The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Alberta beardtongue, Alberta penstemon

Habit Herbs.
Stems

ascending to erect, (10–)15–38 cm, glabrous or sparsely retrorsely hairy, sometimes also sparsely glandular-pubescent.

ascending to erect, 2–6(–8) cm, pubescent or densely retrorsely hairy.

Leaves

basal and cauline, ± leathery or not, glabrous, sometimes sparsely retrorsely hairy along midvein abaxially, not glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline (13–)40–90 × (3–)6–18 mm, blade ovate to oblanceolate or lanceolate, base tapered, margins ± serrate or dentate, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 2–6 pairs, short-petiolate or sessile, 15–55 × 3–10 mm, blade lanceolate, proximals sometimes oblanceolate to oblong, base tapered or truncate, margins entire or ± serrate to ± dentate, apex obtuse to acute.

basal and cauline, not leathery, retrorsely hairy;

basal and proximal cauline petiolate, 8–30 × 2–9 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline (0 or)1–3 pairs, sessile, 14–23 × 1–4 mm, blade oblanceolate to linear, not arcuate, base tapered, margins entire, apex acute.

Thyrses

continuous or ± interrupted, cylindric, 4–19 cm, axis glabrous or ± glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 4–8, cymes (1 or)2–6-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 9–40 × 3–15 mm, margins entire or ± serrate to dentate;

peduncles and pedicels erect, sometimes ascending, glandular-pubescent.

continuous, cylindric, 1–4 cm, axis puberulent or retrorsely hairy, verticillasters 1–5, cymes (1 or)2-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts oblanceolate to lanceolate or linear, 13–24 × 1–4 mm;

peduncles and pedicels retrorsely hairy, sometimes sparsely glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate, 2.8–4.8 × 0.9–1.8 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla blue to light blue or violet, with reddish purple nectar guides, funnelform, 13–20 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, sparsely white-villous internally abaxially, tube 4–5 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4–5 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, subexplanate to explanate, 0.5–0.8 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures smooth or papillate;

staminode 8–9 mm, included, 0.2–0.3 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 0.5–2 mm ± pilose, hairs golden yellow, to 0.8 mm;

style 9–11 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate, 5–8.5 × 1–2.1 mm, retrorsely hairy, sometimes sparsely glandular-pubescent;

corolla light blue to blue, lavender, or violet, without nectar guides, funnelform, 14–20 mm, glabrous or sparsely white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 6–8 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 4–7 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, navicular, 0.9–1.2 mm, dehiscing completely, sutures papillate;

staminode 9–11 mm, included or reaching orifice, 0.5–1.1 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 5–7 mm moderately pubescent to lanate, hairs yellow or yellow-orange, to 1.5 mm;

style 9–12 mm.

Capsules

4–6 × 3–4 mm, glabrous.

4–6.5 × 4–5 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon albertinus

Penstemon duchesnensis

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Gravelly slopes, cliffs, rocky clearings, roadcuts in coniferous forests. Gravelly, sandy, and clayey hills, sagebrush shrublands, pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Elevation 800–2800 m. (2600–9200 ft.) 1500–2000 m. (4900–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
Discussion

