Penstemon californicus
Encyclopedia
Penstemon californicus is a species of penstemon
known by the common name California penstemon. It is native to Baja California
and is also known from fewer than 20 occurrences in California
, mainly in Orange
and Riverside Counties
. It grows in the forest and woodland habitat of the Peninsular Ranges
and nearby slopes. This is a perennial herb with many spreading or upright branches 30 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are no more than 1.5 centimeters long with linear or lance-shaped blades borne on petioles
. The inflorescence
produces tubular flowers between 1 and 2 centimeters long, purple to blue in color with dark-striped white throats containing hairy staminode
s.
Penstemon
Penstemon , Beard-tongue, is a large genus of North American and East Asian plants traditionally placed in the Scrophulariaceae family. Due to new genetic research, it has now been placed in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae...
known by the common name California penstemon. It is native to Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
and is also known from fewer than 20 occurrences in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, mainly in Orange
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
and Riverside Counties
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
. It grows in the forest and woodland habitat of the Peninsular Ranges
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
and nearby slopes. This is a perennial herb with many spreading or upright branches 30 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are no more than 1.5 centimeters long with linear or lance-shaped blades borne on petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
. The inflorescence
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. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
produces tubular flowers between 1 and 2 centimeters long, purple to blue in color with dark-striped white throats containing hairy staminode
Staminode
In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen. This means that it does not produce pollen. Staminodes are frequently inconspicuous and stamen-like, usually occurring at the inner whorl of the flower, but are also sometimes long enough to protrude from the...
s.