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eastern beardtongue, eastern smooth beardtongue

red desert beardtongue, sand penstemon

Habit Herbs.
Stems

ascending to erect, 40–115 cm, glabrous or retrorsely hairy, not glaucous.

decumbent to ascending, (4–)7–18(–30) cm, glabrous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, basal sometimes withering by anthesis, not leathery, glabrous or puberulent;

basal and proximal cauline 40–150 × 7–48 mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate, base tapered, margins entire or ± serrate, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 3–7 pairs, sessile or proximals sometimes petiolate, 18–128 × 8–28 mm, blade lanceolate, proximals sometimes oblanceolate, base clasping, sometimes tapered, margins entire or ± serrate, apex acute.

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 21–50(–70) × 4–11(–17) mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse, acute, or mucronate;

cauline 2–5 pairs, short-petiolate or sessile, 21–58 × 3–11 mm, blade lanceolate to oblanceolate, base tapered to clasping, apex obtuse to acute or mucronate.

Thyrses

interrupted, narrowly conic, (3–)8–20 cm, axis glabrous or retrorsely hairy and sparsely glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 2–6, cymes (2–)4–11-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 8–38 × 1–3 mm, margins entire;

peduncles and pedicels spreading or ascending, glabrous or retrorsely hairy and sparsely glandular-pubescent.

continuous, cylindric, 3–14 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 4–9, cymes (1 or)2–6-flowered;

proximal bracts oblanceolate to lanceolate, 13–60 × 5–16 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate, 3–6 × 1.5–2.1 mm, glabrous or glandular-pubescent;

corolla pale lavender to violet, with reddish purple nectar guides, ventricose, 15–22 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, sparsely to moderately white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 5–6 mm, throat abruptly inflated, 5–8 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, navicular, 1–1.2 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures papillate;

staminode 10–12 mm, exserted, 0.4–0.5 mm diam., tip straight to slightly recurved, distal 5–7 mm moderately to densely pubescent, hairs yellow, to 2.3 mm;

style 12–15 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4–6.2(–7.5) × 0.9–1.6 mm, margins entire or erose, narrowly scarious, glabrous;

corolla blue to violet, with reddish purple nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, (10–)12–15 mm, glabrous externally, sparsely white-pubescent internally abaxially or glabrous, tube 4–5 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4.5–5.5 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs divergent, 0.7–0.8 mm, sutures smooth or obscurely papillate;

staminode 6–8 mm, included, 0.8–1 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 3–4 mm densely pubescent, hairs golden yellow, to 1 mm;

style 8–10 mm.

Capsules

5–8 × 3.5–5 mm, glabrous.

6–10(–12) × 5–6 mm.

Penstemon laevigatus

Penstemon arenicola

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Meadows, floodplain forests, fields, rock outcrops, calcareous bluffs. Sandy or shaley soils, sagebrush shrublands.
Elevation 10–400 m. (0–1300 ft.) 1800–2400 m. (5900–7900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; KY; LA; MA; MD; MS; NC; NJ; OH; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon laevigatus primarily is a species of the Piedmont and eastern Appalachians; scattered populations occur outside those regions. L. La Cour (1931) reported a chromosome count of n = 48 for P. laevigatus. Without a voucher, it is impossible to know if this count was for the species as treated here, or P. calycosus or P. digitalis, which have been treated as infraspecific taxa of P. laevigatus.

An infusion made from Penstemon laevigatus is used by the Cherokee tribe of the southeastern United States as a gastrointestinal aid (D. E. Moerman 1998).

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

Penstemon arenicola occurs throughout much of the western two-thirds of Wyoming. Specimens documenting occurrence of the species in Colorado and Montana have not been seen.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 210. FNA vol. 17, p. 116.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei
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. kingii, P. kralii, P. labrosus, P. laetus, 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. 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. 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
Name authority Aiton: Hort. Kew. 2: 361. (1789) — (as Pentstemon laevigata) A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 25: 280. (1898) — (as Pentstemon)
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