Category: Flora

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Cryptobiotic Soil Crusts

Cryptobiotic Soil Crust
Photo Courtesy & Copyright 2009
Mark Larese-Casanova

Hi, this is Mark Larese-Casanova from the Utah Master Naturalist Program at Utah State University Extension.

Looking out over a Utah desert, we might see relatively few plants- perhaps some sagebrush, maybe a few junipers or Joshua trees, or even some small wildflowers or cacti. What is less noticeable, though, is the living soil crust that holds this entire landscape together. It’s not just sand, but rather an important and vast partnership between bacteria, lichens, algae, and fungi. These soil crusts are often referred to as ‘cryptobiotic’, which means ‘living in suspended animation’. This is a fitting description, considering that water can be so rare in Utah’s deserts.

Cyanobacteria, which is often called blue-green algae, is the backbone of cryptobiotic soil crust. Vast networks of long, microscopic filaments of cyanobacteria and fungi grow in length when they are wet, and leave behind a casing that literally binds the soil together. So, what might otherwise be loose sand not only is less likely to be washed away by water or blown away by wind, but also is able to hold much more water for plants.

Cryptobiotic Soil Crust
Photo Courtesy & Copyright 2009
Mark Larese-Casanova

Cyanobacteria is also extremely useful to desert landscapes for its ability to take Nitrogen out of the air and make it available to plant roots in the soil. Desert soils typically have relatively low nutrients, so this is especially important to desert plants.

In many Utah deserts, cryptobiotic soil crusts can cover up to 70% of the ground surface. Old soil crust can often look like small mountain ranges with black or white peaks inhabited by lichens or mosses. The little valleys in between the tiny mountains of crust are perfect spots for the seeds of desert plants to grow. Over time, the above ground crust can grow up to ten centimeters, or four inches, thick!

However, cryptobiotic soil crust grows at an alarmingly slow rate of about one millimeter per year. So, any soil crust that is disturbed can take a very long time to recover. Depending on the amount of moisture a desert receives, it can take anywhere between 20 and 250 years for soil crust to grow back.

Next time you’re out in the desert, kneel down and have a close look at the telltale peaks and valleys of cryptobiotic soil crust. If you bring a magnifying glass, you just might be able to see some of the lichens and mosses. Be sure to stay on trail, though, and whatever you do, don’t bust that crust!

For Wild About Utah, I’m Mark Larese-Casanova.

Credits:

Images: Courtesy and copyright Mark Larese-Casanova
Text:     Mark Larese-Casanova, Utah Master Naturalist Program at Utah State University Extension.
Additional Reading:

US Department of Interior. 2001. Biological Soil Crusts: Ecology and Management. Bureau of Land Management Technical Reference 1730-2., https://www.blm.gov/nstc/library/pdf/CrustManual.pdf
Rosentreter, R., M. Bowker, and J. Belnap. 2007. A Field Guide to Biological Soil Crusts of Western U.S. Drylands. U.S. Government Printing Office, Denver, Colorado., https://www.soilcrust.org/

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Dandelions

Dandelions
Copyright © 2002 Roger Banner, Intermountain Herbarium, USU

Hi I’m Holly Strand.

The snow has barely melted yet Dandelions are pushing their way up through the grass. The flowers delight my daughter who eagerly gathers them by the fistful into cheerful but quickly droopy bouquets. However, not everyone shares her enthusiasm. The common dandelion is listed as an invasive and noxious weed by the USDA. Lawnowners spend a lot of time pulling them up and a lot of money on herbicides. There is even a Facebook group called Dandelion Haters United!

The Flora of North America recognizes 15 species of dandelion and four of these occur in Utah. Two native species are found in the mountains. The dandelion that you see in your lawn is an immigrant from Eurasia. If it has olive green seeds it the “Common Dandelion”. If it has brick-red seeds and leaves lobed to the tip it is the so called” Red seeded dandelion. “ This red-seeded dandelion is also common.

The word dandelion comes from the French dent de lion or “lion’s tooth,” referring to the serrated leaves of the plant. The French however, use another name “pissenlit” (pis’seau-li) or bedwetter, referring to the diuretic properties of the plant.

