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abajo beardtongue, handsome beardtongue, handsome penstemon

Thurber's beardtongue, Thurber's penstemon

Stems

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

20–40 cm, glabrous or glabrate.

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.

10–20 pairs, 5–32 × 0.3–2 mm, blade base tapered, margins glabrous or scabrous, apex acuminate to mucronate.

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.

2–15(–23) cm, verticillasters (2–)5–10(–30), cymes 1- or 2-flowered;

proximal bracts linear, 3–22 × 0.2–1 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous or scabrous.

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, 1–2.7 × 0.9–1.5 mm;

corolla lavender to violet, lined internally abaxially with reddish purple nectar guides, funnelform, 8–14 mm, glandular-pubescent internally in 2 lines on abaxial surface, sometimes also in sinuses of adaxial lobes, tube (1.5–)2–3 mm, throat 3–5 mm diam.;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice or barely exserted, pollen sacs 0.4–0.5 mm;

staminode 5–6 mm;

style 7–9 mm.

Capsules

9–12 × 5–7 mm.

(4–)5–8 × 3–4 mm.

Seeds

3.5–5 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon lentus

Penstemon thurberi

Phenology Flowering Apr–Aug(–Sep).
Habitat Sandy or rocky slopes, chaparral, creosote shrublands, pine-juniper woodlands.
Elevation 500–1200(–2100) m. (1600–3900(–6900) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; NV; TX; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua)
[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.)

Plants of Penstemon thurberi from northern Clark County, Nevada, with corollas 8–9 mm and capsules 4–5 mm have been treated as var. anestius.

(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. 95.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Ambigui
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. 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. 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
Synonyms P. thurberi var. anestius
Name authority Pennell: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 20: 359. (1920) Torrey: Pacif. Railr. Rep. Parke, Bot., 15. (1856) — (as Pentstemon)
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