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Photo by Zach Coury; Zach Coury; Zach Coury
Western Townsend-daisy
Townsendia mensana
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G2
State (S-rank): S2?
External links
Phenology
Flowering from April to May.
Diagnostic characteristics
Townsendia mensana is often easy to separate from other species when in its range and habitat. Those searching should look for narrow, linear leaves that form a dense cushion, and small flower-heads. Other possible Townsendia growing in arid, relatively low elevation locations in the Uinta Basin and Tavaputs Plateau regions include T. incana (silvery townsendia) and T. strigosa (strigose townsendia). T. strigosa is readily separable from T. mensana thanks to its more lax and spreading habit, as well as its reddish stems. In some cases, T. mensana can be challenging to discern from incana,especially when the species grow in the same area. This occurs when individuals have wider, larger, and rounder leaves than usual.
Species range
The species tracks the southern margin of the Uinta Basin and the northern flank of the East and West Tavaputs plateaus. The range extends from Starvation Reservoir in Duchesne County, to Dragon in Uintah County, and barely crosses over the border there into Rio Blanco Cty. Colorado. There is also a population around Raven Ridge, south of Hwy. 40 near the UT-CO border. Townsendia mensana occurs in areas with a variety of land ownerships, including BLM, USFS (Ashley NF), Private, SITLA, and Uintah and Ouray Tribal Lands.
