Penstemon procerus var. modestus

(Greene) N. H. Holmgren

Brittonia 31: 106. 1979.

Common names: Ruby Mountain beardtongue
Endemic
Basionym: Penstemon modestus Greene Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 1: 165. 1906
Synonyms: P. procerus subsp. modestus (Greene) D. D. Keck P. tolmiei subsp. modestus (Greene) D. D. Keck
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 218. Mentioned on page 216, 217.

Stems (4–)8–28 cm. Leaves: basal and proximal cauline (12–)16–52 × 5–14 mm; cauline 11–52 × 3–12 mm, blade lanceolate to oblanceolate or elliptic. Thyrses 2–13 cm, verticillasters (2 or)3–5. Flowers: calyx lobes rarely lanceolate, 1.2–2.4 × 0.6–1.3 mm, apex truncate to obtuse or mucronate, rarely short-caudate or acute; corolla 7–10 mm; pollen sacs 0.4–0.6 mm; staminode glabrous or distal 0.5 mm sparsely pilose, hairs yellow, to 0.4 mm.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat: Gravelly alpine slopes.
Elevation: 2700–3200 m.

Discussion

Variety modestus is known from the East Humboldt and Ruby mountains of Elko County. Specimens from the Toquima Range in Nye County, which are here referred to var. formosus, bear short (1–1.5 mm), truncate to mucronate calyx lobes that are typical of var. modestus, but they are more similar to var. formosus in habit and inflorescence characters.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.