Alice Eastwood was a pioneering botanist from the late 19th century who made significant contributions to the study of California's native flora. She worked as the curator of botany at the California Academy of Sciences for over 50 years. As a self-taught botanist, Eastwood extensively explored and collected plant specimens throughout Colorado and California. She described numerous new species and varieties of plants, including several rare onions found only in specific regions of the state. Eastwood's meticulous documentation and organization of botanical collections at the Academy helped establish it as a leading institution for the study of California plants.

1. © Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with California Native Plants in Western L.A. County
Project SOUND – 2015 (our 11th year)

2. © Project SOUND
Alice Eastwood:
an unusual California botanist
and her legacy
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
May 2 & 7, 2015

3. Important CA plantspersons we have ‘met’
© Project SOUND
Kate Sessions (1857-1940)
Blanche Trask (1865-1916)
Lester Rountree (1879 -1979)
Theodore Payne (1872-1963)
Alice Eastwood (1859-1951)

4. Alice Eastwood: difficult childhood
 Born 1859, Toronto, Canada (eldest
of three)
 Lived on grounds of mental
institution father managed
(Toronto Asylum for the Insane)
 Age 6 – mother dies
 Father’s financial situation
becomes dire; sent to live with
physician uncle (William Eastwood)
 Age 8 - returns to Toronto;
becomes a boarder (with her
sister) at a Catholic School
(Oshawa Convent) outside Toronto
© Project SOUND
http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDMDC-PCR-
1213&R=DC-PCR-1213
http://news.ourontario.ca/oshawa/41833/data

5. Alice Eastwood: difficult childhood
 Age 14 (1873) – reunited with father
and brother in Denver, CO
 Father was just getting started as
business owner & in real estate
 Responsible for much of the
household management
 Takes job as nanny for wealthy
ranching family until father builds a
proper home
 Family finances also force her to work
as a seamstress
 1879 (age 19) graduates as
valedictorian from Denver East High
School
© Project SOUND
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=108051991

6. Early experiences with plants gave focus
 Uncle:
 An avid gardener and amateur botanist
 From him she began to learn the scientific
names of plants
 Catholic School in Toronto:
 Influenced by a priest (Father Pugh) who
was an amateur botanist
 Encouraged her interest in plants,
gardening and nature
 High School:
 Job as nanny takes her to nearby Rockies in
summer – first exposure to CO plants
 Teacher gives her key books: Gray’s Manual
& the Flora of Colorado; encourages
collecting plants
© Project SOUND

7. Teaching and collecting
in Colorado: 1879-89
 No funds to attend college – though
she would have loved to
 High school teacher in Denver
 Spent summers collecting, on foot,
horseback & by rail
 Lived frugally; spent salary on
botany books, supplies – made real
estate investments with her father
 1890 - $10,000 windfall from sale
of building; invested wisely in real
estate - provided needed income
the rest of her life
© Project SOUND

8. Collecting in
Colorado
 ‘Though it was considered somewhat
improper for a woman to roam about
the countryside by herself
collecting plants, Eastwood cared
little about convention and borrowed
a horse, shortened her skirts at the
ankles so she might hike hills more
easily, and carried a plant press on
her back.’
 ‘Yet she also lived in an age when
the American West was still
uncharted territory in some places.
She was robbed on one occasion, and
on another became lost near
Colorado's border with Utah and
spent the night on a canyon ledge.’
Your Dictionary: Alice Eastwood.
http://biography.yourdictionary.com
/alice-eastwood
© Project SOUND
Many trips to Mesa Verde & Four
Corners region
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60900-d125453-Reviews-
Cliff_Palace-Mesa_Verde_National_Park_Colorado.html

9. The importance of self-taught botanists:
1850-1920
 Fewer people attended college;
fewer departments of botany
 Closer connection between
medicine and plants; many
physicians were amateur botanists
 Some women had leisure to pursue
amateur pursuits – including
biology
 Increased interest in the natural
world during Victorian era
 Founding of museums, scientific
societies, etc.
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_Victorian_era

10. Eastwood’s impact on Colorado botany
 Well-known for knowledge of local botany
– guided Alfred Russel Wallace on
collecting hike on Gray's Peak.
 She maintained her own herbarium and
published A Popular Flora of Denver,
Colorado in 1893.
 First botanist of record to investigate
Utah's Great Basin - made of number of
collecting expeditions in Colorado and the
Four Corners region
 The University of Colorado Herbarium
claims, "the real beginning of the
herbarium [at the University of Colorado]
was our acquisition of the early collections
of Alice Eastwood, Colorado's first
resident botanist." © Project SOUND
The herbarium at CU holds over
1400 specimens from
Eastwood's collections.

11. A trip to CA in early 1890’s changes her life
 1891-2 - Could finally afford to quit
teaching
 First trip to CA (1890-91):
 Visited San Diego and the Santa Cruz
and Monterey Peninsula areas
 In San Francisco, introduced to T.
Brandegee & Katharine Brandegee, the
curator of botany at the California
Academy of Sciences
 After reviewing Eastwood’s herbaria,
offered a job as a writer for the
Academy's (actually Bradegee’s)
botanical magazine, Zoe, and a job in
its herbarium
© Project SOUND
http://gpi.myspecies.info/content/brandegee-mk-0
Mary Katherine Brandegee
1844-1920

12. California Academy of Sciences
 Founded 1853 – three years after CA
statehood – founders propose to undertake
"a thorough systematic survey of every
portion of the State and the collection of
a cabinet of her rare and rich
productions.“
 1853 – vote to include women
 1860 – first geologic survey
 1873 – first museum opens
 1891 – grand new museum in downtown San
Francisco
 1896 – closer relations, University scientists
 1903 – first major conservation expedition
© Project SOUND
http://expeditionology.com/collecting-evolution/
Museum around 1900

13. Eastwood joined Academy at an interesting
time
 Before 1883, curatorship of the Botany
Dept. was yearly, voluntary position
 1891 - Alice Eastwood became joint Curator
of the Botany Department at the Academy,
with Mary Katharine Curran/Brandegee
(first paid curator).
 Brandegee’s retirement (1894) resulted in
Eastwood becoming the sole Curator and
Head of the Botany Department (1894-
1950)
 Eastwood completed many trips in the early
years, collecting and discovering a number of
plants on the California coast.
 Made important friends in botany community
world-wide © Project SOUND
One Hundred and Fifty Years of Botany at the
California Academy of Sciences (1853–2003)

14. Early years at the Academy were busy
 The organization of the Academy’s
herbarium was haphazard at the
time – and the politics were a bit
caustic
 Her first task was to organize the
Academy's vast collections of
specimens, and then to bring in
more to fill in the gaps.
 Against conventional practices of
the time, Eastwood segregated
type specimens (e.g. those one
which the original description of
the species is based) from the
main collection.
© Project SOUND
Responsible for managing the
California Botanical Club (until
1952)
Herbarium in 1893

