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large beardtongue, largeflower penstemon, shell-leaf beardtongue

Inyo beardtongue

Habit Herbs.
Stems

erect, (40–)50–95(–120) cm, glabrous.

ascending to erect, 11–48 cm, retrorsely hairy or puberulent, hairs pointed, not glaucous.

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, opposite, puberulent, hairs pointed, sometimes glabrate abaxially, not glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline (12–)25–100 × 6–15(–25) mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline 2–4 pairs, sessile or proximals short-petiolate, 24–70 × 7–20 mm, blade elliptic or oblanceolate to lanceolate or oblong, base tapered to cordate-clasping, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute.

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, 8–20 cm, axis glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 3–7, cymes 1–4-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 13–45 × 4–12 mm;

peduncles and pedicels erect, glandular-pubescent.

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 lanceolate, 8–10 × 1.4–2.6 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla blue to lavender or violet, without nectar guides, ampliate, 24–30 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, glabrous internally, tube 8–10 mm, throat gradually inflated, 6–8 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs parallel, 1.6–1.9 mm, distal 1/3 indehiscent, sides glabrous, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.1 mm;

staminode 13–15 mm, included, 0.4–0.5 mm diam., distal 5–8 mm densely pilose, hairs yellow, to 1.3 mm;

style 22–25 mm.

Capsules

16–20(–25) × 8–15 mm.

7–11 × 5–6 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon grandiflorus

Penstemon papillatus

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Sandy or calcareous soils, tallgrass, mixed-grass, and sand prairies. Rocky openings, pine-juniper woodlands, pine forests.
Elevation 200–1800(–2400) m. (700–5900(–7900) ft.) 2000–2900 m. (6600–9500 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
CA
[BONAP county 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 papillatus is limited to the High Sierra Nevada and Inyo and White mountains in Inyo and Mono counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 118. FNA vol. 17, p. 239.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Saccanthera
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. 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. 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 Nuttall: Cat. Pl. Upper Louisiana, no. 64. (1813) — (as grandiflorum) J. T. Howell: Leafl. W. Bot. 2: 119. (1938)
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