Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Penstemon speciosus
royal beardtongue, showy penstemon
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Nevada and Utah.

Habitat: Dry, open or sparsely wooded areas, often with sagebrush, juniper or ponderosa pine, mostly in the lowlands and foothills.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, wasps, hummingbirds

Description:
General:

Perennial from a compact, branched, woody base, the several stout stems 2-9 dm. tall, glabrous or gray-puberulent.

Leaves:

Leaves opposite, entire, thick and firm, the basal ones clustered, petiolate, up to 15 cm. long and 2 cm. wide, the blade oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic; cauline leaves sessile and sometimes clasping, up to 2 cm. wide, 3.5-10 times as long as wide.

Flowers:

Inflorescence of numerous, loose verticillasters, sometimes one-sided; calyx 4-8 mm. long, the 5 segments ovate, scarious margined, pointed; corolla bright blue, 26-38 mm. long, 1 cm. wide at the mouth; pollen sacs 1.9-3.0 mm. long, spreading, S-shaped, mostly glabrous, a short portion remaining indehiscent; staminode usually glabrous.

Fruits:

Capsule 9-12 mm. long.

Accepted Name:
Penstemon speciosus Douglas ex Lindl.
Publication: Edwards\'s Bot. Reg. 15: pl. 1270. 1829.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Penstemon speciosus Douglas ex Lindl. ssp. kennedyi (A. Nelson) D.D. Keck
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Penstemon speciosus in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Penstemon speciosus checklist entry

OregonFlora: Penstemon speciosus information

E-Flora BC: Penstemon speciosus atlas page

CalPhotos: Penstemon speciosus photos

63 photographs:
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