Steptoe Valley Beardtongue - Penstemon immanifestus

 This beautiful pinkish penstemon is Steptoe Valley Beardtongue (Penstemon immanifestus), part of the Figwort Family (Scrophulariaceae). It grows from 5,000 to 6,000 feet on sandy soils, and I found it near EskDale, Utah. It is only found in Utah and Nevada. It grows about one-foot tall, and flowers are over an inch long. Stems are glabrous (smooth), and the staminode (yellow part in flower above) is bearded (hairy).

Because of it's limited distribution, I couldn't find much info about it. Here's a link to the USDA Plants Database.

Firecracker Penstemon - Penstemon eatonii

 I've been saving this flower for Fourth of July, as it's common name is Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon eatonii). It grows in the western U.S. in a variety of habitats.

 Flowers are bright red in narrow tubes.

For more info about firecracker penstemon (and how to use it in your water wise garden), click here.

Tunnel Springs Beardstongue - Penstemon concinnus

 This beautiful little penstemon is Tunnel Springs Beardstongue (Penstemon concinnus). It only grows in Utah and Nevada in gravelly alluvial soils in pinyon/juniper.  The plant is compact, usually not more than 20 cm tall.

For more info about Tunnel Springs beardstongue, click here.

Lesser Indian Paintbrush-Castilleja minor

This paintbrush differs from others in the area in that it likes growing in wetlands or riparian areas, is an annual, and has a single stem. It's lesser Indian paintbrush (Castilleja minor formerly C. exilis). It grows in the western U.S. and Canada.

For more info on lesser Indian paintbrush, click here.

Barneby's Paintbrush-Castilleja scabrida var. barnebyana

This beautiful little paintbrush is Barneby's paintbrush (Castilleja scabrida var. barnebyana). It was about 10,000 feet high on limestone. It only grows in Nevada and Utah.

There's not much info about Barneby's paintbrush, but you can find a little here.

Bridge Penstemon-Penstemon rostriflorus

This bright red penstemon often growing in clusters is Bridge penstemon (Penstemon rostriflorus), also called beaked penstemon because of the much longer upper petal. It grows in the Southwest at middle elevations.

For more info about Bridge penstemon, including how it got its name, click here.

American Speedwell-Veronica americana

This is another riparian plant, in fact you might have glimpsed in it the last post. With thick stems and small purple flowers, this is American speedwell (Veronica americana), part of the Figwort Family (Scrophulariaceae). Another common name is American brooklime. It's native to parts of North America and Asia.

Flowers have four petals.
For more information about American speedwell, click here.

Wyoming Indian Paintbrush-Castillja linariifolia

We saw lots of this beautiful Wyoming Indian paintbrush (Castilleja linariifolia) on a recent drive. It has narrow leaves and a corolla that projects down through the deeply cleft front side. It's found throughout the western U.S.

It grows from about 7,000 to 10,000 feet.

For more information about Wyoming Indian paintbrush, click here.

Smoothleaf Beardtongue-Penstemon leiophyllus v. francisci-pennellii

Here's another penstemon, this one clearly different from yesterday's in the way the flowers line up and down the petiole. This smoothleaf beardtongue (Penstemon leiophyllus variety francisci-pennelli). This variety is found only in Nevada and above 8,000 feet. The species is only found in Utah and Nevada. The stem is glabrous (smooth) and the corolla slightly hairy.

There isn't much info out there about smoothleaf beardtongue, but you can see the USDA Plants profile if you click here.

Low Beardtongue-Penstemon humilis

We have a lot of penstemons in the area, and I believe this one is low beardtongue (Penstemon humilis). The flowers are dark blue with a white interior, the stems are slightly hairy as is the corolla, and the calyx is shorter than the corolla tube, and the staminode is hairy at the apex. My only problem is that the photos I see on the internet show taller plants with more flowers per petiole, so if anyone has a different i.d., please let me know.

It's found from about 6,000 to 11,000 feet and blooms mid-summer. For more info about low beardtongue, click here.

Purple Monkeyflower-Mimulus lewisii

This attractive flower growing in moist places on stalks up to three feet tall is a member of the Figwort Family (Scrophulariaceae). It's name is purple monkeyflower or Lewis' monkeyflower (Mimulus lewisii). Although all the other monkeyflowers (Mimulus) in this area are yellow, this one has bright pink or magenta petals.

A closer look shows that it's not all pink. Inside there's a hint of yellow with some darker red spots.

