KEY TO THE SPECIES Y5 



3. Veronica peregrina L. (Neckweed. Purslane Speedwell). Nearly 

 smooth or puberulent, erect, 1-2 dm. high,, branched ; lowest leaves petioled, oval- 

 oblong, toothed, the others sessile ; upper leaves oblong and entire, longer than 

 the almost sessile whitish flowers ; pod round, slightly notched. In damp soil.. 



4. PENTSTEMON (Beard-tongue) 



Herbs often branching at base, with opposite leaves (upper sessile and mostly 

 clasping), generally showy flowers in a terminal cluster, 5-parted calyx, tubular to 

 bell-shaped more or less inflated 3-lipped corolla, upper lip 2-lobed and lower 

 3-cleft, and 4 stamens with anthers and a fifth represented by a filament which is 

 usually more or less bearded. 



* Perfectly glabrous throughout ; sterile filaments bearded at summit. 

 +- Anther sacs not confluent ; corolla scai'let strongly bilabiate. 



1. Pentstemon Torreyl Benth. (Torrey's Beard-tongue). Glabrous and 

 glaucous, slender, often 1 m. high ; leaves from oblong below to narrowly linear 

 above ; thyrsus strict, often half the length of the plant; sepals ovate, very short; 

 corolla scarlet, gradually dilated upward, slightly or not at all bearded in the 

 throat and on the sterile filament ; the anthers protruding from the long upper 

 hp. In the mountains, 



-1- +- Anther cells not confluent ; corolla blue or purple, abruptly enlarged' 

 above the short tube, about 3 cm. long. 



2. Pentstemon glaber Pursh (Western Beard-tongue). Somewhat glau- 

 cous ; stems several, ascending, stoutish, 2-5 dm. high ; leaves from ovate-lanceo- 

 late to oblong, acute ; flowers numerous, in an elongated thyrsus ; sepals broadly 

 ovate, scarious margined, abruptly acuminate ; corolla blue or purple, slightly 

 2-lipped with rounded lobes ; anthers and sterile filament usually slightly bearded. 

 Sandy soil. 



■»--»--(- Anther cells confluent, becoming explanate ; corolla moctly less than 

 25 mm. long. 



3. Pentstemon secundiflorus Benth. (Tall Beard-tongue). Slender and 

 erect, 4-8 dm. high ; radical leaves spatulate, the cauline narrowly lanceolate ; 

 thyrsus very long and narrow, somewhat one-sided ; sepals ovate to oblong, the 

 entire margins scarious ; corolla about 25 mm. long, its tube twice as long as the 

 sepals, abruptly dilated into the bell-shaped throat, the lobes of the spreading lips 

 sub-orbicular ; anthers glabrous and the sterile filament nearly or quite so. Canons 

 and gravelly ridges. 



4. Pentstemon acuminatus Dougl. (Sharp-leaved Beard-tongue). Glau- 

 cous, 2-4 dm. high, erect ; leaves thick, slightly cartilaginous on the margins, acu- 

 minate ; the lower petioled, oblong or spatulate ; the upper ovate to lanceolate 

 and sessile ; thyrsus narrow, often few-flowered and somewhat one-sided ; sepals 

 lanceolate, acute ; corolla blue shading to violet, gradually dilated upward : sterile 



, filament flattened and bearded at apex. Frequent ; stony or gravelly slopes. 



5. Pentstemon angustifolius Pursh (Blue Beard-tongue). Glaucous 1-2 

 dm. high ; leaves long, broadly linear ; sepals scarious on the margins, narrowly 

 ovate, abruptly acuminate ; corolla light blue, gradually dilated, 20 mm. or less in 

 length ; sterile filament densely short-bearded. Plains. 



* « More or less pubescent or glandular, at least above ; corolla somewhat 

 bearded in the throat. 



•*- Flowers in a narrow thyrsus. 



