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sword Townsend daisy

common Townsend daisy, common townsendia, slender townsendia

Habit Perennials, 1–2 cm (usually ± pulvinate). Perennials, 1–3 cm (± pulvinate).
Stems

± erect;

internodes 0.1–1 mm, ± villous.

± erect;

internodes 0.1–1 mm, strigose.

Leaves

basal and cauline, ± spatulate, 7–10(–20) × 1.5–2(–4) mm little, it at all, fleshy, faces ± villous or sericeous.

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

Involucres

± urceolate, 6–12(–16) mm diam.

± campanulate, 8–12(–20+) mm diam.

Ray florets

12–30+;

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

13–34+;

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

Disc florets

16–30+;

corollas 4–5+ mm.

40–80+;

corollas 4–6+ mm.

Phyllaries

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.

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

± sessile.

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

Cypselae

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).

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.

Townsendia spathulata

Townsendia leptotes

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Open ridges Rocky ridges, sandy slopes
Elevation 1600–2300 m (5200–7500 ft) (2300–)2900–3800 m ((7500–)9500–12500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
MT; 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. 196. 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. 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
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: 305. (1840) (A. Gray) Osterhout: Muhlenbergia 4: 69. (1908)
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