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blue-stem beardtongue, bluestem penstemon

blue penstemon, dark blue beardtongue

Stems

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

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

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 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.

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 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.

Capsules

6–10 × 4–5 mm.

9–13 × 5–7 mm.

Penstemon cyanocaulis

Penstemon cyaneus

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Rocky slopes, pinyon-juniper, oak, and oak-juniper woodlands. Gravelly or sandy hillsides, sagebrush shrublands.
Elevation 1300–2700 m. (4300–8900 ft.) 1400–2900 m. (4600–9500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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 cyaneus occurs from the vicinity of Yellowstone National Park westward into south-central Idaho.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 165. FNA vol. 17, p. 164.
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. 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
Name authority Payson: Bot. Gaz. 60: 380. (1915) — (as Pentstemon) Pennell: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 20: 351. (1920)
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