33 



thick-rooted, grayish-hairy to greenish, multisteimned 

 perennial 2-8 dm. tall; leaf blades 2-6 cm long, 

 reniform to ovate-deltoid, from rather shallowly 3-5 

 lobed to merely crenate; pedicels usually shorter 

 than the calyx; calyx bracteoles usually 3, linear; 

 petals 1-2 cm long, apricot-ping to reddish; carpels 

 about 3 mm long, rugose-reticulate only on the lower 

 (indehiscent) third, mostly 1-seeded. 



3. LOCAL FIELD CHARACTERS: Sphaeralcea munroana is 

 distinguishable by its apricot flowers and the 

 stellate-pubescence along the stem and leaves. 



D. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



1. RANGE: Sphaeralcea munroana occurs from southcentral 

 British Colombia to Western Montana, into California 

 and Utah. 



2. CURRENT SITES: Sphaeralcea munroana was found 

 frequently in the western portion of Centennial Valley 

 along the road and hillsides. It was located 

 approximately 3 miles west of Monida and found 

 extensively near the Lima dam. It is known in Montana 

 only from the Centennial Valley. 



E. HABITAT 



1. ASSOCIATED VEGETATION: Sphaeralcea munroana occurs on 

 open sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ) grassland 

 ( Festuca idahoenis ) along with the following forbs: 



Eriqeron caespitosus (gray daisy) 

 Chrvsothamnus viscidif lorus (green rabbitbrush) 

 Koeleria cristatum (June grass) 

 Hordeum iubatum (Foxtail barley) 

 Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass) 

 Poa cusickii (Cusick's bluegrass) 



2. TOPOGRAPHY AND SOILS: Sphaeralcea munroana 



occurs on south facing or open slopes along hillsides 

 or roads. It was found to occur in red calcareous 

 soils. 



F. POPULATION DEMOGRAPHY AND BIOLOGY 



1. POPULATION SIZE AND CONDITION: Sphaeralcea munroana 

 populations seem to be expanding from the roadsides to 

 the midslopes of the hillsides. The populations 

 observed were healthy with no evidence of disturbance. 



G. REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY: Sphaeralcea munroana reproduces by 

 seed resulting in a taproot perennial. 



