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Moffat's beardtongue, Moffatt's beardtongue

sagebrush beardtongue, sagebrush or Middle Park beardtongue

Stems

ascending to erect, (3–)7–30 cm, retrorsely hairy.

erect, (13–)19–42 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, not leathery, retrorsely hairy;

basal and proximal cauline petiolate, 15–45(–65) × 3–20(–25) mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate or ovate, base tapered, margins entire or obscurely dentate distally, apex rounded to obtuse;

cauline (1 or)2–4 pairs, sessile, 16–55 × 4–10(–15) mm, blade lanceolate to oblanceolate or linear, base tapered to clasping, margins entire or obscurely dentate distally, apex obtuse to acute.

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 13–57 × 4–19 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered, apex mucronate, sometimes rounded to obtuse;

cauline 3–7 pairs, sessile, 9–30 × 6–15 mm, blade oblanceolate to ovate, base clasping to cordate-clasping, apex acute to acuminate, sometimes mucronate.

Thyrses

continuous to ± interrupted, cylindric, 1–12 cm, axis glandular-pubescent, verticillasters (1–)3–7, cymes (1 or)2–4-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 8–34 × 2–16 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glandular-pubescent.

interrupted or continuous, cylindric, 10–16 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters (6–)8–12, cymes 2–7-flowered, proximal bracts orbiculate to ovate, 11–18 × 6–14 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4.8–6.2 × 1.2–1.9 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla blue to violet, with reddish violet nectar guides, bilabiate, tubular-funnelform, 15–20(–22) mm, sparsely white-lanate or glabrous internally abaxially, tube 4–6 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 4–7 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, navicular, 1.1–1.4 mm, dehiscing completely, sutures papillate;

staminode 7–9 mm, included or reaching orifice, 0.3–0.5 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 4–5 mm sparsely pubescent, hairs yellow, to 0.8 mm;

style 10–12 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4–7 × 1.1–1.9 mm, margins erose, broadly scarious, glabrous;

corolla lavender to lavender-blue, without nectar guides, funnelform, nearly rotate, 11–14 mm, glabrous externally or glandular, glabrous internally, tube 6.5–8 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4–5 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens: 4 prominently exserted (4–5 mm) beyond limb, pollen sacs parallel, 1.2–1.5 mm, sutures smooth;

staminode 6–7 mm, reaching orifice or exserted (adaxially), 0.4–0.5 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 1–2 mm densely villous, hairs golden yellow, to 0.8 mm;

style 12–14 mm.

Capsules

6–10 × 4–6 mm.

5–6 × 4–5 mm.

Penstemon moffatii

Penstemon cyathophorus

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering May–Jul(–Sep).
Habitat Shale or gravelly mesas and slopes, sagebrush shrublands, pinyon-juniper woodlands. Sagebrush shrublands.
Elevation 1300–2000 m. (4300–6600 ft.) 2100–2900 m. (6900–9500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; WY
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon moffatii is known from Delta, Grand, Mesa, and Montrose counties, Colorado, and Garfield, Grand, and Wayne counties, Utah. Plants with oblanceolate basal leaves and sessile cauline leaves from Montrose County, Colorado, have been distinguished as subsp. paysonii. Plants with these characteristics are found sporadically throughout the range of P. moffatii, sometimes in populations with plants referable to subsp. moffatii.

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

Penstemon cyathophorus occurs mostly in Middle Park, North Park, and the southern end of the North Platte River valley in the Southern Rocky Mountains. Populations have been documented in Grand, Jackson, and Summit counties, Colorado, and Carbon County, Wyoming. Besides having all four stamens prominently exserted, P. cyathophorus is unique in Penstemon in having the distal end of the staminode situated against the adaxial surface of the throat in mature corollas; it is situated against the abaxial surface in other species of Penstemon.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 140. FNA vol. 17, p. 117.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Cristati 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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms P. moffatii subsp. paysonii
Name authority Eastwood: Zoë 4: 9. (1893) — (as Pentstemon) Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 31: 643. (1905) — (as Pentstemon)
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