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Penstemon rhizomatosus

N. Holmgren

Rhizome Beardtongue

G1Critically Imperiled Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.161724
Element CodePDSCR1L7Z0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderPlantaginales
FamilyPlantaginaceae
GenusPenstemon
Other Common Names
Scheel Creek beardtongue (EN) Scheel Creek Beardtongue (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Taxonomic Comments
Holmgren (1998), in first describing Penstemon rhizomatosus, hypothesizes that it may have arisen from an ancestral P. kingii during the last ice age.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2021-11-08
Change Date1998-12-10
Edition Date2021-11-08
Edition AuthorsGries, D. (1999), CAC-NVHP (2000), rev. K. Gravuer (2009), rev. C. Nordman (2021).
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent<100 square km (less than about 40 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
First described in 1998, this species is currently known only from a very small area; the six known occurrences are all within the central Schell Creek Range in White Pine County, Nevada, on or near the summits of four peaks. Further survey work may locate additional occurrences. The total population is estimated to contain at least 500 individuals, but its exact size is not known. All known occurrences are within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, two are within a Research Natural Area, and nearly all are within the High Schells Wilderness. The threats to it are unknown. Plants occur on steep talus/scree slopes, outcrops, and cliffs, usually of limestone, mostly within the high subalpine zone.
Range Extent Comments
Penstemon rhizomatosus occurs in the western United States, only in eastern Nevada. It is narrowly endemic to the central Schell Creek Range in White Pine County, Nevada, on or near the summits of Cave Mountain, Cleve Creek Baldy, Taft Peak, and South Schell Peak. The known range extent is about 60 square kilometers (Holmgren 1998, Morefield 2001, NatureServe 2021).
Occurrences Comments
Six occurrences of Penstemon rhizomatosus are known, more survey work is needed (Morefield 2001, NatureServe 2021).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats are largely unknown. One occurrence may be within a grazing allotment, but it is unlikely that grazing is actually impacting the species given the steepness and instability of many of the talus slopes on which it occurs.
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

Similar to P. kingii in floral and inflorescence characters, but differs in its rhizomatous habit (vs. stems clustered on a woody crown), flat petiolate leaves (vs. usually folded or arched sessile leaves), pubescence of shorter hairs, and high elevation talus habitat (P. kingii occurs on flat or gentle slopes in lower elevation valley sagebrush habitats) (Holmgren 1998). The section of Penstemon to which P. rhizomatosus belongs (section Saccanthera) is distinguished by its horseshoe-shaped anthers that dehisce only across their confluent apices leaving the distal ends of the anther cells undehisced (saccate) (Holmgren 1998). Within the section, P. rhizomatosus belongs to an "Intermountain alliance" of species, distinguished from the rest of the section by the combination of entire leaves, a glabrous staminode, and purple-black anthers (Holmgren 1998). Within this alliance, it is distinguished from several other taxa by its puberulent leaves; P. patricus, P. platyphyllus, P . sepalulus, P. leonardii var. leonardii, and P. leonardii var. higginsii all have glabrous leaves (Holmgren 1998). It is distinguished from P. cusickii (of southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon) by its glandular-pubescent (vs. glabrous) corolla with violet to purplish-blue (vs. blue) lobes, and its glandular-pubescent (vs. pubescent but not glandular) inflorescence (Holmgren 1998). It differs from P. tiehmii (of Mt. Lewis in the Shoshone Range, Lander County, Nevada) in its oblanceolate, elliptic, or lanceolate leaf blades 3-6(-7) mm wide (vs. ovate to broadly lanceolate leaf blades 7-24 mm wide) and in having shorter hairs on its stems and leaves (hairs 0.05 mm long on stems and upper leaf surfaces with lower leaf surfaces glabrous vs. hairs 1-1.5 mm long on stems and leaves) (Holmgren 1998).

Habitat

Penstemon rhizomatosus occurs on steep, loose talus and scree slopes (sometimes in silty loam soil pockets) and cracks and crevices of outcrops and cliffs. The rock type is usually carbonate (e.g. limestone), rarely quartzite. It is found mostly in the subalpine conifer zone in woodlands of bristlecone pine, limber pine, and/or spruce; occasionally in the alpine, at elevation of 3000-3425 m (Holmgren 1998, NatureServe 2021, SEINet 2021).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - ConiferWoodland - ConiferAlpineBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
ProvinceRankNative
NevadaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownNegligible or <1% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownNegligible or <1% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.3.4 - Scale unknown/unrecordedUnknownNegligible or <1% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
South SchellHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest125,614
References (6)
  1. Holmgren, N.H. 1998. Two new species of Penstemon (Scrophulariaceae: sect. Saccanthera) from Nevada, U.S.A. Brittonia 50: 159-164.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  3. Morefield, J.D., editor. 2001. Nevada rare plant atlas [with rare plant fact sheets]. Available as a pdf file at: http://heritage.nv.gov/atlas/atlas.html. Compiled by the Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Carson City, for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Reno, Nevada.
  4. NatureServe. 2021. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  5. Nevada Natural Heritage Program. 2003, 14 May last update. Nevada plant and lichen taxa of high priority for data development. Online. Available: http://heritage.nv.gov/needplnt.htm
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2021. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2021).