Stephanomeria occultata

Stephanomeria occultata B.Wellard and J.W.Baker sp. nov.: TYPE: UTAH: Weber Canyon, Interstate 84, 3.3 km E of Morgan, 6 km W of Croydon, 1592 m, 41.05913°N, 111.585133°W, 3 Apr 2016, B. Wellard and J.W. Baker 611 (holotype: UT; isotype: RM).

Perennials long-lived, clonal plants mostly 37–100 cm tall from thick rhizomes. Stems mostly 1–12 or more at ground level with numerous ascending branches, tomentose throughout. Leaves green at flowering but sometimes withering below; leaves below midstem 4.3–12.1 cm long by 0.8–1.8 cm wide, leaves at mid-stem 595 and above 3.9–8.2 cm long by 0.3–0.9 cm wide, uppermost leaves well-developed, not bractlike, leaves linear to narrowly oblanceolate or spatulate, apices rounded to acute, margins entire, slightly sinuate or lower leaves irregularly lobed or toothed; faces tomentose. Heads borne terminally on a peduncle with subsidiary heads arising laterally below, or heads borne singly along branches. Peduncles mostly 5–35(–50) mm long, bracteate, tomentose. Involucres (7–) 9–14 mm high by 3–5 mm wide, cylindric; principal phyllaries 7–10, glabrous or sparingly setulose to strigulose; outer calyculate bracts ca. 7–14, 1–7 mm long, glabrous or sometimes sparsely tomentose; receptacles naked, not pitted. Florets (6–)8–14(–16), ligules (8–)10–14 mm long, lavender-pink to whitish, rarely peach, limbs exceeding the involucre by 5–12 mm. Cypselae tan, 4–5mmlong by 0.8–1.3 mm wide, faces antrorsely setulose to strigulose. Pappi white with (19–)25–35(–40), wholly plumose bristles, 6.5–8 mm long, bristles connate in groups or single. Chromosome number 2n=16 (diploid).