The Name Game - Notes

1/6/2013

Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
The Name Game:
Taxonomy, Local
& Island Endemic Plants

C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants March 6th & 9th, 2010
Project SOUND - 2010
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND

 Scientific names were developed to
What’s in a name? Scientific names
get around some of the limitations of
common names
 Common names  Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778)
 Are the names that most  Swedish botanist and physician
gardener’s (and others) use  Considered the “father” of modern
taxonomy
 Developed from common use,
over time  Was a keen observer of plants
 Described nature as a Divinely-inspired
 Often describe some harmonious system in which every
distinctive feature of the organism fulfills a specific role to
plant - or where it came from maintain the general balance
 Named approximately 4,400 species of
 Problems with common names: animals and 7,700 species of plants.
 The same name may be used to  Was the first to consistently use a
describe several, very binomial system of classification,
different plants giving organisms a one-word general
name (called the genus) associated
 Do not imply any relationship http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/exhibitions/linnaeus/walls/wall_linnaeus.jpg with a one-word specific epithet.
between plants – loss of
Catalina Snapdragon important information
Gambelia (Galvezia) speciosa His many publications encouraged the standardization of binomial nomenclature

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 Taxonomy: the systematic Charles Darwin and ‘The
What’s in a name? study and classification of
plants and animals Origin of Species’
 ‘Artificial’ (for convenient ‘pigeon-
hole’ing)  Insights:
 ‘Natural’ (reflecting underlying  The environment shapes
biologic/evolutionary connections) which individuals survive &
pass on their genetic
 Linnaean taxonomy was actually an material (genes)
‘artificial’ system – but he was an
excellent observer, so it did  Given enough time, new
reflect natural connections (ie, species can arise from
things that are genetically related
often tend to share physical ancestral ones
(morphologic) traits)
 There are true biologic
 True ‘Natural’ systematics relationships – in the past –
required 1) better microscopes; between some species.
2) increasing interest in plant
morphology; 3) an understanding  You can determine these
of the concept of species & relationships through
evolution – e.g., Charles Darwin studying similarities and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_Plantarum
differences

Plant Systematics: the interrelationship The scientific name
between ‘natural’ taxonomy, evolution and  Ideally, a new species is given a
formal, scientific name
phylogeny
 The generic name is listed first
(with its first letter capitalized),
followed by a second term, the
specific name (or specific
epithet)
 International Code of Botanical
Nomenclature – specifies the
format and conventions
 U.S. Integrated Taxonomic
Information System (ITIS) -
facilitates sharing biologic info.
by providing a common framework
for taxonomic data
http://www.alonnissos.org/page9/files/taxonomy%20tree.jpg

Catalina Snapdragon  Sometimes regional experts don’t
Gambelia speciosa Nutt. agree with ITIS
http://www.anbg.gov.au/asbs/newsletter/book-review-74a-a.gif

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1/6/2013

What is a species?
 Some definitions of species
 Biological Species Concept - they cannot
interbreed & produce viable offspring;
interbreeding studies
 Morphospecies Concept - they are
Lyonothamnus floribundus different morphologically and do not
ssp. aspleniifolius come in contact for interbreeding
 Genetic Species Concept – still working on
Kingdom Plantae – Plants this – how similar must they be to
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants constitute a species?
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants  Practical definition - Practically,
biologists define species as populations of
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons organisms that have a high level of
Subclass Asteridae genetic similarity.
Order Scrophulariales
Family Scrophulariaceae – Figwort family  The field of taxonomy is changing with
Genus Gambelia Nutt. – greenbright our increasingly sophisticated tools
Species Gambelia speciosa Nutt. – showy greenbright Lyonothamnus floribundus
© Project SOUND ssp. floribundus © Project SOUND

How do species arise/develop? How The Channel Islands of California are
does this relate to island species? unique places
 The four Southern
 Speciation: The evolutionary Channel Islands are
formation of new biological San Nicolas, Santa
species, usually by the division of a Barbara, Santa
single species into two or more Catalina, and San
genetically distinct ones.
Clemente.
 Allopatric Speciation -- speciation  Catalina - 26 miles &
occurs in geographic isolation in many ways our
closest neighbor
 Founder Effect Speciation -- a
special kind of allopatric speciation  San Clemente – 49
in a small isolated population on miles – a bit more
the edge of a species range http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/endemics.htm distant in several
ways


