Western Blanketflower

Perennials, 5–35 cm. Leaves mostly cauline; petiolar bases 2–8 cm; blades obovate to oblanceolate or spatulate, mostly 2–5(–8) cm × 5–25 mm, margins usually entire, sometimes obscurely lobed or toothed, faces sparsely villous. Peduncles 2–6(–10) cm. Phyllaries 18–24+, lanceolate-ovate to lanceolate-attenuate, 8–12 mm, villous with jointed hairs. Receptacular setae 0.3–2 mm. Ray florets 7–10; corollas yellow, 12–16 mm. Disc florets 60–100+; corollas yellow, tubes 0.8–1.2 mm, throats cylindric to urceolate, 4–4.5 mm, lobes ovate-deltate, 0.8–1.2 mm, jointed hairs 0.3+ mm. Cypselae obpyramidal, 3–4 mm, hairs 1.5–2 mm, inserted at bases and on angles and faces; pappi of 10 lanceolate, aristate scales 5–6.5+ mm (scarious bases 3.5–4.5 × 0.8–1.5 mm). 2n = 34.

Gaillardia spathulata A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 12: 59. 1876
A caulescent perennial, with a thick woody caudex; stems 1-2 dm. high, branched, leafy, puberulent; leaves petioled, scattered, alternate; petioles about 1 cm. long or less; blades spatulate, or the upper oblanceolate, 1.5-4 cm. long, puberulent and conspicuously punctate, thick; peduncles 3-5 cm. long; involucral bracts ovate-lanceolate, short-acuminate, hirsute; fimbrillae of the receptacle setaceous, shorter than the achenes; ray-flowers neutral; ligules yellow, 10-12 mm. long, deeply 3-cleft; disk yellow, about 1.5 cm. broad; corollas about 6 mm. long; tube very short; throat funnelform; lobes triangular, ovate, pubescent; achenes densely villous all over; squamellae lanceolate, including the awns 6-7 mm. long, surpassing the corollas.
Type locality: Rabbit Valley, Utah. Distribution: Central Utah.