Penstemon cinicola
Ash beardtongue
(c) Gabriel Campbell-Martinez, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Penstemon cinicola (Ash beardtongue) is a native California subshrub in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by folded, recurved leaves and very small flowers distinctive.
Ash beardtongue is a California native perennial found in the Great Basin in dry, rocky, igneous soils within sagebrush openings of montane forests at elevations of 1,250 to 2,700 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces blue-purple flowers 6 to 9 millimeters long with a distinctive yellow-hairy staminode. Growing 15 to 40 centimeters tall with an upright habit, it has glabrous or short-hairy stems near the base. Its leaves are cauline, 30 to 60 millimeters long, linear in shape, folded lengthwise, and arching-recurved. The plant's calyx has widely obovate lobes with jagged-toothed tips, adding to its unique botanical character.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 23 sympatric species; folded, recurved leaves and very small flowers distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, rocky, igneous soils, in sagebrush openings of montane forests
Elevation: 1250-2700 m
California counties: Mono, Lassen, Siskiyou, Shasta, Modoc, Tehama, El Dorado
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Penstemon cinicola blooms Jun-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Epilobium: Penstemon has tubular two-lipped flowers with five stamens; Epilobium has four-petaled open flowers with eight stamens.; vs Keckiella: Penstemon is herbaceous and dies back; Keckiella has persistent woody stems year-round.; vs Salvia: Penstemon has five stamens (one sterile); Salvia has only two fertile stamens and square stems.; vs Ipomopsis: Penstemon has two-lipped tubular flowers; Ipomopsis has star-shaped flowers with five equal lobes.; vs Antirrhinum: Penstemon has a sterile stamen visible inside; Antirrhinum has only four stamens, none sterile.
Frequently asked questions
Is Penstemon cinicola native to California?
Yes. Penstemon cinicola is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Penstemon cinicola bloom?
Penstemon cinicola blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Penstemon cinicola grow?
Penstemon cinicola occurs in Mono, Lassen, Siskiyou, Shasta, Modoc, Tehama, El Dorado, at elevations of 1250-2700 m.
What plant family does Penstemon cinicola belong to?
Penstemon cinicola is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Penstemon.
Is Penstemon cinicola rare or endangered?
Penstemon cinicola carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Penstemon clevelandii — Cleveland's beardtongue
- Penstemon clevelandii var. clevelandii — Cleveland's beardtongue
- Penstemon clevelandii var. connatus — San jacinto beardtongue
- Penstemon clevelandii var. mohavensis — Mohave beard's tongue
- Penstemon davidsonii var. davidsonii — Davidson's beardtongue
- Penstemon deustus — Hot-rock penstemon
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.