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Harbour's beardtongue

Habit Herbs.
Caudex

rhizomelike.

Stems

decumbent, ascending, or weakly erect, 4–18 cm, retrorsely hairy, not glaucous.

Leaves

cauline, not leathery, glabrate, retrorsely hairy, or puberulent;

cauline 2–4 pairs, petiolate or sessile, 7–28 × 3–12 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered to clasping, margins entire, apex rounded or obtuse to acute.

Thyrses

interrupted or continuous, ± secund, 1–3 cm, axis ± glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 1 or 2(or 3), cymes 1- or 2-flowered, 1 or 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 17–23 × 4–10 mm, margins entire;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, retrorsely hairy and glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes lanceolate, 6–10 × 1.3–2 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla lavender or bluish lavender to lavender-purple, without nectar guides, bilabiate, not personate, tubular-funnelform, 15–20 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, densely white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 4–6 mm, throat gradually inflated, 5–6 mm diam., prominently 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, subexplanate, 0.7–0.9 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures smooth;

staminode 8–9 mm, included, 0.3–0.4 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 4–5 mm moderately to densely lanate, hairs yellow, to 1 mm;

style 11–12 mm.

pollen sacs navicular, navicular-sigmoid, saccate, or explanate, dehiscing completely or incompletely, connective splitting or not, sides glabrous or hairy, hairs not concealing surface, sutures smooth, papillate, or denticulate;

staminode included to exserted, if included, length 3/4+ times corolla throat.

Capsules

6–8 × 4–5 mm, glabrous.

Seeds

angled or rounded, rarely angled-elongate, reniform, or disciform, wings absent.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon harbourii

Penstemon subg. Penstemon

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Alpine talus, gravel slopes, boulder fields.
Elevation 3200–4200 m. (10500–13800 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
North America; Mexico; Central America (Guatemala)
Discussion

Penstemon harbourii is found on the high peaks of the Central Rocky Mountains. Populations have been documented in at least 17 counties. Habit, pubescence, and root characters of P. harbourii are somewhat anomalous in sect. Penstemon, prompting D. D. Keck (1945) to suggest possible ties with sect. Caespitosi or sect. Cristati. Molecular data appear to provide support for ties with sect. Caespitosi (A. D. Wolfe et al. 2006; C. A. Wessinger et al. 2016).

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

Species ca. 270 (229 in the flora).

Following the recommendation of A. D. Wolfe et al. (2006), subg. Penstemon is expanded here to include species of Penstemon not included in subg. Dasanthera. Molecular data indicate that some sections as usually circumscribed are paraphyletic. Absent a robust phylogeny for Penstemon, a morphology-based classification is followed here with minor adjustments. As circumscribed here, subg. Penstemon comprises 16 sections, 15 in the flora area.

Section Leptostemon Trautvetter includes 27 species from Mexico and Guatemala. Among its members are Penstemon campanulatus (Cavanilles) Willdenow, P. gentianoides (Kunth) Poiret, and P. hartwegii Bentham, three red- or purple-flowered species popular among European plant breeders in the nineteenth century and used in the development of European hybrid penstemons (R. Nold 1999; D. Lindgren and E. Wilde 2003).

