| Penstemon australis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Penstemon australis flowering near Wagram, North Carolina | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Plantaginaceae |
| Genus: | Penstemon |
| Species: | P. australis |
| Binomial name | |
| Penstemon australis | |
Penstemon australis is a perennial plant native to the southeastern United States, with the common name Eustis Lake penstemon.
Penstemon australis is a herbaceous plant that grows between 30 and 86 centimeters (12 and 34 inches) tall. The flowering stems are retrorsely hairy, having stiff, backwards facing, woolly, glandular hairs. [2] Plants may have one or many stems that grow from a basal rosette of leaves and have both basal and cauline leaves, ones at the base of the plant and ones attached to the stems. [3]
The leaves are usually retrorsely hairy like the stems, and sometimes also woolly-glandular, but in rare cases may be nearly hairless. The basal and lower cauline leaves measure 32–130 millimeters (1+1⁄4–5 inches) long by 7–40 mm (1⁄4–1+1⁄2 in) wide. Their shape varies between spatulate and oblanceolate, spoon shaped or like a reversed spear head, with a tapering base and a rounded to widely pointed end. The edges of the leaves may be smooth or more or less toothed. The stems will have five to eight pairs of leaves, somewhat smaller higher up, with a tapered base that may clasp the stem. [2] The edges of the cauline leaves often have red edges. [3]
The thyrses will be 7 and 26 cm (3 and 10 in) long with three to six widely spaced groups of flowers. Each one of the paired cymes, the branched sub-groups of flowers, will have two to six flowers. Usually one of the branches is much longer than the others with the rest nearly attaching directly to the main stem. [2] Penstemon australis has pink to rose-purple tubular flowers with two lips. The upper lip has two lobes while the lower one has three. [3] The nectar guides are dark purple. The inside of the flower is white-lanate, covered with woolly hairs. The flower is 20–25 mm (3⁄4–1 in) long. Flowering occurs from March through June. [2]
Penstemon australis is in the family Plantaginaceae in the Penstemon genus. It was scientifically described and named by John Kunkel Small in 1903. [4]
Penstemon australis has many common names in English including Eustis Lake Penstemon, Eustis Lake beardtongue, pink beardtongue, sandhill beardtongue, slender beardtongue, slender penstemon, and southern beardtongue. [3]
The species is native to the southeastern United states from Virginia to Florida and as far west as Tennessee and Mississippi. It is very common on the coastal plains of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. It also grows in the northern half of the Florida peninsula as well as the panhandle. It is found in much more widely scattered locations in Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Likewise it is found in just 13 Virginian counties, mostly in the southern half of the state. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS database does not record an exact location for occurrences in Mississippi. [5]
Dry, sandy soils are required by Penstemon australis, mostly on the coastal plains. It is associated with scrub oak and pine barrens. In central Georgia it grows in areas with soils derived from granite. [6]
As of October 2024 [update] , NatureServe listed Penstemon australis as Secure (G5) worldwide. This status was last reviewed on 4 August 1988. It is listed as Critically Imperiled (S1) in Virginia. [1]
Penstemon digitalis is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family, Plantaginaceae. The flowers are white and are borne in summer. It is native to eastern Canada and the eastern and southeastern United States. Penstemon digitalis is the most widespread species of Penstemon east of the Mississippi River.
Penstemon albomarginatus is a rare species of penstemon known by the common name white-margined penstemon. It is native to the deserts of southern Nevada, western Arizona, and southern California.
Penstemon anguineus is a species of penstemon known by the common name Siskiyou penstemon. It is native to the mountains of southern Oregon and northern California, where it grows in coniferous forests, often in open areas left by logging operations.
Penstemon barnebyi is a species of penstemon known by the common names White River Valley beardtongue and Barneby's beardtongue. It is native to the mountain and basin territory of central western Nevada, where it grows in sagebrush and woodland; there is also one occurrence just over the California border.
Penstemon bicolor is a species of penstemon known by the common name pinto penstemon. It is native to the desert mountains and valleys of southern Nevada, eastern California, and western Arizona, where it grows in scrub, woodland, and other local habitat. It is a perennial herb which may exceed one meter in maximum height.
Penstemon caesius, commonly known as the San Bernardino penstemon, is a low growing species of flowering plant. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains, as well as the southern mountains of the Sierra Nevada. It is a member of the flora on rocky slopes and in coniferous forests and alpine habitat in the mountains.
