14 



respect to leaf morphology (see I.3.C. 

 above) . The final results, including any 

 necessary change in nomenclature, are planned 

 for publication in the systematic literature. 

 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be 

 provided a copy of the final results. 



I. 6. A. Concise statement of general environment and 



habitat: Claytonia lanceolata var. f lava 

 occurs in moist meadows and poorly drained 

 swales at relatively high elevations. The 

 associated vegetation is dominated by grasses 

 and perennial f orbs . In Montana, it occurs 

 at elevations from 1980-2500 m. (6500-8200 

 ft.). 



At three locations in Montana, C. lanceolata 

 var. lanceolata was found growing in close 

 proximity to var. f lava ; Lockhart Meadows 

 (001) , French Creek (002) , and Vipond Park 

 (003) . However, there appears to be a 

 difference in the habitats usually occupied 

 by the two varieties. Variety lanceolata 

 often occurs on fairly well-drained, open 

 areas of loamy to gravelly soil, sometimes on 

 rather steep slopes or along intermittent 

 drainages. In contrast, variety f lava 

 usually occurs in level to gently sloping 

 meadows that contain dense vegetation, often 

 in large basins or areas of outwash 

 sediments. These latter sites have heavier, 

 more poorly drained soils that are clayey in 

 texture. The noteworthy exceptions to these 

 observations are at the French Creek and 

 Lockhart Meadows sites. At French Creek, 

 var. flava occurs in some areas on steeper 

 slopes (up to 10%) , and var. lanceolata grows 

 directly adjacent to it in a few small open 

 areas. At Lockhart Meadows, the two 

 varieties coexist in a slightly higher, 

 better-drained area near the west end of the 

 site. Otherwise, the varieties do not 

 overlap significantly at any of the known 

 locations. 



I.e.B.l.a. Koppen climate classification: Type Dfb 



(cool temperate climate, with numerous summer 

 thunderstorms) (Visher 1954) . 



I.e.B.l.b. Regional macroclimate: The climate of 

 southwestern Montana can generally be 

 classified as dry and cool, although greater 

 amounts of precipitation occur in the 

 mountains. For the distributional area of C. 



