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Great Basin Naturalist

Volume 47 Number 1 Article 15

1-31-1987

Alpine vascular flora of the Ruby Range, West ,

Emily L. Hartman University of Colorado,

Mary Lou Rottman University of Colorado, Denver

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Recommended Citation Hartman, Emily L. and Rottman, Mary Lou (1987) "Alpine vascular flora of the Ruby Range, , Colorado," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 47 : No. 1 , Article 15. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol47/iss1/15

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. ALPINE VASCULAR FLORA OF THE RUBY RANGE, WEST ELK MOUNTAINS, COLORADO

Emily L. Hartman and Mary Lou Rottnian

Abstract —The Ruby Range is a northern extension of the West Elk Mountains of west . Composed primarily of sedimentary rocks, the range is heavily faulted and intruded by many dikes and sills. Eight study areas, selected as representative of the major topographic features of the range, were analyzed floristically. A vascular flora of

220 species in 111 genera and 35 families is reported. The phytogeographic distribution of the flora is primarily alpine and western North American. The flora of the Ruby Range shows a 74% similarity to the flora of the to the southwest.

The Ruby Range, a northern extension of composed of either quartz monzonite por- the West Elk Mountains (Prather 1982) of phyry, granodiorite porphyry, or dacite por- west central Colorado, is west of the Conti- phyry are intruded into the sedimentary for- nental Divide between 107 degrees 05 min- mations. Stocks of quartz monzonite porphyry utes and 107 degrees 07 minutes West longi- form the summits of four of the mountains in tude and 38 degrees 52 minutes and 39 the range (Gaskill et al. 1967). There are nu- degrees North latitude. This discrete range merous fault zones and talus deposits in the extends 15.2 km northward from its southern range. A floristic study of the subalpine and boundary, 18.5 km northwest of Crested alpine zones in Robinson Basin was made by Butte, Gunnison . In outline the range Bathke (1968). resembles the letter h with the vertical line Collections were made in the Ruby Range being formed on the west by a series of 11 during the summers 1980-1985. Nomencla- mountain peaks ranging in elevation from ture in the checklist follows Kartesz and 3,573 to 3,982 m. The curved part of the letter Kartesz (1980). Voucher specimens are de- represents an escarpment and its southeast- posited in CU-Denver. Phytogeographic ab- ern terminus ranges from 3,664 to 3,780 m. breviations used in the annotated checklist of Glacial effects are evident in the present vascular species are identified in the discus- alpine landscape as cirques, tarns, hanging sion section. valleys, basins, rock steps, and broad U- shaped valleys in the lower elevations. Study Areas The Ruby Range is composed primarily of sedimentary rocks intruded by many dikes Eight study areas representative of the ma- and sills. The sedimentary formations in- jor topographic features and distributed clude: , a silty marine shale in- throughout the length of the Ruby Range terbedded with silty sandstone, sandy lime- were selected. Northeast-facing cirque basins stone, and carbonaceous shale of Upper of , Purple Peak, and Augusta Cretaceous age in the north; Mesa Verde, Mountain are the highest in elevation, rang- interbedded sandstone, shale, coal, and car- ing from 3,660 to 3,843 m. Baxter, Robinson, bonaceous shale of Upper Cretaceous age in and Redwell basins are drainage basins of the the central part; and Wasatch, evenly bedded Slate River, a tributary of the . sandstone, siltstone, and conglomerate of The elevational range of the upper parts of

Eocene age in the south. The Mancos Shale is these basins is 3,556 to 3,599 m. Scarp Ridge, locally metamorphosed to hornfels, whereas a northwest-southeast-trending escarpment the Wasatch is generally metamorphosed to ranges in elevation from 3,664 to 3,725 m. The quartzite, argillite, and silty and argillaceous south- and southwest-facing convex slopes of hornfels. A large number of dikes and sills , which forms the southeast

Department of BiologA,', University of Colorado, Denver. Colorado 80202

152 January 1987 HaRTMAN, ROTTMAN: COLORADO AlPINE FLORA 153 terminus of Scarp Ridge, range in elevation The dominants foimd in wet meadows adja- from 3,698 to 3,780 m/ cent to ponds are Caltha leptosepala, Carex Climatic data are lacking from the study illota, and Carex praeceptorum. On slopes area. The nearest U.S. Weather Bureau sta- and in association with rivulets the wet tion is at 2,701 m elevation to meadow dominants are Caltha leptosepala the east. Only generalized climatic informa- and Corydalis caseana ssp. brandegii. tion for the Ruby Range can be extrapolated Fellfield Community from this station. Two precipitation maxima occur: July to September, and January (Lan- Fellfields are restricted to ridgetops and genheim 1962). Heavy snowfall in the winter the top surface of bedrock outcrops. This com- renders the area inaccessible from November munity type may show a lack of dominants or through June. Permanent snowbanks are may have Ivesia gordonii as the dominant spe- common on northeast-facing exposures in the cies. The typical fellfield cushion plant com- higher elevations. The prevailing winds are munity, dominated by Paronychia pulvinata from the west and southwest. Wind velocities and Phlox caespitosa ssp. condensata, on approaching 92 kph are not uncommon in the windswept sites of the (Cox alpine throughout the summer (Bathke 1968). 1933, Eddleman and Ward 1984) and (Soil Conservation Service

Plant Communities 1979) is absent in the Ruby Range.

