Penstemon calcareus

Limestone beardtongue

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Limestone beardtongue is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the Desert Mountains in limestone crevices, rocky slopes of pinyon and juniper woodland, and Joshua-tree scrub at elevations of 1,200 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces bright pink to rose-purple flowers in a cylindric to funnel-shaped corolla 13 to 17 millimeters long with a glandular exterior. Growing with slender stems 7 to 25 centimeters tall, it features fine, backward-pointing ashy hairs and a densely glandular upper stem. Its upper stem leaves are widely lanceolate, 20 to 60 millimeters long, and range from entire to shallowly toothed. The flower's staminode is densely yellow-hairy and mostly enclosed within the corolla throat.

Habitat: Limestone crevices, rocky slopes in pinyon/juniper woodland, Joshua-tree scrub

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: 1200-1600 m

Bioregions: DMtns.

California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Trinity

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.