Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Scarlet Penstemon
Penstemon barbatus
Plantain family (Plantaginaceae)

Scarlet Bugler (Penstemon barbatus) is common to very common in the canyons and foothills of the southern half of Colorado. This is a very tall and lanky Penstemon, often growing to four or five feet with an abundance of scarlet flowers opening over many weeks. Leaves are long and narrow and widely spaced on the stem. This plant might be confused with Scarlet Gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata for they both have long, tubular, bright red flowers and both grow at the lower altitudes covered in this app. But Scarlet Gilia also grows to higher altitudes and a close look at the flower will show widely spreading that are not present on Scarlet Bugler. "Barbatus" is Latin for "hairy" or "bearded" and refers to the inside of the flower tube.


©2004 Robert Sivinski

Description

to over 40" tall. Stems few from a stout (woody base of non-woody ), , erect. Leaves from 1-4" long and 1/20 to 4/5" wide, , or the lower somewhat hairy. to broadly , petioled; the upper leaves almost , . , one-sided (""), with 3-7 swirls of flowers. . 1+" long, scarlet, externally, sometimes hairy inside, upper lip of flower projecting and about 1/3" long, the lower lip . are , sacs (or in southwest corner of Colorado variety trichander). a .

Field Marks

Tall, lanky plant with widely spread and widely spreading narrow leaves and an abundance of bright red tubular flowers.

© Al Schneider

villous -- Clothed with long, soft, unmatted hairs.

An entire leaf has smooth edges. Not toothed or lobed.

oblanceolate -- top wider than bottom

capsule -- a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. In most cases the capsule splits apart to release seeds.

A perennial plant lives and blooms for many years.

lobe -- A rounded parts of a leaf (or other organ).

A herb is a plant whose stems die back to the ground in the winter.

corolla -- The name for all the petals of a flower taken together.

reflexed -- bent sharply back or down.

spatulate -- spoon-shaped.

calyx -- the sepals of a flower, typically forming a whorl that encloses the petals and forms a protective layer around a flower in bud.

fruit -- any seed-bearing structure in flowering plants. It is formed from the ovary after flowering.

sessile -- attached without a stalk. For example, a leaf that clasps the stalk. A petiolate leaf has a stalk.

The anther is a pad at the end of the stamen that holds the pollen.

basal leaves -- a leaf that grows lowest on the stem of a plant.

secund -- With all of the flowers on one side. Having all parts arranged on one side.

caudex -- The woody stem base of some herbaceous perennials.

An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem.

glabrous -- smooth, glossy, having no bristles or hair-like structures. Bald.

exserted -- projected beyond. (Exserted stamens project beyond the corolla tube.)

linear -- Long and very narrow like a blade of grass.