fall 1997 botanical garden university of california berkeley newsletter

8/9/2019 Fall 1997 Botanical Garden University of California Berkeley Newsletter

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Volume 22, Number 4 Published by the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at Berkeley Fall 1997

n April, sixteen Garden docents made a week-long trip to Moorea, one of the Society Islandsin French Polynesia, at the invitation of

Dr. Vincent Resh, Director of the Gump ResearchStation in Moorea and Professor of Entomology at UCB.

Mary McCarthy, chair of Docent Continuing Education,arranged the details of the trip. Prior to our departure,Dr. Resh and Dr. Brent Mishler, Director of theUniversity and Jepson herbaria, educated docentsabout the development of volcanic islands and theirreefs, the flora and fauna found on such islands, and thechanging Western perception of Polynesia since Capt.Samuel Wallis on the HMS Dolphin discovered Tahitiin 1767. We had additional lectures while on theisland from two former students at the Station whosubsequently have lived on Moorea for many years.Frank Murphy spoke to us about the geomorphologyof Moorea and how the Society Islands were settled byPolynesians. Michael Poole, an accomplished naturephotographer, presented a slide show on spinnerdolphins, local inhabitants of the lagoons.

Our first glimpse of Moorea, only 10 miles fromTahiti, was from the airport in Papeete, the capital ofFrench Polynesia. Rural and tranquil, encircled by a 37mile two-lane road, Moorea is a striking contrast to

urban Papeete. One immediately understands why theisland was the setting for such movies as Mutiny onthe Bounty and Blue Lagoon. Hotels and tourismhave reached Moorea, even in the form of a Club Med;however, we stayed at the Gump Research Station,

adjacent to the perimeter road and directly on CooksBay. The 30-acre property was a gift from the late R.B.Gump to the University of California, Berkeley, and hasfunctioned as a research station since 1984. Cal studentsstudy the biology and geomorphology of the island andspend 8 weeks on Moorea doing independent research,during which time they live at the Station. Whenstudents are not in residence, it is sometimes availablefor special group visits such as ours. The Station offersdormitory-style rooms with snorkeling only a few feetaway in Cooks Bay. We also had the use of a modernkitchen and consequently feasted on local fruits andvegetablesfresh Tahitian pineapple is incredible. Onememorable meal featured shrimp purchased from theaquaculture station at the head of Opunohu Bay. Wediscovered that the preparation of breadfruit is notat all difficult, although not everyone was equallyenchanted with the taste. If you wish to try Capt. Blighsintroduction to the western world, simply parboil onelarge breadfruit for about 15 minutes, and then char it

Garden Docents Visit Moorea

I

The Gump Research Station in Moorea is an ideal place to study the biologyof tropical islands. (Photos by docent Carol Foster.)

Irma, employed by the Gump Research Station, uses a machete to helpdevelop the nature trail.

BU N I V E R S I T Y o f C A L I F O R N I A

OTANICALICALGARDEN


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Page 2 University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

evenly over an open flame. Cut open and serve. Hint:This tastes better drenched in butter. Every morning at6:00, a band of hearty hikers led by June Cheit andCecile Weaver left for the one and one-half mile trek tothe local market where they purchased baguettes for

breakfast at a cost of only 40 cents eachthe result of agovernment subsidy. This walk introduced us to thewonderful possibilities for botanizing that lay justoutside the Station. As Ellen Rosenau wrote in her

journal, Walking to the store for our morning breadsupply, we find small fragrant yellow fruits on theroadside. None of us knows this fruit, this tree. We useall the clues we can think of, the leaves, relationshipof fruit to seed; its another of our mini-botanicalconferences that spring up at any moment, one of the

joys of being in this special docent community. Oneof the objectives of our trip was to help design andprovide signage for a nature path on Gump Research

Station property with the purpose of educating visitorsto Moorea about the flora of the island. Docents workedwith Gump Research Station employees Irma and

Jacques, both native Mooreans, and Station ManagerSteve Strand and his wife Pat to solve many botanicalpuzzles. On the Cooks Bay side of the road, adjacentto the water, plants such as Alexandrian laurel(Calophyllum inophyllum), beach hibiscus (Hibiscustiliaceus), and beefwood (Casuarina equisitifolia) grew inan orderly, almost park-like setting. However, on theside of the road adjacent to the interior of the island,plants grew in a great tangle. The botanical discoverieswe made once we penetrated the tangle reinforced the

romantic idea that some tropical islands abundantlyprovide everything necessary for clothing, food,medicine and shelter; they are really paradise.