Meadow Communities Talus Community

The moist meadow community type is most Talus communities in the Ruby Range, like representative of the tundra in the Ruby those of the (Hartman and Range. This contrasts with the predominant Rottman 1985), are characterized by a lack of dry meadows of the Front Range and corre- dominants and a high diversity of total species lates with the San Juan Mountains which, like present, reflecting the opportunistic nature of the Ruby Range, experience a higher mois- many tundra species (Schaack 1983). Any ture regime (Hartman and Rottman 1985). In number of 83 species may be found in various many places the uniformity of the turf talus communities. meadow is interrupted by talus deposits and Krummholz Community tailings associated with old mining activity. Moist meadow communities on slopes are Timberline, in the form of krummholz, is dominated by Deschampsia caespitosa and variable ranging from 3,538 to 3,729 m with Geum rossii var. turbinatiwi, whereas Carex the lower elevations found on easterly expo- nigricans and Jiincus drummondii dominate sures and the higher on southerly exposures. the community type in flat areas. This ecotonal community has representative Dry meadow communities occur on steep, species from both the alpine and subalpine rocky, convex slopes which experience early zones. Krummholz conifers, Abies lasiocarpa snowmelt or adjacent to bedrock outcrops. and Picea engehnannii, are equally co-domi- The most frequent dominants include nant. Agropyron trachycaidinn var. latighime, Shrub Tundra Community Danthonia intermedia, Geum rossii var. tur- binatian, and Ivesia gordonii. Kobrcsia The shrub tundra community is very patchy myosuroides, the overwhelming dominant of and restricted to moist depressions and dry meadows and climatic climax species of drainage areas. This community is dominated the Front Range (Marr 1961, Eddleman and by thickets of Salix brachycarpa and Salix

Ward 1984), is highly restricted in occurrence glauca var. villosa which exert a primary influ- in the Ruby Range. Langenheim (1962) found ence on the surrounding environment and the same to be true in the adjacent Elk Moun- associated species. tains near Crested Butte. Carex elynoides, a dry meadow dominant and substitute for Ko- Discussion bresia in the San Juan Mountains (Hartman and Rottman 1985), is restricted in occurrence The alpine flora of the Ruby Range consists to fellfields in the Ruby Range. of 220 vascular plants: 213 species represent- 154 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 47, No. 1 ing 104 genera of angiosperms, 3 genera and 3 Table 1. Affinities of the flora elements in the Ruby Range, Colorado. Abbreviations species of gymnosperms, and 4 genera and 4 following each unit are cited in the annotated checklist. species of pteridophytes. The family with the greatest number of species is Asteraceae with 34 species. Other families with a large repre- sentation are Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Brassi- caceae, Caryophyllaceae, Saxifragaceae, and Rosaceae with 23, 19, 17, 15, 12, and 11 taxa, respectively. In comparing the seven leading families found in the Ruby Range to those found in the San Juan Mountains, southwestern Colorado (Hartman and Rottman 1985); Mosquito Range, north central Colorado (Hartman and Rottman 1985); and Indian Peaks area of the Front Range, northern Colorado (Komarkova 1976), only the exclusion of the Scrophulari- aceae and inclusion of the Rosaceae are noted; however, the rank order varies somewhat with each range. Although there is a tendency to emphasize differences in community struc- ture and dominants in this study and other studies in Colorado, much similarity is seen in the floristic inventories from the various ar- eas. The greatest similarity, 74%, occurs be- tween the Ruby Range and the San Juan Mountains and a slightly lower 70% with the Indian Peaks area of the Front Range. The lowest similarity in vascular plant inventories, 66%, occurs between this study and the Mosquito Range.

