Penstemon fruticiformis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Plantaginaceae |
Genus: | Penstemon |
Species: | P. fruticiformis |
Binomial name | |
Penstemon fruticiformis | |
Varieties [2] | |
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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 fruticiformis is a plant that grows as a shrub or subshrub, having stems that are at least partly woody, that grows to between 30 and 60 centimeters (1 and 2 ft) tall. [3] The stems branch frequently near the base of the plant and is typically wider than it is tall. Young stems are hairless and generally glaucous, covered in natural waxes giving a gray-blue color. [4]
The thick leaves are generally rolled inward or folded lengthwise. [4] All the leaves are cauline, attached to the stems with none directly from the base of the plants. Usually the leaf edges are smooth, but rarely they may be serrulate, having very fine forward pointing asymmetrical teeth, though only towards their ends. There are six to twelve pairs of leaves attached to each stem on opposite sides, each 1.2 to 6.5 centimeters in length, though usually longer than 2.5 cm. [3]
The hairless inflorescences are 8 to 30 centimeters (3.1 to 11.8 in) at the ends of the stem with three to eight groups of flowers each accompanied by a pair of bracts nearby. In the group each cyme will have one to three flowers. [3] The flower color is variously described as white to pale pink-lavender, [4] blue-lavender to light pink, [3] pale peach, [5] and rose-colored to white with blue lobes or lavender with purple lobes. [6] They typically measure 2.2 to 2.8 centimeters long. [3] The mouth of the flower has stark, reddish purple nectar guides. [5]
The scientific name and description of Penstemon fruticiformis was published by Frederick Vernon Coville in 1893. It is part of the Penstemon genus in family Plantaginaceae. [2] The type specimen was collected from Wild Rose Canyon in the Panamint Range. [5]
The species has two varieties. [2]
Initially described as a subspecies, variety amargosae has flowers that are more or less glandular-pubescent externally. The lobes of it sepals also have an average greater length, ranging from 4.5 to 6.5 millimeters. [3] The glandular hairs are more easily seen on flower buds than on blooming flowers. [7] In addition to being known by the same common names as the species as a whole it is also known as Amargosa penstemon. [8]
The antonymic variety has flowers that are hairless externally and a shorter range of sepal lengths, 3.5 to 5 millimeters, though this does overlap with var. amargosae. [2] It only grows in Inyo County, California. [9] It is occasionally known as the desert bush penstemon. [10]
Penstemon fruticiformis has three synonyms: [2] [11] [12]
Name | Year | Rank | Synonym of: | Notes |
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Penstemon fruticiformis subsp. amargosaeD.D.Keck | 1937 | subspecies | var. amargosae | ≡ hom. |
Penstemon fruticiformis var. spiciformisJeps. | 1925 | variety | var. fruticiformis | ≡ hom. |
Penstemon fruticiformis subsp. typicusD.D.Keck | 1937 | subspecies | P. fruticiformis | = het. not validly publ. |
Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym ; = heterotypic synonym |
The botanical Latin species name fruticiformis means "shaped like a bush". In English the species is known as Death Valley penstemon. [13] It is additionally known as desert mountain penstemon. [6]
The natural range of the species as a whole is limited to small areas of California and Nevada. [4] Variety amargosae grows in three counties, Inyo and San Bernardino counties in California and Nye County, Nevada. [7] Variety fruticiformis is limited to just Inyo County. [9]
Both varieties grow in creosote bush shrublands, [7] but only variety fruticiformis is also associated with gravelly arroyos, canyon floors, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. [9]
Death Valley penstemon was evaluated by NatureServe in 1997 and they rated it as apparently secure (G4) for the species as a whole. However in the state of Nevada they rated it imperiled (S2) while not evaluating the security of the species in California. [1]
Penstemon barbatus, known by the common names golden-beard penstemon, and beardlip penstemon, is a flowering plant native to the western United States.
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 azureus is a flowering plant species known by the common name azure penstemon. It is native to the mountains of Oregon and northern California. It grows in coniferous forests and woodlands in the Klamath Mountains, North California Coast Ranges, Southern Cascade Range, and Northern Sierra Nevada.
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, 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.
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 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.
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 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.
Penstemon floridus is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names Panamint penstemon and rose penstemon.
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.
Penstemon fruticosus, the bush penstemon or shrubby penstemon, is a species of penstemon native to the Pacific Northwest of North America.
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.
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 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 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.