[The Genus Townsendia East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Showy Townsendia, Showy Townsend-daisy

Townsendia florifer

Synonyms: Townsendia florifer var. florifer, Townsendia florifer var. watsonii

The photo above shows showy townsendia as seen in sandy to gravelly soils atop cliffs on the east bank of the Columbia River to the northeast of Vantage, WA..........June 22, 2006.

The photo at right shows Townsendia florifera from highway roadside 12 miles northwest of Silver Lake, OR........late June, 1995.

Characteristics:

Showy townsendia is an attractive biennial wildflower with a low growth form. Plants range from 5-16 cm across and have a coarse, appressed hairy herbage. The leaves are long with broad spatulate blades tapering gradually to the long petiole. The lower leaves range from 2-5 cm long with the upper leaves narrower and shorter.

The numerous flower heads are mostly at the ends of the branches. The cup-shaped involucre is 8-10 mm high with wide, lanceolate bracts with white or purplish margins. The 15-30 rays are 9-12 mm long and range from white, cream, pink or lavender in color. The central disk is yellow.

Habitat:

Showy townsendia may be found on dry open plains and foothills, often with sagebrush at elevations up to 1900 meters.

Range:

Showy townsendia may be found east of the Cascade Mts. in Washington and Oregon extending to eastern Idaho and extreme southwest Montana, south to western Utah and norhtern Nevada.

Showy townsendia blooming along the Chimney Rock Trail, Lower Crooked Wild and Scenic River (BLM).......May 10, 2018.

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Showy townsendia as seen on scabland above the pond along the Rimrock Springs Trail #850, Crooked River National Grasslands..........May 20, 2017.

Showy townsendia as seen from sand flats near the Lost Forest, central Oregon, mid July 1995.

Paul Slichter