Phytogeography

Table 1 shows the phytogeographic distri- bution of the flora. Four elements are recog- nized, each of which may be combined with more specific geographic subelements (Ko- markova 1976). Several of these subelements should be defined. The subelement includes the Northern Rocky Mountain province south to the Laramie Basin in Wyoming. The subelement includes southern Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Ari- zona. The Colorado subelement represents species which are endemic to Colorado. Phy- togeographic determinations for taxa are taken from Porsild (1957), Weber (1965), Munz and Keck (1970), Komarkova (1976), Cronquist et al. (1977), Porsild and Codv (1980), and Moss (1983). As may be seen from the percentages given, the largest part of the vascular flora is made up of alpine species (35.5%) and western North Januan' 1987 Hartman, Rottman: Colorado Alpine Flor,\ 155

(Komarkova 1976), indicates a decrease in the Oreoxis alpina (Gray) Coult. & Rose. Rare; dry meadow. A/SRM. number of arctic-alpine (5.4%) and alpine Oreoxis bakeri Coult. & Rose. Infrequent; dry and (5.0%) species. Among the subelements there moist meadows, dry and moist ledges, and rivulet. A/ is a decrease in circumpolar (8. 1%) and North SRM. American-Asiatic (2.1%) species and a small Oxypolis fendleri (Gray) Heller. Rare; moist ledge and rivulet. M/SRM. increase (3.7%) in western North American Pseudocymopterus montaiius (Gray) Coult. & Rose. species. Infrequent; dry and moist meadows, fellfield, shrub tun- dra, krummholz, and disturbed area. M/SRM. Colorado Endemics Asteraceae There are only three endemic species, Col- Achillea millefolium L. var. lanulosa (Nutt.) Piper. in Range: orado subelement, found the Ruby Infrequent; dr\ and moist meadows, shrub tundra, Draha spectahilis var. oxylobo, Poteutilla krummholz, and talus. A/WNA. stibjiiga var. subjuga, and Senecio soIdaneUa. Agoseris aurantiaca (Hook.) Greene. Infrequent; moist meadow, fellfield, and krummholz. BM/WNA. This number is lower than in the more Agoseris glauca (Pursh) Raf. Infrequent; dry and moist northerly Mosquito Range and Indian Peaks meadows, dry ledge, shrub tundra, talus, and disturbed area of the Front Range and fails to support area. BM/NA. the statement of Major and Ramberg (1967) Antennaria alpina (L.) Gaertn. Common; dry and that endemism increases in a southerly direc- moist meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, krummholz, and talus. .\.VNAE. tion. Antennaria microphijlla Rydb. Rare; talus and dis- turbed area. BM/NA. Annotated Checklist of Arnica mollis Hook. Common; dry, moist and wet Vascular Plant Species meadows, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, krummholz, and disturbed area. BM/NA. Pterophyta Arnica rijdbergii Greene. Very rare; dry meadow. BM/WNA Selaginellaceae Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt. ssp. incompta (Nutt.) Keck. Wr\ rare; dry meadow. M/WNA. Selaginella densa Rydb. Common; dry and moist Artemisia scoptdorum Gray. L^biquitous; dry and meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, krummliolz. moist meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub talus, and patterned ground. A/WNA. tundra, krummholz, talus, rivulet, and disturbed area. Adiantaceae .VRM. Aster foliaceus Lindl. var. apricus Gray. Infrequent; Cnjptogramma crispa (L.) Br. ex Hook. ssp. acrosti- moist and wet meadows, fellfield, moist ledge, shrub choides (R. Br.) Hulten. Infrequent; dry and moist mead- tundra, and disturbed area. A/WNA. ows, dry ledge, and talus. BM/NAA. Chaenactis alpina (Gray) H. E. Jones. Infrequent; dry meadow, fellfield, and talus. M/WN.A.. Aspleniaceae Erigeron coulteri Porter. Rare; moist meadow and Athyrium destentifolium Tausch ex Opiz var. ameri- shrub tundra. BM/WNA. canum (Butters) Boivin. Rare; talus and disturbed area. Erigeron elatior (Gray) Gray. Rare; dr>' meadow and BM/N.\A. talus. M/SRM. Cystopteris fragilis (L.) Bernh. Infrequent; moist and Erigeron melanocephalus A. Nels. Infrequent; moist wet meadows, and moist ledges. AA/C. and wet meadows, fellfield, moist ledge, and talus. A/ SRM. CONIFEROPHYTA Erigeron pinnatisectus (Gray) A. Nels. Common; dry and moist meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, Pinaceae krummholz, and talus. .VSRM. Erigeron peregrinus (Pursh) Greene. Common; dry, Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. Rare; krununbolz. BM/ WNA. moist and wet meadows, dry ledge, shrub tundra, krummholz, and rivulet. BM/WNA. Juniperus communis h. Rare; kriunmholz. BM/C. Erigeron simplex Greene. Common; dry and moist Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm. Rare; meadows, fellfield, drv and moist ledges, krummholz, krunimholz. BM/WNA. and talus. .VWNA. Haplopappus parryi Gray. Very rare; shrub tundra. AnTHOPHITA - DlCOTi LEDONEAE M/SRM. Haplopappus pygtnaeus (Torr. & Gray) Gray. Very Apiaceae rare; fellfield. A/RM. Angelica grayi Coult. & Rose. Infrequent; moist and Heterotheca fulcrata (Greene) Shinners. Infrequent; wet meadows, shrub tundra, talus, and disturbed area. dry meadow, dr>- ledge, and talus. M/RM. A/SRM. Hieracium gracile Hook. Infrequent; dry and moist Ligusticum porteri Coult. & Rose. Rare; moist meadows, fellfield, dr> and moist ledges, and meadow and talus. M/RM. krummholz. A/WNA. 156 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 47, No. 1

