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upright blue beardtongue, wandbloom penstemon

James' beardtongue, James' penstemon

Stems

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

ascending to erect, 10–45(–52) cm, glabrate or retrorsely hairy proximally, glandular-pubescent distally.

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, not leathery, glabrous or retrorsely hairy along midvein, especially adaxially;

basal and proximal cauline petiolate, 20–80(–105) × (2–)5–10(–13) mm, blade oblanceolate to lanceolate or linear, base tapered, margins entire or serrate, apex obtuse to acute;

cauline 3–6 pairs, sessile, 20–100(–110) × 5–15 mm, blade lanceolate to linear, base tapered to slightly clasping, margins entire or remotely dentate to remotely serrate, apex acute, rarely obtuse.

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 or interrupted, secund, 5–20(–24) cm, axis densely glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 2–8, cymes 2–5-flowered, 2 per node;

proximal bracts lanceolate, (9–)25–90 × (1–)3–15 mm;

peduncles and pedicels densely glandular-pubescent.

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 ovate to lanceolate, 8–12 × 2–3 mm, glandular-pubescent;

corolla white to lavender, pink, or violet, with magenta or violet-blue nectar guides, ventricose, 24–32(–35) mm, moderately to densely white-pilose and glandular-pubescent internally abaxially, tube 8–10 mm, throat abruptly inflated, slightly constricted at orifice, 9–15 mm diam., rounded abaxially;

stamens included, pollen sacs opposite, explanate, 1–1.2 mm, dehiscing completely, sutures smooth;

staminode 14–17 mm, prominently exserted, 0.3–0.4 mm diam., tip recurved, distal 10–14 mm lanate, hairs yellow, to 3.5 mm, and medial hairs shorter, stiffer, and retrorse;

style 17–18 mm.

Capsules

9–14 × 4–8 mm.

10–16 × 5–7 mm.

2n

= 16.

Penstemon virgatus

Penstemon jamesii

Phenology Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Sandy, gravelly, or loamy soils, shortgrass prairies, sagebrush shrublands.
Elevation 1100–2300 m. (3600–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; KS; NM; TX; Mexico (Coahuila)
[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.)

Penstemon jamesii occurs on the southern High Plains and trans-Pecos regions from southeastern Colorado and southwestern Kansas through eastern New Mexico and western Texas to northern Coahuila, Mexico.

(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. 137.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Glabri 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. 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. 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. 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) Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 10: 325. (1846) — (as Pentstemon)
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