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Broadleaf penstemon
Penstemon platyphyllus
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G3
State (S-rank): S3?
External links
Species range
Estimate from download of data from Utah Rare Plant Database on April 5th 2023.
Geocat 35 observations: Extent of Occurrence: 4,694.805 km2.
Historic observations over 40 years old were not used.
Mountain brush communities at 1525 to 2705 m in the Wasatch Mts., Davis, Duchesne (Indian Canyon, B. F. Harrison 406 BRY!) Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber cos.; a northern uplands endemic (Welsh et al. 2015).
Threats or limiting factors
Utah Native Plant Society Tony Frates 2021: foothills habitat loss and urban expansion has led to the loss of some plants; the invasive Euphorbia myrsinites also represents a threat to some occurrences in Salt Lake County (where this species it has been most commonly found) and possibly also increased recreational impacts; plants appear to be long-lived. Despite many occurrences in SL County, plants are scattered and often found in low numbers at any given site. Species has a wider distribution than reported in the Utah flora with collections from Box Elder, Summit and Juab (however with only one or few collections in those outlying counties).
Drought may also be impacting this species throughout it's range.The Utah Division of Water Resources reports that Utah is now in "extreme" or "exceptional" drought which is likely impacting this species in similar ways as it is other perennial forbs in Utah.
Seeds of Penstemon platyphyllus were collected by the BLM as part of their Seeds of Success program, and Kew Garden's Millennium Seed Bank Project, and placed in long-term storage at the USDA's Seed Storage Lab in Ft. Collins, CO (DeBolt and Spurrier 2004). Additionally, the seeds of this species are being studied for the purpose of commercialization for incorporation of native plants in urban and residential landscaping (NPC 2011), collection of seed for these programs does not appear to be a threat.
