Penstemon richardsonii Douglas

Growth Form

Penstemon richardsonii Douglas is a perennial plant that is often shrubby at its base, and produces multiple slender flowering stems that reach 20 to 80 cm in height.

Leaf Arrangement

Its leaves grow in opposite pairs along the flowering stems.

Leaf Attachment

All leaves except those near the base of the plant are sessile, meaning they do not have a petiole.

Leaf Dimensions and Shape

Leaves range from sharply serrate-dentate to irregularly pinnatifid in shape, and grow up to 7 cm long and 3 cm wide.

Inflorescence and Flower Color

Its inflorescence is a panicle that holds showy, bright lavender to purplish red tubular flowers.

Calyx Characteristics

The flower's calyx, which is its outer bract, is ovate to lanceolate and measures 4 to 8 mm long.

Calyx Segments

It has 5 green or purplish segments that are glandular-hairy and pointed at the tip.

Corolla Outer Features

The tubular corolla, formed from fused petals, which is characteristic of all Penstemon species, is glandular-hairy on the outside and measures 22 to 32 mm long.

Corolla Lobe Structure

The corolla is divided into two lips: the upper lip has two lobes cleft nearly halfway down its length, and the lower lip has three lobes.

Corolla Inner Features

Inside the corolla, there are prominent darker red-purple nectar guide lines, and the staminode often has a short beard near its tip.

Species Distribution

This species occurs on the east side of the Cascade Mountain crest in Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia.

Habitat and Elevation

It typically grows in rock crevices and other dry rocky locations at elevations below 1200 m.