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Cardwell's beardtongue, Cardwell's penstemon

mat beardtongue, mat penstemon

Habit Shrubs, sometimes cespitose.
Stems

ascending to erect, 10–27 cm, retrorsely hairy or puberulent, not glaucous.

prostrate, only tip ascending, 2–8(–10) cm, not cinereous, retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed.

Leaves

persistent, 6–9 pairs, distals usually distinctly smaller than proximals, short-petiolate or sessile, 15–55 × 4–16 mm, blade elliptic, base tapered, margins subentire or serrate, apex rounded to obtuse or acute, glabrous, ± glaucous.

not leathery, not cinereous, retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed;

cauline 3–20 pairs, petiolate, 2.5–14(–21) × 1–4 mm, blade obovate to spatulate, oblanceolate, or linear, base tapered, apex rounded to acute or mucronate.

Thyrses

± interrupted, secund, 5–14 cm, axis retrorsely hairy proximally, retrorsely hairy and glandular-pubescent distally, verticillasters 3–7, cymes 1-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 6–18 × 3–12 mm, margins serrate, sometimes entire;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glandular-pubescent, sometimes also puberulent.

continuous, cylindric to secund, 0.5–3 cm, axis retrorsely hairy to retrorsely cinereous, hairs pointed, sometimes also glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 1–5, cymes 1–3-flowered, 1 per node;

proximal bracts linear, 2.8–13(–17) × 0.7–3 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, retrorsely hairy to retrorsely cinereous, hairs pointed, and glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 8–14 × 2–3.1 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla purple to violet, essentially unlined internally but abaxial ridges usually light purple or white, not personate, funnelform, (25–)30–38 mm, glabrous externally, sparsely white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 6–8 mm, throat 9–10 mm diam.;

stamens included, pollen sacs 1.5–1.7 mm;

staminode 11–13 mm, essentially terete distally, 0.1 mm diam., tip straight, distal 4–6 mm moderately to densely villous, hairs white or yellowish, to 1.5 mm;

style 25–29 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate to linear, 4–6.5(–8.5) × 1–1.5(–1.9) mm, herbaceous- or narrowly scarious-margined, retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed, and sparsely glandular-pubescent;

corolla blue to purplish lavender or lavender, lined internally abaxially with reddish violet nectar guides, funnelform, 10–17(–21) mm, yellow-villous internally abaxially, tube 5–6 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4.5–6 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens: longer pair reaching orifice or exserted, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs opposite, navicular to explanate, 0.6–1.2 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 9–12 mm, reaching orifice, flattened distally, 0.3–0.5 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 7–9 mm densely pilose, hairs golden yellow, to 1 mm;

style 13–15 mm.

Capsules

8–11 × 4–6 mm.

3.5–5 × 3–4 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon cardwellii

Penstemon caespitosus

Phenology Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Rock outcrops, pumice and talus slopes, forest clearings, roadcuts.
Elevation 400–1900 m. (1300–6200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon cardwellii occurs primarily on the west slope of the Cascade Range from southwestern Oregon to northwestern Washington, with isolated populations east of the crest.

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

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

The varieties of Penstemon caespitosus are weakly differentiated and largely allopatric.

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

Key
1. Pollen sacs 0.9–1.2 mm; leaf blades oblanceolate; Arizona, Utah.
var. desertipicti
1. Pollen sacs 0.6–0.9 mm; leaf blades obovate, spatulate, oblanceolate, or linear; Colorado, Utah, Wyoming.
→ 2
2. Leaf blades oblanceolate to linear; pollen sacs explanate, 0.6–0.8 mm; Colorado, Utah, Wyoming.
var. caespitosus
2. Leaf blades obovate or spatulate; pollen sacs navicular to subexplanate, 0.8–0.9 mm; Colorado, Utah.
var. perbrevis
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 86. FNA vol. 17, p. 100.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Dasanthera > sect. Erianthera Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Caespitosi
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. buckleyi, P. caesius, P. caespitosus, P. calcareus, P. californicus, P. calycosus, P. canescens, P. cardinalis, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. caespitosus var. caespitosus, P. caespitosus var. desertipicti, P. caespitosus var. perbrevis
Name authority Howell: Fl. N.W. Amer., 510. (1901) — (as Pentstemon) Nuttall ex A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 66. (1862) — (as Pentstemon)
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