An Abundance of Riches

Some of the plants on the nature trail are indigenousto Moorea. An example is the fish poison tree(Barringtonia asiatica), the seed of which containssaponins. Polynesians crushed the seed and used it tostupify fish and shrimp. Coconut (Cocos nucifera) mayhave arrived on the island via its buoyant seed, as didthe fish poison tree or it may have been transported by

the Polynesians. Today coconuts are found throughoutthe island. Wide metal strips encircle many cultivatedtrees about 5 feet off the ground. They prevent rats fromharvesting the fruit, eating a portion of it and leaving

behind a wonderful incubation site for mosquito larvae.When Polynesians arrived on Moorea at least 1200 yearsago, they brought many useful plants of Indo-Malayorigin with them. We found many such plants on the

jungle portion of the nature trail. Examples are banana(Musa!paradisiaca), breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis),Indian mulberry or nono (Morinda citrifolia), Malayapple (Syzygium malaccense), and ti (Cordyline fruticosa).Polynesians regarded ti leaves as a symbol of divinepower; priests wore them around their necks. Because

the leaves contain many flexible fibers, are odorless andtasteless, and are not readily decomposed, they havemany uses in food storage and preparation. A singleroot can weigh 300 pounds and contains 20% sugar.When baked underground it forms a type of candy. Ahigh grade brandy is made from the fermented, mashedroot. Similarly, the other Polynesian-introduced plantshave multiple uses; one in particular, the nono, isextensively marketed today for its antibiotic properties.

A major influx of plant material has occurred since1797, as Europeans introduced plants for various pur-poses. We found two with succulent fruit, mango(Mangifera indica) and what Tahitians refer to as pistach

(Eugenia brasiliensis), on the jungle side of our nature trail.Mari Mari Kellum, a resident of Opunohu Bay, Moorea, isknowledgable about botany and archaeology and pro-vided us with personal tours of her own garden and near-

by areas, as well as a copy of Kellum Stop, in which sheexplains the origins and uses of more than 60 plants foundon her estate. This booklet is the source for some of theethnobotanical information in this article and on our signs.Mari Mari and her son have formed an association tocreate a Garden of Polynesian Medicinal Plants andintend to provide plant material for propagation tointerested people.

Left, Brush-likeblossoms ofBarringtonia asiaticaopen in the eveningand fall the nextmorning. The fruit isabout 4 inches long atmaturity.Right, The nono fruit,white when ripe, hasmany medicinal uses.


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FROM THE DIRECTORS

Ian Carmichael, Acting DirectorJennifer White, Associate Director for Education

One of the highlights of the Kellum Stop garden tourwas an enormous banyan (Ficus prolixa). According toBougainvilles 1776 account of Tahiti, only kings couldplant the banyan near their dwellings. Trees were alsoused for secondary burials and tapa cloth was made fromthe bark of young shoots and descending roots. Oureducation was further enriched by Loana, a nativeMoorean who was formerly employed by the GumpResearch Station and now assists at the French Agricul-

tural School in the Opunohu Valley. One day we touredher extensive garden where she grows vanilla, mango,papaya, plantain, banana, pineapple, tarua, taro, sweetpotato, breadfruit, coconut and other tropical crops. Theevening prior to departure, she and her family hosted us ata gala traditional Polynesian dinner featuring crops shegrew. We were greeted with leis of the national flower ofTahiti, the incredibly fragrant Gardenia tahitensis. Anoutdoor seating area, where Loanas family entertained usafter dinner with Tahitian dancing, was decorated with

brilliant red torch ginger. The evening was a memorableexample of the fabled Polynesian hospitality. After wereturned to our Garden, docents developed labels for theGump Research Station nature trail which features 20plants of ethnobotanical importance. We were assisted byUCBG Education Director, Dr. Jennifer White; Curator,Holly Forbes; and Dr. Mishler. We hope you will have theopportunity to visit Moorea and the Gump ResearchStation, enjoy the nature trail, and experience a lovelyPolynesian island, as was our privilege.

Kathy Welch

Garden docents stand in the shade of the banyan at Kellum Stop, Moorea.

t is our pleasure to announce that the search fora permanent director for the Botanical Garden isunderway. We are delighted that our new

director will have a 50% faculty position in the Depart-ment of Integrative Biology. This will ensure that the

Garden is in the same playing field with the JepsonHerbarium and other natural history museums oncampus. The Garden needs, and deserves, an advocatethat is part of the Academic Senate and can take ourcauses into the fray with tenured faculty status. The jobdescription is on our web site. Brent Mishler, chair ofthe search committee, welcomes any names you thinkappropriate. Interviews begin later this Fall. It is hopedthat our new director will be here by July 1, 1998.

We are appreciative of the continued strong supportfrom our fabulous Garden volunteers. Our volunteersaverage 1,416 hours logged in the Garden each month aswell as many, many more at home and in the schools.The Volunteer Propagators have been incrediblyproductive and the Fall Plant Sale again will offer youa splendid array of unique plants from the Gardenscollection. The Plant Sales Deck at the Garden Shopcontains a wonderful profusion of plants available on adaily basis.

