Penstemon californicus

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Penstemon californicus
Penstemon californicus - Sula Vanderplank 01.jpg
Blooming near Constitution 1857 National Park, Baja California, Mexico
Status TNC G3.svg
Vulnerable  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Penstemon
Species:
P. californicus
Binomial name
Penstemon californicus
Synonyms [2]
  • Penstemon linarioides var. californicus Munz & I.M.Johnst.

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.

Contents

Description

Penstemon californicus is a perennial species that typically grows 8–30 centimeters in height, but may occasionally be stunted to as little as 5 cm. [3] The stems are herbaceous, but grow from a woody base. [4] Stems either grow straight upwards or outwards for a short distance before growing upwards ( ascending ) and are covered in white scale-like hairs that point backwards. [3]

The leaves are no more than 16 millimeters long, but may be as short as 8 mm. They range from 1.5–2.5 mm wide with a very narrow lance head shape, wider past the midpoint (oblanceolate )with a tapered base attached by a petiole and a central vein that protrudes at the end of the leaf tip (mucronate). The leaf is covered in white hairs that scale shaped, pressed close to the leaf surface, and point backwards. [3] This makes the leaves ashy or pale in color and have smooth edges without teeth or lobes. The plants are quite leafy at the base with the flowering stems protruding from the low canopy. [4]

The inflorescence produces tubular flowers between 14 and 18 millimeters long, [5] purple to blue in color with dark-striped white throats containing hairy staminodes. [3]

Taxonomy

Penstemon californicus was scientifically described in 1924 by Philip A. Munz and Ivan Murray Johnston as a variety of Penstemon linarioides . In 1937 David D. Keck published a new description as a species under its present name. [2] The species is considered valid by Plants of the World Online, [2] World Plants, [6] and World Flora Online. [7]

Names

It is known by the common names California penstemon and San Jacinto penstemon. [5] [4]

Range and habitat

This species is found in Baja California Norte and in southern California. [6] In the state of California it is found in less than twenty locations in the San Jacinto Mountains in Orange County and Riverside County. [8] [3] In Baja California they grow in Sierra de Juárez and Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, mostly above 1,600 meters (5,200 ft). [9]

Penstemon californicus grows in pine-juniper woodlands and pine forests in sandy or gravel soils. [3] In Baja California it mostly grows on gravelly hillsides and in dry stream beds. [9]

See also

List of Penstemon species

Related Research Articles

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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.

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<i>Penstemon calcareus</i> Plant species in the plantain family

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<i>Penstemon centranthifolius</i> Plant species in the plantain family

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<i>Penstemon cinicola</i> Plant species in the plantain family

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<i>Penstemon clevelandii</i> Plant species in the plantain family

Penstemon clevelandii is a species of penstemon known by the common name Cleveland penstemon. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in mountain and desert habitat such as scrub, woodland, and chaparral.

<i>Penstemon eatonii</i> Plant species in the plantain family

Penstemon eatonii is a species of flowering plant in the genus Penstemon, known by the common name firecracker penstemon. It is native to the Western United States from Southern California to the Rocky Mountains. It grows in many types of desert, woodland, forest, and open plateau habitat.

<i>Penstemon filiformis</i> Plant species in the plantain family

Penstemon filiformis is an uncommon species of Penstemon known by the common name threadleaf penstemon. It is endemic to the Klamath Mountains of northern California, where it grows in forest and woodland, often on serpentine soils.

<i>Penstemon floridus</i> Plant species in the veronica family

Penstemon floridus is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names Panamint penstemon and rose penstemon.

<i>Penstemon fruticiformis</i> Plant species in the veronica family

Penstemon fruticiformis is a species of penstemon known by the common name Death Valley penstemon. It is native to the western United States, where it is found growing in rocky scrub, woodlands, deserts and mountains of eastern California and western Nevada. It is known from scattered occurrences around Death Valley, and only one of the two varieties occurs on the Nevada side of the border.

<i>Penstemon spectabilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Penstemon spectabilis is a species of penstemon known by the common name showy penstemon or showy beardtongue. It is a perennial herb native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in the chaparral, scrub, and woodlands of the coastal mountain ranges.

<i>Penstemon grandiflorus</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

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.

<i>Penstemon fruticosus</i> Plant species in the veronica family

Penstemon fruticosus, the bush penstemon or shrubby penstemon, is a species of penstemon native to the Pacific Northwest of North America.

<i>Penstemon davidsonii</i> Plant species in the plantain family

Penstemon davidsonii is a species of penstemon known by the common name Davidson's penstemon, honoring Dr. George Davidson. It is native to western North America.

<i>Penstemon ambiguus</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Penstemon caespitosus</i> Plant species in the plantain family

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.

<i>Penstemon breviculus</i> Plant species in the plantain family

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.

<i>Penstemon crandallii</i> Plant species in the family

Penstemon crandallii, also known as Crandall's penstemon, is a species of penstemon that grows in western Colorado and small parts of New Mexico and Utah. It is a low growing plant with blue to purple flowers.

<i>Penstemon moffatii</i> Plant species in the veronica family

Penstemon moffatii, commonly called Moffat penstemon, is a flowering plant from the mesas and canyons of western Colorado and eastern Utah.

References

  1. NatureServe (2024). "Penstemon californicus". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Penstemon californicus (Munz & I.M.Johnst.) D.D.Keck". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Freeman, Craig C. (5 November 2020). "Penstemon californicus - FNA". Flora of North America. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 McMinn, Howard (1951). An Illustrated Manual of California Shrubs. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. p. 516. ISBN   978-0-520-00847-2 . Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  5. 1 2 Keck, David Daniels (1951). "Penstemon". In Abrams, LeRoy; Ferris, Roxana Stinchfield; Vincent, Sylvia; Law, Barbara (eds.). An Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States: Washington, Oregon, and California. Vol. III: Geraniaceae to Scrophulariaceae. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. p. 750. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 Hassler, Michael (16 June 2024). "Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 19.3". World Plants. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  7. "Penstemon californicus (Munz & I.M.Johnst.) D.D.Keck". World Flora Online . Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  8. Skinner, Mark W.; Pavlik, Bruce M., eds. (1994). California Native Plant Society's Inventory of Rare and Endangered Vascular Plants of California. Sacramento, California: California Native Plant Society. p. 218. ISBN   978-0-943460-18-5 . Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  9. 1 2 Wiggins, Ira L. (1980). Flora of Baja California. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. p. 506. ISBN   978-0-8047-1016-9. OCLC   6284257.