15. Never to marry…
 Twice was close to suitable
men – both died before they
were married.
 Eastwood, perhaps because of
the hardships of her early life,
had stated on occasion that
she feared a romantic
attachment might stand in the
way of her first love, botany.
© Project SOUND
http://www.cpp.edu/~larryblakely/whoname/eastbyft.jpg

16. A true passion for botany
© Project SOUND
 In between stints at the Academy,
Eastwood continued to explore on her own
and gather specimens; many of these were
"type" specimens-the first sample of a
species to be described and named.
 She usually did so under the roughest of
conditions; once, in a California's San
Joaquin Valley, she slept in an abandoned
shed for two nights, but discovered a new
member of the sunflower family.
 Eastwood knew by heart all the stagecoach
routes to the counties surrounding the Bay
Area and on foot was said to clock a rate
of four miles per hour.©2010 Neal Kramer
Eastwoodia elegans Brandegee

17. Parallels in the lives of notable CA plantspersons
Theodore
Payne
Lester
Rowntree
Alice
Eastwood
Lost a parent early X X
Difficult childhood; jobs, other
household responsibilities
+/- +/- X
Boarding school/time away from
family
X +/- X
Move to CA at impressionable age X X X
Financial difficulties X X X
College education
Unconventional; self-motivated X X X
Unmarried for much of life X X
Early love of plants fostered by
significant adults
X +/- X
© Project SOUND

18. Mission of the Academy: document new
species before they disappear
 Many common species had
already been well-described
– were even used in gardens
 Eastwood needed to search
for rarer species
 Focused on places that were:
 More remote – less well
studied
 Had unique geologic,
geographic or other
characteristics
© Project SOUNDPeninsula onion – Allium peninsulare

19. Alice Eastwood’s Alliums (onions)
 Allium cratericola Eastw. – Cascade
onion
 Allium fimbriatum var. purdyi (Eastw.)
Ownbey & Aase - Purdy's fringed onion
 Allium hickmanii Eastw. - Hickman's
onion
 Allium howellii Eastw. – Howell’s onion
 Allium lacunosum var. micranthum Eastw.
– Pitted onion
 Allium yosemitense Eastw. – Yosemite
onion
© Project SOUND
Eastwood had a
lifelong interest in bulb
plants in the family
Liliaceae
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/
BlueAlliums

20. *Allium howellii - Howell’s onion
 var. clokeyi is known only from
the Mount Piños region and
San Bernardino Mountains
 Grows in the granite and
serpentine soils of several
of the local mountain
ranges, hills, and valleys
from San Joaquin County to
San Bernardino County
© Project SOUND
©1995 John Game
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101365
http://jaysullivan.org/socal/o
nionhw3.htm

21. Eastwood’s type descriptions were
excellent
© Project SOUND

22. © Project SOUND
* Purdy's fringed onion – Allium fimbriatum var. purdyi
©2014 Steve Matson

23.  Known only from the vicinity of Clear
Lake, Lake & Colusa Counties.
 Serpentine clay; 300--600 m
 Proposed by A. Eastwood as Allium
purdyi
© Project SOUND
* Purdy's fringed onion – Allium fimbriatum var. purdyi
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242102148
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2405/2366307291_cac276fd81_m.jpg
Full scientific name: Allium
fimbriatum S. Watson var.
purdyi (Eastw.) Ownbey & Aase

24. Serpentine soils and California onions
 Serpentine soils occur in patches
along the Pacific States
 Few plants can survive these soils’
heavy metal toxicity
 Many Allium species demonstrate an
ability to grow on serpentine, some
with tolerance and others endemic
to serpentine outcrops
 This soil type endemism seems to
drive speciation in Allium - could be
one of the factors contributing to
the greater diversity of Allium in
California and the West compared
to other part of Northern America
© Project SOUNDhttp://freygardens.com/?attachment_id=636
http://www.calalive.org/content/serpentine

25. Our local Red-skinned onion offers some
interesting clues
 Adaptation to serpentine soils is
ongoing, as evidenced by species that
can survive on both serpentine and
non-serpentine soils
 Allium haematochiton exhibits a
different flower morphology when
growing on serpentine. Further work
will be necessary to determine if
local adaptation in this species has
occurred on this specialized
substrate.
© Project SOUND

26. © Project SOUND
Purdy’s onion: similar to other CA onions
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall
 1 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Perennial from true bulb
 Erect habit
 Dies back to bulb after
flowering
 Foliage:
 Pale green
 Leaves few; linear or
cylindrical
©1999 John Game

27. © Project SOUND
Plant Requirements
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained
 pH: ?? any local
 Light:
 Full sun to part-shade
 Water:
 Winter: plenty of water; N
CA plant
 Summer: dries out as plants
flower
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: inorganic or no mulch
©2011 Vernon Smith

28. © Project SOUND
Garden uses for
native onions
 Excellent candidates
for containers
 Do fine on slopes
 With their natural
allies: native grasses,
wildflowers and bulbs
©2011 Vernon Smith

29. Careful field observation and notes were
essential to Eastwood’s work
© Project SOUND
One Hundred and Fifty Years of Botany at the
California Academy of Sciences (1853–2003)

30. *Allium cratericola – Cascade onion
 Serpentine, volcanic, and granitic
soil; 300--1800 m
 Populations from S. CA are 2-
leaved; those from the north are
either 1- or 2-leaved or sometimes
a mixture of both forms
© Project SOUND
©2012 Barry Rice
Field observations give clues to
cultivation: The key to cultivation
is that the medium must be well
drained with some organic matter.
It likes being in full sun. Winter
water is necessary, but a dry
summer dormancy is extremely
important

31. *Allium hickmanii - Hickman’s onion
 Rare endemic of the
Monterey Peninsula and
Arroyo de la Cruz.
 Of conservation concern
© Project SOUND
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101363
Some things never change: still
threatened by urbanization,
grazing, non-native plants,
trampling, road construction,
and military activities
©1999 John Game

32. Even from her earliest days, Eastman was collecting &
documenting unusual native plants
© Project SOUND
That’s one of the things that made the California Academy of Sciences unique

33. Importance of the CA Academy: 1900
 The Academy published: Proceedings of
the California Academy of Sciences,
Bulletin of the California Academy of
Sciences
 Department of Botany was the center of
botanical activity in California from its
inception until the early 1900’s.
 The Academy’s herbarium was the
largest and most important in western
North America.
 An inventory (mid-1890s) - 74,767 total
specimens.
 Considering Eastwood’s activities it is
reasonable to suppose that by 1906 the
herbarium contained at least 100,000
specimens.
© Project SOUND
Important interactions with
academic, horticultural and
other scientific disciplines
One Hundred and Fifty Years of Botany at the
California Academy of Sciences (1853–2003)

34. April 18, 1906 – 5:12 a.m. : disaster struck
© Project SOUND
http://cdn.calisphere.org/data/13030/bq/hb6v19p2bq/files/hb6v19p2bq-FID4.jpg

35. Eastwood acts  Eastwood dressed and ran to the
Academy building on Market Street;
struggle to gain access
 The herbarium was located on the sixth
floor of the badly damaged building, and
an adjacent paint plant had erupted in
flames.
 Eastwood & her assistant (Robert
Porter), literally alone, retrieved as
many specimens as possible.
 In all, 1,497 plant specimens (the
important type specimens) rescued.
 Her own personal collection, which
Eastwood began assembling in her teens,
was lost along with most of the
Academy’s library, records &
specimens.
© Project SOUND
http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/cal-academy-sciences

36. The rescue: in her own words
© Project SOUND
 "[N]obody seemed to be complaining or sorrowful. The
sound of trunks being dragged along I can never forget.
This seemed the only groan the city made… ."
 As for the Academy itself, "I did not feel the loss to be
mine," she wrote, "but it is a great loss to the scientific
world and an irreparable loss to California. My own
destroyed work I do not lament, for it was a joy to me
while I did it, and I can still have the same joy in
starting it again… .“
Letter to Science; cited in Carol Green Wilson's Alice
Eastwood's Wonderland: The Adventures of a Botanist

37. Preparing for the future:
1906-1912
 Before the Academy constructed a
new building, Alice Eastwood
traveled and studied throughout
Europe and the United States.
 Studied in leading herbaria
including the Gray Herbarium
(Harvard), the New York Botanical
Garden, the British Museum, and
the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
 Established friendships and
increased her knowledge
 In 1912, with completion of the
new Academy facilities at Golden
Gate Park, Eastwood was offered a
job.
 She returned as Curator of the
Botany Department in 1912.
© Project SOUND
http://botlib.huh.harvard.edu/libraries/Grayarc.htm
Gray Herbarium, Harvard

38. Re-establishing the herbarium: 1912-1942
 Eastwood dedicated herself to
rebuilding the collection.
 Her expeditions were numerous,
including collecting trips to
Alaska, Arizona, Baja California,
British Columbia, Utah, and all
throughout California.
 Many of the expeditions were
financed personally by Eastwood
 By 1942, the collection numbered
over 300,000 plant specimens,
nearly three times the number
destroyed in 1906 earthquake and
fire
© Project SOUND
http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt4n39s1p5/

39. Building up the herbarium from scratch
 Eastwood herself contributed "thousands of sheets to the
Academy's herbarium, personally accounting for its growth in
size and representation of western flora".
© Project SOUND
 By keeping the first set
of each collection for the
Academy and exchanging
the duplicates with other
institutions Eastwood was
able to build the
collection
 Example: 3113 specimens
to Harvard Herbariumhttp://cdn.calisphere.org/data/13030/qk/kt8c6040qk/files/kt8c6040qk-FID215.jpg
Warner Hot Springs, San Diego County, 1913

40. The concept of the ecological niche
 Many definitions – concept has
evolved over time
 Definition: Place or function of
an organism within its
ecosystem
 Definition: that set of
environmental factors (both
abiotic and biotic) which
permits populations to persist.
 A niche is a very specific
segment of ecospace occupied
by a single species
© Project SOUND
http://science.kennesaw.edu/~jdirnber/ecology/Lecture/LecComEcol/LecComEcolCom
p/LecCommEcolComp.html

41. Unusual conditions = unusual niches
 California has a number
of unique habitats:
 Deserts
 High and low elevations
 Seaside conditions
 Rain forests
 Unique soil types
 Etc.
© Project SOUND
Much of Eastwood’s personal collecting would focus on the
unique plants that evolved under unusual conditions and
constraints

42. The need to document/collect species before they
disappeared was always in Eastwood’s mind
 Alice Eastwood focused
her collecting on:
 Areas that were unique
 Areas that had not been
fully studied
 Areas that were in danger
of disappearing
© Project SOUND
http://www.sitesatlas.com/Flash/USCan/static/CAFF.htm
Unfortunately, many of the
interesting species she studied are
not currently available to the home
gardener – for a variety of reasons

43. © Project SOUND
*Bolander’s lily – Lilium bolanderi
©2008 Gary A. Monroe

44.  Klamath Range & SW Oregon
 UNCOMMON. Serpentine soil in
chaparral, conifer forest, generally
with Xerophyllum 150–1600 m
 Difficult to grow
© Project SOUND
*Bolander’s lily – Lilium bolanderi
http://www.efloras.org/f
lorataxon.aspx?flora_id
=1&taxon_id=2421017
27
http://www.jonsgardenblog.com/uploads/2/2/5/6/22563064/3759431_orig.jpg
©2008 Keir Morse

45. © Project SOUND
*Coast lily – Lilium maritimum
©2013 Vernon Smith

46.  From below San Francisco to about Westport in
Mendocino County, within a few miles of the ocean.
 Coastal prairies, N. coastal scrub, sundew (Drosera
spp.) bogs, gaps in closed-cone pine forests < 150 m
 Luther Burbank 1888 catalog: a “wild species of lily”
(Lilium maritimum) described as “California bog lily,
dwarf, reddish orange, spotted.”
© Project SOUND
*Coast lily – Lilium maritimum
©2012 Aaron Arthur ©2008 Halleh Paymard
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&t
axon_id=242101736

47. © Project SOUND
Coast lily: in many ways a typical lily
 Size:
 2-4 ft tall
 1-3 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Perennial from a bulb
 Dies back to bulb after booming
 Upright habit
 Foliage:
 Larger leaves mainly in basal
rosette
 Whorls of lance-shaped leaves on
flower stalk
 Bulb: rhizomatous; irregular, 1-3 inches
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Lilium_maritimum#/media
/File:Lilium_maritimum_(lit).jpg

48. © Project SOUND
Flowers: small, bright, showy
 Blooms: late spring/early summer – May-July
 Flowers:
 Small for lily – 1-2 inches
 Typical trumpet shape, but tepals roll back
 Red or red-orange with maroon blotches
circling the throat
 Seeds:
©2006 Steven Thorsted
©2012 Aaron Arthur
http://flowersreview.blogspot.com/2012/01/lilium-maritimum-flower.html

49. Growing native lilies from seed
 Requires patience, good
drainage, disease and weed
control and common sense
 4-5 month cold/moist
treatment for most western
lily seeds; plant when just
beginning to germinate
 Need light, airy potting mix
which retains moisture but
allows good drainage – potting
soil + perlite
 Keep moist but not too wet
 Be patient – may take a while
to see any growth
© Project SOUND
©2010 Zoya Akulova

