Penstemon albifluvis | |
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Penstemon albifluvis on shale Rio Blanco County, Colorado | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Plantaginaceae |
Genus: | Penstemon |
Species: | P. albifluvis |
Binomial name | |
Penstemon albifluvis England, 1982 | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Penstemon albifluvis, the White River penstemon, is a disputed species or variety of Penstemon that grows in a small area in eastern Utah and western Colorado. It grows mainly on broken shale and rock formations in desert habitats. White River penstemon is very rare.
Penstemon albifluvis is a moderate sized herbaceous plant that usually grows between 15 and 45 centimeters tall, but may rarely be as short as 10 cm or as tall as 50 cm. Most often it has 5 to 20 stems that grow straight upwards or grow outwards a short distance before curving to grow upright, but occasionally it may have just one flowering stem. The stems sprout from a branched caudex, a persistent woody structure atop the plant's taproot. [2]
Early in development Penstemon albifluvis will have basal leaves, ones that sprout directly from the caudex, but by the time of flowering they are seldom still present. [3] The leaves on the flowering stems are hairless with edges that are either smooth or curley edges. [2] The lower leaves are oblanceolate, shaped like a reversed spear head with the widest part past the middle of the leaf, and attached by a short stalk to the stem. Further up the leaves are attached directly to the stem and linear, narrower and more grass like, but often somewhat oblanceolate. Leaf size usually ranges from 4–10 cm long and 4–6 millimeters wide, though they may occasionally be as short as 2 cm, as long 12 cm, or as wide as 11 mm. [2]
The inflorescence is a thyrse, a stalk with groups of flowers where the main stem grows indeterminately. There are three to ten groups of flowers on each inflorescence, each group having multiple flowers attached on opposite sides of the stem. Two to four flowers attached to each side. [2] The flowers are tubes with five lobes, each lobe 5–7.3 mm by 2.4–3 mm. [3] The flower as a whole is 22–28 mm long and sparsely covered in glandular hairs on the outside, [3] but may occasionally be as short as 18 mm. [2] The flowers are blue to pale lavender sometimes with light blue lobes. [3] [2] The staminode is 9-10 mm long and entirely contained inside the 14–15 mm long floral tube. It is straight and thinly covered in short orange hairs. The four fertile stamens reach the opening of the tube. They bloom from late may through the month of June. [2]
The seeds are about 2 mm in size and contained within wide egg shaped capsules, 8–11 mm. [2]
Penstemon albifluvis was scientifically described and named by the botanist John Larry England in 1982. [1] England had encountered the plant while working for the United States Bureau of Land Management. He found the type specimen on the North bank of White River aproximately 1.6 kilometers upstream of the Ignatio bridge in Uintah County, Utah. [2] In 1984 Noel Herman Holmgren published a description of the species as a variety of Penstemon scariosus , but as of 2024 it is an accepted species according to Plants of the World Online and World Flora Online. [1] [4] However, many sources including the Flora of North America list it as a subspecies. [3] Though on the other hand, the botanist William Alfred Weber was of the opinion that it is more similar to Penstemon strictus . [5]
The species name, albifluvis, is a botanical Latin compound of albus and fluvis meaning White River for the location of its habitat in western Colorado and eastern Utah. In English it is also commonly called White River penstemon. [5]
White River penstemon has a natural range of just two counties, Rio Blanco in western Colorado and the neighboring Uintah County in eastern Utah. [6] The only documented Colorado location is on Raven Ridge near the boarder with Utah. It ranges in elevation from 1500–2200 meters. [3] The total size of its range is between 100-250 square kilometers. [7]
It grows with desert shrubs such as sagebrush, shadscale, or rabbitbrush, but also grows in open woodlands characterized by piñon pines, junipers, ponderosa pines, aspens, spruces, or firs. [8] In Colorado it is only found outcrops of Green River Shale, largely barren of life. [3]
As a variety it was evaluated by NatureServe in 2022 and listed as critically imperiled (T1) at the global level. It is threatened by grazing and hydrocarbon development. [7]
Penstemon barbatus, known by the common names golden-beard penstemon, and beardlip penstemon, is a flowering plant native to the western United States.
Primula pauciflora, the pretty shooting star, few-flowered shooting star, dark throat shooting star or prairie shooting star, is a species of flowering plant in the primula family Primulaceae. It is a widespread and very variable species, native to western North America, from Subarctic America to Mexico, often in xeric and desert habitats. It is found in the Great Basin Deserts and Mojave Desert. Its synonyms include Dodecatheon pauciflorum and Dodecatheon pulchellum.
Penstemon azureus is a flowering plant species known by the common name azure penstemon.
Penstemon barnebyi is a species of penstemon known by the common names White River Valley beardtongue and Barneby's beardtongue. It is native to the mountain and basin territory of central western Nevada, where it grows in sagebrush and woodland; there is also one occurrence just over the California border.
