Single Record

Participant Info

Species
Penstemon caespitosus
Family
Plantaginaceae
CommonName
mat penstemon
Presence
yes
Status
native
EarliestDate
1882
LatestDate
2017
Ecosystem
foothill, montane
Geobotanical
SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, Culebras, NCristos
Counties
Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache
Passes
Cochetopa
WildlifePreserves
Other Localities
Comments
Typically Penstemon caespitosus is a mid-elevation mat Penstemon of open, dry slopes, sometimes associated with volcanic ash deposits (e.g., west of Cochetopa Pass). The distribution here reflects herbarium labels, but today there is disagreement on the distinction between P. caespitosus and P. crandallii. For instance, Ackerfield (2022) shows P. caespitosus in every Watershed county, whereas Allred et al. (2020) do not show P. caespitosus in New Mexico; and BONAP shows the species distribution through southwestern Wyoming, Utah, northeastern Arizona, and northwestern Colorado, but not in any Watershed county.