Penstemon, the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 280 species of flowering plants native mostly to the Nearctic, but with a few species also found in the North American portion of the Neotropics. It is the largest genus of flowering plants endemic to North America. As well as being the scientific name, penstemon is also widely used as a common name for all Penstemon species alongside beardtongues.
Nothochelone is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the plantain family containing the single species Nothochelone nemorosa, which is known by the common name woodland beardtongue. Originally described as Penstemon nemorosus, the plant is very similar in appearance to the penstemons, but was separated and placed into its own genus on the basis of slight morphological differences, such as winged seeds.
Penstemon azureus is a flowering plant species known by the common name azure penstemon.
Penstemon bicolor is a species of penstemon known by the common name pinto beardtongue. 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. The thick, serrated leaves are oppositely arranged and some pairs are fused around the stem at the bases. The inflorescence produces tubular flowers around 2 to nearly 3 centimeters long in many shades of yellow and pink, usually with striping in the throats. The flower's throat is hairy and the staminode just inside is coated in long yellowish hairs.
Penstemon caesius is a species of penstemon known by the common name San Bernardino beardtongue. 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. It is a perennial herb with erect branches up to about 80 centimeters in maximum height. The lower branches may be woody, the upper hairless and waxy, and the inflorescence glandular. Most of the leaves are basal on the plant, rounded or oval, and up to about 4 centimeters long. The inflorescence produces purple-blue tubular flowers roughly 2 centimeters long. The flower has a glandular outer surface, a coat of hairs inside, and a hairless staminode. The flowers of this penstemon are pollinated by bees of genus Osmia, which feed on their nectar.
Penstemon clevelandii is a species of penstemon known by the common name Cleveland's beardtongue. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in mountain and desert habitat such as scrub, woodland, and chaparral. It is a perennial herb with upright, branching stems 70 centimeters in maximum height. The thick leaves are oval in shape, sometimes toothed, and 2 to 6 centimeters in length. The inflorescence produces tubular flowers with expanded, lipped mouths. The flower is pink to magenta in color, up to 2.4 centimeters in length, and somewhat glandular on the outer surface.
Penstemon deustus is a species of penstemon known by the common names hotrock penstemon and scabland penstemon. It is native to much of the northwestern United States from the Pacific Northwest to Wyoming, where it grows in many types of forest and open plateau habitat, often on soils heavy in volcanic rock or on limestone outcrops. It is a perennial herb with upright branches approaching 40 centimetres (16 in) in maximum height. The thick leaves are lance-shaped to oval or round, and are sharply toothed. Most leaves occur low on the plant. The inflorescence produces tubular flowers with lipped, five-lobed mouths. The glandular flower is cream in color with dark lining and reaches 1.5 cm in length.
Penstemon filiformis is an uncommon species of Penstemon known by the common name threadleaf beardtongue. It is endemic to the Klamath Mountains of northern California, where it grows in forest and woodland, often on serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb growing up to half a meter tall, its stem hairy and woody toward the base. The leaves are very narrow, linear and rolled to threadlike, reaching up to 7 centimeters long, those low on the plant sometimes borne in clusters. The inflorescence produces hairless, tubular or funnel-shaped blue to purple flowers just over a centimeter in length.
Penstemon floridus is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names Panamint beardtongue and rose penstemon.
Penstemon fruticiformis is a species of penstemon known by the common name Death Valley beardtongue. It is native to the western United States, where it is found growing in rocky scrub, woodlands, deserts and mountains of eastern California and western Nevada. It is known from scattered occurrences around Death Valley, and only one of the two varieties occurs on the Nevada side of the border. It is a perennial herb producing spreading, multibranched, hairless and waxy stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall. The thick leaves are generally lance-shaped, folded and rolled, and up to 6.5 centimeters in length. The inflorescence produces several white or pale pinkish-lavender flowers between 2 and 3 centimeters long. The mouth of the flower bears a stark, dark line on each of its three lower lobes, nectar guides for its pollinators which probably include native bumble bees.
