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

largeflower Townsend daisy

common Townsend daisy, common townsendia, slender townsendia

Habit Biennials or perennials, (2–)3–15(–30) cm. Perennials, 1–3 cm (± pulvinate).
Stems

± erect;

internodes (0.1–)2–25(–50) mm, strigose.

± erect;

internodes 0.1–1 mm, strigose.

Leaves

basal and cauline, blades spatulate to oblanceolate or linear, 20–40(–90+) × 1–5(–10) mm, not fleshy (margins strigoso-ciliate), faces usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely strigillose (midribs scabrous).

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

Involucres

hemispheric, (8–)10–14+ mm diam.

± campanulate, 8–12(–20+) mm diam.

Ray florets

20–40;

corollas usually white adaxially, laminae 7–15(–20+) mm, glabrous abaxially.

13–34+;

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

Disc florets

(60–)80–120+;

corollas 4–6 mm.

40–80+;

corollas 4–6+ mm.

Phyllaries

30–40+ in 4–5+ series, the longer lance-ovate to lanceolate, 8–10(–12+) mm (l/w = 3–5), apices acute to attenuate (most hard, apiculate), abaxial faces sparsely strigillose or glabrous.

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.

Heads

at tips of stems (usually surpassed by leaves).

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

Cypselae

3.5–4+ mm, faces hairy, hair tips forked or glochidiform;

pappi persistent;

on ray cypselae each a corona 0.1–0.5 mm or 10–20 subulate scales 1–2.5 mm;

on disc cypselae 15–30 subulate to setiform scales (4–)5–6 mm.

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.

2n

= 18.

= 18.

Townsendia grandiflora

Townsendia leptotes

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug(–Sep). Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Grassy slopes, gypseous shales Rocky ridges, sandy slopes
Elevation 1300–2400 m (4300–7900 ft) (2300–)2900–3800 m ((7500–)9500–12500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; NE; NM; SD; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 20, p. 197. FNA vol. 20, p. 203.
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. 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. mensana, T. microcephala, 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 Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 7: 306. (1840) (A. Gray) Osterhout: Muhlenbergia 4: 69. (1908)
Web links