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tall Townsend daisy, tall townsendia

ground townsendia, tuft Townsend daisy, tuft townsendia

Habit Biennials or perennials, 6–15(–30+) cm (sometimes rhizomatous).
Stems

± erect;

internodes 6–8(–25) mm, ± strigose.

± erect;

internodes 0.1–1 mm, ± strigose.

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, blades ± spatulate to oblanceolate, 15–30(–70) × 2–5(–9) mm, not fleshy, faces ± strigose.

Involucres

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

± campanulate, 12–20(–32) mm diam.

Ray florets

15–55+;

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

18–35;

corollas white adaxially, laminae 7–16 mm, glandular-puberulent abaxially.

Disc florets

(60–)100–150+;

corollas (3.5–)4–5+ mm.

40–100+;

corollas 3.5–5.5 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.

16–32+ in 3–4+ series, the longer ± lanceolate, (7–)9–13 mm (l/w = 3–5), apices acute, abaxial faces piloso-strigose to strigose.

Heads

at tips of ± leafy stems.

on scapiform peduncles 30–60(–120) mm.

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.

4–5.5 mm, faces hairy, hair tips forked or entire;

pappi persistent;

on ray cypselae 20–30+ subulate to setiform scales 3–6+ mm;

on disc cypselae 20–30 subulate to setiform scales 5–7+ mm.

Townsendia eximia

Townsendia scapigera

Phenology Flowering (May–)Jul–Aug(–Oct). Flowering May–Jul(–Aug).
Habitat Gravelly banks, canyon walls, with junipers, pinyons, and yellow pines Openings in sagebrush
Elevation (1900–)2100–2500(–3300) m ((6200–)6900–8200(–10800) ft) 1400–3400 m (4600–11200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants that key here and have peduncles 5–15+ mm (sporting smaller heads, fewer ray florets, and smaller cypselae than are characteristic of Townsendia scapigera) may belong to T. jonesii (which see). Plants included here in T. scapigera from Sweetwater Mountains, California, with relatively large heads and high numbers of florets were identified on their labels (e.g., DeDecker 3928, RSA) as T. parryi, a species not known to occur in California.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 197. FNA vol. 20, p. 201.
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. microcephala, T. minima, T. montana, T. parryi, T. rothrockii, T. smithii, T. spathulata, T. strigosa, T. texensis
Name authority A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 70. (1849) D. C. Eaton: in S. Watson, Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 145, plate 17, figs. 1–7. (1871)
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