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Penstemon superbus

A. Nels.

Superb Beardtongue

G4Apparently Secure Found in 11 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.149940
Element CodePDSCR1L630
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderPlantaginales
FamilyPlantaginaceae
GenusPenstemon
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2018-12-05
Change Date2018-12-05
Edition Date2018-12-05
Edition AuthorsB. MacBryde (2000), rev. C. Nordman (2018).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Penstemon superbus occurs in the USA in eastern Arizona (3500-5500 feet), southwestern New Mexico (4500-6000 feet), and in nearby Sonora, Mexico. It occurs in canyons and gravelly or sandy washes; and in Sonora, Mexico. While the range is small, there are few threats to it and it occurs on public lands.
Range Extent Comments
Penstemon superbus occurs in Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, and Pima counties, Arizona; Grant and Hidalgo counties, New Mexico; and adjacent Sonora, Mexico (Bleakly 1999, iNaturalist 2018, SEINet 2018). It is reported from Chihuahua and west Texas, and it could also be in those states.
Occurrences Comments
There are many locations where Penstemon superbus grows within its small range. There are 190 herbarium collections (SEINet 2018), but these don't all represent unique locaitons.
Threat Impact Comments
Severe drought is a threat, such as is associated with climate change. This beautiful and conspicuous plant may be suffering from over-collection. Otherwise, current land uses apparently pose no threat to it (Bleakly 1999).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Penstemon superbus is a perennial plant which is glaucous (bluish), the stems are 3-12 dm (1 - 4 feet) tall, the stem leaves are entire and cordate-clasping or connate-perfoliate, the inflorescence is narrow, often more than half plant height. The corollas are orange-pink to scarlet, glandular outside, very obscurely bilabiate, throat only slightly expanded, 17-22 mm (0.6 - 0.9 inch) long (Bleakly 1999).

Diagnostic Characteristics

Penstemon superbus is unlikely to be confused with any other Penstemon in the area because of its size, glaucous foliage, narrow inflorescence architecture, unique orange-pink to scarlet flower color, and explanate anthers (Bleakly 1999).

Habitat

Penstemon superbus occurs in rocky canyons, on dry hillsides, and along gravelly or sandy washes (Kearney and Peebles 1960), in piñon/juniper and oak woodlands (Arizona Game and Fish Department 2004), mountain ponderosa pine forests and woodlands (Allred and Ivey 2012). Penstemon superbus grows on limestone, red clay, gravels, sandstone, and amid basalt boulders (Arizona Game and Fish Department 2004), at 3100 to 6000 feet (945 - 1830 m) elevation (SEINet 2018). Associated species may include: Arctostaphylos sp. (manzanita), Baccharis sp. (false-willow), Bouteloua curtipendula (side-oats grama), Celtis reticulata (=C. laevigata var. reticulata: netleaf hackberry), Larrea tridentata (creosote bush), Marrubium vulgare (common hoarhound), Platanus sp. (sycamore), Platanus wrightii (Wright sycamore), Prosopis sp. (mesquite), Quercus sp. (oak), Robinia neomexicana (New Mexico locust), and Rumex hymenosepalus (Tanner’s dock) (Arizona Game and Fish Department 2004).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedGrassland/herbaceous
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
New MexicoS2Yes
ArizonaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
5 - Biological resource useSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh - moderate
5.2 - Gathering terrestrial plantsSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh - moderate
11 - Climate change & severe weatherRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh - moderate
11.2 - DroughtsRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh - moderate

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, SPRING-FLOWERING, SUMMER-FLOWERING
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (11)
Arizona (6)
AreaForestAcres
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
Lower San FranciscoApache-Sitgreaves National Forests59,310
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Mitchell PeakApache-Sitgreaves National Forests35,398
PipestemApache-Sitgreaves National Forests34,598
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
New Mexico (5)
AreaForestAcres
Contiguous To Gila Wilderness & Primitive AreaGila National Forest79,049
Devils CreekGila National Forest89,916
Gila BoxGila National Forest23,759
Lower San FranciscoGila National Forest26,460
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
References (8)
  1. Allred, K.W., and R.D. Ivey. 2012. Flora Neomexicana III: An Illustrated Identification Manual. 715 pp.
  2. Arizona Game and Fish Department. 2004.<i> Penstemon superbus</i>. Unpublished abstract compiled and edited by the Heritage Data Management System, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ. 5 pp. Online. Available https://www.azgfd.com/wildlife/heritagefund/ (Accessed 2018).
  3. Baltosser, W.H. 1989. Nectar availability and habitat selection by hummingbirds in Guadalupe Canyon. The Wilson Bulletin 101(4): 559-578.
  4. Hubbard, J.P. 2001. An Update of the <i>Penstemon</i> Treatment in Wooton and Standley’s (1915) Flora of New Mexico. Bulletin of the American Penstemon Society 60(2): 4-24.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. Kearney, T.H., R.H. Peebles, and collaborators. 1951. Arizona flora. 2nd edition with Supplement (1960) by J.T. Howell, E. McClintock, and collaborators. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. 1085 pp.
  7. Lodewick, R., and K. Lodewick. 1999. Key to the genus Penstemon and its related genera in the tribe Cheloneae including Chelone, Chionophila, Keckiella, Nothochelone and Pennellianthus (Scrophulariaceae). Kenneth and Robin Lodewick, Eugene, Oregon. 136 pp.
  8. Martin, W.C., and C.R. Hutchins. 1980-1981. A flora of New Mexico. 2 vols. J. Cramer, in der A.R. Gantner Verlag, K.G., Vaduz, Liechtenstein. 2591 pp.