Burke: Penstemon washingtonensis vs. Penstemon confertus

	Penstemon washingtonensis	Penstemon confertus
	Washington beardtongue	lesser yellow beardtongue
Habit	Tufted perennials from a loose, woody rhizome, the stems 1-2.5 dm. tall, usually glabrous below the glandular-hairy inflorescence.	Tufted perennial from a woody rhizome, the stems 2-5 dm. tall, mostly glabrous.
Leaves	Leaves opposite, entire, the basal ones well-developed and forming rosettes, 2.5-6 cm. long and 5-18 mm. wide; cauline leaves few, sessile, often reduced.	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 1-3 dense verticillasters; calyx 4-6 mm. long, the 5 segments tapered, with scarious margins; corolla deep blue or occasionally pale yellow, glandular-hairy, 9-12 mm. long, the tube narrow, only 2-3 mm. wide at the mouth, the raised portion of the lower lip bearded; pollen sacs glabrous, sub-rotund, 0.5-0.6 mm. long, wholly dehiscent, becoming opposite; staminode bearded toward the expanded tip.	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	Capsule 4-5 mm. long	Capsules 4-5 mm. long.

	Penstemon washingtonensis	Penstemon confertus
Flowering time	June-August	May-August
Habitat	From open slopes and flats at moderate elevations to alpine meadows.	Coniferous forest openings and open slopes from low to middle elevations.
Distribution	Occurring east of the Cascades crest, where endemic to Chelan and Okanogan in Washington. [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	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern	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. 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 floras: WA 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 washingtonensis

Penstemon confertus

Washington beardtongue

lesser yellow beardtongue

Habit

Tufted perennials from a loose, woody rhizome, the stems 1-2.5 dm. tall, usually glabrous below the glandular-hairy inflorescence.

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

Leaves

Leaves opposite, entire, the basal ones well-developed and forming rosettes, 2.5-6 cm. long and 5-18 mm. wide;

cauline leaves few, sessile, often reduced.

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 1-3 dense verticillasters;

calyx 4-6 mm. long, the 5 segments tapered, with scarious margins;

corolla deep blue or occasionally pale yellow, glandular-hairy, 9-12 mm. long, the tube narrow, only 2-3 mm. wide at the mouth, the raised portion of the lower lip bearded;

pollen sacs glabrous, sub-rotund, 0.5-0.6 mm. long, wholly dehiscent, becoming opposite;

staminode bearded toward the expanded tip.

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

Capsule 4-5 mm. long

Capsules 4-5 mm. long.