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smooth Townsend daisy

Habit Biennials or perennials, 10–35(–75+) cm (usually rhizomatous and/or stoloniferous). Biennials (perhaps flowering first year, sometimes persisting), 3–12(–15+) cm.
Stems

erect;

internodes (5–)10–15(–35) mm, strigillose.

decumbent to erect;

internodes 3–12(–15+) mm, piloso-strigose.

Leaves

basal and cauline, blades spatulate to oblanceolate or lance-linear, 15–45(–75+) × 2–10(–20) mm, not fleshy (margins strigoso-ciliolate), glabrous or glabrate.

basal and cauline, blades spatulate to linear, 10–25(–50+) × 2–3(–8+) mm, not fleshy, faces ± strigose.

Involucres

± hemispheric or broader, 12–18+ mm diam.

± hemispheric or broader, 16–20(–30) mm diam.

Ray florets

20–34+;

corollas usually white or pinkish adaxially (abaxially blue to lavender), laminae 10–15(–25+) mm, glabrous abaxially.

13–34+;

corollas white or pinkish adaxially, laminae (8–)10–18+ mm, abaxially usually glandular-puberulent, rarely glabrous.

Disc florets

80–150+;

corollas 4 mm.

(80–)100–150+;

corollas (4–)5.5–6+ mm.

Phyllaries

30–45 in 4–6+ series, the longer obovate to lance-ovate or lanceolate, 10–12(–14) mm (l/w = 3–5), apices obtuse to acute (some or all hard, ± apiculate), abaxial faces sparsely strigillose or glabrous.

24–30+ in 3–4+ series, the longer ± lanceolate, (6–)9–11+ mm (l/w = 2.5–5), apices acute, abaxial faces strigose.

Heads

at tips of stems (seldom surpassed by leaves).

at tips of stems.

Cypselae

3–4(–5) mm, faces glabrous or ± stipitate-glandular, hair tips not forked or glochidiform;

pappi persistent, each a bidentate corona 0.1–0.4(–0.8) mm.

(3.5–)4–5+ mm, faces hairy, hair tips entire or forked;

pappi persistent;

on ray cypselae 20–30 subulate to setiform scales 2–6 mm;

on disc cypselae 20–30+ subulate to setiform scales (4–)5–7+ mm.

2n

= 18.

= 18.

Townsendia formosa

Townsendia florifera

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug(–Sep). Flowering Apr–Jun(–Aug).
Habitat Meadows, yellow-pine forests Gravelly flats with junipers and sagebrush
Elevation 2400–2600 m (7900–8500 ft) 400–2300 m (1300–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY
Discussion

J. H. Beaman (1957) considered plants intermediate between Townsendia florifera and T. parryi to be hybrids. Such intermediates occur in Montana (e.g., Jones in 1905 from Gallatin Co. and Suksdorf 282 from Park Co.), outside the known distribution of T. florifera.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 197. FNA vol. 20, p. 198.
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. 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. 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
Synonyms Erigeron florifer, T. florifera var. watsonii
Name authority Greene: Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 213. (1906) (Hooker) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 16: 84. (1880)
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