Penstemon humilis var. humilis

IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Penstemon cinereus Piper P. cinereus subsp. foliatus D. D. Keck P. decurvus Pennell ex Crosswhite P. humilis var. desereticus S. L. Welsh
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 209. Mentioned on page 201.

Leaves: basal leaves puberulent or retrorsely hairy, (8–)15–105 × 2–13(–18) mm, cauline blade margins entire, rarely ± serrate distally. Flowers: corolla (7–)12–19 mm. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat: Open, rocky slopes, hillsides, sagebrush shrublands, pine-juniper woodlands, coniferous forests, alpine meadows.
Elevation: 1000–3200 m.

Distribution

Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Welsh described var. desereticus based on material with relatively larger corollas (15–19 mm) and smaller basal leaves (8–25 × 2–6 mm) from mountain ranges in the western Bonneville Basin of Utah; E. C. Neese and N. D. Atwood (2003) considered the variety to be limited to Utah. Variety desereticus appears to be confluent with a form of the species in the Calcareous Mountains of eastern Nevada, which N. H. Holmgren (1984) discussed and later recognized as Penstemon decurvus (Holmgren 2017). Penstemon decurvus, described from eastern Lincoln County, Nevada, also is referable here. Plants from northeastern California, extreme southwestern Idaho, extreme northwestern Nevada, and eastern and central Oregon often have cinereous leaves and relatively longer stems, shorter calyx lobes, and, sometimes, more open inflorescences; these plants have been called P. cinereus. This element grades into other phases to the east and appears to be another form of highly variable var. humilis. Some specimens from eastern Idaho (Clark and Fremont counties) have glabrous leaves, possibly from genetic exchange with P. aridus.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
Craig C. Freeman +
Nuttall ex A. Gray +
Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Nev. +, Oreg. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
1000–3200 m. +
Open, rocky slopes, hillsides, sagebrush shrublands, pine-juniper woodlands, coniferous forests, alpine meadows. +
Flowering May–Jul. +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Penstemon cinereus +, P. cinereus subsp. foliatus +, P. decurvus +  and P. humilis var. desereticus +
Penstemon humilis var. humilis +
Penstemon humilis +
variety +