Penstemon acaulis

Plant Information
Species: 
acaulis
Species Authority: 
L.O. Williams
Subgenus: 
Penstemon
Section: 
Ericopsis
Subsection: 
Caespitosi
Habit:
 
herbaceous perennial
Habit Woodiness:
 
suffrutescent
Lifespan: 
long-lived
Habitat Description: 
Dry ridgetops in sandstone-derived soils with sagebrush and Utah juniper. Endemic to a small area from McKinnon (Sweetwater Co., Wyo.) to 15 mi s. of Manila (Daggett Co., Utah).
Distribution Range: 
Endemic to a small area from McKinnon (Sweetwater County, Wyoming) to 15 mi south of Manila (Daggett County, Utah).
Soil Type: 
Sandstone-derived soils
Elevation - Min: 
1500.00m
Elevation - Max: 
2200.00m
Common Name: 
Stemless Beardtongue
Other Notes: 

"The next of kin to P. acualis is P. yampaensis Penl., and together they may be the most peculiar of all penstemons. Penstemon yampaensis grows in calcareous soils in Moffat Co., Colorado in the vicinity of Greystone, just east of Dinosaur National Mounument. These acaulescent penstemons may be closely allied to P. laricifolius Hook. & Arn. of Wyoming and northern Colorado. Penland (Madrono 14: 156-160. 1958) made a comparative study on the pubescence, leaf venation, and corolla shape of P. acaulis and P. yampaensis and concluded that they are more closely alliedto section Cristati (Aurator), through such species as P. dolius, P. pumilus, and P. moffatii, than to section Caespitosi (Ericopsis) where Keck (Bull. torrey Bot. Club 64: 366. 1937) placed P. acaulis." - Holmgren 1984

Photos by Andi Wolfe ©2017 - If you would like to use any of these photos, contact Andi Wolfe at Ohio State University

First Bloom: 
June
Last Bloom: 
June
References: 

Holmgren NH. 1984. Penstemon and Keckiella. In Intermountain Flora, vol. 4. Ed. Arthur Cronquist et al. Bronx: The New York Botanical Garden.