Penstemon heterodoxus
Encyclopedia
Penstemon heterodoxus is a species of penstemon
known by the common name Sierra beardtongue. It is native to California
and western Nevada
where it grows in several of the mountain ranges from the Klamath Mountains
to the Sierra Nevada - and the slopes and plateaus to the east. It grows in subalpine
and alpine climate
s in mountain forests, meadows and talus
.
The glandular inflorescence
is made up of 1 to 6 separate clusters of dark purple-blue tubular flowers each just over a centimeter long. The outer surface of the flower generally has glandular hairs, and on the inside there are hairs on the floor of the flower mouth and on the staminode
.
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 Sierra beardtongue. It is native to 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...
and western Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
where it grows in several of the mountain ranges from the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
to the Sierra Nevada - and the slopes and plateaus to the east. It grows in subalpine
Subalpine
The subalpine zone is the biotic zone immediately below tree line around the world. Species that occur in this zone depend on the location of the zone on the Earth, for example, Snow Gum in Australia, or Subalpine Larch, Mountain Hemlock and Subalpine Fir in western North America.Trees in the...
and alpine climate
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
s in mountain forests, meadows and talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
.
Description
Penstemon heterodoxus is a perennial herb growing stems upright 65 centimeters in maximum height or in a low, spreading mat. The leaves are lance-shaped to oblong, the upper pairs sometimes clasping the stem.The glandular 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...
is made up of 1 to 6 separate clusters of dark purple-blue tubular flowers each just over a centimeter long. The outer surface of the flower generally has glandular hairs, and on the inside there are hairs on the floor of the flower mouth and on the 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...
.