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Buckley's beardtongue, Buckley's penstemon

side-bells beardtongue, sidebells penstemon

Habit Plants: caudex sometimes herbaceous.
Stems

ascending to erect, 15–55(–82) cm, glabrous.

ascending to erect, (15–)20–45(–50) cm, glabrous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 19–116(–150) × 3–23(–31) mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse, acute, or mucronate;

cauline 3–9 pairs, sessile, 20–95 × 10–30 mm, blade ovate to lanceolate, base clasping to cordate-clasping, apex acute.

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 20–80(–102) × 2–25 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse or acute, sometimes mucronate;

cauline 4–6 pairs, sessile, (16–)20–78 × 3–24 mm, blade ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, base clasping to cordate-clasping, apex acute to acuminate.

Thyrses

interrupted, cylindric, (4–)10–35(–57) cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 4–20(–35), cymes (2 or)3–5(–11)-flowered;

proximal bracts orbiculate to ovate, 15–70 × 5–31 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

interrupted to nearly continuous, secund, 6–24(–31) cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters (2 or)3–10(–12), cymes 2–7-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate, 9–70 × 2–26 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate, 3.5–6 × 1.5–2.5 mm, margins entire or erose, broadly scarious, glabrous;

corolla lavender to bluish lavender or pinkish blue, with reddish or reddish purple nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, (12–)14–20 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 5–7 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4–6 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, 0.8–1.2 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 7–9 mm, included or reaching orifice, 0.8–0.9 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 3–5 mm moderately to densely villous, hairs golden yellow, to 1.5 mm;

style 9–11 mm.

calyx lobes ovate, 4–7 × 2.4–4 mm, margins erose, sometimes entire, broadly scarious, glabrous;

corolla blue to violet or lavender, rarely pink, with reddish or reddish purple nectar guides, tubular-funnelform to ventricose, 15–25 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous or sparsely to densely white-villous internally abaxially, tube 8–11 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4–7 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, 1–1.4 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 10–13 mm, included or reaching orifice, 1–1.4 mm diam., tip abruptly recurved, bifurcate, distal 4–6 mm densely villous, hairs golden yellow, to 2 mm;

style 9–15 mm.

Capsules

12–18(–20) × 7–11 mm.

9–12 × 7–9 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon buckleyi

Penstemon secundiflorus

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Sandy soils, sand, sandsage, or mixed-grass prairies.
Elevation 400–1300 m. (1300–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; NM; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon buckleyi frequently is found on aeolian sands of dune fields associated with the major streams of the southern Great Plains; it also occurs on alluvial sands and sandstone-derived soils. It has been documented in Banner and Platte counties, Nebraska, well north of its native range; those plants probably represent roadside introductions (R. B. Kaul et al. 2006).

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Cauline leaf blades lanceolate to ovate; corollas light blue or lavender, rarely pink, sparsely to densely white-villous internally abaxially; Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming.
var. secundiflorus
1. Cauline leaf blades oblanceolate to ovate or elliptic; corollas dark blue or violet, glabrous or sparsely white-villous internally abaxially; Colorado.
var. versicolor
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 116. FNA vol. 17, p. 124.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei 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. 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. 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. 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. secundiflorus var. secundiflorus, P. secundiflorus var. versicolor
Synonyms P. amplexicaulis
Name authority Pennell: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 73: 486. (1922) Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 10: 325. (1846) — (as Pentstemon)
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