Penstemon palmeri

Herbs. Stems ascending to erect, 43–140 cm, glaucous. Leaves: basal and proximal cauline (28–)52–120(–145) × (5–)25–50(–60) mm, blade ovate, base tapered, margins coarsely dentate, apex obtuse to acute; cauline 5–8 pairs, sessile or connate-perfoliate, 25–130 × 7–45 mm, blade ovate to triangular, base of distals auriculate-clasping or connate-perfoliate, margins coarsely dentate, distals sometimes entire, apex acute. Thyrses interrupted, rarely continuous, secund, 7–63 cm, axis glabrous or glandular-pubescent, verticillasters (4–)7–17, cymes (1 or)2–5-flowered; proximal bracts ovate to lanceolate, 8–40 × 4–38 mm; peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, glabrous or glandular-pubescent. Flowers: calyx lobes ovate, (3.4–)4.2–6(–7.5) × 1.9–3.6 mm, glabrous or glandular-pubescent; corolla pale pink to white or pinkish lavender, with reddish purple nectar guides, strongly bilabiate, ventricose-ampliate, 25–38 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, glandular-pubescent internally, sometimes also sparsely white-lanate abaxially, tube 4–8 mm, length 1–1.4 times calyx lobes, throat abruptly inflated, constricted at orifice, 12–21 mm diam., rounded abaxially; stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, filaments of shorter pair glandular-puberulent proximally, pollen sacs navicular, 1.6–2.4 mm, sutures smooth; staminode 25–30 mm, exserted, 0.9–1.1 mm diam., tip strongly recurved to coiled, distal 8–10 mm, and especially tip, moderately to densely lanate, hairs yellow, to 3.5 mm, proximal 6–8 mm glandular-puberulent; style 19–23 mm, glabrous or sparsely glandular-pubescent proximally. Capsules 11–16 × 6–8 mm, sparsely glandular-pubescent distally.

Distribution

w United States.

Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Penstemon ×bryantiae D. D. Keck, a hybrid between P. palmeri and P. spectabilis, was described based on plants that volunteered in the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in 1935 (D. D. Keck 1937b). Penstemon ×mirus A. Nelson, a putative hybrid between P. eatonii and P. palmeri, has been reported from Arizona (A. Nelson 1938).

A poultice prepared from Penstemon palmeri is applied to snakebites by the Kayenta Navajo of northeastern Arizona (D. E. Moerman 1998).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Penstemon palmeri var. eglandulosus, Penstemon palmeri var. macranthus, Penstemon palmeri var. palmeri

Key

1	Corolla tubes 7–8 mm; distal cauline leaves sessile, sometimes connate-perfoliate.	Penstemon palmeri var. macranthus
1	Corolla tubes 4–6 mm; distal cauline leaves connate-perfoliate.	> 2
2	Peduncles, pedicels, and calyx lobes glandular-pubescent; pollen sacs 1.8–2.4 mm.	Penstemon palmeri var. palmeri
2	Peduncles, pedicels, and calyx lobes glabrous; pollen sacs 1.6–2(–2.2) mm.	Penstemon palmeri var. eglandulosus