Penstemon calcareus is a species of penstemon known by the common name limestone penstemon. It is native to California, where it is known from the deserts of central San Bernardino County, as well as the Death Valley area, where its distribution extends just over the border into Nevada. It grows in scrub and woodland, often on limestone substrates.
Penstemon californicus is a species of penstemon known by the common name California penstemon. It is native to Baja California and is also known from fewer than 20 occurrences in California, mainly in Orange and Riverside Counties. It grows in the forest and woodland habitat of the Peninsular Ranges and nearby slopes.
Hesperidanthus argillaceus, syn. Schoenocrambe argillacea, is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family, known by the common names clay reed-mustard, Uinta Basin plainsmustard, and clay thelypody.
Penstemon scariosus is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name White River beardtongue. It is native to Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming in the United States.
Penstemon whippleanus, commonly known as dusky penstemon, dusky beardtongue, Whipple's penstemon, or Whipple's beardtongue, is a summer blooming perennial flower in the large Penstemon genus. It is a widespread plant within the hemiboreal forests of the Rocky Mountains in North America. It is noted for the large deep purple-red flowers and a preference for high mountain elevations.
Penstemon virens, commonly known as blue mist penstemon, Front Range penstemon, or Green beardtongue, is a common Penstemon in the Front Range foothills in Colorado and Wyoming. The dainty flowers are an ornament to many rocky or sandy area within its range. It is confusingly similar to Penstemon humilis and Penstemon albertinus though the ranges of these plants do not overlap in the wild. The origin of calling it the "blue mist penstemon" is not precisely known, but is thought to relate to the large number of blue flowers the plant can produce reminding observers of a blue mist.
Penstemon albidus, commonly known as white penstemon, white-flower beardtongue, or Red-Line Beardtongue is a very widespread perennial flower of the mixed-grass and shortgrass prairies. Its natural distribution is from Manitoba and Alberta in Canada to Texas and New Mexico in the United States. The bright white flowers for which they are named are quite attractive to both bees and hummingbird moths.
Penstemon secundiflorus, commonly known as sidebells penstemon, or orchid beardtoungue is a species of Penstemon that grows in dry forests, high plains, and scrub lands from Wyoming to Mexico. It is a herbaceous perennial plant that typically grows to a height of 20 to 50 cm and has narrow, lance-shaped leaves that are grayish-green in color. The flowers of the sidebells penstemon are tubular in shape and are arranged in a one-sided spike, with the blooms all facing the same direction, and for this reason was named "secundiflorus", which means "one-sided flowers". The flowers are most often delicate shades of orchid or lavender. It is sometimes used in xeriscaping, rock gardens, and wildflower meadows, and is well-suited to dry, sunny locations with well-draining soil.
Penstemon ambiguus, commonly known as the bush penstemon, pink plains penstemon, or gilia beardtongue is a species of Penstemon that grows in the shortgrass prairies and deserts of the western United States and northern Mexico. This bush-like penstemon grows in sandy, loose, and creosote soils and is particularly known for the spectacular flowering show it produces, sometime seasons turning whole hillsides bright pink–white.
Penstemon auriberbis, commonly known as the Colorado penstemon or Colorado beardtongue, is a species of Penstemon that grows in the shortgrass prairies of southern Colorado and in a few places in northern New Mexico. Although specimens were collected on the 1820 expedition by Stephen H. Long through the area, they were not scientifically described as a separate species until 1920.
Penstemon caespitosus, commonly known as mat penstemon, is a summer blooming perennial flower in the large Penstemon genus. It is a widespread plant from near timberline to the foothills in the Southern Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau in North America. It is noted for its ground hugging growth habit and as a plant used in xeriscape and rock gardening.
Penstemon arenicola, commonly known as Red Desert penstemon, is a species of plant from the Western United States. It primarily grows in Wyoming, but it also grows in small areas of Colorado and Utah. It is a short plant known for growing in sand as referenced by its scientific name.
Penstemon richardsonii is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family; its common name is cutleaf beardtongue or Richardson's beardtongue. It is native to the US states of Washington, Oregon and the Canadian province British Columbia.
Penstemon yampaensis, the Yampa penstemon, is a rare species of plant from the western United States. It grows in the Yampa River drainage of Colorado and Wyoming and westward into Utah. It is one of the more unusual penstemons, having almost no stem. It is threatened from habitat disturbance, particularly the invasion of the non-native cheatgrass.
Penstemon breviculus, the narrow-mouth penstemon or shortstem penstemon, is a species of perennial flowering plant from the dry forests and steppes of the Colorado Plateau in the western United States.
Penstemon watsonii is a flowering plant that grows largely in Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. It grows in dry rocky areas and has blue to violet flowers.