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Flowers of mountain and plain

SNAPDRAGON FAMILY

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Pink Beard-tongue Pentstemon secundiflorus

Plate 23, fig. 1

The Pentstemons or Beard-tongues receive both the scientific name of the genus and the common name from the sterile fifth stamen, which is characteristically very hairy in the Beard-tongues. They are closely 35 related to the Foxglove of the garden, though few of the American species are as yet cultivated. The flowers of the Pink Beard-tongue are rose-purple or pink and grow on stiff stems 1-2 ft. high. They may be found on dry plains, foothills, hills and mountains at 5000-9000 ft. blooming in early summer.

Dark Pentstemon Pentstemon glaucus

Plate 23, fig. 2

The Dark Pentstemon usually bears wine-colored to nearly black flowers, though sometimes pale yellowish or whitish ones occur. They are ornamented with darker longitudinal stripes and bloom in midsummer in the mountains at 8000-12000 ft. At the higher altitudes the stems are dwarfed and attain no more than 4 in. in height, while ordinarily they grow to 3 ft.

Blue Pentstemon Pentstemon gracilis

Plate 23, fig. 3

This dainty little Pentstemon carpets the ground with its blue flowers, with here and there a bunch of delicate pink ones, in early and middle summer. The stems grow 6 in.-2 ft. tall on plains and in the mountains at 4000-10000 ft.

Scarlet Bugler Pentstemon barbatus

Plate 23, fig. 4

The bright red flowers of the Scarlet Bugler are conspicuous on hillsides and mountains at 5000-9000 ft. The stems are usually quite tall, 2-6 ft., and the flowers bloom in early summer. This Pentstemon as well as many others would be a welcome addition to the garden.

Clustered Pentstemon Pentstemon confertus

Plate 23, fig. 5

The small yellowish to blue-purple and rose-purple flowers of the Clustered Pentstemon grow, as the name indicates, in crowded groups and bloom in early summer. The plants are rather small, being usually but 4-15 in. high. They occur on hills and mountains at 7000-10000 ft.

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Plate 23

SNAPDRAGON FAMILY

1 Pink Beard-tongue: Pentstemon secundiflorus 2 Dark Pentstemon: Pentstemon glaucus 3 Blue Pentstemon: Pentstemon gracilis 4 Scarlet Bugler: Pentstemon barbatus 5 Clustered Pentstemon: Pentstemon confertus 6 Blue Beard-tongue: Pentstemon unilateralis

Illustration from Flowers of mountain and plain

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Blue Beard-tongue Pentstemon unilateralis

Plate 23, fig. 6

The blue-purple flowers of the Blue Beard-tongue are large and grow in conspicuous one-sided spikes on stems 2-5 ft. tall. They bloom in midsummer and are found in the mountains at 5500-8000 ft.

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