W144 

 (leaf 2) 



most species only in a general way. As a broad guide to palatability, 

 although numerous exceptions may occur, the species of Pentstemon 

 may be separated into four groups: (1) the tall, shrubby species of 

 California and the Southwest, with rather large, relatively thin 

 leaves; (2) low, more or less prostrate or trailing, shrubby or un- 

 dershrubby species, chiefly of the Northwest, with mostly thick and 

 leathery leaves; (3) herbaceous species, sometimes with woody roots 

 and crown, with somewhat thick foliage covered with a whitish or 

 bluish bloom (glaucous) ; and (4) the species with green, mostly 

 hairless, delicate foliage. 



The larger shrubby species, such as Lemmon pentstemon (P. lem<- 

 mon'ii) and stubflower pentstemon (P. breviflo'rus) of the lower 

 elevations in California and littleleaf pentstemon (P. microphyl'lus) 

 of central Arizona, are usually much-branched bushes from 1 to 8 

 feet high. They possess some local browse value for sheep, varying 

 in palatability from poor to fair, or in some localities to fairly good 

 or even higher. 



The low shrubby or undershrubby species with small or leathery 

 leaves tend, with a few exceptions, toward low or negligible palata- 

 bility. Many of these species are low, sprawling plants, growing 

 chiefly on dry, rocky, mountainous soils. Frequently, they are 

 abundant locally, occur in nearly pure stands, and rank among the 

 showiest plants of the high mountains, when in full bloom. Bush 

 pentstemon (P. frutic&'sus), a woody plant from 6 to 24 (rarely 40) 

 inches high, is characteristic of this group, which includes about 10 

 species. Bush pentstemon is distributed principally in alpine and 

 subalpine sites from southern British Columbia to Oregon and west- 

 ern Wyoming. Its lower leaves are stalkless, spatula-shaped, finely 

 toothed, about three-fourths of an inch to 1 inch long, with the 

 upper ones smaller and egg-shaped; its purple corollas are about 1 

 inch long. Colorado pentstemon (P. coloraden! 'sis} , firleaf pent- 

 stemon (P. abieti'nm], Menzies pentstemon (P. menzie'sii), rock- 

 vine pentstemon (P. ellip'ticus), and Scouler pentstemon (P. 

 scou'leri) are other closely related and somewhat similar species. 



The herbaceous species, with thick, glaucous foliage, many of 

 which have woody roots and root crowns, are often practically 

 worthless to poor in palatability for sheep and practically worth- 

 less for other classes of livestock. Blue pentstemon (P. gla'ber}, 

 eggleaf pentstemon (P. ova'tus), Palmer pentstemon (P. pal'meri), 

 piiion pentstemon (P. si'rmlis), and Wasatch pentstemon (P. cyan- 

 an'thus) are some of the most outstanding species in this group. 



The herbaceous species, with smooth, green foliage, especially the 

 larger, leafy species, generally rate as fair forage for cattle; occa- 

 sionally as fairly good forage for sheep. Among the best known of 

 these species are littleflower pentstemon (P. pro' cents) , Mancos 

 pentstemon (P. strictifor'mis), Rocky Mountain penstemon (P. 

 stric'tus), Rydberg pentstemon (P. rydber'gii), and slender pent- 

 stemon (P. gra'cilis). Blueleaf pentstemon (P. glau'cus) also be- 

 longs in this group, although its blue (glaucous) foliage makes it 

 an exception. 



