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desert penstemon, Mojave beardtongue

Photo is of parent taxon

desert beardtongue

Habit Herbs.
Stems

ascending to erect, (30–)60–100 cm, slightly glaucous or not.

Leaves

basal and proximal cauline 20–165 × 12–50 mm, blade ovate to lanceolate, base tapered, margins finely to coarsely dentate, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 4–7 pairs, sessile or proximals short-petiolate, 45–90 × 22–76 mm, blade ovate to triangular, base tapered or sessile on proximals, auriculate-clasping to connate-perfoliate on distal ones, margins finely to coarsely dentate, apex acute.

Thyrses

interrupted or continuous, secund, (6–)12–48 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 4–13, cymes 1–3(–6)-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate (connate-perfoliate) or lanceolate (auriculate-clasping), (9–)16–55 × 10–60 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glabrous or glandular-pubescent.

peduncles and pedicels glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate, 3–5.5 × 2–3.2 mm, glabrous or glandular-pubescent;

corolla rose pink, with reddish purple nectar guides, strongly bilabiate, ventricose, (18–)25–34 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, glandular-pubescent internally, tube 6–9 mm, length 1.6–2 times calyx lobes, throat gradually inflated, ± constricted at orifice, 7–10 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens: longer pair reaching orifice, filaments of shorter pair glandular-puberulent proximally, pollen sacs explanate, 1.5–2 mm, sutures smooth;

staminode 11–17 mm, included, 0.2–0.4 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, glabrous or distal 1–2 mm sparsely to moderately lanate, hairs yellow, to 1 mm;

style 20–25 mm, glabrous.

calyx lobes glandular-pubescent.

Capsules

7–12 × 4–6 mm, glabrous.

Penstemon pseudospectabilis

Penstemon pseudospectabilis var. pseudospectabilis

Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr.
Habitat Rocky or gravelly washes, canyon floors, creosote shrublands, juniper-pine woodlands.
Elevation 100–1400 m. (300–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; UT; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; UT; Mexico (Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Two varieties, distinguished on the basis of inflorescence indument, are largely allopatric. Penstemon ×crideri A. Nelson, a putative hybrid between P. eatonii and P. pseudospectabilis, has been reported from Arizona (A. Nelson 1936).

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

Variety pseudospectabilis is known from southern California (Riverside and San Bernardino counties), western and south-central Arizona (Coconino, Mohave, Pima, and Pinal counties), and northwestern Sonora, Mexico. A collection from Kane County, Utah, may have come from an introduction (E. C. Neese and N. D. Atwood 2003).

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

Key
1. Peduncles, pedicels, and calyx lobes glandular-pubescent.
var. pseudospectabilis
1. Peduncles, pedicels, and calyx lobes glabrous.
var. connatifolius
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 253. FNA vol. 17, p. 253.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Spectabiles Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Spectabiles > Penstemon pseudospectabilis
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. platyphyllus, P. pratensis, P. procerus, P. pruinosus, P. pseudoputus, 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. pseudospectabilis var. connatifolius
Subordinate taxa
P. pseudospectabilis var. connatifolius, P. pseudospectabilis var. pseudospectabilis
Name authority M. E. Jones: Contr. W. Bot. 12: 66. (1908) — (as Pentstemon) unknown
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