Botanical Quarterly Gardenbotanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/...botanical...

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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY Botanical Garden Quarterly Botanical Garden July-Sept. 1977 Coping with the drought By Sharon Smorsten The drought has taken its toll on plants in California, but efforts are being made to preserve the plant collection in the botanical garden. Although water con- sumption in the garden has been drasti- cally reduced by 50%, no plants— except the lawn — have been sacrificed. Accord- ing to garden manager Anton Christ, mulching, hand-watering, and fewer plantings have helped ease the crisis. Wood shavings and sawdust are being hauled into the garden for mulch at the rate of 40 yards per week. This material is then worked into the ground around the plants to reduce evaporation of water from the soil surface, and discourage water-guzzling weeds. However, since wood debris can steal essential nitrogen from the soil, this mulch is infused with an organic source of nitrogen such as blood meal. Also, the material is thoroughly rototilled into the surface soil to prevent the loose shavings from blowing away when dry. To reduce wasteful runoff and loss of water through evaporation, almost all the sprinklers have been abandoned in favor of hand-watering. Only the shallow-rooted rhododendrons in the Rhododendron Dell area continue to enjoy the luxury of overhead sprinklers. Also, watering has generally been re- stricted to the morning hours — often as early as 4 a.m. — to avoid the drying influence of the afternoon sun. These changes in watering methods have de- manded a considerable increase in labor, but the docents have organized a volun- teer group to help out, and most plants are still carefully tended by the staff. Although drip irrigation systems (utilizing small hoses and slow seepage of water) are reputed to save up to 40% in water consumption, manager Anton Christ reported there are no plans to install such a system. He explained that this technique is effective in a garden consisting of plants with similar watering needs, but is difficult to use in the botani- cal garden due to the wide variety of plants. New plantings have almost come to a halt, and the sale in May effectively re- continued on page 4 New Himalayan display By Bruce Bartholomew, Curator One of the most recent additions to the botanical garden is a Himalayan area which is located below the lawn. The physical development of this area was made possible through funds allocated from the 1975 docent plant sale, and the renovation has been undertaken by John Domzalski. Although this area is one of the most conspicuous parts of the gar- den, it has previously been one of the least attractive and botanically least in- teresting. The first stage in the renovation in- volved removing some of the heavy adobe soil and installation of drain pipes to keep the bed from being water-logged with runoff from the adjacent lawn. Truckloads of soil, sand, and mulch have been added to improve the area, and new paths and rock work have greatly enhanced the area and made it more ac- cessible. The physical development is almost complete and we are now ready to start planting. In addition to the two existing trees, we have already established a few new plants although most of the planting will have to wait until after the current drought. The plant material will poten- tially include species from the whole of the Himalayas from Kashmir on the west to Arunachal Pradesh on the east. How- ever, the initial planting will largely be from material I collected in Bhutan dur- ing the fall of 1974. Bhutan is a small country to the east of Nepal and Sikkim. My wife, Terese, and I were able to visit this small Himalayan Kingdom through an invitation from Her Royal Highness Ashi Kesang Wangchuck, Queen Mother of Bhutan, who my wife's family has known for years. The plants we are growing were collected as seed between an elevation of about 7,000 feet and 14,000 feet, and should be hardy in the Berkeley area. Although most of these seedlings are presently being held in our propagation area, a few have been planted. One of the most interesting trees al- ready planted is Exbucklandia populnea which occurs from the eastern Himalayas through to western China continued on page 2

Transcript of Botanical Quarterly Gardenbotanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/...botanical...

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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY

Botanical GardenQuarterly

Botanical

Garden

July-Sept. 1977

Coping with the droughtBy Sharon Smorsten

The drought has taken its toll on plantsin California, but efforts are being madeto preserve the plant collection in thebotanical garden. Although water con-sumption in the garden has been drasti-cally reduced by 50%, no plants— exceptthe lawn — have been sacrificed. Accord-ing to garden manager Anton Christ,mulching, hand-watering, and fewerplantings have helped ease the crisis.

Wood shavings and sawdust are beinghauled into the garden for mulch at therate of 40 yards per week. This materialis then worked into the ground aroundthe plants to reduce evaporation of waterfrom the soil surface, and discouragewater-guzzling weeds. However, sincewood debris can steal essential nitrogen

from the soil, this mulch is infused withan organic source of nitrogen such asblood meal. Also, the material isthoroughly rototilled into the surfacesoil to prevent the loose shavings fromblowing away when dry.