Penstemon caelestinus has been treated as a synonym of P. albertinus (D. D. Keck 1945; A. Cronquist 1959). D. V. Clark (1971) grew these and related species in transplant gardens and considered P. caelestinus to be distinct based on flower color, leaf shape and color, phenology, and habitat. A broad zone of hybridization between P. albertinus and P. wilcoxii exists in east-central Idaho and western Montana, especially in habitats disturbed by humans (Clark).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Penstemon duchesnensis is known only from the western Uinta Basin in the vicinity of Duchesne, Duchesne County.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 190. FNA vol. 17, p. 133.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Cristati
Sibling taxa
P. abietinus, P. absarokensis, P. acaulis, P. acuminatus, P. alamosensis, P. albidus, P. albomarginatus, P. ambiguus, P. ammophilus, P. anguineus, P. angustifolius, P. arenarius, P. arenicola, P. aridus, P. arkansanus, P. attenuatus, P. atwoodii, P. auriberbis, P. australis, P. azureus, P. baccharifolius, P. barbatus, P. barnebyi, P. barrettiae, P. bicolor, P. bleaklyi, P. bracteatus, P. breviculus, P. brevisepalus, P. buckleyi, P. caesius, P. caespitosus, P. calcareus, P. californicus, P. calycosus, P. canescens, P. cardinalis, P. cardwellii, P. carnosus, P. caryi, P. centranthifolius, P. cinicola, P. clevelandii, P. clutei, P. cobaea, P. comarrhenus, P. compactus, P. concinnus, P. confertus, P. confusus, P. crandallii, P. cusickii, P. cyananthus, P. cyaneus, P. cyanocaulis, P. cyathophorus, P. dasyphyllus, P. davidsonii, P. deamii, P. deaveri, P. debilis, P. degeneri, P. deustus, P. digitalis, P. diphyllus, P. discolor, P. dissectus, P. distans, P. dolius, P. duchesnensis, P. eatonii, P. elegantulus, P. ellipticus, P. eriantherus, P. euglaucus, P. fendleri, P. filiformis, P. flavescens, P. floribundus, P. floridus, P. flowersii, P. franklinii, P. fremontii, P. fruticiformis, P. fruticosus, P. gairdneri, P. gibbensii, P. glaber, P. glandulosus, P. glaucinus, P. globosus, P. goodrichii, P. gormanii, P. gracilentus, P. gracilis, P. grahamii, P. grandiflorus, P. griffinii, P. grinnellii, P. guadalupensis, P. hallii, P. harbourii, P. harringtonii, P. havardii, P. haydenii, P. heterodoxus, P. heterophyllus, P. hirsutus, P. humilis, P. idahoensis, P. immanifestus, P. incertus, P. inflatus, P. jamesii, P. janishiae, P. kingii, P. kralii, P. labrosus, P. laetus, P. laevigatus, P. laevis, P. lanceolatus, P. laricifolius, P. laxiflorus, P. laxus, P. leiophyllus, P. lemhiensis, P. lentus, P. leonardii, P. linarioides, P. longiflorus, P. lyallii, P. marcusii, P. mensarum, P. metcalfei, P. miser, P. moffatii, P. monoensis, P. montanus, P. moriahensis, P. mucronatus, P. multiflorus, P. murrayanus, P. nanus, P. navajoa, P. neomexicanus, P. neotericus, P. newberryi, P. nitidus, P. nudiflorus, P. oklahomensis, P. oliganthus, P. ophianthus, P. osterhoutii, P. ovatus, P. pachyphyllus, P. pahutensis, P. pallidus, P. palmeri, P. papillatus, P. parryi, P. parvulus, P. parvus, P. patens, P. payettensis, P. paysoniorum, P. peckii, P. penlandii, P. pennellianus, P. perpulcher, P. personatus, P. petiolatus, P. pinifolius, P. pinorum, P. platyphyllus, P. pratensis, P. procerus, P. pruinosus, P. pseudoputus, P. pseudospectabilis, P. pudicus, P. pumilus, P. purpusii, P. putus, P. radicosus, P. rattanii, P. retrorsus, P. rhizomatosus, P. richardsonii, P. roezlii, P. rostriflorus, P. rubicundus, P. rupicola, P. rydbergii, P. saxosorum, P. scapoides, P. scariosus, P. secundiflorus, P. seorsus, P. sepalulus, P. serrulatus, P. smallii, P. spatulatus, P. speciosus, P. spectabilis, P. stenophyllus, P. stephensii, P. strictiformis, P. strictus, P. subglaber, P. subserratus, P. subulatus, P. sudans, P. superbus, P. tenuiflorus, P. tenuis, P. teucrioides, P. thompsoniae, P. thurberi, P. tidestromii, P. tiehmii, P. tracyi, P. triflorus, P. triphyllus, P. tubaeflorus, P. uintahensis, P. utahensis, P. venustus, P. virens, P. virgatus, P. wardii, P. washingtonensis, P. watsonii, P. whippleanus, P. wilcoxii, P. wrightii, P. xylus, P. yampaënsis
