The Jepson Herbarium

WEEKEND WORKSHOPS

A Series Of Intensive Workshops on the
Systematics and Ecology of Botanical Groups
1995-1996

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Sponsored by The Friends of the Jepson Herbarium
Jepson Herbarium
University of California at Berkeley

Introduction and general Information

Classes 1995 - 1996
Changes to Class Schedule--Updated 7/28/95.

1. Mycorrhizae September 9 & 10, 1995
2. Ecological Habitat Restoration October 13, 14, & 15, 1995
3. California Conifers and other Gymnosperms October 28, & 29, 1995
4. Mushrooms November 18 & 19, 1995
5. Lichens January 13 & 14, 1996
6. Bryophytes February 17 & 18, 1996
7. Fossil Botany of California February 24 & 25, 1996
8. Saxifragaceae March 16 & 17, 1996
9. Ceanothus March 30 & 31, 1996
10. Vernal Pools April 19, 20 & 21, 1996
11. Compositae (Asteraceae, Daisy Family) April 25, 26, 27 & 28, 1996
12. Poaceae May 4 & 5, 1996
13. Calochortus May 18 & 19, 1996
14. Castilleja and Relatives June 1 & 2, 1996
15. Clarkia June 15 & 16, 1996
16. Penstemon June 21, 22 & 23, 1996
17. Phacelia June 28, 29 & 30, 1996
18. Carex July 12, 13 & 14, 1996
19. Salix July 26, 27 & 28, 1996
20. Alpine Flora August 2, 3 & 4, 1996

Workshop Registration Policy and Fees

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To our Friends:

Your response to the Jepson Herbarium's first weekend workshop series has been very gratifying. Most of the workshops have been full, many with waiting lists. Judging by student evaluations, the classes have met expectations -- whether the student was a novice in that particular group or had an extensive background. The instructors have also expressed their appreciation for the students' hard work and enthusiasm for the topic.

We thank you all for your involvement and support of these weekend workshops.

As you can see from looking at this brochure, some of the more popular systematics courses from last year will be repeated. The number of courses offered has increased and, in response to requests, we have expanded into the ecology of selected California plant communities. We hope you will be as enthusiastic as we are about the 1995-1996 offerings.

Sincerely,

Coordinator of Public Programs

The goal of these workshops is to increase expertise in and knowledge of California's natural heritage among members of the botanical, ecological, and conservation communities. Workshops will focus on the systematics of botanical groups or the ecological interactions of particular plant communities. This knowledge will be used, in part, to aid in botanical and ecological research projects, the conservation of biological diversity, land planning, and the general study of botany.

Class size is limited to 20 to assure individual contact with instructors.

There will be one to four workshops per month during the 1995 -1996 academic year. We are especially emphasizing those families and genera whose taxonomy is considered difficult, or areas of ecology that are especially important to the understanding of conservation principles and restoration. The level of instruction will assume that participants have the equivalent of an undergraduate biology degree. The workshops are designed to appeal to biological consultants, federal and state agency biologists, ecologists, conservationists, educators, interested amateur botanists, and others who have a desire to better understand these topics.

The workshops will be two (occasionally three) days, divided between field and laboratory instruction. Many of the courses are held at appropriate field stations where accessibility to the subject matter is optimum. The most up-to-date information will be presented including recent journal articles, field manuals, and monographs. Reference will be made to work in progress when applicable.

Workshops will be held from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM in the Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, unless otherwise noted.

Workshops on Systematics and Ecology

During the systematic workshops, participants will learn the significance of vegetative and reproductive morphology, anatomy, chemical properties, and ecological aspects of each plant group. They will become familiar with taxonomic features (including key characters) and learn to identify plants through the use of keys. Extensive hands-on identification experience using both fresh material and herbarium specimens will be provided. Field experience will familiarize participants with general ecological requirements and some of the evolutionary patterns associated with the group.

During the ecology workshops, participants will receive expert instruction on principles and practices of ecological research in the specific subject areas. Emphasis will be on the interactions among components of plant communities. The workshops will focus on selected examples rather that comprehensive surveys of each subject to give participants a detailed introduction that can serve as a foundation for further study. Field and lab work will give participants direct, hands-on experience in each area.

