Penstemon rydbergii var. oreocharis

(Greene) N. H. Holmgren in A. Cronquist et al.

Intermount. Fl. 4: 390. 1984.

Endemic
Basionym: Penstemon oreocharis Greene Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 163. 1906
Synonyms: P. hesperius M. Peck P. vaseyanus Greene
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 221. Mentioned on page 215, 216, 220.

Stems glabrous, rarely ± retrorsely hairy. Thyrses: axis glabrous, rarely ± retrorsely hairy; proximal bract margins entire. Flowers: calyx lobes 3–5.5 × 1.2–2.2 mm, margins erose, sometimes lacerate, narrowly to broadly scarious, apex acute to short-caudate; corolla 10–14 mm; pollen-sacs 0.5–0.7 (–0.8) mm. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Moist grassy meadows, stream banks, montane and subalpine forests.
Elevation: 600–3100 m.

Distribution

Calif., Idaho, Nev., Oreg., Wash.

Discussion

Variety oreocharis is widespread in the mountains of the western United States, mostly from the crest of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada eastward, from north-central Washington through eastern Oregon to east-central California and west-central Nevada. D. D. Keck (1945) recognized Penstemon vaseyanus, which he distinguished from P. oreocharis (= var. oreocharis) by the former’s stouter stems, leaf margins occasionally denticulate, and corollas more funnelform and white-lanate abaxially. Many plants from the eastern flank of the Cascade Range in central Washington exhibit some or all of these features, which also are expressed among other populations of var. oreocharis.

Peck described Penstemon hesperius from plants collected in a boggy meadow in Washington County, Oregon, commenting on their tall stature and unusual habitat. D. D. Keck (1945) recognized P. hesperius, distinguishing it from P. oreocharis by its generally taller stems [50–80(–120) cm] and longer (more than 5 mm), hirtellous calyx lobes with attenuate apices. He also noted that the few specimens he had seen (from Clackamas and Washington counties, Oregon, and one from Clark or Skamania counties, Washington) came from boggy meadows. A. Cronquist (1959) synonymized P. hesperius with P. rydbergii, stating that the two species appeared to be morphologically confluent.

Plants consistent with the type of Penstemon hesperius were discovered along the Tualatin River in southeastern Washington County, Oregon, in 2008 and 2009. Preliminary assessments suggest that P. hesperius may be morphologically and genetically distinct from P. rydbergii; work to characterize P. hesperius is ongoing (G. Maffitt 2012).

Lower Taxa

None.

"/4+timescorollathroat" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

puberulent +  and glabrous +
acute +  and short-caudate +
Craig C. Freeman +
(Greene) N. H. Holmgren in A. Cronquist et al. +
hairy +  and glabrous +
alternate +, subopposite +, whorled +  and opposite +
glaucescent +
alternate +, opposite +, whorled +, helical +  and subopposite +
cauline +, proximal +  and basal +
rarely +, not glaucous +, glabrate +, pubescent +, hairy +, glandular-lanate +, glandular-pubescent +, puberulent +, glandular +  and glabrous +
not +  and leathery +
tapered;tapered +
Penstemon oreocharis +
lanceolate;elliptic or oblong +
not +  and leathery +
oblong;ovate or obovate +
1.2mm;2.2mm +
short-tubular +  and short-campanulate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
petiolate +  and sessile +
personate +, not personate +, bilabiate +  and symmetric +
yellowish +, white +, violet +  and blue or purple +
villous +  and glabrous +
ventricose +, tubular +  and tubular-funnelform +
ampliate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
(3-)5-11-flowered +
scale-like +  and not needlelike +
Calif. +, Idaho +, Nev. +, Oreg. +  and Wash. +
drupe-like +
600–3100 m. +
curved +  and straight +
1 +  and 4 +
Moist grassy meadows, stream banks, montane and subalpine forests. +
golden yellow +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
membranous +
terminal +  and axillary +
persistent +  and deciduous +
basal +  and cauline +
not leathery +
orbiculate;linear;orbiculate;linear;truncate;oblanceolate;obovate;oblong;elliptic;round;lanceolate;ovate +
erose +  and entire +
glutinous +
glandular-ciliolate +, hairy +, puberulent +, glabrescent +, glabrous +  and glandular-pubescent +
lacerate +
axile +  and parietal +
basal +, apical +  and superior +
tenuinucellate +, unitegmic +  and hemitropous +
campylotropous +, hemianatropous +  and anatropous +
puberulent +, hairy +  and glabrous +
puberulent +, hairy +  and glabrous +
5 +  and 4 +
Flowering Jun–Aug. +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
navicular-sigmoid +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br />) +
1/5 +  and 2/3 +
short-petiolate +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (11 cm110 mm <br />0.11 m <br />) +
5.2 cm52 mm <br />0.052 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (5.2 cm52 mm <br />0.052 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
Intermount. Fl. +
maffitt2012a +
minute +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
black +, gray +, brown +  and tan +
angled +  and slightly rounded +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br />) +
included +  and exserted +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (?) +
subalternate +, alternate +, whorled +  and opposite +
70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
glutinous +
climbing +  and scrambling +
sprawling +, creeping +  and prostrate +
erect;ascending;erect;ascending;decumbent +
hairy +  and glabrous +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
papillate +  and smooth +
denticulate +
P. hesperius +  and P. vaseyanus +
Penstemon rydbergii var. oreocharis +
Penstemon rydbergii +
variety +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
2-ridged +  and inflated +
not constricted +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
cylindric +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
straight +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
gibbous +  and not spurred +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
cauline +  and proximal +