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1/6/2013

Traveling by ti-at

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/catalina/ http://www.laurelcanyon.org/Images
/EarlyPhotos/TongvaCanoeEtching.j

Channel Islands – magical places that some people
pg

never want to leave  The Tongva people lived on Catalina Island for
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jensenl/visuals/album/2006/catalina/IMG_1349.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www-
over 7,000 years.
personal.umich.edu/~jensenl/visuals/album/2006/catalina/&usg=__z0Gzu8ecXJHx5dzfWJdpegGFwQM=&h=500&w=800&sz=158&hl=en&start=280&itbs=1&tbnid=NQDkmxmRitZD3M:&tbnh=89&tbnw=143&prev=
/images%3Fq%3Dcatalina%2Bisland%2Bcalifornia%26start%3D270%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1

What is unique about islands? What is unique about islands?
 Separated from
the mainland by
water
 Sometimes for
great distances
 Sometimes for
long periods

 May have
different climate http://www.synergygis.com/geog/rs/images/Catalina_CA_USGS_DEM_Overview.jpg

http://www.catalinachamber.com/images/Photos/High/CatalinaIslandWest.jpg  Moister – more  May have unusual/steep terrain – are really mountain peaks
fog and rain
 May have different rocks & soils from mainland
 Warmer –  May have limited area
insulated by ocean  Limits the number of species & individuals
 Increases the effects of human interventions
http://www.uptake.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/channelislandsca1.jpg © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

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1/6/2013

Some species are endemic to Catalina
What is unique about islands?

© 2006 BonTerra Consulting

 Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. floribundus
20,000 years ago, this unique sub-species of ironwood tree grew
abundantly on the mainland. Now, this tree exists nowhere else in the
world but Catalina.
 Cercocarpus traskiae
The rarest of the Catalina endemics. Only seven of these small shrubs or
trees occur naturally in a single canyon.
 Eriogonum giganteum var. giganteum
 Often have unique flora and fauna – and fauna may effect flora. Grows on dry, rocky slopes throughout Catalina's interior. Changes with
Example: plants may not be subject to certain diseases or to large the seasons - from white in the spring, to beige, light brown, then deep
russet in the fall
herbivores (sheep)
 .

Also endemic to Catalina Other common Catalina plants are more widely
distributed…including on the mainland
 Heteromeles arbutifolia - Toyon
 Rhus integrifolia – Lemonadeberry
 Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii
This sub-species is a Catalina endemic.
 Ribes viburnifolium
Used in landscaping as a native ground cover for
shady areas. Extremely fragrant. Grows in San
Diego Co. as well as on Catalina
http://www.uncledougs.com/Dudleya_hassei.jpg
 Eriodictyon traskiae
 Dudleya hassei This evergreen shrub has a pungent fragrance
The only Catalina endemic which is a succulent. Look for it on the slope at and sprawling growth habit. Yerba Santa occurs
on Catalina and in coastal Ventura and San Luis
the foot of the Wrigley Memorial. Obispo Counties.
 Arctostaphylos catalinae
When the manzanita fruit ripens, its color resembles the brilliant wine-red  Solanum wallacei
bark - and the ground squirrels love it. A member of the deadly nightshade family, the
Wild Tomato also occurs on other Channel
 Galium catalinense ssp. catalinense Islands and Guadalupe, off the coast of Mexico.
A perennial herb found mostly on rocky outcroppings on the lee side of http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/prunus-lyonii

Catalina.

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1/6/2013

Catalina Ceanothus - Ceanothus arboreus Big-pod Ceanothus – Ceanothus megacarpus
 Native to Catalina. Santa Rosa,
Santa Cruz & Guadalupe Islands

 Source of many commercial
cultivars – ‘Ray Hartmen’ is C.
arboreus X C. griseus hybrid

http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/endemics.htm


Big-pod Ceanothus – Ceanothus megacarpus Big-pod Ceanothus – Ceanothus megacarpus
 Coast of S. CA from
Santa Barbara to San
var. insularis Diego Co. – CA
endemic
 var. insularis – Channel
Isl. (Catalina & San
Clemente in south)
 var. megacarpus –
mainland (Santa Monica
Mtns our nearest)

var. megacarpus  Dry, chaparral slopes
below 2000 ft.
http://www.calflora.net/recentfieldtrips/upperzumacanyon09.html

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Ceanothus+megacarpus+var.+insularis