Hymenoxys grandiflora (Torr. & Gray ex Gray) Draba streptocarpa Gray var. streptocarpa. Rare; dry Parker. Common; dry and moist meadows, fellfield, dry ledge. A/SRM. and moist ledges, krummholz and disturbed area. A/RM. Erysimum nivale (Greene) Rydb. Infrequent; dry Senecio amplectens Gray var. amplectens. Infrequent; meadow, felHield, dr\ ledge, and disturbed area. A/SRM. wet meadow, moist ledge, talus, rock debris habitats, Rorippa curvipes Greene. Infrequent; moist and wet snowbank, and disturbed area. M/RM. meadows and disturbed area. A/RM. Senecio amplectens Gray var. holmii (Greene) Har- Smeloivskia calycina (Steph.) C. A. Mey. ex Ledeb. rington. Infrecjuent; dry meadow, fellfield, dry ledge, Infrecjuent; dry and moist meadows, fellfield, dry ledge, talus, and disturbed area. M/RM. krummholz, and patterned ground. AA/NAA. Senecio atratus Greene. Infrequent; dry and wet Thlaspi montanum L. Ubiquitous; dry, moist and wet meadows and krummholz. A/SRM. meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, Senecio crassulus Gray. Ubi(juitous; dry, moist and krummholz, talus, snowbank, and disturbed area. A/C. wet meadows, moist ledge, shrub tundra, krummholz, talus, rivulet, snowbank, and disturbed area. BM/WNA. Campanulaceae Senecio dimorphophyllus Greene. Infrequent; moist Campanula rotundifolia L. Infrequent; dry and moist and wet meadows, dry and moist ledges, and shrub tun- meadows, fellfield, dry ledge, and krummholz. BM/C. dra. M/RM. Campanula uniflora L. Rare; drv meadow and dry Senecio soldanella Gray. Rare; fellfield. A/CO. ledge. AA/C. Senecio taraxacoides (Gray) Greene. Very rare; talus. A/SRM. Caryophyllaceae Senecio triangularis Hook. Rare; moist meadow and moist ledge. BM/WNA. Arenaria congesta Nutt. ex Torr. & Gray. Infrequent; Senecio werneriifolius (Gray) Gray. Common; dry and dry and moist meadows, fellfield, dry ledge, and moist meadows, fellfield, dry ledge, talus, rivulet, and krummholz. M/WNA. disturbed area. M/RM. Cerastium earlei Rydb. Common; dry and moist mead- Solidago spathulata DC. var. nana (Gray) Cronq. ows, fellfield, dry ledge, shrub tundra, talus, patterned Common; dry and moist meadows, fellfield, dry ledge, ground, and disturbed area. A/RM. shrub tundra, krummholz, and talus. A/WNA. Minuartia biflora (L.) Schinz & Thellung. Rare; fell- Taraxacum ceratophorum (Ledeb.) DC. Infrequent; field and dry ledge. AA/C. dry meadow, talus, and disturbed area. AA/C. Minuartia obtusiloba (Rydb.) House. Infrequent; dry Taraxacum lyratum (Ledeb.) DC. Very rare; dry and moist meadows, fellfield, and dry and moist ledges. ledge. AA/NAA. AA/NAA. Minuartia rubella (Wallenb.) Hiern. Infrequent; dry Boraginaceae and moist meadows, fellfield, dry ledge, krummholz, and Mertensia bakeri Greene. Infrequent; dry meadow, patterned ground. AA/C. Minuartia stricta (Sw.) Hiern. Very rare; ledge. fellfield, dry ledge, and disturbed area. A/SRM. moist AA/C. Mertensia ciliata (James ex Torr.) G. Don. Infrequent; moist and wet meadows, shrub tundra, krummholz, and Moehringia lateriflora (L.) Fenzl. Rare; shrub tundra and rock debris habitats. BM/WNA. krummholz. AA/C. Moehringia macrophylla (Hook.) Fenzl. Very rare; Brassicaceae shrub tundra. BM/NA. Sagina saginoides (L.) Karst. Infrequent; moist Arabis drummondii Gray. Common; dry and moist meadow, fellfield, moist ledge, and disturbed area. AA/ meadows, fellfield, dry ledge, krummholz, talus, and C. disturbed area. BM/NA. Silene acaulis (L.) Jacq. var. subacaidis (F. N. Arabis lemmonii S. Wats. Very rare; talus. A/WNA. Williams) C. L. Hitchc. & Maguire. Common; dry and Cardamine cordifolia Gray. Infrequent; wet meadow, moist meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, and rivulet. BM/WNA. krummholz, talus, patterned ground, and disturbed area. Draba aurea Vahl. Infrequent; fellfield, talus, and dis- AA/NAA. turbed area. AA/C. Silene drummondii Hook. Rare; dry meadow and Draba crassa Rydb. Rare; dry ledge. A/RM. krummholz. BM/NA. Drafoa crassi/o/ta Graham. Infrequent; moist meadow, Silene kingii (S. Wats.) Bocquet. Rare; moist meadow fellfield, moist ledge, talus, and disturbed area. AA/NAE. and fellfield. A/SRM. Draba fladnizensis Wulfen. Rare; fellfield and talus. Silene uralensis Very rare; fellfield. AA/C. (Rupr.) Bocquet. AA/C. Draba incerta Payson. Rare; patterned ground and Stellaria longipes Goldie. Rare; krummholz and talus. disturbed area. AA/WNA. BM/NA. Draba nivalis Lilj. Very rare; dry ledge. AA/C. Stellaria umbellata Turcz. ex Kar. & Kir. Infrequent; Draba oligosperma Hook. Very rare; fellfield. AA/ WNA. moist and wet meadows, shrub tundra, talus, and dis- turbed area. A/NAA. Draba spectabilis Greene var. oxyloba (Greene) Gilg. ex O. E. Schulz. Infrequent; drv and moist meadows and Celastraceae fellfield. A/CO. Draba spectabilis Greene var. spectabilis. Rare; moist Pachistima myrsinites (Pursh) Raf. Very rare; talus. meadow and talus. M/RM. M/WNA. January 1987 HaRTMAN. ROTTMAN: COLORADO ALPINE FlORA 157

