species (Section 2670.32). Under these 

 guidelines, the U.S. Forest Service is to 



"(a) void or minimize impacts to species whose 

 viability has been identified as a concern" 



(2670.32.3). 



2. STATE STATUS: Lesquerella humilis is currently 

 listed by the Montana Natural Heritage Program 

 (Shelly, 1988) as "critically imperiled globally" 

 owing to extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences; 

 global rank = Gl ) . In Montana, it is similarly 

 listed as "critically imperiled in state" (state 

 rank = SI ) . 



Th» Btate ranks do not currently provide any 

 direct legal protection for L. humi lis . Through 

 its inclusion on the Region 1 sensitive plant 

 list, the species has legal protection under the 

 agency policies (W. Ruediger, pers. comm. ) . 



C. DESCRIPTION 



1. GENERAL NONTECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Lesquerella 

 humi lis is a small, perennial herb with stems 

 which are mostly about 1-2 inches tall. They lie 

 flat on the soil surface, with the flowei — 

 bearing tips curved slightly upward. The flowers 

 are yellow, with only three to six or so produced 

 near the end of each stem. The petals are about 

 0.3 inches long. The basal leaves are clustered 

 together at the top of the taproot, and are about 

 0.6 to 1 inch long. The stem leaves are smaller, 

 being about '^ inch long. The plants are generally 

 in flower from late June to early July, with 

 variation depending on exposure and weather 

 conditions. Fruiting occurs from July into early 

 August. See Section V, p. 2^, for color photos of 

 plants and habitat. 



2. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Perennial, densely 

 pubescent and silvery from an encrustment of 

 stellate trichomes; primary branches 5-6, free to 

 base to slightly fused at center, forked or 3- 

 branched, trichomes with 16-25 free ends, 

 appressed on upper leaf surface, less appressed to 

 somewhat flaring on lower leaf surface; caudex 

 usually simple, thick, covered with old leaf- 

 bases; stems prostrate, simple, one or two to 

 several, arising below and among a terminal 

 rosette of leaves, 2-5 cm. (0.8-2.0 in.) long; 

 rosette leaves petiolate, entire, ( 1-) 1 .5-2.5(-3) 

 cm. ( (0.^-)0.6-l .0(-l .2) in.) long, blade 

 elliptical to broadly ovate or obovate, usually 

 narrowed abruptly, 3-6 (-7) mm. (0.12-0.2^ (-0.28) 



