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cliff beardtongue, cliff penstemon, rock penstemon

stiff-leaf beardtongue, stiffleaf penstemon

Habit Subshrubs, cespitose. Herbs.
Stems

ascending to erect, 3–16 cm, puberulent to pubescent, not glaucous.

ascending to erect, 6–20(–25) cm, retrorsely hairy proximally, glabrous or retrorsely hairy distally, not glaucous.

Leaves

persistent, 3–8 pairs, distals usually distinctly smaller than proximals, short-petiolate or sessile, 4–22 × 3–14 mm, blade round to elliptic or spatulate, base tapered to cuneate, margins ± serrate, apex rounded to obtuse, rarely acute, glabrous or hairy, usually glaucous.

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

basal and proximal cauline 15–65 × 1–5(–7) mm, blade narrowly oblanceolate to linear, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 2–5 pairs, short-petiolate or sessile, 7–33 × 1–3 mm, blade lanceolate to linear, base sessile to clasping, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute.

Thyrses

continuous, ± secund, 1–3 cm, axis hairy proximally, pubescent or glandular-pubescent distally, verticillasters 1–3, cymes 1-flowered;

proximal bracts elliptic to ovate, 3–9 × 2–6 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glandular-pubescent.

interrupted, cylindric, 2–11 cm, axis glandular-pubescent, sometimes also retrorsely hairy, verticillasters 2–6, cymes 1–5-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 9–32 × 1–6 mm, margins entire;

peduncles and pedicels erect, ± glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes lanceolate-elliptic to oblong, 6–11 × 2–2.8 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla pink to red, pinkish lavender, or rose red, essentially unlined internally but abaxial ridges usually white, not personate, funnelform, 25–36 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally or sparsely white-lanate abaxially, tube 8–12 mm, throat 6–8 mm diam.;

stamens: longer pair exserted, pollen sacs 1–1.5 mm;

staminode 13–15 mm, slightly flattened distally, 0.1 mm diam., tip straight, glabrous or distal 1–2 mm sparsely villous, hairs yellow, to 0.8 mm;

style 26–30 mm.

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 2.2–4.6 × 1–2.4 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla blue to violet, with reddish purple guides, funnelform, 11–17 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, moderately whitish lanate internally abaxially, tube 3–4 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4–6 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs divergent to opposite, subexplanate to explanate, 0.6–0.8 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures papillate;

staminode 7–8 mm, reaching orifice, 0.2–0.4 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 0.5–1 mm densely pilose, hairs golden yellow, to 0.8 mm;

style 9–10 mm.

Capsules

7–9 × 5–7 mm.

5–7 × 4–5 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon rupicola

Penstemon aridus

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Cliffs, rock outcrops. Rocky hillsides, sagebrush shrublands, montane grasslands.
Elevation 60–2400 m. (200–7900 ft.) 1500–2900 m. (4900–9500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon rupicola occurs largely in the Siskiyou Mountains and Cascade Range from northern California to northern Washington. It is partly sympatric with and forms hybrids with P. cardwellii, P. davidsonii var. davidsonii, and P. fruticosus var. fruticosus (A. D. Every 1977). Hybrids between P. rupicola and P. davidsonii var. davidsonii are encountered frequently in the vicinity of Crater Lake National Park and Mt. Hood (Every).

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

Penstemon aridus is known from the Rocky Mountains in eastern Idaho and southwestern and south-central Montana and the Big Horn and northern Absaroka Mountains of Wyoming. The sometimes grasslike basal leaves distinguish P. aridus from P. humilis and P. virens. At lower elevations or in shaded, forest habitats, plants sometimes have broader basal leaves and tend to be much taller than typical plants; the broadly scarious-margined calyx lobes of P. aridus distinguish it from similar species.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 92. FNA vol. 17, p. 192.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Dasanthera > sect. Erianthera 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. newberryi var. rupicola
Name authority (Piper) Howell: Fl. N.W. Amer., 510. (1901) — (as Pentstemon) Rydberg: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 348. (1900) — (as Pentstemon)
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