Surveys of visitors underscore how important thevolunteers in the Garden Shop are to their enjoyment oftheir visit to the Garden. While docent tours for schoolgroups have been light during the summer months,docent tours for the general public significantly addedto the visitors delight with their visit. And we are

delighted that so many of you enjoyed the extendedvisitor hours in the Garden this past summer. Theexperiment to be open daily until 7 p.m. from MemorialDay through Labor Day was so successful that will putthe same program in place next year.

An exciting multi-week program for school childrenand for families has been developed by Kathy Welch,Alison Mills, Jan Vargo and Emily McKibben. Foods ofthe Americas runs October 4th through the 19th. Be sureto visit the colorful and educational marketplace beingcreated in the Conference Center and partake in specialfamily programming on the weekends. Special docenttours are being presented during the week for children

and adult groups.As we enter this special time in the Garden, you can

see that there is much going on. If you are missing yourown backyard hummingbirds they can probably befound dining on the nectar feast in the MesoamericanArea. We hope you will visit the Garden soon to partici-pate in many of the splendid programs, as well as toenjoy the magnificent Fall colors. Do stop by and sayhello.

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THE DOCTOR SAYS

Available this year is a Woody Plant Photo LibraryCD-ROM with over 8000 shrub and tree images,according to the Pacific Coast Nurseryman 56(6):59-60.

There are too many new and interesting annuals and

perennials listed in Greenhouse Grower 15(6):22-28 toinclude here, but some should be mentioned. Available ascuttings are a new series of impatiens hybrids in colors ofyellow, tangerine, papaya, apricot, passion and peach.Also included is Nolana which has a morning glory likeflower, blue with a white center (possibly a little difficultto grow) and a cultivar of a very blue Anagallis namedSky Lover.

Whats in compost? In Maine, the Wild BlueberryCompany combines sawdust with blueberry residues andcuts of herring to form compost. New Milford Farmsmakes compost of coffee grounds. Anheuser-Busch uses

spoiled beer to moisten its compost piles. A recyclingcenter in Southwest Harbor Maine composts crab residueswith sawdust. A compost made in North Carolina in-cludes eggshells because of the acidic soils in that state.The interesting fact is that all the finished composts arequite similar. Horticulture 44(6): 14.

Now available in garden centers and from gardencatalogs are flame throwers for use in home gardenweed control. Portable ones attach to a small propanetank. Those using a larger tank need a long hose or away of moving the tank. The size of the burning tip is

important depending on the type of weeding to be done.The weeds need not be burned but just heated (at 2000 Fit takes 1/10 of a second to bring the water in a plant to

boil and rupture its cells). Perennials with fleshy rootsmay have to be retreated if new growth appears. Flamingalso can be used for pre-emergence control because theseeds about to germinate are very near the soil surface.Because of fire danger, check with local authorities beforeinvesting in equipment. National Gardening 20(3):68-70.

The sunset foxglove,Digitalis obscura,is a sun-loving, drought tolerant plantwith flowers that combine a blend of

brown and orange tinged with gold. It isa perennial, grows to 2 feet across and18 high with about 20 flowering stemsand blooms all summer. Fine Gardening,

July-August 1997:14-15.

Colored cotton, which has naturalcolored fibers in shades of green and

brown, has been banned from beinggrown in California by the San JoaquinValley Cotton Growers because of itspossible genetic contamination of whitecotton, even though it constitutes only

20% of the organic cotton market which is only 1/2% of thetotal cotton market. Farm Journal February 1997:CT 6.

Presently advertised is a sonic mole chaser whichclaims to target sensitive hearing of moles, gophers

ground squirrels, pocket mice, etc. and drives them away.Several types are available. Some come with a plug-intransformer and a low voltage cord. Another runs on 4

batteries (D) which last 4-6 months. Fine Gardening, July-August 1997:23, Plow and Hearth, Summer 1997: 43 andGardeners Supply, Summer 1997: 45.

Look up a picture of rainbow chard in gardenmagazines, catalogs or even on calendars. It is one of thewinners in the All American Awards Trial and the colorsare striking. The Garden 122 (5): 306.

According to The California Mango Grower 1 (1):2, color

is one of the less important factors in selecting a mango.Taste is the best and it is necessary to know the cultivarname because taste varies with the season. In spring, getHayden, in summer get Kent or Manila and in fall, getKeitt.

Christmas tree fanciers know that in the western area,red fir, white fir, noble fir and grand fir are better atholding their needles than other trees. Giant sequoia andColorado blue spruce also are good but, because they areprickly, they are not as easy to trim. It is known that treesexposed to 120 hours below freezing will hold theirneedles better than trees with not that much chilling.Things to check before buying a tree include the kind oftree, how long it will be left standing after it is trimmed,when the tree was cut and the elevation and the latitudewhere it was grown.

An Alabama survey, where the traditional Christmastree is the Virginia pine, showed that a pruned Leylandcypress or a holly (cvs. Martha Perry or Nellier R. Stevens)were almost as acceptable as the pine and that a pruned

magnolia or an Arizona cypress couldbe considered in the running.

