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blue-stem beardtongue, bluestem penstemon

Canaan Mountain beardtongue, sandloving penstemon

Stems

ascending to erect, (16–)20–60 cm, glabrous or ± puberulent proximally, ± glaucous.

decumbent to ascending, 5–26 cm, usually ± fistulose, glutinous and covered with sand, not glaucous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, ± leathery or not, glabrous or proximals puberulent proximally or along midveins, ± glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline (30–)50–95 × 10–15(–28) mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, usually undulate, apex rounded to obtuse;

cauline 2–4 pairs, sessile, 20–73 × 4–15 mm, blade lanceolate to elliptic, base truncate to clasping, margins crisped or undulate, apex acute.

basal and cauline, not leathery, glutinous and covered with sand, not glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline 18–80 × 4–15 mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, crisped, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 2–5 pairs, sessile, 15–75 × 2–8 mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate, base tapered to truncate, margins crisped, apex rounded or obtuse to acute.

Thyrses

interrupted, secund to subsecund, (4–)8–31 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 5–9(–12), cymes (1 or)2–5-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 15–50 × 3–23 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous, peduncles to 18 mm, pedicels 1–7 mm.

continuous, cylindric, 4–15 cm, axis glutinous and covered with sand, verticillasters 4–10, cymes 1–6-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 14–45 × 2–5(–8) mm;

peduncles and pedicels glutinous and covered with sand.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate, 3.5–4.5 × 1.4–2 mm, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous;

corolla blue to violet, with violet nectar guides, funnelform to weakly ventricose, 14–18(–20) mm, glabrous or ± glandular externally, glabrous internally, tube 5–8 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 5–7 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens: longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs divergent, navicular-sigmoid, 1.2–1.7 mm, dehiscing incompletely, proximal 1/4 indehiscent, connective not splitting, sides sparsely to moderately pilose, hairs white, to 0.5(–0.7) mm, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.1 mm;

staminode: 9–11 mm, reaching orifice, 0.2–0.4 mm diam., tip straight, distal 2–6 mm sparsely pilose, hairs golden yellow, to 0.6 mm;

style 9–12 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate, 5–6.5 × 1–2 mm, glutinous and covered with sand;

corolla lavender to blue-lavender, with violet nectar guides, weakly ventricose, 14–17 mm, glabrous externally, usually glutinous and covered with sand distally, especially on lobes, glabrous internally, tube 5–6 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 5–6 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens: longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, navicular, 0.9–1.4 mm, dehiscing completely or incompletely, connective splitting or not, sides glabrous, sutures papillate;

staminode: 8–9 mm, included, 0.3–0.5 mm diam., tip straight, distal 4–5 mm sparsely papillate, papillae violet, to 0.2 mm;

style 10–12 mm.

Capsules

6–10 × 4–5 mm.

3.5–6.5 mm.

Penstemon cyanocaulis

Penstemon ammophilus

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Rocky slopes, pinyon-juniper, oak, and oak-juniper woodlands. Sand dunes, ponderosa pine forests, mixed shrublands.
Elevation 1300–2700 m. (4300–8900 ft.) 1800–2200 m. (5900–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon cyanocaulis is known from Mesa, Montrose, and San Miguel counties, Colorado, and Carbon, Emery, Grand, and San Juan counties, Utah. It has crisped or undulate leaf margins that help distinguish it in the field.

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

Penstemon ammophilus is known from Garfield, Kane, and Washington counties. Populations occur on aeolian sand, derived from the Navajo Sandstone. The fistulose stems of P. ammophilus are unique in Penstemon.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 165. FNA vol. 17, p. 161.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Glabri Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Glabri
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. cyaneus, 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. 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. 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 Payson: Bot. Gaz. 60: 380. (1915) — (as Pentstemon) N. H. Holmgren & L. M. Shultz: Brittonia 34: 381, fig. 1. (1982)
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