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broadbeard beardtongue, narrow-leaf beardtongue

Stems

ascending to erect, (6–)15–45(–65) cm, glabrous or scabrous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, basal not reduced, glabrous, sometimes scabrous;

basal and proximal cauline (25–)40–90 × 2–18 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate or linear, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline 2–8 pairs, sessile, 18–113 × 2–24(–40) mm, blade ovate to lanceolate or linear, base tapered to cordate-clasping, apex acute to acuminate.

Thyrses

continuous or interrupted, cylindric, (2–)5–30(–37) cm, axis glabrous, rarely scabrous, verticillasters (3–)5–15(–26), cymes (2–)4–8(–10)-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate or linear, (3–)12–98 × (1–)2–28 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous or scabrous, peduncles to 3 mm.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 4–8 × 1–2.5 mm, margins entire or erose, broadly scarious, glabrous or scabrous;

corolla lavender, blue, or pink, with violet or reddish purple nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, 13–20(–22) mm, glabrous externally, sparsely white-pubescent internally abaxially or glabrous, tube 6–8 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4–6 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, (0.9–)1.1–1.5 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 8–10 mm, reaching orifice, 0.9–1.2 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 4–6 mm sparsely villous, hairs golden yellow, to 1 mm, hairs on proximal part of staminode mostly along margins;

style 8–12 mm.

Capsules

9–15 × 5–7 mm.

Penstemon angustifolius

Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; MT; ND; NE; NM; OK; SD; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

Penstemon angustifolius comprises five varieties: two widespread in the west-central Great Plains and three with more limited, allopatric ranges.

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

Key
1. Corollas pink; cauline leaf blades lanceolate to linear; Juab and Millard counties, Utah.
var. dulcis
1. Corollas blue or lavender, rarely pink; cauline leaf blades ovate to lanceolate or linear (if corollas pink, leaf blades broader or plants not of Juab or Millard counties, Utah); Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming.
→ 2
2. Cauline leaf blades and proximal bracts lanceolate to linear.
→ 3
3. Stems glabrous or scabrous; corollas 14–18 mm; cauline leaves 2–5(or 6) pairs; stems (6–)10–30 cm; Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming.
var. angustifolius
3. Stems glabrous, rarely scabrous; corollas (14–)18–20(–22) mm; cauline leaves 4–7 pairs; stems (8–)15–45 cm; Colorado, Utah.
var. vernalensis
2. Cauline leaf blades and proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate.
→ 4
4. Corollas 13–20(–22) mm, blue, rarely lavender or pink; Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming.
var. caudatus
4. Corollas 14–17 mm, blue to lavender or pink; Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah.
var. venosus
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 113.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei
Sibling taxa
P. abietinus, P. absarokensis, P. acaulis, P. acuminatus, P. alamosensis, P. albertinus, P. albidus, P. albomarginatus, P. ambiguus, P. ammophilus, P. anguineus, 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
Subordinate taxa
P. angustifolius var. angustifolius, P. angustifolius var. caudatus, P. angustifolius var. dulcis, P. angustifolius var. venosus, P. angustifolius var. vernalensis
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 738. (1813) — (as Pentstemon angustifolia)
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