Common name:
Dwarf townsend daisy
Family:
Scientific name:
Townsendia minima
Main flower color:
Range:
Southwest Utah
Height:
1 or 2 inches
Habitat:
Rocky slopes; 6,000 to 10,000 feet
Leaves:
Spatulate, fleshy, up to half an inch long
Season:
April to June
Townsendia minima is a small, low growing species, forming compact mats only around one inch tall. Plants have hairy (strigose) stems, though these are generally hidden by the closely-spaced leaves, which also usually have a covering of sparse hairs. The small size is due to the plant's habitat of exposed mountain slopes, at high elevations; it is restricted to a small area of southwest Utah; Bryce Canyon is the most likely location.
Flowerheads are essentially stemless; they are enclosed by between 20 and 28 phyllaries, and consist of between 8 and 21 white or pale pink ray florets around a center of approximately twice that number of yellow disc florets. Phyllaries may be reddish along the margins, and are usually sparsely strigose.
Flowerheads are essentially stemless; they are enclosed by between 20 and 28 phyllaries, and consist of between 8 and 21 white or pale pink ray florets around a center of approximately twice that number of yellow disc florets. Phyllaries may be reddish along the margins, and are usually sparsely strigose.
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