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Penstemon Cultivars
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Penstemon Cultivars
E Introduced Unknown Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Penstemon Cultivars
Botanical name: Penstemon spp.    Family: Plantaginaceae (Plantain family)

Penstamons are elegant, semi-evergreen perennials, valued for their spires of tubular foxglove-like flowers, in white and shades of pink, red and purple, held above lance shaped leaves. There are a number cultivars which are popular in the gardens, They have opposite leaves, partly tube-shaped, and two-lipped flowers and seed capsules. The most distinctive feature of the genus is the prominent staminode, an infertile stamen. The staminode takes a variety of forms in the different species; while typically a long straight filament extending to the mouth of the corolla, some are longer and extremely hairy, giving the general appearance of an open mouth with a fuzzy tongue protruding and inspiring the common name beard-tongue. Penstemons are cultivated in colder parts of India. You are likely to find them in the hill stations of India in summers.

Identification credit: Tabish Photographed in cultivation.

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