requested on loan. The H. B. Mills collection at WTU was a 

 specimen labeled Artemisia aromatica A. Nels., ! ut it was 

 filed under A. norvegica. The label data gives a collection 

 date of August 20, 1938 and a locality of Fairy Lake, in 

 contrast to the information on the Element Occurrence Record 

 (EOR) , which gives a collection date of August 20, 1958 and a 

 locality of Fairy Creek for a A. norvegica specimen at WTU. I 

 believe that these discrepancies are transcription errors and 

 that the EOR refers to the 1938 specimen from Fairy Lake. A. 

 aromatica is apparently a synonym for A. dracunculus (Weber 

 and Wittman 1992) but the collection is, in fact, A. 

 michauxiana, having stems with divided leaves (vs. entire 

 leaves in A. dracunculus) and smaller flower heads than A. 

 norvegica. Thus, the reported occurrence of A. norvegica in 

 the Bridger Range may be based on errors in identification 

 and/or filing. There is some possibility that Mills collected 

 more than one species of Artemisia in the vicinity of Fairy 

 Lake or Fairy Creek, but this was not found at WTU. Mill's 

 collection is not numbered, nor does the EOR give a WTU 

 accession number (139480). 



C. MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS 



A. norvegica has not been documented in the Bridger Mountains, 

 although Rumley's recollection of it may constitute a report. 

 The basis for the other historical record of A. norvegica in 

 the state (Glacier Park) should also be checked. This species 

 should be looked for in the high mountains of the state as it 

 occurs both to the north and south. A number of circumboreal 

 species which occur as far south as Colorado seem to skip 

 Montana. This distribution pattern remains to be explained; 

 it may be that appropriate alpine habitat in Montana is 

 limited. Alpine habitats are generally considered the most 

 pristine, but increased recreational use of the high country 

 and grazing are potential threats here. The high subalpine to 

 alpine in the Bridgers is, in most places, not heavily 

 impacted by human-caused disturbance, but this is not always 

 the case in the Crazies. U. S. Forest Service sensitive 

 status is not appropriate for A. norvegica , but watch status 

 may be justified if its occurrence in Montana is documented. 



