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 *£*; 



Figure 10. Ranunculus cardiophyllus habitat above Fred and George 

 Creek; from the northern flanks of West Butte looking 

 north. Note: This site corresponds with the one shovm in 

 previous photo. 



F. 



POPULATION DEMOGRAPHY AND BIOLOGY 



1. - PHENOLOGY: Montana specimens have been collected between 3 May 



and 10 July, all material after mid- June being in fruit. It is 

 suspected that flowering is initiated earlier than any existing 

 collection dates, with flowering expected to begin in late May 

 for the Sweetgrass Hills populations. 



2. POPULATION SIZE AND CONDITION: Population size estimates range 

 from 50-4 00, with the largest population being in the Sweetgrass 

 Hills on Fred and George Creek. They are typically discrete and 

 clustered in a single area, but the Fred and George Creek 

 population is diffuse in its upland margin where it persists in 

 very low numbers under invasion of bluegrass ( Poa spp.) and 

 encroachment of buckbrush ( Symphoricarpos occidentalis ) , also 

 found in very low numbers upstream for a half mile. It is 

 possible that the two populations in the Sweetgrass Hills, though 

 they are on different drainages, may be close enough for cross- 

 pollination and technical consideration as a single population 

 with subpopulations. 



31 



