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short-stem beardtongue, shortstem penstemon

showy beardtongue, showy penstemon

Habit Herbs.
Stems

ascending to erect, 8–20(–35) cm, retrorsely hairy.

erect, (50–)80–120 cm, glaucous or not.

Leaves

basal and cauline, not leathery, retrorsely hairy, sometimes glabrate;

basal and proximal cauline petiolate, 35–95 × 3–18 mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate or linear, base tapered, margins entire or obscurely dentate, rarely prominently dentate distally, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline (1 or)2–5 pairs, short-petiolate or sessile, 33–78 × 4–10 mm, blade elliptic to oblanceolate, lanceolate or linear, base tapered to clasping, margins entire or dentate, apex obtuse to acute.

basal and proximal cauline 40–100 × 8–50 mm, blade oblanceolate to elliptic, base tapered, margins coarsely dentate, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 5–8 pairs, sessile, 32–120 × 10–45 mm, blade ovate to lanceolate, base sessile, proximals usually auriculate-clasping, distal ones usually cordate-clasping, margins dentate to serrate, apex acute to acuminate.

Thyrses

continuous or ± interrupted, cylindric, 4–11(–18) cm, axis glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 3–5, cymes (1 or)2–6-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 16–38 × 2–8 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glandular-pubescent.

interrupted, cylindric, 20–80 cm, axis glabrous or glandular-pubescent distally, verticillasters 9–16, cymes (1–)3–8(–13)-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 15–35 × 4–25 mm;

peduncles and pedicels spreading to ascending, glabrous or glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4.5–7.5 × 1.2–2 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla dark blue to violet or purple, with reddish violet nectar guides, ampliate, 10–15(–18) mm, yellowish or whitish villous internally abaxially, tube 5–6 mm, throat abruptly inflated, ± constricted at orifice, 3.5–6 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, explanate, 0.6–1 mm, dehiscing completely, sutures smooth;

staminode 7–8 mm, reaching orifice or exserted, 0.3–0.4 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 5–6 mm densely pubescent, hairs orangish yellow, to 1.5 mm, and medial hairs shorter, stiffer, and retrorse;

style 9–11 mm.

calyx lobes round to ovate or lanceolate, 3.5–5.5 × 2.5–3.2 mm, glabrous or glandular-pubescent;

corolla lavender, blue, pink, or purple, with reddish purple nectar guides, strongly bilabiate, ventricose-ampliate, 24–34 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, glabrous or sparsely white-lanate internally abaxially, glandular-pubescent adaxially, tube 7–9 mm, length 1.6–2 times calyx lobes, throat abruptly inflated, not constricted at orifice, 8–14 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, filaments of shorter pair glandular-puberulent proximally, pollen sacs navicular, 1.8–2.4 mm, sutures papillate or denticulate, papillae or teeth to 0.1 mm;

staminode 15–16 mm, included, 0.5–0.9 mm diam., tip straight, glabrous distally or distal 1–2 mm sparsely pilose, hairs yellow, to 0.5 mm [5–6 mm moderately pilose, hairs yellow, to 1.5 mm], proximal 1–2 mm glandular-pubescent;

style 15–19 mm, glabrous.

Capsules

6–9 × 4.5–6 mm.

9–14 × 6–8 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Penstemon breviculus

Penstemon spectabilis

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Sandy or clayey soils, sagebrush shrublands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, desert grasslands.
Elevation 1500–2000 m. (4900–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon breviculus is known from the Four Corners region. Populations have been documented in Arizona (Apache County), Colorado (Montezuma, Montrose, and San Miguel counties), New Mexico (McKinley and San Juan counties), and Utah (Grand, San Juan, and Wayne counties).

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

Varieties 3 (2 in the flora).

Penstemon spectabilis consists of three partially sympatric varieties: var. spectabilis in southern California and northern Baja California, Mexico; var. subinteger (D. D. Keck) C. C. Freeman known only from the area of El Rosario in Baja California; and var. subviscosus in southern California. Penstemon ×bryantiae D. D. Keck, a hybrid between P. palmeri and P. spectabilis, was described based on plants that volunteered in the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in 1935 (D. D. Keck 1937b). Penstemon ×parishii A. Gray is a hybrid between P. centranthifolius and P. spectabilis reported from Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties, California (Keck; Paul Wilson and M. Valenzuela 2002).

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

Key
1. Pedicels and calyx lobes glabrous.
var. spectabilis
1. Pedicels and calyx lobes glandular-pubescent.
var. subviscosus
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 130. FNA vol. 17, p. 254.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Cristati Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Spectabiles
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. barbatus, P. barnebyi, P. barrettiae, P. bicolor, P. bleaklyi, P. bracteatus, 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. 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. 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. spectabilis var. spectabilis, P. spectabilis var. subviscosus
Synonyms P. jamesii subsp. breviculus
Name authority (D. D. Keck) G. T. Nisbet & R. C. Jackson: Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 41: 734. (1960) Thurber ex A. Gray: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 119. (1857) — (as Pentstemon)
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