Rydberg's Penstemon, Swollen Penstemon: Penstemon rydbergii var. rydbergii (Synonyms: Penstemon hesperius, Penstemon rydbergii var. varians, Penstemon vaseyanus)

Rydberg's penstemon , photographed alongside a creek along the South Loop Rd of the Steens Mountain about 1 mile downhill from the East Rim Viewpoint, Harney County, Oregon.........September 2, 2011.

Rydberg's penstemon is an attractive penstemon with one to several erect to spreading stems rising from 20-40 cm high from a cluster of basal leaves. The herbage ranges from glabrous to covered with fine, short hairs, depending upon the variety. The basal leaves are often on short sterile shoots. They are oblanceolate tapering gradually to the petiole and 4-7 cm long and 9-15 mm wide. The upper stem leaves are lanceolate with sessile bases and range from 2.5-6 cm long and 3-14 mm wide.

The inflorescence consists of 2-7 densely flowered verticillasters. The calyx ranges from 3-7 mm long. The corolla is blue, blue-violet, or occasionally white and ranges from 10-16 mm long with the tube flaring gradually to the throat. The corolla lobes are roughly equal in length and the palate is white- to yellow-bearded. The anthers are glabrous outside, opposite, boat-shaped and splitting completely. The staminode rarely reaches the throat and is generally strongly bearded at the tip.

Variety aggregatus: Calyx mostly 5-8.5 mm long. Corolla 13-20 mm long. Plants covered with fine, short hairs. Plants found from southeastern Idaho to southwestern Wyoming and south to Utah and northern Arizona.

Variety oreocharis: Calyx 3-5 mm long, the sepals with thin, non-green, membranous edges, the margins irregularly but deeply toothed. Corolla 10-14 mm long. Plants glabrous throughout. Plants found from the Cascades of Oregon and Sierra Nevada of California east to northwestern Nevada.

Variety rydbergii: Calyx 3-6 mm long, the sepals with wide, non-green, membranous edges, the margins irregularly but shallowly toothed. Corolla 10-14 mm long. Plants with fine, short hairs or sometimes nearly glabrous. Plants of southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon (and the Steens Mt.) east through central Idaho to southwest Montana.

Rydberg's penstemon may be found in moist meadows and moist open slopes from the foothills to moderate elevations in the mountains.

Rydberg's penstemon is found from central Washington south to the Columbia River where it extends towards the coast. It is then found southward through central Oregon (to the east of the Cascades) to northeastern California, and then eastwards to western Montana,Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Nevada.

Rydberg's penstemon , photographed alongside a creek along the South Loop Rd of the Steens Mountain about 1 mile downhill from the East Rim Viewpoint, Harney County, Oregon..........September 2, 2011. The scarious margins to the calyx lobes which help identify this variety are evident here.

Rydberg's penstemon as seen at left in wetlands along Rock Creek about a quarter mile west of Hot Springs Campground, Hart Mt. National Antelope Refuge..........June 9, 2016. The white-margined calyx lobes can be seen in this photo too. The photo at right shows a vertical view of the inflorescence of Rydberg's penstemon as seen in wet meadows along Forest Road 30 near the old Cold Springs Guard Station, southeast corner of Big Summit Prairie, Ochoco National Forest.......June 3, 2018. This is an unusually pale blue color for the flowers (no purple pigments).

Rydberg's penstemon blooming in vernally wet prairie along Indian Creek, northwestern edge of Big Summit Prairie, Ochoco National Forest.......May 27, 2018. Note the lack of gland-tipped hairs on the corolla and calyx.

The photo above shows several verticillasters of flowers of Rydberg's penstemon from wetlands to the north of the P Ranch, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge...........June 22, 1999.