P. abietinus, P. absarokensis, P. acaulis, P. acuminatus, P. alamosensis, P. albertinus, P. albidus, P. albomarginatus, P. ambiguus, P. ammophilus, P. anguineus, P. angustifolius, P. arenarius, P. arenicola, P. aridus, P. arkansanus, P. attenuatus, P. atwoodii, P. auriberbis, P. australis, P. azureus, P. baccharifolius, P. barbatus, P. barnebyi, P. barrettiae, P. bicolor, P. bleaklyi, P. bracteatus, P. breviculus, P. brevisepalus, P. buckleyi, P. caesius, P. caespitosus, P. calcareus, P. californicus, P. calycosus, P. canescens, P. cardinalis, P. cardwellii, P. carnosus, P. caryi, P. centranthifolius, P. cinicola, P. clevelandii, P. clutei, P. cobaea, P. comarrhenus, P. compactus, P. concinnus, P. confertus, P. confusus, P. crandallii, P. cusickii, P. cyananthus, P. cyaneus, P. cyanocaulis, P. cyathophorus, P. dasyphyllus, P. davidsonii, P. deamii, P. deaveri, P. debilis, P. degeneri, P. deustus, P. digitalis, P. diphyllus, P. discolor, P. dissectus, P. distans, P. dolius, P. eatonii, P. elegantulus, P. ellipticus, P. eriantherus, P. euglaucus, P. fendleri, P. filiformis, P. flavescens, P. floribundus, P. floridus, P. flowersii, P. franklinii, P. fremontii, P. fruticiformis, P. fruticosus, P. gairdneri, P. gibbensii, P. glaber, P. glandulosus, P. glaucinus, P. globosus, P. goodrichii, P. gormanii, P. gracilentus, P. gracilis, P. grahamii, P. grandiflorus, P. griffinii, P. grinnellii, P. guadalupensis, P. hallii, P. harbourii, P. harringtonii, P. havardii, P. haydenii, P. heterodoxus, P. heterophyllus, P. hirsutus, P. humilis, P. idahoensis, P. immanifestus, P. incertus, P. inflatus, P. jamesii, P. janishiae, P. kingii, P. kralii, P. labrosus, P. laetus, P. laevigatus, P. laevis, P. lanceolatus, P. laricifolius, P. laxiflorus, P. laxus, P. leiophyllus, P. lemhiensis, P. lentus, P. leonardii, P. linarioides, P. longiflorus, P. lyallii, P. marcusii, P. mensarum, P. metcalfei, P. miser, P. moffatii, P. monoensis, P. montanus, P. moriahensis, P. mucronatus, P. multiflorus, P. murrayanus, P. nanus, P. navajoa, P. neomexicanus, P. neotericus, P. newberryi, P. nitidus, P. nudiflorus, P. oklahomensis, P. oliganthus, P. ophianthus, P. osterhoutii, P. ovatus, P. pachyphyllus, P. pahutensis, P. pallidus, P. palmeri, P. papillatus, P. parryi, P. parvulus, P. parvus, P. patens, P. payettensis, P. paysoniorum, P. peckii, P. penlandii, P. pennellianus, P. perpulcher, P. personatus, P. petiolatus, P. pinifolius, P. pinorum, P. platyphyllus, P. pratensis, P. procerus, P. pruinosus, P. pseudoputus, P. pseudospectabilis, P. pudicus, P. pumilus, P. purpusii, P. putus, P. radicosus, P. rattanii, P. retrorsus, P. rhizomatosus, P. richardsonii, P. roezlii, P. rostriflorus, P. rubicundus, P. rupicola, P. rydbergii, P. saxosorum, P. scapoides, P. scariosus, P. secundiflorus, P. seorsus, P. sepalulus, P. serrulatus, P. smallii, P. spatulatus, P. speciosus, P. spectabilis, P. stenophyllus, P. stephensii, P. strictiformis, P. strictus, P. subglaber, P. subserratus, P. subulatus, P. sudans, P. superbus, P. tenuiflorus, P. tenuis, P. teucrioides, P. thompsoniae, P. thurberi, P. tidestromii, P. tiehmii, P. tracyi, P. triflorus, P. triphyllus, P. tubaeflorus, P. uintahensis, P. utahensis, P. venustus, P. virens, P. virgatus, P. wardii, P. washingtonensis, P. watsonii, P. whippleanus, P. wilcoxii, P. wrightii, P. xylus, P. yampaënsis
Synonyms P. caelestinus P. dolius var. duchesnensis
Name authority Greene: Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 167. (1906) — (as Pentstemon) (N. H. Holmgren) Neese: Great Basin Naturalist 46: 459. (1986)
Web links