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ash beardtongue, ash penstemon, small flower penstemon

Utah beardtongue, Utah penstemon

Habit Herbs.
Stems

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

ascending to erect, 15–60 cm, glaucous.

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.

glabrous or obscurely scabrous, especially along margins, glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline 35–80(–100) × 5–20 mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 2–4 pairs, sessile, 15–75 × 4–26 mm, blade elliptic to lanceolate, rarely ovate, 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, ± secund, 11–25 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 5–15, cymes 1–4-flowered;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 6–23 × 1–4 mm;

peduncles and pedicels erect, glabrous.

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 ovate, 2.5–4(–5) × 1.5–4(–4.6) mm, margins erose, glabrous;

corolla red to crimson, with red nectar guides, bilaterally symmetric, bilabiate, tubular-salverform, 17–22(–25) mm, glandular-pubescent externally, especially distally, glandular-pubescent internally, tube 6–9 mm, throat slightly inflated, 6–7 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs explanate, 0.6–1.1 mm, sutures smooth;

staminode 7–10 mm, flattened distally, 0.4–0.5 mm diam., tip recurved, glabrous, rarely distal 1 mm papillate, papillae golden yellow, to 0.1 mm;

style 10–14 mm.

Capsules

2.5–4 × 1.8–2.5 mm, glabrous.

7–10 × 5–7 mm.

2n

= 16, 32.

Penstemon cinicola

Penstemon utahensis

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Dry, volcanic soils in sagebrush openings in pine forests. Sagebrush shrublands, pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Elevation 1000–2600 m. (3300–8500 ft.) 400–2500 m. (1300–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NV; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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 utahensis is widespread in the Colorado River Basin from western Colorado through northwestern Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southern Utah.

The Hopi tribe of northeastern Arizona used Penstemon utahensis as a ceremonial and decorative plant (D. E. Moerman 1998).

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 198. FNA vol. 17, p. 155.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Gentianoides
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. 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. 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) Eastwood: Zoë 4: 124. (1893)
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