and parks, as well as engagingwith visitors and volunteers. He completed his undergraduate degreeat Gonzaga University, in Spokane, WA where he began his study ofecology conducting a research project on the impacts of beaver damson vegetation communities.

    33

    ACTIVITIES (continued)

    Volunteer SpotlightKipp McMichael a man of many talentsBy Noreen Weeden

    The contributions that Kipp McMichael has made to the YerbaBuena Chapter of CNPS are many and varied. He started out byresponding to a plea for a webmaster posted in the December,2006 newsletter. He took over the role of chapter webmasterfrom Margo Bors in 2007 and that same year also joined the board.As webmaster Kipp redesigned, updated, and maintained thechapters website for a decade before handing the job over to anew team. He was a valuable contributor with great ideas for thechapters new 3rd generation website.Kipp is also vital to the production of the chapter newsletter. Hecontributed a written piece to the newsletter in 2009 and thenvolunteered to work on it, first on design, and then when long-time editor Barbara Pitschel became too ill to continue, hevolunteered to take over that job as well. He currently does thelayout and production.In addition, Kipp has twice been the chapters featured speaker ata member meeting. In 2012, he spoke on Getting by with a LittleHelp: Native Parasitic and Mycotrophic Plants of California andin March, 2017 his title was Calochortus Pursuits: FindingCalifornias Beautiful Grass. Members fondly recall thesepresentations delivered with a great sense of humor. This May,2019 he and Ted Kipping co-presented and led a walk through theArthur Menzies Garden of California Native Plants in the SanFrancisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum. A skilledphotographer of native plants, Kipp travels the state in pursuit of

    this passion. He hascollaborated withMargo Bors on anative plantphotograph galleryfor the chapterwebsite. He is also abit of an expert onplants in theManroot family. Hiswork has beenpublished inCalPhotos,CalScape, and thePacific Bulb Society.Webmaster,Newsletter Editor,Program speaker,photographer andfirefighter! Kippdoes it all. Weespecially appreciate the fact that although he no longer lives inSan Francisco, he has continued as a volunteer for the Yerba BuenaChapter.Photograph by Margo Bors, taken while both she and Kipp wereproviding stewardship at India Basin for the (since lost) Calochortusluteus. Margo describes the scene this way: Once, when we wentto the serpentine hillside below the public housing overlookingIndia Basin, a grass fire had just started and was spreading rapidly.This picture of Kipp shows him vigorously fighting the fire beforethe firemen arrived.

    VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

    photo: Margo Bors

  • A Chronicle of Natural History on San Bruno Mountainby Doug Allshouse

    Even though spring is a season of joy, some springs bring more joyand fireworks than others. This was one of those springs. The necessaryelements fell into place producing sporadic super blooms on theMountain and elsewhere. A seemingly lackluster winter rainy seasonbecame the rainy season from hell when it seemed it would not everstop. Admit it! There were times during those stretches of consecutiverainy days where there was a dichotomy of feelings bouncing aroundin various behavioral cavities in your brain. You were SO happy to seesome much-needed precipitation falling from the sky but, damn it,will the sun ever shine again? The chilly winds blew, and you wonderedif you could ever shed the rain coats or sweaters. And then it finallyhappened, a prolonged dry spell and gorgeous sunny days when youcould take those therapeutic walks through Natures wonderful gardensand you felt whole again.

    This joyous spring was largely made possible by a string of precipitousdays spread over January (5.51-11 days), February (8.60-15 days),and March (5.23-16 days) in my rain gauge. So far for the season wehave 27.13 of precipitation which is above average for San BrunoMountain.

