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ash beardtongue, ash penstemon, small flower penstemon

northern beardtongue, Salmon River beardtongue

Habit Herbs.
Stems

ascending, (8–)10–40 cm, glabrous or retrorsely hairy, not glaucous.

decumbent, ascending, or erect, 3–12 cm, retrorsely hairy.

Leaves

essentially cauline, basal usually poorly developed, not leathery, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 10–40(–65) × 1–6 mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 3–5 pairs, sessile or proximals short-petiolate, 12–60 × 2–5(–7) mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate or linear, base tapered, margins entire, apex acute.

basal and cauline or mostly basal, not leathery, retrorsely hairy;

basal and proximal cauline short-petiolate or sessile, 7–35(–50) × 1–4 mm, blade oblanceolate to linear, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 1–3 pairs, sessile, 12–30 × 1–4 mm, blade oblanceolate to oblong or linear, usually arcuate, base tapered, margins entire, apex acute.

Thyrses

interrupted, cylindric, 1–14 cm, axis glabrous or ± puberulent at axils, verticillasters (1 or)2–6, cymes (1–)3–7-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 8–30(–45) × 1–7 mm, margins entire;

peduncles and pedicels erect, glabrous.

interrupted to compact, cylindric, 1–6 cm, axis retrorsely hairy, verticillasters 1–6, cymes 1- or 2-flowered, 1 or 2 per node;

proximal bracts oblanceolate to lanceolate, 7–30 × 1–3 mm;

peduncles and pedicels retrorsely hairy and sparsely glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes obovate to ovate, 1–1.8 × 0.7–1.1 mm, apex truncate to cuspidate, glabrous;

corolla violet to blue or purple, without nectar guides, funnelform, 7–9(–11) mm, glabrous externally, moderately yellowish or white-pilose internally abaxially, tube 3–4 mm, throat slightly inflated, 2–3 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, explanate, 0.3–0.4(–0.5) mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures smooth;

staminode 4–6 mm, included, 0.3–0.4 mm diam., tip straight, distal 0.5–1 mm sparsely to moderately pilose, hairs yellow, to 0.4 mm;

style 5–6 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4.5–7 × 1.5–2 mm, puberulent and glandular-pubescent;

corolla blue to violet, with reddish purple nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, 15–20(–23) mm, glabrous or sparsely white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 4–6 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 6–8 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, navicular, 0.9–1.2 mm, dehiscing completely, sutures papillate;

staminode 9–12 mm, included, 0.5–0.6 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 6–8 mm sparsely pilose, hairs yellow, to 0.5 mm;

style 9–11 mm.

Capsules

2.5–4 × 1.8–2.5 mm, glabrous.

4–7 × 3.5–5.5 mm.

2n

= 16, 32.

Penstemon cinicola

Penstemon pumilus

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Dry, volcanic soils in sagebrush openings in pine forests. Gravelly soils, limestone, sagebrush shrublands.
Elevation 1000–2600 m. (3300–8500 ft.) 1400–2100 m. (4600–6900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon cinicola occurs along the eastern flank of the Cascade Range in central Oregon (Crook, Deschutes, Douglas, Klamath, and Lake counties) south to northern California (Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, and Tehama counties).

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

Penstemon pumilus is known from east-central Idaho in Butte, Clark, Custer, and Lemhi counties. The arcuate cauline leaves with acute apices and tufted basal leaves reliably distinguish this species from the other diminutive members of sect. Cristati.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 198. FNA vol. 17, p. 142.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Cristati
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. cardwellii, P. carnosus, P. caryi, P. centranthifolius, 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. 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
Name authority D. D. Keck: Publ. Carnegie Inst. Wash. 520: 294. (1940) Nuttall: J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 7: 46. (1834) — (as Pentstemon pumilum)
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