Common & scientific name
Rothrock’s townsendia, Townsendia rothrockii
Family
Aster, Asteraceae
Location
NOT DISCLOSED TO PROTECT THIS RARE PLANT
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
This rare Colorado endemic is ranked G2, “imperiled globally,” by the Global Heritag Program and S2, “imperiled in state,” by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. It has been documented in only a few dozen places in central and southwest Colorado. It is a life honor and privilege to find Rothrock’s townsendia, and should be treated as such. The good news: the specimens I found on July 22 numbered in the hundreds, in a very small area at almost 13,000’.