UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA

Y=.1C):R N E W S L E T TER

Volume 19, Number 3

Published by the FRIENDS of the BOTANICAL GARDEN • Berkeley, California Summer 1994

Seed Distribution

This year the Garden sent its 27th seed list toover 600 botanical gardens and arboreta in43 countries. What is this seed list and what

is its purpose?Seed lists have been issued by botanical gardens

and arboreta for centuries; they list seeds, spores, andbulbs obtained from the institution's living collectionsand/or from the wild. These materials are offered toother gardens and arboreta, who issue their own lists.These lists form a valuable and, for us, the chief sourceof new additions to our living collections. The materialoffered in the lists we receive is usually sent withoutcharge. The UC Botanical Garden acquires an averageof 1400 new accessions annually. While many of theseaccessions are collected by garden staff or by volunteersand others, most of them come from other gardens. Inturn, every other year we publish a seed list offeringseeds to other gardens. In addition, campus researchersuse the seed lists we receive to request species neededfor their own research projects.

Our current seed list offers 192 seed collectionsof California natives and a few Arizona species, allcollected from the wild. Most of the seeds offered in ourrecent seed lists have been collected by horticulturistsRoger Raiche and Kurt Zadnik and by Assistant Cura-tor Holly Forbes. This trio maps out an itinerary whichthey then follow in late summer when seeds are ripe.The seeds or seed capsules are collected in bulk,brought back to the garden and cleaned by volunteersMargriet Hecht, Francine Henderson, Bibi Chapman,and Judy Gordon. Ms. Hecht repackages the seeds intosmaller packets, labels these, packages them, and mailsthem. In addition, Roger Raiche has also donated agreat deal of seed collected during travels on his owntime. This year's seed list was partially financed by agenerous donation from the East Bay Chapter of theCalifornia Native Plant Society.

Why do we go to the trouble and expense ofcollecting seeds from the wild, when the California

Native Area of the Garden contains such a rich arrayof natives? The reason is that garden-collected seedrisks being "contaminated" genetically. For example,some of the wallflowers, meadowfoams, and bushmonkeyflowers now growing in the native area showevidence of hybridization, and doubtless have becomeestablished on the site following hybridization betweentwo or more species in the collection. If we collectedseeds from our own plantings, there is no guaranteethat the resultant seedlings would all belong to theparental species. Certainly, it is likely that seeds ofour manzanitas would produce a fair number ofinterspecific hybrids, and this would probably be trueof many other groups as well.

The 1993-1994 Garden seed lists contains someunusual and difficult-to-obtain species. Among theconifers listed, Foxtail Pine (Pinus balfouriana) is rarelyavailable; this high-altitude pine occurs in the southernSierra Nevada and the mountains of northwesternCalifornia; our seeds were collected in Onion Valley,Inyo County. At theother extreme, we alsooffer seeds of somewidespread pines.Ponderosa Pine (Pinusponderosa) seeds areavailable from twopopulations, andLodgepole Pine (Pinuscontorta subspeciesmurrayana) and JeffreyPine (Pinus jeffreyi)seeds are offered fromone population each.Seven native onionspecies are offered,and there are twolistings of the curiousTwining Brodiaea

Page 2 University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

(Dichelostemma volubile), one from a serpentine substrateand another from non-serpentine. This plant has alwaysfascinated me: its flowering stalks twine up from theground using the stems of shrubs for support and oftenwhen the attractive pink flowers are produced thetwining stalk that bears them has separated from theunderground corm. Thus, seed formation must rely onwater and nutrients stored in the fleshy flower stalk.

The Garden seed list is unusual in several respects.Frequently we are complimented on the excellenthabitat and locality notes that are given in the list.The precise locality, elevation, plant community, andobservations on soil characteristics are given. Thus,if a species is listed more than once, a prospective"customer" may use these notes to help arrive ata decision of which collection to request. For example,the attractive Golden Star (Bloomeria crocea) is, like theTwining Brodiaea, offered from a population growingon a serpentine substrate and another from a non-serpentine substrate. Or species

Beauty is not a criterion for inclusion in the Gardenseed list. The current list, for example, offers a relativelydrab Snakeroot (Sanicula tuberosa), the coarse,malodorous gourd Cucurbita foetidissima, one rush,and one sedge. However, at the same time, overseashorticulturists will be interested to see listings ofthree native fritillarias, three native lilies, and somehandsome penstemons, monkeyflowers, and shootingstars. One never knows how the offerings will rate withthose who request seeds. A tally was kept for requestsgenerated by our 1991-1992 seed list; conifers andmembers of the lily family were the most sought-aftergroups in that list, which generated requests from 257institutions for 4,375 packets of seeds. The greatestnumber of requests came from other gardens andarboreta in the USA, followed by Germany, France,countries of the former USSR, and Australia.

In the 1987-1988 seed list, the only non-Californianative species offered was seed collected from our plant of the giant Peruvian bromeliad

may be offered from quite differentelevations, plant communities,or regions of the state.

Puya raimondii. Many of you willremember that plant. The localnews media learned of its produc-tion of a gigantic flower stalk aftergrowing in the Garden collectionfor 38 years. Lore was that the plantrequires a century or more before itflowers, and then, after flowering,the plant dies. One weekend theGarden was besieged by hundredsof visitors who wanted to seethe Puya—and nothing else.Perhaps because of the mediablitz, or perhaps because of itsrarity (I prefer to think the latter)Puya raimondii was the mostsought-after species the year itsseed were offered.

