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Cusick's beardtongue, Cusick's penstemon

Lone Pine beardtongue, Lone Pine penstemon

Habit Herbs or subshrubs.
Stems

ascending to erect, 15–45 cm, retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed, not glaucous.

ascending to erect, (15–)20–40 cm, glaucous.

Leaves

cauline, opposite or subalternate, retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed, not glaucous;

cauline 4–8 pairs, short-petiolate or sessile, 16–70 × 1–8(–14) mm, blade lanceolate to linear, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute.

glabrous or obscurely scabrous, especially along margins, glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline (30–)50–75 × 7–14 mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute, sometimes mucronate;

cauline 2–4 pairs, sessile, 25–70(–90) × 4–15(–25) mm, blade lanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex acute.

Thyrses

interrupted, cylindric, 4–15 cm, axis puberulent or retrorsely hairy, verticillasters 3–10, cymes 1–5(–7)-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 7–50 × 1–6 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, puberulent or retrorsely hairy.

± interrupted, ± secund, 5–26 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 5 or 6(–10), cymes 3–7(–13)-flowered;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 10–54 × 3–16 mm;

peduncles and pedicels spreading to ascending, glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate, 3–5.5 × 1.4–2.3 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent;

corolla blue to violet or purple, without nectar guides, ampliate, 16–21 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 4–5 mm, throat gradually inflated, 5–6 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs parallel, 1–1.5(–1.8) mm, distal 1/2–2/3 indehiscent, sides hispidulous, hairs white, to 0.1 mm near filament attachment, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.1 mm;

staminode 10–12 mm, reaching orifice or barely exserted, 0.5–0.7 mm diam., glabrous;

style 11–13 mm.

calyx lobes ovate, 3–6(–7) × 1.9–2.6 mm, margins entire or erose, glabrous;

corolla violet or reddish violet to lavender, with red or reddish purple nectar guides, bilaterally symmetric, bilabiate, tubular-funnelform, 13–17(–20) mm, glabrous externally or buds and young flowers sometimes with sessile glands distally, glabrous internally, tube 5–7 mm, throat gradually inflated, 6–7 mm diam., rounded or slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs navicular, 1–1.3 mm, sutures smooth or papillate;

staminode 7–8 mm, flattened distally, 0.5–0.6 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 1–3 mm sparsely papillate, papillae golden yellow or reddish yellow, to 0.2 mm;

style 10–12 mm.

Capsules

6–7 × 4.5–6 mm.

8–10 × 4–6 mm.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Penstemon cusickii

Penstemon patens

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Rocky, often basaltic, sagebrush shrublands. Sagebrush shrublands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, pine forests.
Elevation 600–1500 m. (2000–4900 ft.) 1800–3000 m. (5900–9800 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon cusickii is known from west-central and southwestern Idaho (Ada, Blaine, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, and Washington counties) and eastern Oregon (Baker, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Union, and Wheeler counties).

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

Penstemon patens occurs on mountain slopes surrounding the Owens Valley in Inyo and Mono counties, California, in the Huntoon Mountains in western Mineral County, Nevada, and in the East Desert and Sheep ranges in Clark County, Nevada. Penstemon patens usually is distinguishable from P. confusus and P. utahensis by its glabrous (versus glandular-pubescent) corollas; flower buds and young flowers of P. patens often bear some sessile glands distally.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 232. FNA vol. 17, p. 154.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Saccanthera 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. cinicola, P. clevelandii, P. clutei, P. cobaea, P. comarrhenus, P. compactus, P. concinnus, P. confertus, P. confusus, P. crandallii, 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. 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
Synonyms P. confusus var. patens, P. confusus subsp. patens
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 16: 106. (1880) — (as Pentstemon) (M. E. Jones) N. H. Holmgren: Brittonia 31: 106. (1979)
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