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Fendler's beardtongue, Fendler's penstemon

mucronate penstemon, sheep creek beardtongue

Stems

erect, (15–)20–55(–60) cm, glabrous.

ascending to erect, 10–35(–46) cm, glabrous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 20–100 × 4–24 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse or acute, sometimes mucronate;

cauline 2–5 pairs, sessile, (14–)23–95 × (4–)6–31 mm, blade lanceolate or ovate to trullate, base clasping to cordate-clasping, apex obtuse to acute.

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 23–65(–100) × (9–)13–40 mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline (2–)4–6(–9) pairs, sessile, (8–)20–30 × 8–26 mm, blade ovate to orbiculate, base clasping, apex mucronate.

Thyrses

interrupted, cylindric, (5–)11–38 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters (3 or)4–12, cymes 2- or 3(–5)-flowered;

proximal bracts trullate to ovate, 11–70 × 7–38 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

interrupted, cylindric, (2–)11–18(–27) cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 6–9(–15), cymes 2–6-flowered;

proximal bracts orbiculate to ovate, 7–28 × 3–26 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate, 4.5–7 × 1.5–3.5 mm, margins entire or erose, broadly scarious, glabrous or obscurely glandular along margins distally;

corolla lavender to violet or bluish, with violet or reddish purple nectar guides, tubular-salverform, 14–23(–28) mm, glabrous externally or glandular, glabrous or sparsely white-villous internally abaxially, tube 7–9 mm, throat slightly inflated, 4–6 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, 1–1.3 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 8–11 mm, reaching orifice, 0.8–1.6 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 1–3 mm villous, hairs golden yellow, to 1.5 mm;

style 11–15 mm.

calyx lobes ovate, (3–)4.5–6.5 × 1.5–2.3 mm, margins entire or erose, broadly scarious, glabrous;

corolla blue to violet, with reddish violet nectar guides, guides sometimes passing onto limb, tubular-funnelform, (10–)13–17(–20) mm, glabrous externally, sparsely white-villous internally abaxially, tube (5–)7–10 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4.5–5.5(–7) mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs divergent to opposite, 0.7–1.1 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 7–13 mm, reaching orifice, (0.6–)0.9–1.9 mm diam., tip strongly recurved, distal 2–5 mm moderately to densely pilose, hairs brownish yellow or golden yellow, to 1 mm;

style (7–)9–12 mm.

Capsules

10–15 × 8–10 mm.

8–10 × 6–7 mm.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Penstemon fendleri

Penstemon mucronatus

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun(–Jul). Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Sandy or gravelly soils, mixed-grass, shortgrass, or sandsage prairies. Sandy or gravelly soils, juniper and pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Elevation 200–2300 m. (700–7500 ft.) 1500–2500 m. (4900–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; KS; NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Penstemon fendleri occurs on mesas and plains from the southern Great Plains through western Texas, New Mexico, and southeastern Arizona into northern Mexico.

The Ramah Navajo of western New Mexico use Penstemon fendleri as a dermatological aid (D. E. Moerman 1998).

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

Penstemon mucronatus is known from Moffat and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado, Daggett and Uintah counties, Utah, and Carbon and Sweetwater counties, Wyoming. E. C. Neese (1993) considered it transitional to P. pachyphyllus var. pachyphyllus in northeastern Utah and treated it as a variety of that species. The two taxa often have similar leaf morphologies; P. mucronatus usually is easily distinguished from P. pachyphyllus var. pachyphyllus by its narrower staminode bearing shorter, less tangled hairs at the apex and nectar guides that extend onto the corolla limbs. Flowers of P. mucronatus are in many respects more similar to those of P. osterhoutii than they are to those of P. pachyphyllus. A chromosome count reported for P. pachyphyllus by F. S. Crosswhite and S. Kawano (1965) is referable to P. mucronatus.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 117. FNA vol. 17, p. 121.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei
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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms P. pachyphyllus var. mucronatus
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 2(4): 168, plate 5. (1857) — (as Pentstemon) N. H. Holmgren: Brittonia 31: 234, fig. 10. (1979)
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