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Cardwell's beardtongue

Penstemon pennellianus

Blue Mountains beardtongue, Pennell's beardtongue

Habit Low shrub, the stems 1-3 dm. tall, ascending or erect. Glabrous perennial from a branched crown, with several stout stems 2-6 dm. tall.
Leaves

Leaves opposite, glabrous, the largest on short, sterile shoots, serrulate or nearly entire, short-petiolate, the blades elliptic, 1.5-3.5 cm. long and 6-14 mm. wide;

leaves of the flowering shoots less crowded, smaller, sessile and entire.

Leaves opposite, entire, the basal ones clustered, up to 27 cm. long and 4 cm. wide, petiolate, the blade lanceolate or narrowly elliptic;

cauline leaves mostly sessile, broad and clasping.

Flowers

Inflorescence racemose, few-flowered and crowded, glandular, the simple pedicels opposite and axillary;

calyx 5-12 mm. long, the 5 segments thin and lanceolate;

corolla bright purple to deep blue-violet, 30-38 mm. long, about 1 cm. wide at the mouth, keeled on the back, glabrous outside and with long, white hairs near the base of the lower lip within;

anthers long-wooly, pollen sacs opposite;

staminode slender, shorter than the 4 fertile filaments, long-bearded toward the tip

Inflorescence of several verticillasters;

calyx 5-cleft nearly to the base, 6-9 mm. long, the segments narrow and acuminate;

corolla bilabiate, bright blue, 25-33 mm. long, about 1 cm. wide at the mouth, glabrous;

pollen sacs 1.9-2.5 mm. long, divaricate, twisted, dentate along the sutures, the inner end indehiscent;

fertile stamens 4;

sterile stamen short-bearded toward the tip.

Fruits

Capsule

Capsule 9-12 mm. long.

Penstemon cardwellii

Penstemon pennellianus

Flowering time May-July May-June
Habitat Open or wooded summits or slopes at middle elevations in the mountains. Open, gravelly and sandy slopes and ridges, sometimes associated with ponderosa pine forest openings, at middle elevations.
Distribution
Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern Washington to southwestern Oregon.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington; southeastern Washington to the Blue Mountains in adjacent northeastern Oregon.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Native Native
Conservation status Not of concern Sensitive in Washington (WANHP)
Sibling taxa
P. acuminatus, P. attenuatus, P. barrettiae, 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. procerus, P. pruinosus, P. richardsonii, P. rupicola, P. rydbergii, P. serrulatus, P. speciosus, P. subserratus, P. triphyllus, P. venustus, P. washingtonensis, P. wilcoxii
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