A new dwarfing cherry rootstocknow is being marketed. Called theGisela series, forms are available thatproduce trees 40-70% smaller thanstandard trees. Previously sweetcherry dwarfing rootstocks not onlydwarfed the trees but also the fruits.This is not true with the Giselarootstocks. In addition, fruit is pro-duced earlier, even with the first andsecond years. A 3-4 year old tree onGisela can produce 44 pounds ofcherries. California Farmer 280 (9): 28-29.


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Historical Note

The Botanical Garden was established on campusin 1890 at a site near the present location of HavilandHall. The Garden then was dominated by an elegant

Victorian greenhouse, much like the conservatory inGolden Gate Park. That greenhouse was demolished atthe time the Garden moved to Strawberry Canyon inthe 1920s. It is often said the Gardens move to itspresent location was to make room for buildings oncampus. This may be true, but the idea of a canyonlocation for the Garden apparently originated with

botanist Harvey Monroe Hall, who became aninstructor in Botany and in charge of the BotanicalGarden in 1902. Hall was a member of the botanyfaculty until 1919, when he resigned to accept a positionwith the Carnegie Institution of Washington, whichultimately established its Division of Plant Biology onthe Stanford campus.

I have been preparing a short biographical sketchof Hall for the proposed Plant Hunters of the PacificNorthwest book to be published by the University ofWashington Press, and found Berkeley geneticistE. B. Babcocks 1934 obituary of Hall interesting fromthe standpoint of Botanical Garden history. According

to Babcock, Hall became keenly interested in botanicalgardens and came to think of them as an importantpart of the working equipment of every botanical

institution...in 1911, when he wrote to PresidentWheeler about the proposed garden in StrawberryCaon, he was thinking in broader terms than a garden,for he dwelt on the importance of looking forward to atime when a botanical garden operated in connectionwith botanical laboratories, libraries and herbaria,where far-reaching studies in plant genetics, systematic

botany, dendrology, plant pathology, and physiologymay be pursued. Babcock wrote that Hall proposedthe site occupied by the present botanical garden inStrawberry Caon. Although the Board of Regentsofficially set aside this area for botanic gardendevelopment...no funds were made available duringHalls connection with the university.

Despite the arguments that were later offered formoving the Garden to its canyon site in the 1920s, it isclear that this site was one already approved for theGarden long before building pressures may have forcedits move.

Robert Ornduff

The first Garden conservatory, situated on campus and modeled after the famous London Crystal Palace,circa 1904.


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University of California Botanical Garden at BerkeleyPage 6

The PLAIN TRUTH aboutseeds that grow

Several years ago I taught a course in Cals nowdefunct Department of Botany called Practical Botany

(Botany 3). The course, designed for non-biologists,employed diverse horticultural practices as a means ofintroducing students to the principles of general botany.The cover of the course syllabus reproduced the cover ofBurpees 1914 seed catalogue illustrating a luscious-looking crimson tomato called Burpees Matchless andcarrying the words The PLAIN TRUTH About SeedsThat Grow. I still have that catalogue and during a recentidle moment compared its offerings with the 1997 Burpeecatalogue.

In 1914, by which timeBurpees had been in business

almost 40 years, Americans ap-parently grew more vegetablesat home than we do today. Atleast thats the conclusion I drewfrom scanning the 1914 and 1997catalogues of one seed company,since my gardening career begansomewhat after 1914. One-hundred six pages (58%) of the182-page 1914 catalogue and 50pages (41%) of the 123-page 1997catalogue were devoted to list-ings of edible or forage crops.

Surprisingly, the number ofnamed varieties of most veg-etables offered in 1914 wasgreater than that offered in 1997.In 1914 27 varieties of tomatowere available (at 5 or 10 centsper packet); in 1997 20 tomatovarieties are offered (at $1.45 to$2.45 per packet). The sole to-mato variety listed both in 1914and in 1997 is Yellow Pear. Six

bush lima bean varieties wereoffered in 1914; only two were

offered in 1997 (both also available in 1914). Fifteen beetvarieties were listed in 1914 and seven are listed in 1997:only Detroit Dark Red has survived in the catalogue overthe 83 years. A surfeit of cabbages was available in 1914.Twenty-seven varieties were available then; three arelisted for 1997. No cabbage varieties are shared betweenthe two catalogues, but I suspect that some cultivar nameshave been changed to make them more marketable. The1914 Ballhead, Stonehead, and Early Baseball mightnot sound appetizing to todays brassicophiles. Carrotsseem to have bucked the trend toward decreased varietyof offering. Seven carrot varieties were available in 1914

and eight are listed in 1997. While gourmet ghettoesscarcely existed in 1914, it was nevertheless possible to

buy seeds of endive, corn salad, cress, water cress, dande-lion, nasturtium, sorrel, salsify, and an assortment ofculinary herbs. Garlic was apparently too outr in 1914onion but not garlic sets were listed then.

