| Penstemon scariosus | |
|---|---|
| |
| var. albifluvis | |
| Conservation status | |
 Apparently Secure (NatureServe) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Plantaginaceae |
| Genus: | Penstemon |
| Species: | P. scariosus |
| Binomial name | |
| Penstemon scariosus Pennell | |
Penstemon scariosus is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name White River beardtongue. It is native to Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming in the United States.
There are four varieties of this species, including var. albifluvis (White River beardtongue), var. cyanomontanus (Neese's Blue Mountain beardtongue), and var. garrettii (Garrett's beardtongue). The var. albifluvis is a rare variety limited to northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado. It is up to 30 centimeters tall and produces lavender or light blue flowers. The flowers are pollinated by bees. This variety is a candidate for federal protection because it grows on oil shale, a common source of petroleum.
References
- Penstemon scariosus. The Nature Conservancy.
- Penstemon scariosus. USDA Plants Profile.
- var. albifluvis. Archived 2011-10-26 at the Wayback Machine Center for Plant Conservation.
- Lewinsohn, J. S., et al. (2007). Breeding biology and flower visitors of the rare White River pentstemon, Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis (Scrophulariaceae). Western North American Naturalist 67(2):232-237.
- var. albifluvis. USDA NRCS Plant Guide.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Penstemon scariosus |
|