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''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of roughly 250 species of flowering plants native mostly to the
Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...
, but with a few species also found in the North American portion of the
Neotropics The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropics, tropical Ecoregion#Terrestrial, terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperat ...
. It is the largest genus of flowering plants endemic to North America. Formerly placed in the
family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Scrophulariaceae The Scrophulariaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the figwort family. The plants are annual and perennial herbs, as well as shrubs. Flowers have bilateral (zygomorphic) or rarely radial (actinomorphic) symmetry. The Scr ...
by the
Cronquist system The Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in a series of monographs and texts, including ''The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants'' (1968; 2nd edition, 1988) a ...
, new genetic research has placed it in the vastly expanded family
Plantaginaceae Plantaginaceae, the plantain family, is a large, diverse family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales that includes common flowers such as snapdragon and foxglove. It is unrelated to the banana-like fruit also called "plantain." In older cl ...
. They have
opposite leaves In botany, phyllotaxis () or phyllotaxy is the arrangement of leaves on a plant stem. Phyllotactic spirals form a distinctive class of patterns in nature. Leaf arrangement The basic arrangements of leaves on a stem are opposite and alternat ...
, partly tube-shaped, and two-lipped
flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s and
seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
capsules. The most distinctive feature of the genus is the prominent
staminode In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen, which means that it does not produce pollen.Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; ''A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent''; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. ...
, an infertile
stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...
. The staminode takes a variety of forms in the different species; while typically a long straight filament extending to the mouth of the corolla, some are longer and extremely hairy, giving the general appearance of an open mouth with a fuzzy tongue protruding and inspiring the common name beardtongue. Most penstemons are
deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
or semi-
evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...
perennials A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...
, the remainder being
shrubs A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
or subshrubs. Heights can range from 10 cm to as much as 3 metres. The one Asiatic species previously treated in ''Penstemon'' is now placed in a separate genus ''
Pennellianthus ''Pennellianthus'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Plantaginaceae. It only contains one known species, ''Pennellianthus frutescens'' (Lamb.) Crosswh. The genus is within the Tribe Cheloneae along with ''Penstemon' ...
''. This leaves ''Penstemon'' a mostly
Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...
genus, with a few
neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...
species. Although widespread across North America, and found in habitats ranging from open desert to moist forests, and up to the alpine zone, they are not typically common within their range.


History

John Mitchell published the first scientific description in 1748; although he only named it as ''Penstemon'', we can identify it as '' P. laevigatus''.
Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
then included it in his 1753 publication, as ''Chelone pentstemon'', altering the spelling to better correspond to the notion that the name referred to the unusual fifth stamen (Greek "penta-", five). Mitchell's work was reprinted in 1769, continuing with his original spelling, and this was ultimately accepted as the official form, although ''Pentstemon'' continued in use into the 20th century. Although several more species were found in the 18th century, they continued to be classified in '' Chelone'' until about the 1820s. The period of 1810 to 1850 increased the number of known species from 4 to 63, as expeditions traveled through Mexico and the western United States, followed by another 100 up to 1900. During this time, seeds began to be offered for sale in Europe, the earliest known dating from 1813, with John Fraser offering four species in London, followed by Flanagan & Nutting offering nine species in their 1835 catalog. Subsequently many hybrids were developed in Europe. Fieldwork in the remote parts of the
Great Basin The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic basin, endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja California ...
during the 20th century brought the total number of species known to over 250. The genus was extensively revised by David Keck between 1932 and 1957. In 1946 the American Penstemon Society (link at bottom) was formed to promote both horticultural and botanical interest.


Uses

Some Native American tribes used penstemons as medicinal remedies for humans and animals.Escamilla, G., et al
''Penstemon ambiguus''.
Medicinal Plants of the Southwest. New Mexico State University. 2001. Updated 2008.
Today its primary use is ornamental.


