DESCRIPTION 



1. GENERAL NONTECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Eriogonum lagopus 

 is a perennial herb with a taproot and wo(xly branched rixMcrown. 

 The clusters of basal leaves form small mats on the surface of the 

 ground. The leaves are lance-shaped to narrowly sp(H>n-shaped 

 tapering to a petiole ca. 1 inch long. The leaves are densely white- 

 hairy beneath, less so abme; they are 1/2 to 2 inches long and less 

 than 1/4 inch wide. The leafless erect stems are 2-5 inches tall and 

 lcx)sely covered with long, white hairs. The umbrella-like 

 inflorescence is 2-3 times branched. Each ultimate branch ends in a 

 small cup-like involucre, ca. 1/6 inch long, with numerous flowers 

 arising from inside. Each flower has 6 yellow petal-like tepals. less 

 than 1/20 inch long with sparse long hairs on the outside. The 

 anthers and anther stalks are yellow. 



2. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Perennial herb with a wtxHiy 

 taproot and branching woody crown often forming small mats: leaxcs 

 all or mainly basal; blades oblanceolaie to narrowly spaiulaic olicn 

 with revolute margins. 1-6 cm long and 2-8 mm wide, densely white 

 tomentose beneath, sparsely tomcnto%e to glabraie ab»>ve. tapcrmg 

 gradually to a petiole 1-2 cm long: stems erect. 3-10 cm tall and 

 loosely tomentose: inflorescence 2-3 limes branched and c\mc-liko. 

 often with one small leaf-like bract and several small, often 

 deciduous, scarious bracts at the base: rays of the inflorescence 

 ascending: involucres tomentose. short-pedunculate, and ca. 4 mm 

 long with triangular lobes: perianth yellow, not stipitaie, ca. 1 mm 

 long, sparsely villous: filaments and anthers yellow (based on 

 specimens at MONTU). 



3. FIELD CHARACTERS: Eriogonum lagopus is somewhat similar to 

 and appears to intergrade with two other species found in south- 

 central Montana: £. pauciflorum and ^ mancum . The flowers of E. 

 pauciflorum are white rather than yellow, and the inflore.scence of E. 

 mancum is head-like rather than umbrella-like. 



GEOGR/\PHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



1. RANGE: Eriogonum lagopus is known from Carbon County in 



south-central Montana. The type specimen is from near Custer in 

 Yellowstone County, Montana (reported as Treasure County by 

 Reveal 1967), and a second collection ( Twee Jv 1 1 78 CAS) is from 

 near Livingston in Park County, Montana (J. Reveal, personal 