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1/6/2013

var. insularis var. megacarpus
 May be slightly larger
 Sometimes a bit shorter  Leaves, generally alternate and
slightly smaller
 Leaves opposite and slightly
larger  Grows on the mainland
 Grows on most of the  ??? Other, as yet unknown
Channel Islands differences (chemicals;
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adenostoma_sprsifolium_and_Ceanothus_megacarpus.jpg disease resistance; heat
http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/endemics.htm resistance; etc)
In Santa Monica Mountains

© 2001 CDFA
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences

Characteristics of Big-pod Ceanothus ‘Covered with snow-like flowers’
 Size:
 Blooms:
 4-16 ft tall
 In winter to early spring; usually
 8-10 ft wide Jan.-March
 Growth form:  Bloom period - weeks
 Upright (more common) or  Flowers:
sprawling woody shrub
 Clusters of small flowers
 Compact & dense
 Petals white to slightly pink or
 Young bark reddish purple
 Foliage:  Dark purple center
http://www.calflora.net/recentfieldtrips/upperzumacanyon09.html

 Simple leaves – rounded to  Fruits:
wedge-like – typical Ceanothus
 Lumpy spherical capsule
leaves
 Red-green & sticky
 Leaves are upright on branches
 In three parts; each part holds a
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database  Roots: shallow; not basal burl, so no seed
re-sprouting after fire
http://www.calflora.net/recentfieldtrips/upperzumacanyon09.html © 2009 Gary A. Monroe

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1/6/2013

Why the ‘soapy’  Ceanothus flowers (& sometimes
Big-pod Ceanothus
leaves) were used to make a mild
flowers? soap or shampoo – preferred soap reproduces by stored seeds
for washing babies
 Rub the flowers in warm water –  Cannot reproduce by re-sprouting
get a soapy, nice-smelling froth after a fire – relies on seeds
stored in the ‘natural mulch’
 Why? saponins - plants that (duff) - ~ 2 million seeds/acre
contain quite high concentrations
of saponins have often been used http://www.hazmac.biz/seedphotoslistgenus.html  Seed pods burst open, flinging
as an alternative soap. the heavy seeds
 Other examples – CA natives:  Seeds have thick, tough seed
 Soap Lily (Chlorogalum coat – can lie in waiting for years
pomeridianum) roots (probably hundreds of years)
 Yucca roots
 Mock Orange (Philadelphus  Ceanothus seeds only germinate
http://www.fotolog.com/treebeard/56541746

lewisii) flowers & leaves in response to range fires and
forest fires in the wild.


Big-pod Ceanothus
 Soils:
Big-pod Ceanothus – spectacular
is a chaparral shrub  Texture: rocky or sandy best in bloom, pretty the rest of the
– needs well-drained soil
 pH: any local
year
 Light:  Nice as an informal hedge – or
 Full sun to light shade include it in a hedgerow
 Benefits from afternoon
shade in hot inland gardens
http://www.ssseeds.com/database/db_testvv.php3?uid=103
 Can prune to shape into a
small tree
 Water:
 In a chaparral-themed garden
 Winter: needs good winter
rains  Anywhere you need a large,
 Summer: low needs – Zone 1- water-wise shrub
2 (water very infrequently, if
at all, once established)  As a habitat plant - CA
Hairstreak, Green Hairstreak
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils;
larval food
likes an organic mulch
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3373/3275037528_782b3c6c8f.jpg?v=0

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1/6/2013

Big-pod Ceanothus teaches us 5 Blair's Wire-lettuce – Stephanomeria (Munzothamnus) blairii
things about S. CA island
species
http://www.calliebowdish.com/SBPlaces.htm

1. Sometimes the same species is found on both the islands and on
the mainland
2. Variants are similar enough to be grouped in the same species –
yet different enough to be considered the different variants.
3. Differences between variants can reflect the fact that the
variants have not interbred for some time (have ‘drifted’ apart);
alternatively the ‘founder’ plants could have differed from the
original (usually mainland) population in significant ways
4. Taxonomy based on morphologic (physical) traits can be difficult
– what’s important?
5. Sometimes it makes sense to preserve variants – particularly
those from unusual sites. They may have important differences
Donald Myrick © California Academy of Sciences

that we don’t even know about

Blair's Wire-lettuce – Stephanomeria (Munzothamnus) blairii
Stephanomeria/Munzothamnus blairii
 Endemic to San
Clemente Island  When a species is named,
 Rocky canyon walls in it is placed within a
island bluff scrub genus. From a scientific
point of view this can be
 The only problem is, regarded as a hypothesis
what genus does it that the species is more
belong in? closely related to other
species within its genus –
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1868,1869
may change with new
information


