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Rydberg's beardtongue

Habit Tufted perennial from a woody rhizome, the slender stems 2-7 dm. tall, usually glabrous throughout.
Leaves

Leaves opposite, entire, the basal ones petiolate, oblanceolate, often forming rosettes, up to 15 cm. long and 2 cm. wide;

cauline leaves few, well-developed, sessile, not over 10 cm. long and 2 cm. wide.

Flowers

Inflorescence of 1-several dense verticillasters, the flowers spreading at right angles to the stem;

calyx 3-7 mm. long, the 5 segments narrowly scarious-margined, tapering to a pointed tip;

corolla blue-purple, 11-15 mm. long, bilabiate, the tube expanded, 3-5 mm. wide at the mouth; raised portion of the lower petal bearded;

staminode usually bearded at the expanded tip;

pollen sacs glabrous, ovate, 0.6-1.0 mm. long, dehiscent throughout and becoming opposite.

Fruits

Capsule 5-6 mm. long.

Penstemon rydbergii

Flowering time May-July
Habitat Meadows and moist, open slopes, occasionally on drier slopes with sagebrush, chiefly in the foothills and at moderate elevations in the mountains.
Distribution
Occurring east of the Cascades in Washington; Washington to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
[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. serrulatus, P. speciosus, P. subserratus, P. triphyllus, P. venustus, P. washingtonensis, P. wilcoxii
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