Penstemon brevisepalus | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Plantaginaceae |
Genus: | Penstemon |
Species: | P. brevisepalus |
Binomial name | |
Penstemon brevisepalus Pennell, 1933 | |
Penstemon brevisepalus, commonly known as short-sepaled beardtongue, [1] is an herbaceous plant in the plantain family. It is a perennial that produces pale lavender flowers in late spring.
It is native to the eastern United States, where it is restricted to the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Its natural habitat is acidic woodlands, prairies, and rock outcrops (typically sandstone or shale). [2]
Penstemon brevisepalus has stems that grow outwards a short distance and then curve upwards or that grow straight upwards to heights between 22 and 60 centimeters. They may be either covered in backwards facing hairs that are glandular or glandular and villous, covered in long hairs. They are never hairless. Plants have both cauline and basal leaves, ones that attach to the stems and ones that grow directly from the base of the plant. Though sometimes the basal leaves will have faded by the time the plant flowers. They are covered in sparse to dense hairs on their undersides while only being sparsely hairy to hairless on their upper sides. The basal leaves and lowest ones on the stems are 2 to 9.5 cm long and 1.1 to 2.8 cm wide. Their shape is ovate to lanceolate or oblanceolate with a tapering base. [3]
Penstemon brevisepalus has an inflorescence that is 4 to 20 centimeters tall with three to eight groups of flowers. These flowers are funnel shaped and 1.5–2.4 cm long. They are pale lavender to purple in color with dark reddish purple nectar guides and are produced in May or June. [3]
This species was scientifically described in 1933 by botanist Francis W. Pennell. [4] In 1963 Robert H. Mohlenbrock and William Wallace published a short paper arguing for its inclusion in Penstemon pallidus . [5] It was subsequently included under Penstemon canescens or Penstemon pallidus in later 20th century treatments. [2] However, it is now listed as accepted by Plants of the World Online. [4]
Penstemon brevisepalus is known by the common name short-sepaled beardtongue. [6]
It grow in southwestern Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. It grows in relatively dry, rocky Oak–hickory forests and also at the edges of woodlands. It may also be found growing in roadcuts and along bluffs. They are found at elevations over 200 meters up to 700 m. [3]
The conservation group NatureServe has not evaluated Penstemon brevisepalus. [7]
Penstemon albomarginatus is a rare species of penstemon known by the common name white-margined penstemon. It is native to the deserts of southern Nevada, western Arizona, and southern California.
Penstemon anguineus is a species of penstemon known by the common name Siskiyou penstemon. It is native to the mountains of southern Oregon and northern California, where it grows in coniferous forests, often in open areas left by logging operations.
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 bicolor is a species of penstemon known by the common name pinto penstemon. It is native to the desert mountains and valleys of southern Nevada, eastern California, and western Arizona, where it grows in scrub, woodland, and other local habitat. It is a perennial herb which may exceed one meter in maximum height.
Penstemon caesius is a species of penstemon known by the common name San Bernardino beardtongue. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains, as well as the southern mountains of the Sierra Nevada. It is a member of the flora on rocky slopes and in coniferous forests and alpine habitat in the mountains. It is a perennial herb with erect branches up to about 80 centimeters in maximum height. The lower branches may be woody, the upper hairless and waxy, and the inflorescence glandular. Most of the leaves are basal on the plant, rounded or oval, and up to about 4 centimeters long. The inflorescence produces purple-blue tubular flowers roughly 2 centimeters long. The flower has a glandular outer surface, a coat of hairs inside, and a hairless staminode. The flowers of this penstemon are pollinated by bees of genus Osmia, which feed on their nectar.
Penstemon papillatus is a species of penstemon known by the common name Inyo beardtongue.
Penstemon personatus is an uncommon species of penstemon known by the common name closethroat beardtongue.
Penstemon grandiflorus, known by the common names shell-leaved penstemon, shell-leaf beardtongue, or large-flowered penstemon, is a tall and showy plant in the Penstemon genus from the plains of North America. Due to its large flowers it has found a place in gardens, particularly ones aimed at low water usage like xeriscape gardens.
Penstemon rhizomatosus is a rare species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names Scheel Creek beardtongue and rhizome beardtongue. It is endemic to Nevada in the United States, where it occurs only in the Schell Creek Range of White Pine County.
Penstemon eriantherus is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names fuzzytongue penstemon and crested beardtongue. It is native to western North America, where it occurs in western Canada and the northwestern and north-central United States.
Penstemon arkansanus is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name Arkansas beardtongue. It is endemic to Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois in the United States, occurring in rocky or sandy soils of shale or sandstone.
Penstemon australis is a perennial plant native to the southeastern United States, with the common name Eustis Lake penstemon.
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 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 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 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.