50. © Project SOUND
Plant Requirements  Soils:
 Texture: well-drained, sandy
soils are best
 pH: slightly acidic (5.5-7.5)
 Light: dappled sun; part-shade
 Water:
 Winter: needs plenty of water
– tolerates flooding
 Summer: taper off after
blooming; takes some summer
water
 Fertilizer: likes a thin organic
mulch – pine needle mulch is great
 Other: remove foliage when it
withers after flowering/seed-set
©2012 Aaron Arthur

51. © Project SOUND
Woodsy wild lily
 Good choice for shady containers
– can give it the right conditions
 Dampish, shady areas of the
garden – under tall trees
 Mix with other N. coast grasses,
bulbs, wildflowers
©2008 Halleh Paymard
©2014 John Doyen
©2008 Halleh Paymard

52. Gardening with native lilies in S. California
 May be easy or quite
difficult depending on
requirements
 Many native lilies available
only as seed
 Many are good candidates
for containers
 Often require:
 Excellent drainage
 Moist soils, even into
summer (when many bloom)
 A little richer soil than our
native soils provide
 Some shade in S. CA
© Project SOUND
http://www.chanticleergarden.org/6_24.html
http://www.thelilygarden.com/pages_lilies
/oriental_2.html

53. Eastwood’s botanical interests were
broad and general
 Her over 300 published
works include:
 technical botanical
treatises
 floristic studies
 horticultural notes
 ethnobotanical reports
 historical accounts of
botanical exploration
 book reviews
 popular articles for a lay
audience.
© Project SOUND
http://www.mtgothictomes.com/colorado_page_3.htm

54. Eastwood wrote in a clear style,
understandable to a diverse audiance
 “It is not easy to place the boundary
between trees and shrubs, especially in
California where some species are either
trees or shrubs. In general a tree differs
from a shrub in having a distinct trunk not
less than fifteen feet high. Where the
species is only rarely a tree and generally a
shrub, it has not been included, so that many
species of Ceanothus, many of the
manzanitas, the sumachs and many others
have been omitted.”
A. Eastwood – A Handbook of
the Trees of California
© Project SOUND

55. Modest despite her accomplishments
 “Throughout the work the aim has
always been brevity and clearness – the
desire to help rather than to shine.”
A. Eastwood – A Handbook
of the Trees of California
© Project SOUND
http://www.alibris.com/A-Handbook-of-the-Trees-
of-California-Alice-Eastwood/book/18536043
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Linn_Jepson
Willis Linn Jepson

56.  ‘Forceful, energetic, and outgoing, Alice Eastwood not only
provided professional botanists with critical specimens but
also stimulated fuchsia fanciers to grow novelties,
instructed travelers in the best methods of plant collecting,
and helped to arouse the public to save native species, from
the endemic lowly salt marsh sanicle to the giant redwoods’
B. Sicherman: Notable American Women: The Modern Period
1980; Harvard Press © Project SOUND

57.  ‘To popularize botany she
maintained changing exhibits of
freshly gathered flowers in the
Academy’s foyer. She was the
‘gardener’s botanist’ to west coast
horticulturalists [including Kate
Sessions of San Diego].
 Recognition and honors came from
garden clubs as well as from the
Seventh International Botanical
Conference in Stockholm in 1950,
which elected her honorary
president.’
B. Sicherman: Notable American
Women: The Modern Period.
1980; Harvard Press
© Project SOUND
Eastwood’s passion was plants – and
introducing CA natives to the public

58. Bringing interesting
plants to the public
 Immediately outside of the new
herbarium, she helped develop
Golden Gate Park into a
horticultural wonderland, where
today some 8,000 species from
nearly all regions of the planet
are cultivated, mostly out-of-
doors, on land that was
previously sand dunes.
 To help ensure the success of
the diverse plantings in Golden
Gate Park, she taught classes in
the evening for the Park’s
gardeners.
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Gate_Park

59. Alice Eastwood did have her favorites
 Although she published articles on
mushrooms, ferns, gymnosperms,
monocots and dicots, she worked
extensively with manzanitas
(Arctostaphylos), lupines (Lupinus),
Indian paint brushes (Castilleja),
and numerous plants occurring on
Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County
 She was also interested in fuchsias
© Project SOUND
http://www.fuchsiasinthecity.com/about-fuchsias/dictionary/files/the-fuchsia-book-
afs.jpg

60. Taxonomy & Systematics: grouping & naming
 Taxonomy: science that finds,
identifies, describes, classifies,
and names plants
 Three goals:
 Identification : identifying an
unknown plant by comparison
with previously collected
 Classification: placing known
plants into groups or categories
to show some relationship.
 Description : formal description
of a new species, usually in the
form of a scientific paper
 Systematics: the science of
relationships between plants
and their evolution, especially
at the higher levels
 Classical (morphological)
systematics – based on
similarities in plant physical
characteristics (how plant
looks; chemical similarities;
etc.)
 Molecular systematics –
based on similarities in
genetic material
© Project SOUND
The two are highly interrelated – both aim to better understand and
reflect the true relationships between different plants

61. © Project SOUND
What is a species?
 Some definitions of species
 Biological Species Concept - they cannot
interbreed & produce viable offspring;
interbreeding studies
 Morphospecies Concept - they are
different morphologically and do not
come in contact for interbreeding
 Genetic Species Concept – still working on
this – how similar must they be to
constitute a species?
 Practical definition - Practically,
biologists define species as populations of
organisms that have a high level of
genetic similarity.
 The field of taxonomy is changing with
our increasingly sophisticated tools
Lyonothamnus floribundus
ssp. aspleniifolius
Lyonothamnus floribundus
ssp. floribundus

62. Classic taxonomy: difficult decisions
based on morphology, range
 What constitutes a
separate species?
© Project SOUND
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157624452564246/
The case of the ‘Kotolo milkweed’

63. Eastwood argues for species status
based on range and morphology
© Project SOUND

64. Eastwood showed great sensitivity in
proposing names
© Project SOUND

65. The final verdict on ‘Kotolo milkweed’?
© Project SOUND

66. Indian Milkweed - Asclepias eriocarpa
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_eriocarpa

67. Milkweeds
 Milkweeds are found in
many areas of CA
 In S. CA, Indian Milkweed
found primarily in Santa
Monica & San Gabriel
Mountains.
 Sites are typically
 Dry at least part of summer;
good winter/spring water
 Sunny
 Barren soil (bare areas in
chaparral/Oak woodlands;
streambeds; alluvial areas)
Narrow-leaf Milkweed
Indian Milkweed

68. Milkweeds: widespread & easy
 For butterfly/pollinator gardens
 For showy white-pink flowers in
summer
 Along paths and walkways
 In mid-beds – would look nice with
brighter pinks and purple flowers

69. Eastwood was a talented taxonomist
 Proposed over 600
species, subspecies &
varieties from CA, OR
and the Rockies
 Overall, ~30%
acceptance rate (even
today)
 That’s pretty amazing!
© Project SOUND
http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt9n39s2r7/

