Penstemon ophianthus

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Penstemon ophianthus
Penstemon ophianthus - Matt Berger 02.jpg
Flowering in Wayne County, Utah
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. ophianthus
Binomial name
Penstemon ophianthus
Pennell, 1920
Synonyms [2]
  • Penstemon jamesii subsp. ophianthus (Pennell) D.D.Keck (1938)
  • Penstemon pilosigulatus A.Nelson (1926)

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.

Contents

Description

Penstemon ophianthus is a small herbaceous plant that may be 10 to 40 centimeters tall, but is usually 13 to 36 cm. It may also have one or more stems that grow straight upwards or curve outwards and then upwards. [3] They have both cauline and basal leaves, leaves on its stems those growing directly from its base. [4] The above ground parts grow from a branched caudex atop a taproot. [5] It is long lived for a penstemon. [6]

The leaves are both cauline and basal, attached to the stems and directly to the base of the plant. The basal leaves and the lowest ones on the stems measure 1.6 to 12 centimeters long and 0.6 to 2.2 cm wide. They are oblanceolate in shape with edges that are smooth or sinuate-dentate, having rounded teeth and deep wavy indentations, and attached to the plant by a petiole. There are two to four pairs of cauline leaves with the upper ones much narrower, somewhat shorter, and directly attached to the stems or with just a short petiole. [3]

Side view of glandular hairy flower Penstemon ophianthus - Matt Berger 04.jpg
Side view of glandular hairy flower

The inflorescence has the flowers more or less all facing to one side and four to nine groups of flowers with bracts 1.2–7 centimeters long under each. In each group there will be two cymes with between one and seven flowers, though usually at least three. [3] The flowers have a ground color of lavender, violet, or blue-violet with bold deep purple nectar guides on all the flower lobes. Very rarely, they may be white. [7] The flower is 14 to 22 millimeters long with an opening 7–11 mm in diameter that expands abruptly towards the front and is not constricted. [3] The flower's throat is white other than the purple nectar guides and covered in soft, white glandular hairs. [7] The staminode is obviously exserted, extending out of the flower's opening, and thickly covered in long yellow hairs. Blooming may be as early as the end of May or as late as the start of July. [4]

The fruits are dry capsules 6 to 11 millimeters in length and 5 to 6 mm broad. The seeds within are black to brown in color and angled, each about 1.5 to 4.8 mm. [3]

Penstemon jamesii is very similar in appearance, but it grows in eastern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado, rather than in the west of these states, and is also found in Texas. The length of the corolla, the fused petals of the flower, is longer in P. jamesii, 24 mm or greater. On the other hand the corolla of Penstemon breviculus is usually shorter, usually less than 15 mm, though occasionally it will reach 18 mm. It also lacks glandular hairs within the flower's throat. [5]

Taxonomy

Penstemon ophianthus was scientifically described and named by Francis W. Pennell in 1920. [2] The type specimen had been collected in 1894 by Marcus E. Jones near the Utah towns of Bicknell (then Thurber) and Loa. [8] [9] However, it was identified at the time as Penstemon moffatti . [8] This species is closely related to Penstemon jamesii and Penstemon breviculus. [4] The Penstemon expert David D. Keck considered it to be subspecies of P. jamesii, though the ranges do not overlap and the length of fused petals is different. [6] More recently the botanists Ronald Lee Hartman and B.E. Nelson considered P. breviculus and Penstemon parviflorus to be synonyms of P. ophianthus. [4] Though as of 2024 they are not synonyms according to Plants of the World Online. [2]

Names

The species name, ophianthus, is a compound word from snake and flower. [4] In English it is known by the common name Loa penstemon or coiled anther penstemon. [10] [11]

Range and habitat

The range of coiled anther penstemon is in the Four Corners region. It grows in much of northern Arizona all the way to Mohave County in the west. [12] In Utah this species is from the Colorado Plateau in the southeastern and south central part of the state. [6] Likewise it grows in western Colorado, though only as far north as Montrose County. It also grows in part of the northwest of New Mexico. [12] The elevation range extends down to 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) and as high as 2,300 meters (7,500 ft). [3]

Plants most often grow in dry sandy loam, sandy, or gravelly soils. They also are strongly associated with red or black cinder soils near cinder cones. [13] However, they also grow on clay soils at times. They are associated with sagebrush steppes, pinyon-juniper woodlands, around Gamble oak groves, and ponderosa pine forests. [5]

