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bunchleaf penstemon, foothill beardtongue, foothill penstemon

Wassuk beardtongue, Wassuk Range beardtongue

Habit Subshrubs. Herbs.
Stems

ascending to erect, 30–150 cm, glabrous or retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed, rarely glaucous.

erect, 50–120 cm, glaucous.

Leaves

essentially cauline, basal absent or essentially so, opposite, glabrous or retrorsely hairy to puberulent, hairs pointed, rarely glaucous;

cauline 5–11 pairs, petiolate or sessile, 10–100 × 0.5–12 mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate or linear, base tapered to clasping, margins entire, apex acute.

basal and proximal cauline 25–100 × (5–)10–35 mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, margins coarsely dentate, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 3–5 pairs, sessile, 25–65 × 12–25 mm, blade lanceolate, base sessile, clasping or distal ones connate-perfoliate, margins coarsely dentate, apex acute.

Thyrses

interrupted or continuous, cylindric, (6–)10–32 cm, axis glabrous or retrorsely hairy, verticillasters (3–)5–14, cymes 1(–3)-flowered, (1 or)2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 5–65 × 0.5–5 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glabrous or retrorsely hairy.

interrupted, secund, 20–60 cm, axis glabrous, sometimes sparsely glandular-pubescent distally, verticillasters 10–16, cymes 2- or 3-flowered;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 15–60 × 4–22 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes obovate to oblanceolate or ovate to lanceolate, 2.6–6(–7) × 1.3–3.3 mm, glabrous or puberulent;

corolla blue to violet or purple, without nectar guides, ventricose to ventricose-ampliate, 24–38 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 7–10 mm, throat gradually inflated, 8–11 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice or slightly exserted, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs parallel, 2.2–3 mm, distal 1/3–1/2 indehiscent, sides pubescent to lanate, hairs white, to 0.8 mm near filament attachment, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.2 mm;

staminode 16–19 mm, included, 0.4–0.6 mm diam., glabrous;

style 18–27 mm.

calyx lobes ovate, 4–5.5 × 2–2.7 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla pink to rose pink, with reddish nectar guides, strongly bilabiate, ventricose to ventricose-ampliate, (27–)30–35 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, sparsely white-lanate internally abaxially, not glandular-pubescent, tube 7–10 mm, length 1.8–2 times calyx lobes, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 10–16 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair exserted, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs navicular, 1.2–1.5 mm, sutures smooth;

staminode 22–24 mm, exserted, 0.4–0.6 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 6–7 mm pilose, hairs yellow or golden yellow, to 2 mm;

style 18–24 mm, glabrous.

Capsules

6–9 × 4–5 mm.

7–11 × 4–6 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 16, 32.

Penstemon heterophyllus

Penstemon rubicundus

Phenology Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Rocky or gravelly slopes, drainages, roadsides, sagebrush or shadscale shrublands, pine-juniper woodlands.
Elevation 1300–2100 m. (4300–6900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NV
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Penstemon heterophyllus apparently occurs only in California (see discussion under 209c. var. purdyi). The species includes three varieties concentrated in the Coast Ranges from Humboldt County south to San Bernardino and San Diego counties.

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

Penstemon rubicundus is known from the Pine Nut Mountains (Douglas County) and the Wassuk Range (Mineral County) of western Nevada.

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

Key
1. Thyrse axes glabrous; stems glabrous, rarely retrorsely hairy; calyx lobes obovate to oblanceolate, rarely lanceolate.
var. heterophyllus
1. Thyrse axes retrorsely hairy; stems retrorsely hairy; calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate.
→ 2
2. Cauline leaves 15–45 × 0.5–4 mm, axillary fascicles present, sometimes absent.
var. australis
2. Cauline leaves (25–)30–100 × 2–12 mm, axillary fascicles absent, rarely present.
var. purdyi
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 235. FNA vol. 17, p. 254.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Saccanthera Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Spectabiles
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. harbourii, P. harringtonii, P. havardii, P. haydenii, P. heterodoxus, 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. 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. 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. heterophyllus var. australis, P. heterophyllus var. heterophyllus, P. heterophyllus var. purdyi
Name authority Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 22: plate 1899. (1836) — (as Pentstemon heterophyllum) D. D. Keck: Amer. Midl. Naturalist 18: 802. (1937)
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