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common Townsend daisy, common townsendia, slender townsendia

smallhead Townsend daisy

Habit Perennials, 1–3 cm (± pulvinate). Perennials, 1–3 cm (usually ± pulvinate).
Stems

± erect;

internodes 0.1–1 mm, strigose.

± erect;

internodes 0.1–1 mm, ± villous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, blades spatulate to narrowly obovate, (8–)12–25(–40+) × 1–2(–3+) mm, ± fleshy, faces ± strigose to strigillose or glabrate.

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

Involucres

± campanulate, 8–12(–20+) mm diam.

± campanulate, 4–8 mm diam.

Ray florets

13–34+;

corollas usually white or pinkish, seldom blue, adaxially, laminae 5–7(–12+) mm, abaxially usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely glandular-puberulent.

13–17;

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

Disc florets

40–80+;

corollas 4–6+ mm.

number unknown;

corollas 4 mm.

Phyllaries

40–50+ in 4–5+ series, the longer ± lanceolate, 7–9(–12) mm (l/w = 2.5–5), apices acute to attenuate, abaxial faces sparsely strigose 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

usually ± sessile, rarely on scapiform peduncles 5–15+ mm.

± sessile.

Cypselae

3+ mm, faces glabrous or sparsely hairy (hairs mostly at bases), hair tips glochidiform;

pappi persistent;

on ray cypselae ca. 25 lanceolate or subulate to setiform scales 0–1 or 5–8 mm;

on disc cypselae ca. 30 subulate to setiform scales 5–8 mm.

3–4 mm, faces glabrous or glabrate;

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

2n

= 18.

Townsendia leptotes

Townsendia microcephala

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Jul.
Habitat Rocky ridges, sandy slopes Rocky slopes
Elevation (2300–)2900–3800 m ((7500–)9500–12500 ft) 2600 m (8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; UT; WY
[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. 203. FNA vol. 20, p. 196.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Townsendia Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Townsendia
Sibling taxa
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. 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
Synonyms T. sericea var. leptotes
Name authority (A. Gray) Osterhout: Muhlenbergia 4: 69. (1908) Dorn: Madroño 39: 189, fig. 1. (1992)
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