Rank Species | ||
 | ||
Similar Penstemon degeneri, Penstemon anguineus, Penstemon alluviorum | ||
Penstemon cyanocaulis, the bluestem penstemon or bluestem beardtongue, is a perennial plant in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) found in the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region of the southwestern United States.
Contents
Growth pattern
It is a perennial plant growing 10 to 22 inches (25 to 56 cm) tall.
Leaves and stems
Stems are smooth with narrow inversely lanceolate 1 to 6 inches (2.5 to 15.2 cm) leaves.
Inflorescence and fruit
It blooms from April to July. Dense clusters of tubular, two lipped, 1 to 6 inches (2.5 to 15.2 cm) long, blue to lavender-blue flowers are on elongations of the stem stalks.
Fruits are woody capsules.
Habitat and range
It can be found in blackbrush scrub, pinyon juniper woodland, and mountain bush communities to 7,200 feet (2,200 m) in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah.
Ecological and human interactions
"Cayan" + "caul" means "blue" + "stem", referrig to the stem color.
It is pollinated by bees and other insects.