The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

tall Townsend daisy, tall townsendia

smallhead Townsend daisy

Habit Biennials or perennials, 6–15(–30+) cm (sometimes rhizomatous). Perennials, 1–3 cm (usually ± pulvinate).
Stems

± erect;

internodes 6–8(–25) mm, ± strigose.

± erect;

internodes 0.1–1 mm, ± villous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, blades spatulate to oblanceolate, 15–60(–120+) × 2–6(–10) mm (margins strigoso-ciliate), faces usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely strigillose.

basal and cauline, ± spatulate to oblanceolate, 3–8(–18) × 1–2.5 mm (not fleshy), faces ± villous.

Involucres

hemispheric or broader, (8–)12–25+ mm diam.

± campanulate, 4–8 mm diam.

Ray florets

15–55+;

corollas usually blue adaxially, laminae 12–20 mm, glabrous abaxially.

13–17;

corollas white adaxially, laminae 5–8 mm, glabrous abaxially.

Disc florets

(60–)100–150+;

corollas (3.5–)4–5+ mm.

number unknown;

corollas 4 mm.

Phyllaries

(30–)60–80+ in (4–)5–6+ series, the longer ± lanceolate, (7–)12–13+ mm (l/w = 3–5), apices acute to attenuate (most hard, apiculate), abaxial faces sparsely strigillose or glabrous.

ca. 26 in 3–4 series, the longer ± lanceolate, 5–8 mm (l/w = 3–5), apices acute, abaxial faces ± strigose to villous.

Heads

at tips of ± leafy stems.

± sessile.

Cypselae

3–4+ mm, faces ± hairy, hair tips forked or glochidiform;

pappi persistent;

on ray cypselae each a corona 0.1–0.5 mm;

on disc cypselae each of 8–12+ lanceolate scales 0.5–1 mm plus 1–2+ subulate to setiform scales 1–4 mm.

3–4 mm, faces glabrous or glabrate;

pappi readily falling, of 15–20 subulate to setiform scales 3–5 mm (± connate basally).

Townsendia eximia

Townsendia microcephala

Phenology Flowering (May–)Jul–Aug(–Oct). Flowering Jul.
Habitat Gravelly banks, canyon walls, with junipers, pinyons, and yellow pines Rocky slopes
Elevation (1900–)2100–2500(–3300) m ((6200–)6900–8200(–10800) ft) 2600 m (8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WY
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

The type of Townsendia microcephala may prove to be conspecific with that of T. spathulata.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 197. FNA vol. 20, p. 196.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Townsendia Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Townsendia
Sibling taxa
T. annua, T. aprica, T. condensata, T. exscapa, T. fendleri, T. florifera, T. formosa, T. glabella, T. grandiflora, T. gypsophila, T. hookeri, T. incana, T. jonesii, T. leptotes, T. mensana, T. microcephala, T. minima, T. montana, T. parryi, T. rothrockii, T. scapigera, T. smithii, T. spathulata, T. strigosa, T. texensis
T. annua, T. aprica, T. condensata, T. eximia, T. exscapa, T. fendleri, T. florifera, T. formosa, T. glabella, T. grandiflora, T. gypsophila, T. hookeri, T. incana, T. jonesii, T. leptotes, T. mensana, T. minima, T. montana, T. parryi, T. rothrockii, T. scapigera, T. smithii, T. spathulata, T. strigosa, T. texensis
Name authority A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 70. (1849) Dorn: Madroño 39: 189, fig. 1. (1992)
Web links