Penstemon wrightii

Hooker

Bot. Mag. 77: plate 4601. 1851. (as Pentstemon)

Common names: Wright’s beardtongue
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 155. Mentioned on page 151.

Stems ascending to erect, (30–)40–70(–130) cm, glaucous. Leaves glabrous, glaucous; basal and proximal cauline 45–125 × 12–45 mm, blade spatulate to oblanceolate or elliptic, base tapered, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse or acute; cauline 4–6 pairs, sessile or proximals sometimes short-petiolate, (35–)50–70(–100) × 15–40(–50) mm, blade oblong to elliptic, oblanceolate, or ovate, base tapered to auriculate-clasping or cordate-clasping, margins entire, apex rounded to acute. Thyrses interrupted, cylindric, 10–72 cm, axis glabrous, verticillasters 6–17, cymes 3–8-flowered; proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 8–40 × 3–20 mm; peduncles and pedicels erect, glabrous or pedicels sparsely glandular-pubescent distally. Flowers: calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 3.5–6 × 1.5–2.2 mm, margins erose, sparsely glandular-pubescent, especially along margins; corolla red to pink, without nectar guides, bilaterally symmetric, bilabiate, tubular-funnelform to ventricose, 14–19 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, glandular-pubescent internally, tube 3–6 mm, throat abruptly inflated, 6–7 mm diam., rounded abaxially; stamens included, pollen sacs explanate, 0.9–1.2 mm, sutures smooth; staminode 8–10 mm, flattened distally, 0.6–1 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 2–7 mm sparsely to densely pilose, hairs yellow, to 1.2 mm; style 8–11 mm. Capsules 6–12 × 4–7 mm. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat: Rocky canyons and hillsides.
Elevation: 900–1800 m.

Discussion

Penstemon wrightii is known from the mountains of the Trans-Pecos of western Texas. Populations are known from Brewster, Jeff Davis, Presidio, and Reeves counties.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.