Horticulture

Although penstemons are among the most attractive
native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...
flowers of North America, Europe has traditionally been far more active in their hybridization with hundreds of hybrids developed since the early 19th century. The earliest development is somewhat shrouded in mystery; for instance Flanagan & Nutting's 1835 catalog mentions a 'Penstemon Hybridum' but does not describe it. By 1860, a half-dozen French growers are known to have developed hybrids, most notably
Victor Lemoine Pierre Louis Victor Lemoine (October 21, 1823 in Delme, Moselle - December 11, 1911) was a celebrated and prolific French flower breeder who, among other accomplishments, created many of today's lilac varieties. As a result of his accomplishm ...
, while in 1857 the German Wilhelm Pfitzer listed 24 varieties. In 1861 the British
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...
held trials in which 78 varieties were entered. The Scottish firm of John Forbes first offered penstemons in 1870, eventually becoming the biggest grower in the world; in 1884 their catalog listed 180 varieties. By 1900 Forbes had offered 550 varieties, while Lemoine had developed nearly 470 by the time of his death in 1911. Few of these have survived to the present day. A number of different species have been used in the hybridization process, notably '' P. cobaea'' and '' P. hartwegii''. In North America, penstemons are often used in
xeriscape Xeriscaping is the process of landscaping, or gardening, that reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation. It is promoted in regions that do not have accessible, plentiful, or reliable supplies of fresh water and has gained acceptance in other ...
landscaping, as many are native to desert or alpine regions and thus quite hardy. One of the largest collections of penstemons in North America is found at The Arboretum at
Flagstaff, Arizona Flagstaff ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Coconino County, Arizona, Coconino County in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2019, the city's estimated population was 75,038. Flagstaff's combined metropolitan area has ...
, which hosts a Penstemon Festival each summer.


Cultivars

The following species and cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's
Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...
:- * 'Andenken an Friedrich Hahn' (deep red) * 'Beech Park' (pink/white) * 'Connie's Pink' (rose pink) * 'Evelyn' (rose pink) * 'George Home' (red/white) * 'Hewell Pink Bedder' (pink/white) * ' Hidcote Pink' * '
Margery Fish Margery Fish (née Townshend) (5 August 1892 – 24 March 1969) was an English gardener and gardening writer, who exercised a strong influence on the informal English cottage garden style of her period.
' (purple/blue) * 'Maurice Gibbs' (purple-red/white) * 'Osprey' (pink/white) * ''P. hartwegii'' (scarlet) * ''P. isophyllus'' (pale pink) * ''P. pinifolius'' 'Wisley Flame' (orange-red) * ''P. rupicola'' (pink) * 'Port Wine' (deep red/white) * 'Raven' (purple/white) * 'Rich Ruby' * 'Roy Davidson' (pink/white) * 'Rubicundus' (red/white) * 'Schoenholzeri' (red) * 'Sour Grapes' (purple/blue) * 'Stapleford Gem' (purple/blue) Others include 'Dark Towers', developed by Dale Lindgren at the
University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
.


