[Beardtongues and Penstemons: The Genus Penstemon East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Sticky-stem Penstemon

Penstemon glandulosus var. chelanensis

Synonym: Penstemon glandulosus ssp. chelanensis

Sticky-stem Penstemon: Penstemon glandulosus var. chelanensis (Synonym: Penstemon glandulosus ssp. chelanensis)

Sticky-stem penstemon (var. chelanensis) from the Columbia Hills, north of The Dallesport, WA..........June 8, 2008.

Stem leaves of Sticky-stem Penstemon: Penstemon glandulosus var. chelanensis (Synonym: Penstemon glandulosus ssp. chelanensis)The photo at right shows a close-up of the paired stem leaves of sticky-stem penstemon (var. chelanensis) as seen from the Columbia Hills, north of The Dallesport, WA.........June 8, 2008.
Characteristics:

Sticky-stem penstemon is a large, beautiful penstemon. It has one to several upright stems which may attain a height of 100 cm. It is large flowered, and very glandular, being sticky to the touch. The basal leaves are large (10-35 cm long) and elliptical to lanceolate. The petioles typically make up one-half the length. The margins are entire in var. chelanensis and serrate in var. glandulosus. The stem leaves of both varieties are smaller, sessile or clasping, and lanceolate to broadly ovate.

The inflorescence is widely spaced, with two to six clusters of large violet to blue-lavender flowers. The corolla, like the herbage, is very glandular. The tube ranges in length from 25 to 45 mm, and expands from base to mouth, the mouth roughly 1.1-15. cm wide. The mouth is strongly two-lipped with the non-bearded, slightly expanded (at the tip) staminode barely reaching the throat. The anther sacs are wider than long, splitting across the connective and remaining sac-like at the ends. Distinct teeth are visible along the sutures.


Varieties of Sticky-stem Penstemon:

Variety chelanensis: Basal leaves with entire margins.

Variety glandulosus: Basal leaves with serrate margins.


Habitat:

Sticky-stem penstemon lives from prairie to rocky hillsides to open timber in the foothills.


Corolla of Sticky-stem Penstemon: Penstemon glandulosus var. chelanensis (Synonym: Penstemon glandulosus ssp. chelanensis)

The photo above shows a side view of the tubular corolla of sticky-stem penstemon (var. chelanensis), with its numerous gland-tipped hairs covering the tube, calyx, and young flower buds. Photographed atop the Columbia Hills north of The Dallesport, WA............June 8, 2008.

Range:

Variety glandulosus is found in the Blue and Wallowa Mts. of southeast Washington and northeast Oregon. It is likewise found in the Snake River canyon of western Idaho.

Variety chelanensis is found along the east base of the Cascade Mts. from Lake Chelan south to the Columbia River gorge, which it crosses to be found in extreme northern Oregon near The Dalles and Hood River.


Sticky-stem Penstemon: Penstemon glandulosus var. chelanensis (Synonym: Penstemon glandulosus ssp. chelanensis)

The photo above shows a close-up of the inflorescence of sticky-stem penstemon (var. chelanensis) as seen atop the Columbia Hills north of The Dallesport, WA..........June 8, 2008.

glandulosus/chelanensis/chelanensis1c.jpg

The photo above shows sticky-stem penstemon (var. chelanensis) as seen atop the Columbia Hills, north of The Dallesport, WA...........June 8, 2008.

Paul Slichter