Summary: This issue opens with President Eleanor Von Bargen outlining priorities for the Colorado Native Plant Society, including expanding membership, strengthening chapters and committees, increasing statewide influence, and maintaining financial stability. Coverage of the 1985 Annual General Meeting highlights field trips focused on xeriscape landscapes and riparian ecology, as well as presentations addressing Holy Cross Wilderness water concerns and the Platte River drainage. A major feature introduces the Colorado Natural Areas Inventory (CNAI), explaining its critical role in documenting and protecting Colorado’s rare flora through inventories, conservation planning, and partnerships with agencies and volunteers. Additional articles address endangered species funding, the illegal collection and trade of rare plants, membership activities, and a collecting expedition to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

Plant Species: Plant species mentioned in this issue include Leucocrinum montanum, Acer grandidentatum, Adiantum capillus-veneris, Adiantum pedatum, Aquilegia chrysantha var. rydbergii, Aquilegia flavescens, Aquilegia micrantha var. mancosana, Aquilegia saximontana, numerous species of Astragalus, Botrychium echo, Botrychium hesperium, Cryptantha caespitosa, Cymopterus duchesnensis, Eriogonum acaule, Eriogonum tumulosum, Mimulus gemmiparus, Penstemon harringtonii, Penstemon yampaensis, Phacelia formosula, Spiranthes diluvialis, Townsendia strigosa, Swida sericea (red-osier dogwood), Pyrola asarifolia (swamp wintergreen), Orthilia secunda (one-sided wintergreen), Linnaea borealis (twin-flower), Viola biflora (twin-flower violet), and Pedicularis groenlandica. The issue also references lady slipper orchids and Platanthera blephariglottis in discussions of illegal plant collection.

Keywords: President’s message, Annual General Meeting, xeriscaping, riparian ecology, Holy Cross Wilderness, Platte River drainage, Colorado Natural Areas Inventory, rare plants, plant communities, endangered species funding, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, conservation data, species of special concern, volunteer inventories, Boulder Tallgrass Prairie Natural Area, environmental impact statements, Research Natural Areas, illegal plant trade, CITES, orchid poaching, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, herbarium collections, ethnobotany, plant identification workshops, George Engelmann, membership renewal, citizen science, and native plant conservation.

Summary: This issue emphasizes citizen science, field inventories, and the development of a statewide strategy for documenting and conserving Colorado’s rare flora. Members are invited to participate in floristic surveys, tallgrass prairie monitoring, and targeted inventories of priority plant species and communities across Colorado. The newsletter outlines a coordinated partnership between the Colorado Native Plant Society and the Colorado Natural Areas Program to gather data on endangered species, expand botanical knowledge, and publish a comprehensive endangered flora monograph. Additional features include educational field seminars, wildflower festivals, workshops on grasses and Indian paintbrushes, field trips focused on alpine and foothill plants, observations on moonworts and insect galls, and discussion of environmental concerns such as acid rain associated with emissions from a proposed Mexican smelter.

Plant Species: Plant species mentioned in this issue include Phacelia submutica, Mertensia spp., Caltha spp., gentians (Gentiana spp.), Primula parryi (Parry primrose), Mimulus spp., Penstemon whippleanus, moonworts (Botrychium spp.), poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), Juncus torreyi, Juncus nodosus, Cyperus papyrus, Castilleja spp., Olea europaea, Lesquerella congesta, Lesquerella parviflora, Physaria obcordata, Oenothera acutissima, Thalictrum heliophilum, Aletes humilis, Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloradensis, Phacelia formosula, Eustoma grandiflora, Spiranthes magnicamporum, Astragalus microcymbus, Lomatium concinnum, Lygodesmia doloresensis, Eutrema penlandii, Braya humilis ssp. ventosa, Parthenium tetraneuris, Mentzelia densa, Ambrosia linearis, Lesquerella pruinosa, Sclerocactus mesae-verdae, Atriplex pleiantha, Neoparrya lithophila, Cleome multicaulis, Rorippa coloradensis, Pellaea glabella, Pellaea atropurpurea, and Notholaena standleyi. Plant associations referenced include Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana/Leucopoa kingii, Populus deltoides/Panicum virgatum, Festuca arizonica/Muhlenbergia montana, Pinus ponderosa/Leucopoa kingii, Andropogon scoparius prairie, Hilaria jamesii grassland, Juniperus monosperma–Pinus edulis/Stipa scribneri, and Juniperus scopulorum/Rhus trilobata. The endangered flora monograph section also lists numerous additional rare taxa targeted for documentation and photography.

Keywords: Colorado Natural Areas Program, field inventories, endangered flora monograph, rare plant conservation, citizen science, botanical surveys, Florissant National Monument inventory, tallgrass prairie research, vegetation monitoring, floristic surveys, priority species lists, plant associations, endangered species documentation, research committees, photography contributions, conservation fundraising, Alpine 86 conference, Cloud Ridge Naturalists, educational field seminars, Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, field trips, alpine meadows, ethnobotany, moonwort distribution, insect galls, herbarium collections, plant identification workshops, Indian paintbrush taxonomy, grass identification, acid rain, sulfur dioxide emissions, environmental advocacy, and habitat conservation.

Summary: This issue focuses heavily on conservation initiatives, education, and member engagement within the Colorado Native Plant Society. Featured prominently is a call for members to collect and submit Artemisia seed to support Walter Reed Army Hospital’s investigation into the antimalarial properties of wormwood extracts. The newsletter recaps the Society’s successful tenth annual meeting, emphasizing rare plant preservation, endangered species legislation, and recognition of leaders who shaped the organization’s first decade. Extensive information is provided on upcoming workshops covering pteridophytes, parasitic and saprophytic plants, wetlands, woody Rosaceae, and native plant propagation. Additional content includes a rainforest conservation conference announcement, reviews of important botanical references, chapter programming, and opportunities for members to contribute to Society activities and governance.

Plant Species: Plant species and genera mentioned in this issue include Artemisia spp., including Artemisia tridentata; ferns and fern allies (pteridophytes); mistletoes; broomrapes; pinedrops; dodders; saprophytic members of the Orchidaceae and Ericaceae; Cowania; Fallugia; Chamaebatiaria; Purshia; Cercocarpus (including Cercocarpus montanus); Prunus; Peraphyllum; Amelanchier; African violets; philodendrons; Pterospora andromedea; the rare mustard Braya humilis ssp. ventosa; species of Paxistima/Pachystima discussed in nomenclatural correspondence; several species of Astragalus (milkvetches); aspen communities featured in an educational slide program; and the diverse flowering plants, conifers, and ferns encompassed within the reviewed floras of North American range plants and the Great Plains.

Keywords: Artemisia seed collection, antimalarial research, Walter Reed Army Hospital, Denver Botanic Gardens, rare plant conservation, tenth annual meeting, endangered species, Center for Plant Conservation, Colorado Natural Areas Program, rare plant legislation, xeriscaping, National Seed Storage Laboratory, workshops, pteridophyte identification, parasitic plants, saprophytic plants, wetland ecology, Rosaceae identification, native plant propagation, seed stratification, scarification, rainforest conservation, biodiversity, environmental activism, book reviews, range plant identification, Great Plains flora, chapter programs, membership engagement, botanical education, and volunteer participation.