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mucronate penstemon, sheep creek beardtongue

Harbour's beardtongue

Habit Herbs.
Caudex

rhizomelike.

Stems

ascending to erect, 10–35(–46) cm, glabrous.

decumbent, ascending, or weakly erect, 4–18 cm, retrorsely hairy, not glaucous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 23–65(–100) × (9–)13–40 mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline (2–)4–6(–9) pairs, sessile, (8–)20–30 × 8–26 mm, blade ovate to orbiculate, base clasping, apex mucronate.

cauline, not leathery, glabrate, retrorsely hairy, or puberulent;

cauline 2–4 pairs, petiolate or sessile, 7–28 × 3–12 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered to clasping, margins entire, apex rounded or obtuse to acute.

Thyrses

interrupted, cylindric, (2–)11–18(–27) cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 6–9(–15), cymes 2–6-flowered;

proximal bracts orbiculate to ovate, 7–28 × 3–26 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

interrupted or continuous, ± secund, 1–3 cm, axis ± glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 1 or 2(or 3), cymes 1- or 2-flowered, 1 or 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 17–23 × 4–10 mm, margins entire;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, retrorsely hairy and glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate, (3–)4.5–6.5 × 1.5–2.3 mm, margins entire or erose, broadly scarious, glabrous;

corolla blue to violet, with reddish violet nectar guides, guides sometimes passing onto limb, tubular-funnelform, (10–)13–17(–20) mm, glabrous externally, sparsely white-villous internally abaxially, tube (5–)7–10 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4.5–5.5(–7) mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs divergent to opposite, 0.7–1.1 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 7–13 mm, reaching orifice, (0.6–)0.9–1.9 mm diam., tip strongly recurved, distal 2–5 mm moderately to densely pilose, hairs brownish yellow or golden yellow, to 1 mm;

style (7–)9–12 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate, 6–10 × 1.3–2 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla lavender or bluish lavender to lavender-purple, without nectar guides, bilabiate, not personate, tubular-funnelform, 15–20 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, densely white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 4–6 mm, throat gradually inflated, 5–6 mm diam., prominently 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, subexplanate, 0.7–0.9 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures smooth;

staminode 8–9 mm, included, 0.3–0.4 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 4–5 mm moderately to densely lanate, hairs yellow, to 1 mm;

style 11–12 mm.

Capsules

8–10 × 6–7 mm.

6–8 × 4–5 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Penstemon mucronatus

Penstemon harbourii

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Sandy or gravelly soils, juniper and pinyon-juniper woodlands. Alpine talus, gravel slopes, boulder fields.
Elevation 1500–2500 m. (4900–8200 ft.) 3200–4200 m. (10500–13800 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CO
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon mucronatus is known from Moffat and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado, Daggett and Uintah counties, Utah, and Carbon and Sweetwater counties, Wyoming. E. C. Neese (1993) considered it transitional to P. pachyphyllus var. pachyphyllus in northeastern Utah and treated it as a variety of that species. The two taxa often have similar leaf morphologies; P. mucronatus usually is easily distinguished from P. pachyphyllus var. pachyphyllus by its narrower staminode bearing shorter, less tangled hairs at the apex and nectar guides that extend onto the corolla limbs. Flowers of P. mucronatus are in many respects more similar to those of P. osterhoutii than they are to those of P. pachyphyllus. A chromosome count reported for P. pachyphyllus by F. S. Crosswhite and S. Kawano (1965) is referable to P. mucronatus.

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

Penstemon harbourii is found on the high peaks of the Central Rocky Mountains. Populations have been documented in at least 17 counties. Habit, pubescence, and root characters of P. harbourii are somewhat anomalous in sect. Penstemon, prompting D. D. Keck (1945) to suggest possible ties with sect. Caespitosi or sect. Cristati. Molecular data appear to provide support for ties with sect. Caespitosi (A. D. Wolfe et al. 2006; C. A. Wessinger et al. 2016).

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 121. FNA vol. 17, p. 206.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon
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. moffatii, P. monoensis, P. montanus, P. moriahensis, 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. 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. pachyphyllus var. mucronatus
Name authority N. H. Holmgren: Brittonia 31: 234, fig. 10. (1979) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 71. (1862) — (as Pentstemon)
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