Conservation

The conservation organization NatureServe evaluated Penstemon ophianthus in 1993, rating it vulnerable (G3). Their explanation was that it has a limited range and no abundance information. At the state level they also rated it as vulnerable (S3) in both Arizona and Colorado. In Utah they rated it as imperiled (S2). [1]

Ecology

In an experiment in a pinyon-juniper woodland within the Kaibab National Forest Penstemon ophianthus was absent in 2004, but was found at low levels in 2011 after a thinning and prescribed burn treatment. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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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 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 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.

Thelypodium laxiflorum, the droopflower thelypody, is a plant species native to the southwestern United States. It grows in open, rocky places on slopes and cliff faces, usually in pinyon-juniper woodlands at elevations of 4,900–10,200 feet (1,500–3,100 m). It has been reported from Utah, western Colorado, southern Nevada, northwestern Arizona, and northwestern New Mexico.

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

Penstemon comarrhenus is a perennial plant in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) found in the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region of the southwestern United States.

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

Penstemon australis is a perennial plant native to the southeastern United States, with the common name Eustis Lake penstemon.

<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 auriberbis</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

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

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.

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

Penstemon watsonii is a flowering plant that grows largely in Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. It grows in dry rocky areas and has blue to violet flowers.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 NatureServe (1 November 2024). "Penstemon ophianthus". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Penstemon ophianthus Pennell". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Freeman, Craig C. (29 July 2020) [2019]. "Penstemon ophianthus". Flora of North America . p. 141. ISBN   978-0190868512. OCLC   1101573420. Archived from the original on 8 November 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Heil, Kenneth D.; O'Kane, Jr., Steve L.; Reeves, Linda Mary; Clifford, Arnold (2013). Flora of the Four Corners Region: Vascular Plants of the San Juan River Drainage, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah (First ed.). St. Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. p. 722. ISBN   978-1-930723-84-9. ISSN   0161-1542. LCCN   2012949654. OCLC   859541992 . Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Cronquist, Arthur; Holmgren, Arthur H.; Holmgren, Noel H.; Reveal, James L.; Holmgren, Patricia K. Intermountain Flora : Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. . Vol. 4. Subclass Asteridae (except Asteraceae) (First ed.). Bronx, New York: New York Botanical Garden. pp. 410–412. ISBN   978-0-231-04120-1. OCLC   320442 . Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "Penstemon ophianthus". Wolfe Lab Penstemon Database. Ohio State University. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  7. 1 2 Heflin, Jean (1997). Penstemons : The Beautiful Beardtongues of New Mexico . Albuquerque, New Mexico: Jackrabbit Press. p. 31–32. ISBN   978-0-9659693-0-7. LCCN   98111240. OCLC   39050925 . Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  8. 1 2 Pennell, Francis W. (29 April 1920). "Scrophulariaceae of the Central Rocky Mountain States". Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. 20: 343–344. ISSN   0097-1618. JSTOR   23492247 . Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  9. ↑ Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C. (1987). A Utah Flora . Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs, No. 9 (First ed.). Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University. p. 594. JSTOR   23377658. OCLC   9986953694 . Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  10. ↑ Duri, Anne (2015). Sandstone Country Wildflowers : The Red Shoe Guide. [place of publication not identified]: [Red Shoe Guides]. p. 153. ISBN   978-0-692-42527-5. OCLC   1285759622 . Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  11. ↑ "Coiled Anther Penstemon". Encyclopedia of Life . National Museum of Natural History . Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  12. 1 2 Penstemon ophianthus, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Profile, 18 November 2024
  13. ↑ Abella, Scott R.; Covington, W. Wallace (August 2006). "Vegetation–environment relationships and ecological species groups of an Arizona Pinus ponderosa landscape, USA". Plant Ecology. 185 (2): 265. doi:10.1007/s11258-006-9102-y. JSTOR   20146958.
  14. ↑ Huffman, D.W.; Stoddard, M.T.; Springer, J.D.; Crouse, J.E.; Chancellor, W.W. (February 2013). "Understory plant community responses to hazardous fuels reduction treatments in pinyon-juniper woodlands of Arizona, USA". Forest Ecology and Management. 289: 478–488. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2012.09.030.
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