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cup-leaf beardtongue, scarlet beardtongue

Mancos penstemon, stiff beardtongue, stiff penstemon

Stems

ascending to erect, 50–100(–150) cm, glabrous.

ascending to erect, (11–)16–55(–70) cm, glabrous, not glaucous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 40–100 × (8–)14–30 mm, blade spatulate to ovate, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse, rarely retuse;

cauline 5–9 pairs, sessile, 12–110 × 16–70 mm, blade oblong to ovate, base clasping to connate-perfoliate, apex obtuse to acute.

basal and cauline, ± leathery or not, glabrous, not glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline 60–90(–150) × 5–12 mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex acute;

cauline 3–5 pairs, sessile, 18–80 × 3–18 mm, blade lanceolate, base tapered to truncate or clasping, apex acute.

Thyrses

interrupted, cylindric, 15–50 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 6–10(–16), cymes 1–5-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate, 9–45 × 14–40 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

continuous or interrupted, ± secund, 5–40 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 4–8(–12), cymes 2- or 3(–5)-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, 12–46(–115) × 2–15 mm, apex acuminate;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous or ± glandular, peduncles to 20 mm, pedicels 2–13(–18) mm.

Flowers

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4.5–7 × 1.8–2.9 mm, margins entire, narrowly scarious, glabrous;

corolla red, without nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, 32–36 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 8–11 mm, throat abruptly inflated, 9–12 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens exserted, pollen sacs opposite, explanate, 1.3–1.7 mm, sutures smooth;

staminode 18–20 mm, exserted, 0.2–0.3 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, glabrous;

style 24–31 mm.

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, (4.5–)6–8(–9) × 2–3 mm, apex acuminate to caudate, glabrous or ± glandular proximally;

corolla lavender to blue, without nectar guides, ventricose, (19–)25–32 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 5–7 mm, throat gradually to abruptly inflated, not constricted at orifice, 7–10 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens: longer pair slightly exserted, pollen sacs divergent, navicular-sigmoid, 1.3–2.3 mm, dehiscing incompletely, proximal 1/5–1/4 indehiscent, connective not splitting, sides sparsely to densely lanate, hairs white, to 1 mm, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.1 mm;

staminode (8–)11–15 mm, included, 0.5–0.1(–1.2) mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal (2–)4–5 mm sparsely to moderately villous, hairs yellow or white, to 1 mm;

style (11–)13–21 mm.

Capsules

9–13 × 6–10 mm.

7–11 × 4–6 mm.

Penstemon murrayanus

Penstemon strictiformis

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Sandy soils, deciduous and pine woodlands, sandhill prairies. Juniper and pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Elevation 10–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 1700–2400 m. (5600–7900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; LA; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

F. S. Crosswhite and C. D. Crosswhite (1981) hypothesized that Penstemon murrayanus was derived from P. grandiflorus, with which it shares many morphologic features. The two species have been crossed artificially, yielding hybrids that once were commercially popular (G. Viehmeyer 1958; R. Nold 1999). Molecular data support the sister relationship of P. murrayanus and P. grandiflorus (C. A. Wessinger et al. 2016).

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

Plants of Penstemon strictiformis from southwestern Colorado (Montezuma County) and northwestern New Mexico (San Juan County) closely match the type, with large corollas, broad calyx lobes, and large pollen sacs. Plants from southeastern Utah have relatively smaller corollas, narrower calyx lobes, and smaller pollen sacs.

Penstemon strictiformis often is confused with P. strictus; many specimens from southwestern Colorado are difficult to place with certainty due to morphologic intermediacy.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 121. FNA vol. 17, p. 180.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Glabri
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. mucronatus, P. multiflorus, 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. 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. strictus subsp. strictiformis
Name authority Hooker: Bot. Mag. 63: plate 3472. (1836) — (as Pentstemon) Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 31: 642. (1905) — (as Pentstemon)
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