Thursday - April 15, Gates Hall

Effective pollinators in a rare

and endemic Colorado Penstemon

Carol English, Colorado Natural Areas Program (CNAP)

Degener’s Beardtongue (Penstemon degnerii), a rare Colorado endemic forb sets fruit using a combination of outcrossing affected by bees and a small amount of self-pollination in the absence of bees. Effective pollinators were determined by linking visitor frequency, behavior and body pollen in 2007 and 2008. This study demonstrates the importance of observing and understanding long term plant and pollinator interactions in both space and time when attempting to manage rare endemic species.

Carol English worked for several years as a naturalist and interpretive specialist for Jefferson County Open Space. While working as a naturalist, she became increasingly interested in the relationship between native plants and pollinators. Subsequently she completed her master degree in biology with Dr. Leo Bruederle at University Colorado Denver in 2008. Her research included detailed field and laboratory work over several years to determine the effective pollinators for the rare Colorado endemic, Penstemon degeneri.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Denver Botanic Gardens – Gates Hall

6:30 – 8 p.m.