Denver EcoFlora Project's Journal

For June’s EcoQuest, let’s look out for prairie spiderwort, or Tradescantia occidentalis. Tradescantia occidentalis is easily recognizable by its three purple-blue petals and leaves with parallel venation. Prairie spiderwort is often found in sandy soil in the eastern plains and lower foothills. Tradescantia is a member of the spiderwort family (Commelinaceae), a primarily tropical and subtropical family, with some species extending into North and South American temperate zones. The common name, spiderwort, comes from the weblike fibers that are exposed when a leaf or stem is broken. Commelinaceae are typically characterized by succulent stems, parallel veins and sheathing leaves. The petals sometimes have a sparkly appearance—like they are encrusted with tiny jewels! Although mostly tropical, many plants within this family are commonly used as houseplants in temperate zones.

In Colorado, there are only three species of Commelinaceae—two Commelina (dayflowers) and Tradescantia occidentalis, but only Tradescantia is located within the Denver metro area. Tradescantia is named for John Tradescantia, a well-known English gardener and botanist, who had a strange collection of curiosities. These curiosities were opened to the public in 1634 and formed the first public museum in England. The stems and leaves of prairie spiderwort are considered edible and used in salads. This species is also used medicinally–the roots are considered a laxative and are used in tea for stomachaches, while the leaves are used as a poultice to treat insect bites. The flowers open in the morning and turn into a jelly-like substance following bloom.

See if you can locate some prairie spiderwort and help Denver Botanic Gardens document their flowering period by photographing as many plants as possible in the month of June. Post your findings to iNaturalist so they will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project.

Now that spring is upon us the chokecherry trees (Prunus virginiana) are starting to bloom! This month let’s find blooming individuals to help document their range and phenology in the Denver metro area. The Prunus genus is composed of important fruits, like cherries, peaches, plums, and even almonds! Chokecherry is large shrub to small tree that is native in Colorado. The fruit is commonly foraged, especially for jam and wine. To identify, look for small, white flowers with five petals with yellow in the center, and bark with lenticels (which look like oblong pale bumps). The leaves are finely serrated, oval, and alternate. The fruits will be green in late spring but ripen to a red or dark purple during the summer. They are common in the Front Range and Foothills, especially along riparian areas.

Help DBG document the abundance and distribution of chokecherry by photographing as many plants as possible in the month of May. Your findings will show up on the May EcoQuest iNaturalist project as well as the overall Denver EcoFlora Project.

WHAT IS AN ECOQUEST?
EcoQuests, part of the Denver EcoFlora project, challenge citizens to become citizen scientists and observe, study, and conserve the native plants of the City via iNaturalist, an easy-to-use mobile app.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?

1. Download the iNaturalist app or register online at iNaturalist.org
2. Take photos of the plants in bloom that you find on your daily neighborhood walk. It is ok if they are weeds! But avoid taking photos of cultivated plants in gardens or in your home.
3. If you are concerned about revealing the location of sensitive organisms or observations at your own house, you can hide the exact location from the public by changing the "geoprivacy" of the observation to "obscured."
4. Post your findings on iNaturalist via the app
5. Your observations will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project

6. You can add an identification to your photo when you post your findings on iNaturalist, or leave it blank for others to identify.
   WHAT IS THE GOAL?
   The EcoFlora project is designed to meaningfully connect citizens with biodiversity, and to assemble novel observations and data on the metro area’s flora to better inform policy decisions and conservation strategies.

To celebrate spring, we have two challenges for April: document Berberis repens and participate in the 2023 City Nature Challenge!