Sweetpeas were the ornamental rage in 1914. Over 150named varieties were offered that yearonly four arelisted in 1997. The names of the 1914 varieties commemo-rated many notables, including Florence Nightingale,Marie Corelli, Melba, St. George, Othello, and virtually

everyone in the British royal familyfrom Queen Victoria down. The gar-den ornamentals that we treasure

today were mostly available in 1914,but there were some curiosities offeredthen as well. Ice-plant (Mesembryanthe-mum crystallinum), now a widespreadweed in parts of California, was said to

be fine for vases, hanging baskets, orrockeries. Likewise, Garland Daisy(Chrysanthemum coronarium), now acommon and established escape inCalifornia, was offered. Some Califor-nia natives were listed, including sandverbena (Abronia umbellata), Phaceliacampanularia , and eight varieties of

California poppy (Eschscholzia), includ-ing white, red, and yellow strains, and amix of all colors. Two of these wereattributed to Luther Burbank. Ask anynative-born Californian under 30 yearsof age to identify Luther Burbank andmost likely you will be met with a

blank stare.Ornamentals that we now consider

to be old-fashioned or heirloom andwhich are not favored today werepopular in 1914. These include mignon-ette, available in eight versions, Cleome

spinosa , feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium), babysbreath (Gypsophila paniculata, now a noxious weed accord-ing to the 1993 The Jepson Manual), heliotrope (Heliotropium:on one mammoth flower head we counted twelvethousand nine hundred and seventy-five flowers), love-in-a-mist (Nigella), castor bean (Ricinus), and balloon vine(Cardiospermum). Some oddities were offered as well: thelegumeMedicago scutellata, otherwise called Snails, wasoffered for its curiously shaped seed pods. Immatureseed pods of the peculiar unicorn plant (Proboscidea) could

be pickled and eaten. Sensitive plant ( Mimosa pudica),which continues to amuse adults and children in our


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Fall 1997 Page 7

By most measures,horticultural diversity in thiscountry has become increasingly richeras the 20th century moved along. But it would

be wrong to believe that those gardening in 1914 hadonly a restricted selection of cultivars for their vegetableand flower gardens. In fact, if your gardening interestscenter around either cabbages or sweet peas, the 1914

offerings were opulent compared with the scanty selec-tion available in 1997. Readers who have access to theInternet and are interested in locating sources of ornamen-tal plants and seeds that are no longer available from theusual commercial sources can search for heirloom seedsor heirloom plants and find commercial cources as wellas individuals who maintain and offer many delightfulold-fashioned strains.

Robert Ornduff

Tropical House when it foldsits leaves on being touched,

was described as chaste andelegant in foliage. Seeds ofopium poppies (Papaversomniferum) were available at90 cents per pound. Several ofthe ornamental grasses soldhave, alas, become seriousweeds in California. I wasintrigued by the otherwiseunidentified double white morningglory newly offered in 1914. The cata-logue states that Nothing like it has ever been

known before!...there is so little seed of this novelty inexistence we canput only seven seeds in each packet. Is thisinteresting annual vine still available?


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BOOK REVIEWS

lThe Andersen Horticultural Librarys Source List ofPlants and Seeds, A Completely Revised Listing of 1993-96 Catalogs, 4th ed. Comp. and ed. by Richard T. Isaacson;Andersen Horticultural Library, Univ. of Minn., MN,Landscape Arboretum, 1996. 332 pp, Paper. $34.95

Compiled frominformation obtainedin nursery catalogs,and arranged in threesections1) a crossreference of selectedcommon names, 2) anursery catalog statecoded key, and 3) a59,000 entry sourcelist of plants arranged

alphabetically bescientific namethiseasy to use referencewill help you findalmost any plant youare looking for.Californians may bedisappointed in thesmall number of Californianurseries referred to, but we can always turn toWHERE ON EARTH! to find nurseries in our area.

lThe Childrens Kitchen Garden, A Book of Garden-

ing, Cooking, and Learning. Georgeanne and EthelBrennan, with Marcel Barchechat and the East Bay French-American School; illus. by Ann Arnold; photography byApril Gertler; Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA, 1997. 146 pp,Paper. $16.95

GeorgeanneBrennan, a foodand garden writerliving in YoloCounty, is well-known in the SanFrancisco Bay Area

for her cookbooksand gardeningknow-how. In thisdelightful andpractical bookabout gardeningwith childrenwithin a schoolcurriculum, she hascollaborated withher daughter,Ethel, who is the gardening instructor for grades K-3 at the

East Bay French American School in Berkeley. Using theFrench educational philosophy upon which the school is

based and traditional French reverence for food, the schoolhas developed a successful gardening program for youngchildren. Useful plants and plant sources, and recipes forthe harvest are included. Teachers and home gardenerswill find this a great help in getting garden projects startedat school or at home.

l The Plant-Book, A Portable Dictionary of the VascularPlants, Utilizing Kubitzkis The Families and Genera OfVascular Plants (1990), Cronquists An Integrated System ofClassification of Flowering Plants (1981) and current botani-cal literature arranged largely on the principles of editions1-6 (1896/97-1931) of Williss A Dictionary of the FloweringPlants and Ferns; 2d ed., completely rev., with almost 2500additional new entries. D.J. Mabberley; Cambridge Univ.

