Penstemon smallii

A. Heller

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 21: 25. 1894.

Common names: Blue Ridge beardtongue
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 222. Mentioned on page 185.

Herbs. Stems ascending to erect, 35–80 cm, puberulent or retrorsely hairy proximally, retrorsely hairy and sparsely glandular-pubescent distally, not glaucous. Leaves basal and cauline, basal sometimes withering by anthesis, not leathery, glabrous or puberulent along midveins and, sometimes, on proximal parts of blade; basal and proximal cauline 55–170 × 15–60 mm, blade triangular-ovate to cordate or lanceolate, base tapered, margins crenate to sharply serrate, apex obtuse to acute; cauline 4–6 pairs, sessile, 66–105 × 12–48 mm, blade ovate to lanceolate, proximals sometimes lyrate, base truncate to broadly clasping, margins crenate to sharply serrate, apex acute. Thyrses interrupted, narrowly conic, (6–) 10–28 cm, axis puberulent and glandular-pubescent, verticillasters 4–7, cymes (3–) 5–12-flowered, 2 per node; proximal bracts lanceolate, 56–130 × 23–55 mm, margins sharply serrate; peduncles and pedicels ascending to erect, puberulent and glandular-pubescent. Flowers: calyx lobes ovate to lanceolate, 3.5–5 × 1.2–2.1 mm, glandular-pubescent; corolla lavender to violet or purple, with violet nectar guides, funnelform to ventricose-ampliate, 28–35 mm, glandular-pubescent externally, moderately white-lanate internally abaxially, tube 7–8 mm, throat abruptly inflated, 9–16 mm diam., 2-ridged abaxially; stamens included, pollen-sacs opposite, navicular, 1.3–1.5 mm, dehiscing completely, connective splitting, sides glabrous, sutures papillate; staminode 15–18 mm, included, 0.4–0.6 mm diam., tip straight, distal 13–15 mm ± pilose, hairs yellow, to 2 mm; style 17–20 mm. Capsules 7–10 × 4–5 mm, glabrous. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat: Rocky slopes, bluffs, cliffs.
Elevation: 200–1200 m.

Distribution

Ala., Ga., N.C., S.C., Tenn.

Discussion

Penstemon smallii is known from the southern Appalachians. Foliose inflorescence bracts, truncate or cordate cauline leaf bases, and lavender to purple corollas distinguish it from other eastern penstemons.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Penstemon smallii"
acute +  and obtuse +
Craig C. Freeman +
A. Heller +
glandular-pubescent +  and puberulent +
alternate +, subopposite +, whorled +  and opposite +
glaucescent +
alternate +, opposite +, whorled +, helical +  and subopposite +
puberulent +  and glabrous +
cauline +, proximal +  and basal +
rarely +, not glaucous +, glabrate +, pubescent +, hairy +, glandular-lanate +, glandular-pubescent +, puberulent +, glandular +  and glabrous +
not +  and leathery +
truncate;broadly clasping +
tapered +
ovate;lanceolate +
not +  and leathery +
glandular-pubescent +
ovate;lanceolate +
1.2mm;2.1mm +
short-tubular +  and short-campanulate +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
6.6 cm66 mm <br />0.066 m <br /> (10.5 cm105 mm <br />0.105 m <br />) +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (4.8 cm48 mm <br />0.048 m <br />) +
petiolate +  and sessile +
Blue Ridge beardtongue +
personate +, not personate +, bilabiate +  and symmetric +
lavender +  and violet or purple +
white-lanate +  and glandular-pubescent +
ventricose +, tubular +  and tubular-funnelform +
ventricose-ampliate +
2.8 cm28 mm <br />0.028 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
(3-)5-12-flowered +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
scale-like +  and not needlelike +
Ala. +, Ga. +, N.C. +, S.C. +  and Tenn. +
drupe-like +
200–1200 m. +
curved +  and straight +
1 +  and 4 +
Rocky slopes, bluffs, cliffs. +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
membranous +
terminal +  and axillary +
persistent +  and deciduous +
cauline +  and basal +
orbiculate;linear;orbiculate;linear;truncate;oblanceolate;obovate;oblong;elliptic;round;lanceolate;ovate +
glutinous +
glandular-ciliolate +, hairy +, puberulent +, glabrescent +, glabrous +  and glandular-pubescent +
crenate +  and sharply serrate +
axile +  and parietal +
basal +, apical +  and superior +
tenuinucellate +, unitegmic +  and hemitropous +
campylotropous +, hemianatropous +  and anatropous +
ascending +  and erect +
glandular-pubescent +  and puberulent +
ascending;erect +
glandular-pubescent +  and puberulent +
5 +  and 4 +
Flowering Apr–Jul. +
navicular-sigmoid +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
1/5 +  and 2/3 +
5.6 cm56 mm <br />0.056 m <br /> (13 cm130 mm <br />0.13 m <br />) +
2.3 cm23 mm <br />0.023 m <br /> (5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br />) +
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club +
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 />) +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (?) +  and 1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br /> (?) +
subalternate +, alternate +, whorled +  and opposite +
glutinous +
climbing +  and scrambling +
sprawling +, creeping +  and prostrate +
ascending;erect +
not glaucous +, glandular-pubescent +, hairy +  and puberulent +
35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br /> (80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br />) +
1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
papillate +
denticulate +
Penstemon smallii +
Penstemon sect. Penstemon +
species +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
2-ridged +  and inflated +
not constricted +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (28 cm280 mm <br />0.28 m <br />) +
straight +
gibbous +  and not spurred +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
cauline +  and proximal +