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

side-bells beardtongue, sidebells penstemon

red desert beardtongue, sand penstemon

Habit Plants: caudex sometimes herbaceous.
Stems

ascending to erect, (15–)20–45(–50) cm, glabrous.

decumbent to ascending, (4–)7–18(–30) cm, glabrous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 20–80(–102) × 2–25 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse or acute, sometimes mucronate;

cauline 4–6 pairs, sessile, (16–)20–78 × 3–24 mm, blade ovate to elliptic or lanceolate, base clasping to cordate-clasping, apex acute to acuminate.

basal and cauline, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 21–50(–70) × 4–11(–17) mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate, base tapered, apex rounded to obtuse, acute, or mucronate;

cauline 2–5 pairs, short-petiolate or sessile, 21–58 × 3–11 mm, blade lanceolate to oblanceolate, base tapered to clasping, apex obtuse to acute or mucronate.

Thyrses

interrupted to nearly continuous, secund, 6–24(–31) cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters (2 or)3–10(–12), cymes 2–7-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate, 9–70 × 2–26 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

continuous, cylindric, 3–14 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 4–9, cymes (1 or)2–6-flowered;

proximal bracts oblanceolate to lanceolate, 13–60 × 5–16 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate, 4–7 × 2.4–4 mm, margins erose, sometimes entire, broadly scarious, glabrous;

corolla blue to violet or lavender, rarely pink, with reddish or reddish purple nectar guides, tubular-funnelform to ventricose, 15–25 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous or sparsely to densely white-villous internally abaxially, tube 8–11 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4–7 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, 1–1.4 mm, sutures papillate;

staminode 10–13 mm, included or reaching orifice, 1–1.4 mm diam., tip abruptly recurved, bifurcate, distal 4–6 mm densely villous, hairs golden yellow, to 2 mm;

style 9–15 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate, 4–6.2(–7.5) × 0.9–1.6 mm, margins entire or erose, narrowly scarious, glabrous;

corolla blue to violet, with reddish purple nectar guides, tubular-funnelform, (10–)12–15 mm, glabrous externally, sparsely white-pubescent internally abaxially or glabrous, tube 4–5 mm, throat gradually inflated, 4.5–5.5 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs divergent, 0.7–0.8 mm, sutures smooth or obscurely papillate;

staminode 6–8 mm, included, 0.8–1 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 3–4 mm densely pubescent, hairs golden yellow, to 1 mm;

style 8–10 mm.

Capsules

9–12 × 7–9 mm.

6–10(–12) × 5–6 mm.

Penstemon secundiflorus

Penstemon arenicola

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Sandy or shaley soils, sagebrush shrublands.
Elevation 1800–2400 m. (5900–7900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; NM; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Penstemon arenicola occurs throughout much of the western two-thirds of Wyoming. Specimens documenting occurrence of the species in Colorado and Montana have not been seen.

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

Key
1. Cauline leaf blades lanceolate to ovate; corollas light blue or lavender, rarely pink, sparsely to densely white-villous internally abaxially; Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming.
var. secundiflorus
1. Cauline leaf blades oblanceolate to ovate or elliptic; corollas dark blue or violet, glabrous or sparsely white-villous internally abaxially; Colorado.
var. versicolor
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 124. FNA vol. 17, p. 116.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Coerulei
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. rupicola, P. rydbergii, P. saxosorum, P. scapoides, P. scariosus, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. secundiflorus var. secundiflorus, P. secundiflorus var. versicolor
Name authority Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 10: 325. (1846) — (as Pentstemon) A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 25: 280. (1898) — (as Pentstemon)
Web links