Lowly Penstemon
Penstemon humilis var. humilis
Synonyms: Penstemon cinereus, Penstemon cinereus ssp. cinereus, Penstemon cinereus ssp. foliatus, Penstemon humilis ssp. humilis
A close-up of the inflorescence of lowly penstemon as seen growing on rocky slopes at a pass along Arizona Creek Road (where passenger vehicles would have difficulty proceeding) in the Pueblo Mountains of southeastern Oregon...........June 1, 2012.
Characteristics:
Lowly penstemon is a moderate-sized, several to many-stemmed
perennial wildflower. Its flowering stems are between 5 and 35 cm tall. It is
slender in appearance, and has many sterile stems at the base. It may appear
to be somewhat matted. The leaves are both basal and
on the stems. The basal leaves are 2-5 cm in length, entire, petioled and elliptic
in shape. The cauline leaves are much shorter, sessile, and clasping. They are
narrowly lanceolate in shape.
The inflorescence is glandular, and consists of 2-9 several-flowered
verticillasters which are open below and more crowded above. The corolla is
a bright blue to blue-violet in color with a lighter throat containing purplish
guide lines. The corollas range from 1.0-1.7 cm in length. The corolla is definitely
two-lipped, the lips moderately spreading. The corolla is glandular outside.
The calyx is glandular with the sepals 2.5-6 mm long, Each sepal is broad in
outline, tapering to narrow, pointed tips. The anthers are glabrous and purple
outside, the sacs splitting their full length. The staminode either is fully
within the tube or barely reaching the mouth. It is bearded with a tuft of short
golden hairs at the tip or along the outer 1/3 of its length.
Habitat:
Lowly penstemon is found in dry, rocky or gravelly plains and
foothills, but may be found to fairly high mountain elevations. It is often
found associated with sagebrush, juniper, and ponderosa pine.
Range:
Lowly penstemon is found from the central Washington south along
the eastern edge of the Cascade Mts into northern California, and eastward across
the Snake River basin of Idaho into western Wyoming, and south into Nevada and
Utah.
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Lowly penstemon growing on rocky slopes at a pass along Arizona Creek Road (where passenger vehicles would have difficulty proceeding) in the Pueblo Mountains of southeastern Oregon...........June 1, 2012.
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Lowly penstemon as seen along the first mile of the Canyon Mountain Trail, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.........May 29, 2014.
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Lowly penstemon as seen atop Lookout Mountain, Ochoco National Forest...........June 15, 2015.
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Lowly penstemon as seen atop the Hart Mt. ridgeline about 2 miles west of Hot Springs Campground, Hart Mt. National Antelope Refuge.........June 9, 2016.
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Lowly penstemon blooming along the side of FS Road 42 adjacent to the junction with FS Road 4205, Ochoco National Forest.........June 25, 2017.
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Lowly penstemon blooming on Bickleton Ridge in the Simcoe Mountains Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area.........May 28, 2017.
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Lowly penstemon blooming along FS Road 33 at the Steins Pillar Viewpoint, Ochoco National Forest......May 18, 2018.
Several pairs of upper stem leaves and the inflorescence in bud of lowly penstemon as seen on outcrops the first mile of the Steins Pillar Trail #837, Ochoco National Forest.........May 21, 2017.
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Lowly penstemon in bloom along Box Canyon Road, Simcoe Mountains Unit, Klickitat Wildlife Area........May 23, 2020.
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Lowly penstemon blooming along Box Canyon Road in the Simcoe Mountains Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area......June 15, 2022.
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Lowly penstemon blooming in open, grassland forest at Cascade Camp, Wenas Creek drainage, northern Yakima County......June 3, 2023.
The photos of lowly penstemon on this page were taken within
Newberry Crater, Deschutes N.F.....7-13-94.
Paul Slichter