Most of the species in ourseed lists are virtually un-known in horticulture, yet

UCBG horticulturist Roger Raichegathering seeds.

some are of great scientificinterest and others are of considerable horticulturalpromise. Although it is perhaps the most abundantshrub in California, Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata)is offered this year. Despite its abundance, I thinkCreosote Bush is quite handsome, and certainly worthyof consideration for cultivation in the hot dry desertregions outside North America. Likewise, the currentlist offers seeds of several attractive shrubby denizensof California chaparral; most of these are candidates fordrought-tolerant landscaping elsewhere in the world.

Summer 1994 Page 3

Usually we do not know why those who requestour seeds choose their desiderata, since the simpleordering process asks only that a sheet be returnedwith up to 30 numbers circled that correspond tonumbered listings in the seed list. Those asking forseeds for research purposes are asked to send a briefnote describing their research project, and as a resultwe are often told of the interesting research usesintended for our offerings.

Our seed list gives other botanical gardens andarboreta access to the California native flora, and it alsoresults in our access to the botanical and horticulturalriches of other continents. We have no idea howsuccessful other institutions are in growing the materialwe send them. Some of our natives have an amazingand unpredicted hardiness. In May 1994, I visited theArnold Arboretum and was interested to learn thatfor several years our endemic Spicebush (Calycanthusoccidentalis) has done very well outside there, and amore recent planting of our Leatherwood (Dircaoccidentalis) has been outside for two years and wasflowering happily after one of the most severe wintersin Boston's history. In recent years, excess seeds fromthe Garden's seed list are made available for sale in theVisitor Center, so California and other horticulturistscan benefit from our collecting activities.

—Robert Ornduff

What's wrong with this picture?

BOTANY BITS

• Some things have been around for a long time,but did you know that beans have been cultivated formore than 8,000 years, followed closely by maize whichwas first cultivated in Mexico around 5,000 B.C.?

• And what is California's single largest industry?Agriculture, with cash receipts pushing $18 billion eachyear. The U.S. commercial cultivation of almonds,artichokes, dates, figs, olives, pistachios, pomegranates,and prunes is mostly in California, while grapes,flowers, citrus, and walnuts are among the top tengrossing products.

• You may have known that, but did you knowwhat rural Americans commonly used for toilet paperuntil the turn of the century? Want a hint?..."rough as acob." Fresh was preferred over dry.

• Which part of the strawberry is the fruit? Each ofthe small, nutlike pips found on the outside of the fleshis a fruit. Few of anything is what we think it is; many"vegetables" are really fruits. Broccoli is a stalk offlowers, and cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and broccoliall represent the same species. As for the Irish potato,it's not Irish and it's a stem, not a root. Banana treesaren't really trees at all, and the little black dots in thefruit are undeveloped seeds that can never germinate.Then I am sure you know that apples and roses are inthe same family, as are plums, pears, and prunes.

• Kinda strange cotton fibers are actually thewalls of a SINGLE CELL!

• What eats durian fruit, which can smell likerotting flesh and looks horrid? Elephants, orangutans,and people, who eat just about anything.

• The largest chrysanthemum was more than eightfeet tall and had over 4,000 blossoms. The smallestflower, a duckweed (Wolffia angusta) of Australiaweighs about 1/1,000,000 oz. and has a fruit like a fig.The plant is 0.0236 inches long.

• What can grow 18 inches a day to a length of 215feet and act as a home for millions of organisms? ThePacific giant kelp (Macrocystis pyifera).

• The slowest growing plant is Dioon edule(Cycadaceae). At 0.03 inches a year, it takes 120 yearsto reach the grand height of 3.9 inches.

• Beware of fungi. The most dangerous is theDeath Cap (Amanita phalloides). After suffering violentsymptoms for 6-15 hours, the victim lapses into acoma...and never eats mushrooms again.

• But that's not so bad—a Missouri nursery in 1959paid $51,000 for a single Golden Delicious apple tree.Who likes Golden Delicious!?!

This is a new column for the Friends Newsletter. Let usknow if you like it.

—Krishen Laetsch

Page 4

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

THE DOCTOR SAYS

T his spring, weather conditions have beenunusual and very favorable for some of theleaf spotting fungi. The anthracnose fungi on

sycamore and Modesto ash are much worse than usual.These fungi carry over from one year to the next on theprevious season's growth. Because the fungi bear theirspores in a sticky, mucilaginous material, they arespread principally by splashing rain. Any rains after theleaves come out spread the fungus, and this year therewere many late rains. Anthracnose on evergreen elmscarries over on the twigs, also on the leaves so it canspread throughout the winter following rains. It is badthis year. Short of pruning the previous season'sgrowth prior to bud break on sycamore and Modestoash, there are no control measures. Leaves on theground impose no problems so can be raked,composted, or just left on the ground.

Black spot of rose also is worse this year than usual.Pick and destroy infested leaves, avoid overheadsprinkling, and remove all leaves that have fallen.

Weeds are also a serious problem this year. Thisprobably reflects the heavy rains of a year ago whenthe weeds were producing their seeds. Many of themgerminated this winter and spring.