Berberis repens is also known as creeping Oregon grape or Creeping Mahonia. The genus Berberis (or barberry) is found in temperate and subtropical regions all over the world. There are five recorded species in the barberry genus in Colorado. Berberis repens is a common, low-growing shrub in Colorado. Despite the common name, it is not closely related to the common vine grape (Vitis vinifera). It can be quickly identified year-round through its evergreen, spiny leaf margins (the edges of its leaves have little pokers!) Berberis repens is sometimes confused with Berberis aquifolium (which of course is also called Oregon grape, shoot!)—who is not native to Colorado but common in Oregon and transplanted here as a cultivar. Our Colorado Berberis repens can be distinguished as its leaves aren’t as shiny and it doesn’t grow as tall (Berberis aquifolium may grow to be 3 meters tall!)

Berberis repens tends to flower April-June so look for its yellow flowers. It has purplish-blue berries, which are edible but not especially tasty. Berries can be eaten raw, roasted, or crushed and made into a drink. Roots are known for various medicinal values, such as an antiseptic for cuts and wounds or for rheumatism. Roots and stems may be crushed to be used as a yellow dye. This yellow color comes from the alkaloid berberine, which is also responsible for its bitter taste.

Help DBG document the abundance and distribution of Oregon grape by photographing as many plants as possible in the month of April. Your findings will show up on the April EcoQuest iNaturalist project as well as the overall Denver EcoFlora Project.

The City Nature Challenge will take place throughout the metro area toward the end of the month. The observation period is April 28 - May 1 and the identification period is between May 2-7. This is an international effort to find and document as many organisms as possible in metro areas around the globe. Any living organism is fair game for observation – plants, animals, birds, insects, fish – they all contribute to the City Nature Challenge! Last year, over 41,000 people participated, logging 815,000+ observations of more than 32,000 species! Last year, over 41,000 people participated globally, logging 815,000+ observations of more than 32,000 species!

It’s easy to participate – your iNaturalist observations will automatically be added to the City Nature Challenge 2023 Denver-Boulder metro project if they are made during the challenge event and occur in the greater metro area. Additionally, all plant and fungal observations will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project. Last year, 410 different species of plants and fungi were observed during the challenge. We can’t wait to see what you discover this year!

Photo taken by @darth_schrader

WHAT IS AN ECOQUEST?
EcoQuests, part of the Denver EcoFlora project, challenge citizens to become citizen scientists and observe, study, and conserve the native plants of the City via iNaturalist, an easy-to-use mobile app.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?

1. Download the iNaturalist app or register online at iNaturalist.org
2. Take photos of the plants in bloom that you find on your daily neighborhood walk. It is ok if they are weeds! But avoid taking photos of cultivated plants in gardens or in your home.
3. If you are concerned about revealing the location of sensitive organisms or observations at your own house, you can hide the exact location from the public by changing the "geoprivacy" of the observation to "obscured."
4. Post your findings on iNaturalist via the app
5. Your observations will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project

6. You can add an identification to your photo when you post your findings on iNaturalist, or leave it blank for others to identify.
   WHAT IS THE GOAL?
   The EcoFlora project is designed to meaningfully connect citizens with biodiversity, and to assemble novel observations and data on the metro area’s flora to better inform policy decisions and conservation strategies.

February EcoQuest – Ponderosa pine
One of the most common trees found in the foothills of the metro area is Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum, or ponderosa pine. Ponderosa pine is found from British Columbia south throughout the western and central U.S. There are three varieties of ponderosa pine, and here in Colorado we have variety scopulorum. Ponderosa pine has the distinction of being the mostly widely distributed pine in North America. It is even found as an introduced plant in Europe and New Zealand.

Ponderosa pine can be easily distinguished from other native pine species by the following characteristics: long leaves or “needles” in groups of two or three, orange-brown bark arranged in vertical “plates,” and open cones with a sharp tip on each scale. Pinus ponderosa has the longest needles of any of our native pines, reaching to about 7 inches in length. For a delightful treat, get close to a ponderosa pine and smell the bark – it has the wonderful aroma of vanilla or butterscotch!