To reduce wasteful runoff and loss ofwater through evaporation, almost allthe sprinklers have been abandoned infavor of hand-watering. Only theshallow-rooted rhododendrons in theRhododendron Dell area continue toenjoy the luxury of overhead sprinklers.Also, watering has generally been re-stricted to the morning hours — often asearly as 4 a.m. — to avoid the dryinginfluence of the afternoon sun. Thesechanges in watering methods have de-

manded a considerable increase in labor,but the docents have organized a volun-teer group to help out, and most plantsare still carefully tended by the staff.

Although drip irrigation systems(utilizing small hoses and slow seepage ofwater) are reputed to save up to 40% inwater consumption, manager AntonChrist reported there are no plans toinstall such a system. He explained thatthis technique is effective in a gardenconsisting of plants with similar wateringneeds, but is difficult to use in the botani-cal garden due to the wide variety ofplants.

New plantings have almost come to ahalt, and the sale in May effectively re-continued on page 4

New Himalayan displayBy Bruce Bartholomew, Curator

One of the most recent additions to thebotanical garden is a Himalayan areawhich is located below the lawn. Thephysical development of this area wasmade possible through funds allocatedfrom the 1975 docent plant sale, and therenovation has been undertaken by JohnDomzalski. Although this area is one ofthe most conspicuous parts of the gar-den, it has previously been one of theleast attractive and botanically least in-teresting.

The first stage in the renovation in-volved removing some of the heavyadobe soil and installation of drain pipesto keep the bed from being water-loggedwith runoff from the adjacent lawn.Truckloads of soil, sand, and mulch have

been added to improve the area, andnew paths and rock work have greatlyenhanced the area and made it more ac-cessible. The physical development isalmost complete and we are now ready tostart planting.In addition to the two existing trees,we have already established a few newplants although most of the planting willhave to wait until after the currentdrought. The plant material will poten-tially include species from the whole ofthe Himalayas from Kashmir on the westto Arunachal Pradesh on the east. How-ever, the initial planting will largely befrom material I collected in Bhutan dur-ing the fall of 1974.

Bhutan is a small country to the east of

Nepal and Sikkim. My wife, Terese, andI were able to visit this small HimalayanKingdom through an invitation fromHer Royal Highness Ashi KesangWangchuck, Queen Mother of Bhutan,who my wife's family has known foryears. The plants we are growing werecollected as seed between an elevation ofabout 7,000 feet and 14,000 feet, andshould be hardy in the Berkeley area.Although most of these seedlings arepresently being held in our propagationarea, a few have been planted.

One of the most interesting trees al-ready planted is Exbucklandia populneawhich occurs from the easternHimalayas through to western China

continued on page 2

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Himalayan display

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a Himalayan primrose, Primula capitata

continued from page I

and southeast Asia. This tree — relatedto the sweet gum —grows to 100 feet andhas large leathery heart-shaped leaves. Acharacteristic of the species is the ex-tremely large stipules which enclose theyoung auxiliary buds. I collected seeds ofthis tree on the west side of the WangduPhodrang Valley. The tree was growingin association with an oak, (Quercus grip-fithii, and Rhododendron arboreum. Manyplants of the beautiful epiphytic orchidPleione praecox were in bloom on therhododendrons and oaks at the time ofour visit.

Another plant collected at the samelocality is Cornus capitata which is a smalldogwood tree that will grow to about 30feet tall. This species is widely distri-buted throughout the Himalayas and ex-tends to western and central China. Thetree has dull gre y-green foliage that con-trasts with the bright yellow flower bractsand red strawberry-shaped mass offused fruit. These fruit are occasionallysold in the local markets in Bhutan. butthey do not have much taste, and havemeal y texture.

A spectacular Himalayan tree is themountain-ash Sorbus cuspitota which oc-curs from northwest India through t heHimalayas to Bhutan. This tree has largeleaves to about 10 inches long that arc adull bluish-green on top and denselywhite tomentose or velvety beneath. ['henumerous white flowers are horn in clus-ters, and the yellow crabapple-sized fruitare a spotted reddish-brown. I collectedthe seeds of this plant on Duchu Lawhich is the pass between the Thimbu

and Wangdu Phodrang valleys. The areais a mixed rhododendron-coniferousforest. The top of the ridge that sepa-rates these two valleys seems to be con-

the middle elevations of western Bhutanfrom the prevailing winds.

