Er i trichium nanum (Pale alpine forget-me-not) 

 Haplopappus lyallii (Lyall's goldenweed) 

 Hulsea alqida (Alpine hulsea) 

 Ivesia gordonii (Gordon's Ivesia) 

 Pedicularis contorta (Coiled-beak lousewort) 

 Sedum lanceo latum (Lance-leaved stonecrop) 

 Smelowskia calycina (Alpine smelowskia) 

 Veronica cusickii (Cusick's speedwell) 



2. TOPOGRAPHY: Populations of L. humil is occur on 

 moderately steep slopes and ledges^ and in level 

 exposed areas* at high elevations in the 

 Bitterroot Range. The slope of the St. Mary Peak 

 (001) site varies from zero to approximately ^5*/.. 

 The known sites range from E6B3 m. (8800 ft.) to 

 E923 m. (9587 f t . ) . 



3. SOIL RELATIONSHIPS: The Bitterroot Range 

 escarpment is a fault block at the eastern edge of 

 the Idaho batholith. The latter is a granitic 

 mass which is faintly gneissic in character» and 

 the soils developed from the batholith are 

 strongly acidic. However, the high mountains 

 north of Big Creek (which include the St. Mary and 

 St. Joseph massifs) consist of high grade 

 metamorphic rocks, mostly gneiss and schist, 

 locally penetrated by granitic rocks (Lackschewi tz 

 1970, 1986; Ross et_ aj.. , 1955). Although 

 appearing largely granitic in character, the rocks 

 on St. Mary Peak are slightly reddish-orange in 

 color, and the St. Joseph Peak massif appears to 

 be similarly colored. Lesquerel la humi lis is 

 restricted to this area, but it is not known 

 whether this restriction is strictly edaphic in 

 nature. 



The soils of the St. Mary Peak (001) site are 

 generally stony and poorly developed. In some 

 areas, they have weathered enough to form a sandy 

 substrate. Lesquerel la humi lis is predominantly 

 found in these open, gravelly or sandy areas. It 

 was also observed growing from crevices of exposed 

 rocks, and in small mats of associated vegetation. 



i*. REGIONAL CLIMATE: The alpine areas of the 

 Bitterroot Range are characterized by exposure to 

 high, erosive winds and low temperatures. The 

 timberline areas receive the highest snowpack 

 accumulations and the open, alpine areas the least 

 (Lackschewitz, 1970). 



From July, 1967 to 1969, a temporary weather 

 station was established on St. Mary Peak by S. 

 Arno and J. Habeck. Because of unusual heat and 