September 9 &10, 1995
Ted St. John

Mycorrhiza, the mutualistic association between roots and fungi, is fundamental to ecosystem function. To most people, mycorrhizae remain an abstraction - an interesting concept but not something you can actually work with. This workshop will change all that. Mycorrhizae come in several "flavors" - ecto (ECM), arbuscular (AM or VAM), Ericoid, and more. Each kind unites a specialized group of fungi with particular host plants, and produces a morphologically distinct mycorrhiza. We will learn to recognize the most common kinds of mycorrhiza and learn what they do for the plant and for the ecosystem.

The course will include a "field trip" to the outside of the building to search for mycorrhizae. We will then make a quick run through some of the methods of the discipline. We will discuss how to recognize ECM (the structures, not fungal taxonomy), how to separate AM spores from soil, and how to stain and interpret AM roots. We will discuss inoculation of plants with field or commercial inoculum , and a little bit about how to "grow your own." We will then discuss how to carry out and interpret the mainstay of mycorrhizal research, a growth response experiment. Course materials will include reprints of classic papers and a booklet on mycorrhizal methods. If you thought mycorrhizae were just an unobservable concept, or that their relationships to our native flora were simple, this course will sort you out.

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October 13, 14, & 15, 1995
Location: Hastings Natural History Reservation, Carmel Valley
Pamela Muick

This workshop on ecological restoration will focus on the Monterey Bay Region, an area rich in restoration projects, some dating back ten years or more. We'll examine a variety of habitats: dunes, wetlands, grasslands, and woodlands and compare older and newer projects within selected habitats. In addition, we will look at phased restoration of long established agricultural tracts. The course will begin with an overview of local ecology and habitat restoration projects, including species and habitats most commonly restored; stewardship and community involvement; laws, policies, and mitigation; various types of restoration projects; and the roles of planning, monitoring, and evaluation. Most of Saturday and all day Sunday will be spent visiting sites where project managers will be on hand to present each project's history and goals, describe the planting and maintenance techniques used, and the successes achieved and problems encountered. Each project will be evaluated while we are in the field, using one or more of the evaluation models presented in the initial overview.

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October 28 & 29, 1995
Diane Delany

Come and learn your California conifers! We will cover all 58 California gymnosperms and will learn to distinguish among them, using fresh and herbarium samples of cones and foliage. Dichotomous keys will be reviewed for those unfamiliar with their use and for those needing a refresher. We will work both in the lab and outside. Distribution and some ecological information will be covered for each species. Both scientific and common names will be used, but emphasis will be placed on your ability to distinguish among the California gymnosperms, using whichever you feel most comfortable with. Some commonly planted non-native gymnosperms will be mentioned. At the end of this course, you will know which conifer is which as you work and play across this botanically diverse state.

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November 18 & 19, 1995
Location: Fort Bragg, College of the Redwoods
Teresa Sholars

The north coast of California is considered to be one of the best places in North America to find both large numbers and a diversity of fungi. We will be dealing primarily with the fleshy reproductive structures that most of us recognize as ÒmushroomsÓ. Mendocino and Fort Bragg, in the heart of mushroom territory, is an ideal location for this introductory class to the systematics and ecology of California mushrooms. Through lectures, slides, and keying, using David Aurora's Mushroom's Demystified , we will emphasize the family and generic characteristics needed for identification. Both in the laboratory and in the field, students will learn some of the common, edible, and toxic mushrooms found in the area.

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Taxonomy of the lichens of California has a long and distinguished history. Knowledge of the California lichens has gained outstanding status with the early work of Alfred Heere; the recent flora of Mason Hale; and the continuing work of such excellent workers as Bratt. Much still needs to be done, and much that can and should be done by amateurs and novices. The importance of lichens to land management policies cannot be over-stated. The long history of their use in pollution-monitoring makes them especially important around pollution sources. The role of cyanobacterial lichens in the nitrogen balance of a forest is now beginning to be understood. Even their use as food sources for vertebrates such as flying squirrels requires attention. A large proportion of the lichens of California can be systematically placed even with macroscopic examination. Refinements on this systematic placement require microscopic observation and chemical tests. All these approaches will be taught in the course with the aim of introducing the more important genera of California lichens.

