Mountain Hoary Tansyaster

Descrição:

This appears to very closely match what Dr. Stanley Welsh refers to as  Machaeranthera canescens var. monticola (which Welsh refers to as "Bracteate aster" and which he earlier moved from the species level to var. latifolia under "canescens" however it is not clear whether that it is even a proper synonym for this entity despite its inclusion as such by some sources). Note the glabrous leaves and broad involucral bracts. The taxon grows at montane elevations where it is also thought to be perennial (compared to the typically biennial habit of var. canescens). Notice also the relatively few ray flowers (although that has not been described as a characteristic of this entity).While Cronquist included this entity under var. canescens, he noted that it was a seemingly distinctive phase and that taxonomic recognition might be appropriate. FNA on the other hand, while not even including this name as synonym, apparently lumps it into Dieteria canescens var. canescens. At the very least it should have included "monticola" as a synonym or referenced it in some way; again and again I find FNA too often involves less complete and scholarly work than taxonomists primarily focusing on the Intermountain West, and frequently (but certainly not always) those authors often have little field experience in our area. So no one resource can be blindly followed or considered to be authoritative.No combination involving the specific epithet "monticola" has been made with Dieteria. So this may remain something that could slip through the cracks until more detailed studies are conducted. Genetic work is needed to figure out this complex.Cronquist alluded to these plants as being similar to M. commixta (treated earlier by Welsh as var. commixta under M. canescens, and by FNA as Dieteria bigloveii var. commixta, but "commixta" does not occur as far north in Utah as this location and has longer involucral bracts and its leaves tend to be more entire and lanceolate to oblanceolate shaped compared to the mostly linear leaves of var. canescens. Welsh currently recognizes M. commixta (but indicates that it could still just as easily be included as a variety under "canescens") and separately from "monticola." September 5, 2011, Wasatch Plateau, Huntington Canyon, near Huntington Creek, northwestern corner of Emery County, Utah at approx. 7,190 ft. elev.