The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

King's beardtongue, King's penstemon

California beardtongue, California penstemon

Habit Herbs.
Stems

decumbent to ascending, 7–25(–30) cm, retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed, often densely so, not glaucous.

ascending to erect, (5–)8–30 cm, retrorsely hairy, hairs white, scalelike.

Leaves

cauline, opposite, retrorsely hairy or puberulent, hairs pointed, not glaucous;

cauline (2 or)3–6 pairs, short-petiolate or sessile, 17–50(–80) × 2–7(–10) mm, blade oblanceolate to linear, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute.

± leathery or not, densely retrorsely hairy, hairs appressed, white, scalelike;

cauline 10–30 pairs, petiolate, 8–16 × 1.5–2.5 mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, apex mucronate.

Thyrses

continuous, cylindric, 3–15 cm, axis retrorsely hairy or puberulent, verticillasters 4–10, cymes (1 or)2–4-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts oblanceolate to lanceolate, 11–40 × 2–8 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, peduncles puberulent, pedicels puberulent and glandular-pubescent, at least distally.

interrupted or continuous, secund, (1–)2–9 cm, axis retrorsely hairy with appressed, white, scalelike hairs, verticillasters 2–13, cymes 1–4-flowered, 1 per node;

proximal bracts oblanceolate, 2–10 × 0.5–1.5 mm;

peduncles and pedicels spreading to ascending, retrorsely hairy with appressed, white, scalelike hairs, and sparsely glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4–6 × 1.4–1.9 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla violet to purple, reddish purple, or blue, without nectar guides, ventricose, 15–22 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, glabrous internally, tube 5–7 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4.5–7 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs parallel, 1–1.5(–1.8) mm, distal 1/2–2/3 indehiscent, sides glabrous, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.1 mm;

staminode 11–13 mm, reaching orifice or barely exserted, 0.4–0.5 mm diam., glabrous;

style 12–16 mm.

calyx lobes ovate, 3.5–5.5 × 1.5–2 mm, scarious-margined, retrorsely hairy with appressed, white, scalelike hairs, and sparsely glandular-pubescent;

corolla purple to violet, lined internally abaxially with reddish purple nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, 14–18 mm, sparsely white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 5–6 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4.5–6 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, filaments glabrous or sparsely puberulent and sometimes with appressed, white, scalelike hairs proximally, pollen sacs opposite, navicular, 0.9–1.4 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 7–9 mm, reaching orifice or exserted, flattened distally, 0.3–0.4 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 4–5 mm pilose, hairs yellow, to 0.7 mm;

style 9–11 mm.

Capsules

6–10 × 4–6 mm.

5–7 × 4–5 mm.

Penstemon kingii

Penstemon californicus

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering May–Jul(–Aug).
Habitat Sagebrush-juniper woodlands. Sandy or gravelly soils, pine-juniper woodlands, pine forests.
Elevation 1500–2100 m. (4900–6900 ft.) 1200–2300 m. (3900–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon kingii is known from mountain ranges throughout central and northwestern Nevada (Churchill, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Nye, and Pershing counties) and southeastern Oregon (Malheur County). N. H. Holmgren (1984) reported a chromosome number of 2n = 32 for P. kingii; the basis for that report has not been determined.

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

In California, Penstemon californicus is known from the San Jacinto Mountains in Orange and Riverside counties; it also occurs in the Sierra San Pedro Mártir in Baja California. The chromosome number of 2n = 16 reported by N. H. Holmgren (1993) is likely an error based on a count for Scrophularia californica reported in P. H. Raven et al. (1965) and later misattributed to P. californicus by D. V. Clark (1971) as n = 48 (the count listed in Raven et al.), and then corrected to 2n = 16.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 236. FNA vol. 17, p. 101.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Saccanthera Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Caespitosi
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. hirsutus, P. humilis, P. idahoensis, P. immanifestus, P. incertus, P. inflatus, P. jamesii, P. janishiae, 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. 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. 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. linarioides var. californicus
Name authority S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 222. (1871) — (as Pentstemon) (Munz & I. M. Johnston) D. D. Keck: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 64: 378. (1937)
Web links