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beak penstemon, beak-flower beardtongue, Bridge penstemon, Bridges' penstemon

Thompson's beardtongue, Thompson's penstemon

Stems

(24–)30–100 cm.

prostrate or ascending, 4–15(–25) cm, retrorsely hairy, hairs appressed, white, scalelike.

Leaves

basal and proximal cauline 20–52 × 3–11 mm, blade base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse;

cauline 4–12 pairs, 20–70 × 2–14 mm, blade base tapered, apex obtuse or acute.

not leathery, densely retrorsely hairy, hairs appressed, white, scalelike;

cauline 1–5 pairs, petiolate, 6–25(–33) × 2–6.5 mm, blade obovate to spatulate, base tapered, apex mucronate, sometimes rounded or obtuse.

Thyrses

(3–)6–28 cm, verticillasters (3–)6–12, cymes 2–5-flowered;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 6–36 × 1–6 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glandular-pubescent.

continuous, secund, (1–)2–12 cm, axis retrorsely hairy, hairs appressed, white, scalelike, sometimes also glandular-pubescent distally, verticillasters (1–)3–12, cymes 1–3(–5)-flowered, 1 per node;

proximal bracts spatulate to oblanceolate, 5–19 × 1.5–4 mm;

peduncles and pedicels spreading to ascending, retrorsely hairy, hairs pointed, and, sometimes, sparsely glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 4–6 × 1.7–2.1 mm;

corolla orangish red to scarlet, throat usually yellowish or orangish, unlined internally, 22–33 mm, sparsely white-puberulent, tube 3–5 mm, throat 4–6 mm diam.;

pollen sacs 1.8–2.3(–2.5) mm;

staminode 14–16 mm;

style 18–26 mm, exserted.

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4–6 × 1–1.7 mm, herbaceous- or narrowly scarious-margined, sparsely glandular-pubescent and retrorsely hairy, hairs appressed, white, scalelike;

corolla blue to violet or purple, lined internally abaxially with reddish violet nectar guides, ampliate, 10–18 mm, yellow-lanate internally abaxially, tube 6–7 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4.5–6 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens reaching orifice or longer pair exserted, filaments glabrous, pollen sacs divergent, navicular, 0.8–1.2(–1.4) mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 8–9 mm, exserted, flattened distally, 0.2–0.3 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 6–8 mm pubescent, hairs yellow or orange, to 0.8 mm;

style 10–13 mm.

Capsules

7–10 × 4–5 mm.

3.5–5.5 × 3–4 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon rostriflorus

Penstemon thompsoniae

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug(–Sep). Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Rocky sagebrush shrublands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, montane forests. Sandy to gravelly soils, sagebrush shrublands, pine-juniper woodlands, pine forests.
Elevation 1200–3200 m. (3900–10500 ft.) 1500–3400 m. (4900–11200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

A chromosome count of 2n = 42 (P. G. Zhukova 1967) appears to be in error.

The Kawaiisu tribe of southern California prepared a poultice from the roots of Penstemon rostriflorus that was applied to swollen limbs (D. E. Moerman 1998).

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

D. D. Keck (1937) recognized two subspecies in his treatment of Penstemon thompsoniae: subsp. jaegeri, restricted to mountains of Clark County, Nevada, which he distinguished by its few, remote stems and open inflorescences, and subsp. thompsoniae in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, which he distinguished by its tufted stems and compact inflorescences. A morphologic continuum exists between the two subspecies.

Neese described var. desperatus from Beaver and Iron counties, Utah, and eastern Nevada, distinguishing it from var. thompsoniae by its longer stems and inflorescences, and smaller leaves. She later concluded that geographic variation in Penstemon thompsoniae was not sufficiently geographically correlated to recognize infraspecific taxa (E. C. Neese 1993).

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 98. FNA vol. 17, p. 107.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Bridgesiani Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Caespitosi
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. pseudospectabilis, P. pudicus, P. pumilus, P. purpusii, P. putus, P. radicosus, P. rattanii, P. retrorsus, P. rhizomatosus, P. richardsonii, P. roezlii, 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. strictiformis, P. strictus, P. subglaber, P. subserratus, P. subulatus, P. sudans, P. superbus, P. tenuiflorus, P. tenuis, P. teucrioides, 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. bridgesii P. pumilus var. thompsoniae, P. thompsoniae var. desperatus, P. thompsoniae subsp. jaegeri
Name authority Kellogg: Hutchings’ Ill. Calif. Mag. 5: 102, fig. [p. 102]. (1860) — (as Pentstemon rostriflorum) (A. Gray) Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 36: 690. (1909) — (as Pentstemon)
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