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

common Townsend daisy, common townsendia, slender townsendia

ground townsendia, tuft Townsend daisy, tuft townsendia

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

± erect;

internodes 0.1–1 mm, strigose.

± erect;

internodes 0.1–1 mm, ± strigose.

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

Involucres

± campanulate, 8–12(–20+) mm diam.

± campanulate, 12–20(–32) 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.

18–35;

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

Disc florets

40–80+;

corollas 4–6+ mm.

40–100+;

corollas 3.5–5.5 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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

2n

= 18.

Townsendia leptotes

Townsendia scapigera

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering May–Jul(–Aug).
Habitat Rocky ridges, sandy slopes Openings in sagebrush
Elevation (2300–)2900–3800 m ((7500–)9500–12500 ft) 1400–3400 m (4600–11200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; UT; WY
[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. 203. FNA vol. 20, p. 201.
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. microcephala, T. minima, T. montana, T. parryi, T. rothrockii, T. smithii, T. spathulata, T. strigosa, T. texensis
Synonyms T. sericea var. leptotes
Name authority (A. Gray) Osterhout: Muhlenbergia 4: 69. (1908) D. C. Eaton: in S. Watson, Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 145, plate 17, figs. 1–7. (1871)
Web links