The Rocky Mountain flora is composed of species that range from widely distributed to narrowly endemic. Many species share similar distributions, which indicates that common processes have affected groups of species through time. We will explore some of the common distributional patterns inherent in the Rocky Mountain flora and discuss factors that influenced the distribution of contemporary diversity.  Rob was a Huron Valley Chapter sponsored (graduate) student for the MBC 2011 Spring Foray and is a Ph.D. Student at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan.