extensive population in 1986, and the occurrence of just a few 

 plants in heavily disturbed habitat found in 1992 suggest a 

 possible population decline. Further searches for this 

 species in the vicinity are needed. If no large populations 

 are found, then protection of the Pileup Canyon site should be 

 considered. It is recommended that T. eriophorum be given BLM 

 sensitive species designation in Montana. 



Thalxctirum alpinum L. 



Alpine meadowrue 



A. DESCRIPTION 



1. General description: This is a small, inconspicuous 

 perennial in the Ranunculaceae (buttercup family) . The leaves 

 are mostly or all basal and are twice ternately compound with 

 lobed leaflets. The inconspicuous flowers are bisexual but 

 lack petals. The fruits are ribbed lengthwise and have short 

 beaks. 



2. Technical species description (quoted from Hitchcock and 

 Cronquist 1964) : 



Glabrous (glandular) and glaucous perennial 3-18 (28) cm 

 tall, scapose or subscapose, with very slender rhizomes; 

 leaves mostly or entirely basal, biternate or ternate- 

 pinnate, the segments usually cuneate, 3 ( 4-7) -lobed, 3-8 

 mm long, leathery, pale green above and even paler 

 beneath, the margins slightly revolute; stems simple or 

 forked above, leafless or with a single leaf; racemes 

 long and loose, the pedicels slender, usually recurved; 

 bracts small; flowers perfect; sepals grayish-purple; 

 stamens 8-15, usually deciduous shortly after anthesis, 

 the anthers about 1 . 5 mm long, apiculate, about equalling 

 the slender filaments; pistils (2)3-4, scarcely 

 stipitate; stigmas shorter than the ovary; achenes 2.5- 

 3.5 mm long, prominently ribbed. 2N=14 . 



3. Diagnostic characters: T. alpinum is smaller than other 

 Montana species of Thalictruin and differs in having bisexual 

 flowers on mostly leafless, but sometimes single leaved stems 

 (Dorn 1984) . 



B. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



1. Species range: "Circumpolar , in North America south in the 

 Rocky Mountains from Montana to New Mexico, in parts of Idaho 

 and northeast Oregon, also in California and Nevada (Hitchcock 

 and Cronquist 1973)." 



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