    Owl Canyon is loaded with many patches of star lily this year. Severalyears ago, I saw my first two clematis vines along the trail. If theamazing flowers are not blooming it is easy to miss them, but somethinggot into these vines the past couple of years. They have tripled andquadrupled their size and one has climbed up and into a blue blossombush on the trail. There are hundreds of gorgeous creamy-yellowflowers on each one. The paintbrushes are now beginning to appear.Boneyard Quarry in lower Colma Canyon, named for the many smallanimal bones found in Great-horned Owl pellets, has large patchesof San Francisco collinsia (multicolor), stonecrop (Sedum), Californialarkspur (Delphinium) and meadow rue (Thalictrum) scattered in thescree of rocks and boulders. Waiting to bloom in a month or so arethousands of farewell-to-spring (Clarkia). Its quite a sight to stand onthe Daly City dunes and look across the canyon to see huge pinkcarpets of clarkia, as well as on the lee side of the dune. The trail tothe quarry is a bit overgrown so Ill have to summon my amigos tohelp me open it soon. The Boneyard is amazing with large boulderspiled up at the base and finer rocks further up. San Bruno Elfinbutterflies have been photographed on the stonecrop, their larval hostplant.

    Serendipity plays a huge part in discovering new plants that were notin the 1990 flora. I spent a few hours with Ken Hickman and JohnRawlings in early April. Ken planted animal cameras all over the Parkto create an animal inventory. We were in a boggy area in the midstof a willow grove on the Bog Trail. Ken was picking up a camera whenhe noticed fragile fern (Cystopteris fragilis). At this point the fronds are3-5 centimeters long and look disgustingly close to lady fern. Thefronds are slightly different and the pinna (leaflets) do not sag or archlike lady fern does. The frond, 8-30 cm long is much shorter thantypical lady fern frond. This discovery adds two new ferns, coffee fernbeing the other, giving us eleven ferns on the Mountain. The otherdiscovery was mountain dandelion (Agoseris heterophylla), a muchsmaller version than the very common California dandelion (A.grandiflora). Mountain dandelion has long wispy lance-shaped leaveswith a yellow flower about 10-12 mm wide.

    A cold winter delayed blooming by a few weeks but the Great Meadowis bursting with thousands of goldfields, and four species of owlsclover. It was an especially good year for dwarf owls clover (Triphysariapusilla), a little guy usually less than 3 centimeters tall that catchesyour eye by forming burgundy-colored carpets the size of servingtrays. Cable Ravine has its requisite share of goldfields but my-oh-my,

    the golden violets are bursting at the seams.

    It's been two years since the discovery of Choris popcorn flower(Plagiobothrys chorisianus) a plant that was long considered extirpatedfrom the Mountain. In late March I began a few weekly visits to thesite to check the progress. Like so many other places, the popcornflower was more than a few weeks behind schedule and the surprisewas that there seemed to be fewer plants this year than last year despitehigher rain totals. April Brook was running well and shooting star andpopcorn flower rosettes were popping through the Creekside mosses.

    Following up the last paragraph with a visit to the Great Meadow inlate April, I was presented with eye-popping populations of thousandsof common owls clovers (Castilleja densiflora) and johnny tuck(Triphysaria eriantha). The goldfields were pretty much spent but thecheckerbloom and some dwarf brodiaea made up for it. April Brookhad dried up but hundreds of tiny white popcorn flowers, 5 mmacross, were blooming creekside and even on isolated islands withinthe creek bed. My heart sang to see them again, knowing that theyare holding strong in this location. The bonus this year was the presenceof the owls clover down to the creek, something that hadnt happenedbefore.

    This is an area that is crying for a good burn to rid it of coyote brush.A few decades ago it was a massive meadow stretching from RadioRoad to April Brook and up to Rabbit Ridge. I was imagining whatit might have looked like 50 years ago. I remember seeing vast stretchesof cow parsnip in the spring and pearly everlasting in August. It lookedlike snow in the meadow. A good burn would be a great start to rebootthe ecosystem. Mixed in with the common owls clover is dwarfplantain, creating a virtual smorgasbord for the threatened BayCheckerspot larvae. I was trying to imagine what that would feellikethousands of checkerspots flying over the meadow, hill toppingto meet mates adjacent to Radio Road and laying eggs on those twoplants. The beginning of a new generation could be possible with somedaring imagination and deeds.