70. © Project SOUND
Plant Systematics: the interrelationship
between ‘natural’ taxonomy, evolution and
phylogeny
http://www.anbg.gov.au/asbs/newsletter/book-review-74a-a.gif
http://www.alonnissos.org/page9/files/taxonomy%20tree.jpg
How to define a species – still an issue

71. While best known for her work with N. CA species,
Eastwood named several local species
 Astragalus tener var. titi (Eastw.)
Barneby
 Brodiaea jolonensis Eastw.
 Ceanothus megacarpus var.
insularis (Eastw.) Munz - island
ceanothus
 Cercocarpus traskiae Eastw. - Catalina
Island mountain-mahogany
 Ribes indecorum Eastw. – Whiteflower
currant
© Project SOUND

72. © Project SOUND
White-flowered Currant - Ribes indecorum
Correctly identified as separate species: Proc. Calif. Acad.
Sci., ser. 3. 2: 243, plate 23, fig. 3a, b. 1902

73. Eastwood’s connection to S. CA reflected
her curatorial & personal interests
 Developed friendships with local botanists/
hortculturalists
 Blanche Trask (1865-1916) – many of her herbarium
specimens among those lost in 1906
 Leroy Abrams (1874-1956 ) - Flora of Los Angeles
and Vicinity
 Kate Sessions (1857-1940) – nursery woman –
designed Balboa Park
 Lester Rountree (1879 -1979)
 Many others
 Eastwood spent six days on Santa Catalina Island
July 20-25, 1917; specimens are located in the
California Academy of Sciences. © Project SOUND
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/archon/?p=digi
tallibrary/digitalcontent&id=466

74. Botanizing on the Channel Islands
 “…Miss Eastwood, on behalf of
the Academy, very completely
botanized Santa Cruz and
Catalina islands. On all her
exploring trips over these
islands, she was accompanied by
Mrs. Miller, herself an
enthusiastic botanist, and when
the two ladies left the sailing
party to return home by rail
from San Diego a short time ago,
they took with then a
comprehensive exhibit of the
flora of the islands mentioned…”
© Project SOUND
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bath_House_and_hotels_in_
Avalon,_on_Santa_Catalina_Island,_after_1908_(CHS-838).jpg
Even then, the Channel Island species
were thought to be unique – and in
need of protection!

75.  “There are two species of Lyonothamnus, one on Santa Catalina
Island and the other on San Clemente Island – beautiful and
peculiar trees belonging to the Rose family. On Santa Catalina
there is also a mountain mahogany (named in honor of its
discoverer, Mrs. Blanche Trask) more lovely than any of its
relatives in any other part of the world. It is found only in a
few cañons so remote that until lately they had never been
seen.”
-A. Eastwood – A Handbook of
the Trees of California
© Project SOUND

76. © Project SOUND
Catalina Island Mountain Mahogony –
Cercocarpus traskiae
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/collection/CPC_ProfileImage.asp?FN=872b

77. “That any one should have found a
new tree on an island that so many
botanists have visited is surprising;
but it is due to the great
enthusiasm, the wonderful power of
exploration, and the intense love for
Santa Catalina Island and its flowers
which Mrs. Trask possesses. It is
with pleasure that I give her name to
this tree."
The quote is from 1898 for the discovery
of Trask Mahogany (Cercocarpus traskiae)
on Catalina Island.
© Project SOUND
Catalina Island Mountain Mahogony –
Cercocarpus traskiae
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/2009/03/13/palmbob/1c3474.jpg

78. © Project SOUND
Catalina Mountain Mahogany -
 Size:
 10-15 ft tall
 8-12+ ft wide
 Growth form:
 Large evergreen shrub or
small tree
 Branches erect to spreading
 Long-lived
 Foliage:
 Leaves leathery, shiny above
and wooly beneath
 Very prominent lateral veins
beneath – very different
from Island Mountain
Mahogany C. betuloides
© 1993 Dean Wm. Taylor
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/collection/CPC_ProfileImage.asp?FN=872b

79. © Project SOUND
Threats to endemic Channel Island plant species
 Large introduced herbivores have historically altered the
flora and the landscape of Santa Catalina, San Clemente &
other Channel Islands.
 Goats, pigs, bison, and deer were noted at the time of listing of
C. traskiae as a threatened species. The small size of the
current C. traskiae population is attributed to the historical
presence of goats, deer, and pigs
 Invasive non-native plants pose perhaps a greater threat
now – increase fire threat
 Threat of hybridization – ‘genetic assimilation’
 Threat of limited genetic diversity – sometimes a small
population becomes too inbred to be able to survive

80. © Project SOUND
What makes a species susceptible to
genetic assimilation?
 Small number of individuals
compared to other local species
 Ability to hybridize with local
species – and close geographic
proximity to those
 Low genetic diversity – may limit
reproduction within the species
 Low geographic diversity/lack of
space – common problem for
Channel Island species
 Invasion by species with
hybridization potential

81. © Project SOUND
The problem of
hybridization on islands
 Cercocarpus traskiae has hybridized
locally with C. betuloides var.
blancheae, which also occurs on the
island.
 The hybrids have been
characterized morphologically as well
as by enzyme (allozyme) and DNA
differences.
 Morphological assessments of
hybridization have not always agreed
with the genetic results
 Bottom line: only six genetically
“pure” Cercocarpus traskiae trees in
existance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cercocarpustraskiae.JPG
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplan
ts/islandmountainmahogany.html

82. Island populations don’t always occur on
physical islands
© Project SOUNDhttp://hosho.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/~tsuyu/top/dct/island.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupinus_croceus
Lupinus croceus Eastw., endemic to
the northernmost mountains of
California

83. Eastwood’s contribution to genus Lupinus
 70 citations – 32 new species [1/4 currently still accepted]
 Currently accepted
 Lupinus angustiflorus Eastw. - narrowflower lupine
 Lupinus antoninus Eastw. – Anthony Peak lupine
 Lupinus caudatus ssp. cutleri (Eastw.) L.W. Hess & D.B. Dunn -
Cutler's spurred lupine
 Lupinus croceus Eastw. – Mt. Eddy lupine
 Lupinus dalesiae Eastw. – Quincy lupine
 Lupinus duranii Eastw. - Mono Lake lupine
 Lupinus kuschei Eastw. – Yukon lupine [AK species]
 Lupinus nipomensis Eastw. – Nipomo Mesa lupine
 Lupinus sublanatus Eastw. – Mono lupine
 Lupinus tracyi Eastw. – Tracy’s lupine
© Project SOUND

84. *Lupinus antoninus – Anthony Peak lupine
 Most herbaria specimens from
Eastwood, John Thomas
Howell, in early 1940’s
 Threats
 Narrow range: known from
just four sites in the Inner
North Coast Ranges of
California.
 Hybridization with Lupinus
albifrons var. collinus.
© Project SOUND
http://eol.org/data_objects/20029071

