My main ID resource was the Jepson Manual when I originally posted the images here. I went with I. c. ssp. montana based not so much on the abbreviated characters mentioned at the last key break, but rather on the more detailed subspecies description: "Plant cespitose; leaf generally palmately-lobed; hairy; n&c High Sierra Nevada". (Bold emphasis here is mine.) This contrasts with the description of I.c. palmifrons: "Stem 1Ð3 dm; leaf palmately 5-lobed, sparsely hairy; Generally woodlands, scrub of foothills, montane; Elev 1500Ð2750 m; Great Basin Floristic Province. While "leaf palmately 5-lobed" and elevation pulled towards ssp. palmifrons ... the hairiness; cespitose habit; geographic locale; barren scree "alpine-like" habitat where I found this plant; and the inclusion of the "wiggle-room" term generally in describing ssp. montana as "3-lobed" .... all combined to make me veer towards ssp. montana. Also, Steve Matson's CalPhotos images of ssp. montana seemed very similar to mine and, though his leaves were not 3-lobed, he also opted for ssp. montana based on hairiness (though his specimens also fit ssp. montana better elevation-wise.)

The difficulties here in separating these two subspecies are consistent with the comment in the Jepson Manual stating ssp. palmifrons "intergrades with ssp. montana in n CaR, MP". Subsequent to receiving your comment, I found a record for ssp. palmifrons in the same locale where I photographed these specimens. Assuming that was correctly determined, it tips the ID here towards palmifrons. So do the images from the "Oregon Online Flora" which I just found for ssp. palmifrons versus ssp. montana . (However, to add to the confusion, the Oregon Flora images seem to indicate ssp. palmifrons has a more cespitose habit than montana, contrary to the impression given in JEPS93.)

In light of the above, I'm fine with leaving these images under I. c. ssp. palmifrons...though perhaps the most prudent action would be to move them to I. congesta, as the two subspecies seem poorly differentiated here."