''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 the
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...
to the
Transverse Ranges. It grows in forest, scrub, and other local mountain habitat. It is a
perennial herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
growing erect to about 75 centimeters tall, its base becoming woody. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped and up to 10 centimeters long. The glandular
inflorescence bears blue or purple flowers up to 3.5 centimeters long. The wide-mouthed tubular or funnel-shaped flower is glandular on the outer surface and mostly hairless on the inside.
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
laetus
Laeti , the plural form of laetus , was a term used in the late Roman Empire to denote communities of ''barbari'' ("barbarians"), i.e. foreigners, or people from outside the Empire, permitted to settle on, and granted land in, imperial territory ...
Flora of Oregon
Flora of California
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
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