Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, April 27, 2007.

This sprawling miniature is abundant on hot dry hills and can occur singly or in extensive patches.  It ranges from an inch to seven inches tall with usually just a single, large flower.   Leaf and stem are hairy and basal leaves are commonly dry by flowering time.

Bassett Maguire (1904-1990) collected the first specimen of this plant for science in 1936 in Cottonwood Wash near Bluff, Utah, but it was not until 1957 that John Beaman (1929-) described and named the plant. 

Foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring.
Mesa Verde National Park, April 26, 2007. 

This Townsendia is a rare Colorado endemic, occurring in just a few western counties.  In 2007, Mesa Verde National Park purchased a small parcel of land on its northeastern flank to protect one of the few locations of this plant.  T. glabella occurs only on the Smokey Hill Member of Mancos Shale, Oyster Beds.

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring.
Top of Yellow Jacket Canyon, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, April 4, 2007.

This very handsome, definitely cute, Asteraceae is one of our favorites.  Few plants have such bright, large, and numerous flowers in relation to their height and width.  Ray flowers are brilliant white but are often tinged with pink or lavender, especially on the back side.  Leaves are crowded, hairy, and taper.  Flowers often barely exceed the leaves.

Townsendia incana is quite common and once one gets to know its habitat of open sandy soils, it is easy to find.  Of the seven main species of Townsendia in the Four Corners area, T. incana is by far the most common.  There are at least 25 species of Townsendia, all in Western North America.  Determining the exact species of Townsendia is, as Intermountain Flora puts it, "notoriously difficult", because they share many similar characteristics and the characteristics are variable.  See the photo below for some of these variables.

Thomas Nuttall collected the first specimen of Townsendia incana "On the Black Hills" (Nuttall's words as quoted in Intermountain Flora) on his trip with the Wyeth Expedition of 1834-1837.  The first member of the Townsendia genus was collected a decade earlier in Saskatchewan by John Richardson (for whom our very common and lovely Geranium richardsonii was named). 

Foothills to alpine. Woodlands, openings. Spring, summer.
Lone Mesa State Park, June 11, 2008.

This is normally a species of the high mountains and tundra but in Lone Mesa State Park it is found at about 7,500 feet on Mancos Shale where it is abundant.  Leaves are narrow, up to two inches long, and surpass the flower heads, which are no more than one inch across.