Press, Cambridge, England, 1997. 858 pp, Hardcover.$49.95

Home gardeners,horticulturists, ecologists,students and botanists allshare a quiet delight whenthey discover The Plant-Book, a convenient, muchused, basic reference tool.First published in 1987 as areplacement for the out-of-print A Dictionary of the

Flowering Plants and Ferns(Willis), it was reprintedwith corrections in 1989,1990 and 1993. Nowreissued with nearly 2500new entries in this revisedsecond edition (in the samehandy format), it willcontinue to be one of ournecessary plant reference

books. Do You want toknow what family Ceanothus belongs to? Mabberley willtell you (Rhamnaceae), and in addition he will tell you the

botanist who first described it (Linnaeus), where it comesfrom, how many species there are, its common name, thecolor of its flowers, its medicinal or other uses, and itsability to fix nitrogen in its roots. Closely related generaare listed under the family. Its place in the modernarrangement of angiosperms can be found in System ForArrangement Of Vascular Plants at the end of the book.There is also a useful listing of authors and an easily usedglossary of abbreviations. It is clear that The Plant-Book, inthis new edition, will continue to be a much neededreference on all our desks.

Elly Bade


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Fall 1997 Page 9

GARDEN NOTES

The Garden is pleased to reportthe award of a $175,000 grant from theHoward Hughes Medical Institute tosupport expansion of the Cal Alive!program for school children over thenext four years. This successfulproposal was written by AssociateDirector for Education Dr. JenniferWhite.

New Staffing

Welcome to new administrative

specialist Elaine Meckenstock!Ms. Meckenstock joined the Gardenstaff in April and has already wonthe admiration of the staff with herexcellent handling of garden

business.

Welcome also to new administra-tive assistant Ezinda Franklin who

began her job in late August. Ms.Franklin will be handling a widevariety of jobs, including publicity,facilities rentals, and much more.

On Staff and On Site

Associate Director for EducationJennifer White, Volunteer ServicesCoordinator Nancy Swearengen,and Horticulturist Jerry Parsonsparticipated in a University ResearchExpeditions Program in Ecuador in

July. They returned with manystories and ideas of how the Gardenmight collaborate with this programin the future.

The Vice Chancellors AdvisoryCommittee has made a commitmentto install a pedestrian-activated stoplight at the crosswalk on CentennialDrive this fall. We are very excitedat the prospect of improved safetyfor our visitors, volunteers, and staffon this busy road.

Remodeling of the publicrestrooms was completed in Julyand greeted with great enthusiasm

by Garden staff and visitors alike.

New tile, radiant heating, hot water,and diaper-changing stations inboth mens and womens facilitiesare much appreciated. Thanks aredue to Vice Chancellor Cernysoffice for providing 50% funding tomake this happen.

Curator Holly Forbes attendedthe California Task Force Meeting ofthe Center for Plant Conservation,this time held in the Santa BarbaraBotanic Garden August 21-23.

Horticulturist Roger Raichehas reduced his work schedule tothree days each work to launch anew business, Planet Horticulture,with partner David McCrory.See their web site atwww.planethorticulture.com.Congratulations to the pair forwinning the contract to redesignthe entrance plantings at StrybingArboretum and Botanical Gardensin San Franciscos Golden Gate

Park!


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New MembersThe Garden welcomes the following new members:

Margaurite AaronMaureeen AppelArnold ArcolioGary Ashley

Steve BallMartha Barclay & Kurt BiglerCarson BarnesAnne BoardmanMarilyn Brite & Lynn CliffordStephanie BurnsBarbara CadwaladerRichard Canciamilla

Joe ChanAllan & Lynda ChasnoffBrad Chilcoat & P E Jannke

John ChinnBruce CobbledickDaria CurtisPeter DAmatoDonn Davy

Euenge DelaporteIrene DelaporteRanda DiamondKathleen DicksonMichael Diliberto

Jeanne DoleseSarah DunbarEric EdlundCaroline EllerMary Engle

Jacqueline EnsignMarke EstisGerald FilicePete GarciaHarry & Marian GardiserLaurie Goldman

Carol & Mike GrayDave & Lisa GurleyMargaret HandleyShel HarrisMichael HarveyCharles HatchBarbara Hauser & Sandy RamseyDeborah Haynes-Stone

J Malcolm HillanJames & Louise JardellSylvia Kimura & Gail SplaverKuniko KingMaureen King & Peter BrockRobin KruegerPaul Kryloff

