Penstemon grahamii

Uinta Basin Beardtongue

FWS Focus

Overview

Characteristics
Overview

Known by the common names Uinta Basin beardtongue and Graham's beardtongue, Penstemon grahamii is an herbaceous perennial plant within the sub genus Cristati, as documented by N. Holmgren in Cronquist and others in 1984.

Scientific Name

Penstemon grahamii
Common Name
Uinta Basin beardtongue
Graham's beardtongue
Graham beardtongue
FWS Category
Flowering Plants
Kingdom

Location in Taxonomic Tree

Identification Numbers

TSN:

Characteristics

Characteristic category

Physical Characteristics

Characteristics
Size & Shape

Each plant has one to three stems arising from a taproot. These stems are 2.8 to 7.0 inches (7 to 18 centimeters) tall. Leaves are borne in pairs opposite each other on the stem and are of two different forms. The lower most pair, the basal leaves, are broadly oval about 0.75 inch (2 centimeters) wide and petiolate, meaning attached to the stem with a petiole. The remaining leaves, usually two to six pairs, are the cauline leaves. The cauline leaves are oblanceolate to elliptic 0.8 1.5 inches (2 to 4 centimeters long) long, 0.25 0.6 inch (0.6 1.5 centimeters) wide and are sessile, meaning attached to the stem without a petiole. Seed capsules are heart-shaped structures, approximately 0.03 to 0.04 inch (8 to 10 millimeters) in length.

Color & Pattern

All leaves are entire, meaning that they have smooth margins without lobes, and glabrous, or without hairs. P. grahamii has an inflorescence of three to 20 dark lavender or pinkish flowers, although occasionally just one or two flowers are present. Flowers have four fertile stamens and one prominent infertile staminole. Fertile statements lie along the roof of the corolla with U-shaped anthers on either side and extended about the corolla lip. The staminole is densely bearded with golden orange pubescence.

Characteristic category

Habitat

Characteristics
Habitat

Graham's beardtongue is restricted to calcareous soils that are derived from oil shale barrens of the Green River Formation in the Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah and adjacent Colorado. This species grows on semi-barren knolls, ridges and steep slopes in a mix of fragmented white shale and silty clay soils associated with the Parachute Creek and Evacuation Creek members of the Green River Formation. It grows in sparsely vegetated communities of pinyon-juniper and desert shrub at elevations ranging from 4,690 to 6,760 feet (1,430 to 2,060 meters) and is frequently associated with pinyon pine (Pinus edulis), juniper (Juniperus osteosperma), shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), Artemesia spp. like Wyoming bigsage and low sage, yucca (Yucca harrimaniae), Eriogonum spp. like ephedera and crispleaf buckwheat and greasebrush (Forsellesia meionandra).

Characteristic category

Life Cycle

Characteristics
Reproduction

Pollinators of Graham's beardtongue include the bees Anthophora lesquerellae, Osmia sanrafaelae, the sweat bees Lasioglossum sisymbrii and Dialictus sp., as well as the masarid wasp Pseudomasaris vespoides, as documented by V. Tepedino in 2005. In addition, V. Tepedino noted that a bumblebee of the genus Bombus (Bombus huntii) visits the species, as noted in L. England in 2003. The most consistent pollinator of these species is likely to be Pseudomasaris vespoides. This unusual wasp, that is a member of the only vegetarian wasp family known to science, is an extreme specialist of penstemon flowers. It collects and feeds its offspring only penstemon pollen, though V. Tepedino noted in 2005 that it may visit other plant genera for nectar.

Geography

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Timeline

Explore the information available for this taxon's timeline. You can select an event on the timeline to view more information, or cycle through the content available in the carousel below.