Throughout the ages, people have used dandelions to treat various ailments such as dyspepsia, heartburn, spleen and liver complaints, and hepatitis. Modern pharmacaological studies indicate both dandelion extracts or individual compounds of dandelion leaves or roots really do have significant health-promoting properties. They appear to be especially beneficial for treating digestive disorders, inflammation and as an anti-oxidant.

But the main reason you shouldn’t reach for that pesticide is that dandelions are delicious! The young fresh leaves taste great in a salad, or you can sauté them as you would spinach. You can make dandelion soup or even wine. The greens have 50% more vitamin C than tomatoes, double the protein content of eggplant, and twice the fiber of asparagus. They are also rich in potassium and iron. If harvesting from your yard, just make sure you pick the leaves before the flowers appear.

For information sources and a recipe for dandelion salad go to www.wildaboututah.org

For Wild About Utah, I’m Holly Strand.

Credits:

Photos: Courtesy and Copyright 2002 Roger Banner, Intermountain Herbarium, USU
Text: Holly Strand

Sources & Additional Reading:

Fertig, W. 2011.
Can‘t Beat ‘em? Eat ‘em ! (Sidebar to “Consider the Dandelion Before You Dig”) Sego Lily (newsletter of the Utah native Plant Society. March. Vol. 34, No. 2. P. 8 https://www.unps.org/segolily/Sego2011MarApr.pdf

Lesica, Peter 2011. Consider the Dandelion Before You Dig. Sego Lily (newsletter of the Utah native Plant Society. March. Vol. 34, No. 2. P. 8 https://www.unps.org/segolily/Sego2011MarApr.pdf

Schutz, Katrin, Reinhold Carle, Andreas Schieber Reinhold Carle, Andreas Schieber. 2006. Taraxacum—A review on its phytochemical and pharmacological profile Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Vol. 107, pp. 313–323

Dandelions, Range Plants of Utah, Forbs, Mindy Pratt, Jim Bowns, Roger Banner, Allen Rasmussen, USU Extension, 2002, https://extension.usu.edu/range/forbs/dandelion.htm

Dandelion Salad (from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

1/2 pound torn dandelion greens

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss together dandelion greens, red onion, and tomatoes.

Season with basil, salt, and pepper.

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Steershead & Turkeypeas

Steershead, Dicentra uniflora
Image Courtesy & Copyright Jim Cane

There is surprise and joy when discovering a flower peeking up at you from near the lingering snow. Long after winter weary eyes have devoured the early floral offerings of gardens here in the valley, our local natives are stirring higher up. As you wander thru mountain sagebrush and meadows, you may encounter scattered groups of two native wildflowers, Steershead and Turkeypeas. Both are a delight to the eyes, but difficult to find initially, as their diminutive nature keeps them hidden amid the surrounding plant litter.

Steershead, or Dicentra uniflora, lives up to its common name. A close cousin to the bleeding heart, it has four white to pinkish petals tinged light brown to purple, two of which are spurred. The longer pair bend back, while the shorter pair are fused at the tip, providing the “cow skull” appearance of the flower. Diminutive plants, they send forth leaves and a single flower from thickened, spindle-shaped tubers. Just a few inches tall, this small plant packs a lot of charm and a bit of poison for protection against plant eaters. Steershead occurrs singly or in small clusters, so it is easily overlooked.

Turkeypea, Orogenia linearifolia
Courtesy & Copyright Intermountain Herbarium
Mary Barkworth, Photographer

Turkeypeas, Indian potato or Orogenia linearifolia, on the other hand, grows in extensive colonies, making this 4 inch tall plant a bit easier to find. A member of the carrot family, Turkeypeas produces very small whiteish flowers in umbels atop a short stem. Arising from a fleshy tuber, the leaves are divided into long linear segments (hence the name ‘linearifolia’). The starchy root is edible, though small, and historically was collected in large numbers by indigenous peoples in the spring. The tubers are avidly sought by squirrels.

So as the snow melts off the hillsides, look for these little darlings. Found only here in Western North America, I’m sure they will charm you as well.

Pictures and links are available on our wild about utah website. Thanks to Michael Piep of the Intermountain Herbarium and Utah Native Plant Society.

This is Linda Kervin for Bridgerland Audubon Society.

