familyPlantaginaceae
genusPenstemon
subgenusPenstemon subg. Penstemon
sectionPenstemon sect. Penstemon
speciesPenstemon gairdneri
Penstemon gairdneri var. gairdneri
IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Penstemon gairdneri subsp. hians (Piper) D. D. Keck
Stems 6–20(–35) cm. Leaves alternate.
Phenology: Flowering (Apr–)May–Jun.
Habitat: Rock outcrops, sagebrush shrublands, prairies.
Elevation: 100–1800 m.
Discussion
D. D. Keck (1940b) recognized three subspecies of Penstemon gairdneri: subsp. gairdneri, subsp. hians, and subsp. oreganus. He distinguished the two alternate-leaved subspecies (subsp. gairdneri and subsp. hians) on the basis of corolla color (rose purple versus lavender-purple with blue limb, respectively) and limb size (15–20 mm diam. versus 12–14 mm diam., respectively), acknowledging considerable variation in limb size in the former.
Variety gairdneri occurs in eastern Oregon and central Washington. Its range overlaps with that of var. oreganus in southeastern Oregon.
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
None.