Missouri Foxtail Cactus #1
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ATTACHMENT SS2 REGION 2 SENSITIVE SPECIES EVALUATION FORM Species: Coryphantha missouriensis (Sweet) Britton & Rose Missouri River coryphantha Evaluator’s note: Benson (1982) circumscribed species to include four infraspecific varieties, two of which are considered to occur within R2: var. caespitosa (Englem.) L.D. Benson [within R2: known only from s-most KS (mapped by Benson from Cowley Co KS, but possibly occurring along the KS-OK border)] SYNONYMS: Escobaria missouriensis (Sweet) D.R. Hunt var. similis (Engelm.) N.P. Taylor, Neobesseya similis (Engelm.) Britton & Rose, Neomamillaria similis (Engelm.) Britton & Rose [Rydberg 1932] var. missouriensis [within R2: scattered populations from nw-most WY, e through SD; s through NE and KS; disjunct in w and central CO; thence n to s-central WY] SYNONYMS: Escobaria missouriensis (Sweet) D.R. Hunt var. missouriensis, Mammillaria missouriensis Sweet, Neobesseya missouriensis (Sweet) Britton & Rose, Neomamillaria missouriensis (Sweet) Britton & Rose [Rydberg 1932] After an attempt to sort out specimens at KANU, however, R.L. McGregor (unpubl. manu.) concluded that Benson’s varieties leave much to be desired, at least for Great Plains material. In his examination of KANU material and subsequent re-reading of Benson’s distribution map, McGregor suggests that species may comprise distinct Rocky Mountain and Great Plains populations and that further taxonomic work is warranted. I treat the species without infraspecific varieties here, but future work bear on the conclusions drawn here. Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations • Benson 1982 Discontinuously distributed from nw- (Park) and ne-most (Campbell and Crook Cos) WY, e across s ½ of • Freeman in prep. SD, s through NE (where apparently largely restricted to the nw ¼); throughout the central 2/3 of KS (disjunct?); disjunct in central and sw-most CO, n to Carbon Co WY. [Vouchers at KANU from numerous cos • Great Plains Flora Association 1977 1 in KS; Logan, Morrill, and Sheridan Cos, NE; Haakon, Lyman, Sully, and Tripp Cos, SD; and Crook Co, • Hartman 1997 Distribution A WY.] • Kaul 1991 within R2 Status: G5; NE S2S3. • McGregor unpubl. manu. • Weber & Wittman 2001a Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low • Weber & Wittman 2001b • Benson 1982 • Correll & Johnston 1979 Discontinuously distributed from central ID, nw-most WY and s ½ of MT, e across s 2/3 of ND, s to sw-most • Freeman in prep. AR and central TX; thence n through the panhandle of TX, central and sw-most CO, nw ¼ of NM; and w 2 through central and e-central AZ; thence n into s-central UT. Absent from central WY, sw ¼ and e ½ of NE, • Hartman 1997 • Kaul 1991 Distribution B w 1/3 of KS, and e 1/3 of CO. [Following Benson’s treatment, var. marstonii is endemic to n-central AZ and outside R2 s-central UT and var. robustior is endemic to central and n-central TX.] • Martin & Hutchins 1980 • McGregor unpubl. manu. Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low • Weber & Wittman 2001a • Weber & Wittman 2001b Evaluator was unable to find any direct information on dispersal capability. However, herbarium specimens often contain unmolested fruits from previous years, suggesting that seed dispersal is not particularly 3 effective. Dispersal D Capability Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low USDA-Forest Service R2 Sensitive Species Evaluation Form Page 1 of 4 ATTACHMENT SS2 Species: Coryphantha missouriensis (Sweet) Britton & Rose Missouri River coryphantha Evaluator’s note: Benson (1982) circumscribed species to include four infraspecific varieties, two of which are considered to occur within R2: var. caespitosa (Englem.) L.D. Benson [within R2: known only from s-most KS (mapped by Benson from Cowley Co KS, but possibly occurring along the KS-OK border)] SYNONYMS: Escobaria missouriensis (Sweet) D.R. Hunt var. similis (Engelm.) N.P. Taylor, Neobesseya similis (Engelm.) Britton & Rose, Neomamillaria similis (Engelm.) Britton & Rose [Rydberg 1932] var. missouriensis [within R2: scattered populations from nw-most WY, e through SD; s through NE and KS; disjunct in w and central CO; thence n to s-central WY] SYNONYMS: Escobaria missouriensis (Sweet) D.R. Hunt var. missouriensis, Mammillaria missouriensis Sweet, Neobesseya missouriensis (Sweet) Britton & Rose, Neomamillaria missouriensis (Sweet) Britton & Rose [Rydberg 1932] After an attempt to sort out specimens at KANU, however, R.L. McGregor (unpubl. manu.) concluded that Benson’s varieties leave much to be desired, at least for Great Plains material. In his examination of KANU material and subsequent re-reading of Benson’s distribution map, McGregor suggests that species may comprise distinct Rocky Mountain and Great Plains populations and that further taxonomic work is warranted. I treat the species without infraspecific varieties here, but future work bear on the conclusions drawn here. Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations Weber & Wittman (2001a, 2001b) cites species as “very inconspicuous and probably infrequent” in CO and McGregor cites species as “relatively rare.” It appears that species is never common where it occurs and 4 populations may be vulnerable to local extinction events [rank B; see sects 5 & 7]. However, as currently • McGregor unpubl. manu. • Weber & Wittman 2001a Abundance in B/C circumscribed, species is very broadly distributed and likely secure overall. R2 • Weber & Wittman 2001b Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low Species is apparently historically uncommon, occurring in widely scattered populations throughout the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions and McGregor suggests that populations may face local extinction from 5 damage by livestock grazing and plant collecting [rank A]. Evaluator was unable to find evidence for general • McGregor unpubl. manu. Population A/B population trends for species in R2. However, species is very broadly distributed and it is unlikely that most Trend in R2 populations are threatened [rank B]. Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low Species is generally found on rocky, limestone soils, habitat frequently subject to livestock grazing, which anecdotal evidence suggests may be detrimental at the local level (see sect 7) [rank A]. This, in combination • Freeman 1989 6 with the long-term effects of fire suppression in mixed and tallgrass prairies, may signal general decline in • McGregor unpubl. manu. Habitat Trend A/D suitable habitat for species throughout much of species’ e range. However, evaluator is not aware of studies • Ostlie et al. 1997 in R2 on species’ habitat [rank D]. • Schifferdecker 1981 Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low Generally found on thin, rocky, limestone soils in prairies; however, species occurs on a variety of 7 substrates, including gypsum and stabilized sand dunes. According to McGregor, species is found more • Kaul 1991 Habitat often in ungrazed- than in grazed areas, who notes that “trampling by livestock dislodges or otherwise • McGregor unpubl. manu. Vulnerability B destroys the plants.” or • Schifferdecker 1981 Modification Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low USDA-Forest Service R2 Sensitive Species Evaluation Form Page 2 of 4 ATTACHMENT SS2 Species: Coryphantha missouriensis (Sweet) Britton & Rose Missouri River coryphantha Evaluator’s note: Benson (1982) circumscribed species to include four infraspecific varieties, two of which are considered to occur within R2: var. caespitosa (Englem.) L.D. Benson [within R2: known only from s-most KS (mapped by Benson from Cowley Co KS, but possibly occurring along the KS-OK border)] SYNONYMS: Escobaria missouriensis (Sweet) D.R. Hunt var. similis (Engelm.) N.P. Taylor, Neobesseya similis (Engelm.) Britton & Rose, Neomamillaria similis (Engelm.) Britton & Rose [Rydberg 1932] var. missouriensis [within R2: scattered populations from nw-most WY, e through SD; s through NE and KS; disjunct in w and central CO; thence n to s-central WY] SYNONYMS: Escobaria missouriensis (Sweet) D.R. Hunt var. missouriensis, Mammillaria missouriensis Sweet, Neobesseya missouriensis (Sweet) Britton & Rose, Neomamillaria missouriensis (Sweet) Britton & Rose [Rydberg 1932] After an attempt to sort out specimens at KANU, however, R.L. McGregor (unpubl. manu.) concluded that Benson’s varieties leave much to be desired, at least for Great Plains material. In his examination of KANU material and subsequent re-reading of Benson’s distribution map, McGregor suggests that species may comprise distinct Rocky Mountain and Great Plains populations and that further taxonomic work is warranted. I treat the species without infraspecific varieties here, but future work bear on the conclusions drawn here. Criteria Rank Rationale Literature Citations Long-lived, low cactus. Flowering mid May through mid June; fruiting mid June through July, but fruits often persistent through following year. Evaluator was able to find no other information on life history, although 8 seed dispersal appears to be somewhat limited and R.L. Brooks (pers. comm.) has collected bees of the Life History A family Megachilidae from Mexican congenerics [rank A is very qualified]. • Kaul 1991 and Demographics Confidence in Rank High or Medium or Low 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: 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. USDA-Forest Service R2 Sensitive Species Evaluation Form Page 3 of 4 ATTACHMENT SS2 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 X Cimmaron NG Black Hills NF X Shoshone NF X NF R.McKelvie NF White River NF X Halsey NF Buffalo Gap NG X Bighorn NF Routt NF X Nebraska NF X Ft. Pierre NG X Black Hills NF X Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, X Ogalala NG X Medicine Bow NF X Gunnison NF Thunder Basin San Juan NF X X NG Rio Grande NF X Pawnee NG Pike-San Isabel NF X Comanche NG REFERENCES Benson, L.D.