specimens from the Great Basin. Pinnate leaved forins of P. 

 diversifolia grow in rocky habitat on the Bridger Crest which 

 is generally undisturbed and often inaccessible, and 

 populations are extensive. I also collected similar plants 

 from the Anaconda Mountains on the Deer Lodge National Forest. 

 This taxon, which I consider P. diversifolia var. perdissecta , 

 appears to be common in the higher mountains of Montana and 

 does not warrant U. S. Forest Service sensitive status. P. 

 diversifolia var. multisecta should be looked for in 

 southwestern Montana; of all the specimens which I sent to B. 

 Ertter, the one she thought most closely approached P. 

 diversifolia var. multisecta (Vanderhorst 4943) was collected 

 in the Tendoy Mountains in Beaverhead County. I had 

 identified this as P. ovina and thought that it approached P. 

 plattensis , another target species. Species of Potentilla 

 often intergrade, and identification to variety and even to 

 species is often difficult, or even arbitrary. Montana 

 Natural Heritage Program "undetermined" status is appropriate 

 for P. diversifolia var. multisecta at this time. No special 

 U. S. Forest Service status is recommended for any variety of 

 P. diversifolia. 



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