Snails likewise are bad this year and there seems tobe no explanation for this. Excellent control has beenfound to result from the use of Deadline Bullets. Thisbait contains metaldehyde, which is the ingredient ofmany baits. Metaldehyde breaks down in the presenceof sunlight but Deadline Bullets have a materialwhich prevents this breakdown. The bait contains 4%metaldehyde which is more than some baits. The sizeof the "bullets" is small so it is not easy for pets to pickup scattered baits. The manufacturer also claims aspecial attractant. It is effective!

New Equipment, New Problems

Another new thing for the garden is the Claw. Ametal rod with a two-hand handle on one end and fourcurved 6" spikes and two shorter ones on the other, theClaw is good for working soil. (It is not good for soilstructure to turn your soil unless it is for a specialpurpose, such as breaking a crust, removing weeds,incorporating organic matter, or removing roots.) TheClaw does not work in dry, hard soil but does in moistsoil and is especially good for removing weeds withlarge tap roots.

Some trees have been showing splits in the bark onthe main stems. The cause is not known, but a possibleexplanation is that they are the result of heavy rains lastyear following seven years of drought. New sapwoodformed more rapidly than the bark, causing it to split.

A Native of Interest

Have you seen Nemophila maculata, commonlycalled Five Spot? It is a native California plant, easilygrown from seed. The seed is readily available, onesupplier being Thompson & Morgan.

—Associate Director Bob Raabe

JAPAN IN AUTUMN

Mai Arbegast, a landscape architect andhorticulturist, is leading a tour November 1-19, 1994 concentrating on the culture andgardens of Japan. Mai is a member of theBoard of Directors of the Friends of theBotanical Garden and will donate $200 to theFriends for each member of the Friends whosigns up for the tour. For more informationcall Ishimoto Tours 415-781-4350.

ETC AN ED A ILThe Friends of the Botanical Garden are alsosponsoring a visit to the Gardens of Lazio,Umbria and Tuscany. This tour will be led byPatrick Bowe, architect, historian and gardendesigner. Expected departure date: April 17,1995. Call the Friends for more information.

...and morocco

Dr. Robert Ornduff will lead a tour to Morocco,May 2-16, 1995. Call for information.

"No thank you...I'll just look." (overheard at Bug Days... did the bug say it?)

Summer 1994 Page 5

GARDEN NOTES

Bug Days: The fourth annualBug Days were held May 21 and 22in and around the meeting room.These were the best Bugs Days ever!

Hundreds of children enjoyedthe live insect and plant exhibits,which illustrated, in an entertainingway, the complex relationshipsbetween plants and animals. Chil-dren of all ages learned somethingnew, and we could not have hopedfor better spring weather.

This program has consistentlybeen the Garden's most popularevent, and its success is due to ahost of volunteers. We had morethan 40 volunteers this year, andI would like to mention a fewpeople and organizations whomade particularly outstandingcontributions: Jerry Parsons forarranging a phenomenal plantdisplay; Ellie Insley and CarolBaird for coordinating theevent; Leslie Saul and QuinnMcFredereck from the Center forEcosystem Survival, for bringinga menagerie of Big Bugs; andAlameda Mosquito Abatement and Marilyn Meyersof UC Entomology for providing two excellent aquaticinsect displays. Ben Waggoner of the UC Museum ofPaleontology displayed and talked about insects fromthe past. Alameda Home Composting brought theirworm box, giant worm, and infamous Soil Detectivegame. Nancy Markell volunteered to be the first to wearthe worm costume.The UC Gill tract and Nick Millsarranged and staffed three tables full of fascinatingBiological Control friends and foes. Francis Ratnieksand Tom Ferris took charge of the popular bee displays.Florence Yaffe brought her silk worms and silk wormproducts to share. Elly Bade and Francine Hendersonnever left the most popular exhibit...book and toy sales.LaVals gave a generous discount on pizza. Again, aspecial thanks to all the volunteers, collaborators, andGarden staff for making this possible. We are alreadylooking forward to next year's 5th Annual Bug Days.

—Krishen Laetsch

FLASH Project: The Fire Landscape Safety forHomeowners project wishes to thank the followingmembers of the community for their generoussupport.

Linda Baptiste Nancy MuellerAnita Clark-Weaver Mr. & Mrs. NoyceMarilyn Couch

Carol RiceTherese Ebel

Eileen ShearLinda Feldman Nate & Nina ShoehalterBernie Finkel

Irene TinkerJane Frazer I. von der HudeSara Holtzapple Pat WadleighMr. & Mrs. Lawler William WeedenGeorge & Nancy Leitmann Elise WhiteRani Marx Amelia Wilcox

Also, thank you to the Safeway Store on ShattuckPlace for donating paper bags to the project.

Page 6 University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

GARDEN SPOTLIGHT

A Walk AlongStrawberry Creek

4 G4 o for a walk along Strawberry Creek andlet me know what you find!" answeredDr. George Rogers after class one day when

I told him I wished to practice my plant identificationskills. Dr. Rogers taught an exciting course in plantsystematics (Integrative Biology 168 & 168L) this Springat the University of California Botanical Garden inStrawberry Canyon.

With nearly three hundred different tree species,including more than ninety broadleaf evergreens,one hundred deciduous broadleafs, sixty conifers,and five palms, the UC campus offers a wonderful"laboratory" for observation and study or a leisurelystroll. The trees on campus come from around theworld, and many are striking, novel, or mostdistinctly exotic. Graduate student Scot Medburyis working through the Botanical Garden to revise theoutdated handbook of campus trees. The present articleis a taste of things to come. My research indicatesthat more than 80 tree species grow along StrawberryCreek on the main campus, representing more than 30plant families.

I thought it would be useful to offer to those inter-ested the opportunity to spend a splendid morningor afternoon, discovering firsthand the beauty anddiversity of the trees beside the creek. Therefore, I'vecreated an outline for a short walking tour whichhighlights particularly interesting trees. This fieldexcursion can be completed in just a few hours byenthusiasts of all ages, as the tour follows smooth-surfaced walkways, bridges, and lawns. In theclassroom at the Botanical Garden can be seenherbarium specimens and botanical information onthe species in the tour.

Walking Tour1. Starting at the southeast corner of Oxford St. and

Center St. in Berkeley, one is welcomed to the campusby a large California box elder, Acer negundo var.californicum (Aceraceae). This tree overhangs thesidewalk on the right-hand-side as one strolls east ontothe campus. Originally found only along streams at lowelevations in California, this native ash-leafed maple isnow widely planted along the Pacific Coast. Thisspecies can grow to 70 feet in height. The deciduous,pinnately compound leaves are oppositely arranged.The leaflets are palmately lobed. Male and female

flowers occur on separate trees, and this tree isa female.

2. Continuing east from Oxford St. along thefootpath, there is a camphor tree, Cinnamomumcamphora (Lauraceae), growing beside and above thefootbridge over Strawberry Creek. Try crushing theleaves for they give off the strong odor of camphor.Native to eastern Asia, the camphor tree is an evergreenwith shiny, bright-green leaves 2 to 4 inches long. Thetiny yellow flowers are in clusters to 3 inches long. Theblack fruits are less than one inch in diameter and areset in cup-like receptacles. This tree was planted herein 1878.

3. Without crossing the footbridge, if one headsnorth across the bark-covered ground, one can find thetitoki tree, Alectryon excelsum (Sapindaceae). It grows onthe lawn west of the Eucalyptus Grove north of thefootpath to Center St. Native to New Zealand, this treehas compound leaves that consist of 4-6 pairs of brightgreen leaflets to 4 inches long. The flowers are incomplex, multibranched clusters up to a foot long. Theclustered fruits are stunning. They look like grotesquered warty eyeballs with black corneas. Black and brightred together is a common coloration pattern probablyindicative of dispersal by birds. This tree was plantedin 1922.

4. Following the sidewalk from the WestEntrance to University Drive, our next specimen islocated just east of West Circle, on the lawn north ofValley Life Sciences Building, where the North Fork ofStrawberry Creek flows into an aqueduct. Here onefinds a beautiful Camellia japonica (Theaceae). Thisevergreen shrub native to China and Japan is grownfor showy flowers and handsome foliage. It is locatedat the western edge of where the trees meet the lawnby the aqueduct. The leaves are ovate to elliptic, 2 to 4inches long, acuminate, shiny and dark green above.Flowers are red, 3 to 5 inches across with five to sevenroundish petals.

5. Walking east along the path between StrawberryCreek and the Valley Life Sciences Building, the nextplant to note is the mayten tree, Maytenus boaria(Celastraceae). The pendulous sprays of evergreenleaves are similar to those of weeping willows. Thesmooth, thin, light-green leaves are 1 to 2 inches longby half as broad, and have finely toothed margins.Native to Chile, the mayten tree rarely exceeds 30 feetin height and does well in both coastal and valley areas.Ours was probably planted in 1878.

6. Continuing east about 30 yards, one finds a tallEnglish elm, Ulmus procera (Ulmaceae), growing besidethe creek. A distinguishing characteristic of this species

Summer 1994 Page 7

is that the branches develop corky ridges. The Englishelm is a deciduous European species. The bright greensimple leaves have asymmetrical bases and doublyserrate margins. The fruits are coin-sized wafersconspicuous before the leaves unfold. This tree iscommonly planted along streets in the Bay Area.

7. The next tree is located on the north side of thecreek just west of the University Drive bridge south ofGiannini Hall. This tall conifer with seemingly seventrunks is called the Port Orford cedar or Lawsoncypress, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Cupressaceae). Thistall timber tree can reach a height of 100 feet. It is nativeto coastal forests of southwestern Oregon and northernCalifornia. Its leaves, when crushed, produce a pleasantodor. The fine-grained, fragrant, durable, high-qualitywood is valuable. Its soft, brown, fibrous bark,blue-green, scalelike needles on dangling branchlets,and tiny, purplish, globular cones make this treevery beautiful!

8. There are two very special trees growing alongStrawberry Creek near the secondary road by the mainentrance to Gianinni Hall. First, there is the CoastRedwood, Sequoia sempervirens (Taxodiaceae). Plantedbefore 1870, this tree bears a plaque in memory ofReverend Samuel Willey, Vice President of Oakland'sCollege of California, which was later to become theUniversity of California. This famous species is indig-enous to the hills rising behind Berkeley and Oakland.This redwood never grew naturally on the UC Berkeleycampus or within the Berkeley city limits, but, rather,has been planted since about 1865 and has since becomeone of the most numerous trees in the area. The tallestknown tree, towering 367 feet, is a Coast Redwood.They can live to an age of more than 2000 years. CoastRedwoods are native along the Pacific Coast fromsouthern Monterey County to slightly north of Califor-nia/Oregon border. Interestingly, this tree species hasthe ability to reproduce by vigorous growth of sproutsaround the base of the trunk.