Jean Lewis

Wes & Abby Lisker Jennifer LonsdaleHarry LutrinHarold & Muriel MannDavid Marcus & Karen FriedmanMike MascaroVivian Mazur & Clara SternAnita McCartyBill McJohnWilliam McNameraDianne MeredithKristi MeyersWilliam MeyersRachelle Moran

Alison OdellGinger OgleMarion OngerthIngrid Parker & Ken Fullmer

Wendy Peterson &Arthur AbrahamVivian PonNathalie PrettymanRonald PusateriShela Ray

Jim & Ruth ReynoldsMarybeth RiceNancy RogersAnn Roth-CordEmily RuedKaren San MartinDebbie Sanderson &

Michael OHareRobin Sandstad

Jenny Schaffell

Cynthia SeawomynAsha SettyLois SharpnackKaye ShererSteve SmithTerry SmithThomas Smith & Katherine

McIntosh-SmithLee Ann SosaSylvia SpenglerEleanor StarkAnn SvndwallDoug Svuba & Bridget RosetteAdelaide TolbergPaul Turner & Eileen StavrakisReg & Pat Ungern

Clay Van Batenburg &David Lindberg

Zeev VeredAlberto VianaCharles Vrooman

John WakabayashiJames WelchPaul & Cheryl WellsPaul WellsLois WhiteBarbara WinslowBeverly WuDaneil Yansura

John YoungRosemary ZappullaAlison Zaremba

Janice Zeppa

Grateful ThanksThe Garden wishes to thank these donors who have made asubstantial gift over and above membership:

Alan BeardenMarilyn Brite & Lynn CliffordMrs. William FairMarjorie Gray

Diane Kothe & Frank DobsonJames Ringland & Karen IvyMary SmallSylvia Spengler

The Garden wishes to thank the following establishmentsfor offering discounts to Garden members:

Berkeley Horticultural NurseryCopacabana NurseryMagic Gardens NurserySmith & Hawken

In AppreciationThe Garden offers appreciation and thanks to these donorsfor their generous contributions:

Leo J. & Celia Carlin FundAmy DondyLisa & Tim GoodmanMike KoivulaKirk PetersonRobert RosenbergVintage BMW HouseWoodside Atherton Garden Club

In MemoryThe Garden offers appreciation and thanks for gifts from

these donors in memory of:

Emile Labadie, Jr. fromElly & Bill Bade

Alice Liddell fromLTI Technologies

Peggy Newell fromBarbara LindbergElly & Bill Bade

Gifts in KindThe Garden offers appreciation and thanks for gifts in

kind:

Eric BloomJordan de StaeblerDon Dillen, Sr.Marilyn DutilRobert ElliottMidhill FarmsMarcia MurpheyKathryn Pyle


11/12

Page 11Fall 1997

The Newsletter is published by the University of California

Botanical Garden with support from donations and memberships.Articles may be reprinted with credit to the authors and the U.C.Botanical Garden.

E-mail: [email protected] Site: http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/

NewsletterRobert Ornduff, Editor

Holly Forbes, Assistant EditorAcademic Arts, Production Printed by TechniPrint

Garden StaffDr. Ian Carmichael, Acting Director

Dr. Jenny White, Associate Director for EducationElaine Meckenstock, Business ManagerEzinda Franklin, Publicity Coordinator

Nancy Swearengen, Volunteer Services CoordinatorGerald Ford, Lead Building Maintenance

Margaret Richardson, Admissions AssistantCandace Schott, Admissions Assistant

Marilyn Setterfield, Admissions Assistant

Dr. Robert Ornduff, Faculty CuratorHolly Forbes, Curator

Judith Finn, Assistant ManagerDr. Robert Raabe, Garden Pathologist

John Domzalski, PropagatorMartin Grantham, Horticulturist

Peter Klement, HorticulturistLawrence Lee, Horticulturist Jerry Parsons, HorticulturistRoger Raiche, HorticulturistEric Schulz, Horticulturist

Elaine Sedlack, Horticulturist

Yes, I would like to support the Garden as a member in the following category:

Student (full time) ............... $10 Sponsor .............................. $250Individual ............................ $35 Patron ................................ $500Family ................................. $50 Benefactor ....................... $1000Supporting......................... $100 Directors Circle .............. $5000

Name_________________________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________________

City/State/Zip __________________________________________________

Telephone ___________________

This is a gift from ___________________________________________________My employer has a matching gift program. I have enclosed the appropriate forms.

