Penstemon stephensii
Encyclopedia
Penstemon stephensii is an uncommon species of penstemon
known by the common name Stephens' beardtongue, or Stephens' penstemon. It is endemic to California
, where it is known only from the mountains of the Mojave Desert
region. It grows in scrub, woodland, and sandy clearings, often on limestone
substrates. It is an erect shrub
which may reach 1.5 meters in height, with many leafy flowering stems. The thin leaves are oval with wide triangular tips and serrated edges. The oppositely arranged pairs fuse about the stem at the bases, sometimes forming a disc. The inflorescence
bears glandular, wide-mouthed tubular flowers up to 2 centimeters long in shades of pink or purple. The plant is pollinated
by hummingbird
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 Stephens' beardtongue, or Stephens' penstemon. It is endemic 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...
, where it is known only from the mountains of the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
region. It grows in scrub, woodland, and sandy clearings, often on limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
substrates. It is an erect shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
which may reach 1.5 meters in height, with many leafy flowering stems. The thin leaves are oval with wide triangular tips and serrated edges. The oppositely arranged pairs fuse about the stem at the bases, sometimes forming a disc. 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...
bears glandular, wide-mouthed tubular flowers up to 2 centimeters long in shades of pink or purple. The plant is pollinated
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
by hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s.