Primula capitata. a primrose, is the onlyherbaceous plant to be established so far-.This plant has light blue flowers ar-ranged in a tight spherical head on theend of a long peduncle or stalk. Thisspecies is the most common primula inthe middle elvations of is estern Bhutanand often grows in sunny spots alongtrails and in disturbed a reas. The popu-l ation 1.10171 Which our plants camel hadunusuall y large flowers heads. It will heinteresting if this characteristic is presentin our plants once the y are well estab-lished.

The only shrub we have planted so farPieris formosa. 1 his species occurs fromthe eastern Himalayas to China hut isalso very similar to P. japonica in Japanand P. taiiranciio, in Taiwan. an. 1 he speciesis an evergreen shrub 8 to 12 feet tallwith pendent white urn-shaped flowersitrranged in nearly erect panic les. Notonly are the flowers very attr,ictive. butthe clusters of new leaves arc a deep scar-let. Our plant is as collected in the everg-reen oak forests along a trail from theParo Valley to Taktsang Monasterywhich is perched precariously on a cliffoverlooking the Paro Valley.

Once the current drought is over. wewill add many more plants to ourHimalayan area, and this area shouldeventually be a specrctcular addition tothe garden.

Plans made to trace 'roots' of ornamentalsNow that the needed funds have becomeavailable through a grant from the El-venia J. Slosson University of CaliforniaEndowment Fund for Ornamental Hor-ticulture, the botanical garden will de-velop a unique new section featuring or-namental plants and their presumedwild ancestors.

Plans are being made to acquire vari-ous cultivars and wild species of camellia,rhododendron, gladiolus, grape, rose,lily, and others. Also under considera-tion for inclusion in the display are vari-ous native California plants that gave riseto domesticates such as clarkia, del-phinium, the Russell lupines, and theCalifornia poppy. Some economicallyimportant plants may be added as well.

The proposed new section will be laidout adjacent to the South American sec-tion, above the new propagation house.Although a number of cultivars of vari-ous ornamentals can be easily purch-ased, the garden will have to rely on itsseed exchange program with 400 otherbotanical gardens to secure the wild rela-tives of these cultivars.

However, some plants alread y grow-ing in the garden will be utilized in thenew area. For example, the garden has anumber of fuchsia cultivars, as well as theWild South American Fuch.s-ia magellanicawhich played an important role in theancestry of these plants. In addition, thegarden has at least two wild Dahlia

species from Mexico. one of which con-tributed to the development of culti-vated dahlias.

In addition to the permanent plant-ing, the Slosson Fund has also made pos-sible the construction of a lath house fora rotating display of plants..-] few of theproposed display themes include hor-ticulturally important hybrids and theirancestors, economic plants, plants in thepublic limelight such its waterway pollut-ant removers or energy producers, andplants v. ith different pollination systems.

With the development of this new sec-tion and lath house display over the nextfew years, the garden's educational valueshould he greatl y enhanced.

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Venus flytrap, Dioneaea muscipula

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Striking plants attract visitorsThe summer months are a popular timefor the public to visit the UC BotanicalGarden since many plants are reachingtheir peak of attractiveness.

In the new Fern and CarnivorousPlant Display House are two strikingplants. The Venus Flytrap (Dioneaea mus-cipula), with its lobed leaves modified forinsect trapping, has just finished flower-ing and seeds are beginning to develop.The Butterwort (Pinguicula caudata),another carnivorous plant, has leaves co-vered with a greasy coating similar toflypaper. When insects land on the stickyleaves, they become trapped and cannotescape. The Butterwort is in bloom nowand has a lovely pink spurred flower.

In the New World Desert Area, nearthe Fern and Carnivorous Plant DisplayHouse, one can see several types of thelarge columnar White Torch Cactus(Trichocereus species). These cacti havelarge white flowers which are quiteshowy and fragrant.

Many of the herbs in the Herb Gardenare in full bloom during the summermonths. One striking example is theClary Sage(Salvia.cclarea) which was usedby medieval herbalists to cure eye disor-ders.

In the Orchid Display House, theDen-drobium thyrsiflorum is now blooming withthick clusters of white and yellow flow-ers, and the showy Odontoglossum speciesis displaying its large white ruffly flow-ers. Many other species of orchids arealso currently in bloom.

