Stretched out strigose townsendia

Description:

Townsendia strigosa, this form treated as var. prolixa by Stan Welsh. Prolixa means stretched out and was first used by Marcus Jones to describe its habit but with a different specific epithet. It is best treated however as simply Townsendia strigosa.This picture best shows the red prostrate, sprawling stems. Var. prolixa as circumscribed by Welsh has broad persistent basal leaves that are spatulate to elliptical and long-cuneate basally, and abruptly acute apically.As strictly interpreted by Welsh, this variety only occurs in Utah's Duchesne and Grand Counties. However, the species also occurs in Utah in Daggett, Uintah and Carbon Cos. and it is unclear whether plants in Uintah Co. are the same variety or not. FNA treats this only at the species level. The species occurs in adjoining Colorado in only two western counties, and is a state rare (S1) species there. The species also occurs in southwestern to central Wyoming (where it has been given an S3 ranking historically) as well as in northeastern to east central Arizona and northwestern New Mexico.In Utah, this taxon is currently ranked by the Utah Native Plant Society as one of "High" priority/concern, and is facing numerous energy development and recreational use threats.Flowers can be white or pink.May 6, 2006, Duchesne County, Utah, approx. 5110 ft. elev.