communication; Appendix A). He believes thai the taxon is worthy 

 of recognition at the species level. Welsh et al. (1987) recognize 

 the commonness of hybridization in the E. brevicaule complex and 

 treat such hybrids as varieties of E. brevicaule . Robert Dorn does 

 not believe that this taxon is a hybrid and feels that it is better 

 treated as a variety of E. brevicaule . We collected specimens that 

 appear to be intermediate between E^ lagopus and E. mancum or E, 

 pauciflorum . 



An additional difficulty in the taxonomy of this taxon arises because 

 most specimens of E^ lagopus collected from Carbon County have 

 hair on the perianth, while Rydberg's (1917) description of E, 

 la gopus states that it has a glabrous perianth. 



In this report, we will continue to call this taxon Eriogonum lagopus . 

 although this may well not be the correct name. 



B. PRESENT LEGAL OR FORMAL STATUS 



1. FEDERAL STATUS 



a. U.S. Fish and Wildlirc Service: C-2; E. lagopus is a candidate 

 for listing as a threatened or endangered species, but 

 currently there is not enough information to make a decision 

 on listing (USDI-FWS 1990). 



b. U.S. Bureau of Land Management: The Interim Draft Policy 

 Regarding Sensitive Plants and Sensitive Plant Communities 

 on BLM Lands in Montana lists E. lagopus as Special Status. 

 Priority 1 in Montana. BLM will take no conscious action 

 that will cause a species of special status to be listed as 

 threatened or endangered. Priority 1 species may. after 

 proper evaluation, be considered for Areas of Critical 

 Environmental Concern (ACEC) or Research Natural Area 

 (RNA). 



2. STATE STATUS: Eriogonum lagopus is currently listed by the 

 Montana Natural Heritage Program as globally rare and/or local 

 (G3) and rare or local in Montana (S3). It is listed as a species of 

 limited distribution in Montana by Lesica amd Shelly (1991). The.se 

 state listings do not provide any direct legal protection for E. 

 lagopus . 