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The bryophytes are a diverse group of "lower" land plants, with some 23,000 described species worldwide, making it the largest group of land plants except for the flowering plants. Mosses, hornworts, and liverworts, traditionally the ÒbryophytesÓ, have a somewhat deserved reputation of being quite difficult to identify. The bulk of the taxonomically useful features of these plants are microscopic and not accessible to the field botanist. While many bryophytes must be distinguished in the field primarily by minute differences in color and texture, recognition of the majority of the commonest genera and species in California utilizes more easily communicated features. The field trip phase of our workshop will emphasize the rather easily recognized groups, while the laboratory phase will give an introduction to dissection techniques and compound microscope observation. The unpublished keys to the bryophytes of California by Dan Norris will be introduced, explained, and used during that microscopic work.

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February 24 & 25, 1996
Nan Crystal Arens

The flora of modern-day western North America is the result of millions of years of evolution. Plant groups have originated, some have become extinct, and still others have changed their geographic distributions dramatically. Climate and geologic change have remodeled the face of California and re-arranged its flora many times over; long- extinct animals have left their mark on modern communities. In this workshop we will study the paleobotanical history of California with an eye toward better understanding the history of our unusual modern flora. We will review the geologic processes that have created California's varied physiography. We will consider how this landscape influences climate and the distribution of plants in space and time. Participants will learn how plant fossils are formed and how they are studied, using the rich collection of fossil plants housed in the University of California Museum of Paleontology as a primary resource. We will examine plant fossils from throughout western North America and make a hands-on attempt to reconstruct these fascinating ancient floras.

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March 16 & 17, 1995
Partick Elvander

This is a family that has been circumscribed quite broadly and, more recently, rather narrowly. It has an unusually large number of monotypic genera and one genus, Saxifraga, with an unusually large number of species (440 worldwide, 67 in North America). In this workshop we'll take a look at the bases for these different treatments of the family, the characters used to circumscribe the genera, and the controversies over the classification of species in the genus Saxifraga. The family has been used extensively in recent studies, using chloroplast DNA and other chemical studies that are beginning to show both its pivotal nature in understanding the evolution of most of the rosaceous dicots, as well as the pitfalls that reliance on morphology alone can bring in defining taxonomic groups. There will be an opportunity to examine and use new keys to the genera of North America and the genus Saxifraga which have been submitted for publication in the Flora of North America being coordinated at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

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March 30 & 31, 1996
Clifford Schmidt, Roger Raiche

Of the 64 Ceanothus taxa found in the United States and Canada, all but 7 are in California. This workshop will focus on these California taxa. Currentdistribution and evolutionary history will be addressed. The role of hybridization and species formation as well as significant ecological features of the genus will be included. The horticultural importance of the genus will also be considered. Key attributes used to recognize the several species will be emphasized in the laboratory, as we use fresh material and pressed specimens for determination. A key to be used in The Flora of North America Ceanothus treatment will be provided as well as a modification of the key in the new Jepson manual. On the second day a trip to gardens or field will provide opportunity to examine living material. A "local version" of the Ceanothus treatment currently being written and presented on the World Wide Web will be available for those interested.

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April 19, 20 & 21, 1996
Location: San Diego
Scott McMillan, Ellen Bauder

The vernal pools of southern California differ in many ways from those in the central and northern portions of the state. Not only are there unique species making up the flora and fauna of the vernal pools, but the pools differ in many aspects of ecology. Size, hydrology, and soils are just some of the important factors that make the pools of this region distinct. This workshop will familiarize the participants with the species found in the vernal pools of southern California, with an emphasis on those that are either unique to southern California, or are rare, threatened and endangered. Along with this will be discussion of the ecology of these pools. Participants will gain an understanding of how the pools of southern California differ ecologically from each other, and what common features they share that make them different from other vernal pools. Finally, participants will be given information on historical, current, and future conservation efforts.

