[Sand Penstemon (var. acuminatus)] [Beardtongues and Penstemons: The Genus Penstemon East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Sand Penstemon, Sharpleaf Penstemon, Sharp-leaved Penstemon

Penstemon acuminatus var. latebracteatus

Sharpleaf penstemon seen on sandy soils along Whitehorse Ranch Road east of the Pueblo Mountains in southeastern Oregon..............June 1, 2012.

The photo at right shows sand penstemon (var. latebracteatus) as seen along the road to the Wildhorse Ranch, several miles east of the Pueblo Mts. of southeastern OR............May 28, 2000.

Characteristics:

Sand penstemon is a short-lived perennial wildflower of arid regions in the Pacific Northwest. One to several erect stems arise 20-65 cm high from a thick crown. The herbage of the leaves and stems is glabrous and glaucous. The fleshy leaves are entire, with the basal leaves oblanceolate, tapering to a petioled base. The basal leaves range from 4-10 cm long and 7-15 mm wide. The upper stem leaves are 2-7 cm long and 10-35 mm wide, ranging from lanceolate to ovate with acute to acuminate tips, often sessile and clasping (See photos.)

The inflorescence consists of 3-18 congested verticillasters, the clusters of flowers subtended by bracts which are usually wider than long and with hear-shaped bases which overlap. The calyx is 4.5-9 mm long during flowering, elongating in fruit. The individual sepals are narrowly lanceolate in shape. The blue to lavender or pink corolla ranges from 11-20 mm long with the tube narrow at the base tapering gradually to a wide throat. The corolla lobes flare broadly. The anthers are glabrous and black outside, the sacs splitting completely to become opposite and boat-shaped. The staminode is glabrous or often with a short, yellow beard at the tips.

Varieties:

Variety acuminatus: Corolla 15- 20 mm long. Calyx 5-11 mm long. Found in central Washington and northern Oregon (near the Columbia River). Photos of Penstemon acuminatus var. acuminatus.

Variety latebracteatus: Corolla 10-15 mm long. Calyx 4.5-6.5 mm long. Found from southeastern Oregon to southwestern Idaho and south into Nevada.

Habitat:

Sand penstemon lives on open, frequently sandy places, often on sand dunes.

Range:

Sand penstemon's range is from Grant County, WA in the north to Klickitat and Walla Walla counties (WA), across the Columbia River into northern and eastern (Harney County) Oregon, eastward along the Snake River plains of Idaho (Gooding and Owyhee counties).

Sharpleaf penstemon seen on sandy soils along Whitehorse Ranch Road east of the Pueblo Mountains in southeastern Oregon..............June 1, 2012.

Close-up of the flowers of Sand Penstemon, Sharpleaf Penstemon, Sharp-leaved Penstemon: Penstemon acuminatus var. latebracteatus

A close-up of the flowers of sand penstemon (var. latebracteatus) as seen at the southern edge of the Alvord Desert, southeastern OR............May 28, 2000. Note the yellow-bearded tip to the staminode.

Sand Penstemon, Sharpleaf Penstemon, Sharp-leaved Penstemon: Penstemon acuminatus var. latebracteatus

The photo above shows a close-up of one of the pairs of upper stem leaves of Sand Penstemon (var. latebracteatus) as seen near Mickey Hot Springs, southeastern Oregon............June 24, 1999. Note that the bases of the leaves overlap one another.

Close-up of the flowers of Sand Penstemon, Sharpleaf Penstemon, Sharp-leaved Penstemon: Penstemon acuminatus var. latebracteatus

The photo above is a close-up of the flowers of sand penstemon (var. latebracteatus) as seen along the road to the Wildhorse Ranch, several miles east of the Pueblo Mts. of southeastern OR............May 28, 2000.

Paul Slichter