penstemon

pen·ste·mon

P0170700 (pĕn-stē′mən, pĕn′stə-mən)n. Any of numerous plants of the genus Penstemon, native to North America, having opposite leaves, variously colored flowers with a usually two-lipped corolla, and capsules containing many seeds. Also called beardtongue.

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[New Latin Pēnstēmōn, genus name : Greek pente, five; see penk^we in Indo-European roots + Greek stēmōn, thread (in reference to its four fertile stamens and single prominent staminode ); see stā- in Indo-European roots.]

penstemon

(pɛnˈstiːmən) n (Plants) a variant (esp US) of pentstemon

pen•ste•mon

(pɛnˈsti mən, ˈpɛn stə mən)

n. any of numerous chiefly North American plants belonging to the genus Penstemon, of the figwort family, some species of which are cultivated for their showy, variously colored flowers. Also called beardtongue. [< New Latin Pentstemon (1748), irreg. < Greek penta- penta- + stḗmōn thread]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Penstemon - large genus of subshrubs or herbs having showy blue or purple or red or yellow or white flowers; mostly western North Americagenus Penstemonasterid dicot genus - genus of more or less advanced dicotyledonous herbs and some trees and shrubsfamily Scrophulariaceae, figwort family, foxglove family, Scrophulariaceae - a family of dicotyledonous plants of the order Polemoniales; includes figwort and snapdragon and foxglove and toadflax and speedwell and mullein; in some classifications placed in the order Scrophularialesgolden-beard penstemon, Penstemon barbatus - plant of southwestern United States having long open clusters of scarlet flowers with yellow hairs on lower lipPenstemon centranthifolius, scarlet bugler - plant with bright red tubular flowers in long narrow clusters near tips of erect stems; coastal ranges from central California southwardred shrubby penstemon, redwood penstemon - low branching dark green shrub with bunches of brick-red flowers at ends of branches; coastal ranges and foothills of northern CaliforniaPenstemon cyananthus, Platte River penstemon - erect plant with blue-violet flowers in rings near tips of stems; Idaho to Utah and WyomingDavidson's penstemon, Penstemon davidsonii - mat-forming plant with blue and lavender flowers clustered on short erect stems; British Columbia to northern Californiahot-rock penstemon, Penstemon deustus - stems in clumps with cream-colored flowers; found from Washington to Wyoming and southward to California and UtahJones' penstemon, Penstemon dolius - low plant with light blue and violet flowers in short clusters near tips of stems; Nevada to Utahlowbush penstemon, Penstemon fruticosus, shrubby penstemon - low bushy plant with large showy pale lavender or blue-violet flowers in narrow clusters at ends of stemsnarrow-leaf penstemon, Penstemon linarioides - plant having small narrow leaves and blue-violet flowers in long open clusters; Utah and Colorado to New Mexico and Arizonamountain pride, Penstemon newberryi - mat-forming plant with deep pink flowers on short erect leafy stems; rocky places at high elevations from Oregon to Californiaballoon flower, Penstemon palmeri, scented penstemon - fragrant puffed-up white to reddish-pink flowers in long narrow clusters on erect stems; Arizona to New Mexico and UtahParry's penstemon, Penstemon parryi - erect stems with pinkish-lavender flowers in long interrupted clusters; Arizonacliff penstemon, Penstemon rupicola, rock penstemon - one of the West's most beautiful wildflowers; large brilliant pink or rose flowers in many racemes above thick mats of stems and leaves; ledges and cliffs from Washington to CaliforniaPenstemon rydbergii, Rydberg's penstemon - plant with whorls of small dark blue-violet flowers; Washington to Wyoming and south to California and Coloradocascade penstemon, Penstemon serrulatus - whorls of deep blue to dark purple flowers at tips of erect leafy stems; moist places from British Columbia to OregonPenstemon whippleanus, Whipple's penstemon - wine and lavender to purple and black flowers in several clusters on the upper half of leafy stems; Montana south through the Rocky Mountains to Arizona and New Mexico