Aspidotis Densa

Day 277: Aspidotis densa had not been known to occur in Mount Rainier National Park until my botany partners and I discovered it last year. We didn't know what it was when we first saw it, but as always, I took many photos of it from all angles to show all its field identification points, and looked it up as soon as I got home. Since there was no prior record of it, we were asked to obtain voucher specimens for the Park and the WTU Herbarium (Burke) if the population was sufficient to support doing so, but by the time we could get back to it, Washington had been hit with 100-degree temperatures. We were unable to locate plants showing both the narrow fertile and broad sterile fronds (see photo above). Unfortunately, the sterile fronds had withered in the blistering heat due to their greater surface area. One of our goals for Saturday's trip was to collect sterile fronds to round out the vouchers, and we were successful. Score two for Botany Day!

Lathyrus Torreyi

Day 276: At the extreme upper end of its range, there exists a small patch of rare and endangered Torrey's peavine (Lathyrus torreyi). When my botany partners and I first observed it in 2020, it covered a plot roughly 12" x 20". During the peak pandemic years, I made only one trip to check on it, and found that by 2022, it had doubled in size. This year, our goal was first to find it in bloom, and second, to take voucher specimens for the Park and the WTU Herbarium, if and only if the population met specific requirements for number of plants. We were delighted to find that the patch had again doubled in size, and now covers an area which measures approximately 30 sq. ft. It was in bloom, so we obtained the requisite three specimens which went immediately into my plant press. With one success under our belts, our botany day had just begun.

Specimens

Day 11: I have to admit that I am sometimes slow in getting things out of my plant press to dispatch to their permanent homes. In this case, I was motivated by an inquiry from another botanist about Aspidotis densa, the "new" fern my botany partners and I discovered in the Park this last summer. We conducted an extensive search to determine that the population of the species could support taking two specimens. There were not enough examples to collect three (the preferred number), but in any case, one of these will be retained for the Park's own herbarium and one will be sent to WTU (Burke). For this photo, it has been necessary to remove information regarding the exact location from the labels as a deterrent to less scrupulous collectors (and believe me, I have met a few). I'm looking forward to next year's "botany season," and the possibility of adding even more species to the Park's inventory.

A Pressing Need

Day 320: My needs are pressing these days, and I am grateful to a former Park volunteer for the gift of his plant press. "I think you'll get more use out of it than I will," he said as he handed it to me, and indeed I have flattened my share of vegetative matter in it, much of which was destined for the Park's herbarium. However, my most recent finds have been outside the Park and from areas where taking specimens is in no way restricted. In fact, some came from my own yard! The three currently contained within the press will be sent to WTU (otherwise known as the Burke Herbarium): Origanum vulgare, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Galeopsis tetrahit (shown above). When making a voucher specimen, the plant should be arranged to show as much of its morphology as possible. Some leaves should be turned over so the reverse can be seen. If it is in flower, the blossom should be carefully opened out to show the structures inside, taking care not to tear or distort tissues. If possible, a root should be included. It takes weeks or sometimes months for specimens to dry fully. It's a lengthy process, but the plant can be mounted when needs are not quite so pressing.