Crassulaceae Onagraceae

Sedunt integrifolium (Raf.) A. Nels. ex Coult. & A. Epilobiutn anagallidifolium Lam. Infrequent; moist Nels. Ubi(iuitou.s; dry, moist, and wet meadows, fellfield, and wet meadows, talus, rivulet, and disturbed area. dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, krummholz, talus, AA/C. rock debris habitats, rivulet, and disturbed area. AAJ NAA. Orobanchaceae Sedum lanceolatutn Torr. Common; dry and moist fellfield, dry ledge, krummholz, talus, and meadows, Orobanche uniflora L. Very rare; moist meadow. BM/ patterned ground. A/WNA. NA. Sedum rhodanthum Gray. Infrequent; moist and wet meadows, moist ledge, and shrub tundra. A/RM. Papaveraceae

Ericaceae Corydalis caseana Gray ssp. brandegii{S. Wats.)G. B. Ownbey. Common; moist and wet meadows, moist Arctostaphtjlos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. Very rare; moist ledge, shrub tundra, krummholz, talus, rivulet, snow- ledge. BM/NA. bank, and disturbed area. M/SRM. Caultheria httmifusa (Graham) Rydb. Very rare; moist ledge. BM/WNA. Polemoniaceae Vaccinium caespitosiim Michx. Common; dry and Polemonium delicatum Rydb. Very rare; krummholz. moist meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub M/SRM. tundra, and krummholz. BM/NA. Polemonium viscosum Nutt. Infrequent; dry and moist Vaccinium myrtillus L. ssp. oreophilum (Rydb.) Love, meadows, talus, and disturbed area. A/WNA. Love & Kapoor. Very rare; shrub tundra. BM/C. Polygonaceae Fabaceae Eriogonum jamesii Benth. var. xanthum (Small) Re- Lupinus argenteus Pursh. Infrequent; dry meadow, veal. Very rare; talus. A/WNA. dry ledge, shrub tundra, and talus. M/WNA. Eriogonum umbellatum Torr. Infrequent; dry Trifolium dasyphyllum Torr. & Gray. Infrequent; dry meadow, fellfield, dry ledge, and talus. M/WNA. meadow, fellfield, dry ledge, krummholz, and talus. A/ Oxyria digyna Hill. Common; moist meadow, fellfield, KM, dry ledge, talus, rock debris habitats, rivulet, and dis- Trifolium nanum Torr. Infrequent; dry meadow, fell- turbed area. AA/C. field, dry ledge, and patterned ground. A/RM. Polygonum bistortoides Pursh. Ubicjuitous;dry, moist, Trifolium parryi Gray. Ubiquitous; dry, moist, and and wet meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub wet meadows, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, tundra, krummholz, talus, patterned ground, rivulet, and krummholz, talus, snowbank, and disturbed area. A/RM. disturbed area. A/WNA. Polygonum douglasii Greene. Very rare; dry meadow. Gentianaceae BM/NA. Gentiana algida Pallas. Infrequent; dry and moist Polygonum viviparum L. Infrequent; dry and moist meadows, fellfield, and shrub tundra. AA/NAA. meadows, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, and rock Gentiana calycosa Griseb. Rare; moist meadow and crevice. AA/C. krummholz. A/VVNA. Portulacaceae Gentiana prostrata Haenke ex Jacq. Very rare; moist

