The Beaver Tale November 2007

President’s Note
I do hope you will be able to make our next gathering, November 1, at the usual time and place. It is an
important meeting since November is our voting month for officers. This being an “off year” we only have
one vacant position, but it is an important one. Jeannie Cadette is stepping down after four years as our
secretary. Fortunately, Jeannie and Don will still be around and as active as ever, we hope, but Jeannie
deserves a break after four years on the job. (Thankfully), our constitution doesn’t allow for any club
officer to serve more than two consecutive terms anyway. We have a Nominating Committee, and they
will be presenting candidates(s) for our consideration, and, of course, we will take nominations from the
floor. In case you’re interested, or wish to have someone else considered for the position, please contact
Susan Kent, committee chair.

Our “main event” this month is a members “Show and Tell.” We’re asking members to bring in any
pictures or slides or actual plants they would like share with us. We will have the projector and a lap top
computer set up for you. If you want to show traditional 35mm slides, you need to either bring your own
projector or check with Victor as to alternatives. The computer-projector set up will allow for CD’s or a
DVD you can make beforehand. We’re suggesting a 5-10 minute presentation per person and those
members who participate will earn Cactus Points. This is a great opportunity for us to show some
creativity and ingenuity of presentation. You could bring in pictures or actual plants and challenge the
membership to identify them or where they came from (with prizes?). You could produce a short DVD: a
sound and light show. Or just show off some of the plants in your yard or your greenhouse using
pictures. I’m suggesting we give the door prize this month to the best presentation (with voting by secret
ballot?).

Finally, I want to publicly thank Pete Duncombe for setting up and conducting the private tour of the
Springs Preserve for our club members that was held on October 13th. We had a nice turn out of over a
dozen members who got a free guided tour of the Gardens and some of the highlights of the Desert
Living Center. For members who are not annual pass holders at the LVSP, this was a great benefit of
membership. (The club paid the $11 tour fee. Not bad, considering a year’s membership in our club is
$15.) We will plan another tour in the new year, possibly as early as January or February, maybe this
time focusing on a different aspect of the Springs Preserve. And, of course, there are other places to go
and many things to see in our world of cactus and succulents. Victor will be presenting his ideas based
on the surveys we all took last month.

“Thanks for listening, “ as they say in radio, or, in this case, reading my random thoughts. I hope to see
you in November.

Phil Lawton

++++++++++
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 Next Meeting Date/Time
October 4
7:00 p.m.
Meetings are held the first Thursday
of each month in the Garden Club
center at Lorenzi Park, located at the
corner of Washington & Twin Lakes
Drive
Members with the last name
beginning with A - N please bring
refreshments!
----------------------------
http://www.csssn.org Lists the club
Officers; If you wish to assist an
officer or run for an officer position,
please use the “CONTACT” feature on
the website.
----------------------------
If you wish to receive your newsletter
by e-mail, please notify Liz at
dicnliz7067@netzero.net
The Newsletter is in
Why use snail mail?
----------------------------
CCSSN Planed Events
December - Holiday Meeting
November Program
YOU are the November speaker. You
collect and grow a variety of plants. Just
bring the photos and start the discussion!
Bring a CD or memory stick containing jpeg
photos. Be prepared to speak about them. Fill
about 5 to 10 minutes combined of information
and discussion. Victor will supply the
computer and the projector. If you need to
bring 35mm slides, please contact Victor to
discuss a projector. You may also bring photo
prints for folks if you wish! If you happened to
turn one of your photos into art work, bring
that along! It's a plant brag or landscape brag
or trip brag via photo!
Calplants.com -
http://www.cabrillonets.
com/calplants
We are always looking for rare,
on line. special, and large specimen
Cactus & Succulents to buy.
Call 800-384-4559
E-mail calplants@yahoo.com

Turner-Greenhouse- http://www.turner-greenhouse.com
Dave & Kris Turner
645-2032
4455 Quadrel Street, Las Vegas, NV 89129
We specialize in Cactus & Succulents for the Landscaper & Collector
Native Nevada Cactus, Hedgehogs, Beavertails
Red & Golden Barrels, Rainbow Cactus
Yuccas, Ocotillos, Aloes, Agaves
We also have a large selection of Succulents for the house & patio.

If you love Saffron Crocus sprinkled in your xeriscape or want other interesting xeriscape plant ideas, contact the
“Tomato Lady” (Leslie Doyle) http://www.sweettomatotestgarden.com

The weather is cooling down. Parts of the Valley received rainfall during September.
Have you thought about checking your irrigation system? Repair the breaks, clean out
the drippers, and adjust the clock PERHAPS! Remember, DON”T WATER CACTUS &
SUCCULENTS & OTHER XERIPHYTIC PLANTS THE SAME WAY YOU WOULD WATER
TURF GRASS (with sprinklers YIKES,2NO)! http://www.snwa.com/html/
Cactus poem from the archives of Dick Askew -
“Two Opuntias once took a dare
And their cladodes entwined in the air.
“You told us to grow,
Our true name to show
So we are a prickly pair.”