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April 25, 26, 27, & 28, 1996
Location: Desert Studies Center
Bruce Baldwin, John Strother

This special weekend workshop on compositae will be held in this beautiful Mojave desert setting. Topics will include overviews of characters used in circumscription, classification, and identification of composites at tribal, subtribal, and generic ranks. Terms used in reference to those characters will be reviewed. Fresh plants, preserved plants, and pictures will be used to illustrate examples of some of the characters. Classification systems will be reviewed and guides to identification and sight-recognition of some tribes, subtribes, and genera will be covered. Early drafts of keys to tribes, sub-tribes, and genera of composites of California will be provided for testing. This workshop will include a day-long field trip into the desert mountains near Baker.

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May 4 & 5, 1996
Travis Columbus

"I am the grass; I cover all" (Carl Sandburg, Grass). Prominent in plant communities throughout California, the grass family (Gramineae or Poaceae) is the state's second most speciose plant family ( after Compositae). A rich assemblage, its members include cool- and warm- season species, annuals and perennials, natives and exotics, and widespread dominants to rare endemics. A better understanding of this ubiquitous and diverse family can be gained through this workshop. Participants will be instructed in detail on the vegetative and reproductive features of grasses. Aspects of anatomy, physiology, ecology and ethnobotany will also be addressed. Most time will be spent, however, learning to use the identification keys in The Jepson Manual. Special attention will be given to difficult couplets and taxa. In addition, participants will learn how to determine major tribes and common genera by use of diagnostic characters. A field trip to a nearby area rich in native grasses is planned.

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May 18 & 19, 1996
Peggy Fiedler, Jeanette Sainz, Randy Zebell

Calochortus is a genus of approximately 75 taxa distributed throughout western North America. It is a complex lily taxon with few constant and distinguishing specific taxonomic characters, much presumed ancient hybridization, and many rare and localized endemics. During Day One we will examine the evolutionary history of the group, introduce diagnostic characters, practice keying various taxa, and learn photographic techniques that best capture the three-dimensional aspects of the flowers. During Day Two we will travel to several field sites within the immediate Bay Area to see both rare and widespread Calochortus taxa.

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June 1 & 2, 1996
Margriet Wetherwax

In this workshop we will be looking at the new alignment of three related genera in the California Scrophulariaceae: Castilleja, Orthocarpus, and Triphysaria. The genus Castilleja consists of approximately 200 species, of which we have 35 in California. We have 5 out of 9 species of Orthocarpus in California and all 5 species of Triphysaria. Groups of species have been transferred back and forth between these three genera for many years. This workshop will look at the taxonomic history of indian paintbrushes and your old friends, the owl's clovers. We will study floral features, pollination biology, hybridization, current research in evolutionary patterns in this group, and the ecology of these green-root parasites. Several other genera in the Scrophulariaceae will be available for comparison. Fresh material will be available for study in the lab and in the field. A field trip to observe typical habitats and to practice identification skills in the field will be included on the second day of the workshop.

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June 15 & 16, 1996
Harlan Lewis

Of the 44 species of Clarkia presently recognized, 42 are native to California and 35 are endemic to the state, making it a truly California genus. Problems of identification arise because many closely related species are morphologically very similar and some of the traits readily seen in living material may be obscure on herbarium specimens. In some instances polyploid derivatives are difficult to distinguish from their diploid relatives even as living plants. The cytogenetic and phytochemical role in species delimitation and determining relationships will be discussed, but emphasis will be on species-distinguishing characters, using living plants and relating these to identification of herbarium material. A day of field experience will be included.

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June 21, 22, & 23, 1996
Location: White Mountain Research Station
Elizabeth Chase Neese

Penstemon, with about 250 species, is the largest genus of plants endemic to North America (N. Holmgrin, 1984, in Intermountain Flora). The genus is overwhelmingly western in distribution, with about 70 taxa occurring in California. Easily recognized at the genus level by even casual wild- flower enthusiasts, identification to species is often complicated by the subtleties of diagnostic characters and by the number of taxa.

