Burke: Penstemon acuminatus vs. Penstemon elegantulus

	Penstemon acuminatus	Penstemon elegantulus
	sand dune penstemon, sharp-leaved penstemon
Habit	Herbaceous, glabrous perennial from a short, branched woody base, with several stout stems 1.5-6 dm. tall, the herbage glaucous.
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.
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.
Fruits	Capsule 7-12 mm. long, excluding the slender beak, which is up to 5 mm. long.

	Penstemon acuminatus	Penstemon elegantulus
Flowering time	April-June
Habitat	Dry, open, sandy places at low elevations.
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]	[BONAP county map]
Origin	Native
Conservation status	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. 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
Subordinate taxa	P. acuminatus var. acuminatus
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 Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Penstemon elegantulus

sand dune penstemon, sharp-leaved penstemon

Habit

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

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.

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.

Fruits

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

Penstemon elegantulus

Flowering time

April-June

Habitat

Dry, open, sandy places at low elevations.

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]

Origin

Native

Conservation status

Not of concern

Sibling taxa