Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Slender Townsendia
Townsendia leptotes
Aster family (Asteraceae)

This Townsendia is normally a species of and ridges and sandy areas. It can be massively abundant in the spring. Leaves of this species are narrow, up to two inches long, sparingly hairy; they sometimes surpass the flower heads, which are no more than one inch across. Dozens of flowers can almost totally obscure the mound of leaves. Charles Parry was the first to collect this species for science. He found it in Middle Park, Colorado in 1864. "Leptotes" is Greek for "delicate." Compare this species with T. exscapa.


©2009 Al Schneider

Description

stemless in tight mound to 1+" high and to 10" inches across. Leaves to almost 2" long, very narrow, usually . about 1/3 inch high and 1 1/2 times as wide. in 4-7 series, narrow with hairy margins often colored purple. 13-34, the white, cream, or pink, up to 1/3" long. an .

Field Marks

Numerous mounds of very narrow light green leaves almost covered with 1" white flowers.

© Al Schneider

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

linear -- Long and very narrow like a blade of grass.

phyllaries -- Leaflike bracts covering the flowers before opening and remaining under the flower after it opens. Also called "bracts". Only used with the sunflower family (Asteraceae).

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.

subalpine -- Just below the timberline.

ray flowers -- The outer petals of a sunflower or daisy are ray flowers.

Involucre is the name given to the circle or spiral collection of bracts around a flower-cluster.

fruit -- any seed-bearing structure in flowering plants. It is formed from the ovary after flowering.

montane -- inhabiting mountainous country but below timberline.

A perennial plant lives and blooms for many years.