Burke: Penstemon acuminatus vs. Penstemon attenuatus

	Penstemon acuminatus	Penstemon attenuatus
	sand dune penstemon, sharp-leaved penstemon	taper-leaved beardtongue, sulphur penstemon, taper-leaved penstemon
Habit	Herbaceous, glabrous perennial from a short, branched woody base, with several stout stems 1.5-6 dm. tall, the herbage glaucous.	Tufted, perennial herbs from a crown, the stem 1-9 dm. tall, glabrous or finely pubescent below the inflorescence.
Leaves	Leaves opposite, thick and firm, the basal leaves tufted, oblanceolate, up to 15 cm. long and 2 cm. wide; cauline leaves sessile and clasping, progressively shorter and broader upward.	Leaves opposite, deep green, entire, the basal ones well developed, petiolate, up to 17 cm. long and 4 cm. wide, the cauline mostly sessile, reduced upward.
Flowers	Inflorescence of rather dense verticillasters, the bracts subtending the lower verticillasters broad and leafy, the upper ones reduced; calyx deeply 5-parted, the segments lanceolate, entire; corolla bright blue, tubular, 14-21 mm. long, the tube expanded toward the end; pollen sacs glabrous, dehiscent throughout and becoming opposite, 0.8-1.2 mm. long; staminode (sterile stamen) usually yellow-bearded for about 1 mm. toward the tip.	Inflorescence of 2-several dense verticillasters; calyx 4-7 mm. long, the 5 segments lanceolate to ovate or obovate, the margins scarious; corolla 2-lipped, glandular-hairy externally, blue or purple to pale yellow or nearly white, 12-20 mm. long, the tube expanded toward the mouth; staminode and raised portion of lower petal bearded; pollen sacs glabrous, becoming opposite.
Fruits	Capsule 7-12 mm. long, excluding the slender beak, which is up to 5 mm. long.	Capsules 6-8 mm. long.

	Penstemon acuminatus	Penstemon attenuatus
Flowering time	April-June	June-August
Habitat	Dry, open, sandy places at low elevations.	Dry to moist meadows and woodland slopes from the lowlands to the subalpine.
Distribution	Occurring east of the Cascades crest from Chelan and Douglas counties south along the Columbia River to Klickitat County; central Washington to north-central Oregon, also from southeastern Oregon to northern Nevada, east to southwestern Idaho. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southeastern British Columbia to northeastern Oregon, east to western Montana and Wyoming. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	P. attenuatus, P. barrettiae, P. cardwellii, P. cinereus, P. confertus, P. davidsonii, P. deustus, P. ellipticus, P. eriantherus, P. euglaucus, P. fruticosus, P. gairdneri, P. glandulosus, P. hesperius, P. lyallii, P. ovatus, P. palmeri, P. pennellianus, P. procerus, P. pruinosus, P. richardsonii, P. rupicola, P. rydbergii, P. serrulatus, P. speciosus, P. subserratus, P. triphyllus, P. venustus, P. washingtonensis, P. wilcoxii	P. acuminatus, P. barrettiae, P. cardwellii, P. cinereus, P. confertus, P. davidsonii, P. deustus, P. ellipticus, P. eriantherus, P. euglaucus, P. fruticosus, P. gairdneri, P. glandulosus, P. hesperius, P. lyallii, P. ovatus, P. palmeri, P. pennellianus, P. procerus, P. pruinosus, P. richardsonii, P. rupicola, P. rydbergii, P. serrulatus, P. speciosus, P. subserratus, P. triphyllus, P. venustus, P. washingtonensis, P. wilcoxii
Subordinate taxa	P. acuminatus var. acuminatus	P. attenuatus var. attenuatus
Web links	Local floras: OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Penstemon attenuatus

sand dune penstemon, sharp-leaved penstemon

taper-leaved beardtongue, sulphur penstemon, taper-leaved penstemon

Habit

Herbaceous, glabrous perennial from a short, branched woody base, with several stout stems 1.5-6 dm. tall, the herbage glaucous.

Tufted, perennial herbs from a crown, the stem 1-9 dm. tall, glabrous or finely pubescent below the inflorescence.

Leaves

Leaves opposite, thick and firm, the basal leaves tufted, oblanceolate, up to 15 cm. long and 2 cm. wide;

cauline leaves sessile and clasping, progressively shorter and broader upward.

Leaves opposite, deep green, entire, the basal ones well developed, petiolate, up to 17 cm. long and 4 cm. wide, the cauline mostly sessile, reduced upward.

Flowers

Inflorescence of rather dense verticillasters, the bracts subtending the lower verticillasters broad and leafy, the upper ones reduced;

calyx deeply 5-parted, the segments lanceolate, entire;

corolla bright blue, tubular, 14-21 mm. long, the tube expanded toward the end;

pollen sacs glabrous, dehiscent throughout and becoming opposite, 0.8-1.2 mm. long;

staminode (sterile stamen) usually yellow-bearded for about 1 mm. toward the tip.

Inflorescence of 2-several dense verticillasters;

calyx 4-7 mm. long, the 5 segments lanceolate to ovate or obovate, the margins scarious;

corolla 2-lipped, glandular-hairy externally, blue or purple to pale yellow or nearly white, 12-20 mm. long, the tube expanded toward the mouth;

staminode and raised portion of lower petal bearded;

pollen sacs glabrous, becoming opposite.

Fruits

Capsule 7-12 mm. long, excluding the slender beak, which is up to 5 mm. long.

Capsules 6-8 mm. long.

Penstemon attenuatus

Flowering time

April-June

June-August

Habitat

Dry, open, sandy places at low elevations.

Dry to moist meadows and woodland slopes from the lowlands to the subalpine.

Distribution

Occurring east of the Cascades crest from Chelan and Douglas counties south along the Columbia River to Klickitat County; central Washington to north-central Oregon, also from southeastern Oregon to northern Nevada, east to southwestern Idaho.

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]