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bush penstemon, gilia beardtongue, pink plains penstemon

lance-leaf beardtongue

Stems

(20–)30–40(–60) cm, glabrous or scabrous proximally.

24–75(–98) cm, sparsely to densely retrorsely hairy or puberulent, usually also glandular-pubescent distally.

Leaves

(7–)10–25 pairs, (3–)5–30(–40) × 0.5–1(–2.5) mm, blade base tapered, margins glabrous or scabrous, apex acuminate to mucronate.

retrorsely hairy;

basal and proximal cauline 8–80 × 3–12 mm, blade lanceolate or spatulate, base tapered, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline 7–15 pairs, 9–85(–110) × 1–11(–22) mm, blade lanceolate to linear, base tapered to truncate, apex acute to acuminate, rarely obtuse.

Thyrses

6–15 cm, verticillasters 6–10, cymes 1–3-flowered;

proximal bracts linear, 6–27(–33) × 0.3–1.5 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous or scabrous.

± secund, 5–36 cm, axis glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 3–6, cymes 1 or 2(or 3)-flowered;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 5–16 × 1–3 mm;

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

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate, 1.5–3.5 × 1–1.5 mm;

corolla pink (limb milky pink or milky white), lined internally abaxially with reddish purple nectar guides, salverform, (14–)16–22(–28) mm, glandular-pubescent internally in 2 lines on abaxial surface, tube 3–4 mm, throat 3–5 mm diam.;

stamens included, pollen sacs 0.5–0.6 mm;

staminode 7–9 mm;

style 8–10 mm.

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 2.9–7 × 1.5–2.5(–3.6) mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla scarlet to red, unlined internally or lined on abaxial surface with faint reddish purple nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, 22–35 mm, glandular-pubescent internally abaxially, tube 5–6 mm, throat gradually inflated, 6–8 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens exserted (hidden by galeate adaxial lobes), pollen sacs parallel to divergent, 1.5–2 mm, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.2 mm;

staminode 15–17 mm, included, 0.3–0.4 mm diam.;

style 25–30 mm, usually barely exserted from galea.

Capsules

6–9 × 3–5 mm.

9–14 × 6–7 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon ambiguus

Penstemon lanceolatus

Phenology Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Gravelly pinyon-juniper woodlands, pine woodlands, thorn scrub, desert grasslands.
Elevation 1200–1800 m. (3900–5900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; NE; NM; NV; OK; TX; UT; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Aguascalientes, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nayarit, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Zacatecas)
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

G. T. Nisbet and R. C. Jackson (1960) reported natural hybrids between Penstemon ambiguus and P. thurberi from Lincoln and Socorro counties, New Mexico.

Some Native American tribes used Penstemon ambiguus as a drug or ceremonial plant (D. E. Moerman 1998).

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

Penstemon lanceolatus is known from southern Arizona (Cochise, Graham, and Greenlee counties), southern New Mexico (Doña Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, and Sierra counties), and western Texas (Brewster County).

Crosswhite published Penstemon ramosus as an avowed substitute for the homonym P. pauciflorus Greene, distinguishing P. ramosus from P. lanceolatus by the former’s branched stems and relatively narrower leaves (1 mm wide versus 4–8 mm wide) with revolute margins. He mapped P. ramosus in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico and P. lanceolatus in western Texas and northern Mexico. Morphologic differences between these taxa are not consistent enough to warrant recognition of P. ramosus (J. L. Anderson et al. 2007).

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

Key
1. Stems scabrous proximally; leaf blade margins scabrous.
var. ambiguus
1. Stems glabrous; leaf blade margins glabrous or scabrous.
var. laevissimus
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 95. FNA vol. 17, p. 109.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Ambigui Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Chamaeleon
Sibling taxa
P. abietinus, P. absarokensis, P. acaulis, P. acuminatus, P. alamosensis, P. albertinus, P. albidus, P. albomarginatus, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. ambiguus var. ambiguus, P. ambiguus var. laevissimus
Synonyms P. ramosus
Name authority Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 228. (1827) — (as Pentstemon ambiguum) Bentham: Pl. Hartw., 22. (1839) — (as Pentstemon)
Web links