9. Also in this area is a Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae).Native to China, its fan-shaped leaves are distinctive.The leaves become golden-yellow in autumn. This treeis a male. Female trees are not often cultivated due totheir rancid smelling seeds. The leaves of this tree arebelieved to have many uses in traditional medicine,and modern pharmacologists have taken notice of atendency of ginkgo extract to break up blood clots.Archeological evidence suggests that Ginkgo biloba wasgrowing during the Triassic and Jurassic periods.Fossil ginkgoes turn up worldwide, with the last livingpotentially wild specimens in China. Individual treesthere are as old as 1400 years. Some botanists believe

the species to be extinct in the wild, living on only incultivation, although it is difficult to be certain of theorigin of 1400-year-old trees.

10.The last tree on this tour is up the secondaryroad from Gianinni Hall near University House.Located at the top of the stone stairs above the foot-bridge southeast of University House, one can see anEnglish holly, Ilex aquifolium (Aquifoliaceae). The greenfoliage and red berries of this European species havebecome popular Christmas decorations. The leaves areglossy, spiny-toothed, and 2 to 3 inches long. Thisfemale tree can have tiny, fragrant, white flowers.Hollies are among the few plants known to containcaffeine, and holly-based beverages are parts of humancultures around the globe.

I hope a few readers enjoy exploring the Berkeleycampus trees as much as I have in my four years here.The best source for a more in-depth look is Trees of theBerkeley Campus (1976) prepared by Robert A. Cockrell.

—Jeremy SchwartzConservation and Resource Studies Student

Twig from Ginkgo biloba.

Kurt Zadnik.

Page 8 University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

Garden Staff ProfileKurt Zadnik, Horticulturist

Horticulturist Kurt Zadnik, whose special assign-ment is the Desert House collection, has been a cactusjunkie almost ever since he can remember. As a child inChicago, he recalls, he acquired his first cactus at theage of 8 or 9. His curiosity was abetted by an aunt anduncle who lived in Southern California, near Johnson'sNursery in Downey, which was the premier cactusnursery in the U.S. at that time. Johnson's catalogs werea source of great excitement, and Kurt and his motherordered (and killed) cacti on a regular basis. When hewas 11 or so, he discovered a cactusnursery on the South Side of Chicago.There were hundreds of plants, and hethought he had gone to Heaven! Theowner took a special interest in him,helped him broaden his knowledgeconsiderably, so that by the time hewas 16, he had amassed a collectionof some 300 plants.

By the time he had earned hisdegree in ornamental horticulture fromthe University of Illinois, Kurt knew hewanted to make cacti his career. Heheaded to California, and managed toget a job at Abbey Garden Nursery inCarpenteria, which was renowned asthe best cactus and succulent nurseryin the country. He met Karla, who wasa sophomore at UC Santa Barbara,and they were married in 1978. Karladecided to pursue her studies at Cal,requiring relocation to Berkeley. Kurt wasrecommended to Al Irving, then manager of theBotanical Garden, who hired him to work in theCalifornia Native area. He laughingly relates that heknew all of three California plants: redwood, poppyand piggyback plant. Subsequently, of course, he wasalso given the care of the Desert House to make use ofhis considerable expertise.

For the last several years, Kurt has traveled to thedesert annually, primarily to see rare and unusualcactus species. It's a little like looking for the proverbialneedle in a haystack. Although the locations of manyplant populations are known, they are a closelyguarded secret among the community of cactus

aficionados, to protect them from collectors. Some ofthese "secret" cacti also have very clever camouflagemechanisms. A number of small and cryptic specieshave spines that mimic the grass among which they live.Others plump up during the summer rains and formflower buds for the coming year. They then desiccateand retract into the ground to escape winter cold, onlyto plump up later and emerge again. The flower budselongate and bloom, and as they do, the plants againretract into the ground. No wonder they are difficult to

find. Kurt counts himself lucky to haveseen these plants in flower, after sevenyears of hunting, and looks forward toseeing them again. In the spirit of the oldplant explorers, he would love to locatenew populations, or new species.

Since what had been his hobby hasnow truly become his work, Kurt neededa new hobby. In 1979 Karla gave himan aquarium for his birthday. Out ofcuriosity, he attended a meeting of thePacific Coast Cichlid Association, wonanother fish tank, and engaged a newpassion—leading to a set of 55 fish tanksat home. Cichlids show intriguing familialinteractions, which make them an unend-ing source of interest to their fans. Kurthas been editor of the Association journalsince 1985, and also served as presidentof the Association 1988-89.

In fact, Kurt is a man of many interests.When he and Karla were first married, they spent allyear making holiday gifts of cross stitch and crewelwork. Garden staff members know he is a creative andexcellent cook. With his daughters Andra and Nina, hehas begun a stamp collection. With Karla, who earned aPhD in Optometry, and much in demand as a speaker,he has taken several jaunts abroad. And he is a loyal fanof the local pro sports teams.

Of the Garden, he says he wants people to enjoy andto like cacti as much as he does. "The Garden is the bestit's ever been right now. Come see it!"

—Nancy Swearengen

AWI LD

FLOWERby any other

NAMES4euhrs,1 nemardiassz .46 naffed our sash,. pia.

KAREN B. NILSSO

Summer 1994 Page 9

Library Serves Garden

The Garden enjoys two small libraries on site, onetechnical and oriented toward curatorial needs, andthe other interpretive and horticultural for use by themany volunteers, docents, propagators, and staff.The Volunteer Library, which is housed in the meetingroom of the Education Annex, contains almost 1000books. With some exceptions, any book may beborrowed by an active volunteer who needsinformation for work at the Garden.

