Fort McCoy Military Reservation is a 24,180 ha United States Army training facility in west-central Wisconsin. In 1991 and 1992 I conducted the first extensive survey at the fort for rare vascular plants, documenting 89 stations of 14 species including four Wisconsin threatened and 10 Wisconsin watch-list species. Two species, bog bluegrass (Poa paludigena) and fame flower (Talinum ru-gospermum), were also listed as United States Fish and Wildlife Service Category 2; large populations of these grow at the fort. One formerly documented species, the Wisconsin endangered rough white lettuce (Prenanthes aspera), was apparently extirpated. I briefly describe my observations on population size, habitat and apparent threats. For convenience of reporting, the rare plants are discussed in an upland group (Artemisia dracunculus, Asclepias ovalifolia, Gentiana flavida, Opuntia fragilis, Polytaenia nuttallii, Solidago sciaphila, and Talinum rugospermum) and a lowland (or wetland) group (Bartonia virginica, Carex folliculata, Poa paludigena, Polygala cruciata, Rhexia vir-ginica, Scleria triglomerata, and Thelypteris simulata). Generally, rare plant conservation appears to be compatible with military training: both benefit from restoring and maintaining semi-open, savanna-like upland landscapes and preventing activities which would damage wetlands.
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