Please make checks payable to UC Regents and mail to Garden Membership,

200 Centennial Drive #5045, Berkeley, CA 94720-5045.

NEW RENEWAL

B e c o m e a M e m b e r o f t h e B o t a n i c a l G a r d e n o r G i v e a G i f t M e m b e r s h i p

MEMBERSHIPYou can enjoy and support the Botanical

Garden year-round by becoming a

member. Your membership supports

educational programs and multiple garden

development projects.Membership benefits include:

Newsletter

Free admission to the Garden

Workshops, lectures, and tours

Discount on Garden Shop purchases

Discount on educational classes

Early admission to Spring Plant Sale

Discount on subscription to

Pacific Horticulture

Reciprocal admission to more than 120

gardens nationwide

(510) 643-2755 General Information642-3343 Garden Shop642-3352 Tours643-1924 Volunteer Opportunities

642-9856 x2 Horticulture Manager

642-7265 Facility Rentals642-0849 Administration643-8999 Directors Office643-8040 Curation

642-5045 Fax

Heliotrope andMignionette


12/12

Calendar of Events

Plants are for sale at The Garden Shop all year l 510-642-3343

For further information on classes and events, call the Garden Kiosk at

510-643-2755. To register for classes, send checks payable to the UCRegents to the Botanical Garden. Two weeks advanced notice is necessaryto accommodate individuals with special needs. No refunds the week

before the class date unless class is cancelled. Pre-registration issuggested, as classes fill early. The Garden is open every day of the yearexcept Christmas. The Garden opens at 9:00am and closes at 4:45pmexcept between Memorial Day and Labor Day when hours are extendeduntil 7:00pm. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors, $1 for children3-18. Thursdays are free, and annual passes and memberships areavailable at the entrance. Free, public tours are given by docents onThursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30.

University of California Botanical Garden200 Centennial Drive, #5045Berkeley, California 94720-5045

Address Correction Requested

SEPTEMBER

Art in the Garden Wed Mornings, SEPT 10-NOV 12Ever-popular East Bay artist, Karen LeGault, returns for a ten week classexploring the underlying principles of nature paintings. Suitable for alllevels. 9:30am-noon. $125 members, $145 non-members

FALL PLANT SALE Sun, SEPT 28

Fall is the time to plant in California! Unusual and beautiful selectionsfrom the UC Botanical Garden. Free advice and demonstrations through-out the day. 10:00am-2:00pm. FREE

Propagation WorkshopA four session workshop on the various propagation methods presented

by propagation instructor and UCBG horticulturist Martin Grantham.Bring clippers. Limited to 20.Thurs, SEPT 18, 7:00-9:30pmSat, SEPT 20, 10:00am-4:00pm (Bring lunch)Thurs, OCT 23, 7:00-9:30pmSat, OCT 25, 10:00am-4:00pm (Bring lunch)$100 members, $115 non-members.

Plant Communities of the Bay AreaFour Thus Evenings, SEPT 25, OCT 2, 9, and 16

The San Francisco Bay Area has some of the greatest diversity inecosystems and plant communities to be found anywhere. Led by GlennKeator, Ph.D., this course will examine most basic plant community typesand discuss their composition, location, and adaptations. Four lectures.7:00-9:00pm. $50 members, $60 non-members. For more detailedinformation call 510-643-2755.

OCTOBER

Clinic for Sick Plants Sat, OCT 4The first Saturday of every month! UC Plant Pathologist Dr. Bob Raabe,diagnoses your sick plants. 9:00am-noon. FREE

A FALL FESTIVAL: FOODS OF THE AMERICASTHREE WEEKENDS, OCT 4-5, 11-12, 18-19

A two week festival for all the family featuring the food crops of theAmericas. Come celebrate these foods with us through special educationaldisplays, tastings, interpretive walks, music, crafts and much more! Specialplants, seeds, books and gifts will available for purchase. Special tours for

school children during the two weeks. FREE with Garden admission.

Intensive Workshop in Drawing and PaintingSat, OCT 25 and Sun, OCT 26

A chance to study with Karen LeGault. 10:00am-4:00pm both days (Bringlunch). $60 members, $75 non-members.

SOUTH AFRICA NATURE TOURJoin UCBG horticulturist Martin Grantham and South

African botanist Anne Bean in anexploration of the spectacular Cape floral region,the Drakensberg, and Natal, including a walk on

what may be the original surace of Gondwanaland.March 2-23, 1998

Co-Sponsored with UCs Jepson Herbarium.

For information and itineraries call Geostar800-624-6633.

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Travel Events

NOVEMBER

Dried Wreaths Wed, NOV 5UCBG staff members Nancy Swearengen and Jerry Parsons will lead us inthe use of seeds, cones, and other plant parts to make beautiful holidaywreaths. Limited to 20. 7:00-9:00pm. $25 members, $35 non-members.

DECEMBER

HOLIDAY PLANT SALE SAT, DEC 6Our wonderful array of plants to cheer up winter and solve many a giftproblem. Books and other special gift items also available. 10:00am-noon.FREE

Holiday Decorations Sun, DEC 7UCBG staff members Nancy Swearengen and Jerry Parsons will lead us inmaking fresh evergreen decorations. Limited to 20. 10:00am-noon. $25members, $35 non-members.

fall 1997 botanical garden university of california berkeley newsletter

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