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Gairdner's beardtongue, Gairdner's penstemon

western white-flower penstemon, western whiteflower beardtongue, white flower penstemon, white-flower beardtongue

Habit Subshrubs. Herbs.
Stems

ascending to erect, 6–40 cm, retrorsely hairy, not glaucous.

ascending to erect, 15–40(–65) cm, glabrous, not glaucous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, alternate or mostly opposite, not leathery, retrorsely hairy;

basal and proximal cauline 10–50(–70) × 1–4 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate or linear, base tapered, margins entire, revolute, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline 8–12 pairs (or 13–25 leaves when alternate), sessile, 7–35 × 1–3 mm, blade oblanceolate to linear, base tapered, margins entire, apex acute.

basal and cauline, not leathery, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline (23–)40–90(–120) × 6–14(–24) mm, blade spatulate to elliptic, base tapered, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline 3–6 pairs, sessile or proximals short- to long-petiolate, 24–115 × 4–15 mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate, base tapered to truncate or clasping, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute.

Thyrses

interrupted, cylindric to secund, 2–12 cm, axis glandular-pubescent and retrorsely hairy, verticillasters 3–12, cymes 1(or 2)-flowered, 1 or 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 5–18 × 0.5–3 mm, margins entire;

peduncles and pedicels erect, glandular-pubescent and/or retrorsely hairy.

interrupted, cylindric, 6–15 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 2–6, cymes 3–11-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 8–50 × 1–8 mm, margins entire;

peduncles and pedicels erect, glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes lanceolate, 5–8.5 × 1.7–2.7 mm, puberulent and glandular-pubescent;

corolla violet to blue or purple, with or without reddish nectar guides, funnelform, 15–22 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, glandular-pubescent internally, tube 3–4 mm, throat gradually inflated, 5–6 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, navicular to subexplanate, 0.8–1 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures smooth;

staminode 8–11 mm, included, 0.4–0.6 mm diam., tip straight, distal 3–5 mm sparsely to densely pubescent, hairs yellow, to 1 mm;

style 10–12 mm.

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 3–5.5 × 1.2–2.1 mm, apex acute to short-caudate, glabrous;

corolla white or lavender, without nectar guides, funnelform, 10–15 mm, glabrous externally, moderately yellow- or white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 4–5 mm, throat slightly inflated, 3–4 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens: longer pair reaching orifice or slightly exserted, pollen sacs opposite, navicular, 0.6–0.8 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures smooth;

staminode 6–7 mm, included, 0.3–0.4 mm diam., tip straight, distal 0.5–3 mm moderately pilose, hairs yellow, to 0.8 mm, rarely glabrous;

style 7–8 mm.

Capsules

5–9 × 3–5.3 mm, glabrous.

4–7 × 3–4 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 16.

= 32.

Penstemon gairdneri

Penstemon pratensis

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Moist meadows, stream banks, aspen woodlands.
Elevation 1300–2800 m. (4300–9200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Following A. Cronquist (1959), two varieties are recognized here.

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

Penstemon pratensis is known from the northern Central Great Basin and Owyhee Desert regions of the northern Great Basin. The species is documented in Owyhee County, Idaho, Elko and Eureka counties, Nevada, and Harney and Malheur counties, Oregon. In Elko County, Nevada, where it occurs with P. rydbergii var. oreocharis, P. pratensis appears to occur mostly in the East Humboldt Range and Ruby Mountains, south and east of the Humboldt River. Most populations of P. rydbergii var. oreocharis in that county occur north and west of the Humboldt River in the Independence and Jarbidge mountains.

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

Key
1. Leaves alternate; stems 6–20(–35) cm.
var. gairdneri
1. Leaves opposite, sometimes alternate; stems 20–40 cm.
var. oreganus
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 204. FNA vol. 17, p. 215.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon 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. 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. gairdneri var. gairdneri, P. gairdneri var. oreganus
Name authority Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 99. (1838) — (as Pentstemon) Greene: Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 165. (1906) — (as Pentstemon)
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