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Colorado beardtongue

dwarf beardtongue, low beardtongue

Stems

ascending to erect, 10–30(–35) cm, retrorsely hairy proximally, glandular-pubescent distally.

ascending, 2–10(–14) cm, densely retrorsely hairy.

Leaves

basal and cauline, not leathery, glabrous, puberulent, or retrorsely hairy;

basal and proximal cauline petiolate, (15–)30–60(–100) × (1–)2–5(–7) mm, blade lanceolate to linear, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 2–6 pairs, sessile, (25–)40–80 × 2–7 mm, blade lanceolate to linear, base tapered to slightly clasping, margins entire or obscurely denticulate, apex acute to acuminate.

basal and cauline, not leathery, densely retrorsely hairy;

basal and proximal cauline petiolate, 12–35(–50) × 3–10 mm, blade ovate to lanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, rarely obscurely dentate, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 1–3 pairs, sessile, 13–34 × 2–6 mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate or linear, base tapered to slightly clasping, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute.

Thyrses

continuous or interrupted, cylindric or slightly secund, (5–)7–23 cm, axis glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 3–8, cymes 2–4-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 18–100 × 2–12 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glandular-pubescent.

continuous, cylindric, axis glandular-pubescent, 2–3(–8) cm, verticillasters 1–5(or 6), cymes 2–4-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 11–20 × 2–6 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, (6–)7–9 × 1–2 mm, densely glandular-pubescent;

corolla violet to lilac or pinkish blue, with magenta or violet nectar guides, weakly bilabiate, tubular-funnelform, (16–)18–22(–24) mm, moderately white-pilose internally abaxially, tube 4–6 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 7–9 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs divergent, navicular, 1.2–1.5 mm, dehiscing incompletely, connective not splitting, sutures papillate;

staminode 13–16 mm, reaching orifice or exserted, 0.6–0.9 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 10–15 mm moderately to densely villous, hairs orangish, to 2.5 mm;

style 11–14 mm.

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 4–6 × 1.8–2.2 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla violet to blue or purple, with reddish violet nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, 12–16 mm, sparsely yellow-lanate internally abaxially, tube 5–6 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 4–7 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs parallel, navicular, 1.7–2 mm, dehiscing completely, sutures papillate;

staminode 8–9 mm, included or reaching orifice, 0.8–0.9 mm diam., tip straight, distal 5–6 mm moderately to densely pubescent, hairs orange, to 0.8 mm;

style 9–11 mm.

Capsules

(6–)8–10 × 3–4 mm.

4–7 × 3–4.5 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon auriberbis

Penstemon nanus

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Silty or gravelly soils, shortgrass prairies, sagebrush shrublands. Pinyon-juniper woodlands, desert shrublands.
Elevation 1200–2500 m. (3900–8200 ft.) 1700–2300 m. (5600–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon auriberbis is known from Chaffee, Costilla, Custer, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero, and Pueblo counties, Colorado, and Colfax and Union counties, New Mexico. The species is unique in sect. Cristati in having incompletely dehiscing anthers.

Penstemon parviflorus is known only from the type locality in Montezuma County, Colorado (S. L. O’Kane 1988). A report for McKinley County, New Mexico, has not been confirmed. The type was collected July 1890 by Alice Eastwood, reputedly near Mancos, Colorado. F. W. Pennell (1920b) distinguished P. parviflorus from the more eastern P. auriberbis primarily by the former’s shorter corollas, longer calyx lobes, and more slender stems. D. D. Keck (1938) observed that the type specimen has whorled cauline leaves, which Pennell did not mention in his description, and Keck suggested that P. parviflorus might be a genetically aberrant individual of P. auriberbis that was accidentally introduced into Montezuma County. Whorled cauline leaves are not uncommon in P. auriberbis, and they occur rarely in other species in sect. Cristati. Penstemon parviflorus appears to be P. auriberbis, and the type specimen actually may have come from south-central Colorado; Eastwood collected P. auriberbis in Pueblo County in 1891.

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

Penstemon nanus is known from the ranges and dry valleys of western Beaver and Millard counties. Populations are concentrated in and near the Burbank Hills, Confusion Range, Halfway Hills, Mountain Home Range, and Tunnel Spring and Wah Wah mountains. The parallel pollen sacs and glandular-pubescent thyrse axes of P. nanus distinguish it from P. dolius.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 129. FNA vol. 17, p. 141.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Cristati Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Cristati
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. arenicola, P. aridus, P. arkansanus, P. attenuatus, P. atwoodii, 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. 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. 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. parviflorus
Name authority Pennell: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 20: 339. (1920) D. D. Keck: Amer. Midl. Naturalist 23: 607. (1940)
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