The volunteer will find general books on botany,biodiversity, and natural history as well as floras, fieldguides, and ethnobotanical information on the maingeographical areas of the Garderi's collection. Manyfascinating titles on economic botany, Native Ameri-cans, the history of roses, herbs, Chinese medicine,and rainforest ecology reflect the Garden's strongeducational programs in these areas. Volunteerpropagators have an additional non-circulatingcollection of books on horticulture and propagation.

Although the majority of the books have beendonated, last year the Friends made a generousdonation for the purchase of quite a few

VOLUNTEER LIBRARY POLICY STATEMENT

• WHO MAY USE THE VOLUNTEER LIBRARY?The UCBG Volunteer Library supports theGarden-related work of volunteers and staff.

• BORROWING PRIVILEGESStaff and active volunteers may borrow up to fourbooks at a time for a period of one month. Somebooks are for reference only and may not be removed.

• LIBRARY COMMITTEEA Library Committee will be constituted on anannual basis to administer the Library. The committeereports to the Garden Education Assistant.

• DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEEMaintains the card catalog, catalogs new books.Proposes and administers an annual budget with the

help of the Director.Proposes new acquisitions.Monitors circulation of books.Publishes a quarterly list of new acquisitions

in the UC Bee.Raises money and encourages donations to the Library.

• BUDGETIn June of every year the Library will propose a budgetto the Director for the purchase of new books.

BOOK REVIE‘V

titles on subjects such as paleobotany,global warming, and African-Americangardens. The Library also has a newcatalog, completed this year by Jan Vargo,a docent and librarian who heads theLibrary Committee. While convertingthe old catalog to computer-generatedcards, she added over 400 Library ofCongress subject headings to help theusers locate useful information.

Other resources in the library includePacific Horticulture and Fremontia (CaliforniaNative Plant Society) with indexes.

Because the Library is located in theAnnex's busy meeting room, the potential visitor needsto call ahead to verify that the Library will be open.Donations to the Library are always appreciated. If youwould like to make a tax-deductible donation of bookson the subjects mentioned, please contact EducationAssistant Nancy Swearengen. Suitable books will beadded to the collection, books on horticulture will bereviewed by the propagators, and duplicates will besold to raise money for new purchases.

—Jan Vargo

4, A Wildflower by Any Other Name,Sketches of pioneer naturalists who namedour western plants. Karen B. Nilsson; illus.by Andrea Hendrik: Yosemite Association,Yosemite National Park, c1994. 152pp. $14.95.

Harold Gilliam, in his forward to thisbook, likens the excited botanists who firstexplored North America to Adam who hadthe privilege of naming the newly createdplants and animals in the Garden of Eden.Of course the North American plants werealready known by the first people to livehere, but they were not known to the world

of science. It was the botanists—filled with awe andwonder and the joy of discovery—who describedand recorded them for the international scientificcommunity. Many of these plants are part of the worldwe know today, and we often experience the delight ofdiscovery ourselves when we come upon them. Theirnames are now the names of the men and women whofound them and worked to classify them—Eschscholziacalifornica, or Clarkia amoena, or Lewisia rediviva andhundreds more. In A Wildflower by Any Other Name welearn a little about the lives of these early, and not soearly, botanists. This is their story.

—Elly Bade

The Newsletter is published by the Friends of the BotanicalGarden, a non-profit organization that provides support for theU.C. Botanical Garden. Articles may be reprinted with credit to theauthors and the U.C. Botanical Garden.

StaffDr. George Rogers, Director

Dr. Robert Raabe, Associate DirectorDaniel Campbell, Manager

Judith Finn, Assistant ManagerDr. Robert Ornduff, Curator

Holly Forbes, Assistant CuratorToni Kafton, Administrative Assistant

Nancy Swearengen, Education AssistantDeborah Darnell, Friends' Assistant

John DomzalskiGerald FordMartin Grantham

HorticulturistsSean Hogan

Peter KlementJerry Parsons

Roger RaicheElaine Sedlack

Kurt Zadnik

NewsletterGeorge Rogers, Editor Academic Arts, Production

Printed by TechniPrint

(510) 642-3343 Visitor Center • 642-0849 Administration643-8040 Cu ration • 642-3352 Education • 643-7265 Friends

FAX • (510) 642-5045

Friends' Board of DirectorsRobert Riddell, President

Dr. William Weeden, Vice PresidentRamona Davis, TreasurerThomas Shaw, Secretary

Eleanor CraryGladys Eaton

Krishen LaetschErrol Mauchlan

Tanya Muschietti

Mai ArbegastEleanor BadePamela CanalesFred Coe

Dr. Robert RaabeRobert Ratcliff

Dr. George RogersJames Van Sicklen

UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA

ARMENBERKELEY • CALIFORNIA 94720

Page 10 University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

New MembersThe Friends of the Botanical Garden welcome the followingnew members

John AhernEarl B. AlexanderJane H. AllardtMary F. AndersonHarriet BaileyLinda BaptistePeter R. BayeMr. & Mrs. Peter BedfordRonald H. BermanBetsy & Robert BinghamKaren Y. BlairCandice E. BoggsL. BonnerMichele BrewerM. J. BrickerMonique BufflerKatherine Calvert

