completes its life cycle early in the growing season. 

 Furthermore, T. parviflorum is a short-lived perennial and 

 populations probably benefit from moderate disturbance. Current 

 management practices are probably not detrimental to populations 

 of this plant. 



Townsendia florifer (Hook.) Gray 



Showy townsendia 



DESCRIPTION: Showy townsendia is an annual to short-lived 

 perennial herb with 1-several ascending stems, 5-15 cm (2-6 in) 

 high, from a simple taproot. Leaves are spoon-shaped, 2-6 cm (1- 

 2 in) long at the base, and reduced upward. Foliage is sparsely 

 to densely covered with short, appressed hairs. 1-few stalked 

 flower heads are borne at the tips of the stems. Each head has 

 3-4 series of narrow, overlapping, green or purple, involucral 

 bracts, 7-10 mm long; 13-34 pink ray flowers, 7-12 mm long; and 

 yellow disk corollas, 3-6 mm long. The hairy seeds (achenes) , 

 are topped by straight, stiff bristles, 1-6 mm long in ray 

 flowers and 3-8 mm long in disk flowers. 



Most of our species of Townsendia are low, nearly stemless 

 plants. The only other species with stems greater than 5 cm (2 

 in) is T. parryi which has blue to lavender rays and involucral 

 bracts, 9-16 mm long. 



GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION 



Global distribution: central Washington to Nevada east to 

 southwest Montana and northwest Wyoming. 



Montana distribution: Beaverhead County 



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