Species

* '' Penstemon abietinus'' Pennell – Firleaf beardtongue * '' Penstemon absarokensis'' Evert – Absaroka Range beardtongue * '' Penstemon acaulis'' L.O. Williams – Stemless beardtongue * '' Penstemon acuminatus'' Dougl. ex Lindl. – Sharpleaf penstemon * '' Penstemon alamosensis'' Pennell & Nisbet – Los Alamos beardtongue * '' Penstemon albertinus'' Greene – Alberta beardtongue * '' Penstemon albidus'' Nutt. – White penstemon * ''
Penstemon albomarginalis ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' M. E. Jones * '' Penstemon albomarginatus'' M.E. Jones – White margin penstemon, whitemargin beardtongue, whitemargin penstemon * '' Penstemon alluviorum'' Pennell – lowland beardtongue * '' Penstemon ambiguus'' Torr. – bush penstemon, gilia beardtongue, gilia penstemon * '' Penstemon ammophilus'' N. Holmgren & L. Shultz – sandloving penstemon * '' Penstemon anguineus'' Eastw. – Siskiyou beardtongue * '' Penstemon angustifolius'' Nutt. ex Pursh – broad-beard beardtongue, broadbeard beardtongue, narrowleaf penstemon * '' Penstemon arenarius'' Greene – Nevada sanddune beardtongue, sanddune penstemon * '' Penstemon arenicola'' A. Nels. – sand penstemon * '' Penstemon aridus'' Rydb. – stiffleaf penstemon * '' Penstemon arkansanus'' Pennell – Arkansas beardtongue * '' Penstemon attenuatus'' Dougl. ex Lindl. – sulphur penstemon * '' Penstemon atwoodii'' Welsh – Kaiparowits beardtongue * '' Penstemon auriberbis'' Pennell – Colorado beardtongue * '' Penstemon australis'' Small – Eustis Lake beardtongue * '' Penstemon azureus'' Benth. – azure penstemon * '' Penstemon baccharifolius'' Hook. – baccharisleaf beardtongue Francis Whittier Pennell * '' Penstemon barbatus'' (Cav.) Roth – Golden-beard Penstemon or Beardlip penstemon * ''
Penstemon barnebyi ''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 woodl ...
'' N. Holmgren – Barneby's penstemon, White River Valley beardtongue * '' Penstemon barrettiae'' Gray – Barrett's beardtongue * ''
Penstemon bicolor ''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 ...
'' (Brandeg.) Clokey & Keck – pinto beardtongue, pinto penstemon * '' Penstemon bracteatus'' Keck – Red Canyon beardtongue * '' Penstemon breviculus'' (Keck) Nisbet & R.C. Jackson – shortstem beardtongue, shortstem penstemon * '' Penstemon brevisepalus'' Pennell – short-sepaled beardtongue * ''
Penstemon bryantiae ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Keck – Bryant's beardtongue * '' Penstemon buckleyi'' Pennell – buckley penstemon, Buckley's beardtongue * '' Penstemon caesius'' Gray – San Bernardino beardtongue * '' Penstemon caespitosus'' Nutt. ex Gray – mat penstemon * ''
Penstemon calcareus ''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 distrib ...
'' Brandeg. – limestone beardtongue * '' Penstemon californicus'' (Munz & Johnston) Keck – California penstemon * '' Penstemon calycosus'' Small – longsepal beardtongue * '' Penstemon campanulatus'' (Cav.) Willd. – bellflower beardtongue * '' Penstemon canescens'' (Britt.) Britt. – eastern gray beardtongue * ''
Penstemon cardinalis ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Woot. & Standl. – cardinal beardtongue * '' Penstemon cardwellii'' T.J. Howell – Cardwell's beardtongue * '' Penstemon carnosus'' Pennell – fleshy beardtongue * ''
Penstemon caryi ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 species of flowering plants native mostly to the Nearctic realm, Nearctic, but with a few species also found in the North American portion of the Neotropical realm, Neotropics. I ...
'' Pennell – Cary's beardtongue * ''
Penstemon cedrosensis ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' * '' Penstemon centranthifolius'' Benth. – scarlet bugler * '' Penstemon cinicola'' Keck – ash penstemon * '' Penstemon cleavelandii'' Gray * '' Penstemon clevelandii'' Gray – Cleveland's beardtongue * ''
Penstemon clutei ''Penstemon clutei'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name Sunset Crater beardtongue. It is endemic to Arizona, where it is known only from a system of volcanic cinder cones, including Sunset Crater, i ...
