Species Identification
Interested in the identification of penstemons? Please select a species then click on submit:
| Attribute | The current selection is Penstemon_cusickii |
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| Classification | Penstemon
Saccanthera Saccanthera Heterophylli |
| General | Cusick’s penstemon
This species, named for William Cusick (1842-1922) a Northwest botanist, is the progenitor of P. kingii and leonardii and perhaps many of sub-genus Saccanthera (Group II), although they are quite scattered geographically. Blooms: May into July.
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| Anther | mostly glabrous but sparingly pubescent near the connective, horseshoe-shaped, the sacs dehiscing less than ˝ their length across the connective and usually purple. |
| Staminode | White, glabrous, expanded at the tip and slightly protruding. |
| Leaves | 2-8 cm (3/4-3 1/3”) long, mostly linear to narrowly oblanceolate, all cauline, gray-green pubescent or somewhat glaucous, entire and stemless |
| Stems | Numerous, slender, brittle stems reach upright in a cluster 1.5-4.5 dm (6-18”) high from a shrubby base, finely gray-pubescent. |
| Inflorescense | Narrow and finely nonglandular-pubescent, a mixed raceme at the apex and panicle below, the peduncles (stems) of the 2- to 3-flowered cymes press against the main stem and the pedicels of the individual flowers are well-developed, of 3 to 10 verticillasters, sometimes congested but more commonly open, the peduncles arising from the axils of leafy bracts below. |
| Corolla | Blue-violet or lavender to purplish, glabrous throughout, 1.5 to 2.4cm (5/8-1”) long, a narrow tube at the base expanding moderately in the throat.
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| Flower Color | |
| Calyx | Of broadly oval sepals, tapered abruptly to acute tips, glabrous or very finely pubescent, 4-6 mm long, the margins slightly scarious (white) and entire or slightly ragged. |
| Habitat | Usually with sagebrush on light basaltic substrates. |
| Range | Southwest Oregon (Baker to Harney Cos.) and east to Blaine Co., Idaho. |
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