The purple monkeyflower is a real treat to find, and it grows throughout western North America. For more information about it, click here.

Common Mullein-Verbascum thapsus

This tall-stemmed plant with large basal leaves, inch-wide yellow flowers is easy to identify as common mullein (Verbascum thapsus), a member of the Figwort Family (Scrophulariaceae). It is not native to North America, but it is found throughout, growing in sunny, disturbed soils. It is a biennial plant, with a small rosette of leaves growing the first year and the tall stalk and flowers the second year.

For more information about common mullein, click here.

Watson's Penstemon-Penstemon watsonii

Watson's Penstemon (Penstemon watsonii) is probably the most abundant penstemon in this area. 

There are several other common blue penstemons: Thickleaf beardtongue (Penstemon pachyphyllus), which has thicker leaves and stalks; and Penstemon leiomerus and Penstemon humilis, both which grow above 9,000 feet (and will be featured in the next few weeks).

Watson's penstemon has hairy stems but smooth corollas (flower tubes).

Penstemons are such interesting looking plants. This genus even has its own fan club: the American Penstemon Society.

For more information about Watson's Penstemon, click here.

Dwarf Alpine Indian Paintbrush-Castilleja nana

This beautiful little plant that grows at high elevations throughout western North America is dwarf alpine Indian paintbrush (Castilleja nana). It is pinkish/purplish and usually doesn't grow more than a few inches high. 
The tops of the cliffs is one location where dwarf alpine Indian paintbrush is found. For more info, click here.

Seep Monkeyflower-Mimulus guttatus

Appearing as bright spots of color in wet areas, Seep monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) is the most common monkeyflower in the area, hence another common name: common monkeyflower. It's listed in the Plants Database as a member of the Figwort/Snapdragon Family (Scrophulariaceae), but I understand this is under some contention.

It has five petals, with little red spots on the lower petals. The leaves are broad, oval, and serrated. They are opposite and often fuse around the stem.

For more information about seep monkeyflower, click here.

Palmer's Penstemon-Penstemon palmeri

We are lucky to have numerous penstemon species in this area. This one, with its large fleshy leaves and big, pink flowers is Palmer's Penstemon (Penstemon palmeri). It's also called scented penstemon, balloon flower or pink snap dragon.

The stems can grow up to five feet tall, with numerous stems per plant and up to 20 flowers per stem.

The upper two petals provide shade for the flower structures below, including the large staminode with its pompom of projecting hairs. The lower three petals curve downwards, with a lighter pink surrounding the dark pink middle.

This penstemon grows in a variety of habitats and is an excellent choice for a garden.

For more information about Palmer's Penstemon, click here.

Thickleaf Beardtongue-Penstemon pachyphyllus

This striking bright-blue penstemon with the thick leaves is called thickleaf beardtongue (Penstemon pachyphyllus). It grows about two feet tall from basal rosettes that include last year's stems.

The stem is smooth (glabrous), but the staminode is hairy and sticks out of the corolla slightly.

Here's a view of that hairy staminode straight on. The plant is native to the southwest U.S. and Wyoming.

For more information about thickleaf beardtongue, click here.

Owens Valley Beardstongue-Penstemon confusus

This beautiful penstemon is called Owens Valley Beardstongue, puzzling penstemon, or mistaken penstemon (Penstemon confusus). 

It has a smooth stem and staminode. The inner part of the flower petals is striped. This species grows in California, Nevada, and Utah.

For more information about Owens Valley beardstongue, click here.

Dwarf Lousewort-Pedicularis centranthera

This dramatic flower in the Figwort Family (Scrophulariaceae) can easily be missed because it grows so low to the ground and is a late spring bloomer that disappears in a few weeks. It has the lousy name of Dwarf Lousewort (Pedicularis centranthera). Such an interesting-looking flower should have a better common name. 

As you can see in this photo with my fingers for scale, the pink and white flowers are quite small. The leaves grow in a basal rosette (close to the ground and all around the flower) and are deeply serrated.

Here's a view from about waist level. The colors of the leaves and flowers don't stand out much against the pine-needle strewn ground. This one was growing under a pinyon pine tree.

I knew to be on the lookout for it because I saw it mentioned on Silver Fox's blog a couple weeks ago as showing up in Central Nevada, but I have to admit that I didn't see it until my way down the trail--I missed it going up.

For more information about Dwarf Lousewort, click here.