    See you on the Mountain...

    DOUGS MOUNTAIN JOURNAL

    4

    Castilleja densifloraowls clover

  • 5

    NATIVE GARDENING: THINK SUMMER, THINK INSECTSby Jake Sigg

    If you were a flower-visiting insect, what would you find in Bay Areaopen spaces in midsummer and autumn?

    By August after little rain for four or five months, you wont be findinglots of wildflowers. But they do exist, and to those with a keen eyefor nature they are as precious and exciting as the spring displays,their subtle beauty often attracting more striking and interestinginsects. Some plant families were selected by nature to come to thefore at this time of year; the principal one is the sunflower family,Compositae (Asteraceae), an old but still valid name*.

    Most of these late-flowering plants will not win prizes at the ChelseaGarden Show, and some in fact are so inconspicuous people donteven notice them. The flowers of cudweeds in the genusPseudognaphalium are so tiny they need to be aggregated into a compositehead of hundreds in order to attract even an insects attention. Theymay be unimpressive to humans but to tiny lepidoptera, landing ona head of these flowers is hog heaven. The feeding insects also benefitthe plant, as they assure all its flowers are pollinated. We need abazillion tiny, tiny insects at the base of the food chain to support afew bigger critters towards the topso dont turn up your nose atthese extremely modest plants. Although cudweeds are unpretentious,focused attention often reveals great charm and beauty. Some arenative, some not, but they are all welcome, as none of them areaggressive, and all appeal to lepidoptera.

    Closely related to the cudweeds but more showy and appealing tohumans is pearly everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea. I dont have afavorite wildflower, but if I did this would be a top contender. Thatin part is because it blooms in late summer when almost nothing elseis active, but especially because when at its prime it is an exceedinglybeautiful plant and grows in massesin crowded rhizomatous colonies. The stems and the underside of the leaf are covered with dense woollytomentum; the topside is dark, shiny green. The flowers are bunchedin heads like a true composite, and those heads are aggregated intolarger headswhy the family was named the Compositae.

    Its the colorwhitethat is so stunning. You dont know whatwhite is capable of until youve seen pearly everlasting at its primea dead white, ineffably beautiful. All that cheerful brightness in themidst of dead grasses and wildflowers never fails to please and surprise.Growing in similar conditions are the goldenrods, of which we havetwo species, Solidago californica and S. spathulata. Like pearly everlastingthey can hold their own in a beauty contest.

    When buying plants for your garden, dont forget autumn. Mostpeople are blinded by spring wildflowers. Get in the habit of thinkingecologically by considering what will be out in August, September,and October, and what critters will be in need of nectar, pollen, orplant juices. In your garden, think of year-round, think of insects andother creatures.

    * Modern botanists now call the family Asteraceae because computerslike family names to be named after a genusin this case Aster. Buta botanical congress decided to conserve six family namesie, allowthem to continue even in the presence of the new name. I am attachedto these names and follow the name conservation because the namesare so descriptive and appealing. The other five are Umbelliferae(Apiaceae), meaning bearing umbels (same root word as umbrella),the parsley or carrot family; Leguminosae (Fabaceae) the legume orpea family; Cruciferae the mustard family (Brassicaceae), meaningcross-bearing (family flowers have four petals in the shape of a cross);Labiatae the mint family (Lamiaceae), and Gramineae the grass family(Poaceae).

    Solidago velutina ssp californicagoldenrodby randomtruth

    A flowers fragrance declares to all the worldthat it is fertile, available, and desirable, its sexorgans oozing with nectar. Its smell reminds usin vestigial ways of fertility, vigor, life-force, allthe optimism, expectancy, and passionate bloom

    of youth. We inhale its ardent aroma and, nomatter what our ages, we feel young and nubile

    in a world aflame with desire.Diane Ackerman, American writer

    Ed. note: Michael Woods Focus on Rarities column will return in September. Mike and his wife have recently finished an exhilarating,exciting, but also exhausting 3-month odyssey through Southern Africa and are now in Europe, so we gave him the issue off to recover.

    p

  • Alemany Natives at Alemany FarmsCommunity workdays held from Noon to 5pmevery 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month and theSaturdays in-between, plus every Mondayafternoon from 1:00-5:00. [email protected]

    Bayview HillIrregular. Contact Jake Sigg [email protected] for next work party date.

