Penstemon thompsoniae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Penstemon thompsoniae |
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| Penstemon thompsoniae ssp. jaegeri (sensu Keck) | |
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Penstemon
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| Species: |
thompsoniae
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Penstemon thompsoniae, also called Thompson's beardtongue, is a small plant that lives for many years. It grows only in the dry lands of the southwestern United States. You can find it in shrublands, woodlands, and forests. In California, this plant is important for conservation. This means people are working to protect it.
Contents
About Thompson's Beardtongue
What Does it Look Like?
Thompson's beardtongue is a low-growing plant. It usually stays under 15 centimeters (about 6 inches) tall. It has a woody base and often forms a mat on the ground.
The plant looks gray-green because it's covered in many tiny hairs. Its leaves are shaped like ovals or spoons. They can grow up to 2 centimeters long.
Flowers and Their Features
The flowers of this plant are purple and shaped like wide tubes. Each flower is about 2 centimeters long. They have small hairs on both their outer and inner surfaces. A special part inside the flower, called the staminode, has yellow to orange hairs on its tip.
Where Does it Grow?
Thompson's beardtongue is found only in the southwestern United States. This includes Nevada, southwest Utah, Arizona, and southeastern California. It likes sandy or gravelly soils.
You can see it in sagebrush areas, pine-juniper forests, and pine forests. It grows at high elevations, from about 1,500 to 3,400 meters (about 4,900 to 11,100 feet). The plant typically blooms from May to August.
Conservation in California
Because Thompson's beardtongue grows in only a small area of California, it is a plant of special concern. Efforts are made to protect its natural habitat.
How it Got its Name
Scientists often change how they classify plants as they learn more. Penstemon thompsoniae has had a few different names over time.
Early Discoveries
In 1878, a scientist named Asa Gray first described this plant. He thought it was a type of Penstemon pumilis. Later, Aven Nelson reclassified it as Penstemon caespitosus var. thompsoniae.
Finally, Per Axel Rydberg decided it was unique enough to be its own species. That's how it became Penstemon thompsoniae. For a while, scientists recognized two different types (subspecies) of this plant. However, they later found that these types blend into each other. So, they are no longer considered separate subspecies.
Who Discovered It?
The first time Thompson's beardtongue was collected was in 1872. Ellen Powell Thompson found it near Kanab, Utah. She was part of a survey team exploring the Colorado River. The very first plant specimen she collected is kept at the Gray Herbarium.