'' A. Nels. – Sunset Crater beardtongue, Sunset Crater penstemon * '' Penstemon cobaea'' Nutt. – cobaea beardtongue, Cobaea penstemon * '' Penstemon comarrhenus'' Gray – dusty beardtongue, dusty penstemon * ''
Penstemon compactus ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' (Keck) Crosswhite – compact penstemon * '' Penstemon concinnus'' Keck – Tunnel Springs beardtongue, Tunnel Springs penstemon * '' Penstemon confertus'' Dougl. ex Lindl. – yellow penstemon * '' Penstemon confusus'' M.E. Jones – Owens Valley beardtongue, Owens Valley penstemon * '' Penstemon crandallii'' A. Nels. – Crandall's beardtongue * ''
Penstemon crideri ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 species of flowering plants native mostly to the Nearctic realm, Nearctic, but with a few species also found in the North American portion of the Neotropical realm, Neotropics. I ...
'' A. Nels. (pro sp.) – Crider penstemon, Crider's penstemon * ''
Penstemon cusickii ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Gray – Cusick's beardtongue * '' Penstemon cyananthus'' Hook. – Wasatch beardtongue * '' Penstemon cyaneus'' Pennell – blue penstemon * '' Penstemon cyanocaulis'' Payson – bluestem beardtongue * '' Penstemon cyathophorus'' Rydb. – Northpark penstemon, sagebrush beardtongue * '' Penstemon dasyphyllus'' Gray – Cochise beardtongue, purple penstemon * ''
Penstemon davidsonii ''Penstemon davidsonii'' is a species of penstemon known by the common name Davidson's penstemon, honoring Dr. George Davidson. It is native to North America from the Sierra Nevada Range in California and Nevada through the Coast and Cascade r ...
'' Greene – Davidson's penstemon, timberline penstemon ** ''Penstemon davidsonii'' var. ''davidsonii'' – Davidson's penstemon ** ''Penstemon davidsonii'' var. ''menziesii'' – Menzies' penstemon ** ''Penstemon davidsonii'' var. ''praeteritus'' – timberline penstemon * '' Penstemon deamii'' Pennell – Deam's beardtongue * '' Penstemon deaveri'' Crosswhite – Mt. Graham beardtongue * '' Penstemon debilis'' O'Kane & J. Anderson – Parachute beardtongue * '' Penstemon degeneri'' Crosswhite – Degener's beardtongue * '' Penstemon deustus'' Dougl. ex Lindl. – scabland penstemon * '' Penstemon digitalis'' Nutt. ex Sims – talus slope penstemon, foxglove beardtongue * '' Penstemon diphyllus'' Rydb. – twoleaf beardtongue * ''
Penstemon discolor ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Keck – Catalina beardtongue * '' Penstemon dissectus'' Ell. – dissected beardtongue * '' Penstemon distans'' N. Holmgren – Mt. Tumbull beardtongue * '' Penstemon dolius'' M.E. Jones ex Pennell – Jones's penstemon, Jones' beardtongue * '' Penstemon dubius'' A. Davids. (pro sp.) – dubius penstemon * '' Penstemon eatonii'' Gray – Eaton penstemon, Eaton's penstemon, firecracker penstemon * '' Penstemon elegantulus'' Pennell – rockvine penstemon * '' Penstemon ellipticus'' Coult. & Fisher – rocky ledge penstemon * '' Penstemon eriantherus'' Pursh – fuzzytongue penstemon * '' Penstemon euglaucus'' English – glaucous beardtongue * '' Penstemon eximius'' Keck – unusual beardtongue * '' Penstemon fendleri'' Torr. & Gray – fendler penstemon, Fendler's beardtongue, Fendler's penstemon * ''
Penstemon filiformis ''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 ...
'' (Keck) – Keck threadleaf beardtongue * '' Penstemon flavescens'' Pennell – high mountain penstemon * '' Penstemon floribundus'' D. Danley – Cordillia's beardtongue, Cordillia's penstemon * ''
Penstemon floridus ''Penstemon floridus '' is a species of flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae, plantain family known by the common names Panamint beardtongue and rose penstemon. It is native to the lower mountain and plateau areas of the Mojave Desert, within e ...
'' Brandeg. – Panamint beardtongue, Panamint penstemon * '' Penstemon flowersii'' Neese & Welsh – Flowers' beardtongue * '' Penstemon franklinii'' Welsh – Franklin's penstemon * '' Penstemon fremontii'' Torr. & Gray ex Gray – Fremont penstemon, Fremont's beardtongue * '' Penstemon fruticiformis'' Coville – Death Valley beardtongue, Death Valley penstemon * '' Penstemon fruticosus'' (Pursh) – Greene bush penstemon * ''