    Bernal Hill2rd Saturdays, Jan-June. 10am-noon. [email protected]

    Candlestick Point State Park Nursery1st Saturdays, every month. 10am-1pmContact Patrick Marley Rump [email protected].

    Candlestick Point Recreation Area2nd Saturdays, every monthContact Patrick Marley Rump [email protected].

    Corona HeightsLast Saturdays, every month. 10am-noon. [email protected]

    Friends of San Pedro Valley Park:Trail Restoration2nd Saturdays 9 am - 12 pm, every month, meetin front of Visitor Center

    Friends of San Pedro Valley Park: HabitatRestoration3rd Saturdays 9 am - noon, every month, meetin front of Visitor Center

    Glen Canyon ParkWednesdays & 3rd Saturdays, every month. 9am--11:30am. Contact [email protected]

    Golden Gate Audubon SocietyVarious opportunities:https://goldengateaudubon.org/volunteer/

    Golden Gate National Recreation AreaWeekdays and weekends around the Bay Area.Contact [email protected] or 415-561-3044

    Golden Gate Park Nursery1st Saturdays, every month. 9:30am-12:30pmContact [email protected]

    Golden Gate Park Oak Woodlands2nd Saturdays, every month. 10:00am-12:30pmContact [email protected]

    Green Hairstreak Corridor, Golden GateHeightsPeriodically. Contact [email protected]

    Half Moon Bay State BeachVarious restoration and nursery opportunities.Contact email [email protected]

    Herons Head ParkVarious opportunities athttp://sfport.com/herons-head-park

    Linda Mar Beach, PacificaVisit pacificabeachcoalition.org

    Marin Headlands Native Plant NurseryWeekdays and weekends. Contact (415) 561-3044or [email protected]

    McLaren Park2nd Saturdays every month, 10am-noon. [email protected]

    McKinley Square Hillside

    3rd Saturdays, 10am-12:30pm. [email protected]

    Mission Creek South BankGenerally Saturday mornings. Contact GinnyStearns for times. Call 415-552-4577 [email protected]

    Mt. SutroWednesdays 9:30am-12:30pm at the nursery; 1stand 3rd Saturdays 9:00am-1pm, visitsutrostewards.org

    Pacificas Environmental FamilyVarious opportunities. See events calendar:http://www.pacificasenvironmentalfamily.org

    Palou Phelps Park1st Saturdays, Jan-June. 10am-1pmContact [email protected]

    San Bruno MountainGuadalope Valley Stewards, Tuesdays 10am-12pm;Mission Blue Nursery, Wednesdays, 10am-12:30pm; Stewardship Saturdays, 10am-1pm;South San Francisco Weed Warriors, last Fridaysand Saturdays of the month, 9am-noon. See eventscalendar mountainwatch.org

    SF Recreation and ParksVolunteer calendar:http://sfrecpark.org/support-your-parks/volunteer-program/

    San Mateo County ParksStewardship Core calendarhttp://parks.smcgov.org/smc-parks-stewardship-corps

    Save the BayVarious opportunitieshttps://www.savesfbay.org/volunteer

    Starr-King Open Space2nd Saturdays every month, 9:30am-noon. Visitstarrkingopenspace.org

    Tennessee Valley Restoration2nd ,4th & 5th Tuesdays, 10am-2pm.Visit parksconservancy.org

    Yerba Buena Chapter Restoration TeamWednesdays, noon-3pm. Contact Jake Sigg [email protected]

    Yerba Buena Island Stewardship3rd Wednesdays, 1-3 PMhttps://sftreasureisland.org/ybi/stewardship

    HABITAT RESTORATION

    6

    OUTREACH VOLUNTEERS NEEDED PLEASE SIGN UPNOW!

