Podistera eastwoodiae (Coult. & Rose) Mathias & Constance

Family: Apiaceae

Description: This is a small inconspicuous alpine species. It is similar in appearance to Oreoxis (now in Cymopteris), but is distinguished by the presence of a stylopodium.

Distribution: Northern New Mexico, southern Colorado, and southwest Utah.

Habitat: Highest elevations in alpine tundra down to subalpine forest.
NM LOCATIONS: Mora Co.: National Forest - w/o location (Andrews s.n., UNM); Pecos Baldy (Peterson pers. obs.): Santa Fe Co: Santa Fe Baldy (Sivinski 3904 UNM); Nambe Lake (Peterson pers. obs.); Taos Co.: Costilla Massif (Peterson pers. obs.).

Status: Weber (1987) gives the CO distribution as the Elk Mts. (west-central CO) south to NM. The COLO data base has a collection from Costilla Co. near the CO/NM border. Welsh et al. (1987) call this species "rare" in the La Sal Mts. of southwest UT. This little alpine plant is rarely collected in NM, but may be overlooked. My personal experience is that it is not abundant within its habitat, but I suspect it occurs on most of the high mountain peaks at the southern end of the Rockies.

Ron Hartman adds:
Based on the 6 major floristic projects which we have undertaken in CO http://www.rmh.uwyo.edu, Podistera eastwoodiae certainly is much more widespread than one would get from Weber.

Information Compiled By: Robert Sivinski, 1998