Penstemon gairdneri ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Hook. – Gairdner's beardtongue * ''
Penstemon gibbensii ''Penstemon gibbensii'' is a species of flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae, plantain family known by the common name Gibbens' beardtongue. It is native to the western United States, where it occurs in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah.
'' Dorn – Gibbens' beardtongue * '' Penstemon glaber'' Pursh – sawsepal penstemon, western smooth beardtongue * '' Penstemon glandulosus'' Dougl. – stickystem penstemon * '' Penstemon glaucinus'' Pennell – blueleaf beardtongue * '' Penstemon globosus'' (Piper) Pennell & Keck – globe penstemon * '' Penstemon goodrichii'' N. Holmgren – Lapoint beardtongue * ''
Penstemon gormanii ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 species of flowering plants native mostly to the Nearctic realm, Nearctic, but with a few species also found in the North American portion of the Neotropical realm, Neotropics. I ...
'' Greene – Gorman's beardtongue * '' Penstemon gracilentus'' Gray – slender penstemon * '' Penstemon gracilis'' Nutt. – lilac penstemon, slender penstemon * '' Penstemon grahamii'' Keck – Uinta Basin beardtongue * '' Penstemon grandiflorus'' Nutt. – large beardtongue, largeflowered penstemon * '' Penstemon griffinii'' A. Nels. – Griffin's beardtongue * ''
Penstemon grinnellii ''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 t ...
'' Eastw. – Grinnell's beardtongue * '' Penstemon guadalupensis'' Heller – Guadalupe beardtongue * '' Penstemon hallii'' Gray – Hall's beardtongue * '' Penstemon harbourii'' Gray – Harbour's beardtongue * '' Penstemon harringtoni'' Penl. * ''
Penstemon harringtonii ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 floweri ...
'' Penl. – Harrington's beardtongue * '' Penstemon hartwegii'' Benth. – Hartweg's beardtongue * '' Penstemon harvardii'' Gray * '' Penstemon havardii'' Gray – Big Bend beardtongue * '' Penstemon haydenii'' S. Wats. – blowout beardtongue, blowout penstemon * '' Penstemon heterodoxus'' Gray – Sierra beardtongue, Sierra penstemon * '' Penstemon heterophyllus'' Lindl. – bunchleaf penstemon * '' Penstemon hirsutus'' (L.) Willd. – hairy beardtongue * '' Penstemon humilis'' Nutt. ex Gray – low beardtongue, low penstemon * '' Penstemon idahoensis'' Atwood & Welsh – Idaho beardtongue * '' Penstemon immanifestus'' N. Holmgren – Steptoe Valley beardtongue, Steptoe Valley penstemon * ''
Penstemon incertus ''Penstemon incertus'' is a species of penstemon known by the common name Mojave beardtongue. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in many of the southeastern mountain ranges, including the southern reaches of the Sierra Nevada, the ...
'' Brandeg. – Mojave beardtongue * '' Penstemon inflatus'' Crosswhite – inflated beardtongue * '' Penstemon jamesii'' Benth. – James penstemon, James' beardtongue * '' Penstemon janishiae'' N. Holmgren – Antelope Valley beardtongue, Janish's penstemon * '' Penstemon jonesi'' Pennell * '' Penstemon jonesii'' Pennell (pro sp.) – Jones' penstemon * ''
Penstemon kingii ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 species of flowering plants native mostly to the Nearctic realm, Nearctic, but with a few species also found in the North American portion of the Neotropical realm, Neotropics. I ...
'' S. Wats. – King's beardtongue, King's penstemon * '' Penstemon labrosus'' (Gray) Hook. f. – San Gabriel beardtongue * ''
Penstemon laetus ''Penstemon laetus'' is a species of penstemon known by the common names mountain blue penstemon and gay penstemon. It is native to the inland mountains of Oregon and California, where its distribution extends from the Klamath Mountains through t ...
'' Gray – mountain blue penstemon * ''
Penstemon laevigatus ''Penstemon laevigatus'', the eastern smooth beardtongue, is a plant in the plantain family, Plantaginaceae. The flowers are borne in summer. Its native range includes much of the Eastern United States, from Maine to Michigan and Georgia to Miss ...
'' Ait. – eastern smooth beardtongue * ''
Penstemon laevis ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Pennell – southwestern beardtongue, southwestern penstemon * '' Penstemon laricifolius'' Hook. & Arn. – larchleaf beardtongue * '' Penstemon laxiflorus'' Pennell – nodding beardtongue * '' Penstemon laxus'' A. Nels. – tufted penstemon * '' Penstemon leiophyllus'' Pennell – smoothleaf beardtongue, smoothleaf penstemon * '' Penstemon lemhiensis'' (Keck) Keck & Cronq. – Lemhi penstemon * '' Penstemon lentus'' Pennell – handsome beardtongue, handsome penstemon * '' Penstemon leonardii'' Rydb. – Leonard's beardtongue, Leonard's penstemon * ''
Penstemon leptanthus ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Pennell – Sevier Plateau beardtongue * '' Penstemon linarioides'' Gray – creeping penstemon, toadflax penstemon * '' Penstemon longiflorus'' (Pennell) S.L. Clark – longflower penstemon * ''
Penstemon lyallii ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' (Gray) Gray – Lyall's beardtongue * '' Penstemon marcusii'' (Keck) N. Holmgren – Marcus' beardtongue * '' Penstemon mensarum'' Pennell – tiger beardtongue * '' Penstemon metcalfei'' – Metcalfe's beardtongue * ''
Penstemon mirus ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 species of flowering plants native mostly to the Nearctic realm, Nearctic, but with a few species also found in the North American portion of the Neotropical realm, Neotropics. I ...
'' A. Nels. (pro sp.) – bush penstemon, penstemon * ''
Penstemon miser ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Gray – Malheur penstemon * '' Penstemon moffatii'' Eastw. – Moffatt's beardtongue * '' Penstemon monoensis'' Heller – Mono penstemon * '' Penstemon montanus'' Greene – cordroot beardtongue * '' Penstemon moriahensis'' N. Holmgren – Mount Moriah penstemon, Mt. Moriah beardtongue * '' Penstemon multiflorus'' Chapman ex Benth. – manyflower beardtongue * '' Penstemon murcronatus'' N. Holmgr. * '' Penstemon murrayanus'' Hook. – scarlet beardtongue * '' Penstemon nanus'' Keck – dwarf beardtongue * '' Penstemon navajoa'' N. Holmgren – Navajo Mountain beardtongue * '' Penstemon neomexicanus'' Woot. & Standl. – New Mexico beardtongue * ''
Penstemon neotericus ''Penstemon neotericus'' is a species of penstemon known by the common name Plumas County beardtongue. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the northern Sierra Nevada and adjacent southern peaks of the Cascade Range. It grows in fo ...
'' Keck – Plumas County beardtongue * '' Penstemon newberryi'' Gray – mountain pride, pride-of-the-mountains * '' Penstemon nitidus'' Dougl. ex Benth. – waxleaf penstemon * '' Penstemon nudiflorus'' Gray – Flagstaff beardtongue * '' Penstemon oklahomensis'' Pennell – Oklahoma beardtongue, Oklahoma penstemon * ''
Penstemon oliganthus ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Woot. & Standl. – Apache beardtongue * '' Penstemon ophianthus'' Pennell – Arizona beardtongue, coiled anther penstemon * '' Penstemon osterhoutii'' Pennell – Osterhout's beardtongue * '' Penstemon ovatus'' Dougl. ex Hook. – eggleaf beardtongue * '' Penstemon pachyphyllus'' Gray ex Rydb. – thickleaf beardtongue, thickleaf penstemon * '' Penstemon pahutensis'' N. Holmgren – Pahute penstemon, Paiute beardtongue * '' Penstemon pallidus'' Small – pale beardtongue * ''
Penstemon palmeri ''Penstemon palmeri'', known by the common name Palmer's penstemon, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the genus ''Penstemon'' that is notable for its showy, rounded flowers, and for being one of the few scented penstemons. The plant, i ...
'' Gray – Palmer's penstemon, Palmer penstemon * ''
Penstemon papillatus ''Penstemon papillatus'' is a species of penstemon known by the common name Inyo beardtongue. The plant is endemic to California, where it is known only from the eastern Sierra Nevada and slopes to the east. It grows in rocky woodland and fores ...
