genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
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 ...
, 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 tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.
Definition
In bioge ...
. It is the largest genus of flowering plants endemic to North America. Formerly placed in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
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) ...
, new genetic research has placed it in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae.
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 alterna ...
, 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 mechanis ...
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 angiosper ...
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 & C ...
, 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 fila ...
. 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, ...
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, whic ...
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''. 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 ...
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 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. It is noted fo ...
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, 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 (Nor ...
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 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 in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2019, the city's estimated population was 75,038. Flagstaff's combined metropolitan area has an estimated population ...
, 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 ...
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 State ...
Penstemon albertinus
''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 ...
Penstemon cyananthus
''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 ...
Penstemon deamii
''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 ...
Penstemon digitalis
''Penstemon digitalis'' (known by the common names foxglove beard-tongue,Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; & Dickinson, R. (2004). ''ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario.'' Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum, p. 332. foxglove beardtongue, ta ...
Penstemon elegantulus
''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 flowersii
''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 ...
'' Neese & Welsh – Flowers' beardtongue
* ''
Penstemon franklinii
''Penstemon franklinii'', or Franklin's penstemon, is a plant species endemic to Utah, United States, known only from Cedar Valley in Iron County. It grows in grasslands and in sagebrush communities.
''Penstemon franklinii'' is a perennial ...
Penstemon gracilentus
''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 ...
Penstemon inflatus
''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 ...
Penstemon montanus
''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 ...
Penstemon ovatus
''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 ...
'' 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 ...
Penstemon parryi
''Penstemon parryi'', the Parry's penstemon, Parry's beardtongue or desert penstemon, is a wildflower native to the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona and northern Mexico. It is a perennial that blooms in March and April. In the wild, plants fl ...
Penstemon penlandii
''Penstemon penlandii'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae, plantain family known by the common names Penland penstemon and Penland's beardtongue. It is Endemism, endemic to Colorado in the United States, where it is known ...
Penstemon pumilus
''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 ...
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, ...
Penstemon smallii
''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 ...
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 ...