The Coastal Bluff Community of theCalifornia Area is currently carpetedwith hundreds of individuals of South-

ern Farewell-to-Spring (Clarkinrubicunda). These lovely pink flowersshould last through the summer months.

Another handsome plant to be seen inthe California Area how is the MatilijaPoppy (Romney( coulteri). At the ends ofthe 5-feet tall stems are large fragrantwhite flowers with bright yellow-orangecenters. Further into the CaliforniaArea, the Calabazillo or Fetid Cucumber(Cucurbita foetidissima) can be found trail-ing along the ground. The FetidCucumber takes its name from the foulodor which the plant emits. CaliforniaIndians often used the fruits of this plantfor food.

The Tropical House is always a popu-lar place to visit because there are alwaysinteresting plants to he seen. As you en-ter, look on your right and you will seelarge gray wirey clump of thin leaves.This is Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoi-des), a member of the Pineapple family.Opposite the entrance to the TropicalHouse is the Chenile Plant (Acalypha his-pida), a source of perfume. It is coveredwith long red tassle-like clumps of flow-ers.

The Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao)is located on the right hand side of theTropical House and is bearing pods atthis time of the year. These pods arefilled with seeds which when crackedyield the raw materials from whichchocolate and cocoa are made. Severalspecies of banana are growing here. Oneof which, the Dwarf Banana (Musa rub-m), has red flowers and short stubbypink fruits.

Write your CongressmanYou can help release millions of dollarsfor botanical gardens and arboretaaround the nation by urging your con-gressman to support 3 bills currentlyunder consideration in the House ofRepresentatives. If passed, these billswould appropriate a total of $60 millionfor grants to various museums, botanicalgardens and arboreta:

Bill HR 949 (Koch). Provides $30 mill-ion for grants. Introduced April 1977.Referred to the House Committee onEducation and Labor.Bill HR 1615 (Alexander). Provides $15million for grants. Introduced January1977. Referred to the House Committeeon Appropriations.

Bill HR 2956 (Alexander). Provides 515million for grants. Introduced February1977. Referred to the House Committeeon Appropriations.

These 3 bills are important since theywill provide the funds to put the recentlypassed Brademas Bill into effect. Thislandmark bill, passed April 1976, was avictory for plant enthusiasts since it ex-tends the National Foundation of Artsand Humanities Act to include botanicalgardens and arboreta for the first time,and thus opens the wa y for nationalfunding. If the 3 bills are passed, botani-cal gardens and arboreta will be able toobtain funds under the new Institute ofMuseum Services in the Department ofHealth, Education, and Welfare.

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4

Gardencontinued from pagc 1

diced the number of thirsty pottedplants in the holding area. 'The MatherRedwood Grove is still lacking sonic of itsunderstory plants, and the Himalayanarea has been only sparsely planted eventhough a wealth of seeds were collectedin 1974 by curator Bruce Bartholomew.The herb garden is being deprived ofmany of its annuals since these tempor-ary plants have high water demands. Re-searchers using the garden have also re-sponded by propagating the minimumnumber of plants for their experiments.

So far, the lawn has been the onlycasualty of the drought. Watering herewas stopped a year ago, and the grass isfinally showing the effects with a sicklyyellowish cast. Since highl y competitiveweeds tend to choke out a weakenedlawn and reduce its chances of renewal.reseeding will be necessary when therains return — or the lawn will have to hereplaced with a more drought-resistantground cover.

Fortunately, the garden does have anindependent source of water within itsborders, Winter Creek in the redwood

grove. 500 gallons of water from thiscreek are pumped out daily to hand-water the grove, and plans are underwayto install two additional storage tanks tohold 3,000 gallons more. Even thoughthe flow in this creek has declined from50 or 60 gallons per minute to 10. andthe water is undrinkable due to its highsulfur content, Winter Creek is capableof providing enough Water to supporteven more plants in the garden.

.1- his vital creek is actually the rumoftfrom a well and large reservoir perchedhigh in the hills behind the Space Sci-ences building. Although the well wasdrilled about 4 years ago, the adjacent45.000-gallon reservoir and pump wereinstalled only 6 months ago as protectionagainst fire. To catch this runoff water asit rushes downhill, the botanical gardenhas constructed a 900-gallon reservoirfrom which water is pumped daily intothe two 250-gallon storage tanks in thegrove.

