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Arizona scarlet-bugler, hackberry beardtongue

cordroot beardtongue, mountain beardtongue, mountain penstemon

Habit Herbs or subshrubs, sometimes cespitose.
Stems

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

ascending to erect, 6–30 cm, pubescent, sometimes retrorsely hairy proximally and glandular-pubescent distally, not glaucous.

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.

deciduous, 4–7 pairs, distals seldom distinctly smaller than proximals, short-petiolate or sessile, 9–35(–56) × 7–17(–28) mm, blade obovate to oblanceolate, ovate, lanceolate, or elliptic, base tapered, cuneate, or cordate-clasping, margins entire, subentire, serrate, or dentate, apex obtuse to acute, glabrous, puberulent, or puberulent and glandular-pubescent, glaucous or not.

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.

continuous, secund, 1–7 cm, axis sparsely to moderately glandular-pubescent, sometimes also pubescent proximally, verticillasters 1–5, cymes 1-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 6–28 × 3–22 mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, 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 lanceolate to linear, 8–15 × 1.8–3.5 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla lavender, blue, or violet, unlined internally or lined with faint lavender or blue nectar guides abaxially, not personate, funnelform, 26–33(–39) mm, glabrous externally, moderately to densely white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 7–9 mm, throat 8–10 mm diam.;

stamens included, pollen sacs 1.1–1.6 mm;

staminode 11–15 mm, slightly flattened distally, 0.1–0.3 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, glabrous or distal 3–6 mm pubescent, hairs white, to 1.4 mm;

style 25–30 mm.

Capsules

6–8 × 4–5 mm.

10–14 × 5–7 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon subulatus

Penstemon montanus

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
ID; MT; UT; WY
[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 montanus is known from the Central and Northern Rocky mountains.

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

Key
1. Leaf blades puberulent and glandular-pubescent, not glaucous, blade margins serrate to dentate.
var. montanus
1. Leaf blades glabrous or puberulent, usually glaucous, blade margins entire or subentire.
var. idahoensis
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 154. FNA vol. 17, p. 90.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Gentianoides Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Dasanthera > sect. Erianthera
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. 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. 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. montanus var. idahoensis, P. montanus var. montanus
Name authority M. E. Jones: Contr. W. Bot. 12: 63. (1908) — (as Pentstemon) Greene: Pittonia 2: 240. (1892) — (as Pentstemon)
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