'' J.T. Howell – Inyo beardtongue * '' Penstemon parishii'' Gray (pro sp.) – Parish's penstemon * '' Penstemon parryi'' (Gray) – Gray Parry penstemon, Parry's beardtongue * '' Penstemon parviflorus'' Pennell – Montezuma County beardtongue * '' Penstemon parvus'' Pennell – Aquarius Plateau beardtongue * '' Penstemon patens'' (M.E. Jones) N. Holmgren – Lone Pine beardtongue, Lone Pine penstemon * ''
Penstemon payettensis ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' A. Nels. & J.F. Macbr. – Payette beardtongue * '' Penstemon paysoniorum'' Keck – Payson's beardtongue * ''
Penstemon peckii ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Pennell – Peck's beardtongue * '' Penstemon peirsonii'' Munz & I.M. Johnston (pro sp.) – Peirson's penstemon * '' Penstemon penlandii'' W.A. Weber – penland beardtongue, Penland's beardtongue * '' Penstemon pennellianus'' Keck – Blue Mountain beardtongue * '' Penstemon perpulcher'' A. Nels. – Minidoka beardtongue * '' Penstemon personatus'' Keck – closethroat beardtongue * '' Penstemon petiolatus'' Brandeg. – lime penstemon, petiolate beardtongue * '' Penstemon pinifolius'' Greene – pineneedle beardtongue, pineneedle penstemon * '' Penstemon pinorum'' L.& J. Shultz – Pine Valley penstemon * '' Penstemon platyphyllus'' Rydb. – broadleaf beardtongue, broadleaf penstemon * '' Penstemon pratensis'' Greene western – whiteflower beardtongue, western whiteflower penstemon * '' Penstemon procerus'' Dougl. ex Graham – littleflower penstemon, pincushion beardtongue * '' Penstemon pruinosus'' Dougl. ex Lindl. – Chelan beardtongue * '' Penstemon pseudoparvus'' Crosswhite – Mt. Washington beardtongue, San Mateo penstemon * '' Penstemon pseudoputus'' (Crosswhite) N. Holmgren – Kaibab Plateau beardtongue * '' Penstemon pseudospectabilis'' M.E. Jones – desert penstemon * '' Penstemon pudicus'' Reveal & Beatley – bashful penstemon, Kawich Range beardtongue * '' Penstemon pumilus'' Nutt. – Salmon River beardtongue * '' Penstemon purpusii'' Brandeg. – Snow Mountain beardtongue * '' Penstemon putus'' A. Nels. – Black River beardtongue * '' Penstemon radicosus'' A. Nels. – matroot penstemon * '' Penstemon ramosus'' Crosswhite – lanceleaf beardtongue, lanceleaf penstemon * '' Penstemon rattanii'' Gray – Rattan's beardtongue * '' Penstemon retrorsus'' Payson ex Pennell – Adobe Hills beardtongue * '' Penstemon retrosus'' Payson ex Pennell * '' Penstemon rhizomatosus'' N. Holmgren * '' Penstemon richardsonii'' Dougl. ex Lindl. – cutleaf beardtongue * '' Penstemon roezlii'' Regel – Roezl's penstemon * ''
Penstemon rostriflorus ''Penstemon rostriflorus'' is a species of penstemon known by the common names beaked penstemon, Bridge penstemon, or Bridges' penstemon. It is native to the Southwestern United States and California, where it grows in many types of sagebrush, ...
'' Kellogg – beaked beardtongue, beakflower penstemon, Bridge penstemon * '' Penstemon rubicundus'' Keck – Wassuck penstemon, Wassuk Range beardtongue * '' Penstemon rupicola'' (Piper) T.J. Howell – cliff beardtongue * ''
Penstemon rydbergii ''Penstemon rydbergii'', commonly known as Per Axel Rydberg, Rydberg's penstemon or meadow penstemon, is a perennial plant in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) that grows in damp, grassy meadows of the Great Basin and Rocky Mountains of the we ...
'' A. Nels. – meadow beardtongue, Rydberg penstemon, Rydberg's penstemon * '' Penstemon saxosorum'' Pennell – upland beardtongue * '' Penstemon scapoides'' Keck – pinyon beardtongue * '' Penstemon scariosus'' Pennell – White River beardtongue * '' Penstemon secundiflorus'' Benth. – sidebells penstemon * '' Penstemon seorsus'' (A. Nels.) Keck – shortlobe penstemon * ''
Penstemon sepalulus ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' A. Nels. – littlecup beardtongue * '' Penstemon serrulatus'' Menzies ex Sm. – serrulate penstemon * '' Penstemon smallii'' Heller – Small's beardtongue * '' Penstemon spatulatus'' Pennell – Wallowa beardtongue * '' Penstemon speciosus'' Dougl. ex Lindl. – prairie-clover, royal penstemon * ''
