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bluemist penstemon, Front Range beardtongue, green beardtongue

closed-throat beardtongue, closed-throated beardtongue, closethroat beardtongue

Habit Herbs. Herbs; caudex herbaceous, rhizomelike.
Stems

ascending to erect, 10–40 cm, puberulent or retrorsely hairy proximally, rarely glabrous, glandular-pubescent distally, not glaucous.

ascending to erect, 30–57 cm, puberulent or retrorsely hairy, rarely glandular-pubescent distally, not glaucous.

Leaves

basal and cauline, not leathery, glabrous;

basal and proximal cauline 20–102 × 4–15 mm, blade lanceolate to oblanceolate or spatulate, base tapered, margins serrulate or denticulate, sometimes entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline (2 or)3–5 pairs, sessile, 18–50(–70) × 3–14 mm, blade ovate to lanceolate, base tapered to clasping, margins serrulate or denticulate, sometimes entire, apex acute to acuminate.

deciduous, 3–6(or 7) pairs, petiolate or sessile, (6–)30–65(–95) × (5–)12–50 mm, blade ovate to oblong or lanceolate, base truncate to cordate, margins entire or ± denticulate, apex obtuse to acute, puberulent to pubescent abaxially, glabrate adaxially, glaucescent.

Thyrses

interrupted or continuous, cylindric, 5–18 cm, axis glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 3–6(–8), cymes 2–5-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 6–40 × 2–10 mm, margins entire or serrulate to denticulate;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, puberulent or glandular-pubescent.

interrupted, conic, 7–33 cm, axis sparsely to densely glandular-pubescent, verticillasters (2 or)3–5(–7), cymes 2–5(–7)-flowered;

proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 7–28(–72) × 3–17(–45) mm;

peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glandular-pubescent.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 2–4.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla blue to light purple or violet, with reddish purple to bluish purple nectar guides, funnelform, 10–16(–18) mm, glandular-pubescent externally, moderately white-pilose internally abaxially, tube 4–5 mm, throat 3–5 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs divergent to opposite, navicular, 0.6–0.8 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures smooth or ± papillate;

staminode 8–10 mm, included or reaching orifice, 0.2–0.3 mm diam., tip straight to slightly recurved, distal 4–5 mm moderately to densely villous, hairs golden yellow, to 1.3 mm;

style 8–11 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate, 3.8–6 × 1.1–2 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla lavender to purple or white, lined internally with violet nectar guides, personate, tubular-funnelform, 20–26 mm, glabrous or sparsely glandular-pubescent externally, moderately to densely white-villous internally, tube 7–8 mm, throat 6–8 mm diam.;

stamens included, pollen sacs 0.8–1.1 mm, glabrous;

staminode 4–5 mm, flattened distally, 0.1–0.2 mm diam., tip straight, distal 3–4 mm densely villous, hairs yellow, to 1 mm;

style 17–19 mm.

Capsules

5–7 × 2–3 mm, glabrous.

6–9 × 4–5 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon virens

Penstemon personatus

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering (Jun–)Jul–Aug.
Habitat Rocky or gravelly soils, shortgrass prairies, foothills, and mountain meadows. Sugar pine, yellow pine, California red fir, and mixed evergreen forests.
Elevation 1600–2600 m. (5200–8500 ft.) 1100–2100 m. (3600–6900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Penstemon virens is known in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains from Raton Mesa in south-central Colorado to the eastern Sierra Madre and Medicine Bow and Laramie mountains of southeastern Wyoming.

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

Penstemon personatus is known from the northern Sierra Nevada in Butte, Nevada, Plumas, and Sierra counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 226. FNA vol. 17, p. 91.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon 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. 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. 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. parvulus, P. parvus, P. patens, P. payettensis, P. paysoniorum, P. peckii, P. penlandii, P. pennellianus, P. perpulcher, 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
Name authority Pennell ex Rydberg: Fl. Rocky Mts., 773, 1066. (1917) — (as Pentstemon) D. D. Keck: Madroño 3: 248. (1936)
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