Winter Creek could also supply themain garden if there were some meansof transporting the water across Centen-nial Drive to the large storage tank there.

But the radiation lab's 32-feet longtanker truck is too large to tlfdlICl/Vef inthe gat den's parking lot. and the smallerUC tanker is too decrepit to make it upthe hill. Hopefully, this problem willeventually beremedied.

:another alternative for reducingwater consumption, of course, would beto switch to more drought-resistantplants, but this solution would obviouslydefeat the main purpose of the garden.Only through a variety of plants canuniversity botanical garden fulfill its es-sential educational and research func-tions. However. home gardeners areurged to consider switching to man y ofthe attractive drought-resistant plantsavailable for landscaping. In fact. thegarden has developed a self-guided tourfor visitors interested in drought-tolerant native California plants. Thisdescriptive list and map can be obtainedfor 5 cents in the main office.

So far, the botanical garden has stillnot suffered any damage from thedrought. But hopefully California will berelieved with abundant rains in the fallwhich will open the way for renewed ac-tivity- in the garden.

Botanical garden notes

Grants for collectors. Recently thegarden initiated a small program usingdocent and other funds to subsidizeplant collecting by individuals who aretraveling to, or reside in areas of particu-lar botanical interest. Thomas Veblen, ageographer, has collected seeds for thegarden in Southern Chile. And LyttonMusselman of Old Dominion Universityhas sent seeds from New Caledonia. Hiscollection included a few genera that arebelieved to be among the most primitiveof extant flowering plants.

Rare palm. The garden has providedthe Palm Society with a small grant tosupport their attempts to obtain seed ofthe rare palm, Juanita austrolis. . endemicto the Juan Fernandez islands off thecoast of Chile.

Correction. Two plants were misla-bled at the preview plant sale on April30. The "Climbing Hydrangea" is Hyd-rangea marrophylla oar. Hortensia. Plantsin the greenhouse labeled "Rhipsolis .gyp.''are a Euphorbin species. Anyone wishingan adjustment should call Mary Schro-ter, plant sale chairman, at 254-0596.

Mexican plants. On July 1 the gardenreceived funds to support the secondand final year of a project aimed at in-troducing Mexican plants of potentialhorticultural merit into the trade. Thisgrant is held in collaboration with theSaratoga Horticultural Foundation.

Botany class. The university's coursein practical botany is being taught thissummer quarter in the garden by Doug-las James, a graduate student in the De-partment of Botany, who is being as-sisted by a volunteer. Bonnie Ng.

Merger. A merger of the Friends ofthe Botanical Garden and the DocentCouncil was recently approved by bothorganizations. Although a NominatingCommittee has been appointed to selecta new slate of officers and Board mem-bers, suggestions for nominees are wel-come. Write to NominatingCommittee.Friends of the Botanical Garden, Uni-versity of California, Berkeley, CA94720.

Successful plant sale. The docentplant sale preview on April 30, and thesale on MAN 7 were quite a success. and

resulted in an additional $10.10(1 for the.garden.

Al Irving. of the botanical gardenstaff, will serve as a judge of succulents att he preview for the San FranciscoCounty Fair flower shoe in August. Mr.Irving also recentl y served as a judge illthe 12th annual shim of the Cactus andSucculent Societ y ' of America.

Director Robert Ornduff and Boardmembe r Alice Q. Howard paid visits toSacramento where Dr. Ornduff testifiedbefore the Senate Finance Coalmine(' onbehalf of Senate Bill 308. "Fins bill is con-cerned with protection of Far(' and en-dangered plant spec ies in California.

Thanks. Special thanks arc extendedto Editor W. George Witters of ParifirHoroculturr for his advice and guidancein the development of the Mitufricril Gar-den Onortrrly. Also. 1)r. Robert A. Main,Professor of Biological Sciences atCalifornia State Universit y . Hayward.offered valuable iissistance in securingfuture illustrations. And the staff atHeliographic s arc appreciated for thespecial aid they provided in solving theproblems of production.

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DOOCLAS-FIR

)4

COAST LIVE OAK

II 5

MADRONE

RESPROUTING REDWOOD STUMP

SEEDLING IN HUMUS-FREE SOIL

NEW ROOTS AFTER BURIAL BY FLOOD

THE COAST REDWOOD HABITAT

from An Island Called California, by Elna Bakker.

