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6. Locations known or suspected to be erroneous 

 reports: 



a. Montana: M/A 



C. Blogeographlcal and phylogenetic history: 



Contingent on taxonomic research underway 



6. General environment and habitat description. 



A. Concise statement of general environment and 

 haibitat: Erigeron lackschewitzii is a terrestrial 

 plant which grows primarily in exposed alpine 

 settings on calcareous soil derived from dolomite. 

 It typically grows in association with intermittent 

 mats of Dryas octopetala and as well as 

 Artostaphylos uva-ursi . Carex rupestris is the 

 dominant sedge between mats. In its driest habitat 

 settings, E. lackschewitzii grows on barren slopes 

 with only trace amounts of the associated species. 

 At the moistest habitat settings, it grows in Carex 

 rupestris turf with high forb diversity. 



B. Physical characteristics. 

 1. Climate. 



a. Koppen climate classification: Type Dfb 

 (cool temperate climate, with numerous 

 summer thunderstorms) , the climate type of 

 the Rocky Mountains (Visher 1954) . 



b. Regional macroclimate: The climate of the 

 Front Range is typical of alpine settings 

 in the short 30-50 day growing season 

 (duration of frost-free days) , and high 

 mean annual precipitation of 40-60 inches. 

 It differs from most other mountainous 

 areas of the state in having a late time 

 in the season during which soil recharge 

 begins, July 20-August 8; coinciding with 

 the flowering period of E. lackschewitzii 

 (from Caprio and Nielsen 1992) . 



c. Local microclimate: Quantitative data is 

 not available on microclimate, but it 

 seems to represent windy settings with 

 high evapotranspiration, and relatively 

 exposed sites which would be among the 

 earliest to melt free of snow. 



