Townsendia leptotes

Perennials, 1-3 cm (± pulvinate). Stems ± erect; internodes 0.1-1 mm, strigose. Leaves basal and cauline, blades spatulate to narrowly obovate, (8-)12-25(-40+) × 1-2(-3+) mm, ± fleshy, faces ± strigose to strigillose or glabrate. Heads usually ± sessile, rarely on scapiform peduncles 5-15+ mm. Involucres ± campanulate, 8-12(-20+) mm diam. Phyllaries 40-50+ in 4-5+ series, the longer ± lanceolate, 7-9(-12) mm (l/w = 2.5-5), apices acute to attenuate, abaxial faces sparsely strigose or glabrous. Ray florets 13-34+; corollas usually white or pinkish, seldom blue, adaxially, laminae 5-7(-12+) mm, abaxially usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely glandular-puberulent. Disc florets 40-80+; corollas 4-6+ mm. Cypselae 3+ mm, faces glabrous or sparsely hairy (hairs mostly at bases), hair tips glochidiform; pappi persistent; on ray cypselae ca. 25 lanceolate or subulate to setiform scales 0-1 or 5-8 mm; on disc cypselae ca. 30 subulate to setiform scales 5-8 mm. 2n = 18.

Flowering Jun-Jul. Rocky ridges, sandy slopes; (2300-)2900-3800 m; Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Utah, Wyo.