Redwood grove duplicates natural forestBy Laurianne L. Hannan

On five acres of land directly west of theL3(: Botanical Garden is a fascinatingmodel of a Coast Redwood plant com-munity, the Stephen T. Mather Red-wood Grove. Magnificent redwoodstower above a setting of gentle slopesdotted with ferns, shrubs, and herbs na-tive to natural redwood forests. A nar-row creek completes the scene and pro-vides essential water as it flows slowlythrough the center of the plantings.

All the trees in the grove are Sequoiasempervirens, or Coast Redwoods. Thesetrees grow along the Pacific coast ofCalifornia and Oregon for about 500miles from Curry County, Oregon toMonterey County, California.

Normally, these redwoods enjoywinter and spring rains averaging 60 in-ches per year. Also, the dense fogs thatroll in from the ocean daily during thesummer months are important in CoastRedwood ecology. The "fog drip" pro-duced when moisture condenses on theleaves of the trees accounts for 10 inchesor more of precipitation during thesummer months. These fogs not onlyadd moisture to the soil, but also serve to

reduce evaporation and transpirationfrom the trees.

Coast Redwoods are truly marvelswhen one considers their size, age, andresistance to disease. They are theworld's tallest trees, and can reach over350 feet. Also, they are very long-lived,and trees 2,200 years old have been re-ported. The average age of mature red-woods ranges from 500 to 1,000 years.

These trees do not have a central tap-root, but have several stubby main rootswhich usually penetrate less than 6 feetinto the soil. From these main roots growa network of filamentous roots whichcover an extensive area under the tree.This network is very efficient at drawingall available water into the tree.

Although Coast Redwoods produce alarge number of seeds, few pass throughthe thick laver of duff to reach a favora-ble spot for germination. But anothercommon form of reproduction is bymeans of root-crown sprouting fromburls, which are masses of buds on thetrunks. After fires, floods, disease, cut-ting, or some other damage to the trees,the burls are stimulated to produce

branches. Burl sprouts can be verynumerous, often with several hundredon one tree.

The ability to regenerate from burls,and the thick, shaggy covering of barkhelp account for the resistance of red-woods to fire and floods. Potential com-petitors such as Douglas Fir (Psendot.s.ugamenziesii) are not tolerant of fire and arekilled. The fire burns all the detritus onthe forest floor, kills the competing trees,and adds a new layer of enriching ash tothe soil.

Floods leave silt around the trunks oftrees, which smothers the roots of mostspecies. However, redwoods respondquickly by producing a new layer of rootsin the silt and thus do not die. After fireor floods, redwood seeds find more op-portunities for germination due to theabundant wat er, nutrients, and light re-sulting from the death of competingseedlings.

These magnificent trees, plus themany interesting understory plants cancurrently be viewed in the grove, andmore detailed botanical information isavailable in several booklets offered forsale in the main office of the garden.

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RESEARCH

AREA

750 feetelevation -230 meters

2018. /77..•average rainfall- • ----- jo om / year\

45' F - 80'F (n.nmer)temp. range;."' 7.0 27.0

35'F- 65•FIrC -18'C

kl picnic tables

MIOCENEFOR EST

0

6

Introducing the gardenThe University of California BotanicalGarden was established in 1895 in theheart of the campus, and moved to itspresent location in Strawberry Canyonin 1928, where it now covers a fencedarea of 32 acres. The present site of thegarden was previously a dairy ranch al-most totally devoid of trees.

The garden currently has a collectionof about 8,000 different kinds of plants,most of which are arranged in geog-raphical collections. Touring the gardencan give you a sample of many of theworlds major floristic zones. Displays in-clude plants from South America, EastAsia, South Africa, California, Mexico,and other parts of the world. Also, spe-cial sections such as the Palm Garden,Rhododendron Dell, the TropicalHouse, and Herb Garden are furtherattractions.

Although it is sometimes difficult tobelieve that many of the magnificentplants in the garden were acquired asseeds, this has been a common means ofacquisition. Seeds have been collected onvarious plant expeditions, or receivedthrough seed exchanges with other bo-tanical gardens, as well as from collectors

and various scientific institutions.There are many outstanding displays

in the garden, and one of the highlightsis the spectacular collection of cacti andother succulents in the New World De-sert, African Hill, and Mexican areas.Also, succulent enthusiasts should notmiss the large greenhouse near the mainentrance that contains hundreds of pot-ted succulents. This display is open dailyin the afternoons from 12:30 to 1:30.