ledge. AA/NAA. Claytonia lanceolata Pursh. Very rare; talus. M/WNA. (L.) Infrequent; dry and Gentianella amarella Rorner. Claytonia megarhiza (Gray) Parry ex S. Wats. Infre- meadows, fellfield, dry ledge, and shrub tundra. moist quent; fellfield, dry ledge, talus, patterned ground, and BM/C. rock debris habitats. A/RM. Gentianella tenella (Rottb.) Rorner. Infrequent; dry Lewisia pygmaea (Gray) B. L. Robins. Common; dry, moist meadows, moist ledge. AA/C. and and moist, and wet meadows, fellfield, moist ledge, shrub barbellata (Engelm.) litis. Very rare; Centianopsis tundra, talus, and rivulet. A/WNA. krummholz. A/SRM. Gentianopsis thermalis (Kuntze) litis. Infrequent; dry, Primulaceae moist, and wet meadows, and moist ledge. A/RM. Androsace septentrionalis L. Infrequent; dry and moist Swertia perennis L. Rare; moist meadow and shrub meadows, fellfield, talus, and patterned ground. AA/C. tundra. A/C. Primula parryi Gray. Infrequent; moist and wet mead- Geraniaceae ows, moist ledge, talus, and rivulet. A/RM.

Geranium richardsonii Fisch. & Trautv. Rare; dry Ranunculaceae ledge and krummholz. M/WNA. Anemone narcissiflora L. ssp. zephyra (A. Nels.) Love, Love & Kapoor. Common; dry, moist, and wet meadows, Hydrophyllaceae fellfield, moist ledge, krummholz, and shrub tundra. A/ Phacelia heterophylla Pursh. Rare; fellfield and talus. SRM. M/WNA. Aquilegia coerulea James. Infrequent; dry meadow, Phacelia sericea (Graham) Gray. Infrequent; dry fellfield, dry ledge, shrub tundra, krummholz, and talus. meadow, krummholz, talus, and disturbed area. A/WNA. M/RM. 158 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 47, No. 1

Caltha leptosepala DC. InfVe(}iient; moist and wet Ribes coloradense Coville. Verv rare; drv ledge. M/ meadows, moist ledge, shrub tundra, and rivulet. A/ SRM. wna. Ribes montigenum McClatchie. Verv rare; krumm- Delphinium barbetji (Huth) Huth. Very rare; talus. holz. BM/WNA. M/SRM. Saxifraga adscendens L. ssp. oregonensis (Raf.) Bacig. Ranunculus alisamifolius Geyer ex Benth. var. mon- Very rare; moist meadow. AA/NAE. tanus S. Wats. Infrequent; moist and wet meadows, Saxifraga bronchialis L. ssp. austromontana (Wieg.) moist ledge, shrub tundra, and rivulet. BM/WNA. Piper. Infrecjuent; fellfield, dry ledge, krummholz, talus, Ranunculus eschscholtzii Schlect. Infrecjuent; moist and patterned ground. A/WNA. and wet meadows and moist ledge. AA/NAA. Saxifraga caespitosa L. ssp. delicatula (Small) Porsild. Ranunculus macauleyi Gray. Common; moist and wet \'ery rare; patterned ground. AA/C. meadows, moist ledge, talus, rivulet, snowbank, and dis- Saxifraga chrysantha Gray. Very rare; patterned turbed area. A/SRM. ground. AA/NAA. Trollius laxus Salisb. ssp. albiflorus (Gray) Love, Love Saxifraga debilis Engelm. ex Gray. Infrequent; moist & Kapoor. Infrequent; moist and wet meadows, and meadow, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, and talus. A/RM. shrub tundra. BM/WNA. Saxifraga flagellar is Sternb. & Willd. ssp. platysepala (Trautv.) Porsild. Rare; fellfield and patterned ground. Rosaceae A/SRM. Saxifraga odontoloma Piper. Rare; wet meadow and Fragaria vesca L. ssp. arnericana (Porter) Staudt. moist ledge. BM/WNA. Rare; moist meadow and krummholz. BM/NA. Saxifraga oregana T. Howell ssp. montanensis Geum rossii (R. Br.) Ser. var. turhinatum (Rydb.) C. J. (Small) C. L. Hitchc. Infrequent; moist and wet meadows L. Hitchc. Ubiquitous; dr\', moist, and wet meadows, and shrub tundra. M/WNA. fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, krummholz, Saxifraga rhomboidea Greene. Common; dry and talus, patterned ground, rivulet, snowbank, and dis- moist meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub turbed area. AA/NAA. tundra, krummholz, talus, and rivulet. A/WNA. Ivesia gordonii (Hook.) Torr. & Gray. Common; dry and moist meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, Scrophulariaceae krummholz, talus, and disturbed area. M/WNA. Potentilhi diversifolia Lehni. Ubitiuitous; dry, moist, Resseya alpina (Gray) Rydb. Infrequent; dry and moist and wet meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub meadows, fellfield, dry ledge, talus, and patterned tundra, krummholz, talus, patterned ground, rivulet, ground. A/SRM. snowbank, and disturbed area. A/WNA. Castilleja occidentalis Torr. Ubiquitous; dry, moist, Potentilhi fruticosa L. ssp. floribunda (Pursh) Elking- and wet meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub ton. Infrequent; dry and moist meadows, fellfield, dry tundra, krvunmholz, talus, and disturbed area. A/RM. ledge, and talus. BM/C. Castilleja rhexifolia Rydb. Infrequent; moist meadow,

