''Penstemon personatus'' is an uncommon species of
penstemon known by the common name closethroat beardtongue.
Description
''Penstemon personatus'' is a
perennial
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 wide ...
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 ...
producing mostly hairless, waxy stems up to about 50 centimeters tall. The leaves are located in opposite pairs along the stem, the lowermost scale-like. The largest leaves occur near the middle of the stem, are oval in shape and measure 3 to 5 centimeters long.
The glandular
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
bears tubular purple flowers around 2 centimeters long. Unlike most other penstemon flowers which have wide open mouths, the flower's upper and lower lips come together, closing the mouth. The inside of the mouth is very hairy, including the rough-haired
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. ...
.
Distribution
''Penstemon personatus'' is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to the northernmost
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 ...
of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, where it is a member of the mountain forest flora.
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Penstemon personatus'''Penstemon personatus Photo gallery
personatus
Endemic flora of California
{{Plantaginaceae-stub