HABITAT: The collection label does not give habitat information. Medicine Rocks State Park is a 

 localized area of sandstone outcrops, sand dunes, and sandy prairie with scattered cover of open 

 ponderosa pine woodlands. The park hosts an extremely high diversity of sand loving plants, 

 including six additional BLM watch species. Throughout its range, Mirabilis hirsuta grows in a 

 broad variety of habitats and soils (Great Plains Flora Association 1986). 



SPECIES BIOLOGY: Species of the four-o'clock genus in Montana are usually found in very low 

 numbers with a sporadic distribution. 



OTHER COMMENTS: In Sheridan County, the species occurs on glacial till, in contrast to the 

 imglaciated sand plain site in Carter County. It was found there in a separate 1997 study, where it 

 appeared to have low habitat fidelity, occurring accidentally in a variety of native range settings, 

 possibly associated with disturbance. While this species is only known from four records in the state, 

 this ecological amplitude and low fidelity to natural conditions are taken as basis for changing its 

 state rank to S2S3 (possibly on the border between imperiled or vulnerable) and moving it to the 

 watch list. 



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