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upright blue beardtongue, wandbloom penstemon

Gairdner's beardtongue, Gairdner's penstemon

Habit Subshrubs.
Stems

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

ascending to erect, 6–40 cm, retrorsely hairy, 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, alternate or mostly opposite, not leathery, retrorsely hairy;

basal and proximal cauline 10–50(–70) × 1–4 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate or linear, base tapered, margins entire, revolute, apex rounded to obtuse or acute;

cauline 8–12 pairs (or 13–25 leaves when alternate), sessile, 7–35 × 1–3 mm, blade oblanceolate to linear, base tapered, margins entire, 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.

interrupted, cylindric to secund, 2–12 cm, axis glandular-pubescent and retrorsely hairy, verticillasters 3–12, cymes 1(or 2)-flowered, 1 or 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 5–18 × 0.5–3 mm, margins entire;

peduncles and pedicels erect, glandular-pubescent and/or retrorsely hairy.

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, 5–8.5 × 1.7–2.7 mm, puberulent and glandular-pubescent;

corolla violet to blue or purple, with or without reddish nectar guides, funnelform, 15–22 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, glandular-pubescent internally, tube 3–4 mm, throat gradually inflated, 5–6 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially;

stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, navicular to subexplanate, 0.8–1 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures smooth;

staminode 8–11 mm, included, 0.4–0.6 mm diam., tip straight, distal 3–5 mm sparsely to densely pubescent, hairs yellow, to 1 mm;

style 10–12 mm.

Capsules

9–14 × 4–8 mm.

5–9 × 3–5.3 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon virgatus

Penstemon gairdneri

Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Following A. Cronquist (1959), two varieties are recognized here.

(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
1. Leaves alternate; stems 6–20(–35) cm.
var. gairdneri
1. Leaves opposite, sometimes alternate; stems 20–40 cm.
var. oreganus
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 182. FNA vol. 17, p. 204.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Glabri Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon
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. 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. 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
P. gairdneri var. gairdneri, P. gairdneri var. oreganus
Name authority A. Gray: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 113. (1859) — (as Pentstemon) Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 99. (1838) — (as Pentstemon)
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