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PENSTEMON OKLAHOMENSIS (SCROPHULARIACEAE) TEXAS IN Mink Jeffrey N. Jason Singhurst R. Department ofBiology Program Wildlife Diversity Baylor University and Texas Parks Department Wildlife USA Waco, Texas 76798-7388, 4200 Smith School Road USA [email protected] Austin, Texas 78704, Holmes Walter C. Department ofBiology Baylor University USA Waco, Texas 76798-7388, ABSTRACT the flora of Texas. Included is a key to discriminate the white-flowered Penstemon > RESUMEN tostemon Mitchell (Scrophulariaceae) the most widespread genus is of Scrophulariaceae (sensu in North lato) America, with number & the documented largest of species (Fernald 1950). At least 270 species (Lodewick Nold J-afewick 1999; 1999) have been described in North America distributed from Alaska Guatemala, to jeanan (1981) recognized 22 species in the Great Plains, while Clinebeil and Bernhardt (1998) suggested Jtono fewer than 24 species of Penstemon are native to the midwestern American prairies from the upper issippi Valley southward. Twenty-two species of Penstemon are currently recognized in Texas by Turner ttaL (2003), with 17 species limited in distribution to the central and western portion of the state. Recent botanical study in northeast Texas has resulted in the discovery of Penstemon oklahomensis Pen- wkidl now documented new is as to the state. Mink &J.R. 14514 (BAYLU). Singfrurst Gambill Goose Refuge an mima is area of tallgrass prairie that contains r jat and zonation components known of blackland alfisol prairies to increa ns et al. 1975). non-woody Characteristic vegetation of the refuge included Schizachyrium scoparium, erWn sacum Tri P dactyloides, Tradescantia Aphanostephus ’ hirsutiflora, skirrhobasis, Asclepias oenotheroides, fo* “’’Pfoia bracteata, Brickellia eupatoriodes var. texana, Castilleja purpurea var. purpurea. Coreopsis Croton tinctoria, atUS pycnostachya, Marshallia Penstemon ^. caespitosa, digitalis, P. laxiflorus, Psoralidium tenuiflorum, ’ umilis, Salvia azurea, and Tephrosia virginiana. The most abundant woody plant in this prairie was amer icanus, while such Comus others, as Berchemia scandens, drummondii, Diospyros virginiana, Serotina, Juniperus virginiana, Rhus copallina and Zanthoxylum clava-herculis were principally limited areas. Other rare or unusual species were Calapogon oklahomensis, Manfreda virginica ssp. lata ** Anthem lacera. jR^stemon oklahomensis is well-marked by a white corolla with a constricted mouth. The was species ered & to be endemic Oklahoma to (Pennell 1935; McGregor &r Barkley 1977; McGregor Barkley 1986). areSt 0klahoma record of collection southeast of Bokchito, Bryan County, which is approximately is J|f 32 es 1 northeast Lamar of the County, Texas, record. . 472 Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 4(1) Three other species of Penstemon in northeast Texas have white R flowers: digitalis Nutt, ex Sims, P. and laxiflorus Pennell, P. tubaeflorus Nutt. The following key, adapted from Pennell (1935), Correll and Johnston and Diggs may be used among (1970), et al. (1999), to distinguish the four species. 2. TO KEY THE WHITE-FLOWERED PENSTEMON OF NORTHEAST TEXAS Floor of corolla lined internally with reddish or purplish nectar guide 1 streaks. mm 20-25 Corolla long; nectar guides with pleats evident; staminode prominently exserted and densely bearded with yellow-orange hair Penstemon laxiflorus 23-30mm 2. Corolla long; nectar guides prominently rounded and ventricose; staminode included and lightly bearded with whitish or yellow Penstemon hair digitalis Floor of corolla unlined 1. internally. mm 7-23 3. Corolla 1 long; tube funnelform to trumpet-shaped from base, the lobes spreading to form an open and prominent staminode orifice; included, lightly bearded with whitish or yellow Penstemon hair tubaeflorus 25-30mm Corolla tube narrow 3. long; at base, abruptly enlarged to the closed orifice (anterior three-lobes upcurve tightly against the united posterior two-lobed lip so as to close orifice of the corolla throat); staminode exserted, densely bearded with deep yellow Penstemon oklahomensis hairs REFERENCES Coluns, O.B. 1975. Range vegetation and mima mounds in north Texas, Range Managem. 28:209-21 J. 1. Collins, O.B., F.E. Smeins, and D.H. Riskind. 975. Plant communities of the Blackland ofTexas. M.K. Wali, ed. 1 Prairie In: Prairie: a multiple view. University of North Dakota Pp 75-88. Press. Correll D.C. and M.C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants ofTexas. Texas Research Foundation, Renner, Texas. Cunebell and The R.R. II P. Bernhardt. 1 998. pollination ecology of five species of Penstemon (Scrophulariaceae) in the Ann. tallgrass prairie. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85:1 26-1 36. Diggs, G.M. Jr, B.L. Upscomb, and RJ. O'Kennon. 1999. Shinners & Mahler's of north central Texas. illustrated flora Sida, Bot. Misc. 16: Botanical Research Institute ofTexas, Fort Worth, TX. Fernald, M.L. 950. Gray's manual of botany, 8th American Book Company, edition. 1 NY. A Freeman, C.C. 1981. biosystematic study of the genus Penstemon Un- (Scrophulariaceae) the Great Plains. in published Master's Thesis, Kansas State University, Manhattan. Lodewick, K. and R. Lodewick. 1999. Key to the genus Penstemon and genera the Cheloneae related tribe in its OR (Scrophulariaceae). Published by the authors, Eugene, McGregor R.L and M. (Coord.) T. Barkley 1977. Atlas of the of the Great Iowa State University (ed.). flora Plains. Ames. Press, RL McGregor (Coord.) and T. M. Barkley (ed.). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. University Press of Kansas, Law- Nold, 1999. Penstemons. Timber R. Press, Portland, OR. Pennell F.W. 1935. Scrophulariaceae of eastern temperate North America. Acad. Philadelphia Monogr. Nat. Sci. Wickersham Printing Co, 1, Lancaster, PA. Turner Misc 24: B.L., H. Nichols, G. Denny, and O. Doron. 2003. Atlas of the vascular plants ofTexas, Vol. Sida, Bot. I. Botanical Research Institute ofTexas, Fort Worth.