1 a B 2 A/B a 3 B 4

ATTACHMENT SS2

REGION 2 SENSITIVE SPECIES EVALUATION FORM

Species: Cryptantha crassisepala (Torr. & A. Gray) Greene thick-sepal cryptantha SYNONYMS: Eritrichium crassisepalum Torr. & Gray; Krynitzkia crassisepala (Torr. & Gray) A. Gray Species comprises two varieties, both of which occur in R2: var. crassisepala var. elachantha I.M. Johnst.

Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations var. crassisepala: se-most (Baca and Las Animas Cos) CO and sw-most (Morton and Stevens Cos) KS. A [Vouchers at KANU from Baca and Prowers Cos, CO and Morton and Stevens Cos, KS.] Note: Reports that species occurs in other KS Cos are based on misidentified specimens of C. minima, a much more wide- • Anderson 1950 spread taxon in R2 (CO, KS, NE, SD and WY, fide Freeman). It is that evaluator’s opinion that, in light of this • Clark 1996 fact, the voucher on which Hazlett reported species from Weld Co CO requires re-examination.] • Freeman in prep. 1 Status: G5T5?; KS S2. • Great Plains Flora Association 1977 Distribution Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low • Hazlett 1998 within R2 • Kaul 1991 var. elachantha: sw ¼ (?) of CO. Weber & Wittman (2001b) cite taxon as “abundant weedy desert annual, • Weber & Wittman 2001a particularly on Mancos shale.” • Weber & Wittman 2001b Status: G5?T5? B Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low var. crassisepala: Martin & Hutchins report taxon from ne-most and s-central counties only in NM. Other A/B published accounts (eg, Cronquist et al.; Sivinski) report that species is restricted to se-most NM and Trans- Pecos TX. However, R.L. McGregor (pers. comm.) relates that he suspects taxon occurs continuously from se-most CO and sw-most KS, s through w TX and e NM. Evaluator has seen only a single specimen from NM and none from TX, and I have no basis for evaluating the validity of these competing claims and cannot • Cronquist et al. 1984 2 ascertain whether taxon occurs as two widely disjunct populations [rank A] or in a continuous distribution • Freeman in prep. • Martin & Hutchins 1980 Distribution from s TX to s CO & KS [rank B]. outside R2 Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low • Sivinski 1998 • Weber & Wittman 2001b var. elachantha: se 2/3 of UT, e through sw ¼ (?) of CO, s through sw 2/3 of NM (and sw-most TX?), and into n Chih; thence n and w into AZ (fide Cronquist et al.; Sivinski) A Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low Evaluator was unable to find any information about species’ dispersal capability, although members of the genus are usually assumed to be wind- or animal dispersed. Species does appear to be limited by habitat 3 requirements, however.

Dispersal B Capability Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low var. crassisepala: Taxon is limited to a few counties in the s-central part of R2. There, however, Freeman B reports that taxon may be very abundant. Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low 4 • Freeman 1989

Abundance in • Weber & Wittman 2001b var. elachantha: Weber & Wittman cite taxon as “abundant weedy desert annual, particularly on Mancos R2 B shale.” Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low

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Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations var. crassisepala: Freeman reports that populations in the Cimarron NG may consist of many thousands of B plants, covering as many as 7000 acres in area. He concludes that taxon is “probably relatively secure,” noting that neither livestock grazing nor development for oil and gas drilling appear to have had a impact on extant populations, even though “[n]early all populations occur on grazed prairie.” However, taxon’s range is restricted to only four counties in s-central part of R2 and extant populations appear to be limited by 5 substrate requirements. Freeman recommended additional monitoring. • Freeman 1989 Population Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low • Weber & Wittman 2001b Trend in R2

var. elachantha: Evaluator was unable to find any information on population trends in R2. However, Weber & Wittman cite taxon as “abundant weedy desert annual, particularly on Mancos shale.” B Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low var. crassisepala: Freeman reports, and observation of herbarium specimen labels at KANU confirms, that taxon is frequently found in sandy sites, particularly in sandsage prairies or on stabilized dunes, and rarely B found on clay soils. Within R2, habitat is subject to grazing by livestock or (less often) development for oil and gas drilling or conversion to cropland. Taxon occupies only a small area within R2; in KS it is known only from sandsage prairies along the Cimarron River. Freeman reports that habitat in the Cimarron NG was largely undisturbed in 1988, despite its use for livestock grazing; however, populations have not been 6 surveyed since. • Freeman 1989 Habitat Trend Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low • Weber & Wittman 2001b in R2

