Presence and signs of sandhill crane, whitetail deer, and mallard were 

 consistently noted, in the same river reaches where Lewis and Clark noted 

 "crain", the transition from mule deer to "the fine venison" of "longtailed red 

 deer", and meals of "duckanmalla{r}d (Nell and Taylor 1996). 



4. Dominance and frequency of the taxon: Flowering stems of iSp/rawZ/ze^ 

 diluvialis are rare, uncommon or occasional in all Montana sites documented 

 to date. Low densities and population numbers are typical for the species 

 throughout its range with the exception of six large occurrences in Colorado, 

 Utah and Nebraska (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1995b, Hazlett 1996). 



5. Successional phenomena: Spiranthes diluvialis has been characterized as a 

 riparian succession species (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1995b). In 

 Montana, with the exception of EO#005 and EO#006 it seems that Spiranthes 

 diluvialis is restricted to stable settings with reduced competition as dictated 

 by soils; early-season grazing further reduces the standing crop of competing 

 vegetation. The only evidence of successional processes were in response to 

 man-made changes. Part or all of the EO#005 was inundated by irrigation 

 ditch seepage in the past before the ditch was plugged (owner pers. 

 commun.). All of EO#006 is confined to an excavated road ditch. 



The exotic species component may reflect the dynamic habitat if not a 

 successional nature. Red-top (Agrostis stolonifera) is ubiquitous at Montana 

 sites and possible throughout its range (Appendix B). The rest of the exotic 

 species component varies widely between sites, including Canada thistle 

 (Cirsium arvense), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), clovers (Trifolium 

 frageriferum, T. repens) and others. Elsewhere in the range are other exotic 

 species (Appendix B). Noxious weeds are in the landscape at most of the sites 

 and adjoin species' habitat at two of the ten sites. Leafy spurge {Euphorbia 

 esula) is encroaching Spiranthes diluvialis habitat in EO#004, Russian 

 knapweed (Centaurea repens) is at wetland margins nearby in the same area, 

 and spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) is abundant along a travel 

 corridor bordering EO#001. 



An unusual exotic flora has been also documented above these meandered 

 wetlands. Sandspurry (Spergularia media) was documented in Montana for 

 the first time from the same area where Spiranthes diluvialis was first 

 documented. It is a halophyte that is native to coastlines of Europe, verified 

 by J. Ratter, the Scottish expert in the genus. Montana and Wyoming have the 

 only known inland locations of sandspurry in North America. 



In addition, a sedge (Carex spp.) was documented by Peter Lesica from the 

 same general area. It may represent an exotic species new to the continent 



27 