Edna M. CarpenterChristi CarterJoe & Susan CernySuzanne G. ClarkFran ClarkeKatie B. ClevengerKay CoffeeWilliam & Susan CopelandKathleen A. CraigNancy DassonvilleFlorence M. DavisMarianella deHaas-MacchiariniLeslie & Syd DentCharles Marino & Diane GlazierMaureen S. DorneyPaul DubauskasEllen L. Due

Kristie DunkinTherese EbelEric EdlundCarol EkbergDebrah S. ElsonSue EmmonsJanet EnrightBrad & Sally EsserJack EvansRay FelixCALIFORNIA FERNSSue FitzsimonsKaren J. FolksBetty Carr ForquerMrs. C. Paul FoutsCarmen FuchsRisa GalantBill GalloCoronet E. GallowayAnn B. GilbertBill & Sarah GittlenRobin A. GlascockIrmgard GraboJohn A. GrahamJohn GrayWayne R. GreeneWilliam GuilfordPatricia A. GuyRoss & Virginia HamblyThomas HammockMary D. HandleyHartha HanerfeldCathryn HansenMrs. Mavourneen HarshmanKarla HausserMr. & Mrs. Edward HiramotoMrs. Mae HoagMichael HoffmanAnn-Marie HoganPatrick HorayJeanine & Ben HueyKevin K. HuiRobert P. HustonBruce R. JacksonCharles H. Jaeger, IIIMarlen JaniShirley JoeDavid JohnsonJanet JohnstonPhyllis & Bruce JohnstonEvon KaranoffDean G. KelchThomas & Kathryn KelloggGail Kelton-Jones & John I. JonesSusan D. & Bohun B. Kinloch Jr.Eric M. KlementisSuzanne G. Kunda-CvitkovicLouise LaceyKatherine LambertLawrence L. LambertMr. & Mrs. Joseph LandismanDoris Lang & Gordon FiresteinDede & Sandi LedfordGeorge & Nancy LeitmannCraig LevyPeter & Susan LindhElaine LouCharlotte W. LynchChris & Sarah MartiniakShirley A. MasseyKathryn Mathewson

Shirley M. MatsonChrista MattyHarry J. McAndrewTim & Cam McCalmontDon McCarthyJake McGuireSylvia C. McLaughlinSamantha McWilliamsHwang Mei-TsueyJames A. Merrill MDRobert MichelsenBrigitte MicmackeeHelga MokAlex MontenegroMyrna L. MussetterCarlin NelsonRobert NewmanMarlowe Ng & Sharon A. UlrichKate V. NicholsMarie & Joseph NitzLouise NixonVirginia & Jack O'BrienNeel ParikhCharles A. PattersonRobert T. PattersonNorman & Janet PeaseSherri PenaMr. & Mrs. Robert PhillipsLaurie PoanessaDouglas M. PostSusan V. PoyneerJean PufferDorothy QuateKristina RaupachBillie & Daemem ReiydelleStephen J. RentmeestersJim & Ruth ReynoldsCarol RiceSteven RoodJon Rosenberg & Laura FensterJohn D. RothmanBeatrice R. F. SafirJohn & Pat SageDavid 0. SarasuaAllen SessionsDorothy N. ShackSarah & Bob SharmanRick ShortMr. & Mrs. Hugh C. SilcoxSharon SimpsonAlan Siraco & Amand K. RozeRobin SlovakM. Nevin SmithChristine SodmanBeth Sonnenberg & Stuart R.

SaundersEleanor & Thomas SpatzVern D. SpohnBetty & John StanfordDiana H. StaringJohn Stone, Ph.D.Margaret M. TaylorWilliam & Zoe TeufelDale ThomasMichael T. Tilles &

Tara Streich-TillesJohn & Patricia TraulsenJaen TreesingerJoan M. TrujilloEverett & Petal TurnerEmil Uhland

Eileen Van HeuitJon & Loretta Van HeuitPaul VellaC. E. VioletPat WadleighMarye Jayne WallaceJeffrey C. WallerSusan WardAlison WattsShirley A. WattsPatricia L. Webb

Carolyn C. & Melvin M. WebberJessie WestEsther S. WilkmanCarl T. WilliamsDeborah K. WilliamsBen WilsonPatricia & George WolfAmy YabutMillicent Yee & Maren BellJohn P. & Barbara S. YoungLeslie Joan Zander

Special ThanksThe Friends wish to thank these donors who have made asubstantial gift:

Mary F. AndersonMai & David ArbegastDr. & Mrs. Joseph C. BarbacciaProf. Alan J. BeardenBERKELEY HORTICULTURAL

NURSERYR.J. & Daphne BerteroLeo J. & Celia Carlin FundEstol T. Carte, M.D.Michael ConcannonMr. & Mrs. A. Crawford CooleyEleanor Ross CraryBarbara & Fred DenglerJack L. DolhinowToni FauverMarjorie R. GrayLeilani & Richard GrinoldWallace GorellLouise G. HarperElizabeth & Carl HelmholzTonie Jones

Dorothy V. KingDick & Lizzie LeeMartin & Charlotte LichtermanRobert M. LichtensteinDrs. Evelyne & David LennetteJudith McKeeMr. & Mrs. Robert MiddlekauffMargaret MitchellLeta & Victor NelsonPeggy NewellDarwin & Donna PoulosBob & Kay RiddellMary & Dick SchroterMr. & Mrs. A. Horton ShapiroMrs. J.Z. ToddElizabeth WatermanPoebe WattaDavid & Kathy WelchAnn Witter-GilletteWOODSIDE-ATHERTON

GARDEN CLUB

Special ProjectsSpecial thanks to donors of prizes and gifts for My Secret Garden ArtContest:

Amsterdam ArtCalifornia Academy of SciencesClyde Robbins Seed Company

Color Spot NurseryLawrence Hall of ScienceMcDonald's of Berke ey

Summer 1994 Page 11

Gifts in KindThe Friends offer appreciation and thanks for gifts in kind.

