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azure beardtongue, azure penstemon, blue penstemon

New Mexico beardtongue

Habit Subshrubs.
Stems

ascending to erect, 13–50(–70) cm, glabrous, glaucous.

erect, sometimes ascending, 30–63 cm, glabrous, not glaucous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, basal sometimes few, opposite, glabrous, glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline 15–60 × 2–10(–20) mm, blade obovate to oblanceolate or linear, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 3–20 pairs, sessile or proximals short-petiolate, 10–90 × 2–20 mm, blade elliptic to ovate, lanceolate, or linear, base tapered to clasping or cordate-clasping, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute.

basal and cauline, or basal absent, not leathery, glabrous or retrorsely hairy, not glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline 30–90(–116) × 5–26 mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 6–12 pairs, sessile, 25–113 × 3–13 mm, blade lanceolate to linear, base tapered to truncate, apex obtuse to acute.

Thyrses

interrupted or continuous, secund, (3–)6–31 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 3–10, cymes 1–3(or 4)-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 4–50 × 1–32 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glabrous.

continuous, sometimes interrupted, secund, 16–30 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 7–11, cymes 1–4-flowered, (1 or)2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 10–72 × 1–12 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to oblong or obovate, 2.5–6.5 × 1.4–3.2 mm, glabrous;

corolla violet to blue or purple, with or without purple nectar guides, funnelform to ventricose, 18–35 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 7–9 mm, throat gradually inflated, 8–10 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens: longer pair reaching orifice or exserted, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs parallel, 1.8–3.5 mm, distal 1/3–1/2 indehiscent, sides hispidulous to pilose, hairs white, to 0.8 mm near filament attachment, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.3 mm;

staminode 12–19 mm, included, 0.4–0.6 mm diam., glabrous;

style 16–22 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate to elliptic, 3–5 × 2–2.6 mm, glabrous;

corolla lavender to violet, with reddish purple nectar guides, ventricose, 26–34 mm, glabrous externally, sparsely to densely white-villous internally abaxially, tube 7–8 mm, throat gradually to abruptly inflated, not constricted at orifice, 7–10 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens: longer pair exserted, pollen sacs opposite, navicular, 1.4–1.9 mm, dehiscing completely, sides glabrous, sutures smooth or papillate;

staminode 14–16 mm, reaching orifice or exserted, 1–1.2 mm diam., tip straight, glabrous;

style 14–18 mm.

Capsules

7–11 × 14–6 mm.

9–14 × 5–6 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon azureus

Penstemon neomexicanus

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Slopes and clearings in pine, pine-spruce, and spruce-fir forests.
Elevation 1800–2700 m. (5900–8900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Penstemon azureus occurs from southwestern Oregon to central California.

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

Penstemon neomexicanus is known from the Capitan, Sacramento, and White mountains in Lincoln and Otero counties. The species is also known from a single historic collection from near Colonia Garcia, Chihuahua. G. T. Nisbet and R. C. Jackson (1960) suggested that some plants from northern Lincoln and southern Torrance counties might be hybrids between P. neomexicanus and P. virgatus. Specimens from the vicinity of the Gallinas Mountains are referred here to P. neomexicanus.

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

Key
1. Calyx lobes obovate to oblong, 2.5–4.8 × 2–3.2 mm, apices cuspidate to mucronate; cauline leaves 10–65 × 4–20 mm, blades elliptic to ovate or lanceolate.
var. azureus
1. Calyx lobes ovate, 5–6.5 × 1.4–2.3 mm, apices acuminate to caudate; cauline leaves 40–90 × 2–6 mm, blades lanceolate to linear.
var. angustissimus
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 231. FNA vol. 17, p. 173.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Saccanthera Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Glabri
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. auriberbis, P. australis, 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. nanus, P. navajoa, 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. azureus var. angustissimus, P. azureus var. azureus
Name authority Bentham: Pl. Hartw., 327. (1849) — (as Pentstemon) Wooton & Standley: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 16: 172. (1913) — (as Pentstemon)
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