Penstemon debilis
Encyclopedia
Penstemon debilis, Parachute Penstemon
or Parachute beardtongue, is one of the rarest plants in North America, found only 5 places in the world, all of them located on the Roan Plateau
in Garfield County
, of Western Colorado
. The Denver Botanic Gardens
has the Parachute Penstemon on display with other native plants of the Roan Plateau. The name Parachute comes from the small town in Colorado, Parachute, Colorado
, close to where the plant can be found.
The plant is small and low to the ground. It has small green leaves and pale light-lavender flowers. It grows in steep slopes on shale
, where little vegetation grows. The area is very arid and has sparse vegetation, containing sages, grasses and bushes.
The Parachute Penstemon has been identified to qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act
by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
, but failed to be protected, due to large amounts of natural gas
in the area. In 2004, the Center for Native Ecosystems, along with the Colorado Native Plant Society and two independent botanists formally requested protection. On July 27, 2011, the plant was federally listed as a threatened species of the United States, a ruling which is to take effect on August 26, 2011.
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...
or Parachute beardtongue, is one of the rarest plants in North America, found only 5 places in the world, all of them located on the Roan Plateau
Roan Plateau
The Roan Plateau, located in western Colorado, USA, near Rifle, contains a variety of natural resources and scenic terrain: high ridges, deep valleys, desert lands, waterfalls, cutthroat trout, mountain lions, bears, rare plants, and oil and natural gas...
in Garfield County
Garfield County, Colorado
Garfield County is the eighth most extensive and the twelfth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 43,791 at U.S. Census 2000. The county is named in honor of United States President James A. Garfield...
, of Western Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Botanic Gardens
The Denver Botanic Gardens is a public botanical garden located in Denver, Colorado in the Cheesman Park neighborhood. The park contains a conservatory, a variety of theme gardens and a sunken amphitheater, which hosts various concerts in the summer...
has the Parachute Penstemon on display with other native plants of the Roan Plateau. The name Parachute comes from the small town in Colorado, Parachute, Colorado
Parachute, Colorado
The Town of Parachute is a Statutory Town in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,006 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Parachute is located at ....
, close to where the plant can be found.
The plant is small and low to the ground. It has small green leaves and pale light-lavender flowers. It grows in steep slopes on shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
, where little vegetation grows. The area is very arid and has sparse vegetation, containing sages, grasses and bushes.
The Parachute Penstemon has been identified to qualify for protection under the Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
, but failed to be protected, due to large amounts of natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
in the area. In 2004, the Center for Native Ecosystems, along with the Colorado Native Plant Society and two independent botanists formally requested protection. On July 27, 2011, the plant was federally listed as a threatened species of the United States, a ruling which is to take effect on August 26, 2011.