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Moffat's beardtongue, Moffatt's beardtongue

Mojave beardtongue, western desert penstemon

Habit Shrubs or subshrubs.
Stems

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

ascending to erect, 22–100 cm, glaucous.

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.

cauline 6–18 pairs, sessile, (8–)25–70 × (1–)2.5–4(–6) mm, blade lanceolate to linear, base tapered, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate.

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, cylindric, 3–27 cm, axis sparsely glandular-pubescent, rarely glabrous, verticillasters (2–)4–9, cymes 1–3(–5)-flowered;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 3–35 × 1–5 mm;

peduncles and pedicels spreading or ascending, glandular-pubescent.

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 ovate, 3.8–6 × 2.6–4 mm, glabrous or sparsely glandular-pubescent;

corolla blue to violet or purple, without nectar guides, strongly bilabiate, ventricose-ampliate, 23–32 mm, glabrous or glandular-pubescent externally, sparsely white-lanate internally abaxially, glandular-pubescent adaxially, tube 7–11 mm, length 1.8–2 times calyx lobes, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 8–13 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, filaments of shorter pair glandular-puberulent proximally, pollen sacs navicular, 1.8–2.4 mm, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.1 mm;

staminode 10–13 mm, included, 0.6–0.7 mm diam., tip straight, distal 3–7 mm sparsely to densely pilose, hairs yellow, to 1 mm;

proximal 1–3 mm glandular-pubescent;

style 19–23 mm, glabrous.

Capsules

6–10 × 4–6 mm.

10–17 × 5–7 mm, glabrous.

Penstemon moffatii

Penstemon incertus

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Shale or gravelly mesas and slopes, sagebrush shrublands, pinyon-juniper woodlands. Sandy soils, sagebrush shrublands, Joshua tree and pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Elevation 1300–2000 m. (4300–6600 ft.) 800–1800 m. (2600–5900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Populations of Penstemon incertus are concentrated in the southern Sierra Nevada and adjacent Tehachapi Mountains, with other populations scattered in mountain ranges in and near the Mojave Desert. The species is documented in Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Tulare counties. Occasional specimens from the Kingston Range and the eastern flank of the southern Sierra Nevada combine features of P. incertus and P. fruticiformis.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 140. FNA vol. 17, p. 251.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Cristati Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Spectabiles
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. 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. 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) Brandegee: Bot. Gaz. 27: 454. (1899) — (as Pentstemon)
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