Burke: Penstemon pruinosus

	Penstemon pruinosus
	Chelan beardtongue
Habit	Plants tufted from a stout, branched, and woody base, the stems 1-4 dm. tall; inflorescence always glandular-hairy, the rest of the plant varying from glandular-hairy to glabrous.
Leaves	Leaves opposite, usually sharply serrate, sometimes most of them entire; basal leaves well-developed, up to 10 cm. long and 2 cm. wide, the blades elliptic to ovate, equaling the petiole; cauline leaves sessile, triangular-ovate to narrowly lanceolate, smaller than the basal leaves.
Flowers	Inflorescence of several compact verticillasters; calyx 3-6 mm. long, the 5 segments broadly lanceolate; corolla deep blue or lavender, 11-16 mm. long, the tube slightly expanded, 2.5-5 mm. wide at the mouth, the throat paler and marked with guide lines, glandular-hairy externally, the raised portion of the lower lip bearded; pollen sacs glabrous, dehiscent throughout and becoming opposite; staminode with a bearded tip.
Fruits	Capsule 5-7 mm. long, glabrous.

	Penstemon pruinosus
Flowering time	May-July
Habitat	Open, rocky places from the valleys and plains to moderate elevations in the mountains, and in the scablands in Washington.
Distribution	Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Washington. [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. richardsonii, P. rupicola, P. rydbergii, P. serrulatus, P. speciosus, P. subserratus, P. triphyllus, P. venustus, P. washingtonensis, P. wilcoxii
Web links	Local floras: BC, 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 pruinosus

Chelan beardtongue

Habit

Plants tufted from a stout, branched, and woody base, the stems 1-4 dm. tall; inflorescence always glandular-hairy, the rest of the plant varying from glandular-hairy to glabrous.

Leaves

Leaves opposite, usually sharply serrate, sometimes most of them entire;

basal leaves well-developed, up to 10 cm. long and 2 cm. wide, the blades elliptic to ovate, equaling the petiole;

cauline leaves sessile, triangular-ovate to narrowly lanceolate, smaller than the basal leaves.

Flowers

Inflorescence of several compact verticillasters;

calyx 3-6 mm. long, the 5 segments broadly lanceolate;

corolla deep blue or lavender, 11-16 mm. long, the tube slightly expanded, 2.5-5 mm. wide at the mouth, the throat paler and marked with guide lines, glandular-hairy externally, the raised portion of the lower lip bearded;

pollen sacs glabrous, dehiscent throughout and becoming opposite;

staminode with a bearded tip.

Fruits

Capsule 5-7 mm. long, glabrous.