Potentilla nivea L. Infrequent; dry meadow, fellfield, shrub tundra, and ri\ ulet. BM/WNA. dry ledge, and patterned ground. AA/C. Mimulus guttatus DC. Rare; moist ledge and disturbed Potentilla ovina Macoun. Infrecjuent; fellfield, dry and area. BM/NA. moist ledges. M/WNA. Pedicularis bracteosa Benth. var. paysoniana (Pen- Potentilla rubricaulis Lehm. Rare; drv meadow and nell) Cronq. Rare; moist meadow and shrub tundra. M/ fellfield. AA/NA. RM. Potentilla subjuga Rydb. var. subjuga. Rare; dry Pedicidaris groeidandica Retz. Infrequent; moist and meadow and dry ledge. A/CO. wet meadows, moist ledge, shrub tundra, and rivulet. Rubus idaeus L. ssp. sachalinensis (Levi.) Focke. Very AA/NA. rare; talus. BM/NAA. Pedicularis parryi Gray. Infrequent; dry and moist Sibbaldia procumbens L. Ubicjuitous; dry, moist, and meadows, fellfield, drv and moist ledges, and shrub tun- wet meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub tun- dra. A/RM. dra, krummholz, talus, rivulet, and disturbed area. AA/C. Penstemon whippleanus Gray. Common; dry and moist meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub Salicaceae tundra, krummholz, and talus. M/RM.

Salix arctica Pallas. Infrequent; dry and moist mead- Veronica wormskjoldii Roemer & Shultes. Common; ows and patterned ground. A/WNA. dry, moist, and wet meadows, dry and moist ledges, shrub rivulet, Salix brachycarpa Nutt. Infrequent; moist ledge, tundra, krununholz, and disturbed area. shrub tundra, and krummholz. BM/NA. AA/NA. Salix glauca L. var. villosa (Hook.) Anderss. Rare; Valerianaceae shrub tundra and krummholz. BM/WNA. Salix planifolia Pursh. Rare; moist ledge and shrub Valeriana capitata Pallas ex Link. Very rare; fellfield. tundra. BM/NA. AA/NAA. Salix reticulata L. ssp. nivalis (Hook.) Love, Love & Valeriana edulis Nutt. ex Torr. & Gray. Rare; moist Kapoor. Infrequent; dry and moist meadows, fellfield, meadow and dry ledge. BM/WNA. dry ledge, and shrub tundra. A/WNA. Violaceae Sa,xifragaceae Viola adunca Sm. ssp. bellidifolia (Greene) Harring- Heuchera parvifolia Nutt. ex Torr. & Gray. Rare; ton. Infrequent; moist meadow, fellfield, and moist moist meadow and dry ledge. M/RM. ledge. BM/NA. January 1987 HARTMAN, ROTTMAN: COLORADO ALPINE FlORA 159

Viola nuttallii Pursh. Rare; dr\ meadow and dry ledge. Ltizula spicata (L.) DC. Ubi(}uitous; dry and moist M/VVNA. meadows, ielHield, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, talus, patterned ground, and disturbed area. A/RM.

