Penstemon or the common name, Beardtongue has a name that I could not understand the relationship to the flower. In my research I found that the "staminode, an infertile stamen 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 of beardtongue."
Next time you are in your garden or at a garden retail shop, take a close look at the beardtongue, can you see it?
Penstemon plants usually bloom during the first few weeks of June. Most of them have completed blooming in my yard as of now, June 22, except for the ones in the semi-shade.
No comments:
Post a Comment