vestiture of the capsules (Dorn, pers. commun.), thus male and 

 vegetative plants cannot be identified to variety. 



B. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION 



1. Species range: "northeastern Oregon and northern Nevada to 

 southwestern Montana and Colorado (Hitchcock and Cronquist 

 1973) ." 



2. Montana distribution: Lesica and Shelly (1991) give a 

 state distribution in the Gravelly and Anaconda Ranges in 

 Deerlodge and Madison Counties, Mathews (1989) documented the 

 occurrence of the taxon in the Gallatin River drainage on the 

 GNF in Gallatin County. 



3. Occurrences on the Gallatin National Forest: Prior to 1993, 

 two occurrences of Salix wolfii var. wolfii from the Forest 

 were entered on the BCD, both from the upper Gallatin Valley 

 (Cinnamon Creek and Snowf lake Spring) . More information on 

 these populations can be found in Mathews (1989); specimens 

 from both these locations have glabrous capsules (Mathews, 

 pers. commun.). In addition to these, I found the variety 

 growing along Taylor Fork ( EORs and maps in Appendix C) . An 

 old specimen from Taylor Fork was also found in the GNF 

 herbarium (see label data on page 8) . This taxon was also 

 found in 1993 by Jim Jacobs on the Hebgen Lake District 

 (Cherry, pers. commun.). 



C. HABITAT 



The two populations which I visited (Snowflake Spring and 

 Taylor Fork) occurred in wet floodplains dominated by willows 

 (Salix hoothii, S. drummondiana, S. exigua, and S. geyeri) and 

 birch (Betula glandulosa) . Herbaceous associates included 

 Habenaria hyperborea, Pedicularis groenlandica, Sisyrinchium 

 idahoense, and species of Carex and Juncus . These habitats are 

 used heavily by wild game (elk, moose) . Slides 6 and 7 in 

 Appendix D show the habitat of S. wolfii. 



D. POPULATION BIOLOGY 



The populations are extensive. Along the Gallatin River near 

 Snowflake Spring and along the lower Taylor Fork, S. wolfii is 

 scattered and other species of willows are more common, but at 

 least 1,000 aerial stems were estimated at each site. Most of 

 the plants were vegetative, but a few plants with mature 

 capsules were found (July 10) . Further up the Taylor Fork at 

 its confluence with Wapiti Creek, S. wolfii is dominant (see 

 slide 33 in Appendix C) . Here it forms low, dense thickets 

 (estimated 10,000+ stems, dominant over 20 acres). No 

 fruiting plants were found; it is assumed to be var. wolfii, 

 but this cannot be proved. All of the willow species at these 

 sites are heavily browsed by game, and are thus low statured. 

 Slide 31 in Appendix C shows willows, including S. wolfii, 

 both inside and outside of an exclosure along the Gallatin 



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