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. 

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, April 27, 2005. 

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.

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

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). 

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

The rose-purple tinge of the phyllaries is sometimes not present and at other times is even more extensive and obvious than shown in this photo, but other Townsendia can also have this coloring.  The hairiness of the phyllaries and tufts of hair at their tips can be a distinguishing factor among the Townsendia species, but, again, these characteristics vary and are shared by a number of Townsendia.  This photograph shows three different length phyllaries.  Some Townsendia have only one rank of phyllaries, some have up to seven.

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, May 13, 2004.

The common name "Easter Daisy" was given because someone saw the plant blooming at Easter, but its dates of blooming depend, of course, on spring rains, altitude, etc., not on the advent of Easter which varies with the coming of the full moon.  This is another example of the problem with common names.  

The plant is commonly found in bloom from March through June.  I have also found Townsendia incana blooming in the fall and early winter, as late as December.