Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Easter Daisy
Townsendia exscapa
Aster family (Asteraceae)

The Colorado Rockies have a number of Townsendias, almost all mat forming with large showy flowers that actually obscure the mat. It is not unusual to find various Townsendias either continuing their bloom or re-blooming well into the fall. Distinguishing among species takes time, patience, a hand lens, and a good botanical key. The effort is rewarded. Several Townsendia are called "Easter Daisy" because they bloom around Easter time. The was named for amateur and very expert botanist David Townsend (1787-1858) of West Chester, Pennsylvania. "Exscapa" means "without a stem, stemless."


©2009 Russ Kleinman, Western New Mexico
University Department of Natural Sciences and the
Dale A. Zimmerman Herbarium

Description

matted no more than two inches high. Leaves to 2 inches long and very narrow, hairy with mid-vein apparent. shingle in 4-7 layers with hairy margins (""). white or somewhat pink, without hairs. have 2 or 3 (hand lens needed).

Field Marks

Small, circular mat plants with large white flowers, blooming in spring.

© Al Schneider

style -- This is a long and thread-like structure that connects the stigma with the ovary. A flower may have a single style, or several of them.

A perennial plant lives and blooms for many years.

achene -- a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. For example, a rose hip holds a few achenes.

A herb is a plant whose stems die back to the ground in the winter.

ribbed -- having prominent, narrow parallel protrusions that extend over most of its length or circumference.

corolla -- The name for all the petals of a flower taken together.

Bracts are modified leaves associated with a flower.

ciliate -- fringed with hairs

genus -- A subdivision of a botanical Family in which all members have a significant number of similar characteristics.