var. elachantha: Cronquist et al. report that taxon occurs “[o]n sandy (sometimes alkaline) or seldom clay soils in the desert.” Evaluator was unable to find direct information about habitat trends in R2, except that B Weber & Wittman cite taxon as “abundant weedy desert annual, particularly on Mancos shale.” Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low var. crassisepala: Freeman reports that taxon was not observed by him on “exposed, shifting sand in B blowouts and is probably not an early successional species.” Although Freeman did not observed decline in 7 extant populations from grazing, it is likely that taxon may not respond well to habtiat disturbance from Habitat intensive livestock grazing or other kinds of disturbance. • Freeman 1989 Vulnerability Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low or Modification var. elachantha: Evaluator was unable to find information on taxon’s required habitat. D Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low Annual forb. Flowering and fruiting April through mid July. Observation of herbarium specimens at KANU reveals that this annual specie often sets rather abundant fruit. However, seed is reported to be an important 8 food sources for some species of rodents. It is unknown to evaluator what effect seed predation may have Life History D on population size or longevity. • Henderson 1990 and Demographics Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low

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Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations Evaluator: Caleb A. Morse, R.L. McGregor Herbarium (KANU), University of Kansas Campus West, 2045 Constant Ave, Lawrence KS 66047 Date: 12/29/01

National Forests in the Rocky Mountain Region where species is KNOWN (K) or LIKELY (L)1 to occur:

NOTE: “C” = var. crassisepala; “E” = var. elachantha

South Dakota Colorado NF/NG Kansas NF/NG Nebraska NF/NG Wyoming NF/NG NF/NG Likely Likely Likely Likely Likely Known Known Known Known Known

Arapaho-Roosevelt Samuel R.McKelvie Cimmaron NG C3 Black Hills NF Shoshone NF NF NF White River NF Halsey NF Buffalo Gap NG Bighorn NF Routt NF Nebraska NF Ft. Pierre NG Black Hills NF Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, E Ogalala NG Medicine Bow NF Gunnison NF San Juan NF Thunder Basin NG Rio Grande NF E? C? Pawnee NG 2 Pike-San Isabel NF Comanche NG C? 2 Reported by Hazlett (q.v. for citation of voucher specimen); identification is suspect [see sect 1]. 3 Voucher specimens cited in Freeman (1989). [Voucher not cited in Freeman: KANU catalog # 78115: KS, Morton Co: ca 8 mi N Elkhart, Cimarron NG, S of FR 690, 0.55 mi E jct w/ KS 27, T34S R42W S4 S½ of SE¼, Elev 3410–3440 ft, 20 Jul 1988, C.C. Freeman, R.E. Brooks, & C.L. Lauver 2669.]

REFERENCES Anderson, J.M. 1950. Annotated List of the Vascular Flora of Baca County, Colorado. M.A. Thesis, University of Colorado. 39 pp. Clark, D.A. 1996. A floristic survey of the Mesa de Maya Region, Las Animas county, Colorado. Nat. Hist. Invent. Colorado 17: 1–44.

1 Likely is defined as more likely to occur than not occur on the National Forest or Grassland. This generally can be thought of as having a 50% chance or greater of appearing on NFS lands.

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Cronquist, A., A.H. Holmgren, N.H. Holmgren, J.L. Reveal, and P.K. Holmgren. 1984. Intermountain Flora Vol. 4: Subclass Aseridae (except Asteraceae). New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, New York. 573 pp. Freeman, C.C. 1989. Rare plants of the Cimarron National Grassland, Kansas, Final Report. Reports of the State Biological Survey of Kansas. Lawrence, Kansas. ix + 238 pp. Freeman, C.C. in prep. Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Grassland Biome of Central North America. Great Plains Flora Association. 1977. Atlas of the Flora of the Great Plains. Iowa State University Press. Ames, Iowa. xii + 600 pp. Hazlett, D.L. 1998. Vascular plant species of the Pawnee National Grassland. General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-17. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Fort Collins, Colorado. 26 pp. Henderson, C.B. 1990. The influence of seed apparency, nutrient content, and chemical defenses on dietary preference in Dipodomys ordii. Oecologia 82: 333–341. Kaul, R.B. 1991. Boraginaceae, pp. 683–701 in Great Plains Flora Association, Flora of the Great Plains. University Press of Kansas. Lawrence, Kansas. vii + 1402 pp. Martin, W.C. and C.R. Hutchins. 1980. A Flora of New Mexico. J. Cramer. Vaduz, Germany. xiii + 2591 pp. Sivinski, R.C. 1998. The genus Cryptantha New Mexico. New Mexico Bot. 8 (online at: http://web.nmsu.edu/~kallred/herbweb/newpage24.htm#he02038) Weber, W.A. and R.C. Wittman. 2001a. Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope (3rd Edition). University Press of Colorado. Boulder, Colorado. xl + 521 pp. Weber, W.A. and R.C. Wittman. 2001b. Colorado Flora: Western Slope (3rd Edition). University Press of Colorado. Boulder, Colorado. xxxvii + 488 pp.

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