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cliff beardtongue, cliff penstemon, rock penstemon

azure penstemon, short-stalk penstemon, small azure beardtongue

Habit Subshrubs, cespitose. Herbs or subshrubs.
Stems

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

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

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, ± 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.

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-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 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

7–9 × 5–7 mm.

5–8 × 3.5–5 mm.

2n

= 16.

= 32.

Penstemon rupicola

Penstemon parvulus

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Cliffs, rock outcrops. Rocky, open foothills and montane forests.
Elevation 60–2400 m. (200–7900 ft.) 500–2500(–3000) m. (1600–8200(–9800) ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[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 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. 92. FNA vol. 17, p. 239.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Dasanthera > sect. Erianthera 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. 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. 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. newberryi var. rupicola P. azureus var. parvulus, P. azureus subsp. parvulus
Name authority (Piper) Howell: Fl. N.W. Amer., 510. (1901) — (as Pentstemon) (A. Gray) Krautter: Contr. Bot. Lab. Morris Arbor. Univ. Pennsylvania 3: 193. (1908) — (as Pentstemon)
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