    Volunteering with CNPS-YB is a wonderful way to show your lovefor native plants, our local ecosystems, and biodiversity.Im Susan Karasoff, the new CNPS-YB Outreach Chair, and I'massembling a team of volunteers to help educate about, and advocatefor, native plants and biodiversity in our area.

    There are many ways in which chapter volunteers can help withoutreach. Examples: City departments, regional authorities, andother organizations make landscaping and planting decisions that wecould influence with your advocacy. Written comments submittedby, or spoken public comment made by, chapter members can swaydecision makers. A CNPS table at an event, staffed by volunteers, canboth educate the public and attract new chapter members.Or, do you live near a specific park? You could advocate for nativeplants in that park. (In 2019, the SF Recreation and Parks Departmenthas plans for plantings at India Basin, Buena Vista Park, Francisco Park,and Middle Lake in Golden Gate Park. SF DPW has plans for landscapingon Sunset Blvd., and SF PUC is planning for work at Balboa Reservoir.)

    Be assured that as an outreach volunteer, you choose how, when, and

    with whom you advocate, given how much time you have available,and what meetings and/or events youd like to attend. You will bepart of a team for example, requests for comments will beaccompanied by suggested talking points.

    I look forward to hearing from you, learning about you, and workingtogether to advocate for our local ecosystem. Please contact me, SusanKarasoff, CNPS-YB Outreach Chair, at bozo at saturn5 dot org formore information, and to discuss how you can help. Thank you!

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  • 7

    Long Time Board Members Honored by State CNPS

    Congratulations to Adrian and Mila Stroganoff, who were honoredat the Dec. 2018 Chapter Council Meeting with a well-deserved stateCNPS Volunteer Recognition Award. The certificate read "For thirtyyears of strong constant support in too many areas to count for the YerbaBuena Chapter. Just a small sample of their many contributions: Adrianserved as the chapters Treasurer from 1992-2017; Mila organizes thechapters Plant ID Workshop (see separate article); and for years, thepair faithfully lugged CNPS posters and books from Pacifica to membermeetings and other events in San Francisco to make them availablefor sale.

    Get your limited edition CNPS hat

    For a very limited time, until June 10, your chapter is offering anexclusive CNPS cap. For $22.99 you can show you care aboutconserving native plant habitat and restoringbalance to a frantic urban environment.Sales will help us print butterfly hostplant handouts and planting guides forsidewalk and backyard gardens. And,if we raise enough funds, well workon creating a searchable native plantdatabase that will offer city agencies,landscapers, and ecosystem-conscious developers alternatives to planting alien ornamentals withlittle value to local wildlife. Every plant matters. Every cap salematters, too. Get yours now. Go to bonfire.com/california-native-plant-society

    Trust Email Alerts, Not Your Memory

    Theres only so much information humans can cram into theircranium before a malfunction occurs. Why trust your greymatter to remember the next Yerba Buena chapter event whenyou could simply sign up for email alerts? Give your brain abreak. Go to our website (cnps-yerbabuena.org) to join themailing list, and well send you reminders about every hike,plant sale, talk, and conservation action item.

    And while youre at it GO GREEN! switch to the electronicversion of this newsletter! Help the chapter save on printingcosts, save trees, and help the planet. Send an email [email protected] with the subject e-news andrequest the electronic version of the newsletter. Thank you!If you have already tried this, please try again. We had a glitch.

    Community Thrift - $1138.52 raised last year!Thank you to all who have donated furniture, clothing, books, CDs,and housewares to Community Thrift at 623 Valencia St., got a taxdeduction, AND raised $$ for the chapter by designating CNPS(Charity #152 on their list) as the beneficiary of their non-profitsharing plan. The donation door around the corner on SycamoreAlley is open from 10 - 5 daily.

