EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 



New information on four sensitive plant species was collected in 

 surveying Sweetgrass Hills lands administered by the Bureau of Land 

 Management (BLM) , as follows: 



Claytonia lanceolata var. f lava was found in abundance on both 

 East and West Butte, further corroborating recommendations that 

 it be dropped from state and federal consideration. Recent 

 taxonomic research provides the basis for resolving previous 

 questions on verification of Sweetgrass Hills material. 



Halimolobos virqata was relocated on an East Butte BLM tract and 

 a new population site located incidental to surveys. It is 

 adventive at the original site on BLM land but a natural 

 vegetation component at the second site on private land; further 

 investigation into species' status is warranted. 



Ranunculus cardiophyllus was relocated on the West Butte and 

 found at a new site. The two sites do not extend onto BLH- 

 administered lands. 



Ranunculus pedatif idus was discovered for the first time on West 

 Butte where it is in a marsh swale basin on BLM-administered 

 lands. 



Two of the four species above are montane or subalpine species, whose 

 presence in the small outlying montane landforms represented by the 

 Sweetgrass Hills is taken to further represent the relict nature of 

 the flora and reflect its diversity. 



