level of disturbance. Its rarity may be a result of the 

 paucity of suitable native habitat. 



DISCUSSION 



Until recently, many botanists (but not fern specialists) 

 doubted the legitimacy of B. paradoxum as a species. Since it 

 was known by only a few individuals scattered over a wide 

 range, they argued that it was probably just an aberrant form 

 of another species. The Wagners (1993) state that 

 teratological forms of Botrychium species with transformed 

 trophophores do occur but are very rare. The morphological 

 stability of individual plants of B. paradoxum, B. hesperium 

 and their putative hybrid, B. X watertonense has been 

 documented over several years by monitoring in Alberta (Lesica 

 and Ahlenslager 1993) . The discovery of the extremely large 

 population of B. paradoxum on Windy Ridge also supports the 

 validity of the species. Although a previously undocumented 

 level of variation is apparent in the Windy Ridge population, 

 evidenced by individuals with more than usual branching (see 

 photocopy of my collection # 5077 in Appendix E) , B. paradoxum 

 appears to be relatively uniform throughout its range and is 

 probably the easiest of all moonworts to identify. 



Further work is needed before recommendations can be made 

 on the conservation status of B. paradoxum. This survey was 

 confined to a relatively small area in the vicinity of Storm 

 Lake; the remainder of the Deerlodge National Forest is as yet 

 unsurveyed. If recent reports of the species in northwest 

 Montana are verified then surveys are also needed in that part 

 of the state. Other populations have been "lost." Population 

 trends and fluctuations have not been determined for any sites 

 in the state. In light of these considerations, the Montana 

 Natural Heritage Program has identified a need to pursue B. 

 paradoxum survey work throughout its range in Montana, on the 

 Deerlodge, Flathead, and Kootenai National Forests. 



A phenomenon apparent to those working with Botrychium is 

 the occurrence of "genus communities" (Wagner and Wagner 

 1983) , where species of the same genus tend to grow together 

 in the same apparent habitat. The presence of these 

 communities has resulted in much taxonomic confusion, but, has 

 also been suggested by the Wagners as a means for solving 

 taxonomic problems. If taxa maintain consistent morphological 

 distinctions without forming fertile hybrids (i.e. plants with 

 intermediate morphology) , even in mixed populations, then they 

 are species. The level of sympatry in genus communities 

 appears to run counter to the competetive exclusion principle, 

 such that the presence of one Botrychium species increases the 



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