Penstemon eriantherus Pursh
Crested Beardtongue (fuzzytongue penstemon; fuzzy-tongued penstemon)
Plantaginaceae (Mare's-tail family)
(Previously in Scrophulariaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Larry Halverson     (Photo ID #58488)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Penstemon eriantherus
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

Penstemon eriantherus var. eriantherus

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a taproot surmounted by a frequently branched, largely underground stem-base; stems usually several, ascending to erect, 10-40 cm tall, minutely grey-hairy, sometimes also long-soft-hairy above and glandular-hairy in the inflorescence.
Leaves:
Opposite, entire to remotely toothed; basal and lower leaves lanceolate to egg-shaped, stalked, to 13 cm long; upper leaves lanceolate to oblong, nearly unstalked, 3-7 cm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a terminal cluster of several whorls of stalked flowers, the stalks glandular-hairy; corollas tubular, flaring at the mouth, (1.5) 2-4 cm long, pale lavender to blue-purple, lines of deeper colour within, strongly 2-lipped, the upper lip 2-lobed, the lower lip 3-lobed, longer than the upper, strongly bearded in the throat; calyces 7-13 mm long, 5-lobed, the lobes lanceolate, long-tapering to a sharp tip, sticky-hairy; fertile stamens 4, the anthers essentially smooth; sterile stamen exserted, coiled at the tip, long yellow-bearded most of its length.
Fruits:
Capsules, broadly oval, long-pointed, 6-12 mm long, glandular-hairy near the tip; seeds numerous, 2-3 mm long.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Penstemon eriantherus

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
1016 750 2012
Slope Gradient (%)
47 0 202

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

194 5 310
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
2 1 4
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
45
Modal BEC Zone Class
IDF

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

ESSF(3), IDF(23), MS(6), PP(13)

Habitat and Range

Dry open slopes and terraces in the steppe and montane zones; infrequent in SE BC; E to AB and S to NB, CO, ID and WA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia