Please vote for your state board

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Members are invited to cast ballots for candidates for the state board during the month of August. To be counted ballots must be received before September 1.

The Nominating Committee has nominated Linda Knowles for President-elect; Michael Eason for Vice President Chapter Liaison; Bill Hopkins for Vice-President Communications; and Jan Hanz for Vice President Finance.

Also on the ballot is a proposed amendment to the state bylaws. The positions of VP Advocacy and VP Environmental would be combined into a nw position to be known as VP Affiliations and Advocacy. The new position would have all the same responsibilities as the two previous positions. In effect this is already the situation. In January the VP Advocacy resigned and all the duties were assumed by Mary Horn who is the VP Environmental Liaison.  According to Mary, there was considerable overlap in the responsibilities and one person can easily handle the work level.

Find your ballot and vote.

 

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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: julieallen

About the Region

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This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason