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tall Townsend daisy, tall townsendia

sword Townsend daisy

Habit Biennials or perennials, 6–15(–30+) cm (sometimes rhizomatous). Perennials, 1–2 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, 7–10(–20) × 1.5–2(–4) mm little, it at all, fleshy, faces ± villous or sericeous.

Involucres

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

± urceolate, 6–12(–16) mm diam.

Ray florets

15–55+;

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

12–30+;

corollas white to pinkish adaxially, laminae 3–12 mm, abaxially usually glandular-puberulent, sometimes glabrous.

Disc florets

(60–)100–150+;

corollas (3.5–)4–5+ mm.

16–30+;

corollas 4–5+ 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.

16–24+ in 3–4 series, the longer lance-ovate to lanceolate, 6–8(–9) mm (l/w = 4–7), apices usually acute, sometimes attenuate, abaxial faces ± villous to strigillose.

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.

2.5–4 mm, faces hairy, hair tips glochidiform or forked;

pappi readily falling, of 14–30 subulate to setiform scales 4.5–6+ mm (± connate basally).

Townsendia eximia

Townsendia spathulata

Phenology Flowering (May–)Jul–Aug(–Oct). Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Gravelly banks, canyon walls, with junipers, pinyons, and yellow pines Open ridges
Elevation (1900–)2100–2500(–3300) m ((6200–)6900–8200(–10800) ft) 1600–2300 m (5200–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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. microcephala, T. minima, T. montana, T. parryi, T. rothrockii, T. scapigera, T. smithii, T. strigosa, T. texensis
Name authority A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 70. (1849) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 305. (1840)
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