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upright blue beardtongue, wandbloom penstemon

Cary's beardtongue

Stems

erect, sometimes ascending, (12–)20–65(–90) cm, glabrous or puberulent, not glaucous.

ascending to erect, 9–35 cm, glabrous, often glutinous and covered with sand, not glaucous.

Leaves

basal and cauline or, often, basal absent, not leathery, glabrous or puberulent, not or slightly glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline (20–)60–114 × (3–)12–21 mm, blade oblanceolate or lanceolate, rarely linear, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 5–11 pairs, sessile, 40–118 × 3–17 mm, blade lanceolate, base tapered to truncate, apex obtuse to acute.

basal and cauline, ± leathery or not, glabrous, often glutinous and covered with sand, not glaucous;

basal and proximal cauline 18–105 × 1–10 mm, blade oblanceolate to linear, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline (2 or)3 or 4 pairs, petiolate or sessile, 28–110 × 1–6 mm, blade linear, base tapered to truncate, apex acute.

Thyrses

continuous, sometimes interrupted, secund, (3–)6–40 cm, axis glabrous or retrorsely hairy, verticillasters (3–)6–14, cymes 2–5-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 19–74(–98) × 2–10 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous or retrorsely hairy.

continuous, secund, 3–26 cm, axis glabrous, sometimes glutinous and covered with sand, verticillasters 3–6(–9), cymes 1–3-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts linear, 22–115 × 1.5–4 mm;

peduncles and pedicels glabrous, sometimes glutinous and covered with sand.

Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to elliptic, 2.2–5 × 1.3–2.2 mm, glabrous or puberulent;

corolla violet to lavender, pink-lavender, or purple, with reddish purple nectar guides, ventricose, 17–27 mm, glabrous externally, sparsely white-villous, rarely glabrous, internally abaxially, tube 5–8 mm, throat gradually to abruptly inflated, slightly constricted at orifice, 6–8 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens: longer pair slightly exserted, pollen sacs divergent to opposite, navicular, 1.5–1.8 mm, dehiscing completely or incompletely, connective splitting or not, sides glabrous, sutures smooth or papillate;

staminode 12–14 mm, reaching orifice or exserted, 0.7–1.2 mm diam., tip straight, glabrous;

style 13–15 mm.

calyx lobes lanceolate, (6–)7–12 × 2.8–4 mm, glabrous, glutinous and sometimes covered with sand;

corolla blue to violet or purple, with violet nectar guides, ventricose, 20–28 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 8–9 mm, throat abruptly inflated, slightly constricted at orifice, (7–)10–12 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens: longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs divergent, navicular-sigmoid, 2–2.5 mm, dehiscing incompletely, proximal 1/5 indehiscent, connective not splitting, sides moderately villous or lanate, hairs white, to 1 mm, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.1 mm;

staminode: 11–18 mm, reaching orifice or slightly exserted, 0.6–0.8 mm diam., tip straight, distal 1–2 mm sparsely to moderately pilose, hairs yellow, to 1 mm;

style 17–20 mm.

Capsules

9–14 × 4–8 mm.

(5–)7–11 × (4–)5–8 mm.

Penstemon virgatus

Penstemon caryi

Phenology Flowering May–Jul(–Aug).
Habitat Rock outcrops, rocky soils, sagebrush shrublands, juniper, Douglas-fir, and limber pine woodlands.
Elevation 1600–2900 m. (5200–9500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MT; WY
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Penstemon virgatus is treated here to include two essentially allopatric varieties. F. S. Crosswhite (1967c) circumscribed the species more broadly, including as subspecies two additional taxa treated here as species: P. pseudoputus and P. putus.

Whole plants or roots of Penstemon virgatus are used by the Ramah Navajo of western New Mexico as a medicine (D. E. Moerman 1998).

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

Penstemon caryi is known from the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming (Big Horn, Sheridan, and Washakie counties) and the Pryor Mountains of Montana (Carbon County).

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

Key
1. Stems puberulent; leaves ± puberulent.
var. virgatus
1. Stems glabrous; leaves glabrous.
var. asa-grayi
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 182. FNA vol. 17, p. 162.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Glabri Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Glabri
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. virens, 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. 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. virgatus var. asa-grayi, P. virgatus var. virgatus
Name authority A. Gray: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 113. (1859) — (as Pentstemon) Pennell: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 20: 354. (1920)
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