Penstemon spectabilis ''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 mou ...
'' Thurb. ex Gray – showy penstemon * '' Penstemon stenophyllus'' (Gray) T.J. Howell – Sonoran beardtongue * '' Penstemon stephensii'' Brandeg. – Stephens' penstemon * '' Penstemon strictiformis'' Rydb. – Mancos penstemon, stiff penstemon * ''
Penstemon strictus ''Penstemon strictus'', the Rocky Mountain penstemon, is a penstemon (common name beardtongue) with showy blue flowers. Description This species is a Herbaceous plant, herbaceous perennial plant, perennial with a few stems rising nearly straigh ...
'' Benth. – Rocky Mountain beardtongue, Rocky Mountain penstemon * ''
Penstemon subglaber ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 species of flowering plants native mostly to the Nearctic realm, Nearctic, but with a few species also found in the North American portion of the Neotropical realm, Neotropics. I ...
'' Rydb. – smooth penstemon * '' Penstemon subserratus'' Pennell – finetooth beardtongue * '' Penstemon subulatus'' M.E. Jones – hackberry beardtongue * '' Penstemon sudans'' M.E. Jones – Susanville beardtongue, Susanville penstemon * '' Penstemon superbus'' A. Nels. – superb beardtongue * '' Penstemon tenuiflorus'' Pennell – eastern whiteflower beardtongue * ''
Penstemon tenuis ''Penstemon tenuis'' is a species of flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae, plantain family known by the common name sharpsepal beardtongue. It is Endemism, endemic to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas in the United States where it is f ...
'' Small – sharpsepal beardtongue * '' Penstemon teucrioides'' Greene – germander beardtongue * '' Penstemon thompsoniae'' (Gray) Rydb. – Thompson's penstemon, Thompson's beardtongue, Thompson penstemon * '' Penstemon thurberi'' Torr. – Thurber's penstemon, Thurber penstemon * ''
Penstemon tidestromii ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Pennell – Tidestrom's beardtongue * '' Penstemon tiehmii'' N. Holmgren – Tiehm's beardtongue * '' Penstemon tracyi'' Keck – Trinity penstemon * ''
Penstemon triflorus ''Penstemon triflorus'', Heller's beardtongue or Heller's penstemon, is a penstemon notable for its showy, purple blossom In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus ''Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar ...
'' Heller – Heller's beardtongue * '' Penstemon triphyllus'' Dougl. ex Lindl. – Riggin's penstemon * '' Penstemon tubaeflorus'' Nutt. – white wand beardtongue * '' Penstemon tusharensis'' N. Holmgren – Tushar Range beardtongue * '' Penstemon uintahensis'' Pennell – Uinta Mountain beardtongue * '' Penstemon unilateralis'' Rydb. – oneside penstemon * '' Penstemon utahensis'' Eastw. – Utah penstemon * '' Penstemon venustus'' Dougl. ex Lindl. – Venus penstemon * '' Penstemon virens'' Pennell ex Rydb. – Front Range beardtongue * '' Penstemon virgatus'' Gray – upright blue beardtongue * '' Penstemon wardii'' Gray – Ward's beardtongue * '' Penstemon washingtonensis'' Keck – Washington beardtongue * '' Penstemon watsonii'' Gray – Watson's penstemon, Watson's beardtongue, Watson penstemon * '' Penstemon wendtiorum'' B.L.TurnerTurner, B. L. (2010)
Taxonomy of the ''Penstemon campanulatus'' complex (Scrophulariaceae) and description of a new species from its midst.
''Phytoneuron'' 31 1–5.
* ''
Penstemon whippleanus ''Penstemon'' , the beardtongues, is a large genus of roughly 250 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 ...
'' Gray – dark beardtongue, Whipple's penstemon * '' Penstemon wilcoxii'' Rydb. – Wilcox's penstemon * '' Penstemon wrightii'' Hook. – Wright's beardtongue * '' Penstemon yampaensis'' Penl. – Yampa beardtongue


See also

* HMS ''Pentstemon''


References


Further reading

* Way, D. and P. James. ''The Gardener's Guide to Growing Penstemons''. David & Charles Publishers. 1998.


External links


American Penstemon Society
{{Taxonbar, from=Q809265 Medicinal plants Plantaginaceae genera