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blue penstemon, dark blue beardtongue

Susanville beardtongue, volcanic beardtongue

Habit Subshrubs.
Stems

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

ascending to erect, 18–70 cm, glandular-pubescent, sometimes densely so distally, not glaucous.

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.

cauline, opposite or subopposite, not leathery, glandular-pubescent;

cauline (4–)7–10 pairs, sessile or proximals short-petiolate, 14–60 × 8–20(–30) mm, blade obovate to ovate or lanceolate, base tapered to clasping, margins dentate, dentate-serrate, or serrate, apex acute to acuminate.

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.

interrupted or continuous, cylindric, 13–35 cm, axis densely glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 9–18, cymes 1–5-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, (7–)15–40 × (2–)8–18 mm, margins dentate to dentate-serrate;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, densely 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, 3–6 × 0.8–1.6 mm, densely glandular-pubescent;

corolla white to light lavender or light pink, with reddish violet nectar guides, funnelform, 9–11 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, glandular-pubescent internally, tube 3–4 mm, throat slightly inflated, 3–4 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, navicular to subexplanate, 0.5–0.7 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures smooth;

staminode 9–10 mm, included or exserted, 0.2–0.3 mm diam., tip straight, glabrous;

style 7–8 mm.

Capsules

9–13 × 5–7 mm.

4–5 × 2.5–3 mm, glabrous.

Penstemon cyaneus

Penstemon sudans

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Gravelly or sandy hillsides, sagebrush shrublands. Igneous soils and crevices, basalt in sagebrush shrublands and pine woodlands.
Elevation 1400–2900 m. (4600–9500 ft.) 1200–1800 m. (3900–5900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[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 sudans is known from northeastern California (Lassen, Modoc, and Placer counties); it has been reported for Washoe County, Nevada. D. D. Keck (1940b) observed that some plants of P. deustus from southeastern Oregon (Curry, Jackson, and Josephine counties) approach P. sudans in glandularity, though he considered these to be one extreme of the morphologic spectrum exhibited by P. deustus.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 164. FNA vol. 17, p. 223.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Glabri Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon
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. 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. 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. deustus subsp. sudans
Name authority Pennell: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 20: 351. (1920) M. E. Jones: Contr. W. Bot. 8: 37. (1898) — (as Pentstemon)
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