EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 



The purpose of this study was to search for and study new 

 populations of Allotropa virqata on the Beaverhead and Deerlodge 

 National Forests. During 11 days of surveying almost 3400 acres, 

 four new populations (184 plants with 632 stems) were found on 

 the Beaverhead National Forest, and two populations (176 plants 

 with 560 stems) not seen since 1976 were relocated on the 

 Deerlodge National Forest. 



Allotropa virqata is listed as Sensitive by U.S. Forest Service 

 Regions 1 and 4. It is the only species within the genus, and 

 has a disjunct distribution with the main range being in the 

 Cascades and Sierra Nevadas of the western U.S. while an 

 isolated, much smaller group of populations occurs in Montana and 

 Idaho. Such disjuncts often contain substantial genetic 

 differences as compared to the main part of the range. In 

 Montana and Idaho the species occupies harsh sites, within 

 subalpine f ir/beargrass or subalpine fir/grouse whortleberry 

 habitat types dominated by lodgepole pine, occasionally with 

 Douglas fir as a co-dominant. Stand age ranges from 80->300 

 years, and averages about 200. The species prefers well-drained, 

 acidic, granitic-derived soils on southerly gentle slopes at 

 moderate (5000-7800 feet) elevations. 



Allotropa virqata is quite distinctive with its red and white 

 striped stems, resembling a candy cane. The species lacks 

 chlorophyll, and is a mycotroph, a plant which obtains its 

 nutrition from a photosynthetic host via a fungus associated with 

 the roots. Any action which destroys the host (in the case of A. 

 virqata . probably lodgepole pine and/or Douglas fir) will also 

 kill A. virqata . 



Allotropa virqata may not surface above ground every year. An 

 underground network of rhizomes with adventitious buds may use 

 energy one year working on below ground strength to allow for the 

 more energy-intensive production of sexual reproductive features 

 the next. The species surfaces as early as June and as late as 

 September, with peak flowering in July and August. Bumblebees 

 are the primary pollinators. Deer, elk, and moose occasionally 

 graze on A. virqata . but without serious damage. 



Allotropa virqata is threatened by timber harvest. Single-year 

 clearance surveys are not always accurate as the plant may be in 

 a subsurface phase. A Conservation Strategy needs to be written 

 on a regional level to address species conservation and 

 management concerns. Several large, healthy meta-populations 

 should be permanently protected, and monitoring should continue 

 to further elucidate the species reaction to various land use 

 practices as well as critical factors in the long-term viability 

 of the species. 



