Townsendia sericea Hooker var. leptotes A. Gray, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 16: 85. 1880

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.