The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

broad-leaf beardtongue, broadleaf penstemon

azure penstemon, short-stalk penstemon, small azure beardtongue

Habit Herbs or subshrubs. Herbs or subshrubs.
Stems

ascending to erect, (15–)35–60 cm, retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed, at least proximally, not glaucous.

ascending to erect, (10–)15–40 cm, glabrous, glaucous.

Leaves

cauline, opposite, glabrous, glaucous;

cauline 4–8 pairs, short-petiolate or sessile, (15–)20–60 × (2–)6–13(–20) mm, blade elliptic or proximals oblanceolate to lanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute.

cauline, opposite, glabrous, sometimes proximals retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed, usually glaucous;

cauline 3–8 pairs, short-petiolate or sessile, (6–)10–50 × (2–)4–9 mm, blade oblanceolate to oblong or lanceolate, base tapered to truncate or cordate, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute.

Thyrses

continuous, cylindric, 5–22 cm, axis glabrous or retrorsely hairy, verticillasters 4–8(–11), cymes 1- or 2(–4)-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to elliptic, 8–66 × 1–13 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, peduncles glabrous or sparsely retrorsely hairy, pedicels papillate or glandular distally.

continuous, cylindric, 4–11 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 4 or 5, cymes 2–4-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts ovate to oblong or lanceolate, 4–34 × 2–8 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4–6(–7) × 1.4–2.6 mm, glabrous;

corolla lavender to light violet or violet, with or without faint lavender nectar guides, ventricose-ampliate, (20–)22–25(–30) mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 6–8 mm, throat gradually inflated, 7–9 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens: longer pair exserted, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs parallel, 1.5–1.9(–2.1) mm, distal 1/2–2/3 indehiscent, sides glabrous or hispidulous to lanate, hairs white, to 0.5 mm, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.2 mm;

staminode 12–14 mm, reaching orifice or exserted, 0.6–0.8 mm diam., glabrous;

style 18–20 mm.

calyx lobes obovate to ovate or lanceolate, 3–5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous;

corolla blue to violet or purple, without nectar guides, ventricose, 14–20 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 4–5 mm, throat gradually inflated, 5–7 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs parallel, 1.4–1.8 mm, distal 1/3–1/2 indehiscent, sides hispidulous, hairs white, to 0.3 mm near filament attachment, sometimes sparsely so, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.2 mm;

staminode 10–12 mm, included, 0.4–0.6 mm diam., glabrous or distal 0.5 mm sparsely pubescent, hairs whitish, to 0.2 mm;

style 11–14 mm.

Capsules

7–11 × 3.5–4.5 mm.

5–8 × 3.5–5 mm.

2n

= 32.

= 32.

Penstemon platyphyllus

Penstemon parvulus

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Talus slopes, rocky canyons, foothills. Rocky, open foothills and montane forests.
Elevation 1400–2400 m. (4600–7900 ft.) 500–2500(–3000) m. (1600–8200(–9800) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon platyphyllus is known from the Wasatch Mountains in Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber counties, with one somewhat isolated population in Indian Canyon in extreme southwestern Duchesne County. Reports of P. platyphyllus from White Pine County, Nevada, are based on a specimen cited by D. D. Keck (1932) that is referable to P. leonardii var. patricus, as are most collections cited by Keck from western Juab and southwestern Tooele counties, Utah.

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

Penstemon parvulus occurs in the Klamath Ranges of northern California and southwestern Oregon and in the southern High Sierra Nevada of south-central California.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 239. FNA vol. 17, p. 239.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Saccanthera Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Saccanthera
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. 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. 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. 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. heterophyllus var. latifolius P. azureus var. parvulus, P. azureus subsp. parvulus
Name authority Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 36: 690. (1909) — (as Pentstemon) (A. Gray) Krautter: Contr. Bot. Lab. Morris Arbor. Univ. Pennsylvania 3: 193. (1908) — (as Pentstemon)
Web links