Penstemon idahoensis

Stems ascending to erect, 8–20 cm, glutinous, usually covered with sand, not glaucous. Leaves basal and cauline, ± leathery, glutinous, usually covered with sand, not glaucous; basal and proximal cauline 35–70 × 2–5 (–8) mm, blade oblanceolate, base tapered, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute; cauline 2–8 pairs, sessile, 34–55 × 2–6 mm, blade elliptic to linear, base tapered to truncate, apex obtuse to acute. Thyrses continuous, secund, 3–9 cm, axis glutinous, sometimes covered with sand, verticillasters 3–5, cymes 1–5-flowered, 2 per node; proximal bracts lanceolate, 15–23 × 1–3 mm; peduncles and pedicels glutinous, sometimes covered with sand. Flowers: calyx lobes lanceolate, 3–6 × 1.5–1.8 mm, glutinous and covered with sand; corolla violet to blue, with faint reddish purple nectar guides, ventricose-ampliate, 15–21 mm, glabrous externally, glabrous internally, tube 4–5 mm, throat gradually inflated, not constricted at orifice, 6–7 mm diam., rounded abaxially; stamens included or longer pair reaching orifice, pollen-sacs divergent, navicular, 1.5–2 mm, dehiscing incompletely, connective not splitting, sides sparsely to moderately lanate, hairs white, to 0.6 mm, sutures denticulate, teeth to 0.1 mm; staminode 8–10 mm, included, 0.4–0.5 mm diam., tip straight to recurved, distal 1–3 mm sparsely lanate, hairs yellowish, to 0.6 mm; style 12–14 mm. Capsules 7.5–10 × 5–6 mm.

Phenology: Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat: Sandy, tuffaceous outcrops, sagebrush and juniper communities.
Elevation: 1500–1700 m.

Idaho, Nev., Utah.

Discussion

Penstemon idahoensis is known from the Goose Creek basin in southwestern Cassia County, Idaho, extreme northeastern Elko County, Nevada, and extreme northwestern Box Elder County, Utah. Nevada plants differ from others in having distinctly wavy leaf margins.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa