22 



Montana distribution: Red sage is known only from two historic collections and from 

 the recent study (Figure 10). The 1888 specimen of Frank Tweedy (#49) is from 

 "alkaline flats, Beaver Head, Montana," a landmark 12 miles south of Twin Bridges in 

 Madison County along the border with Beaverhead County. The 1931 specimen of B. C. 

 Park (#227) is part of the U.S. National Forest Herbarium collection (RM), so it is 

 presumed to have been collected on national forest lands. The legal description included 

 on the collection label places it on the Beaverhead National Forest near Medicine Lodge 

 Peak, but the label also mentions an elevation of 7000 ft., which is over 600 ft. lower than 

 any terrain in this area. It also describes the setting as dry, with sandy soil, associated 

 with Artemisia tridentata and Opimtia. Efforts to relocate it were unsuccessful, and 

 habitat in the area appears to be inappropriate (Vanderhorst 1 994), so it is not included in 

 the distribution map and is considered unmappable. 



Big Hole distribution: Red sage is known from one area on the west side of the Big 

 Hole river ca. 7 miles south of Melrose, entirely on BLM lands (Figure 10). 



HABITAT: In general, red sage occupies alkaline plains and hills (Dom 1984) of semi-arid 

 settings. In Montana, it is expected to be restricted to southwestern intemiontane valley sites 

 where salts accumulate. 



Habitat at the Big Hole study site is consistent with the general habitat characterization and with 

 what little habitat infonnation is provided for the two earlier collections of this species in the 

 state. It occupies a localized setting of alkaline flats on sandy alluvium and claypans at the base 

 of the valley slopes where salts accumulate. It is present in highest numbers when co-dominant 

 with Distichilis sthcta in an understory of Sarcobatus venniculatus and Artemisia tridentata 

 (Appendix D-1 1). It is also present in washes and other sparsely-vegetated settings. A few waifs 

 were found on adjoining gravelly grassland slopes. 



The following is a representative list of associated species in the species' primary habitat: 



Agropyron spicatum 

 Artemisia tridentata 

 Atriplex nuttallii 

 Bouteloua gracilis 

 Descurainia richardsonii 

 Distichilis stricta 

 Lappula redowskii 

 Opuntia polyacantha 

 Sarcobatus venniculatus 

 Sitanion hystrix 



POPULATION INFORMATION: The population is spread out across two sections in an area 

 of at least 360 acres. It is locally abundant and co-dominant in less than half of this area. At 



