Blowout penstemon

(Penstemon haydenii)

galery

Description

Penstemon haydenii, the blowout penstemon or blowout beardtongue, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Penstemon and the family Plantaginaceae. The warm-season perennial is native to nine counties in the Nebraska Sand Hills and a single location in Carbon County, Wyoming. The plant has a milky blue color with a waxy cuticle, pale purple leaves, and an alternating leaf pattern with one central stock. The flowers, while in the inflorescence stage, originate from the bases of the leaves of the plant. Blowout penstemon flowers from May until early June and drops its seeds from late August into September. P. haydenii grows on bare sand dunes. It is resistant to the abrasive forces of the blowing sands due to its incorporation of a protective thick waxy cuticle. Other plants are often cut down by the scouring sands as they sprout. Another adaptive feature for the blowout penstemon is the lifespan of the seeds. The seeds dropped in late summer can remain viable in a seedbank buried in the sandy soils for decades. Prolonged wet conditions and abrasion are required for breaking dormancy and for seed germination. The plant is primarily an out-crosser, although studies show that it is potentially self-fertile. Blowout penstemon was only known from the Sandhills of western Nebraska until the recent discovery of limited populations in Wyoming. It is found exclusively in sandy locations with little to no vegetation present, such as blowouts, hence its name. Due to the uncompetitive nature of the plant it is easily outcompeted by other plants in the succession scheme. The ever-shifting sandy soils of the Sandhills provide blowout penstemon with an ideal environment, since there is little to no competition for water, nutrients, and sunlight. The plant colonises such areas as a pioneer species and thus promotes ecological succession.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order:Lamiales
Family:Plantaginaceae
Genus:Penstemon
News coming your way
The biggest news about our planet delivered to you each day
Subscribe