26 Items

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Critical Habitat

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Listing

Jul 1, 1975

Jul 1, 1975 Listing
Review of Status of Vascular Plants
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 1

Listing

Dec 15, 1980

Dec 15, 1980 Listing
Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 2

Listing

Nov 28, 1983

Nov 28, 1983 Listing
Supplement to Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as End. or Thr. Species; 48 FR 53640-53670
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 3

Listing

Sep 27, 1985

Sep 27, 1985 Listing
Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as End. or Thr. Species; Notice of Review; 50 FR 39526-39584
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 4

Listing

Feb 21, 1990

Feb 21, 1990 Listing
ETWP; Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species; Notice of Review; 55 FRโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 5

Listing

Sep 30, 1993

Sep 30, 1993 Listing
ETWP; Review of Plant Taxa for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 6

Listing

Feb 28, 1996

Feb 28, 1996 Listing
ETWP; Review of Plant and Animal Taxa That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Sโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 7

Listing

Sep 19, 1997

Sep 19, 1997 Listing
Review of Plant and Animal Taxa
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 8

Listing

Oct 25, 1999

Oct 25, 1999 Listing
Review of Plant and Animal Taxa That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threateโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 9

Listing

Oct 30, 2001

Oct 30, 2001 Listing
ETWP; Review of Plant and Animal Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered oโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 10

Listing

Jun 13, 2002

Jun 13, 2002 Listing
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Review of Species That Are Candidates or Proposed forโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 11

Listing

May 4, 2004

May 4, 2004 Listing
Review of Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 12

Listing

May 11, 2005

May 11, 2005 Listing
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Review of Native Species That Are Candidates or Proโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
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Item 13

Critical Habitat

Jan 19, 2006

Jan 19, 2006 Critical Habitat
Proposed Threatened Status for Penstemon grahamii (Graham's beardtongue) With Critical Habitat
  • Publication type: Proposed
  • Population:
Item 14

Listing

Jan 19, 2006

Jan 19, 2006 Listing (Threatened)
Proposed Threatened Status for Penstemon grahamii (Graham's beardtongue) With Critical Habitat
  • Publication type: Proposed
  • Population:
Item 15

Notice

Apr 13, 2006

Apr 13, 2006 Notice
Proposed Threatened Status for Penstemon grahamii (Graham's beardtongue) With Critical Habitat;โ€ฆ
  • Publication type: Public Hearing
  • Population:
Item 16

Notice

Apr 13, 2006

Apr 13, 2006 Notice
Proposed Threatened Status for Penstemon grahamii (Graham's beardtongue) With Critical Habitat;โ€ฆ
  • Publication type: Comment Period Reopening
  • Population:
Item 17

Listing

Sep 12, 2006

Sep 12, 2006 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Anโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
  • Population:
Item 18

Listing

Dec 19, 2006

Dec 19, 2006 Listing
Withdrawal of Proposed Rule to List Penstemon grahamii (Graham's beardtongue) as Threatened Witโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: Withdrawal
  • Population:
Item 19

Critical Habitat

Aug 6, 2013

Aug 6, 2013 Critical Habitat
Designation of Critical Habitat for Graham?s Beardtongue (Penstemon grahamii) and White River Beardtโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: Proposed
  • Population:
Item 20

Listing

Aug 6, 2013

Aug 6, 2013 Listing (Threatened)
Threatened Species Status for Graham's Beardtongue (Penstemon grahamii) and White River Beardtoโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: Proposed
  • Population:
Item 21

Listing

Aug 6, 2013

Aug 6, 2013 Listing (Threatened)
Threatened Species Status for Graham's Beardtongue (Penstemon grahamii) and White River Beardtoโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: Proposed
  • Population:
Item 22

Notice

May 6, 2014

May 6, 2014 Notice
Threatened Species Status and Designation of Critical Habitat for the Penstemon grahamii (Grahamโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: Comment Period Reopening
  • Population:
Item 23

Listing

Aug 6, 2014

Aug 6, 2014 Listing
Withdrawal of the Proposed Rules To List Graham's Beardtongue (Penstemon grahamii) and White Riโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: Withdrawal
  • Population:
Item 24

Notice

Sep 12, 2019

Sep 12, 2019 Notice
Threatened Species Status for Graham's Beardtongue (Penstemon grahamii) and White River Beardtoโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: Comment Period Reopening
  • Population:
Item 25

Listing

Jan 13, 2022

Jan 13, 2022 Listing
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Withdrawal of the Proposed Rules To List Graham'โ€ฆ
  • Publication type: Withdrawal
  • Population:
Item 26