Penstemon canescens | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Plantaginaceae |
Genus: | Penstemon |
Species: | P. canescens |
Binomial name | |
Penstemon canescens | |
Synonyms [2] | |
Penstemon canescens, commonly known as the gray beardtongue or Appalachian beardtongue, is a species of penstemon in the family Plantaginaceae. It is native to woodlands, forest edges, and roadsides of the southeastern United States and flowers May through July. It is a perennial herb producing stems reaching 80 cm (31 in) in maximum height.
Penstem canescens is an herbaceous plant with one or more unbranched stems that may grow 20 to 80 centimeters (8 to 31 in) tall, though usually taller than 35 cm (14 in). The stems may be erect or ascending, growing straight upwards or growing out and then curving to grow upright. They are always at least glandular-pubescent, covered in sticky glandular hairs, towards their ends, but are very often covered for their whole length with backwards pointing hairs. [3]
It has both a rosette and cauline leaves, those that attach directly to the base of the plant in a circle and ones that grow on the stems. [4] The leaves in the rosette and the lowest of the cauline leaves are 2.8–17 centimeters (1–6.5 in) long and1.1–4.2 cm (0.4–1.7 in) wide. Their shape varies from orbicular, obovate, to elliptic with a tapered base and edges that are irregularly serrated or wavy. Each stem will have three to seven pairs of leaves attached on opposite sides. The upper leaves will be sessile, attached directly to the stem, or attached by very short petioles. Upper leaves have the same range of lengths, but are narrower, 0.9 to 4 cm wide, and are oblanceolate to lanceolate in shape. [3]
Pinkish-purple, pale purple, or violet flowers appear in a terminal panicle. The corolla is tubular with two lips, the upper lip is two-lobed while the lower lip is three-lobed. [5] The throat of the corolla is white with a purple stripes out of which extends a yellow, hairy staminode. [6] Flowering usually occurs from May through July, but might happen as early as April or as late as September. [3]
The botanist Nathaniel Lord Britton scientifically described and named Penstemon canescens in 1894. [2]
In English Penstemon canescens is known by several common names. It may be simply called beardtongue or penstemon, but to distinguish it from other species in the genus it is called the gray beardtongue. [7] It is also called Appalachian beardtongue and hairy beardtongue. [4]
Penstemon canescens is native to the eastern United States as far north as Pennsylvania and as far south as Alabama. Its range extends west to Illinois. [2] In Pennsylvania it grows in the south central mountain counties such as Snyder, Huntingdon, and Bedford. It extends through much of Virginia, but more in the western mountain counties while in West Virginia it is mainly found in the east and south. Similarly it grows in the farthest west portions of North Carolina and three counties at the western tip of South Carolina. It is almost entirely confined to the northern counties of Georgia, with an outlier in Rockdale. It is found in six widely scattered counties in Alabama while mostly growing in the eastern half of Tennessee with a few scattered locations in the west. The range is also widely scattered in Kentucky while being found in mostly southern counties of Indiana. In found in just Franklin County, Illinois and Lawrence County, Ohio while the locations of occurrences is not recorded for Maryland. [8]
It requires well drained soils to avoid rotting roots. [4] They grow within forests, thickets, on cliffs, and pine barrens. [3]
Penstemon canescens was evaluated by NatureServe in 1984 and rated apparently secure (G4). In the central part of its range in Kentucky it was rated as secure (S5) and apparently secure (S4) in West Virginia and Virginia. Towards the edges of its range they rated it vulnerable (S3) in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina. Similarly it is rated as imperiled (S2) in South Carolina. In Alabama, Illinois, and Indiana it is rated as critically imperiled (S1). It has not been rated in the rest of its range. [1]
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 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 cinicola is a species of penstemon known by the common name ash penstemon. It is native to northeastern California and southern Oregon, where it grows in forests and plateau habitat.
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.
Penstemon deustus is a species of penstemon known by the common names hotrock penstemon and scabland penstemon. It is native to much of the northwestern United States from the Pacific Northwest to Wyoming, where it grows in many types of forest and open plateau habitat, often on soils heavy in volcanic rock or on limestone outcrops.
Penstemon floridus is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names Panamint penstemon and rose penstemon.
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.
Penstemon franklinii, or Franklin penstemon, is a plant species endemic to Utah, United States, known only from Cedar Valley in Iron County. It grows in grasslands and in sagebrush communities.
Penstemon comarrhenus is a perennial plant in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) found in the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region of the southwestern United States.
Penstemon cyanocaulis, the bluestem penstemon or bluestem beardtongue, is a perennial plant in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) found in the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region of the southwestern United States.
Penstemon cobaea is a flowering plant in the plantain family, commonly known as Cobaea beardtongue, prairie penstemon or foxglove penstemon. The plant is native to the central United States, primarily the Great Plains from Nebraska to Texas, with additional populations in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas. There are also populations reported in the southwestern United States as well as in Illinois and Ohio, but these appear to be introductions.
Penstemon brevisepalus, commonly known as short-sepaled beardtongue, is an herbaceous plant in the plantain family. It is a perennial that produces pale lavender flowers in late spring.
Penstemon calycosus, commonly called long-sepal beardtongue, is a species of plant in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae). It is native to eastern North America, where it native to the Upper South and Midwestern United States. It expanded its range into the northeast United States in the early 20th century. Its natural habitat is in open woodlands, prairies, and bluffs, often over limestone.
Penstemon australis is a perennial plant native to the southeastern United States, with the common name Eustis Lake penstemon.
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 ophianthus, the coiled anther penstemon, is a species of small perennial plant in the plantain family. It has very noticeable dark violet lines on its flowers over a lighter blue-lavender color. The species grows in the plateaus and canyon lands of western Colorado and New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Utah.
Penstemon moffatii, commonly called Moffat penstemon, is a flowering plant from the mesas and canyons of western Colorado and eastern Utah.