Penstemon calcareus is a species of penstemon known by the common name limestone beardtongue. It is native to California, where it is known from the deserts of central San Bernardino County, as well as the Death Valley area, where its distribution extends just over the border into Nevada. It grows in scrub and woodland, often on limestone substrates.
Penstemon floridus is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names Panamint beardtongue and rose penstemon.
Penstemon pseudospectabilis a species of penstemon. It's native to the southwestern United States, where it grows in desert and plateau habitat types, such as sandy washes, scrub, and woodland. The plant is generally a shrub growing to one meter, with many erect stems. The thin leaves are oval with wide, pointed tips and serrated edges. They are arranged oppositely in pairs, many are completely fused at the bases about the stem, forming a disc. The inflorescence bears tubular flowers with expanded, lobed mouths and glandular hairs on most surfaces, except the hairless staminode. The flower grows to 2.5 centimeters and is reddish pink.
Penstemon stephensii is an uncommon species of penstemon known by the common name Stephens' beardtongue, or Stephens' penstemon. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the mountains of the Mojave Desert region. It grows in scrub, woodland, and sandy clearings, often on limestone substrates. It is an erect shrub which may reach 1.5 meters in height, with many leafy flowering stems. The thin leaves are oval with wide triangular tips and serrated edges. The oppositely arranged pairs fuse about the stem at the bases, sometimes forming a disc. The inflorescence bears glandular, wide-mouthed tubular flowers up to 2 centimeters long in shades of pink or purple. The plant is pollinated by hummingbirds.
Penstemon utahensis is a species of penstemon known by the common names Utah beardtongue and Utah penstemon. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it grows in scrub, woodland, and canyons. It is a perennial herb growing erect to a maximum height near half a meter. The thick leaves are located around the base of the plant and in opposite pairs along the stem. The upper leaves are lance-shaped and often folded lengthwise, measuring up to 5.5 centimeters long. The showy inflorescence bears many bright red-pink flowers up to 2.5 centimeters in length. They are cylindrical, tubular, or funnel-shaped with wide, lobed mouths, and mostly hairless to slightly hairy and glandular.
Penstemon grahamii, known by the common names Uinta Basin beardtongue and Graham's beardtongue, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family. It is native to Utah and Colorado in the United States.
Penstemon angustifolius is a perennial semi-evergreen forb belonging to the plantain family. This species is 1 out of roughly 273 species of Penstemon. This species is also known as broadbeard beardtongue. This forb is native to central United States and can be noticed by its brightly and highly variable colored flowers.
Penstemon brevisepalus, commonly known as short-sepaled beardtongue, is an herbaceous plant in the plantain family. It is a perennial that produces pale lavender flowers in late spring.
Penstemon tenuis is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name sharpsepal beardtongue. It is endemic to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas in the United States where it is found in open, damp areas in alluvial soil. It typically flowers from early April into early June.
Penstemon albidus, commonly known as white penstemon, white-flower beardtongue, or Red-Line Beardtongue is a very widespread perennial flower of the mixed-grass and shortgrass prairies. Its natural distribution is from Manitoba and Alberta in Canada to Texas and New Mexico in the United States. The bright white flowers for which they are named are quite attractive to both bees and hummingbird moths.
Penstemon ambiguus, commonly known as the bush penstemon, pink plains penstemon, or gilia beardtongue is a species of Penstemon that grows in the shortgrass prairies and deserts of the western United States and northern Mexico. This bush-like penstemon grows in sandy, loose, and creosote soils and is particularly known for the spectacular flowering show it produces, sometime seasons turning whole hillsides bright pink–white.
Penstemon auriberbis, commonly known as the Colorado penstemon or Colorado beardtongue, is a species of Penstemon that grows in the shortgrass prairies of southern Colorado and in a few places in northern New Mexico. Although specimens were collected on the 1820 expedition by Stephen H. Long through the area, they were not scientifically described as a separate species until 1920.
Penstemon richardsonii is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family; its common name is cutleaf beardtongue or Richardson's beardtongue. It is native to the US states of Washington, Oregon and the Canadian province British Columbia.
Penstemon breviculus, the narrow-mouth penstemon or shortstem penstemon, is a species of perennial flowering plant from the dry forests and steppes of the Colorado Plateau in the western United States.
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