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Crandall's beardtongue

blowout beardtongue

Habit Plants: caudex rhizomelike.
Stems

prostrate, decumbent, ascending, or erect, 2–28 cm, retrorsely hairy or pubescent.

decumbent to ascending, (15–)20–48 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

not leathery, glabrous, glabrate, scabrous, or pubescent, hairs pointed;

cauline (1 or)2–4 pairs, petiolate, (2–)4–47 × 0.5–8 mm, blade elliptic to obovate, oblanceolate, or linear, base tapered, apex acute to mucronate.

essentially cauline, basal absent or reduced, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline (25–)55–130(–175) × 3–25 mm, blade linear to lanceolate, base tapered, apex acute to acuminate;

cauline 2–10 pairs, sessile, 60–110(–120) × 7–30 mm, blade lanceolate to linear, base clasping, apex acuminate to long-acuminate.

Thyrses

continuous, ± secund, 1–8(–16) cm, axis retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed and, usually, sparsely glandular-pubescent, verticillasters (1 or)2–8, cymes 1–4-flowered, 1 or 2 per node;

proximal bracts oblanceolate to linear, 10–25 × 0.5–4 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, retrorsely hairy and, usually, sparsely glandular-pubescent.

continuous, cylindric, (2–)6–21(–34) cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters (2–)6–10(–17), cymes 1–8-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate, 58–120 × 20–45 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4–7(–7.5) × 0.9–1.8(–2.2) mm, broadly scarious-margined, apex acuminate to caudate, retrorsely puberulent, hairs pointed, and sparsely glandular-pubescent;

corolla blue to violet or lavender, lined internally abaxially with violet or reddish purple nectar guides, funnelform, 14–20 mm, sparsely to densely yellow-lanate or yellow-pilose internally abaxially, tube 6–8 mm, throat gradually inflated, 6–8 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens: longer pair reaching orifice, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs opposite, navicular to subexplanate, 0.9–1.4 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 11–14 mm, reaching orifice or exserted, flattened distally, 0.3–0.4 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 7–10 mm densely pilose, hairs golden yellow, to 1 mm;

style 13–15 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate to linear, 8–13 × 1–3 mm, margins entire or erose, herbaceous or scarious, glabrous;

corolla lavender to bluish, usually with magenta nectar guides, ampliate, 21–28 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 7–9 mm, throat abruptly inflated, 9–11 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, 1.1–2 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 13–16 mm, included, 1.2–3 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 0.1–5 mm sparsely to densely villous, hairs golden yellow, to 1 mm, rarely glabrous;

style 13–23 mm.

Capsules

7–8 × 3.5–4.5 mm.

8–12 × 5–9 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon crandallii

Penstemon haydenii

Phenology Flowering May–Jul(–Sep).
Habitat Blowouts in sand dunes.
Elevation 900–2300 m. (3000–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; NM; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NE; WY
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

Penstemon crandallii comprises five partly sympatric, sometimes intergrading varieties.

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

Penstemon haydenii is known from the Nebraska Sandhills, where extant populations occur in Box Butte, Cherry, Garden, Hooker, Morrill, and Sheridan counties. Historic populations occurred in Thomas County (D. M. Sutherland 1988).

Penstemon haydenii was discovered in northern Carbon County, Wyoming, in the late 1990s some 300 km west of the nearest Nebraska populations; it might have been collected in Wyoming as early as 1877 (W. Fertig 2001). A morphometric analysis of Nebraska and Wyoming plants revealed differences that could justify recognition of Wyoming populations as a distinct variety (C. C. Freeman 2015). It is listed as endangered by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

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

Key
1. Leaves glabrous or sparsely puberulent, especially along margins, blades obovate to elliptic; stems prostrate or decumbent; Colorado.
var. procumbens
1. Leaves glabrate or scabrous to pubescent, blades linear, oblanceolate, or obovate; stems decumbent, ascending, or erect; Colorado, New Mexico, Utah.
→ 2
2. Leaf blades obovate or oblanceolate; stems decumbent to ascending.
→ 3
3. Leaves glabrate or scabrous, blades oblanceolate; Colorado, Utah.
var. crandallii
3. Leaves ± scabrous, blades obovate or oblanceolate; Utah.
var. atratus
2. Leaf blades linear to oblanceolate; stems ascending to erect.
→ 4
4. Stems retrorsely hairy or puberulent, ascending to erect; Colorado, New Mexico.
var. glabrescens
4. Stems puberulent to pubescent, erect; Colorado.
var. ramaleyi
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 101. FNA vol. 17, p. 119.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Caespitosi 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. 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. 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. 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. crandallii var. atratus, P. crandallii var. crandallii, P. crandallii var. glabrescens, P. crandallii var. procumbens, P. crandallii var. ramaleyi
Name authority A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 354. (1899) — (as Pentstemon) S. Watson: Bot. Gaz. 16: 311. (1891) — (as Pentstemon haydeni)
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