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Cusick's beardtongue, Cusick's penstemon

Germander beardtongue

Habit Herbs or subshrubs.
Stems

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

prostrate or ascending, 2–10 cm, cinereous, retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed.

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.

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

cauline 5–9 pairs, sessile, 4–14 × 0.5–1.4 mm, blade linear, base tapered, apex mucronate, sometimes acuminate.

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.

continuous, cylindric, 3–15 cm, axis retrorsely hairy to retrorsely cinereous, hairs pointed, verticillasters 1–8, cymes 1 or 2(or 3)-flowered, 1 per node;

proximal bracts linear, 6–15 × 0.6–1.5 mm;

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

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 lanceolate, (3–)4–6 × 0.7–1 mm, narrowly scarious-margined, retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed, and sparsely glandular-pubescent;

corolla blue or violet, lined internally abaxially with reddish violet nectar guides, funnelform, 15–19 mm, sparsely white- or yellowish lanate internally abaxially, tube 6–7 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4–5.5 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens: longer pair reaching orifice, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs opposite, navicular to subexplanate, 0.7–1 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 8–9 mm, included or reaching orifice, flattened distally, 0.2–0.3 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 6–7 mm pilose, hairs yellowish orange, to 0.7 mm;

style 13–16 mm.

Capsules

6–7 × 4.5–6 mm.

3.3–4.5 × 2.8–3.6 mm.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Penstemon cusickii

Penstemon teucrioides

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering May–Jul(–Aug).
Habitat Rocky, often basaltic, sagebrush shrublands. Silt or gravelly slopes in sagebrush shrublands.
Elevation 600–1500 m. (2000–4900 ft.) 2200–3400 m. (7200–11200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO
[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 teucrioides is known from the Gunnison Basin. Populations have been documented in Chaffee, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Park, and Saguache counties. E. O. Wooton and P. C. Standley (1915) cited a specimen from Tierra Amarilla, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, which appears to be in error. Penstemon teucrioides is most likely confused with P. crandallii but can be distinguished reliably by its densely retrorsely hairy, cinereous leaves, narrowly scarious-margined calyx lobes, and 0.7–1 mm pollen sacs. Penstemon teucrioides also can be mistaken for P. caespitosus; the two species can be distinguished by the indument of stems and leaves.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 232. FNA vol. 17, p. 106.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Saccanthera 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. 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. 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. 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 A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 16: 106. (1880) — (as Pentstemon) Greene: Pl. Baker. 3: 23. (1901) — (as Pentstemon)
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