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hairy beardtongue, northeastern beardtongue, penstémon hirsute

Habit Herbs.
Stems

ascending to erect, 30–80 cm, retrorsely hairy and sparsely to densely glandular-villous, not glaucous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, not leathery, glabrous or sparsely glandular-lanate along midveins, rarely moderately glandular-lanate;

basal and proximal cauline 20–126 × 4–16 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, lanceolate, spatulate, or elliptic, base tapered, margins entire or serrate to dentate, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline 5–8(–10) pairs, sessile or short-petiolate, 20–130 × 2–30 mm, blade lanceolate to oblanceolate, base clasping or tapered, margins finely to coarsely serrate or dentate, apex acute to acuminate.

Thyrses

interrupted, conic, 6–37 cm, axis glandular-pubescent to glandular-lanate, verticillasters (3 or)4–8, cymes 2–11(–15)-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 8–60 × 1–6 mm, margins entire or ± serrate to dentate;

peduncles and pedicels ascending, glandular-pubescent to glandular-lanate.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 4–7 × 1.5–2.3 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla lavender or purplish, with or without faint violet nectar guides, bilabiate, personate, tubular, 20–26(–28) mm, glandular-pubescent externally, moderately to densely white-villous internally abaxially, tube 6–7 mm, throat slightly inflated, 6–8 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, navicular to subexplanate, 0.8–1 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures papillate;

staminode 13–16 mm, exserted, 0.6–0.7 mm diam., tip straight, distal 11–14 mm moderately to densely villous, hairs yellowish, to 1.2 mm;

style 16–18 mm.

Capsules

6–9 × 5–6 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon hirsutus

Phenology Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Sandy or rocky woods, rocky fields, bluffs, cliffs.
Elevation 10–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon hirsutus occurs widely in the northeastern United States, and in southern Ontario and Quebec. Its long, tubular, personate corollas and herbage with some stellate hairs may indicate a close relationship with P. oklahomensis and P. tenuiflorus.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 208.
Parent taxa 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. 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. 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
Synonyms Chelone hirsuta, C. pentstemon
Name authority (Linnaeus) Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 3: 227. (1800) — (as Pentstemon)
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