The workshop will begin with an overview of the principal taxonomic groups. Distinguishing characteristics of the subgenera and their distribution in California will be discussed using diagrams, maps, and illustrative slides. Dried and fresh material representing the various subgenera will be available for study. Identification of unknowns will provide practice on use and interpretation of Penstemon keys and will allow application and review of the taxonomic features of various subgenera.

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June 28, 29, & 30, 1996
Location to be announced
Richard Halse, Duane Atwood

Phacelia, in the Hydrophyllaceae, is a genus of about 150 species native to the New World. The genus has its greatest diversity in the western United States and northern Mexico; California alone has over 90 species of Phacelia. Species of Phacelia can be found throughout California from the coastal sand dunes of Del Norte County to the sandy washes of Imperial County and from the salt marshes of Monterey County to the peaks of the Sierra Nevada in Madera County. Some species of Phacelia are very common, other are quite rare. The species of Phacelia are often difficult to determine since various species groups exhibit polyploidy and introgression. The morphological characters used to distinguish species are often obscure - corolla scales, surface structure of seed coats, pubescence, ovule and seed number - frequently requiring the plant to have both flowers and fruits for successful identification. This workshop will help the participant to better understand the genus and to become familar with the traits used to define the species of Phacelia. Emphasis will be placed on learning how to use the keys found inthe Jepson Manual.

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July 12, 13, & 14, 1996
Location: Sagehen Creek Field Station
Dan Norris

Carex is the largest genus of vascular plants in California. It is well- represented in hydric, mesic, and even periodically dry habitats throughout the state. Among the most species-rich areas of the state are the mountain meadows of the Sierra. Sagehen Creek offers a particularly rich spectrum illustrating many of the subgeneric and tribal groupings of Carex. Daytime field work in the vicinity of the Sagehen Creek Biological Station can be supplemented by evening study of fresh materials collected from more distant areas. As a result, I anticipate that most of the major groups of the genus will be seen during the weekend workshop. All of the work will be oriented toward field recognition, often with the aid of 20 X hand-lenses brought by the individual students. Field work will not be strenuous -- there are too many local species whose examination requires frequent periods of physical rest! Rubber boots or similar wading gear might be nice but not absolutely necessary. Comfortable hiking gear is, however, very important.

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July 26, 27, & 28, 1996
Location: Sagehen Creek Field Station
George Argus

The genus Salix has a well deserved reputation for being taxonomically difficult. Many of the 27 species that occur in California are important components of wetland ecosystems, and species recognition is essential to an understanding of those wetlands. The aims of the workshop will be to learn to enjoy the diversity exhibited by these fascinating species and to gain the ability confidently to identify them. This will be accomplished through field observation, laboratory study, and practical identification. We will consider the nature and variability of taxonomic characters, population variability, the behavior of sympatric species including the possibility of hybridization, and their ecological requirements. In the field we will see about 17 species, including the endemic S. jepsonii, the disjunct S. arctica, the highly variable S. lasiolepis and S. exigua, and sympatric species pairs of very similar species, such as, S. geyeriana and S. lemmonii. Identification will be practiced using the keys in the Jepson Manual. This will be supplemented by interactive computer-assisted identification using INTKEY and George Argus' Salix DELTA database.

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2, 3, & 4 August 1996
Location: White Mountain Research Station
Steve Jessup

The alpine environment of the White Mountains is home to a diverse assemblage of plants. This intensive three-day workshop will focus on getting to know the flora, understanding the origins and evolution of alpine vegetation, and on understanding how microhabitat, as structured by geology, slope, exposure to wind, and the light-temperature-moisture regime, influences vegetation and the distribution of particular species and vegetation types. Mornings and afternoons will be spent in the field visiting a spectrum of microhabitats, gathering information on various biotic and abiotic variables, comparing species composition of distinct microhabitats, and observing changes in vegetation and flora across microclimatic gradients. There will be a lecture and discussion each evening followed by time in the lab to review plants observed in the field.

