E. 



HABITAT 



ASSOCIATED VEGETATION: Moss phlox is most often found in 

 sandy prairie and pioneer sites within sparsely-vegetated 

 mixed grass prairie. Associated species at the Carter 

 County site include: 



Common name 



Western wheatgrass 



Sandberg's bluegrass 



Need le-and- thread 



Blue grama 



Sandhills bluestem 



Schweinitz' flatsedge 



Kentucky bluegrass 



Yuccca 



White sage 



Common sage 



Fringed sage 



Spiderwort 



White prairie clover 



Silverleaf 



Scientific name 

 Agropyron smithii 

 Poa secunda 

 Stipa comata 

 Bouteloua gracilis 

 Andropogon hallii 

 Cyperus schweinitzii 

 Poa pratensis 

 Yucca glauca 

 Artemisia ludoviciana 

 Artemisia campestris 

 Artemisia frigida 

 Tradescantia occidentalij 

 Petalostemum candidum 

 Psoralea argophylla 



2. TOPOGRAPHY: It occupies various topographic positions 

 depending on whether the sandy substrates are eroded from 

 bedrock or deposited by wind or water. The Dawson County 

 site is described as occuring on a ridge extending from a 

 prominent butte on the landscape; within a natural blowout, 



3. SOIL RELATIONSHIPS: Soils are sandy loams or psamments. 



4. CLIMATE FACTORS: The climate is continental. 



F. 



POPULATION DEMOGRAPHY AND BIOLOGY 



1. PHENOLOGY: Flowering throughout its range is said to take 

 place between May to July (Great Plains Flora Association 

 1986) . The three Montana collections of this species were 

 made between 12 June to 10 July, with flowering possibly 

 beginning in late May. The July specimen was primarily in 

 fruit. The species cannot be identified with certainty 

 except in flower. 



2. POPULATION SIZE AND CONDITION: The Dawson County population 

 (EO #001) is said to be "locally common" within a discrete 



blowout area, likely to signify numbers in the hundreds or 

 perhaps thousands. Considering the low, mat-like growth 

 form of the species, it may be very difficult to estimate 

 population numbers to the correct magnitude under high 

 densities. The Carter County populations are noted as made up 

 of at least 8 plants under poor field conditions (EO #002) ^ 

 and of ca. 50 plants (EO #003) . 