ANTHOPH^TA - MONOCOTYLEDONEAE Liliaceae Cyperaceae Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh var. chrysandrurn Carex albonigra Mackenzie. Infrequent; moist (Applegate) Scroggan. Common; dry, moist, and wet meadow, moist ledge, shrub tundra, and talus. AA/WNA. meadows, fellheld, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, Carex aquatilis Wahlenb. Rare; wet meadow. AA/C. talus, and rivulet. M/RM. Carex arapahoensis Clokey. Rare; dry meadow and Lloydia serotina (L.) Salisb. ex Reichenb. Rare; dry rock debris habitats. A/SRM. meadow and dr\' ledge. AA/C. Carex brevipes VV. Boott. Very rare; moist meadow. Zigadenus elegans Pursh. Infrequent; dry and moist BM/NA. meadows, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, and Carex brunnescens (Pers.) Poir. Very rare; wet rivulet. AA/NA. meadow. BM/C. Carex ebenea Rydb. Common; dry, moist, and wet Poaceae fellfield, moist ledge, shrub tundra, talus, and meadows, Agropyron scribneri Vasey. Infrequent; dry meadow, disturbed area. .VRM. fellfield, dry ledge, krummholz, talus, and disturbed Carex elynoides Holm. Rare; fellfield. A/WNA. area. A/WNA. Carex foenea Willd. Infrequent; dry ledge, krumm- Agropyroti trachycatdum (Link) Malte ex H. F. Lewis holz, and talus. BM/NA. var. latiglume (Scribn. & Smith) Beetle. Common; dry Carex geyeri Boott. Very rare; krummholz. M/WNA. and moist meadows, fellfield, shrub tundra, talus, rock Carex haydeniana OIney. Infrequent; dry and moist debris habitats, and disturbed area. AA/NA. meadows, dry ledge, talus, and disturbed area. A/WNA. Agrostis scabra Willd. Verv rare; dry meadow. BM/ Carex heteroneura W. Boott var. chalciolepis (Holm) NA. F. Herm. Common; dry, moist, and wet meadows, J. Calwtuigrostis purpurascens R. Br. Infrequent; dry fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, talus, and and moist meadows, fellfield, dry ledge, and krummholz. disturbed area. A/WNA. AA/NAA. Carex heteroiieura W. Boott var. epapillosa (Macken- Danthonia intermedia Vasey. Infrequent; dry zie) F. J. Herm. Very rare; dry meadow. M/WNA. meadow, fellheld, and dry ledge. BM/NAA. Carex illota Bailey. Rare; moist and wet meadows. A/WNA. Deschampsia caespitosa (L.) Beauv. Ubiquitous; dry, moist, and wet meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, Carex nelsonii Mackenzie. Rare; fellfield and dry shrub tundra, talus, rock debris habitats, rivulet, and ledge. A/SRM. disturbed area. BM/C. Carex nigricans C. A. Mey. Infrequent; moist and wet glaucus Buckl. Very rare; krummholz. BM/ meadows, moist ledge, shrub tundra, and rivulet. A/ Elymus NAA. NA. Ubiquitous; Carex nova Bailey. Infrequent; moist meadow, moist Festuca brachyphylla Schultes. dry and fellfield, moist ledges, kriniim- ledge, shrub tundra, and rivulet. BM/WNA. moist meadows, dry and Carex phaeocephala Piper. Common; dry and moist holz, talus, patterned ground, rock debris habitats, and disturbed area. meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, krummholz, AA/C. talus, rock debris habitats, and disturbed area. A/WNA. Festuca ovina L. Very rare; moist meadow. AA/C. Carex praeceptorum Mackenzie. Very rare; wet Phleum alpinum L. Common; dry, moist, and wet meadow. A/WNA. meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, Carex pseudoscirpoidea Rydb. Very rare; shrub tun- krummholz, and disturbed area. AA/C. dra. A/WNA. Poa alpina L. Ubiquitous; dry, moist, and wet mead- Carex pyrenaica Wallenb. Infrequent; moist meadow, ows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub tundra, fellfield, and talus. A/C. krummholz, talus, rock debris habitats, snowbank, and Carex scopulorum Holm. Very rare; moist meadow. disturbed area. AA/C. A/WNA, Poa arciica R. Br. Rare; moist meadow and fellfield.

Eleocharis acicularis (L. ) Roemer & Schultes. Very A/RM. rare; wet meadow. A.VC. Poa epilis Scribn. Infrequent; dry and moist meadows, Kobresia myositroides (Vill.) Fiori & Paol. Rare; dry dry ledge, shrub tundra, and krinnmholz. BM/WNA. meadow and dry ledge. AA/C. Poa fendleriana (Steud.) Vasey. Infrequent; dr> and moist meadows, krummholz, and disturbed area. BM/ Juncaceae NA. Juncus drummondii E. Mey. Ubiquitous; dry, moist, Poa leptocoma Trin. Infrequent; moist meadow, dry and wet meadows, fellfield, dry and moist ledges, shrub ledge, and disturbed area. A/WNA. tundra, krummholz, talus, rivulet, and disturbed area. Poa rupicola Nash ex Rydb. Common; dry and moist A/WNA. meadows, fellfield, dry ledge, krummholz, patterned Juncus mertensianus Bong. Infrequent; moist and wet ground, and rock debris habitats. A/WNA. meadows, moist ledge, shrub tundra, rivulet, and dis- Poa sandbergii Vasey. Very rare; dry meadow. BM/ turbed area. A/NAA. NA. Juncus tracyi Rydb. Verv rare; disturbed area. M/ Stipa lettermanii Vasey. Very rare; dry meadow. M/ WNA. RM. 160 Great Basin Naturalist Vol. 47, No. 1

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