Credits:
Photos: Courtesy & Copyright Jim Cane
Courtesy & Copyright Intermountain Herbarium, Mary E. Barkworth, Photographer
Text: Michael Piep, Utah Native Plant Society/ Intermountain Herbarium

Additional Reading:

Resources:
Intermountain Herbarium: https://herbarium.usu.edu/
Encyclopedia of Life: https://www.eol.org/pages/596191
USU Extension: https://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/HG_506.pdf

References:
Anderson, B.A & A.H. Holmgren 1996, revised. Mountain Plants of Northeastern Utah. USU Extension Services. Logan, Utah.
https://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/HG_506.pdf

Shaw, R.J. 1989. Vascular Plants of Northern Utah. Utah State University Press, Logan, Utah.
https://www.usu.edu/usupress/books/index.cfm?isbn=1412

Shaw, R.J. 1995. Utah Wildflowers. Utah State University Press, Logan, Utah.
https://www.usu.edu/usupress/books/index.cfm?isbn=1702

Welsh, S.L., N D. Atwood, S Goodrich & L.C. Higgins. 2008. A Utah Flora, 4th Ed. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. https://www.amazon.com/Utah-Flora-Stanley-L-Welsh/dp/0842525564

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Gall Insects

Rabbit Brush Galls
made by a tephritid fly Aciurina trixa
Image courtesy and Copyright Jim Cane
Fly identification courtesy Gary Dodson

Does Utah have more Gauls than Caesar conquered? Certainly not Gaulish peoples of the ancient Roman Empire, but yes, galls of the vegetal kind we have aplenty. Galls are small protuberant growths on plants that are induced hormonally by insects, nematodes, and microbes. For its resident juvenile insect, the gall is a sort of edible fortress.

Some plant galls made by insects persist into winter, when they are more apparent to the naturalist’s eye. Looking at just rabbitbrush, you can find a menagerie of galls shaped like peas, pineapples and spindles that were formed from leaves, buds and stems. No growing tissue is immune to galling. The morphology of a gall is often diagnostic for the species of juvenile insect within. Gall-making insects are all tiny and include gall midges and tephritid flies, cynipid gall wasps, various nondescript moths, and any number of aphids and their kin.

One aphid causes the unsightly brown galls on branch tips of blue spruce, a bane to homeowners. Another aphid forms the pea-shaped galls that swell leaf petioles of aspens and cottonwoods. On sagebrush can be found a leaf gall whose soft surface surpasses that of a puppy’s ear. Oaks and willows host a remarkable diversity of galls. One oak gall was formerly used for tanning leather and making inks because it is rich in tannic acids. The Hessian fly is of grave agricultural importance today because its stem galls weaken wheat stems, causing them to lodge over.

Tephritid fly Aciurina bigeloviae
galls on Rabbitbrush
Image courtesy and Copyright Jim Cane
Fly identification courtesy Gary Dodson

But these are exceptions; most galls are of little or no ecological or economic importance. For that reason, most galling insects remain understudied by all but a handful of passionate specialists. Finding plant galls is easy, and once you begin to notice them, you will find it hard to stop. There is no guide to Utah’s plant galls, but we list several starting references for you on our web site.

This is Linda Kervin for Bridgerland Audubon Society.

Credits:

Theme: Courtesy & Copyright Don Anderson as performed by Leaping Lulu
Photos: Courtesy and Copyright Jim Cane
Text: Jim Cane, Bridgerland Audubon Society
Voice: Linda Kervin, Bridgerland Audubon Society

Additional Reading:

Sagebrush Gall made by the fly Rhopalomyia pomum, https://bugguide.net/node/view/200946
Robert P. Wawrzynski, Jeffrey D. Hahn, and Mark E. Ascerno, Insect and Mite Galls, WW-01009 2005,
University of Minnesota Extension, https://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/dg1009.html

Willow Cone Gall Midge
Image Courtesy and Copyright Jim Cane

Field Guide to Plant Galls of California and Other Western States by Ron Russo
ISBN: 978-0-520-24886-1 https://www.amazon.com/California-Western-States-Natural-History/dp/0520248864
Gall, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gall (Accessed Dec 2010)
Gagné R (1989) The plant-feeding gall midges of North America. Cornell University Press, Ithaca
https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Feeding-Midges-North-America-Comstock/dp/0801419182