2. Reproduction: Vegetative reproduction is probably 

 common. Seedlings have not been observed. Seedling 

 establishment may be a factor limiting population size 

 because the seeds would probably have to germinate and 

 seedlings develop relatively deep in the talus. The 

 flowering period is rather long, lasting from mid- June to 

 August. 



F. MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS 



Although this project has quadrupled the number of known 

 occurrences (from 1 to 4) of Agastache cusickii in Montana, 

 the species still appears to be extremely rare in the state, 

 and at least one population is threatened by road maintenance. 

 Since populations have been discovered on the Beaverhead 

 National Forest, designation of the species as Sensitive by 

 the U.S. Forest Service Region 1 is appropriate at this time. 



The habitats of Agastache cusickii in the Tendoys are by 

 nature easily disturbed, but all occurrences on the Beaverhead 

 National Forest are at remote sites in near pristine 

 condition. This is not the case for the BLM occurrence, which 

 is located along a major gravel road, where past quarrying of 

 the limestone talus has reduced the area of potential habitat 

 and road maintenance continues to threaten the stability of 

 the slopes. Roads are also found in the bottoms of Kelmbeck, 

 Patterson, and Williamson-Wood canyons, but these are 

 primitive and infrequently traveled. Future road improvement 

 or maintenance, and mining activities in these canyons should 

 be managed so as not to disturb the populations of Agastache 

 cusickii or the slopes they inhabit. Other human caused 

 threats to these populations are minimal; the steep slopes are 

 mostly inaccessible to cattle, and timber on the slopes is not 

 of commercial quality. 



Aquilegia formosa Fisch. ex DC. 

 Sitka Columbine 



DESCRIPTION 



. . General Description: Sitka or red columbine is a 



delicate, showy flowered member of the Buttercup Family 

 (Ranunculaceae) . The plants are herbaceous perennials 

 from a woody caudex with mostly basal leaves. The leaves 

 are twice ternately compound with thin bladed leaflets 

 which are glaucus underneath. The flowers are 

 distinctive with 5 deep red, spreading, petal-like 

 sepals, and 5 petals with long red spurs and relatively 

 short erect yellow blades. There are numerous stamens, 



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