The same greenhouse also houses afascinating collection of orchids. The or-chid family, Orchidaceae, is the largestplant family, with over 20.000 species.Many of these plants are epiphytic, andgrow perched on living plants and otherobjects.

Also, the recently opened greenhousenear the Succulent and Orchid Housecontains an excellent collection of car-nivorous plants, as well as an unusualcollection of ferns. Here you can view the2-feet tall pitchers of the Cobra Plant(Darlingtonia californica), or the jewel-liketentacles of the Sundew (Drmeta .spccie.■).Also, the primitive Psilatum and Tme.c ip-teris are on display here. According tofossil records, plants similar to these two

existed 300 million years ago.The Herb Garden is another fascinat-

ing section. Separate plots divide theherbs into categories based on use, suchas "medicinal," "flavoring for liqueurs,""fragrances," etc. It is interesting to notethat in the Dark Ages, knowledge ofherbs was forbidden, but kept alive inmonastery "physic" gardens, many ofwhich later developed into botanicalgardens.

Also, the recently dedicated StephenT. Mather Redwood Grove should nothe missed. This 3-acre display of tallCoast Redwoods ',quota .wmperviten. ․ )and understory plants is an outstandingmodel of a natural redwood forest. Theentrance to the grove is on CentennialDrive, on the opposite side of the streetfrom the main entrance to the garden.

These, and the many . other fascinatingsections of the garden can be visited 7days a week from 9 WM. to 5 p.m. Thegarden is located in Strawberry Canyon,a few minutes drive from the L"C footballstadium. The road to the garden, ( ;en-tennial Drive, can be reached by follow-ing Rimway Road up behind thestadium.

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Botanical Garden 011011ITIT

published byFrirods 01 the Botanical Garden

Editor Sharon Silkirst en

Contributing. Editors:Robert OrnduffBruce BartholomewLaurianne I.. Hannan

Publication Committee:Anton ChristF. Owen PearceMarjorie GrayElfin Hansen

Lins et sit ‘ of California. BerkeleyBotanic al Garden

Robert ()Didn't. Director

How cacti conserve water

7

The cactus famil y (Cactaceau) containssome of the most efficient water-users inthe plant world. All cacti have succulentstems which are mcidified for water stor-age. Inside ever y stein is a woody coresurrounded by a large cylinder ofspongy. cells which can expand to holdWater. and contract as t he water isutilized by the plant. The outer surfaceof the stem is covered with a w-avC lavercalled the cuticle which helps controlevaporation and keeps the plant fromdrying out.

The roots of cacti are close to the sur-face of the ground and spread out in anetwork around the plant. During thebr ief rain y season in arid and semi-aridareas, cacti produce numerous "rainroots - i,yhich increase the root surface-area and pull in more water. AAdet therainy season is over, these rain rootswither itivax. l he permanent roots areflesh y and can tolerate long droughts.Some of the larger cacti do possess adeep tap root along s% ith a modified shal-low root system.

Water loss from the surface of leas es isa problem lot most plants 55 hen mois-

tine is scarce, but cacti are generally leaf-less or produce onl y small temporaryleaves. 'The ()pundits and their allies pos-sess very small, ephemeral leaves whichappear only briefly and are then shed.The group of cited including Ceri ; us andits allies never produce leaves.

The spines of cacti are modifiedbranches which serve ,t number of im-portant functions. Not only do they pro-tect the plant from hungry predators.but they help to reflect sunlight whichwould otherwise increase the evapora-tion rate of the plant. Also, some cactipossess spines which curve downward.These spines act as -drip-tips. - During astorm, water runs down the spines and isdirected toward the base of the plantwhere the greatest number of roots arelocated.

You can view all of t hese fea t ures dis-cussed by visiting the SucculentHouse (nthe Ness World Desert area. lire cacti inthe New Ai orld Desert area can tolerateour cool climate. but cacti which need ahotter. drier climate can be seen in t heSucculent House.

Tour guides neededPersons interested in becoming tourguides for the Botanical Garden areinvited to apply lot the Fourth DocentTraining session. Fins program consistsof 10 classes is hich will he taught by Mrs.I.aurianne Hannan. Garden Educatorand Botanist, on Thursdays, 9 a.m.-12noon. from October 6. 1977 to De-cember 8, 1977. These classes will trainparticipants to conduct the 6 basic toursoffered by the garden, as well as a fewspecialty tours.

Although tour guides are not requiredto have previous training in botan y , en-thusiasm for the garden and the generalpublic are important qualifications. Also,upon completion of the course, all par-ticipants will be expected to conducttours on a regular weekly basis for aminimum of 1 year.

The tours are usually given forschool-age children, from Kindergartento 9th grade, although clubs requestthem occasionall y . Tours include Ede inEarly California (a look at plants used hirfood, fiber, medicine, and utensils by theCalifornia Indians), The Five Senses (re-commended for grades K-2, a tour em-phasizing the senses — smelling herbs,

seeing colors, hearing sounds, etc.). Life

en the Forest (Ind Desert (a discussion ofhow the environment affects forest anddesert plants). General Tour of the Garden(a walk through the major areas of thegarden), Plant Kingdom (a survey of thedifferent types of higher plants), andEconomic Plants (a tour of the plants usedfor food, fiber, etc.).

You may pick up an application folioat the garden's main office, or call theEducation Program at 642-3352 to haveOne sent to you. Or you may write to theEducation Program. Botanical Garden.University of California. Berkeley. CA94720. The deadline for applications isSeptember I. and those persons whoseapplications are accepted will be called infor a short interview with Mrs. Hannanbetween September 12 and September16. A materials fee of $20 will be chargedfor the course.

There are presentl y )(1 active tourguides, and with the addition of the 15new trainees from the upcoming fallclass, the garden will be better able tomeet the rising demand for school andclub tours.

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Coming eventsCacti and other succulents: lecture

and tour. A potpourri of growing tips forcacti and other succulents will be pro-vided in a panel discussion on Sunday,August 14, 11 a.m. to 12 noon in themeeting room of the UC Botanical Gar-den. Participants are urged to bring abag lunch for the informal discussion af-terwards. Drinks will be provided. Afterlunch, from 1-2 p.m., the docents willprovide a general tour of the garden.

Flower show preview. A preview ofthe San Francisco County Fair flowershow will be held on Thursday, August25, 6-8 p.m. at the Hall of Flowers, 9thAvenue and Lincoln Way in Golden GatePark. Cheese and wine will be served,and a donation of $5.00 per person is

requested to benefit the sponsoringJosephine D. Randall Junior MuseumSociety. Checks should be made payableto this society, and sent to Mrs. Jack Hal-pern, reservations chairman, 45 ForestSide Avenue, SF 94127. All donationsare tax deductible.

Flower show. The annual San Fran-cisco County Fair flower show will takeplace Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,August 26-28, at the Hall of Flowers, 9thAvenue and Lincoln Way in Golden GatePark. Hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridayand Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.Admission is $1.50. The spectacular dis-play of specimen blooms and flower ar-rangements continue to make this apopular annual event.

Nursery tour. Three nurseries will bevisited on a fund-raising bus tour of-fered by the Saratoga HorticulturalFoundation Associates on Thursday,Sept. 15. Included on the tour are Shaf-fer's Tropical Gardens and Antonelli's inCapitola, as well as the Beach GardenNursery in Santa Cruz. A donation of$15 per person is requested. For detailsand reservations, contact Mrs. Albert W.Turner, 981 Baileyana Rd., Hill-sborough, CA 94010. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for tickets.(415) 343-1730.

Plant sale. Another UC BotanicalGarden plant sale is being planned forthis coming fall. Watch for further an-nouncements.

Members welcomeYou are invited to become a member ofthe Friends of the Botanical Garden.This organization was developed to pro-vide assistance to the botanical garden inimproving and extending the plant col-lection, enriching the education prog-ram, and meeting general capital re-quirements.

Members, in return, are offered spe-

cial programs on plants and gardening, a25% discount on selected UC Presshooks (such as California Spring Wildflow-ers by Munz), preview priviledges for theannual sale of unique plants front thegarden, and a quarterly publicationwhich covers topics of general interest toplant enthusiasts as well as news of thegarden.

Student and Senior Citizen member-ships are discounted to $5. Standarddues are $10 for an individual, $15 for afamily. The Friends of the BotanicalGarden function as a support groupunder the auspices of the UC BerkeleyFoundation, and dues and gifts are taxdeductible.

UC Berkeley FoundationFriends of the Botanical GardenUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeley, California 94720

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage Paid

Berkeley, Ca.Permit No. 244