| This study marks the first floristic inventory of Valley and Phillips counties on the glaciated plains of northeastern Montana. The 8,954 sq mi (23,191 sq km) study area was surveyed for all vascular plant taxa on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, State of Montana, American Prairie Reserve, and The Nature Conservancy. Elevation ranges from 2,020--5,720 ft (616--1,743 m). In the summers of 2010 and 2011, 12,785 voucher specimens were collected from 308 sites documenting 761 unique taxa, 717 species, and 358 genera from 86 families. Among these are 108 taxa exotic to Montana, nine noxious weed species, and 15 taxa of conservation concern. Approximately 32% of the taxa collected are newly documented within the area. Results are enumerated in an annotated checklist and vegetation types are described. Analyses of the study's sampling adequacy are also discussed. |