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What is the appropriate genus? Blair’s wire-lettuce/Munzothamnus - attractive sub-shrub
 Has been placed in several taxonomic homes.  Size:
 Initially placed in Stephanomeria;  2-4 ft tall
 3-4 ft wide
 Transferred to Malacothrix (P. Munz 1935).
 P. H. Raven (1963) considered it "clearly a  Growth form:
relictual and highly isolated genus," based on  Sub-shrub with woody base and
leaf shape & vegetative architecture, which herbaceous new growth
are significantly distinct from those found in
any species of Stephanomeria or  Semi-evergreen (stress
Malacothrix. He erected Munzothamnus for deciduous)
it. Recent genetic studies suggest he may  Stems thick & fleshy
Stephanomeria – Wire-lettuce be correct – not similar to Stephanomeria
 Foliage:
 Others emphasized similarities to
Stephanomeria - concluded that the species  Bright to medium-green leaves
belongs in Stephanomeria (G. L. Stebbins et – medium size
al. 1953). :  Mostly clustered at the base or
 similar number/appearance of chromosomes at ends of branches
 certain similarities between their pappi  Quite attractive, even when not
(number and "coarseness")
blooming
 pollen size and sculpturing
Malacothrix – Cliff Aster © Project SOUND
© Rick York and CNPS
© Project SOUND

Flowers are lovely
Likes a coastal climate  Soils:
 Texture: sandy or rocky,
 Blooms: well-drained soils
 In summer - usually July-Aug,  pH: any local
but possible into Sept.
 Flowers open over several weeks  Light:
 Full sun to part-sun; suggest
 Flowers: some afternoon shade in hot
Robert Potts © California Academy of Sciences
 Aster-like (or Wire-lettuce-like) gardens
heads
 Water:
 Lovely pale pink or purple – nice,
old-fashioned color  Winter: needs good winter
rains – starts to grow with
 Nectar attracts hummingbirds,
the rains
bees, butterflies and other
 Summer: wide tolerance:
insects quite dry (Zone 1-2) to Zone
2 (possibly even 2-3 in sandy
 Seeds:
soils)
 Small, sunflower-type
 Seed-eating birds love them  Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
© 2005 Dieter Wilken http://www.theodorepayne.org/gallery/pages/S/stephanomeria_blairii.htm

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Blair’s Munzothamnus is a Why do names keep changing?
nice flowering perennial
 Traditionally, researchers
relied on observations of
 Has not been used much in gardens anatomical differences and
due to rarity. interbreeding studies to
distinguish species. This
 Lovely in an old-fashioned mixed information is still used in
native perennial bed. Looks like an helping to define species.
English garden plant.

 Try with Cirsium occidentale,  Thanks to advances in research
techniques, including DNA
Delphinium cardinale, Mimulus
analysis, a great deal of
aurantiacus, Eriophyllum nevinii additional knowledge about the
(another island endemic) differences and similarities
between species has become
 Does fine in a large pot (at least available in the last few
for several years) decades.
© 2005 Dieter Wilken

 Flowers make nice cut flowers
Also a good habitat plant © Project SOUND © Project SOUND
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Ehret-Methodus_Plantarum_Sexualis.jpg

Why do names keep changing? Lessons from Stephanomeria/Munzothamnus blairii
1. Island species can be very different from
 Many populations which were local mainland species
formerly regarded as separate 2. Taxonomists can disagree – and often do
species are now considered to be a so over time
single taxon, and many formerly 3. New scientific tools can change the
grouped populations have been split. classification of a plant
a. Scanning electron microscope – seed &
 Any taxonomic level (species, genus, pollen details
Lump with Stephanomeria or family, etc.) can be synonymized or b. Molecular genetics (DNA analysis) – can
does it deserve its own split, and at higher taxonomic look for similarities in actual genetic code;
genus? levels, these revisions have been allows construction of genetic trees that
still more profound. may be closer to the actual course of
evolution
4. Taxonomic classifications are becoming
more ‘natural’ over time (reflect
underlying biology/evolution). This can be
frustrating for the gardener, but
invaluable for our understanding of
© Rick York and CNPS
plants.