    CHAPTER NEWS

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    BOARD MEETINGSBoard meetings are held on the second Monday of alternate months,beginning with January, usually at 350 Amber Drive (SF PoliceAcademy), and start at 7 pm. People interested in the work ofthe chapter are welcome to attend as a guest of any board member.Email us at yerba.buena.cnps.chapter.gmail.com for moreinformation.

    OFFICERS & CONTACTSPresidentPosition vacantVice President & Acting PresidentEddie [email protected]

    Past PresidentGerry [email protected]

    TreasurerBob [email protected]

    SecretaryJacq [email protected]

    Chapter Council DelegateEddie [email protected]

    Conservation ChairJake Sigg [email protected]

    San Mateo CountyConservationMike Vasey [email protected]

    Education CoordinatorPosition vacantField Trips ChairNoreen [email protected]

    Field Trips CoordinatorHannah [email protected]

    Garden TourCoordinator neededHospitality CoordinatorsPositions vacantInvasive ExoticsMark Heath [email protected]

    Legislation ChairLinda Shaffer [email protected]

    LepidopteristLiam OBrien [email protected]

    Membership DevelopmentPosition vacantMembership RecordsGeorge Suter [email protected]

    Newsletter Design & LayoutKipp McMichael [email protected]

    Newsletter ChairLibby Ingalls [email protected]

    Outreach ChairSusan Karasoffbozo at saturn5 dot org

    Photo DocumentationMargo Bors [email protected]

    Greg Gaar [email protected]

    Plant Sale ChairEddie [email protected]

    Posters and Book Sales ChairPosition vacantPrograms ChairJake Sigg [email protected]

    PublicityBob [email protected]

    Rare Plants Co-ChairPeter [email protected]

    Rare Plants Co-ChairMichael [email protected]

    Rare Plants ChairSan Mateo CountyDavid Nelson [email protected]

    San Bruno Mountain ChairDoug Allshouse [email protected]

    Technology Co-ChairsEddie [email protected] [email protected]

  • Learn to understand Californias unique flora and help topreserve this rich heritage for future generations.

    ____Yes, Id like to join.

    Affiliation: Yerba Buena Chapter

    Membership Category____ $2,500 Benefactor____ $1,000 Patron____ $ 500 Supporter____ $ 120 Plant Lover____ $ 50 Individual____ $ 25 Fixed Income/Student

    Make your check out to CNPSand mail with this form to:California Native Plant Society 2707 K Street, Suite 1 Sacramento, CA 95816-5113

    Name ______________________Address ________________________City _____________________ State _______Zip __________ Telephone _____________email _________________________________

    Dues above the $12 for publications are tax deductible. You willreceive the Yerba Buena News, the informative triannual journalFremontia, and a statewide news bulletin. Members of otherchapters may subscribe to the Yerba Buena News alone for $10per year, renewable annually. Send a check made out to CNPSto 1946 Grove St. Apt. 6, San Francisco, CA 94117.

    JOIN THE CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

    California Native Plant SocietyYerba Buena Chapter338 Ortega StreetSan Francisco, CA 94122

    Visit: www.cnps-yerbabuena.org

    N E W S

    Y E R B ABUENA

    THE YERBA BUENA

    CHAPTER OF THE

    C A L I F O R N I A

    N A T I V E P L A N T

    S O C I E T Y F O R

    SAN FRANCISCO

    AND NORTHERN

    SAN MATEO COUNTY

    Printed on recycled paper ALL ADDRESS CHANGES TO: [email protected] - subject: Member Address Change

    YERBA BUENA NEWSVolume 33, number 2 (June 2019)

    Published quarterly by the Yerba Buena ChapterCalifornia Native Plant Society

    Design & Production Kipp McMichaelProofreading Libby Ingalls & Linda Shaffer

    Masthead design Barry DeutschChapter logo Nancy Baron

    DEADLINES FOR JUNE NEWSLETTERArticles & general copy July 25

    Time-dependent material August 5Late-breaking news By arrangement

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