the species was not found to be currently 

 threatened or endangered with extinction. 

 However, owing to its restricted geographic 

 distribution (it is endemic to Montana, and 

 thus to Region 1), it is recommended that the 

 species be retained on the Region 1 list. 

 "Watch" list status is appropriate, so that 

 populations will continue to be monitored in 

 the future. 



2. STATE: Lesquerel la klausi i is currently listed by 

 the Montana Natural Heritage Program (Shelly, 

 1988) as "threatened throughout range" (21-100 

 occurrences; global rank = G3). In Montana, it is 

 similarly listed as "threatened in state" (state 

 rank = S3) . 



None of these federal or state ranks currently 

 provide any direct legal protection for L. 

 klausi i . 



DESCRIPTION 



1. GENERAL NONTECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Lesquerel la 

 klausi i is a short-lived perennial herb with stems 

 which are mostly about ^-8 inches tall. They 

 often lie flat on the soil surface, with the 

 flowei — bearing tips curved upward. The flowers 

 are yellow, and are abundant. The petals are 

 about *^ inch long. The basal leaves are clustered 

 together at the top of the taproot, and are about 

 ■4i-l inch long. The stem leaves are narrow, and 

 about '-ii-'i inch long. The plants are generally in 

 flower from early May through June, with variation 

 depending on exposure, weather conditions, and 

 altitude. See Section V, p. 76, for color photos 

 of plants and habitat. 



2. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Perennial from a taproot, 

 densely stellate pubescentj trichomes loosely 

 spreading, primary rays 3-5, forked, ultimate rays 

 exceptionally long for members of the genus; 

 caudex simple, only slightly enlarged; radical 

 leaves petiolate, entire, 1.5-E.5 cm. (0.6-1.0 

 in.) long, blade obovate to deltate, petiole 



slender; cauline leaves oblanceolate to spatulate, 

 6-9 mm. (0.2^-0.35 in.) long; stems erect to 

 decumbent at base, slender, 6-10 cm. (2.^-^.0 in.) 

 high; inf ructescences loose, 1-3 cm. (0.^-1.2 in.) 

 long; pedicels slender, sigmoid, 5-7 mm. (0.2-0.28 

 in.) long; siliques broadly obovate, slightly 

 bilobed to nearly truncate above, densely 

 pubescent with spreading trichomes, ca. ^ mm. 

 (0.16 in.) high, ca. 5 mm. (0.2 in.) wide, valves 



