Penstemon smallii

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Penstemon smallii
Pen smallii.jpg
In situ at Blood Mountain, Georgia
Status TNC G3.svg
Vulnerable  (NatureServe)
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. smallii
Binomial name
Penstemon smallii

Penstemon smallii is a species of flowering plant also known as Small's penstemon. [1] They are native to the mountains of the Southeastern United States. They are state listed in Georgia (S1), Alabama (S1), Tennessee (S3), North Carolina (S3), and South Carolina (S2). [2]

Contents

Description

They typically bloom in late spring or early summer with branched panicles of white to purple flowers. [1] They produce inflated tubular flowers 2- 3.5 cm long with two spreading lips, the lower much longer than the upper. [3] The upper lip has two lobes and the lower lip has three lobes, with the flower's throat having two strong ridges and abundant bearding. [3] The leaves are serrate, glabrous, and generally have a lanceolate shape with cordate bases. [3] Stem leaves are sessile, arranged oppositely, and clasp around the stem, though they also contain all the aforementioned elements. [3]

Ecology

Primarily found in the Southern Appalachians of the Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee, the species extends across the Ridge and Valley south into Alabama. There is also a population disjunction in the Piedmont of North Carolina within Wake County. [4] They are generally found within or around rock outcrops, glades, barrens, bluffs, and rocky slopes, preferring circumneutral soils lacking in fertility. [3] They are also known less frequently from open rocky woodlands, cliffs, and occasionally forest openings. [3] They are most often pollinated by bumblebees and wasps. [3]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Penstemon smallii (Small's Penstemon)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  2. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Penstemon smallii". georgiabiodiversity.org. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  4. "2013 BONAP North American Plant Atlas. TaxonMaps". bonap.net. Retrieved 2023-06-21.