Penstemon whippleanus |
Penstemon digitalis |
|
---|---|---|
dark beardtongue, Whipple's beardtongue, Whipple's penstemon |
foxglove beard-tongue, penstémon digitale, tall white beardtongue, talus slope penstemon |
|
Habit | Herbs. | Herbs. |
Stems | ascending to erect, (8–)20–65(–100) cm, glabrous or ± puberulent proximally, ± puberulent or glandular-pubescent distally, not glaucous. |
erect, 25–90 cm, glabrous or sparsely retrorsely hairy, slightly glaucous or not. |
Leaves | basal and cauline, not leathery, glabrous; basal and proximal cauline 40–90(–130) × (5–)10–30(–75) mm, blade ovate to lanceolate or elliptic, base tapered to cuneate, margins entire or ± repand, denticulate, or dentate, apex obtuse to acute; cauline 2–5 pairs, short-petiolate or sessile, 25–60(–85) × 3–15(–25) mm, blade lanceolate to oblanceolate, base tapered to clasping or cordate-clasping, margins entire, sometimes ± repand to denticulate, apex obtuse to acute. |
basal and cauline, basal sometimes withering by anthesis, not leathery, glabrous; basal and proximal cauline 30–180(–250) × 4–38(–70) mm, blade spatulate to obovate or lanceolate, base tapered, margins entire or ± serrate or denticulate, apex rounded to obtuse or acute; cauline 5–8 pairs, petiolate or sessile, 26–195 × 4–55 mm, blade ovate to lanceolate, base tapered to clasping, margins entire or denticulate, apex acuminate to acute. |
Thyrses | interrupted or continuous, secund, (2–)5–35 cm, axis sparsely to densely glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 2–5(–7), cymes 2–4-flowered, 2 per node; proximal bracts lanceolate, 11–85 × 1–18 mm, margins entire or ± repand proximally; peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glandular-pubescent. |
interrupted, conic, 7–26(–34) cm, axis glabrous proximally, sparsely to densely glandular-pubescent distally, verticillasters (2 or)3–6, cymes (3–)5–12(–18)-flowered, 2 per node; proximal bracts lanceolate to linear, 9–105 × 1–40 mm, margins entire, sometimes serrulate; peduncles and pedicels spreading to ascending, sparsely glandular-pubescent. |
Flowers | calyx lobes lanceolate, 7–10 × 1–2.2 mm, glandular-pubescent; corolla brownish purple to bluish violet, sometimes ochroleucous, lavender, or white, with alternating white or lavender and purple nectar guides in dark-colored forms, with lavender nectar guides in light-colored forms, ventricose to ventricose-ampliate, 20–27(–30) mm, glandular-pubescent externally, sparsely white-villous internally abaxially, tube 5–8 mm, throat abruptly inflated, 8–10 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially; stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, explanate, 1–1.4 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures smooth; staminode 12–15 mm, reaching orifice or exserted, 0.6–1.1 mm diam., tip straight to slightly recurved, distal 1–3 mm sparsely to densely villous, hairs yellow, to 1 mm; style 12–16 mm. |
calyx lobes ovate, sometimes lanceolate, 4–8 × 2–3 mm, apex acute to acuminate, glandular-pubescent; corolla white, sometimes tinged lavender, with reddish purple nectar guides, ventricose, (17–)20–30 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, sparsely to moderately white-pubescent internally abaxially, tube 6–9 mm, throat abruptly inflated, 8–12 mm diam., slightly 2-ridged abaxially; stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen sacs opposite, navicular, 1.4–1.7 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides sparsely pubescent, hairs white or purplish, to 0.6 mm, rarely glabrous, sutures papillate; staminode 13–17 mm, reaching orifice, 0.3–0.4 mm diam., tip straight to slightly recurved, distal 6–8 mm sparsely to moderately villous, hairs yellowish, to 1.5(–2) mm; style 13–18 mm. |
Capsules | 6–9 × 4–5 mm, glandular-puberulent distally. |
8–14 × 4–6 mm, glabrous. |
2n | = 16. |
= 96. |
Penstemon whippleanus |
Penstemon digitalis |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Aug(–Sep). | Flowering Apr–Jul. |
Habitat | Rocky slopes in subalpine forests, alpine meadows. | Prairies, meadows, roadsides, clearings in woods. |
Elevation | 2100–3700 m. (6900–12100 ft.) | 10–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; CO; ID; MT; NM; UT; WY
|
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NS; ON; QC
|
Discussion | Penstemon whippleanus is known from forests and meadows of the Southern and Central Rocky mountains and westward into the Wasatch Mountains and Utah Plateaus. Plants with light-colored corollas often are found growing next to plants with dark-colored corollas. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Penstemon digitalis appears to be native in the central Mississippi River Basin, with human activities expanding its range, particularly eastward (F. W. Pennell 1935). It is listed in VASCAN as introduced in the four Canadian provinces where it occurs (http://data.canadensys.net/vascan/taxon/7273). Plants resembling Penstemon digitalis but with smaller corollas (17–23 mm versus 23–30 mm), less glandular-pubescent inflorescences, less scarious-margined calyx lobes, and stems sometimes puberulent (versus glabrous) have been named P. alluviorum. Plants with those features come mostly from the southeastern Central Lowlands and north-central Coastal Plain provinces in the eastern United States in the south-central part of the range of P. digitalis (Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee). A. C. Koelling (1964) observed overlap in characters used to distinguish P. alluviorum from P. digitalis and concluded it was a small-flowered variant of P. digitalis. Specimens of Penstemon digitalis with lanceolate and acuminate-tipped calyx lobes can be mistaken for P. calycosus, but calyx lobe length and, usually, the presence of hairs on the pollen sacs allow them to be accurately identified. Penstemon digitalis is widely cultivated and spreads readily. R. R. Clinebell and P. Bernhardt (1998) found evidence that plants are self-compatible. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 227. | FNA vol. 17, p. 202. |
Parent taxa | Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon | Plantaginaceae > Penstemon > subg. Penstemon > sect. Penstemon |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. alluviorum | |
Name authority | A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 73. (1862) — (as Pentstemon) | Nuttall ex Sims: Bot. Mag. 52: plate 2587. (1825) — (as Pentstemon) |
Web links |