36 



are 0.5-1.2 mm wide and 0.7-1.3 mm long and somewhat 

 flattened when fresh. The petals are 0.5-3 mm wide. 



2. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Thelypodium saqittatum ssp 

 saaittatum have stem leaves that are mostly sessile 

 and auricle, leaves are entire or merely sinuate to 

 dentate, generally glabrous. The plants are biennial 

 without creeping roots; sepals 5-8 mm; petals light 

 to deep violet-purple, 10-16 mm; siliques straight, 

 ascending, sessile or with stipe, scarcely 0.5 mm. 



3. LOCAL FIELD CHARACTERS: Thelvpodium saqittatum ssp 

 saqittatum occurs in moist alkaline meadows in large 

 population in the early spring (late May-mid June) . 

 The pink petals are short-lived, therefore the 

 auriculate stem leaves in addition to the long, 

 beaked fruits allows for easy identification. 



D. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



1. RANGE: Thelypodium saqittatum ssp saqittatum is 

 found from desert plains to lower mountains in 

 southeastern Wyoming to California, east to Montana 

 and Wyoming. 



2. CURRENT SITES: Thelypodium saqittatum ssp saqittatum 

 was found in abundance during the spring of 1993. It 

 was found in Red Rocks National Wildlife Refuge in the 



bottomlands near the lakes. Also, there are element 

 occurrences for BLM lands next to Lima Resevoir, Red 

 Rock River, and Mud Lake. It is known in Montana only 

 from the Centennial Valley and Tendoy Mountains of 

 Beaverhead County. 



E . HABITAT 



1. ASSOCIATED VEGETATION: Thelypodium saqittatum ssp 



saqittatum is found in moist alkaline bottomlands with 

 Carex ssp. (sedges) , Juncus balticus (Baltic rush) and 

 with the following grasses and forbs: 



Deschampsia caespitosa (tufted hairgrass) 



Dodecatheon pulchellum (few-flowered shooting star) 



Festuca idahoensis (Idaho fescue) 



Haplopappus uniflorus (one-flowered goldenweed) 



Iris missouriensis (western blue flag) 



Pentaphylloides floribunda (shrubby cinquefoil) 



Phlox kelseyi (Kelsey's phlox) 



Sarcobatus vermiculatus (black greasewood) 



Valeriana edulis (edible valerian) 



2. TOPOGRAPHY AND SOILS: Thelypodium saqittatum ssp 