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1/6/2013

Catalina Island Mountain Mahogony – Catalina Island Mountain Mahogony –
Cercocarpus traskiae Cercocarpus traskiae

 A single population in an
arroyo on Santa Catalina
Island
 Slopes of a steep-sided,
narrow, dry arroyo in a
coastal sage scrub community
 Named in honor of Blanch
Trask naturalist – 1865-1916
 On both U.S. and CA
Endangered Species lists

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6677,6695,6705
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/collection/CPC_ProfileImage.asp?FN=872b

Catalina Mountain Mahogany
Threats to endemic ‘Island’ plant species
 Size:
 10-15 ft tall
 Large introduced herbivores have historically altered the
 8-12+ ft wide flora and the landscape of Santa Catalina, San Clemente &
 Growth form: other Channel Islands.
 Large evergreen shrub or  Goats, pigs, bison, and deer were noted at the time of listing of
small tree C. traskiae as a threatened species. The small size of the
current C. traskiae population is attributed to the historical
 Branches erect to spreading presence of goats, deer, and pigs
 Long-lived
 Invasive non-native plants pose as increasing threat now &
 Foliage: in the future – increase fire threat
 Leaves leathery, shiny above  Threat of hybridization – ‘genetic assimilation’
and wooly beneath
 Very prominent lateral veins  Threat of limited genetic diversity – sometimes a small
beneath – very different population becomes too inbred to be able to survive
from Island Mountain
Mahogany C. betuloides
© 1993 Dean Wm. Taylor
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/collection/CPC_ProfileImage.asp?FN=872b

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1/6/2013

The problem of hybridization: What makes a species susceptible to genetic
can be insidious. assimilation? Cercocarpus traskiae is a case study
 Cercocarpus traskiae has hybridized
locally with C. betuloides var.  Small number of individuals
blancheae, which also occurs compared to other local species
naturally on the island.  Ability to hybridize with local
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cercocarpustraskiae.JPG
 The hybrids have been species – and close geographic
characterized morphologically as well proximity to those
as by enzyme (allozyme) and DNA
differences.  Low genetic diversity – may limit
reproduction within the species
 Morphological assessments of
hybridization have not always agreed  Low geographic diversity/lack of
with the genetic results space – common problem for
Channel Island species
 Bottom line: only six genetically
“pure” Cercocarpus traskiae trees in  Invasion by species with
existance hybridization potential
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplan
ts/islandmountainmahogany.html © Project SOUND © Project SOUND

Management strategies for What genetic resources should we conserve
endangered plant species (and why)?
 For aesthetic/moral reasons
 Because we don’t know all the ‘services’
 Remove species that may hybridize with the desired species provided by individual species (medicines;
habitat value; etc)
 Remove other pressures to reproduction – e.g. herbivores
that eat seedlings, other stressors – protect the remaining  Because more diversity means more likely
individuals as source plants that species will survive changing
conditions – in the near future
 +/- Remove hybrid plants/seedlings
http://www.hazmac.biz/090218/090218Cercocarp
usTraskiae.html

 Loss of species uniquely adapted to certain
 Save seeds – long-term storage
conditions – we may need those genes
 Vegetative propagation to create more individuals sometime

 Plant out in appropriate sites:  Outbreeding/hybridization depression
 Local area  Probably other reasons – need to study
 Otherwise appropriate conditions more
 No potential hybridizing species

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157604510160123/

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Nevin’s Gilia – Gilia nevinii Nevin’s Gilia – Gilia nevinii

 Endemic to the Channel Islands –
specifically Catalina & San
Clemente Islands and Isla
Guadalupe (Baja)

 Uncommon in nature

 Grows on rocky, grassy slopes,
coastal canyons in coastal
shrublands & CSS

 Named after the Reverand Joseph
Cook Nevin (1835-1913), of Los
Angeles, a brilliant linguist and
botanical collector, one of the
first to collect on Catalina Island
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Gilia+nevinii


San Clemente Island

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072402466/student_view0/chapter18/virtual_vista.html

49 miles from the mainland

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tierradata.com/photocorecapweb1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tierradata.com/corecapweboutreach.htm&usg=_
_am3z-EUbQKb3KDDSYghnFbRg9ww=&h=400&w=294&sz=22&hl=en&start=27&itbs=1&tbnid=cjb-
xVNWpVZ78M:&tbnh=124&tbnw=91&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsan%2Bclemente%2Bisland%2Bcalifornia%26start%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D2
© Project SOUND %26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1 © Project SOUND

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The Name Game - Notes

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