85. There is currently enormous interest in
documenting species’ ranges
© Project SOUND

86. IUCN Red Data Book
 Classifies organisms based on their
threat of extinction
 Classification based on
 Potential range
 Current actual range
 Historical decline in numbers
 Habitat fragmentation
 The relationship between population
numbers and risk of extinction is well
documented for many species. Why
use range?
 Because the data is more available
© Project SOUND
http://cmsdocs.s3.amazonaws.com/images/covers/Gl
obal/1978_RDB_Plants.jpg

87. Why worry about geographic range?
Species vulnerability
 Limited geographic populations are
particularly vulnerable to:
 Human encroachment
 Disease & predation
 Climate change/variability
 Limited geographic populations are
also vulnerable to genetic factors
 Reproductive ‘fitness’
 Enough genetic variability to insure
survival under changing conditions
 Hybridization/’gene swamping’
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupinus_croceus

88. Range dynamics: what we know
 For at least some species, range size increases rapidly just
after speciation; after that, slow decrease in range size
 Lag phase; rapid increase in range size; slow decrease
 In general, species with larger range appear less
vulnerable to extinction
 Data are difficult to come by (paleontology) and may be biased
 In part due to fact that species with wider range also have
greater numbers
 Great variability
 Just because a species has a ‘large’ range doesn’t
guarantee it won’t become extinct (particularly through
human actions – direct or indirect)
© Project SOUND

89. Eastwood understood the conservation
implications of her work
 We must carefully document
California’s biotic resources (as
completely as possible)
 We must work to conserve
habitat in situ
 Other possibilities not envisioned
by Eastwood:
 Save germplasm (seed/DNA
banks)
 Grow plants in alternative sites
(natural; gardens)
© Project SOUND
http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt9n39s2r7/

90. Eastwood was an avid conservationist.
 She succeeded in getting
most of Mount Tamalpais
declared a state park.
 She also helped form the
“Save the Redwoods”
League.
 Worked to save a redwood
grove in Humboldt County
(which was named Alice
Eastwood Memorial Grove).
© Project SOUND
http://islapedia.com/index.php?title=EASTWOOD,_Alice

91. *Eastwood’s manzanita - Arctostaphylos
glandulosa ssp. glandulosa
© Project SOUND
©2004 Doreen L. Smith

92. Genus Arctostaphylos – the Manzanitas
 26 proposed species; 16 still currently accepted
 Accepted species:
 Arctostaphylos auriculata Eastw. - Mount Diablo manzanita
 Arctostaphylos australis Eastw. – Australian m.
 Arctostaphylos bakeri Eastw. – Baker’s m.
 Arctostaphylos canescens Eastw. – Hoary m.
 Arctostaphylos confertiflora Eastw. - Santa Rosa Island m.
 Arctostaphylos crustacea Eastw. – Brittleleaf m.
 Arctostaphylos franciscana Eastw. - San Francisco m.
 Arctostaphylos glandulosa Eastw. – Eastwood’s m.
 Arctostaphylos imbricata Eastw. - San Bruno Mountain m.
 Arctostaphylos montana Eastw. - Mt. Tamalpais m.
 Arctostaphylos obispoensis Eastw. – Bishop manzanita
 Arctostaphylos pallida Eastw. – Alameda m.
© Project SOUND

93. Genus Arctostaphylos – the Manzanitas
 Accepted species (cont.):
 Arctostaphylos pechoensis (Abrams) Dudley ex Eastw. –
Pacheco manzanita
 Arctostaphylos regismontana Eastw. – King’s Mountain m.
 Arctostaphylos virgata Eastw. – Bolinas m.
 Arctostaphylos viridissima (Eastw.) McMinn – Whitehair m.
© Project SOUND

94. Alice Eastwood was a pretty good ‘splitter’
 Arctostaphylos glandulosa Eastw. -- accepted -- Eastwood's
manzanita
 Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. cushingiana (Eastw.) J.E. Keeley, M.C.
Vasey & V.T. Parker -- accepted -- Cushing manzanita
 Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. glandulosa Eastw. -- accepted --
Eastwood's manzanita
 Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. howellii (Eastw.) P.V. Wells -- not accepted
 Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. zacaensis (Eastw.) P.V. Wells -- not accepted
-- Zaca's manzanita
 Arctostaphylos glandulosa var. campbelliae (Eastw.) J.E. Adams ex McMinn -
- not accepted
 Arctostaphylos glandulosa var. cushingiana (Eastw.) J.E. Adams ex McMinn -
- not accepted
 Arctostaphylos glandulosa var. howellii (Eastw.) J.E. Adams ex McMinn --
not accepted
 Arctostaphylos glandulosa var. virgata (Eastw.) Jeps. -- not accepted
 Arctostaphylos glandulosa var. zacaensis (Eastw.) J.E. Adams ex McMinn --
not accepted
© Project SOUND

95. © Project SOUND
http://www.worldbotanical.com/arctostaphylos.htm
* Del mar Manzanita – Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. crassifolia

96.  Endemic to the south-central
coast of San Diego County south
into extreme northwestern Baja
California
 On coastal sandstone bluffs
within the rare and threatened
maritime chaparral plant
community
 Some of the best populations
exist and are protected at
Torrey Pines State Reserve
© Project SOUND
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3449,3454,3470,3472
http://www.plantscomprehensive.com/sandiegonatives-blog?page=3
* Del mar Manzanita – Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. crassifolia

97. A. glandulosa ssp. mollis – SMM & San Gabriels
© Project SOUND
http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Arc
tostaphylos_glandulosa_mollis.htm

98. © Project SOUND
Del mar Manzanita: gray-green to blue-green
 Size:
 3-6 ft tall; usually 3-5 ft
 4-6 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Small to medium sized
evergreen shrub w/ red bark
 Rounded, upright to rambling
form
 Slow growing
 Foliage:
 Gray-green to blue-green
 Neat/tidy looking
 Roots: re-sprouts from basal
burl
© 2007 Charles E. Jones
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/arctostaphylos-glandulosa-ssp-crassifolia

99. © Project SOUND
Flowers contrast
beautifully with foliage
 Blooms: winter to early
spring – may be earlier or
later
 Flowers:
 Pale pink
 Typical shape of the
genus
 Sweet scent
http://www.cnpssd.org/plantlistpdfs/arctostaphylosglandulosacras.pdf http://www.cnpssd.org/plantlistpdfs/arctostaphylosglandulosacras.pdf

100. © Project SOUND
Use Del Mar Manzanita
 As a tall groundcover
 Under pines
 As an informal hedge
 With its usual associated species
Comarostaphylis, Xylococcus,
Quercus and Salvia species.http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Arctostaphylos_glandulosa
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/m-Htm9oK65QX_9Kx7zPcDw