In Colorado, ponderosa pines occupy approximately 2 million acres of land or roughly 8% of the state’s forested land. You will find ponderosa pines from about 6,000 to 9,000 ft. in elevation, and they are a dominant tree in our foothills ecosystem. Our ponderosa pines reach up to 160 ft. in height and are relatively resistant to high intensity fires thanks to their elevated crown and thick bark.

See if you can locate some Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum and help Denver Botanic Gardens by photographing as many plants as possible in the month of February. Post your findings to iNaturalist so they will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project.

Have you ever noticed white berries along your favorite hiking trail? Well, while some white berries are completely harmless, there is one white berry to be cautious of – those of Toxicodendron rydbergii, or western poison ivy. During the spring and summer, poison ivy is easily identifiable by the presence of “leaves in threes” or leaves comprised of three shiny leaflets. However, in the winter the leaves are gone, leaving only the white berries behind, and making it more difficult to identify.

Some people have a severe allergic reaction to poison ivy, while others have no or little response. An oily substance on the plants called urushiol causes this allergic reaction. The more exposure to poison ivy you have over time, the more severe your allergic reaction tends to be. Touching any part of the plant, even in winter, can cause a rash. Poison ivy is a member of the cashew or sumac family, Anacardiaceae. This is why many people with severe allergies to cashews also have severe allergic reactions to poison ivy.

Although the common name “poison ivy” is used, this name was first applied to the eastern poison ivy species, Toxicodendron radicans, because of the similarity in climbing habit with English ivy. Toxicodendron rydbergii is a low-growing shrub that does not climb at all. Other Toxicodendron species in North America include poison oak and poison sumac, neither of which are actual oaks or sumacs but whose leaves resemble these species.

See if you can (carefully!) locate some Toxicodendron rydbergii and help Denver Botanic Gardens by photographing as many plants as possible (carefully not to touch the plants!). Post your findings to iNaturalist so they will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project.

Not all members of the flora of Colorado produce flowers and seeds. Some, such as ferns, reproduce by spores. Spike-mosses, or Selaginella, are ferns and the sole genus in the family Selaginellaceae. Unlike some other ferns, spike-mosses have two different types of spores (megaspores and microspores) that occur in megasporangia and microsporangia located at the base of leafy branches called sporophylls. The sporophylls are only slightly differentiated from the vegetative leaves in 4-sided structures. The sporangia type can be differentiated by the color – megasporangia containing megaspores are greenish while microsporangia containing microspores are orangish.

Selaginella species are creeping plants with scale-like leaves, and can be found growing on rocky cliffs, ledges, in rocky crevices, and on rock outcroppings. The leaves of spike-mosses remain green year-round, making them a good plant to hunt for when plants have stopped blooming. There are four species of Selaginella occurring in the Denver-Boulder metro area: Selaginella densa, S. mutica, S. underwoodii, and S. weatherbiana.

Selaginella densa is easily distinguished by its densely matted growth form with short, compact branches, while the other two species are loosely matted with long, spreading branches. Selaginella densa is also our most observed spike-moss in the metro area. The other three species are more subtly distinguished among. Selaginella weatherbiana can be determined by the growth habit – at branch forks, S. weatherbiana has larger branches that continue to grow as a vegetative shoot and a shorter, smaller one that forms a fertile branch. Lastly, S. mutica leaves lack a bristle tip while S. underwoodii leaves have a short bristle tip present. This bristle tip is best viewed under a microscope or with a hand lens.

See if you can locate some Selaginella and help Denver Botanic Gardens by photographing as many plants as possible in the month of November. Post your findings to iNaturalist so they will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project.

Join us in celebration of the initial two years of the Denver EcoFlora Project! The EcoFlora Project was created with the goal to connect our local community with plants in an urban environment. Hear how we accomplished this through monthly EcoQuests, hosted hikes, high school internships and other outreach events, like the Amache rose project. This is a free, online event.

Register here to obtain the zoom link:
https://www.botanicgardens.org/programs/ecoflora-conference

Hope to see you there!