So, What Is A Cladode? [ Botany ]

”
Synonym: Phylloclade, Leaf-like branches
Dictionary of botanic terminology
index of names According to “http://www.cactus-
art.biz/note-
book/Dictionary/Dictionary_C/dictionary_cladodes.htm

A cladode is a stem modified for photosynthesis that

looks like a leaf. It is flat for increasing the surface area,
thick for storing water
Cladodes are not leaves but swollen water-storing
stem segments. In cladodes the leaves are often
modified into spines, the function of spines is
protection as well as to reduce transpiration. Axillary
buds are modified into thin short and greenish
structures. and cuticle is an outer covering which is
present for preventing transpiration.

To identify and distinguish a phylloclade from a true leaf it is necessary to the observe the
vegetative shoot, on which leaves are still present small or scale-like, and the leaves of these
species (if present) are ephemeral and soon abscise (e.g. Opuntia).
Most genera of cladode-producing plants occur in the cactus family (Cactaceae). More than 200 in
subfamily Opuntioideae. These are comparatively thick cladodes, with pads often exceeding one
centimetre in thickness, and the flattened pads, also called joints, have nodes on the two flat
surfaces as well as along the edges, arranged in a helical pattern. A narrow leaf forms at each
node, and from the axillary bud forms a determinate short shoot (the areole) on which are
produced modified leaf primordia that are the spines. The foliar leaves soon abscise, leaving the
spine-covered cladode to perform photosynthesis.
Flattened green stems also appear in more than a dozen genera of epiphytes and hemiepiphytes
cactus. Also referred to as 2-ribbed, most of these flattened stems have areoles arranged only
along the two edges, not on the broad surfaces, although in the rhipsalid epiphytes this is not
always true. In general the 2-ribbed epiphytic stems have evolved from species having three or
four ribs on the stem, hence they formed via a different developmental and evolutionary sequence
than did the platyopuntias. Some cactus epiphytes exhibit two, three, and four ribs on a single
individual, and there commonly are differences in stem morphology from juvenile versus adult
types. (e.g. Zygocactus = christmas cactus)

(platyclades)

Save the Earth…it’s the only planet with chocolate.

3
 CACTUS POINTS
Standings & Guidelines

What Is a “Cactus Point?”

The purpose of the program is to recognize the individuals within the organization (CSSSN)
for their involvement and efforts. Points are given for attendance at monthly meeting and
events and extra efforts on their part on behalf of the club.

The program will be managed by a person or committee chosen by the president.

Those persons who earn the most Cactus Points in the calendar year will be recognized and
honored appropriately—as determined by the Board—at the January meeting of the
following year. The percentage of club members so honored will be determined by the
Board.

How?

By quantifying involvement through awarding points as follows:

1. Attend monthly CSSSN meeting = 10 points

2. Attend Board meeting, as a member of the Board or as an observer or invited guest = 5

points

3. Attend club-sponsored field trip or event = 5 points

4. Attend any function or meeting as an invited representative of CSSSN = 5 points

5. Publish an article or other item for the CSSSN newsletter or Internet web site = 5-10 points
(as determined by the editor/website manager)

6. Extra involvement at club meeting or other club event, as determined by the president or
person in charge of the event, such as helping with set-up/clean-up or other activity = 5-10
points

(Such involvement could also include filling in for an absent club officer, sponsoring a
presenter or making a presentation, bringing plants in for the raffle or for show, or anything
else “over and above that expected.”

NOTE: items 2-6 limited to a maximum of 10 points per month total. (Maximum points eligible in a year is
230: 11 regular meeting per year = 11 x 10 [110] plus 12 x 10 [120] for items 2-6)
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Current 2007 Cactus Point Standings—through October 4, 2007
Cactus Points
Name Jan – Oct 4 Name Jan – Oct 4
Askew, Dick 115 Miller, Jan 10
Askew, Liz 135 Minnich, Kathy 10
Bailey, Holly 80 Minnich, Woody 10
Bernikow, Iris 160 Nietling, Jay 75
Betzler, Joey 115 Norton, John 20
Brenner, Marilyn 90 Oliver, Cal 10
Brenner, Michael 85 Pedigo, Mark 50
Browning, Marvin 10 Peters, Jim 85
Cadette, Don 95 Pierce, Jim 50
Cadette, Jeannie 150 Presares, Doug 10
Campbell, Ken 70 Radcliff, Gunde 20
Deadrich, Paul 100 Russo, Paul 10
Doyle, Leslie 40 Shaw, Barbara 20
Duncombe, Pete 115 Sheets, Mary 125
Dutch, Irma 100 Shoaff, Steve 25
Furtek, Bob 100 Steinline, Travis 10
Fusaro, Mindy 10 Teppen, Bev 40
Fusaro, Pat 10 Thomas, Stephanie 125
Gamble, Linda 15 Turner, Dave 65
Garcia, Tom 165 Turner, Kris 50
Garrett, Paula 85 Valenti, Sam 150
Grothuesmann, Jim 160 White, Christopher 40
Holmes, Rick 70 White, Rita 35
Hupy, Rusty 15 Wujcik, Joe 10
Jones, Susan 20 Wright, Pauline 30
Kent, Susan 155 Zeitlan, Steve 15
Kleinman, Mary 10
Kleinman, Sol 20
Korabell, Stan 20
Lawton, Mary 50
Lawton, Phil 170
Lesley, Ramona 55
Lindsey, Victor 115
Lynch, Bob 100