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Arizona scarlet-bugler, hackberry beardtongue

cobaea beardtongue, cobaea penstemon

Stems

ascending to erect, 20–60 cm, glaucous, sometimes not.

retrorsely ascending to erect, (15–)25–65(–100) cm, puberulent proximally, glandular-pubescent distally.

Leaves

glabrous, glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline 28–100 × 2–11 mm, blade oblanceolate to elliptic, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 3–6 pairs, sessile, (11–)30–80(–120) × 2–9 mm, blade lanceolate to linear or linear-subulate, base clasping to auriculate-clasping, margins entire, apex rounded to acute.

basal and cauline, sometimes basal absent or withering, ± leathery or not, glabrous or puberulent to pubescent;

basal and proximal cauline petiolate, 35–120(–150) × 8–55(–76) mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate or elliptic, base tapered, margins subentire or serrate to dentate, apex rounded to acute;

cauline 4–8 pairs, sessile, 35–120(–150) × 10–45(–54) mm, blade ovate to lanceolate, base tapered to cordate-clasping, margins subentire to serrate or dentate, apex acute, rarely obtuse.

Thyrses

interrupted, cylindric, 6–26 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 5–9, cymes 1–4-flowered;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 6–33 × 1–4 mm;

peduncles and pedicels erect, glabrous.

interrupted or continuous, cylindric, 10–30(–52) cm, axis densely glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 3–6(–8), cymes 2–6-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts ovate, 20–78 × 8–74 mm;

peduncles and pedicels densely glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 2–4.5 × 1.4–2.1 mm, margins entire or erose, glabrous or ± glandular along margins;

corolla scarlet, without nectar guides, nearly radially symmetric, weakly bilabiate, salverform, 18–26 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 4–7 mm, 1.6–3 times as long as calyx lobes, throat slightly inflated, 3–5 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens: longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs explanate, 0.7–0.9 mm, sutures smooth;

staminode 13–14 mm, essentially terete, 0.1 mm diam., tip straight, glabrous, rarely distal 1–2 mm sparsely papillate, papillae yellow, to 0.2 mm;

style 10–19 mm.

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, (8–)10–16 × 2.5–4.5 mm, densely glandular-pubescent;

corolla white to pink or violet to purple, with reddish purple nectar guides, ventricose-ampliate, 35–55 mm, glandular-pubescent internally, tube 10–14 mm, throat abruptly inflated, slightly constricted at orifice, (15–)18–25 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, explanate, 1.3–1.6 mm, dehiscing completely, sutures smooth;

staminode 23–30 mm, included or barely exserted, 0.6–0.9 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 20–25 mm sparsely to moderately villous, hairs white or golden yellow, to 3.5 mm;

style 18–34 mm.

Capsules

6–8 × 4–5 mm.

13–18 × 8–10 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon subulatus

Penstemon cobaea

Phenology Flowering (Feb–)Mar–May.
Habitat Rocky slopes, mesas, canyons.
Elevation 500–1300 m. (1600–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; AZ; CO; IA; IL; KS; MO; NE; NM; OH; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon subulatus has been documented in Gila, Graham, Maricopa, Mohave, Pinal, and Yuma counties in central Arizona.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Penstemon cobaea occurs widely in the central and southern Great Plains and into the Ozark Plateau. The species is a popular ornamental used in the breeding of the European or large-flowered hybrids of Penstemon (D. Lindgren and E. Wilde 2003). A chromosome count of n = 32 (R. Piotrowska 1934) appears doubtful.

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

Key
1. Corollas white to pink.
var. cobaea
1. Corollas violet to purple.
var. purpureus
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 154. FNA vol. 17, p. 131.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Gentianoides Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Cristati
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. 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. 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. 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. cobaea var. cobaea, P. cobaea var. purpureus
Name authority M. E. Jones: Contr. W. Bot. 12: 63. (1908) — (as Pentstemon) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n. s. 5: 182. (1835) — (as Pentstemon)
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