SPECIES OF PREVIOUSLY UNDETERMINED STATUS: 



Agastache foeniculum (Pursh) Kuntze 



LAVENDER HYSSOP 



Lamiaceae 



A. PRESENT LEGAL OR OTHER FORMAL STATUS 



1. FEDERAL STATUS 



a. U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE: None. 



b. U.S. FOREST SERVICE: None. 



2. STATE: G4G5 SU (status undetermined). The widespread alteration of its 

 habitat, few (?) records, and low population numbers would seem to provide 

 the basis for adding this species to the state list, but not until out-of-state 

 herbaria have been checked for additional collections. If it is recurrent in the 

 eastern 1/4 of Montana, as inferred by the Great Plains Flora Association 

 (1986), then it does not warrant tracking on the State Species of Special 

 Concern list. 



B. DESCRIPTION 



1. GENERAL NONTECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Lavender hyssop is a 

 rhizomatous perennial with erect, simple, or branched stems, 6-12 dm (2-4 ft.) 

 high (Figure 15). The opposite leaves have broadly spade-shaped blades, 4-9 

 cm (1-3 in.) long, and petioles 5-20 mm long. They are glabrous and green 

 above but white-hairy below. The purplish flowers are borne in whorled 

 clusters in a showy spike-like inflorescence, 4-8 cm (1-3 in.) long. The tubular 

 corolla is 7-10 mm long, forms 2 lips at the mouth, and the tubular calyx is 

 purple above with 5 triangular lobes. The 4 stamens are exserted from the 

 mouth of the flower tube. Plants were begirming to flower in early July of 

 1995, and might be expected to reach peak flowering activity in late July of 

 most years. 



2. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Plants 6- 1 2 dm tall; stems simple or 

 sparingly branched, the nodes canescent or sparsely so, intemodes glabrous or 

 the lowermost sometimes lightly canescent. Leaf blades ovate or occasionally 

 broadly lanceolate, 4-9 cm long, 2-5.5 cm wide, gradually reduced upwards, 

 glabrous above, white tomentulose below, apex acute to acuminate, margins 

 serrate, base slightly cordate, truncate, rounded, or broadly cuneate; petiole 



59 



