Plant Image
Flowers
Hwy 97 - Sue Smith


Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants

Penstemon pseudospectabilis - desert penstemon

Other Common Names: Arizona penstemon, canyon penstemon, rosy desert beardtongue
Plant Form: Forb or Subshrub

Family: Scrophulariaceae


   
 
line decor
  Home   Plant Communities Plant List Search Forbs and Subshrubs Search Grasses Search Woody Plants Additional Resources About this Website
line decor
 

Click on Any Image for a Larger View

Flowers
Near Kirkland Junction
Sue Smith
Leaves
Near Kirkland Junction
Sue Smith
Plant - spring
Near Kirkland Junction
Sue Smith
Forb Plant Description

Origin: Native   Life Cycle: Perennial
General Desc: Forb or subshrub, 20 to 40 inches tall, stems smooth, covered with whitish or bluish waxy coating.
Identification notes: Leaves toothed with upper leaves fused entirely around stem. Flower stalk leafy throughout. Petals, pink or purple, nearly regular with tube twice as long as sepals, throat of petals moderately enlarged without hairs at the lower lip.
Height: 20 to 40 inches


Habitat

Habitat Description: Found in gravelly, dry soils in desert washes, canyon floors, among creosote scrub and pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Plant Communities: Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Pinyon Juniper Woodland
Elevation: 2000 - 7000 feet


Flower Characteristics

Color: Pink or purple     Shape: Irregular in elongated clusters     Tubular: Y     Flowering Period: Apr - Jun
Description: Stalk 4 to 20 inches. Sepals gland-like, barely covered in short hairs, 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, lobes egg-shaped, gradually taper to a point. Petals pink or purple with yellowish tube, dark lines in the throat, 3/4 to 1 inch long, lobes spreading backwards.


Leaf and Stem Characteristics

Leaf Color: Green     Leaf Type: Simple     Leaf Shape: Triangular     Leaf Margin: Toothed     Leaf Attachment: Opposite     Leaves Clasp: Y
Hairs: No     Spines: N
Leaf Description: Stems 20 to 40 inches tall, slender, smooth throughout. Leaves thin, saw-like toothed; basal leaves egg-shaped, up to 3 inches long; lower leaves mostly lance-shaped and attached directly to the stem; the upper leaves are fused around the stem.


Fruit and Seed Characteristics

Fruit Color: Brown   
Fruit Type: Capsule
Fruit Notes: Oval brown capsule, 1/2 inch long, held by persistent cup-shaped bracts on short stalks. Dividing at maturity between chambers.


  Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590
Version 8.0  
http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailForb.php  
Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022
Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson  
Legal Disclaimer