Taxon Report

Townsendia leptotes (Gray) Osterh.

slender townsendia

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Taxon Summary

Townsendia leptotes, commonly known as slender townsendia, is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Alpine boulder and rock field, growing at elevations from 3275 to 3810 meters. Townsendia leptotes is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Townsendia leptotes (Gray) Osterh.
Common Name:	slender townsendia
Family:	Asteraceae
Element Code:	PDAST9C0F0
USDA Plants Symbol:	TOLE
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug	Jun-Aug
Elevation:	3275-3810 (10745-12500)
General Habitats:	Alpine boulder and rock field
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G4
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	9
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	8

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), Mono (MNO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Blanco Mtn. (3711842), Chalfant Valley (3711853), Juniper Mtn. (3711862), Mt. Barcroft (3711852), White Mtn. Peak (3711863)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	2
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	2	22 %
Foot traffic/trampling	2	22%
Erosion/runoff	1	11%

Notes



Known in CA from the White and Inyo mountains. Possibly threatened by recreation. Rare in NV. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 16:85 (1880) for original description, Muhlenbergia 4:69 (1908) for revised nomenclature, and Great Basin Naturalist 30(1):38-39 (1970) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 22 November 2025].