Burke: Penstemon fremontii vs. Penstemon confertus

	Penstemon fremontii	Penstemon confertus
		lesser yellow beardtongue
Habit		Tufted perennial from a woody rhizome, the stems 2-5 dm. tall, mostly glabrous.
Leaves		Leaves opposite, entire, the lower ones petiolate, up to 15 cm. long and 2.5 cm. wide and forming a rosette; cauline leaves sessile, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, up to 10 cm. long and 2.5 cm. wide.
Flowers		Inflorescence of 2-10 compact verticillasters, the lower remote; bracts of the inflorescence with uneven margins; calyx 3-5 mm. long, the 5 segments with broad, uneven margins and a abrupt, slender tip; corolla ochroleucous or light yellow, 8-12 mm. long, the tube narrow, 2-3.5 mm. wide at the mouth, the short limb weakly bilabiate, the staminode and raised lower petal bearded; pollen sacs purple, glabrous, 0.4-0.7 mm. long, becoming opposite.
Fruits		Capsules 4-5 mm. long.

	Penstemon fremontii	Penstemon confertus
Flowering time		May-August
Habitat		Coniferous forest openings and open slopes from low to middle elevations.
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Alberta, Idaho and Montana. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin		Native
Conservation status		Not of concern
Sibling taxa	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	P. acuminatus, P. attenuatus, P. barrettiae, P. cardwellii, P. cinereus, 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
Web links	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	Local floras: BC, 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 fremontii

Penstemon confertus

lesser yellow beardtongue

Habit

Tufted perennial from a woody rhizome, the stems 2-5 dm. tall, mostly glabrous.

Leaves

Leaves opposite, entire, the lower ones petiolate, up to 15 cm. long and 2.5 cm. wide and forming a rosette;

cauline leaves sessile, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, up to 10 cm. long and 2.5 cm. wide.

Flowers

Inflorescence of 2-10 compact verticillasters, the lower remote;

bracts of the inflorescence with uneven margins;

calyx 3-5 mm. long, the 5 segments with broad, uneven margins and a abrupt, slender tip;

corolla ochroleucous or light yellow, 8-12 mm. long, the tube narrow, 2-3.5 mm. wide at the mouth, the short limb weakly bilabiate, the staminode and raised lower petal bearded;

pollen sacs purple, glabrous, 0.4-0.7 mm. long, becoming opposite.

Fruits

Capsules 4-5 mm. long.