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

Key

Key to Sections of subg. Penstemon

1. Cauline leaf blade margins deeply pinnatifid to nearly pinnatisect.
P. sect. Dissecti
1. Cauline leaf blade margins entire or toothed, rarely laciniate-pinnatifid.
→ 2
2. Subshrubs or shrubs; staminodes glabrous; corollas pink, red, scarlet, or magenta, rarely lavender or violet.
→ 3
3. Cauline leaf blades linear and pollen sacs explanate.
P. sect. Ambigui
3. Cauline leaf blades obovate, ovate, oblanceolate, lanceolate, elliptic, or linear; pollen sacs navicular, saccate, subexplanate, or explanate.
→ 4
4. Pollen sacs subexplanate to explanate, opposite; corollas weakly ventricose; thyrses cylindric; leaves glaucous.
P. sect. Petiolati
4. Pollen sacs saccate or navicular, parallel or divergent; corollas salverform or funnelform; thyrses secund; leaves not glaucous.
→ 5
5. Cauline leaf margins toothed or entire; corollas funnelform, glandular-pubescent internally abaxially and adaxially; cymes 1 per node; Texas.
P. sect. Baccharifolii
5. Cauline leaf margins entire; corollas salverform, hairy internally abaxially; cymes 2 per node; Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah.
P. sect. Bridgesiani
2. Herbs, shrubs, or subshrubs; staminodes hairy distally or glabrous; corollas usually white, lavender, lilac, blue, violet, purple, ochroleucous, yellow, orange, or crimson, if pink, red, scarlet, or magenta, herbs and/or staminodes hairy, or both.
→ 6
6. Pollen sacs saccate, dehiscing incompletely, distal 1/5–2/3 indehiscent, connectives splitting, rarely not.
→ 7
7. Pollen sac sutures papillate; herbs.
P. sect. Penstemon
7. Pollen sac sutures denticulate; herbs or subshrubs.
→ 8
8. Herbs; pollen sac sides glabrous; staminodes glabrous, tips recurved; cauline leaf blade margins entire; thyrses interrupted.
P. sect. Chamaeleon
8. Herbs or subshrubs; pollen sac sides glabrous or hairy; staminodes glabrous or hairy distally, tips straight; cauline leaf blade margins entire or toothed, rarely laciniate-pinnatifid; thyrses interrupted or continuous.
P. sect. Saccanthera
6. Pollen sacs navicular, navicular-sigmoid, sigmoid, subexplanate, or explanate, dehiscing completely, if incompletely proximal 1/5–1/2 indehiscent and/or connectives not splitting.
→ 9
9. Pollen sacs dehiscing incompletely, proximal 1/5–1/2 indehiscent and/or connectives not splitting.
→ 10
10. Corollas red to scarlet or orange, rarely yellow, glabrous externally.
P. sect. Elmigera
10. Corollas white to pink, lavender, lilac, blue, violet, or purple, glandular-pubescent or glabrous externally, if corollas reddish pink or rose red, glandular-pubescent externally.
→ 11
11. Pollen sacs: connectives not splitting, sutures papillate, sides glabrous; corollas tubular-funnelform.
P. sect. Cristati
11. Pollen sacs: proximal 1/5–1/3 indehiscent and/or connectives not splitting, sutures denticulate, sometimes papillate or smooth, sides glabrous or hairy; corollas funnelform, ventricose, or ventricose-ampliate.
P. sect. Glabri
9. Pollen sacs dehiscing completely (rarely connectives not splitting in P. incertus).
→ 12
12. Staminodes glabrous; pollen sacs parallel to divergent, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.2–0.3 mm.
P. sect. Chamaeleon
12. Staminodes hairy distally, sometimes glabrous; pollen sacs opposite or divergent, rarely parallel, sutures smooth, papillate, or denticulate, teeth to 0.1–0.2 mm.
→ 13
13. Subshrubs; leaves cauline, rarely basal and cauline, blade margins entire; stems not glaucous; corollas 2-ridged abaxially.
P. sect. Caespitosi
13. Herbs, shrubs, or subshrubs; leaves basal and cauline, sometimes basal few or absent, blade margins entire or toothed, if shrubs or subshrubs, leaves basal and cauline or leaf blade margins toothed or stems glaucous; corollas rounded to 2-ridged abaxially.
→ 14
14. Stems and/or leaves and/or thyrse axes hairy; leaf blades not (or rarely) glaucous, not (or rarely) leathery.
→ 15
15. Corollas glabrous externally, ventricose or ventricose-ampliate.
P. sect. Glabri
15. Corollas glandular-pubescent externally, if glabrous then tubular, tubular-funnelform, or funnelform.
→ 16
16. Corolla throats rounded abaxially, sometimes slightly 2-ridged; staminodes: distal (40–)50–100% hairy, hairs to 4 mm, exserted, sometimes reaching orifice or included, tips straight to recurved or coiled; seeds 1.4–4.8 mm, brown, dark brown, or black.
P. sect. Cristati
16. Corolla throats slightly to prominently 2-ridged abaxially, rarely rounded; staminodes: distal 5–60(–90)% hairy, hairs to 3 mm, sometimes glabrous, included or reaching orifice, sometimes exserted, tips straight to recurved; seeds 0.4–2(–3.5) mm, tan, brown, gray, or black.
P. sect. Penstemon
14. Stems, leaves, and thyrse axes glabrous, rarely scabrous; leaf blades glaucous, rarely not, leathery, rarely not.
→ 17
17. Shrubs or subshrubs; stamen filaments: shorter pair glandular-puberulent proximally.
P. sect. Spectabiles
17. Herbs; stamen filaments glabrous.
→ 18
18. Leaf blade margins toothed.
P. sect. Spectabiles
18. Leaf blade margins entire (rarely remotely and obscurely toothed in P. parryi).
→ 19
19. Stamens exserted; corollas red, 32–36 mm.
P. sect. Coerulei
19. Stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, rarely exserted; corollas lavender to blue, violet, purple, white, pink, lilac, red, scarlet, crimson, magenta, orange, yellow, or ochroleucous, 6–33 mm.
→ 20
20. Basal and proximal cauline leaf blades linear, 0.5–1.5 mm wide.
P. sect. Cristati
20. Leaf blades ovate, obovate, lanceolate, oblanceolate, spatulate, trullate, oblong, or elliptic, rarely linear, 1–70 mm wide.
→ 21
21. Pollen sacs 0.3–1.2 mm, opposite; corollas 7–22 mm, throats 2-ridged abaxially, sometimes rounded.
P. sect. Penstemon
21. Pollen sacs 0.6–3 mm, opposite, divergent, or parallel; corollas 10–48 mm, throats rounded abaxially, rarely slightly 2-ridged.
→ 22
22. Pollens sacs navicular; corollas glabrous externally, rarely obscurely glandular (P. carnosus).
P. sect. Coerulei
22. Pollen sacs explanate, sometimes navicular; corollas glandular-pubescent externally, if glabrous staminode papillate distally, papillae to 0.2 mm.
P. sect. Gentianoides
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 206. FNA vol. 17, p. 92.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon Plantaginaceae > 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. sect. Ambigui, P. sect. Baccharifolii, P. sect. Bridgesiani, P. sect. Caespitosi, P. sect. Chamaeleon, P. sect. Coerulei, P. sect. Cristati, P. sect. Dissecti, P. sect. Elmigera, P. sect. Gentianoides, P. sect. Glabri, P. sect. Penstemon, P. sect. Petiolati, P. sect. Saccanthera, P. sect. Spectabiles
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 71. (1862) — (as Pentstemon) unknown
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