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beard-lip beardtongue, beardlip penstemon, scarlet penstemon, Southwestern beardtongue

high mountain penstemon, tall yellow beardtongue

Habit Herbs.
Stems

erect, sometimes ascending, 30–100 cm, glabrous or puberulent proximally, usually slightly glaucous.

erect, (6–)10–40 cm, glabrous or puberulent, not glaucous.

Leaves

glabrous or sparsely to densely puberulent, not glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline 30–80(–140) × (6–)12–30(–35) mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse, acute, or acuminate;

cauline 3–7(–14) pairs, sessile, 28–142 × 1–8(–15) mm, blade lanceolate to linear, base tapered, apex acuminate, sometimes acute.

basal and cauline, ± leathery or not, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline (12–)25–115 × (4–)7–22 mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate or elliptic, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 2–4 pairs, sessile, 18–65 × 3–16 mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate, sometimes ovate, base tapered to clasping, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute.

Thyrses

± secund, sometimes cylindric, 11–69 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 6–14(–19), cymes (1 or)2–4-flowered;

proximal bracts linear, 15–70(–126) × 1–10 mm;

peduncles and pedicels spreading to ascending, glabrous.

continuous or interrupted, cylindric, 1–12 cm, axis ± puberulent, rarely glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 1–4, cymes 2–10-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, sometimes ovate, 12–44 × 2–13 mm, margins entire;

peduncles and pedicels erect, glabrous or ± puberulent, rarely glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, (3–)4–6(–9) × 1.9–2.8(–3.2) mm, margins entire or erose, glabrous or obscurely glandular-pubescent;

corolla red or orangish red to crimson or scarlet, with reddish violet nectar guides, bilaterally symmetric, strongly bilabiate, tubular-funnelform, 26–32(–36) mm, glabrous or sparsely white-lanate or yellow-lanate internally abaxially, tube 5–8 mm, throat 5–6 mm diam., not constricted at orifice, slightly 2-ridged abaxially, abaxial lobes strongly reflexed, adaxial lobes projecting;

stamens exserted (but usually concealed beneath projecting adaxial lip), pollen sacs opposite, proximal 1/4–1/3 indehiscent, 1.5–2(–2.2) mm, sides glabrous or sparsely to moderately lanate-villous, hairs white, to 1.5 mm, sutures papillate or denticulate, teeth to 0.1 mm;

staminode 15–17 mm, included, tip straight, glabrous;

style 22–27 mm.

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 5–9 × 1.8–2.7 mm, glabrous, rarely glandular-pubescent;

corolla light yellow, without nectar guides, funnelform, 12–16 mm, glabrous externally, rarely glandular-pubescent, sparsely to moderately yellow-pubescent internally abaxially, tube 5–7 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4–6 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, navicular to subexplanate, 0.7–0.9 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures smooth;

staminode 8–9 mm, included, 0.4–0.7 mm diam., tip straight to slightly recurved, distal 2–3 mm moderately pilose, hairs yellow or golden yellow, to 0.8 mm;

style 8–11 mm.

Capsules

10–14 × 6–8 mm.

5–8 × 4–5 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 48.

Penstemon barbatus

Penstemon flavescens

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Open or wooded, rocky slopes.
Elevation 1800–2500 m. (5900–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; TX; UT; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Penstemon barbatus is among the more widespread and conspicuous penstemons in the desert Southwest and Southern Rocky mountains. Putative hybrids reported between P. barbatus and P. comarrhenus, P. glaber, P. strictus, and P. virgatus were summarized by F. S. Crosswhite (1965); putative hybrids involving P. pseudoputus and P. putus also are suspected among some herbarium specimens. Penstemon barbatus is widely cultivated for its showy flowers; cultivars with yellow corollas also exist. Penstemon barbatus was reported for Suffolk County, Massachusetts (D. W. Magee and H. E. Ahles 2007); that report, or that those plants persisted outside of cultivation, has not been confirmed.

Various groups of Apache, Navajo, and Western Keres of Arizona and New Mexico used Penstemon barbatus for drugs, ceremonies, and decorations (D. E. Moerman 1998).

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

Penstemon flavescens is known from the Bitterroot Mountains in east-central Idaho (Clearwater, Idaho, and Shoshone counties) and southwestern Montana (Ravalli County). A yellow-flowered, glandular-pubescent hexaploid from near Hoodoo Pass in Shoshone County, Idaho, might be a hybrid between P. attenuatus and P. flavescens (D. V. Clark 1971). Reports of P. flavescens from Oregon might be based on whitish or yellowish flowered forms of P. attenuatus var. attenuatus (D. D. Keck 1945).

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

Key
1. Pollen sac sides sparsely to moderately lanate-villous.
var. trichander
1. Pollen sac sides glabrous.
→ 2
2. Corollas yellow-lanate internally abaxially.
var. barbatus
2. Corollas glabrous or sparsely white-lanate internally abaxially.
var. torreyi
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 146. FNA vol. 17, p. 203.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Elmigera Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon
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. azureus, P. baccharifolius, 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. 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. barbatus var. barbatus, P. barbatus var. torreyi, P. barbatus var. trichander
Synonyms Chelone barbata
Name authority (Cavanilles) Roth: Catal. Bot. 3: 49. (1806) — (as Pentstemon barbata) Pennell: Notul. Nat. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 95: 4. (1942)
Web links