Species Identification

Interested in the identification of penstemons? Please select a species then click on submit:

Attribute	The current selection is Penstemon_pinifolius
Classification	Penstemon Penstemon Fasciculus Fasciculi
General	Pineleaf Penstemon Common in cultivation, this mat-grower resembles grass underfoot. Jay Lunn of Hillsboro, OR discovered a lovely yellow form in the Magdalena Mts. of sw NM. Blooms: May to August.
Anther	Spreading widely, opening flat, concealed under upper lobes, projecting almost to edge of orifice.
Staminode	Bearded with bright yellows hairs most of length, lies within the throat. narrow.
Leaves	25-32 mm (1-1 ¼”) long, thick, smooth, dark green, heath or needle-like, crowded at base of stem, D-shaped in cross-section, a few appear on cauline stem, 6 mm (1/4”) long.
Stems	2-4 dm (8-16”) in low mats twice as wide, many sticky/fuzzy stems with a few leaves, herbage fuzzy.
Inflorescense	Cymes usually one at a node 1-3 cm (1/4-1”) long, 1-3 flowered.
Corolla	25-32 mm (1-1 ¼”) long and 1/10 as wide, narrow, scarlet tubes, although yellow or orange sports are found, on one side of stem. Lower lip nodding, widely divided into 3 spreading and reflexed, upper lip lobes extend forward in ‘shark’s head’ shape, narrow petals, a few yellow or white hairs in throat, fuzzy-sticky on outside.
Flower Color
Calyx	5-7 mm (1/4+”) long, sepals lanceolate, sharply pointed and paper at the base.
Habitat	Gravelly, sandy soils on rocky slopes (and under pines at south campground in Grand Canyon NP) 1800-2600 m (6000-8500’).
Range	South central NM, se AZ and adjacent MX.