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red desert beardtongue, sand penstemon

Stems

decumbent to ascending, (4–)7–18(–30) cm, glabrous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 21–50(–70) × 4–11(–17) mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse, acute, or mucronate;

cauline 2–5 pairs, short-petiolate or sessile, 21–58 × 3–11 mm, blade lanceolate to oblanceolate, base tapered to clasping, apex obtuse to acute or mucronate.

Thyrses

continuous, cylindric, 3–14 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 4–9, cymes (1 or)2–6-flowered;

proximal bracts oblanceolate to lanceolate, 13–60 × 5–16 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4–6.2(–7.5) × 0.9–1.6 mm, margins entire or erose, narrowly scarious, glabrous;

corolla blue to violet, with reddish purple nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, (10–)12–15 mm, glabrous externally, sparsely white-pubescent internally abaxially or glabrous, tube 4–5 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4.5–5.5 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs divergent, 0.7–0.8 mm, sutures smooth or obscurely papillate;

staminode 6–8 mm, included, 0.8–1 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 3–4 mm densely pubescent, hairs golden yellow, to 1 mm;

style 8–10 mm.

Capsules

6–10(–12) × 5–6 mm.

Penstemon arenicola

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Sandy or shaley soils, sagebrush shrublands.
Elevation 1800–2400 m. (5900–7900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon arenicola occurs throughout much of the western two-thirds of Wyoming. Specimens documenting occurrence of the species in Colorado and Montana have not been seen.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 116.
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. angustifolius, P. arenarius, 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
Name authority A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 25: 280. (1898) — (as Pentstemon)
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