Beardtongue (7)
Beardtongue are also called Penstemon, which is a very large genus that is easy to recognize, but not so easy to identify individual species. The flowers are tubular with two lips; the upper lip is two-lobed and the lower is three-lobed. The leaves are opposite without stalks. The flowers can be blue, purple, lavender, pink or red. The common name Beardtongue comes from the long, hairy stamen which extends from the throat. See Scarlet Penstemon, Mat Penstemon, Palmer's Penstemon and other Penstemon in Blue Long Clusters.
James' Beardtongue
Penstemon jamesii
Family:
Plantain (Plantaginaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
June 3, 2009
Location:
White Rock, NM
Life Zones:
Plains to montane
Habitat:
Dry, sandy areas, pinyon-juniper woods
Grows to 1 ½ft with flowers growing crowded on one side of the stem. The narrow lance-shaped leaves are bluish-green and can have smooth, wavy or toothed edges. Flowers have a broad throat which is broader than it is high with prominent purplish streaks. Flowers can be pinkish, pale lavender to violet-blue.
James' Beardtongue is quite variable as can be
seen below. All these plants were found in Los Alamos County. 
Flora of North America reference.
Handsome Beardtongue
Penstemon lentus
Family:
Plantain (Plantaginaceae)
AKA:
Abajo Beardtongue, Thick Penstemon
Photo taken on:
May 10, 2010
Location:
Little Wildhorse Canyon, UT
Life Zones:
Foothills
Habitat:
Dry, sandy areas, openings
Grows to 1ft tall with a smooth stem and thick, light green, oval-shaped leaves that clasp the stem. Flowers grow mostly on one side of the stem and petals flare back. Color ranges from light purple, lavender through bluish-purple to pinkish. It has light stripes in the throat.
Flora of North America reference.
Sidebells Beardtongue
Penstemon secundiflorus
Family:
Plantain (Plantaginaceae)
AKA:
Sidebells Penstemon, Orchid Beardtongue
Photo taken on:
May 1, 2015
Location:
Poshuouinge, Santa Fe NF, NM
Life Zones:
Plains to foothills
Habitat:
Dry, sandy areas,
pinyon-juniper woods
Grows to 1 ½ft with purplish to lavender flowers on one side of the smooth stem. Leaves are thickened, soft bluish-green and lance-shaped.
Flora of North America reference.
Dusty Beardtongue
Penstemon comarrhenus
Family:
Plantain (Plantaginaceae)
AKA:
Lavender Beardtongue, Canyon Beardtongue,
Dusty Penstemon, Pin-striped Penstemon
Photo taken on:
September 11, 2013
Location:
Pueblo Canyon, Los Alamos, NM
Life Zones:
Foothills
Habitat:
Sagebrush, oak, pinyon juniper woods
Grows to 3ft with widely spaced narrow leaves on the stem and broader basal leaves. Flowers grow on one side of the stem and are pale lavender pink with violet red stripes in the throat.
Flora of North America reference.
Colorado Penstemon
Penstemon auriberbis
Family:
Plantain (Plantaginaceae)
AKA:
Fuzzy Tongue Beardtongue
Photo taken on:
May 29, 2016
Location:
Wet Mountains, Eastern CO
Life Zones:
Foothills
Habitat:
Dry sandy
soils, pinyon-juniper woods
Grows to 10" with narrow, grayish-green leaves crowded at the base, and numerous on the stems. Flowers grow mostly on one side of the stem and are lilac with an orange "beardtongue" protruding and stripes in the throat. Grows in southern Colorado and neighboring New Mexico.
Flora of North America reference.
Coiled Anther Penstemon
Penstemon ophianthus (Penstemon jamesii ssp. ophianthus)
Family:
Plantain (Plantaginaceae)
AKA:
Snake-flowered Penstemon, Arizona Beardtongue
Photo taken on:
May 14, 2015
Location:
Poshuouinge, Santa Fe NF/FS Rd 23, Carson
NF, NM
Life Zones:
Plains to foothills
Habitat:
Dry, sandy, gravelly areas, pinyon-juniper woods
Growing about 8" high with many narrow lance-shaped 2" leaves both basal and on the stems. Flowers and buds are very sticky hairy and grow on one side of the stem. Flowers are lavender to violet, about ½" long with a densely hairy throat and tongue which extends from the throat. Similar to P. jamesii but much shorter.
Flora of North America reference.
Toadflax Beardtongue
Penstemon linarioides var. coloradoensis
Family:
Plantain (Plantaginaceae)
AKA:
Toadflax Penstemon, Colorado Narrow-leaf Beardtongue
Photo taken on:
June 15, 2019
Location:
FS Road 137, Carson NF, NM
Life Zones:
Plains to montane
Habitat:
Open areas, dry woodlands
Growing from 8" to 20" high with narrow, light green leaves crowded at the base, sparse on the stems. Pale lavender flowers grow on one side of the stem. They are ½" to ¾" long with a white throat, deep purple guidelines and a hairy, yellow-tipped tongue.
Flora of North America reference.