Penstemon davidsonii

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Penstemon davidsonii
Penstemon davidsonii 6271.JPG
P. davidsonii var. menziesii, Olympic National Park, Washington
Status TNC G4.svg
Apparently Secure  (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. davidsonii
Binomial name
Penstemon davidsonii
Varieties
  • P. davidsonii var. davidsonii
  • P. davidsonii var. menziesii (D.D.Keck) Cronquist
  • P. davidsonii var. praeteritus Cronquist
Synonyms
List
    • Penstemon menziesii subsp. davidsonii (Greene) Piper
    • Penstemon menziesii f. davidsonii (Greene) G.N.Jones

Penstemon davidsonii is a species of penstemon known by the common name Davidson's penstemon, honoring Dr. George Davidson. [2] It is native to western North America.

Contents

Description

Penstemon davidsonii is a low, mat-forming subshrub up to that can be 4 to 17 centimeters (1+12 to 6+34 in) tall, but is usually no more than 10 cm (4 in) tall. Its stems are covered in fine, short hairs or in stiff backwards facing ones. [3]

The leaves are evergreen and small. [4] Each stem with have five to ten pairs pairs of leaves ranging in length from 0.5 to 3 centimeters, but usually between 1 and 2 cm. Their surface is hairless or faintly covered in fine hairs, but is never glaucous or waxy. [3] The edges of the leaves may be smooth or toothed. [4] The leaves often have a paler green, tan, or reddish edge. The flowers are tubular, blue-lavender to purple, and large relative to the short stature of the plant. The calyx is covered with short hair. [5] [6] Larger plants often flower abundantly, with the leaf mat nearly covered with the showy flowers. [4]

Taxonomy

The scientific description and name of Penstemon davidsonii of was published in 1892 by Edward Lee Greene. [7] However, the first description of any part of the species was of Penstemon douglasii described by William Jackson Hooker in 1838, which is considered a heterotypic synonym of Penstemon davidsonii var. menziesii. [8]

Varieties

Penstemon davidsonii has three accepted varieties.

Penstemon davidsonii var. davidsonii

The autonymic variety is the most widespread, growing from British Columbia to California. It grows on rock outcrops and talus slopes, the piles of rocks at the base of cliffs at elevations from 900 meters (3,000 ft) to as hight as 3,700 meters (12,100 ft). [9]

Penstemon davidsonii var. menziesii

The variety menziesii was described by David D. Keck as a subspecies in 1957 and then as a variety by Arthur J. Cronquist in 1959. [8] Like var davidsonii it grows on rocky outcrops, slopes, and ledges, but at much lower elevations. From 30 meters (98 ft) to 2,000 meters (6,600 ft). It grows from Oregon to British Columbia. [10]

Penstemon davidsonii var. praeteritus

Cronquist described this variety in 1964. [7] It grow on isolated, dry peaks in the Great Basin. In the state of Nevada known populations come from the Jackson Mountains and the Santa Rosa Range in Humboldt County. In Oregon it occurs on the Pueblo Mountains and Steens Mountain in Harney County. They are quite isolated from other populations of Penstemon davidsonii. [11]

Names

Penstemon davidsonii is known by several common names. It is occasionally called "Alpine penstemon". [12] The variety Penstemon davidsonii var. davidsonii is commonly called the "timberline penstemon". [13] It shares the name "creeping penstemon" with Penstemon teucrioides . [14] [15]

Distribution and habitat

Penstemon davidsonii is native to North America from the Sierra Nevada Range in California and Nevada through the Coast and Cascade ranges of Oregon and Washington into British Columbia. [16]

It grows on rocks or in rocky soils in sunny mountain locations. [5]

Conservation

The conservation organization NatureServe evaluated Penstemon davidsonii in 2016 and rated it as apparently secure (G4). They also evaluated it in British Columbia and found it to be secure (S5). They have not evaluated the rest of its range. [1]

Related Research Articles

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Penstemon barbatus, known by the common names golden-beard penstemon, and beardlip penstemon, is a flowering plant native to the western United States.

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

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

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.

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

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

Penstemon caesius, commonly known as the San Bernardino penstemon, is a low growing species of flowering plant. 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.

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

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.

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

Penstemon centranthifolius is a species of penstemon known by the common name scarlet bugler. It is native to California and parts of Mexico, where it grows in many types of dry habitat from coast to desert, such as chaparral and oak woodland.

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

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.

<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 canescens</i> Plant species in the plantain family

Penstemon canescens is a species of penstemon in the family Plantaginaceae. P. canescens is known by the common names gray beardtongue or Appalachian beardtongue. 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 centimeters in maximum height.

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

Penstemon acuminatus is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names sharpleaf penstemon and sand-dune penstemon. It is native to the dry interior of the northwestern United States.

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

Penstemon angustifolius is a perennial semi-evergreen forb belonging to the plantain family. This species is 1 out of roughly 273 species of Penstemon. This species is also known as broadbeard beardtongue. This forb is native to central United States and can be noticed by its brightly and highly variable colored flowers.

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

Penstemon cyaneus is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names blue penstemon and dark blue penstemon. It is native to the western United States, where it is widespread in Idaho and also found in parts of Montana and Wyoming.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

<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 ophianthus</i> Plant species in the plantain family

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.

References

  1. 1 2 NatureServe (1 November 2024). "Penstemon davidsonii". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  2. "Davidson's beardtongue". John Davidson — The Legacy of a Canadian Botanist. UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Freeman, Craig C. (6 November 2020) [2019]. "Penstemon davidsonii". Flora of North America . p. 87. ISBN   978-0190868512. OCLC   1101573420 . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Taylor, Ronald J.; Douglas, George W. (1975). Mountain Wild Flowers of the Pacific Northwest (First ed.). Portland, Oregon: Binford & Mort. p. 128. ISBN   0-8323-0230-9. OCLC   1735238 . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  5. 1 2 Giblin, David. "Penstemon davidsonii". WTU Image Collection. Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  6. "Penstemon davidsonii". Native Plant Information Network. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Penstemon davidsonii Greene". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 19 November 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Penstemon davidsonii var. menziesii (D.D.Keck) Cronquist". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  9. Freeman, Craig C. (29 July 2020) [2019]. "Penstemon davidsonii var. davidsonii". Flora of North America . p. 87. ISBN   978-0190868512. OCLC   1101573420 . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  10. Freeman, Craig C. (29 July 2020) [2019]. "Penstemon davidsonii var. menziesii". Flora of North America . p. 87. ISBN   978-0190868512. OCLC   1101573420 . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  11. Freeman, Craig C. (29 July 2020) [2019]. "Penstemon davidsonii var. praeteritus". Flora of North America . p. 88. ISBN   978-0190868512. OCLC   1101573420 . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  12. Morgenson, Dana C. (1975). Yosemite Wildflower Trails. Yosemite Association. p. 72. ISBN   978-0-939666-27-0.
  13. Wiese, Karen (2000). Sierra Nevada wildflowers. Helena, Montana: Falcon. p. 43. ISBN   978-1-56044-981-2 . Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  14. Horn, Elizabeth L. (1972). Wildflowers 1 : The Cascades. Beaverton, Oregon: The Touchstone Press. p. 144. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  15. Roberts, Rhoda N.; Nelson, Ruth Ashton (1967). Mountain Wild Flowers of Colorado and Adjacent Areas. Denver, Colorado: Denver Museum of Natural History. p. 42. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  16. Penstemon davidsonii, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Profile, 20 November 2024

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