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abajo beardtongue, handsome beardtongue, handsome penstemon

Cardwell's beardtongue, Cardwell's penstemon

Habit Shrubs, sometimes cespitose.
Stems

ascending to erect, 14–40(–60) cm, glabrous.

ascending to erect, 10–27 cm, retrorsely hairy or puberulent, not glaucous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 40–65(–110) × 8–20(–30) mm, blade obovate, base tapered, apex obtuse to acute, sometimes mucronate;

cauline 2–4 pairs, sessile, (9–)12–60 × 7–26 mm, blade lanceolate to ovate or elliptic, base tapered to clasping or cordate-clasping, apex obtuse to acute, sometimes mucronate.

persistent, 6–9 pairs, distals usually distinctly smaller than proximals, short-petiolate or sessile, 15–55 × 4–16 mm, blade elliptic, base tapered, margins subentire or serrate, apex rounded to obtuse or acute, glabrous, ± glaucous.

Thyrses

interrupted or ± continuous, secund, sometimes cylindric, 5–23 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 4–8, cymes 1–3(or 4)-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, (3–)7–38 × (1–)2–18 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous, peduncles to 28 mm.

± interrupted, secund, 5–14 cm, axis retrorsely hairy proximally, retrorsely hairy and glandular-pubescent distally, verticillasters 3–7, cymes 1-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 6–18 × 3–12 mm, margins serrate, sometimes entire;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glandular-pubescent, sometimes also puberulent.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 5–6.7(–7.2) × 2–3(–3.7) mm, margins entire or erose, broadly scarious, glabrous;

corolla lavender to violet, blue, pinkish blue, or white, with or without reddish violet nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, 17–20(–22) mm, glabrous externally, sparsely white-villous internally abaxially or glabrous, tube 5–8 mm, throat gradually inflated, 5–6 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, 1.1–1.6 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 8–9 mm, reaching orifice or slightly exserted, 0.6–1 mm diam., tip strongly recurved, distal 3–4 mm sparsely to densely villous, hairs mostly along margins, yellowish, to 1 mm;

style 10–12 mm.

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 8–14 × 2–3.1 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla purple to violet, essentially unlined internally but abaxial ridges usually light purple or white, not personate, funnelform, (25–)30–38 mm, glabrous externally, sparsely white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 6–8 mm, throat 9–10 mm diam.;

stamens included, pollen sacs 1.5–1.7 mm;

staminode 11–13 mm, essentially terete distally, 0.1 mm diam., tip straight, distal 4–6 mm moderately to densely villous, hairs white or yellowish, to 1.5 mm;

style 25–29 mm.

Capsules

9–12 × 5–7 mm.

8–11 × 4–6 mm.

Seeds

3.5–5 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon lentus

Penstemon cardwellii

Phenology Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Rock outcrops, pumice and talus slopes, forest clearings, roadcuts.
Elevation 400–1900 m. (1300–6200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Penstemon lentus is found in the Four Corners region of the Colorado Plateau. Reported differences (N. H. Holmgren 1984) between the two varieties in the sizes of the pollen sacs appear to be inconsistent and not taxonomically useful.

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

Penstemon cardwellii occurs primarily on the west slope of the Cascade Range from southwestern Oregon to northwestern Washington, with isolated populations east of the crest.

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

Key
1. Corollas lavender to violet, blue, or pinkish blue; Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah.
var. lentus
1. Corollas white; San Juan County, Utah.
var. albiflorus
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 120. FNA vol. 17, p. 86.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Dasanthera > sect. Erianthera
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. laricifolius, P. laxiflorus, P. laxus, P. leiophyllus, P. lemhiensis, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. lentus var. albiflorus, P. lentus var. lentus
Name authority Pennell: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 20: 359. (1920) Howell: Fl. N.W. Amer., 510. (1901) — (as Pentstemon)
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