101. Population density extremes: not good
 Too many
 Too few
 Decreased mating partners –
may ↓ reproduction
 Increased inbreeding
 Possible extinction of the
population (Allee effect)
 Minimal Viable Population
(MVP) - the smallest
population size that can avoid
extinction
© Project SOUND
© 2006 Steve Matson
Mount Diablo Manzanita – Arctostaphylos auriculata

102. © Project SOUND
* Mount Diablo Manzanita – Arctostaphylos auriculata
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctostaphylos_auriculata

103. © Project SOUND
* Mount Diablo Manzanita – Arctostaphylos auriculata
© 2006 Steve Matson
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3449,3454,3456
 Endemic to the area surrounding Mount
Diablo, in Contra Costa County (e San
Francisco Bay Area)
 occurs primarily in chamise or manzanita
chaparral. It can also be found as an
understory shrub in coast live oak woodland,
400'-2000' elevation

104. © Project SOUND
Mount Diablo Manzanita: beautiful foliage
 Size:
 3-12 ft tall; usually 4-6 ft
 5-10 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Evergreen woody shrub
 Erect to mounded
 Twigs hairy; older bark red
 Foliage:
 Gray-green; may be very
fuzzy
 Rounded, over-lapping leaves
clasp the branches
 Very unusual and lovely
appearance
© 2006 Steve Matson

105. © Project SOUND
Flowers are pink!
 Blooms: winter to early spring
 Flowers:
 Usually pink – sometimes
white
 Usually hairy
 Many flower clusters per
plant – plant covered with
flowers
 Otherwise, fairly typical
flowers for the genus
 Fruits: small & hairy until
mature.
© 2006 Steve Matson

106. © Project SOUND
A. auriculata can take a
little more water
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained
 pH: slightly acidic best
 Light:
 Full sun on coast
 Morning sun/dappled shade
in hot gardens
 Water:
 Winter: adequate
 Summer: best with a little
summer water (Zone 1-2 up
to 2); rinse off occasionally in
summer (be ‘the fog’)
 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
 Other: organic mulch (including
oak and pine needles
© 2006 Steve Matson

107. © Project SOUND
Mt. Diablo Manzanita
for a silvery touch
 As a dramatic accent plant in dry
shrub beds, along walkways
 In a chaparral garden
 In a hummingbird garden
 Sprawling over a fence or wall
https://picasaweb.google.com/theforestprimeval/PinusCoulteriAndArctostaphylo
sAuriculataBlackDiamondMinePreserve#5512180876178895842

108. © Project SOUND
What genetic resources should we
conserve (and how)?
 Based on aesthetic or other potential?
 Broadly - because we don’t know all the
‘services’ provided by individual species
(medicines; habitat value; etc)
 Broadly - because more diversity means
more likely that at least species will
survive changing conditions – in the near
future
 Based on species uniquely adapted to
certain conditions – we may need those
genes sometime
 ????????
http://www.hazmac.biz/090218/090218Cercocarp
usTraskiae.html

109. © Project SOUND
Management strategies for conserving
rare species: key issue today
 Remove species that may hybridize with the desired
species
 Remove other pressures to reproduction – e.g.
herbivores that eat seedlings, other stressors –
protect the remaining individuals as source plants
 +/- Remove hybrid plants/seedlings
 Vegetative propagation to create more individuals
 Plant out in appropriate sites:
 Local area
 Otherwise appropriate conditions
 No potential hybridizing species

110. © Project SOUND
* Glossyleaf Manzanita – Arctostaphylos nummularia
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Arctostaphylos-nummularia/

111.  North Coast, Outer North Coast Ranges, w San
Francisco Bay Area (Mount Tamalpais, Santa
Cruz Mtns)
 Rocky sites, woodland, coniferous forest, < 1500
ft
 AKA ‘Fort Bragg Manzanita’
© Project SOUND
* Glossyleaf Manzanita – Arctostaphylos nummularia
http://www.parksconservancy.org/visit/park-sites/mount-tamalpais.html
http://www.thevoiceofalliant.com/FunSun.html

112. © Project SOUND
Glossyleaf Manzanita: variable habit
 Size:
 2-6 ft tall; usually 2-3 in nature
 4-6 ft wide
 Growth form:
 Dense evergreen shrub
 Habit varies from low and spreading
(rocky, exposed sites), mounded to
larger upright shrub (forest sites)
 Red bark
 Foliage:
 Leaves rounded, tidy looking
 Dark shiny green above; lighter
beneath
 Roots: no burl – don’t coppice!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arctostaphylos_nummularia_1.jpg
© 2006 Steve Matson

113. © Project SOUND
Manzanita flowers
 Blooms:
 In winter; usually Dec-Feb
locally, tho’ may be a few
blooms at other times
 Flowers:
 Small, urn-shaped flowers
typical of the genus
 Pale pink; sweetly scented
 Flower clusters slightly more
open and other species
 Flowers pollinated by large
bees – ‘buzz pollination’
 Fruits:
 Edible ‘apples’ in summer/fall
© 2006 Steve Matson
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Arctostaphylos-nummularia/

114. © Project SOUND
Grows under range of
conditions
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained – sandy or
rocky best
 pH: slightly acidic; may want to
amend with peat moss
 Light:
 Best with afternoon shade
 Good choice for under trees
(pines; oaks)
 Water:
 Winter: gets a lot in its native
habitat – supplement if needed
 Summer: gets summer rain and
fog – Zone 2-3 and wash-downs
 Fertilizer: light applications of acid
fertilizer
 Other: best near the coast
© 2004 Aaron Schusteff

115. © Project SOUND
Garden uses for Glossyleaf Manzanita
 Mounded groundcover under pines
and similar tall trees
 Along coast, with other species
for a north coast themed garden:
Allium unifolium, Diplicus aurantiacus,
Baccharis pilularis, Pinus attenuata,
Fragaria vesca, Satureja douglasii
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
© 2004 Aaron Schusteff

116. Arctostaphylos nummularia
‘Small Change’
 Selected for its small leaves
which are bronze when young.
 2-3' H x 3-4' W; mounding or
spreading
 Coast: full sun; Inland: part
shade
 Well-draining, acidic soils - good
choice for planting under pines.
 Provide afternoon sun and extra
water in inland gardens.
© Project SOUND
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Arctostaphylos_nummularia_'Small_Change'

117. Versatile ‘Emerald Carpet’
hybrid is garden friendly
and low
 Hybrid between Arctostaphylos
uva-ursi and A. nummularia – best
traits of both parents
 groundcover to very low hedge
© Project SOUND
http://www.pasadena.watersavingplants.com/eplant.php?plantnum=243&return=l8_aK

118. The quandary of ‘garden cultivars’
 The pros
 Help conserve species/sub-
types in danger from loss of
habitat
 Spread the resources to
multiple geographic areas –
perhaps less vulnerable to
disease, climate change, etc.
 The cons
 Evolution in the garden/
nursery setting – essentially
creating multiple islands
 Threat of hybridization
[example: Prunus ilicifolia]
© Project SOUND
Note: these same issues are
being grappled with in zoos &
animal sanctuaries

119. The quandary of plants reproduced
vegetatively
 All essentially identical
(except for mutations that
occur later)
 Essentially a mono-culture
(not much different from
agricultural monocultures)
 Vulnerabilities
 Threat to local native
populations by ‘gene
swamping’
© Project SOUND

120. Why worry about loss of plant biodiversity?
 Ethical/moral reasons: we should be good co-species or
stewards, especially if we’re the cause of the loss
 Aesthetic/historic reasons:
 They make our surroundings a nice place to live
 They are literally our link with the past
 Selfish reasons:
 They are our food (and other useful resources)
 They are potential sources of medicines and other useful products
yet to be discovered
 They perform ecosystem services – some of which we don’t even
know about.

