Chelan penstemon is a perennial wildflower found in central Washington. It consists of several erect stems arising to 40 cm in height. It is either very glandular over its full height, or glandular above and gray-pubescent with short, nonglandular hairs below.
The lower leaves are long petiolate, about one-half to three-fourths the length of the blades. The leaves are broadly ovate to lanceolate, and range from 70 to 150 mm in length. The margins are finely and sharply toothed. The stem leaves are sessile, somewhat clasping, and reach a maximum length of 60 mm. These leaves are triangular to lance-shaped.
The inflorescence is densely glandular, and consists of three to seven verticillasters. The flower stems are tightly pressed to the stem. Each flower cluster is 5 to 10 flowered. The sepals are green to sometimes purple. Individual sepals are lanceolate to oblong in shape, entire, and tapered to a pointed tip. Individual sepals are 3 to 6 mm long. The flowers are lavender to a bluish-purple. The tubes are long and slightly expanded. The length varies from 10 to 16 mm. The pale throat typically has dark blue or purple guide lines. The lips flare widely, with the lower lip longer than the upper. The flowers are glandular outside. The anthers are glabrous, with the sacs dehiscing their full length, opening opposite and becoming an oval, boat-shape. The staminode is yellow-bearded at the tip. The staminode barely reaches the orifice of the corolla.
Chelan penstemon is found on open pine or sagebrush slopes, both in canyons and plains as well into the mountains.
Chelan penstemon is found from south-central British Columbia south along the eastern slopes of the Cascades to near the Tri-cities. It ranges across the Columbia Basin to just west of Spokane, WA.
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