View in other NatureServe Network Field Guides
NatureServe
Montana
Utah
Wyoming
Idaho
Wisconsin
British Columbia
South Carolina
Yukon
California
New York
Many-flowered Viguiera - Viguiera multiflora
Other Names:
Heliomeris multiflora
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Viguiera multiflora is rare to uncommon in Montana, where it occurs at the northern edge of its historical range. Data on population sizes and extent are limited, and it is unclear if the species is still extant at some of the historical collection sites. Overall, population trends are unknown. Habitat conversion, fire suppression, and vegetative succession may have negatively impacted some occurrences. Additionally, non-native, perennial grasses may have invaded some of the species' habitat. More recently, the species is being used ornamentally and in wildflower seed mixes where it appears to be escaping and persisting beyond its historical range. Observations of Viguiera multiflora along Highway 212, near Cooke City in Park County, are likely introduced. As a result there is some uncertainty concerning the species' true status in Montana, though native populations still appear vulnerable to extipation.
Research is greatly need to identify native versus introduced populations within and outside of Viguiera multiflora's native range. Monitoring at any introduced population is necessary to determine if the plants are persisting and/or spreading. Surveys are needed at all occurrences to document population sizes, extents, and viability, habitat conditions, and potential threats. Additional surveys are also needed into areas determined as having potential habitat in order to improve our understanding of Viguiera multiflora's distribution in Montana.
General Description
Many-flowered Viguiera is a perennial from a short taproot or fibrous rootstock with several stems standing 20-130 cm tall. All but the uppermost leaves are opposite on the stem. Leaves are 3-10 cm long and 8-30 mm wide, short-stalked or stalkless, narrowly oval in shape, and with pointed tips and surfaces with short, stiff hairs. Flower heads are borne at the ends of the branches. The involucre is 5-10 mm high, and composed of 2-3 series of narrow green bracts. Each head has 8-16 showy yellow rays that are 1-2 cm long by 3-5 mm wide, surrounding a disk, 6-15 mm across, composed of yellow tubular flowers. The black, hairless achenes are thick and angular in cross-section, lack bristles and scales at their tops, and are clasped by chaffy bracts as in a sunflower head.
Our plants are variety multiflora.
Phenology
Flowering in late July - August.
Diagnostic Characteristics
Viguiera multiflora belongs to the sunflower Tribe Heliantheae, which are distinguished from other composites by having opposite leaves and heads with chaffy bracts surrounding the achenes. It is distinguished within this group by the 4-sided achene and lack of a pappus. A hand lens and technical key are needed for positive identification.
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
MT to CA, AZ, NM and TX (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX). The species is used ornamentally and is being planted in areas outside of its native range and it may spread further from these plantings. As such, observations are expected outside of its suspected native range in Montana.
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 25
(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
Aspen woodlands and open slopes.
National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species
Forest and Woodland
Deciduous Forest and Woodland
Montane - Subalpine Forest and Woodland
Grassland
Montane - Subalpine Grassland
Wetland and Riparian
Riparian and Wetland Forest
Ecology
POLLINATORS The following animal species have been reported as pollinators of this plant species or its genus where their geographic ranges overlap:
Bombus bifarius,
Bombus flavifrons,
Bombus rufocinctus,
Bombus insularis, and
Bombus flavidus (Pyke et al. 2012, Williams et al. 2014).
Stewardship Responsibility
Threats or Limiting Factors
Reported threats to Montana's populations of Many-flowered Vigueria include habitat conversion, fire suppression, vegetation succession, and competition from invasive plant species, especially non-native perennial grasses.
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.- Pyke, G.H., D.W. Inouye, and J.D. Thomson. 2012. Local geographic distributions of bumble bees near Crested Butte, Colorado: competition and community structure revisited. Environmental Entomology 41(6): 1332-1349.
- Williams, P., R. Thorp, L. Richardson, and S. Colla. 2014. Bumble Bees of North America. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 208 p.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?- Culver, D.R. 1994. Floristic analysis of the Centennial Region, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Montana State University, Bozeman. 199 pp.
- 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.
- Web Search Engines for Articles on "Many-flowered Viguiera"