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Calendar

Instructors are specialists in their topics and will provide the most recent information available on their areas of research. Enrollment is limited to 20 people which will allow those attending to have hands-on experience with expert instruction.

Dr. Duane Atwood
Assisstant Curator, Herbarium
Brigham Young University

Professor Nan Crystal Arens
Assistant Professor,
Department of Integrative Biology, UCB;
Faculty Curator of Fossil Plants, UCMP.
University of California Berkeley

Dr. George Argus
Research Botanist
Canadian Museum of Nature
Ottawa, Ontario

Dr. Bruce Baldwin
Curator, The Jepson Herbarium
University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Ellen Bauder
Research Professor, Biology Department
San Diego State University

Dr. Travis Columbus
Research Botanist
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont

Diane Delany
Institute of Forest Genetics
United States Forest Service

Dr. Patrick Elvander
Lecturer in Biology
University of California, Santa Cruz

Professor Peggy Fiedler
Biology Department
San Francisco State University

Dr. Richard Halse
Herbarium Curator
Oregon State University

Dr. Steven Jessup
Post Doctoral Fellow,UC and Jepson Herbaria
University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Harlan Lewis
Professor Emeritus
University of California, Los Angeles

Scott McMillan
Graduate Student
San Diego State University

Professor Brent D. Mishler
Director, Jepson/University Herbaria
Department of Integrative Biology
University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Pamela Muick
Research Associate, College of Natural Resources
University of California, Berkeley

Professor Thomas Nash
Biology Department
Arizona State University, Tempe

Dr. Elizabeth Neese
Research Associate, The Jepson Herbarium
University of California, Berkeley

Clayton Newberry
Graduate Student, Integrative Biology
University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Dan Norris
Research Botanist
University of California, Berkeley

Roger Raiche
Horticulturist
University of California Botanical Garden

Jeanette Sainz
Los Alamos, California

Dr. Clifford L. Schmidt
Professor Emeritus, San Jose State University
Courtesy Professor, Botany Dept.,
Oregon State University

Teresa Sholars
Biological Science Instructor, Science Coordinator
College of The Redwoods

Dr. Ted St. John
Research Director, Tree of Life Nursery
San Juan Capistrano, CA

Dr. John L. Strother
Research Botanist, University Herbarium
University of California, Berkeley

Margriet Wetherwax
Assistant to the Curator, Jepson Herbarium
University of California, Berkeley

Randy Zebell
Research Associate
San Francisco State University

Cost per workshop:  		$145.00
Plus room and board for
field station workshops		(approximately $35.00/day) 

Series Subscription:  		10 of 20 workshops; $ 1,400.00
				15 of 20 workshops; $ 1,950.00
				20 of 20 workshops; $ 2,400.00 

Name _____________________________________________________

Address___________________________________________________

       ___________________________________________________

City______________________________________________________

State & ZIP_______________________________________________

Phone_(W)_________________________________________________

     _(H)_________________________________________________

Please check applicable classes:

(  ) I--Mycorrhizae

(  ) II --Ecological Habitat Restoration

(  ) III --California Conifers and other Gymnosperms

(  ) IV--Mushrooms

(  ) V--Lichens

(  ) VI--Bryophytes

(  ) VII--Fossil Botany of California

(  ) VIII--Saxifragaceae

(  ) IX--Ceanothus

(  ) X--Vernal Pools

(  ) XI--Compositae (Asteraceae, Daisy Family)

(  ) XII--Poaceae

(  ) XIII--Calochortus

(  ) XIV--Castilleja and Relatives

(  ) XV--Clarkia

(  ) XVI--Penstemon

(  ) XVII--Phacelia

(  ) XVII--Carex

(  ) XIX--Salix

(  ) XX--Alpine Flora

Amount enclosed  $________________
Make check payable to The Friends of the Jepson Herbarium.  

Changes to class schedual

To date, no changes have been made to the class schedual. To be certain, we encourage you to contact the Jepson Herbarium directly [(510) 643-7008] to verify.

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