About Keckiella cordifolia (Benth.) Straw
Keckiella cordifolia (formerly classified as Penstemon cordifolius) is a species of flowering shrub in the plantain family, commonly known as heartleaf keckiella. It is native to the coast and coastal mountains of southern California and northern Baja California, where it grows naturally in chaparral and coastal woodland plant communities. This is a spreading shrub that can reach a maximum height of over two meters. Its shiny green leaves are oval to heart-shaped, have pointed tips, and are edged with small teeth. The leaves measure 2 to 6 centimeters long and are arranged oppositely along the branches. The shrub produces glandular, hairy inflorescences, each holding many individual flowers. The flower is somewhat tubular with a wide open mouth. The flower's outer surface is fuzzy, and its color can range from pale orange to deep scarlet. It grows up to 3 centimeters long, and measures up to 4 centimeters wide at the mouth. The flower mouth has three flat lower lobes and two joined upper lobes. Inside the mouth are long filamentous stamens, along with a flat, hairy, yellow sterile stamen called a staminode.
