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Cliff Toothwort - Cardamine rupicola
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Cardamine rupicola is endemic to Montana. Worldwide, this species is only found in the Mission Mountains, Swan Range, and mountains in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. Its rarity increases the risk of and making it vulnerable to extinction. Low threats related to recreational activities have been reported, though the nature of its remote, alpine habitat presumes that populations are mostly stable. Climate change poses a potential risk to the state's population under the conditions of increased temperatures and decreased snowpack levels.
Monitoring at a subset of occurrences is necessary to determine populations trends. Continued revisit surveys to known occurrences, at specified intervals, that collect population, habitat, and potential threat information is needed to refine and maintain accurate and timely state conservation status ranks.
General Description
Rhizomatous perennial. Stems prostrate to ascending, to 15 cm. Leaves thick; those born on rhizome and stem similar, palmately to pinnately divided into 3 to 7 oblanceolate lobes or leaflets 1–4 cm long. Petals 7–13 mm long. Fruits erect, 15–40 mm × 1–2 mm; the beak 4–6 mm long; pedicels 1–2 cm long (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Phenology
Flowering in June and July
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
Montana endemic.
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 78
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
Sparsely vegetated, stony soil or talus derived from limestone in the subalpine and alpine zones.
National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species
Alpine
Alpine - Sparse and Barren
Alpine - Vegetated
Wetland and Riparian
Alpine Riparian and Wetland
Stewardship Responsibility
Threats or Limiting Factors
Reported threats to Montana's populations of Cliff Toothwort are related to recreational activities; however, impact data is not available. Climate change poses a potential risk to the state's populations. The MTNHP conducted a species-level assessment using the Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) in 2021, which resulted in a Highly Vulnerable rating to climate change. Climate change including increased ambient temperatures, decreased snowpacks, and increased frequencies and severities of drought could have negative impacts on this species; however, field-based data on the timing and magnitude from climate change is not available.
References
- Literature Cited AboveLegend:
View Online Publication- Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
MTNHP Threat Assessment. 2021. State Threat Score Assignment and Assessment of Reported Threats from 2006 to 2021 for State-listed Vascular Plants. Botany Program, Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, Montana.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?- Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
- Rollins, R. C. 1993. The Cruciferae of Continental North America: systematics of the mustard family from the Arctic to Panama. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. 976 pp.
- Web Search Engines for Articles on "Cliff Toothwort"
