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Frenchman's Bluff Moonwort - Botrychium gallicomontanum
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State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
A globally rare species, recently documented in Montana from Glacier National Park
Details on Status Ranking and Review
Population Size
Score 3 - Vey Small: Generally <2,000 individuals.
Comment <100 plants actually documented in Montana, though population is almost certainly larger.
Range Extent
Score 2 - Regional or State Endemic or Small Montana Range: Generally restricted to an area <100,000 sq. miles (equivalent to 2/3 the size of Montana or less) or Montana contributes 50% or more of the species’ range or populations OR limited to 2-3 Sub-basins in Montana.
Area of Occupancy
Score 3 - Very Low: Generally occurring in 3 or fewer Subwatersheds (6th Code HUC’s).
Environmental Specificity
Score 1 - Moderate: Species is restricted to a specific habitat that is more widely distributed or to several restricted habitats and is typically dependent upon relatively unaltered, good-quality habitat (C Values of 5-7).
Trends
Score 0-3 - Population trends are unknown.
Threats
Score 0-1 - Low to Medium.
Intrinsic Vulnerability
Score 1-2 - Moderate to High Vulnerability.
Raw Conservation Status Score
Score
10 to 15 total points scored out of a possible 19.
General Description
Trophophore 1-8 mm; blade yellow-green, ovate to oblong-linear, 1-pinnate, to 3 × 0.9 cm, firm, glaucescent. Pinnae to 6 pairs, strongly ascending, well separated, distance between the 1st and 2d pinnae considerably greater than between 2d and 3d pairs, basal pinna pair approximately equal in size and cutting to adjacent pair, fan-shaped to narrowly spatulate, often asymmetric, with distal portion longer than and arching over proximal portion, undivided to tip, rarely 2-cleft, margins entire to irregularly cleft, apex rounded, venation like ribs of fan, midrib absent. Sporophores 2-3-pinnate, 1.5-3 times length of trophophore (Wagner and Wagner, 1993, Fl. North America, Vol. 2).
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
An unpublished document by Donald Farrar (Iowa State University) indicates disjunct occurences in northwestern MT, northwestern MN, and the Black Hills region of SD.
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 4
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
Fescue grasslands. Farrar (unpublished) indicates that its occurrence in MT and SD is in areas of high diversity in prairies.
Ecological Systems Associated with this Species
Commonly Associated with these Ecological SystemsGrassland Systems
Stewardship Responsibility
References
Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication Do you know of a citation we're missing? Farrar, Donald. 2011. Moonwort (Botrychium) Systematics. Ada Hayden Herbarium. Iowa State University. Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p. Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
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