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larch-leaf beardtongue

Idaho beardtongue

Habit Plants cespitose.
Stems

erect, 10–30 cm, glabrous or puberulent.

ascending to erect, 8–20 cm, glutinous, usually covered with sand, not glaucous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, not leathery, glabrous, rarely puberulent proximally, especially along margins;

basal and proximal cauline sessile, 15–20(–40) × 0.5–1.5 mm, blade linear, base tapered to ± clasping, margins entire, apex acute;

cauline 3–7 pairs, sessile, 11–35 × 0.3–1 mm, blade linear, base tapered to ± clasping, margins entire, apex acute.

basal and cauline, ± leathery, glutinous, usually covered with sand, not glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline 35–70 × 2–5(–8) mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 2–8 pairs, sessile, 34–55 × 2–6 mm, blade elliptic to linear, base tapered to truncate, apex obtuse to acute.

Thyrses

continuous or interrupted, cylindric, 3–15 cm, axis glabrous or retrorsely hairy, verticillasters 3–7, cymes 1- or 2(or 3)-flowered, 1 or 2 per node;

proximal bracts linear, 10–30 × 0.3–1 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous, rarely puberulent.

continuous, secund, 3–9 cm, axis glutinous, sometimes covered with sand, verticillasters 3–5, cymes 1–5-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 15–23 × 1–3 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glutinous, sometimes covered with sand.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate, 3.5–5.8 × 1.3–2.2 mm, glabrous;

corolla white or pink to violet or purple, without nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, 9–18 mm, glabrous externally, moderately yellow-villous internally abaxially, tube 4–5 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted, 5–6 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, navicular, 1–1.5 mm, dehiscing completely, sutures papillate;

staminode 7–11 mm, included or reaching orifice, 0.5–0.7 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 3–5 mm pilose, hairs yellow or yellow-orange, to 1 mm;

style 9–12 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate, 3–6 × 1.5–1.8 mm, glutinous and covered with sand;

corolla violet to blue, with faint reddish purple nectar guides, ventricose-ampliate, 15–21 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 4–5 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 6–7 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs divergent, navicular, 1.5–2 mm, dehiscing incompletely, connective not splitting, sides sparsely to moderately lanate, hairs white, to 0.6 mm, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.1 mm;

staminode 8–10 mm, included, 0.4–0.5 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 1–3 mm sparsely lanate, hairs yellowish, to 0.6 mm;

style 12–14 mm.

Capsules

4–5 × 2.5–4 mm.

7.5–10 × 5–6 mm.

Penstemon laricifolius

Penstemon idahoensis

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Sandy, tuffaceous outcrops, sagebrush and juniper communities.
Elevation 1500–1700 m. (4900–5600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; MT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; NV; UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Molecular data (A. D. Wolfe et al. 2006; C. A. Wessinger et al. 2016) place Penstemon laricifolius with or near sect. Cristati. Two varieties, differentiated by corolla color, are difficult to distinguish in the herbarium, where corollas are usually brown. Populations with a mix of white, pink, and purple corollas have been documented in Wyoming (B. L. Heidel and J. Handley 2007).

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

Penstemon idahoensis is known from the Goose Creek basin in southwestern Cassia County, Idaho, extreme northeastern Elko County, Nevada, and extreme northwestern Box Elder County, Utah. Nevada plants differ from others in having distinctly wavy leaf margins.

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

Key
1. Corollas pink to violet or purple, 10–18 mm; Montana, Wyoming.
var. laricifolius
1. Corollas white, 9–15 mm; Colorado, Wyoming.
var. exilifolius
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 138. FNA vol. 17, p. 170.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Cristati Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Glabri
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. laevigatus, P. laevis, P. lanceolatus, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. laricifolius var. exilifolius, P. laricifolius var. laricifolius
Name authority Hooker & Arnott: Bot. Beechey Voy., 376. (1839) — (as Pentstemon) N. D. Atwood & S. L. Welsh: Great Basin Naturalist 48: 496, fig. 2. (1989)
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