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King's beardtongue, King's penstemon

desert penstemon, Parry's beardtongue

Habit Herbs.
Stems

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

ascending to erect, 30–120(–160) cm, glaucous.

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.

glabrous, glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline 36–125 × 8–25 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate or elliptic, base tapered, margins entire, rarely remotely and obscurely dentate, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline 2–5 pairs, sessile, 23–130 × 5–25 mm, blade lanceolate to oblong, base clasping to auriculate-clasping, margins entire, rarely remotely and obscurely dentate, apex obtuse to acute.

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, cylindric, (4–)10–60 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters (2–)5–16, cymes 2–7-flowered;

proximal bracts lanceolate, (8–)13–55 × 2–8 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glabrous or pedicels slightly 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 to lanceolate, 3–4.6 × 1.2–2 mm, apex acute to short-acuminate, glabrous or sparsely glandular-pubescent;

corolla rose pink to rose magenta, with reddish purple nectar guides, bilaterally symmetric, bilabiate, ventricose, 13–22 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, white-pilose and glandular-pubescent internally abaxially, tube 3–7 mm, throat gradually inflated, 5–7 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs explanate, 1.1–1.4 mm, sutures smooth;

staminode 10–12 mm, flattened distally, 0.7–1(–2.5) mm diam., tip straight, distal 4–5 mm retrorsely hairy, hairs yellow or whitish, to 1 mm;

style 13–15 mm.

Capsules

6–10 × 4–6 mm.

7–9 × 4–5 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon kingii

Penstemon parryi

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering (Feb–)Mar–May.
Habitat Sagebrush-juniper woodlands. Rocky hillsides, washes, canyons, oak scrub and deserts.
Elevation 1500–2100 m. (4900–6900 ft.) 200–1500 m. (700–4900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Sonora)
[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.)

Penstemon parryi is known from the scattered desert mountain ranges of southern Arizona in Cochise, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, and Yavapai counties. The species resembles P. superbus; it is distinguished by its narrow leaves and corollas that are rose pink or rose magenta, more bilaterally symmetric, and white-pilose abaxially in the throats.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 236. FNA vol. 17, p. 153.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Saccanthera Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Gentianoides
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. 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. 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. puniceus var. parryi
Name authority S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 222. (1871) — (as Pentstemon) (A. Gray) A. Gray: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 2(1): 264. (1878) — (as Pentstemon)
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