121. Eastwood: active and engaged to age 90
© Project SOUND
1942 Elected Honorary member of California
Academy of Sciences
1949 Retires as Botany curator
1950 Serves as Honorary President of the VIIth
International Botanical Congress in Sweden
1953 Dies in San Francisco
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-
bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=108051991
Long-term association with
John Thomas Howell, who
succeeded her as CAS
Botany curator in 1949
One Hundred and Fifty Years of Botany at the
California Academy of Sciences (1853–2003)

122. Alice Eastwood’s legacy
 Credited with building the botanical collection at the
California Academy of Sciences
 published over 310 scientific articles, several books and
edited several important botanical journals of her day.
 Seventeen currently recognized species named for her, as
well as the genera Eastwoodia and Aliciella.
 Campground on Mt Tampais named in her honor of her
conservation efforts there.
© Project SOUND

123. Books by Alice Eastwood
 Eastwood's Channel Islands Flora.
 A Popular Flora of the Pacific Coast (1897)
 A Popular Flora of the Rockey Mountain Region (1900)
 A flora of the South Fork of Kings River : from
Millwood to the head waters of Bubbs Creek (Sierra
Club, 1902)
 A Handbook of the Trees of California (1905)
 A key to the common families of flowering plants in
California, and A guide for the analysis and description
of flowering plants. Prepared for and published by the
California Botanical Club, California Academy of Sciences.
(San Francisco, 1934)
© Project SOUND

124. Eastwood as journal editor
 editor of Zoe - 1893-189? - An
‘alternative outlet’ to the CA Acad. of
Science Bulletin – allowed more active
debate and criticism
 assistant editor for Erythea : A
Journal of Botany, West American
and General [with Jepson] before the
1906 earthquake
 Founded Leaflets of Western Botany
(1932–1949), with John Thomas Howell
[continued until 1966 under Howell
alone]
© Project SOUND
http://www.alibris.com/Leaflets-of-Western-Botany-Alice-
Eastwood/book/18559081
Much of this material is being digitized and is now available
on the internet

125. Honors and achievements
 A member of the California Academy of Sciences since
1892; unanimously elected an honorary member of the
Academy in 1942.
 In 1903 she was one of only two of the few women listed in
American Men of Science to be denoted, by a star, as being
considered to be among the top 25% of professionals in
their discipline.
 In 1949, in recognition of her achievements, the American
Fuchsia Society awarded her with its Medal of Achievement.
 Served as Honorary President of the VIIth International
Botanical Congress in Sweden
© Project SOUND

126. Alice Eastwood: her continuing legacy
 Better understanding of plants from
some remote (and unusual) areas of CA
 Shedding light on the continuing
controversy of what constitutes a
‘species’
 Promoting an appreciation for rare
species – and their conservation
 Serves as an inspiration for all women –
including those whose lives include
challenges
 An inspiration to those of us proud to be
called ‘elders’ – half of her publications
after the age of 50!
© Project SOUND

127. We hope you’ll want to get to know Miss Eastwood better
 Eastwood gave a lecture at the
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural
History in 1929
 As reported in the April Leaflet:
“Miss Eastwood is not only an
admirable scientist, but a rare
human being as well. A simple, kindly
woman stood before her audience
and told with utter lack of self-
consciousness of experiences which
not one woman in a thousand would
care to undergo.”
© Project SOUND

128. Resources on Alice Eastman
 Alice Eastman Archives (CA Acad.
of Sci) - contains her memoirs,
diaries, field notes, and
correspondence, among other
items.
 Ladies in the Laboratory?
American and British Women in
Science, 1800-1900 - Mary R. S.
Creese
 Ross, Michael E. and Caple, Laurie
A. 1997. Flower Watching with
Alice Eastwood. Carolrhoda Books,
Inc. Minneapolis. - a charming
young person's book with many
photos of Eastwood
© Project SOUND

129. More books/articles about Alice Eastwood
 Dakin, Susanna Bryant. 1954. The Perennial Adventure; A
Tribute to Alice Eastwood. Cal. Acad. Sci.
 Wilson, Carol Green. 1955. Alice Eastwood's Wonderland; the
Adventures of A Botanist. Cal. Acad. Sci.
 Bonta, Marcia Myers. 1991. Women in the Field; America's
Pioneering Women Naturalists. Texas A & M Univ. Press.
Includes bios of Kate Brandegee and Alice Eastwood.
 Daniel, Thomas F. 2008. One Hundred and Fifty Years of
Botany at the California Academy of Sciences (1853–2003) -
http://www.calacademy.org/sites/default/files/assets/docs/p
df/history_botany_at_cas_pcas_v59apr08_daniel_pp_215-
305lr.pdf
 Moore, Patricia Ann. 1996. Cultivating Science in the Field:
Alice Eastwood, Ynés Mexia and California Botany, 1890-1940.
PhD Dissertation, UCLA; UMI 9640244.
© Project SOUND

130. Tributes to Alice Eastwood
 Abrams, Leroy. "Alice Eastwood--Western Botanist." Pacific
Discovery. 2(1):14-17, 1949.
 Howell, John Thomas. "Alice Eastwood: 1859-1953." Taxon.
3(4): 98-100, 1953.
 Howell, John Thomas. "I Remember, When I Think..."
Leaflets of Western Botany. 7: 153-176, 1954.
 MacFarland, F. M., with R. C. Miller and John Thomas Howell.
"Biographical Sketch of Alice Eastwood." Proceedings of the
California Academy of Sciences, 4th series, 25: ix-xiv,
bibliography xv-xxiv.
© Project SOUND

131.  Garden Party & Ice cream
Social
 Madrona Native Plant Garden
 May 9th – 2:00-4:00
 South Bay Water-wise
Garden Tour
 May 17th
 Tickets still available – see
website
© Project SOUND

132. Go out and enjoy Miss Eastman’s
California this month
© Project SOUND