Bush beardtongue facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bush beardtongue
subsp. breviflora
Scientific classification
Genus:	Keckiella
Species:	breviflora

Keckiella breviflora, also called the bush beardtongue, is a beautiful flowering shrub. It belongs to the plantain family. This plant used to be known as Penstemon breviflorus.

You can find the bush beardtongue growing in parts of California and Nevada. It lives in places like the western Transverse Ranges, the Inner California Coast Ranges, and the Sierra Nevada mountains.

About the Bush Beardtongue Plant

The Keckiella breviflora is a shrub that grows like a bush. It has many thin branches and can reach a height of about two meters (that's about 6.5 feet!).

Leaves and Stems

This plant has shiny green leaves. They grow in pairs, opposite each other on the branches. Each leaf is usually one to four centimeters long. They are often shaped like a spearhead. Their edges can be slightly jagged or completely smooth.

Flowers of the Bush Beardtongue

The bush beardtongue grows tall flower stalks. These stalks have many flowers arranged in a loose, spike-like shape. Each flower is about one to two centimeters wide. They are usually pale pink or white with pink streaks.

The outside of the flowers has long, shiny hairs. Each flower has five main parts, called lobes. Three of these lobes curl outwards and downwards. The other two lobes join together to form a "lip" that curves forward.

Inside the flower, you'll find long, thin parts called stamens. These stamens hold pollen. There is also a flat, hairless part called a staminode. This staminode is a sterile stamen, meaning it doesn't produce pollen.