Barney Dietz MORAGA NURSERYHelene M. Conant Joan MirovEleanor Crary SASO HERB GARDENSMyrtle Hsiang Leonard SkinnerRobert P. Huston SUNCREST NURSERIES

In HonorThe Friends offer appreciation and thanks for gifts from these donorsin honor of:

Lincoln Constance fromLinda & Dick BeidlemanSherwin CarlquistAnn Witter-GilletteKay & Bob Riddell

In MemoryThe Friends offer appreciation and thanks for gifts from thesedonors in memory of:

William Burns from Harry & Kate HeckmanWayne & Laura Hampton from Judith McKee for the California

Area EndowmentMr. R. Lent Hooker from California & Claude McRoskeyMerl McHenry from California & Claude McRoskeyRoy Oliphant from

Elly & Bill Bade Berry JuddIan & Jocelyn Bell Lewis & Adele LawyerThe coworkers of Robert Oliphant Lizzie LeeMarjorie M. Foote Mary SchroterEleanor I. Hess P.E.O. Sisterhood Chapter BK

Owen Pearce from Mai ArbegastDorothy Riggs Pitelka from Dr. Robert Ornduff

New Life Members NamedThe Friends' Board voted to make John and Mary Ricksen LifeMembers of the Friends of the Botanical Garden. Mary is a formermember of the Friends' Board of Directors.

MEMBERSHIPThe Friends of the Botanical Garden offerspublic education programs and providesindependent funding to support the manyneeds o; the Garden. You can enjoy andsupport the Botanical Garden year-round bybecoming a member of the Friends of theBotanical Garden.

Membership benefits include:

• Newsletter• Workshops, lectures, and tours

• Discount on Visitor Center purchases• Discount on educational classes

• Early admission to Spring Plant Sale• Volunteer opportunities

• Reciprocal admission to more than120 gardens nationwide

Friends of the Botanical Garden Membership ApplicationYes, I would like to support the U.C. Botanical Garden at Berkeley as a member:

q Student* $10 q Sponsor $250q Individual $25 q Patron $500q Family $35 q Benefactor $1000q Contributing $50q Supporting $100 q New q Renewal

Name

Address

City/State/Zip

Telephone

q My employer has a matching gifts program. I have enclosed the appropriate forms.

Contributions are tax deductible. Please make checks payable to Friends of theU.C. Botanical Garden and mail to:Friends of the Botanical Garden, UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley, CA 94720-5045*Full-time only.

Calendar of Events

JULY

PLANT CLINIC JULY 2Bring your ill plants to see Dr. Robert Raabe, UC PlantPathologist. First Saturday of the month, 9 am-12. TourOrientation Center.

STORYTELLING IN MATHER GROVE JULY 10 & 24Storytelling for families will be held at the Mather GroveAmphitheater. Featured will be tellers from The Mixed BagStorytellers, a group of professional and amateur tellers.1-2:30 PM. Free.

AUGUST

PLANT CLINIC AUGUST 6Bring your ill plants to see Dr. Robert Raabe, UC PlantPathologist. First Saturday of the month, 9 am-12. TourOrientation Center.

STORYTELLING IN MATHER GROVE AUGUST 14 & 28Storytelling for families will be held at the Mather GroveAmphitheater. Featured will be tellers from The Mixed BagStorytellers, a group of professional and amateur tellers.1-2:30 PM. Free.

For further information on classes and events, call the Visitor Center,642-3343. To register for classes, send checks to UC Botanical Garden.Two weeks advanced notice is necessary to accommodate individualswith special needs. No refunds the week before the class date unlessclass is cancelled. Pre-registration is suggested, as classes fill early.The Garden is open every day of the year except Christmas from9:00am to 4:45pm. Free public tours led by docents are given onSaturdays and Sundays at 1:30pm. Admission to the Garden is free.

As always, much of what is accomplished at the

Garden is done by volunteers. We continue to log as

many volunteer hours as paid staff hours. Volunteers

assist in all aspects of Garden activity, from clearing

brush to engraving plant labels,leading tours, mailing

publicity releases and this Newsletter, greeting visitors

in the gift shop, and many other contributions of time

and talent. A few hours each week (or every other

week), enthusiasm and a willingness to learn are all we

require. Some current opportunities include plant

labels and label mounting, which, after initial training

can be done on weekends, working in the Visitor Center

(weekend workers are desparately needed), interpretive

writing, and a variety of people to do several

different tasks around the Garden. A new Docent

Training class will begin this fall.

So take a look at your calendar and your life.

We can use your talents, skills and time. Call

642-3352 for a Volunteer application or stop by the

Garden in person. We'd be happy to talk to you about

the possibilities.

Friends of the Botanical GardenUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeley, California 94720

Address Correction Requested

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage Paid

Berkeley, CAPermit No. 1061

Plants are for sale at the Visitor Center all year 642-3343