October EcoQuest – Cuscuta, Vampire plants

A spooky plant to look for this Halloween is Cuscuta, usually referred to as dodder but also known as strangle vine, witch’s shoelaces, and even devil’s guts. Cuscuta is also an example of a ‘vampire plant,’ or a parasitic plant that taps into other plants for all its nutrient needs. To obtain these nutrients, dodder uses a specialized root called haustoria (their ‘fangs’) to penetrate and invade the vascular tissues of plants, thus obtaining water, minerals, and carbohydrates directly from their hosts. The roots of dodders die after attachment has been made, such that the plants are entirely dependent on these hosts for survival. And just like a real vampire, dodder even needs an ‘invitation’ to step into their hosts vascular tissues, communicating through DNA with its host to lower its defenses.

Cuscuta are parasitic on a variety of different host species but have a particular affinity for crop plants and weeds such as alfalfa, many aster family members, tomato, lambsquarter, pigweed, and bindweed. Cuscuta’s common names allude to their characteristic long strands of yellowish stems that form mats and wrap around other vegetation, often appearing to ‘strangle’ their host plants. As members of the Convolvulaceae, or morning glory family, Cuscuta also exhibit flowers with the corolla lobes fused together, but the flowers are much smaller than those of a typical morning glory.

Dodder seeds can sprout without a host nearby. Once germinated, dodder seedlings use airborne chemosensory cues to grow towards nearby plants that they can tap into for food. However, if the plants do not reach a suitable host within five to 10 days of germination, the seedlings will die. Cuscuta are notoriously difficult to identify to species. There are currently four species reported from the Denver-Boulder metro area: C. approximata, C. campestris, C. cuspidata, and C. indecora. Because these plants are difficult to identify, please consult a flora to determine which species you have observed. Identifying just to genus may be necessary if flowers or fruit are unavailable.

See if you can locate some Cuscuta and help Denver Botanic Gardens by photographing as many plants as possible in the month of October. Post your findings to iNaturalist so they will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project.

You can help contribute to future EcoQuests and EcoFlora activities by completing the following survey:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffFID0in7fO_T9dI1uOBoBU9OYtM5iHC0H2e9l_BZTDXnOpg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Please complete by September 23rd. Thank you for your participation!

Every fall, photographs of one plant are always sent to researchers at Denver Botanic Gardens for identification – pinedrops or Pterospora andromedea. These alien-like plants are so weird looking and eye-catching on the forest floor, people can’t help but wonder what they are! Pinedrops have no green coloration in any part of the plant, and thus do not make any of their own food through chlorophyll and photosynthesis. How to these plants obtain the nutrients for survival then? Well, they parasitize the mycorrhizal fungi that are attached to the roots of pine trees!

Many species of trees are associated with mycorrhizal fungi, and the two have a mutually beneficial relationship. The fungi receive carbohydrates and other nutrients from the pine tree, while the pine trees receive an increase in their root surface area and are thus able to secure more water and minerals. Pinedrops tap into these fungal mycorrhizae and obtain all the nutrients, carbohydrates, and water they need to survive, offering nothing to the fungi in return for this supply of food. Pinedrop seeds are tiny and dust-like, also requiring a mycorrhizal association for germination to occur. As the seeds of pinedrop germinate, its roots become encased in the hyphae of the mycorrhizal fungus.

Pinedrops are a member of the Ericaceae, or heath family. They exhibit the characteristic urn-shaped corollas present in many members of the heath family, including blueberries (Vaccinium). Pinedrops also have a sticky, glandular, reddish stem. The scientific name for pinedrops comes from the Greek “Pterospora” meaning winged seed and “andromedea”, a reference to the nodding flowers that are similar to the flowers of Andromeda polifolia. The fruit of pinedrops is a hanging, brownish capsule.

See if you can locate some Pterospora andromedea and help Denver Botanic Gardens by photographing as many plants as possible in the month of September. Post your findings to iNaturalist so they will automatically be added to the Denver EcoFlora Project.