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large beardtongue, largeflower penstemon, shell-leaf beardtongue

mucronate penstemon, sheep creek beardtongue

Stems

erect, (40–)50–95(–120) cm, glabrous.

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

Leaves

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 30–160 × 6–50 mm, blade spatulate to obovate, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline 4–8 pairs, sessile, 18–90(–110) × 15–50 mm, blade spatulate to orbiculate, base clasping, apex rounded to obtuse.

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, 12–30(–40) cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 3–7(–9), cymes 2–4-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate to elliptic or orbiculate, (9–)16–83 × (9–)16–54 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 to lanceolate, 7–11 × 2.5–4 mm, margins entire, rarely erose, herbaceous or narrowly scarious, glabrous;

corolla lavender to blue or pinkish blue, with magenta nectar guides, ampliate, 35–48 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 10–13 mm, throat abruptly inflated, 15–18 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, 2.1–2.6 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 16–21 mm, included or reaching orifice, 2–2.6 mm diam., tip recurved to coiled, distal 1–2 mm sparsely villous, hairs golden yellow, to 0.5 mm;

style 19–30 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

16–20(–25) × 8–15 mm.

8–10 × 6–7 mm.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Penstemon grandiflorus

Penstemon mucronatus

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Sandy or calcareous soils, tallgrass, mixed-grass, and sand prairies. Sandy or gravelly soils, juniper and pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Elevation 200–1800(–2400) m. (700–5900(–7900) ft.) 1500–2500 m. (4900–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; CT; IA; IL; IN; KS; MA; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; OH; OK; SD; TX; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Widely distributed in the western Midwest and Great Plains in the United States, Penstemon grandiflorus is cultivated as an ornamental for its showy flowers. Reports from Connecticut (D. W. Magee and H. E. Ahles 2007), Indiana (K. Yatskievych 2000), Massachusetts (Magee and Ahles), Michigan (E. G. Voss 1972–1996), and Ohio (T. S. Cooperrider 1995) appear to be based on introductions. Penstemon grandiflorus has been seeded along highways in Iowa and Nebraska, where it is also native.

The validity of the name Penstemon grandiflorus has been debated owing to the meager diagnosis by Nuttall. The name is accepted here, making P. bradburyi Pursh, an illegitimate, superfluous replacement for P. grandiflorus.

The Dakota, Kiowa, and Sioux tribes, centered in the Great Plains, use Penstemon grandiflorus as an analgesic, a gastrointestinal aid, and for fevers (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. 118. 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. 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. 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 Nuttall: Cat. Pl. Upper Louisiana, no. 64. (1813) — (as grandiflorum) N. H. Holmgren: Brittonia 31: 234, fig. 10. (1979)
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