Penstemon floridus var. floridus

Panamint beardtongue

Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Panamint beardtongue is a California native perennial found in the southern eastern Sierra Nevada in gravelly washes, canyon floors, sagebrush scrub, and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 1,600 to 2,700 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces pale flowers with a distinctive tubular corolla 24 to 30 millimeters long, dramatically expanding to a wide throat 10 to 16 millimeters across when pressed. Growing with slender stems characteristic of beardtongue species, it develops compact clusters in its rocky desert habitats. Its leaves are likely arranged oppositely, typical of penstemon species, with a structure adapted to arid mountain environments. The plant's striking flower shape and narrow habitat range make it a notable species of the eastern Sierra Nevada mountain regions.

Habitat: Gravelly washes, canyon floors, sagebrush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 1600-2700 m

Bioregions: SNE

California counties: Inyo, Mono

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