Penstemon montanus

Greene

Pittonia 2: 240. 1892. (as Pentstemon)

Common names: Cordroot or mountain beardtongue
IllustratedEndemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 90. Mentioned on page 81, 86.

Herbs or subshrubs, sometimes cespitose. Stems ascending to erect, 6–30 cm, pubescent, sometimes retrorsely hairy proximally and glandular-pubescent distally, not glaucous. Leaves deciduous, 4–7 pairs, distals seldom distinctly smaller than proximals, short-petiolate or sessile, 9–35(–56) × 7–17(–28) mm, blade obovate to oblanceolate, ovate, lanceolate, or elliptic, base tapered, cuneate, or cordate-clasping, margins entire, subentire, serrate, or dentate, apex obtuse to acute, glabrous, puberulent, or puberulent and glandular-pubescent, glaucous or not. Thyrses continuous, secund, 1–7 cm, axis sparsely to moderately glandular-pubescent, sometimes also pubescent proximally, verticillasters 1–5, cymes 1-flowered; proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 6–28 × 3–22 mm; peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glandular-pubescent. Flowers: calyx lobes lanceolate to linear, 8–15 × 1.8–3.5 mm, glandular-pubescent; corolla lavender, blue, or violet, unlined internally or lined with faint lavender or blue nectar guides abaxially, not personate, funnelform, 26–33(–39) mm, glabrous externally, moderately to densely white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 7–9 mm, throat 8–10 mm diam.; stamens included, pollen sacs 1.1–1.6 mm; staminode 11–15 mm, slightly flattened distally, 0.1–0.3 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, glabrous or distal 3–6 mm pubescent, hairs white, to 1.4 mm; style 25–30 mm. Capsules 10–14 × 5–7 mm.

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Penstemon montanus is known from the Central and Northern Rocky mountains.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Leaf blades puberulent and glandular-pubescent, not glaucous, blade margins serrate to dentate. Penstemon montanus var. montanus
1 Leaf blades glabrous or puberulent, usually glaucous, blade margins entire or subentire. Penstemon montanus var. idahoensis