Penstemon gracilentus is a species of penstemon known by the common names slender beardtongue and slender penstemon. It is native to the mountains and sagebrush plateau of northeastern California, western Nevada, and southern Oregon, where it grows in forest, woodland, and scrub habitat. It is a perennial herb producing upright branches to about 65 centimeters in maximum height, the stems developing woody bases. The leaves are up to 10 centimeters in length and linear or lance-shaped. The glandular inflorescence produces several tubular purple flowers up to 2 centimeters long. The mouth of each flower may be hairless or coated in long hairs, and the staminode usually has a coat of yellow hairs.
Penstemon grinnellii is a species of penstemon known by the common name Grinnell's beardtongue. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in several mountain ranges from those around the San Francisco Bay Area to the Sierra Nevada to the Peninsular Ranges near the Mexican border. It is a perennial herb producing upright stems growing to 85 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are oblong, up to 9 centimeters in length, folded lengthwise and curved backward. The glandular inflorescence produces several tubular purple-tinged white or violet flowers 1 to 2 centimeters long. The mouth of the flower has three lower lobes streaked with dark lines, a hairy throat and a long-haired, protruding staminode.
Penstemon heterophyllus is a species of penstemon known by the common names bunchleaf penstemon, foothill penstemon, and foothill beardtongue. It is endemic to California.
Penstemon labrosus is a species of penstemon known by the common name San Gabriel beardtongue. It is native to the Transverse Ranges of southern California, including the San Gabriel Mountains, and the Peninsular Ranges to the south, its distribution extending into Mexico. It grows in forest and woodland habitat. It is a perennial herb growing erect to about 70 centimeters tall. The long, paired leaves are linear in shape with rolled, untoothed edges, and reach over 8 centimeters in maximum length. The inflorescence produces bright red to orange or yellowish flowers 3 to 4 centimeters long. The upper lip is hood-shaped and the lower is divided into 3 narrow lobes which are sometimes reflexed. The flower is hairless, including the staminode.
Penstemon newberryi is a species of penstemon known by the common name mountain pride or Newberry's penstemon. It is native to the mountains of northern California, Oregon, and Nevada, where it grows in rocky habitat, often at high elevation, such as talus. It is a bushy, mat-forming subshrub growing up to 30 centimetres tall. The leaves are mostly basal on the plant, oblong or oval and toothed, measuring 1 to 4 centimetres in length, with a few smaller pairs along the stem. The glandular inflorescence bears showy magenta flowers 2 to over 3 cm in length. The flower is generally tubular or funnel-shaped and has a coating of short to long and curly hairs in the mouth and on the staminode.
Penstemon personatus is an uncommon species of penstemon known by the common name closethroat beardtongue.
Penstemon scapoides is an uncommon species of penstemon known by the common name pinyon beardtongue. It is endemic to Inyo County, California, where it grows in the scrub, woodlands, and forests of the mountain ranges above the desert. It is a clumpy perennial herb forming a dense mat of oval to rounded leaves and erect flowering stems which may exceed half a meter in height. The leaves are pale green and coated densely in hairs. The inflorescence bears tubular flowers each up to 3.4 centimeters in length. The flowers are pale lavender to blue-purple and have yellowish hairs inside their mouths.
Penstemon spectabilis is a species of penstemon known by the common name showy penstemon or showy beardtongue. It is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in the chaparral, scrub, and woodlands of the coastal mountain ranges.
Cirsium eatonii, commonly known as Eaton's thistle or mountaintop thistle, is a North American species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.
Penstemon whippleanus, commonly known as dusky penstemon, dusky beardtongue, Whipple's penstemon, or Whipple's beardtongue, is a summer blooming perennial flower in the large Penstemon genus. It is a widespread plant within the hemiboreal forests of the Rocky Mountains in North America. It is noted for the large deep purple-red flowers and a preference for high mountain elevations.
