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blue penstemon, dark blue beardtongue

dwarf beardtongue, low beardtongue

Stems

ascending to erect, (17–)30–80 cm, glabrous, not or ± glaucous.

ascending, 2–10(–14) cm, densely retrorsely hairy.

Leaves

basal and cauline, ± leathery or not, glabrous, ± glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline 50–170 × 8–25(–35) mm, blade oblanceolate to elliptic, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 3–7 pairs, sessile or proximals short-petiolate, (15–)30–90(–120) × (4–)8–25 mm, blade lanceolate to ovate, base cordate-clasping or proximals tapered, apex acute.

basal and cauline, not leathery, densely retrorsely hairy;

basal and proximal cauline petiolate, 12–35(–50) × 3–10 mm, blade ovate to lanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, rarely obscurely dentate, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 1–3 pairs, sessile, 13–34 × 2–6 mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate or linear, base tapered to slightly clasping, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute.

Thyrses

continuous or interrupted, secund, (3–)7–27 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters (3–)5–14, cymes (2 or)3–6-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 15–65 × 2–26 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous, peduncles to 18 mm, pedicels 3–18 mm.

continuous, cylindric, axis glandular-pubescent, 2–3(–8) cm, verticillasters 1–5(or 6), cymes 2–4-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 11–20 × 2–6 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes obovate to ovate, 2.5–4.5 × 2–3.4(–3.8) mm, apex mucronate, sometimes acute to acuminate, glabrous;

corolla blue to violet or purple, without nectar guides, ventricose, 24–30(–34) mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 7–10 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 8–11 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens: longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs divergent, sigmoid, 1.8–2.7(–3) mm, dehiscing incompletely, proximal 1/5 indehiscent, connective not splitting, sides hispid to hispidulous, hairs white or tan, to 0.2 mm, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.1 mm;

staminode 14–17 mm, included, 0.5–0.7 mm diam., tip straight, distal 4–7 mm sparsely pilose, hairs yellow, to 1 mm;

style 17–23 mm.

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 4–6 × 1.8–2.2 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla violet to blue or purple, with reddish violet nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, 12–16 mm, sparsely yellow-lanate internally abaxially, tube 5–6 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 4–7 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs parallel, navicular, 1.7–2 mm, dehiscing completely, sutures papillate;

staminode 8–9 mm, included or reaching orifice, 0.8–0.9 mm diam., tip straight, distal 5–6 mm moderately to densely pubescent, hairs orange, to 0.8 mm;

style 9–11 mm.

Capsules

9–13 × 5–7 mm.

4–7 × 3–4.5 mm.

Penstemon cyaneus

Penstemon nanus

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Gravelly or sandy hillsides, sagebrush shrublands. Pinyon-juniper woodlands, desert shrublands.
Elevation 1400–2900 m. (4600–9500 ft.) 1700–2300 m. (5600–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon cyaneus occurs from the vicinity of Yellowstone National Park westward into south-central Idaho.

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

Penstemon nanus is known from the ranges and dry valleys of western Beaver and Millard counties. Populations are concentrated in and near the Burbank Hills, Confusion Range, Halfway Hills, Mountain Home Range, and Tunnel Spring and Wah Wah mountains. The parallel pollen sacs and glandular-pubescent thyrse axes of P. nanus distinguish it from P. dolius.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 164. FNA vol. 17, p. 141.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Glabri 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. cinicola, P. clevelandii, P. clutei, P. cobaea, P. comarrhenus, P. compactus, P. concinnus, P. confertus, P. confusus, P. crandallii, P. cusickii, P. cyananthus, 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. 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
Name authority Pennell: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 20: 351. (1920) D. D. Keck: Amer. Midl. Naturalist 23: 607. (1940)
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